Chapter 98: The Muffled Rain and Thoughts

In the room with its white walls, soft sofa, and tranquil atmosphere, only the goblin sat on a low stool by the bed, mimicking Sophina's posture with its chin in its hand, unwilling to take its eyes off the patient on the bed. It seemed to understand human emotions, and its eyes were filled with sorrow and sympathy as it watched the patient's pained expression. After a moment's thought, it suddenly picked up a candy from its hand and placed it by Bing Zhiye's mouth, making a sound as if it believed that eating something delicious would make the illness go away.

It was already October, and in a northern city like Thebes, the weather could easily turn cold. The sky, which had been sunny and bright yesterday, was now gloomy and cold, mirroring Sophina's current mood. A gust of wind blew, and she instinctively pulled her neck in, unsure whether it was the cold wind or her heart that was chilled.

In Kulantin, there was a secluded corner where a wooden house stood. Vasiliev, who enjoyed peace and quiet, often came here to conduct his academic research in recent years. Sophina knocked on the wooden door and quietly looked at her grandfather.

"Come in," Vasiliev said, opening the door. "I knew you would come."

Sophina was not surprised, but she asked calmly, "How did you know?"

"You want me to save him, don't you?" The room was simple, almost spartan. Vasiliev brewed a warm cup of tea and placed it in her hands. "But he's a thief, a thief who plans to steal from the Great Blue Crystal Tower. This time it's him, and the last time it was probably him too."

"He's not," Sophina shouted, agitated.

"He is!" Vasiliev said. "Otherwise, why didn't you take him to the hospital? The injuries on his body clearly show that I inflicted them. You already know he's the thief, so why can't you admit it to yourself?"

Sophina looked at her grandfather and slowly lowered her head. The scalding hot water in the cup was steaming, but she felt no heat, only a coldness in her heart. Indeed, she had known last night that Bing Zhiye was the one who caused the chaos in the Blue Crystal Tower, but she refused to believe it, forcing herself to deny it.

Vasiliev saw through her thoughts and said calmly, "You never used to be like this. You have feelings for him, don't you?"

"You know? No, how did you know I would come to you? How did you know... how did you know..." Her voice grew softer, and the cold light from outside reflected in Sophina's eyes as she looked at the patterns on the wooden cup.

Vasiliev looked at her quietly and said, "Sophina, don't fall for the wrong person. There are many kinds of feelings, and you need to understand. When I injured him, I saw the amber pendant. It's the most important thing in our family, given to you by your mother on her deathbed. You said it would either stay with you forever or be given to... the person you love the most. You..."

"Stop, Grandfather, stop," Sophina cried, holding her head. "I don't know what's happening. Ever since I saw him, I just... I just... I don't want to see him suffer. When he's in pain, I feel it too. I... I don't know, I really don't know. Yes, I want to take care of him like a sister, I..."

"No! You know it's not just that," Vasiliev said firmly.

Sophina's body trembled, and she slowly calmed down. "Grandfather, no matter what, you have to save him now. You caused the injury, and you know best how to treat it. Let's go quickly, or it might be too late."

"Are you sure about this?" Vasiliev held her shoulders.

Sophina stood there for a long time, then finally nodded. "Yes."

Bing Zhiye spat blood again, and the goblin was busy with a basin and a towel until its master returned. To advance in any field, one needs broad knowledge, not just in one's own discipline but also in other areas to cultivate one's character and broaden one's horizons. The sea can hold a hundred rivers because it is vast. For a mage, who needs extensive knowledge, this is even more important. Without this understanding, it is difficult to advance and become a High Mage.

Although Vasiliev was not a professional magical doctor, his medical skills were no less proficient than those of some chief physicians, especially since he had caused the injuries himself.

He prepared the medicine, used magic, and treated the injuries step by step. After more than three hours of treatment, Vasiliev sighed. "I didn't want to kill him. At such a young age, he already has the strength of a High Mage. If he could serve the empire and benefit the people, his future achievements would be immeasurable. I became a High Mage at 41 and a Great High Mage at 66, which is far behind him."

Sophina said, "It's related to the numerous injuries on his body."

"Yes," Vasiliev nodded. "He has fought dragons."

"Dragons!" Sophina was greatly surprised. She had seen dragons only a few times in her life, let alone fought them.

