Chapter 233

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Chapter 233

"…teacher."

"Do you feel that, compared to school, life in the tower is too quiet?" After asking this question, Xerath felt that this thought was correct. School was a noisy place, and Sylas preferred going to the library or even running off to Star Song Castle today. Maybe she had just grown accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the "human world" and was not used to the tranquility of the distant tower.

"…maybe a little," Sylas thought Xerath was going to hold her accountable for something, but she only asked this unpredictable question. "But not ‘too much.’"

"If you miss your classmates, you can… you can go back to school to take a two-year short course. It will let you meet many new friends, if you like meeting new people."

Maybe it’s true, Tali was suffering. The beating of her heart caused a sharp pain in her limbs. Unconsciously, she squeezed her right wrist to suppress the pain.

But it didn’t stop, it still hurt. It never ceased when she thought of Xerath.

Seeing Sylas’s thoughtful expression, Xerath breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she had finally found the crux of the matter and could solve it.

But then came disappointment, along with the sense of constant frustration that had been present all day. It dragged her into a deep current.

No matter how powerful a person is, there are things they cannot control.

"Do you need my help?"

"No, no, I’ll go back to school first," Sylas lifted her head and forced a smile. "Maybe the school is too noisy? You know, there are always people trying to challenge me."

Xerath nodded and stopped speaking.

The silence lasted until the polite conversation at the breakfast table the next morning began. Sylas briefly mentioned that she would go to school today, and then she left the table, as if fleeing.

She returned to Star Song Castle, and the familiar environment didn’t give her a sense of belonging, maybe just a little. Every day she stayed here, she thought about leaving and going back to Aimekotes. But once she returned to Aimekotes, she wanted to escape again, and this place became a temporary refuge.

When there was nobody in the activity room, it was as empty as usual. The A+ level demon beast’s pressure on the lower-level demon beasts made Shirley very scared of it. So when Sylas went to catch it, it obediently curled up and let itself be caught.

Sylas had been here for a day. In the morning, she could study and do exercises peacefully. But in the afternoon, she couldn’t concentrate for a long time. She kept thinking about what Xerath was doing at that moment.

Her impressive imagination, developed over the past few months, now showed its talent. It depicted Xerath’s silhouette very clearly.

The sunlight shone through her disheveled hair, making it look even more fragmented. Her fair complexion was illuminated by the light, making it appear even fairer. Her serious and focused side profile was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away. If one accidentally didn’t look away after she raised her head, they might even be rewarded with a faint smile.

No, she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to see her every day.

Shirley was startled by the sound of her getting up, causing the screen to shake. Sylas quickly packed her bag, put it on her back, and jumped out of the window directly.

The unfolded wind shield perfectly blocked the wind, carrying her safely to the rooftop. Using this skill, she smoothly travelled on the various heights of the rooftops, and finally floated directly from the rooftop of Spring Hall closest to the entrance to the doorstep of the Mage Guild.

Go home.

Sylas could never see Xerath alone in the library. The moose wandered around, sometimes running, sometimes hiding in the woods. The sound of the pen scratching the paper overpowered the gentle breeze, becoming the ruler of the library.

It was already dark outside, and the archmage took off her glasses and tossed them aside. She had just eaten something quickly and continued to work in the library. Sylas still hadn’t returned at this time, so she probably wouldn’t be coming back for dinner. She likely won’t be coming back today.

The tamed beast will eventually, and must, disappear deep in the wilderness.

But from the depths of the library, a muffled sound can be heard. Shortly after, the sound of footsteps on the floor echoed. Xerath could recognize it was Sylas just by the sound. She sat up straight in her chair, picked up her glasses from the table, and put them on. Just as Sylas peered out from behind the bookshelf, she happened to see Xerath taking off her glasses and looking at her.

Xerath glanced at her, expressionless, then lowered her head and continued writing with the pen.

"Will you be returning to Star Song Castle in a few days?"

"No… not that soon."

"Are you having trouble finding a suitable house? I have one or two acquaintances over there. I can ask them for help."

"Can’t I stay at home?"

Xerath stopped writing and stared at Sylas with fear and helplessness. After a while, Sylas couldn’t hold her breath and asked, "Don’t you want me to stay in the tower?"

"No, it’s not that. The tower is meant for focusing on studies, not for socializing. If you have any questions, you can come to me. If you feel bored, you can go out and take a walk. But before you become an official mage, you must inform me of your whereabouts. It’s your duty."

