Chapter 77
"Oh... poor little one..."
After about three hours of crying, she slowly stopped sobbing. Leunen looked at the tears in her hands, which had already become an ice cube.
"Miss... even the archmage doesn't want to be separated from you."
"Nonsense, she's kicking me out!"
"As far as I know, many magicians, even if they have their own mage tower, can still live in other people's mage towers for a long time, like partners who do research together. You can also build your tower nearby, or set up a Portal in Withered Leaf City. With a Portal, coming and going is just a momentary thing, not that you can't come back."
"Really?!" The sad little creature suddenly showed a happy smile and grabbed her blue ball.
"Um... of course it's true. I don't think the rules in the human world change that quickly."
Leunen said uncertainly. In fact, apprentices who leave the mage tower usually have the teacher's key stone taken away. But the archmage wasn't really in a hurry to kick her out, so at least if she was a guest, they would still come to pick her up, Leunen added in her mind.
She was happy for a while, smiled foolishly for a moment, and then became sad again.
"But I won't be able to see her. How long do I have to go? I heard from the Rost Family twins that the advanced school takes three years?"
"Most of the time, yes. But as long as you earn enough credits, you can graduate early. After that, if you still want to take the graduation exam, you must participate in the assessment for the three major subjects, do you understand this? Usually, people take one exam per year, but some may take all three exams at once."
"... Is it a lot?"
Leunen replied, "Not too many, but my frivolous cousin's owner is indeed one of them."
Of course, it was referring to the archmage himself.
"Oh, I see..."
"After you finish school, you can start preparing for the basic written test. Usually, people choose to prepare for the practical subjects at school, and they form teams to do so."
"Oh, so you mean that in order to graduate, you have to stay in school for another year."
"That's right," Leunen said with a relieved and slightly exaggerated expression. It was clear that he was trying to make Sylas happy.
Sylas immediately saw through it, so she didn't feel happy. She remained gloomy.
Leunen felt a bit defeated, then he flattered and said - lately, he found it hard to avoid this kind of feeling, similar to Sylas and the archmage, there was a certain aura that made elemental creatures unable to resist submission - "But what I want to say is not about that. There's something I think you would really like to know."
"What is it?"
"It's about thesis."
"What about thesis?"
In general, students should complete their papers with the guidance of their teachers. Students from the Tower are very lucky because their teachers are usually powerful wizards, so their papers are usually graded higher. You are a student from the Tower, right? You have one to two years to complete your paper, and the archmage will not kick you out. You have to write her name on your paper. Not graduating is the most worrisome thing, of course...
But if that happens, the archmage will be very unhappy. Her proudest student, unable to graduate, will damage her reputation.
Sylas realized this and immediately started to worry and be troubled about something that happened five or six years ago. Her worries were clearly visible on her face.
Leunen leaned in and said, "And then you will be a mage on equal footing with the archmage. She can no longer threaten you with that dog collar."
But Sylas obviously didn't mind the "dog collar," it was just the upcoming separation that made her extremely anxious.
She actually liked it.
Deep brown marks, tangled scars that never fade no matter how many times she washed, Xerath's name was branded on her, even in her blood and bones.
The next morning at the breakfast table, there was a very awkward atmosphere. Xerath greeted her coldly and never spoke another word. They used to casually exchange thoughts about the books they recently read during breakfast.
Sylas really enjoyed this, as if they were taking a walk hand in hand.
But Xerath stayed silent, her grey eyes looking off into space instead of focusing on her as usual.
This silence lasted until it was time for class. Xerath sat in her seat for a while, while Sylas stared at her, waiting for her to announce the start of class.
However, she didn't. She sat there wearing glasses and daydreaming for a while. Finally, her eyes, which usually sparkled with a beautiful silver-gray light, landed on Sylas.
The girl was overjoyed, and her happy mood reflected in her bright eyes.
Xerath coldly said to her, "I need to adjust my mood and do some research. I won't be attending class today." After she finished speaking, she pushed her chair and walked into the depths of the library with a notebook in her clasp.
Sylas looked at the spot where she disappeared with a sense of loss, and then she bounced up and followed her as if touched by fire.