Vasiliev pointed to many of his injuries. "These are all from dragons. Although they were treated very well, they still left such terrible scars. This young man is not simple!"

Sophina covered him with a blanket. "I don't know his identity. I've asked many times, but he always avoids the topic."

"Do you want to marry him?"

"Grandfather, what are you saying?" Sophina laughed. "But... but I don't want to leave him. I just want to take care of him and give him happiness."

Vasiliev also laughed, joking, "You haven't even had children, and you already have maternal love."

"Yes, like a mother..." Sophina said sadly. "I don't want him to lose his father, mother, or the love of his family like I did. I don't want him to suffer the same pain I did. That feeling... that feeling is like dying alone in despair, terrifying and intoxicating..."

"Intoxicating?" Vasiliev looked at his granddaughter. "You're still the same as before. You seem more cheerful these years, but the shadow still lingers in your heart, never to be erased. Intoxicating, only you would describe it that way."

"Only those who have experienced it can understand." Sophina's eyes suddenly became calm, staring at Bing Zhiye without blinking.

Vasiliev sighed. "It was my mistake to neglect your care and affection when you were young, so I can't blame you for this. But I hope your decision is the right one. We serve the empire, and if he causes any more trouble, I won't tolerate it."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

In the medical building, Luo and the others had left, leaving only Konelia to care for Bimoye. "Who could have done this to you, to leave you so injured?"

In the afternoon, in the classroom, Sophina was teaching a high-level fire magic theory class, but her mind was not on the lesson. The rain outside the window made the cold, gloomy weather even more chilling.

Finally, the class ended, and Sophina immediately left, brushing off the students' questions with promises to discuss them next time. She hurried down the teaching building, ignoring her colleagues' calls, and rushed back to her teacher's dormitory in the drizzle. She realized that her heart... her heart could not stay away from him for a moment.

Due to the attack and theft the previous night, the date for 500 students to enter the Great Blue Crystal Tower for study had to be postponed. The 17th World also held a special meeting, deciding to enhance the security system of the academy. They were also very concerned about and praised Bimoye, the grandson of Shafalo, whom the king liked very much.

At night, Shafalo rode in a carriage back to his mansion. At 14, his grandson had been seriously injured, with seven broken ribs. Shafalo knew his grandson's strength very well and could not believe that the person who injured him was just a masked child. He had to ask his grandson personally.

In the student dormitory, Luo's room was a bit quiet, with only him and Qin left. Thinking about the scene of Bing Zhiye spitting blood last night, a myriad of thoughts welled up in his heart.

Qin looked out at the balcony. "It's so boring. Let's chat. It's only a little past eight." The glass sliding door on the balcony was tightly closed, and the sound of the drizzle outside was muffled inside.

Luo also felt a bit depressed. "Okay, let's talk about who attacked Kulantin and who tried to steal from the Great Blue Crystal Tower."

"It was a very powerful person," Qin said, sitting on a small stool and staring out the window.

Luo nodded. "It must have been a very powerful person. Who would dare to steal from the Great Blue Crystal Tower? I heard that many people, including High Mages, have tried to steal from the Great Blue Crystal Tower before, but none succeeded." He did not know that a few months ago, the Great Blue Crystal Tower had been burglarized, and the academy had not publicized the incident, as it was embarrassing that a child had infiltrated the Great Blue Crystal Tower. This time, although they said it was a burglary, they told the students it was a child.

"Is that so?" The room was quiet. Qin said, "Stealing from the Great Blue Crystal Tower is not impossible. As long as the conditions are prepared and the relevant information is known, any place can be stolen, not just a tower."

Luo was taken aback and laughed. "If that's the case, no place is safe. I feel like the hundreds of gold coins I have in the World Bank will disappear tonight!"

"Hehe, you're still able to make a joke," Qin laughed.

After a moment of silence, Luo said, "Teacher Sophina said Bing Zhiye is sick, but I don't think it's like that. The scene of him spitting blood yesterday was too scary."

"Sick?" Qin rested her chin on her knees. "He is sick, but not from spitting blood. It's a heartache. If it weren't for a heartache, he wouldn't have acted so rashly and ended up spitting blood."

Luo looked at Qin with confusion. "I feel like there's more to what you're saying!"

In another dormitory, Konelia was also unable to sleep.

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