[Robert's Magic Academy: Infirmary]
Gabby thought to himself, "My body feels better and lighter. The restriction must only apply inside the dungeon portal. Professor Morisson doesn't realize how dangerous a portal with random restrictions can be. The worst one I've seen so far was the inability to use aura or mana. My restriction was constant cold. Any non-awakened person would've died in there. Thankfully, my harsh training in the Vestige Tower paid off. That snowy cliff nearly killed me."
"This academy really does have advanced healing and recovery salves," he added silently.
Gabby slowly sat up.
He noticed a tall woman nearby with a slim figure. Her back was always straight, and her steps were light and quiet. Her hair was black and tucked neatly under a white cloth. Her face was pale and smooth, with high cheekbones and a small mouth that gave him a warm smile. She wore thin leather gloves.
The nurse saw him and said, "How are you feeling, Gabby?"
"I'm fine, thank you," he replied.
She stepped closer, gently took his wrist, and checked his pulse. "You're indeed fine," she said with a nod.
Gabby stood up and thought, "Why is she wearing gloves even while checking my pulse or mixing salves?"
She leaned in slightly to whisper something, and Gabby noticed her cauliflower ear.
"There's a rumor," she whispered, "that a criminal named Cero Restes is being hunted by the Duke for killing the South's finest assassin. The bounty is fifty thousand gold coins."
Gabby kept his face still, showing no reaction.
"She's nosy," he thought. "So the news about me killing Sarah has finally spread across the kingdom. And my bounty has gone up. Good thing they think Cero Restes is a woman with emerald eyes."
He glanced at the name stitched on her chest: Lysenne Fenwick. She was nearly as tall as he was.
"Does the Duke know where Cero is?" he asked calmly.
Lysenne leaned in again and whispered, "The Duke suspects that the Northern County is protecting Cero. It's driving him mad. He's now threatening to declare war."
Gabby thought to himself, "As expected, the Duke is finally making his move, trying to expand his territory. With the king bedridden, no one can stop him. Not even the alliance between the North and the West. The Far East remains neutral, as always."
"The West has always been rich in ores and metals used for weapons. If the Duke conquers the West, it will only make his military force stronger."
Gabby replied, "I see."
Lysenne gave a small nod and said, "So, please be careful, Gabby."
She added, "We need to change your shirt," as she reached to unbutton his linen sleeve.
Gabby gently stopped her hand and said, "I can do it."
Just as Gabby was about to leave the infirmary, Lysenne tossed him a small gourd filled with recovery salve.
"Drink this often," she said. "It will help you recover faster."
Gabby caught the gourd, poured its contents into a glass, and held it up, but instead of drinking it, he handed it back to her.
"Drink it first," he said calmly.
Lysenne hesitated for a moment, then gave a small smile and nodded. "I understand. You don't trust me. After all, you don't even know me."
She took the glass, raised it to her lips, and drank a large portion of the salve. Then she finished the rest and handed the empty glass back to him.
She said, "See? I'm not trying to poison you. You're just overthinking it."
Gabby turned toward the door and replied without looking back, "I'm just making sure and thank you for the salves."
***
Gabby headed to Professor Morisson's room for his Survival class. The air was quiet, and the atmosphere felt heavy.
Professor Morisson looked up, concern in his eyes. "How are you feeling, Gabby?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Gabby replied, his voice calm. "But the upperclassmen were all killed during the survival exam."
Professor Morisson frowned. He looks calm, but I can tell, he's hiding the pain. He's carrying all that sadness inside.
"I'm sorry, Gabby," the professor said softly. "It's my fault. I underestimated how dangerous that dungeon really was."
Gabby clenched his fist and u "I just have one favor to ask."
Professor Morisson cleared his throat and nodded, waiting to hear it.
"Please shield me and Maya from public questioning and interviews," Gabby said. "I want to forget the nightmares we went through in that dungeon."
Then Gabby leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper only Professor Morisson could hear.
The first request aligned perfectly with Professor Morisson's hidden agenda. Shielding Gabby and Maya from public questioning would help cover up his own negligence—and the criminal implications of providing false information that led to the deaths of over a hundred promising students.
But it was the second request that caught him off guard.
It had to do with Maya.
Gabby knew the laws surrounding the Magic Towers well. Normally, if a mage graduated with a recommendation from a Tower representative, the Tower would gain partial legal rights over that mage's magical development.
This included exclusive training, binding contracts, and even property claims. It was a path to power, wealth, and prestige but also control. Even if the mage refused, they had no legal authority to resist once they become and official member of the Magic tower.
However, Gabby had discovered a legal loophole.
Elder Mages held the authority to issue exception certificates. Documents that could block a Tower's claim over a mage.
Gabby knew this well, it was an unspoken rule within the Tower elders' hierarchy, even in the Tower of Vestige. Elders have the authority to override legal processes.
Professor Morisson, meanwhile, had his own thoughts.
Maya is nothing but a failed awakener, he thought. She holds no value to Robert's Magic Tower. In fact, we elders were already planning to expel her from the academy.
He gave a slow nod and said, "Both are difficult requests, but I will fulfill your wishes, Gabby. As an elder, I can issue a certificate for Maya's sake. Consider it done."