The figure of the archmage was right at the end of the bookshelf, framed by a window. There was bright light, blue sky, dark contours, and an expressionless face.
Sylas walked over with an anxious heart, and of course, the archmage noticed her. There were only the two of them in the library, with the constant sound of the wind and the distinct sound of footsteps on the floor.
However, she didn't turn her head. She just looked up at the rows of books on the shelf.
"Teacher..."
The powerful wizard sighed deeply, reluctantly turned around, and softly called her name, "Sylas..."
"Hmm!" Just by her glance back, Sylas's heart suddenly filled with joy.
"Right now... I don't really want to see you. Can I have some time alone to calm down?" She looked truly exhausted, but her words struck Sylas's heart heavily, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring Xerath's face.
"Don't cry..." Xerath's hand touched her face, gently wiping away the almost overflowing tears. Their voice was low and soft, whispering directly into her ear, "Don't cry, we both need to take a moment to think."
"Teacher..."
She couldn't see Xerath's movements clearly, only a black shadow swaying in front of her constantly. Sylas felt the shadow getting closer and closer, and then Xerath's warm lips lightly pressed against her forehead. But before she could savor the long-lost warmth, Xerath pulled away.
The chilly air quickly rushed in, taking her place. A stream of water wiped away her tears. After her sobbing subsided, Leunen appeared from an inconspicuous crack and whispered softly in her ear, "The archmage has already left."
Sylas nodded, patting her tear-stained face, taking two jumps in place, and walked back to the entrance of the library.
Xerath isn't here, maybe she really doesn't want to see her anymore. Where did she go? Maybe she's in the living room. She hesitates whether to go and find Xerath in the living room. On one hand, she's not someone who constantly bothers others, but on the other hand, she's also afraid of upsetting Xerath.
Just take a look... just to see if she's there or not.
She slowly opens the door to the living room, hoping to find that beautiful figure. But there's nothing here. Titus hears the sound and runs over, pawing at her and expressing his concern with whimpering noises.
Sylas bends down and picks him up. His heavy body makes her uneasy heart feel a little more settled. She carries Titus downstairs (he's quite heavy) and finds a deep window ledge to nestle into.
Leunen almost fills up the entire window ledge, but luckily it can change its shape freely. So now it maintains the shape of the window, leaning down towards the two pets.
I'm just a crying pet, to the teacher..." she says in self-deprecation. But Titus grumbles disapprovingly, as if saying, "What's wrong with being a pet?
Fifty years, sixty years, it's already a long time for her. The book says that a human's lifespan is about seventy years, during which they will experience birth, old age, sickness, and death. But aside from death, she doesn't feel anything particularly special.
From the age of eight to the tower until fifteen, it has already been seven years. This period of time makes her feel like it occupies almost her whole life. Sixty years might be enough, as long as she can stay by Xerath's side every day and enjoy her attention and gaze.
"Leunen, the teacher said the archmage's lifespan is almost endless. What does that mean?"
"Hmm... This is a good question. In theory, powerful forces can protect the body carrying it, making it immortal in all fields."
"For example?"
"Hmm... For example, an archmage. Their powerful magic protects their body, making it hardly age with the passing of time. So, theoretically, archmages have infinite lifespans."
"But how old is the oldest archmage now?"
Leunen lowered his head and thought for a moment. "Probably around one hundred and seventy-seven years old."
"Did Ancient City ever have an archmage?"
"Oh, the encyclopedia you've read definitely doesn't say so."
"Yes, I know. The first archmage was born in the middle of Ancient City, but there are no more records about him afterwards. In the end, he died, right?"
Leunen nodded. "That's right. The first archmage committed suicide. The powerful force kept their body from decaying, but fatal injuries can still make them disappear. Humans are a short-lived race, and compared to races like elves, their lifespans are nothing notable. However, humans must live among people, and loneliness can torment them more than anything. So, when this archmage lost all his family and friends, he also felt that there was no value in living anymore."
Sylas looked up at Leunen and asked, "Did the first archmage in human history commit suicide because of loneliness?"