When she mentioned the word "real," she emphasized the pronunciation and stared sharply into Sylas’s eyes, making her feel guilty. The courage that had brought her here was almost shattered.

Sylas stood for a moment, nodded gently, and was about to leave. Xerath stopped her and asked if she had eaten. Sylas answered no. Xerath stood up from her seat and said, "Good, I haven’t eaten either. Let’s go eat together."

The archmage led her apprentice into the living room, where the flame lord activated itself. It was about to ask a question when the archmage interrupted forcefully, saying, "Make something quick, enough for two people."

"Aren’t you just…" It wanted to continue asking, but the sharp gaze cut off its words. It could only obediently go cook.

The chef indeed had some simple dishes that could be prepared quickly. One option was meat sauce with some sprinkled cheese, which could easily result in two servings of baked pasta. After it was served, Sylas took a big bite, showing that she was very hungry and barely chewed before swallowing.

Xerath wasn’t actually hungry and stared blankly as Sylas scraped the bottom of her plate clean.

Sylas looked up and unexpectedly met her, asking in surprise, "Why haven’t you eaten?"

Xerath’s mouth curved and said, "I’m not very hungry, want half of mine?" Without waiting for Sylas’s agreement, she picked up the plate and roughly divided it in half for Sylas.

The cheese heated and solidified, and when they tried to divide it, the line between them was tangled and wouldn’t break. Xerath gently flicked it in the middle, and a small gust of wind sliced it apart. She took back her plate and pushed Sylas’s plate back in front of her.

But this time, Sylas didn’t move.

"What’s wrong? I haven’t taken a bite yet."

Sylas shook her head gently; she never minded eating what Xerath had already eaten. "You go ahead and eat, don’t keep staring at me."

Xerath nodded slowly, picked up her fork, rolled up some noodles, and stuffed them into her own mouth. It tasted really good, with a delightful aroma. When she looked at Sylas again, Sylas had already started eating, just as she had expected.

"So…" she began speaking, but Sylas stopped moving again. "Are you not going back to school?"

Sylas replied in a soft voice, "I’m not going back."

Xerath didn’t say anything, and Sylas couldn’t help but sneak a peek at her expression. She only saw Xerath’s calm face as she quietly ate the spaghetti with meat sauce in front of her.

Before and after this incident, life didn’t really change much. It still faithfully maintained its original state. On the surface, Sylas still had a heavy load of studying tasks every day. Her friend Swis would find a way to send her practice tests from all over the continent once a month. They would have a practice exam every Friday, and Xerath would diligently complete the test just like a serious student. After finishing, they would go over the answers together. If Xerath encountered something she didn’t know, she would explain it in great detail to Sylas.

Sylas would also listen attentively and would ask Xerath for help whenever she encountered something she didn’t understand.

She still had plenty of free time every day to daydream about the "I" and "You" story, but she no longer wrote it down. In the story, they would embrace and kiss each other passionately, and happily go on trips. This brought her joy in studying – pretending that they would go to a famous place, pretending they would talk about what happened there, and imagining the kind of history that the buildings held. She was familiar with Xerath’s voice and expressions, and she knew that when the archmage talked about these ancient anecdotes, it would be very enchanting.

These plotlines would often unconsciously come to her mind while she was writing her exams. After a while, it felt as if Xerath was whispering the answers to her in a light and playful tone.

This made her look forward to the exams.

Once, she deliberately answered many questions incorrectly, so that Xerath would have to explain them to her in detail. The whispers in the classroom and the voices in her imagination gradually merged into one. Sylas’s heartbeat also grew faster. The afternoon sunlight was so beautiful, shining on Xerath’s profile and softening her sharp features.

The softened illusion bewitched Sylas, and her thoughts gradually strayed away from the "meaning" that Xerath was talking about. It tempted her to do something to this woman in front of her, right now.

Yes – to do something – it didn’t matter what the result would be –

She suddenly stood up straight, looking down at Xerath. The height difference between them was so big that even an archmage couldn’t make up for it with shoes. Eventually, it became obvious. She wanted to lift her hand to embrace Xerath’s slender waist under the wide robe, to hold the back of her head, forcing her to kiss.

But when Xerath looked at her with a puzzled look, the courage that had overwhelmed her mind earlier disappeared completely. She had to think hard to come up with an excuse to explain this irrational behavior and to cover up her recklessness.

Before she could think of any, Xerath already asked, "What’s wrong? Why so sudden?"