Chapter 119: Three Years of Silence

This remark caused Karina’s face to flush even more deeply. She couldn't help but steal a glance at Lorin, who sat beside her, only to find him looking her way as well. She hurriedly turned her head, pretending that nothing had happened.

Seeing this charming interaction between their son and Karina, the Gergil couple couldn't help but smile.

Morey, laughing heartily, patted little Hawk’s head in praise before turning to look at Lorin. "I remember mentioning this a few years ago. Back then, you said you were too young. Now that you are both fourteen, I don’t think you can use that as an excuse anymore, can you?" As he spoke, his gaze burned with expectation.

No one at the dining table had anticipated that Morey would bring this up again so abruptly. Karina lowered her head, her face crimson, though her ears—now bright red from shyness—perked up, listening intently for his response. Little Hawk, meanwhile, giggled as he looked back and forth between his brother and the silent, head-bowed Karina.

The Gergils were stunned at first, but then smiled warmly at their son. They had no objections to this union; Karina was not only beautiful but also remarkably sensible. Most importantly, they were both studying magic at Potter Academy. They had absolutely no reason to refuse such a daughter-in-law. Now, it all depended on Lorin’s wishes.

Sensing everyone’s eyes on him, waiting for his answer, Lorin took a deep breath to steady himself and said softly, "Uncle Morey, Karina, thank you for your trust. To be honest, the reason I have been working so desperately hard at alchemy is, on one hand, to earn money for the surgery. But more importantly, once my alchemy skills improve, I intend to brew a potion to cure little Hawk’s leg. I do not wish to consider anything else until then."

At these words, the expressions of Morey and his daughter darkened. They had not expected that after all they had done for him, his response would be little different from the last time. However, his next sentence put them at ease.

"Once my brother’s leg is cured, provided that Karina is still willing, I will certainly come to your home to formally ask for her hand. Uncle Morey, what do you think?"

As he spoke these words, Lorin felt the purple-clad figure in his heart begin to fade.

Since Lorin had put it this way, Morey and his daughter felt their hearts settle. Morey raised a full glass of fruit wine and said, "Brother Gergil, Sister-in-law Isha, since nephew Lorin has agreed to this union, let this banquet serve as the engagement feast. We must drink until we are satisfied!"

The Gergils beamed, their faces lighting up as they raised their own glasses.

As for whether Lorin could actually cure little Hawk’s leg, no one present—except for little Hawk himself—held much hope. After all, the best medical cathedral in the Imperial Capital had charged a million gold coins and could only prolong his life by a few years. They did not believe that a small vial of potion brewed by Lorin could pull little Hawk back from the brink of death, but no one dared to mention this aloud.

The two families drank until the afternoon before the banquet concluded. After a brief rest, Lorin and Karina returned to Potter Academy together by donkey, and immediately, Lorin resumed his diligent training.

Time flowed slowly through his daily practice. Amidst the anticipation of the academy’s teachers and students, the first of the "Academy’s Three Prodigies" finally made a breakthrough. However, to everyone's surprise, the one who reached the fourth-level mage status first was not Lorin, but Terese!

This upset caused many of the academy’s "bookies" to fill their pockets. They immediately began taking bets again, this time on who would be the second of the three to break through. Naturally, Lorin was still heavily favored, with his odds set extremely low.

However, as the year came to a close, the bookies made another small fortune, for the one who successfully broke through this time was still not Lorin, but Simone!

Many students and teachers at Potter Academy were stunned. From Lorin’s early breakthroughs from second to third-level mage, and his safe return from the Maya Mountains, he had seemed to possess a crushing superiority. Because his previous performance had been so stellar, people held high expectations for him, believing he would leave the other two far behind. No one expected that both Terese and Simone would reach the fourth level while Lorin remained stagnant at the third.

Some in the academy who had lost money on the bets even cursed Lorin, accusing him of colluding with the bookies to stage successive upsets and swindle their gold.

Because of the decline in his training progress, Lorin’s "fan base" dwindled, with many turning their support to Terese and Simone. Yet, a loyal core of followers remained, firmly believing that he would quickly make a breakthrough and recover his lost ground.

Maher and the others in Dorm 2015, being the closest to Lorin, often comforted him, urging him not to worry, as cultivation could not be rushed.

To avoid distracting him, Karina even cancelled their daily morning meetings, hoping that by lifting the burden from his shoulders, he might find the ease needed to break through sooner.

By then, the bookies who had already profited handsomely opened new odds, this time betting on how long it would take for Lorin to break through, with twelve options ranging from one month to one year.

Within days, the betting results were in. The vast majority chose two or three months, some chose one month, and a very small minority opted for four to six months. Almost no one chose anything beyond six months, as most still believed he would break through in a relatively short time, given how dazzling his past achievements had been.

Yet, something that left the entire academy dumbfounded occurred: the jackpot fell into the hands of the bookies once again, and this time, they took everything! Every single gold coin wagered was swallowed up, because none of the twelve options they had provided matched the month in which Lorin eventually broke through.

Even more shocking, however, was what followed: since the breakthroughs of Terese and Simone, three full years had passed, and Lorin still had not made his move.

Initially, when the bookies opened the betting for the second year, some people still participated. But after another year of everyone losing their stakes, by the third year, few dared to bet at all. The reason, naturally, was that no one had any idea when—or if—Lorin would ever break through. Some even pessimistically concluded that Lorin would be stuck at the third level for the rest of his life, never to make another inch of progress.