Chapter Ninety-Two: Leaving, Part Three

Lance took the vials that Hughes handed him and studied them without blinking.

"This is a Mind-Clearing Potion. Think of it as a parting gift. As for what you do with it, that's up to you."

"If fate allows, we'll meet again." Hughes stopped at the door, turned back to Lance, and said those words before stepping out, leaving Lance alone in the shop.

"Well, this is..." Lance looked down at the three vials in his hand, and an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

"It'd be better if there were one for Billy as well!" Hughes activated his messenger bracelet to contact Billy.

In the end, Hughes went to Billy's dorm room, and the two sat facing each other.

"I'm leaving."

Hughes looked at his best friend in the Shadow Circle.

"Why?" Billy was startled.

"Because the Shadow Circle is about to go to war with other wizarding organizations." At this point, there was no need for Hughes to hide anything anymore.

"No wonder..." Hearing Hughes say this, Billy could vaguely guess the rest. From the day his father first sought Hughes out to refine potions, and through everything that followed, Billy had gradually come to understand.

"Mm." With that, Hughes handed him what was in his hands: three more vials of Mind-Clearing Potion.

"This... this is a Mind-Clearing Potion?" Billy asked uncertainly as he looked at the potion Hughes had given him.

His family possessed only a single formula for the potion, and it was a very old one at that. So, judging by the color alone, he could not be entirely certain.

"It's for you."

"Jeez, Hughes..."

Billy knew that Hughes had truly made up his mind to leave.

"Where are you going?" Billy asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll take it one step at a time." Hughes glanced at the messenger bracelet on his wrist as he answered.

"As for this messenger bracelet..." At first Hughes had meant to return it to Billy, but later he decided it could serve as a keepsake.

"The bracelet was always meant for you. Don't worry, it doesn't have any tracking function!" Billy hurried to reassure him when he saw Hughes hesitating over it.

"All right. Then I'll keep it."

"Mm."

The two of them fell silent at the same time.

"When are you leaving?" Billy could not help but ask.

"After I finish saying goodbye to you." Hughes could no longer quite meet his eyes.

"I see. That's good... that's good..."

Silence settled over the room once more.

"If fate allows, we'll meet again." Hughes judged that the time had come and decided to end the farewell.

"Yes. We definitely will." Billy silently resolved that he must become a true wizard.

"Then I'll go?" Hughes asked him.

"Go on." Billy looked at Hughes and urged him to leave quickly.

Hughes smiled but said nothing more, striding out of Billy's dorm.

"Wait for it, Hughes. We'll definitely meet again." Watching his figure recede, Billy felt a pang of sadness.

"Hah..." Once outside, Hughes also felt a trace of sorrow. He realized that this was the sort of feeling he found hardest to bear.

"Let's go." He glanced back at Billy's dorm, then decided to leave the Shadow Circle.

Hughes first went to the quest hall, intending to take on a task so that his departure from the Shadow Circle would seem more reasonable.

When he arrived, the hall was packed with a bustling crowd, making it hard to come or go.

He looked around briefly and saw that many were first-rank apprentices. There were very few first-rank apprenticeship quests, and most could be completed within the Shadow Circle itself, which was why so many people were scrambling for them.

Hughes accepted a task with a modest reward. The only drawback was that it was far away and would take a long time. Because of that, not many people wanted it, which suited Hughes perfectly.

After taking the quest, he intended to return to his dorm, grab his things, and leave. Unexpectedly, Emy was waiting for him at the door.

"What are you doing here?" Seeing Emy made Hughes a little uneasy. After all, he had originally told Emy he would consider joining the Shadow Circle.

Since studying the first-rank defensive sorcery model, Hughes had not seen Emy for a long time. He had planned to leave quietly, only to run into him at the very last moment.

"So, have you thought about what I said last time? Things have been busy, so it's been delayed for quite a while." Emy looked at Hughes, who was in a hurry, and asked.

"Uh, I think I can join. Yes, I can join!" Hughes decided it was best to keep Emy calm for now. Once he was out of the Shadow Circle, everything would become much easier.

Hearing this, Emy showed a "just as I expected" expression.

"I knew it!" He stepped forward and patted Hughes on the shoulder.

"When are you planning to sign the contract with the academy? It won't take long." Emy was practically itching to finish the task his father had given him.

"In a while. I have a quest right now," Hughes said. Of course he could not possibly go and sign any contract with Emy. If he did, he'd be tied to the Shadow Circle forever.

"A quest? What quest could matter more than becoming a true wizard? At worst, I'll help you return it. Believe me, I have the authority." As he spoke, Emy lifted his chin, looking very proud of himself.

"This quest was arranged with someone else a long time ago. We're about to set out. But don't worry, once I get back, I'll sign the contract with the academy." Hearing Emy's words, Hughes quickly tried to deflect him.

"Mm... all right then." Seeing how hurried Hughes had seemed earlier, Emy felt it probably wasn't a lie. He had already waited so long; another few days hardly mattered.

"Then I'll go first." Once Emy agreed, Hughes returned to his dorm to gather his things.

Very soon he emerged with a backpack on his back and a longsword at his waist.

He did not have much to begin with: a few sets of clothes, some potions, a handful of magic stones, and some gold coins. There was not much else.

As Hughes walked along the little paths of the Shadow Circle, he thought about everything he had experienced here. Most of the time he had been immersed in study, yet over time, he had still come to feel something for the place.

With those thoughts, he finally passed through the gates of the Shadow Circle. Looking back at the two raven statues at the entrance, Hughes strode straight through the vortex gate.

After walking some distance, his face suddenly changed, and his height also increased by several centimeters.

"So this is polymorph?" Hughes had bought it specially from the academy shop, so he could change his appearance and build.

"Even my voice can change?" Hearing himself speak, he realized it was completely different from before.

"Not bad at all." Hughes thought this shapeshifting spell was quite practical.

"Next comes breaking the contract." He found a secluded spot, then took the vial of tainted potion from his backpack.