Chapter 103: Practical Experience
William walked alone down the corridor. Each step felt heavy, as if he were carrying a great weight on his back. His mind was focused on the image of Lía on the infirmary bed, her tear-filled eyes and swollen skin. Her voice trembling. "Don’t do anything crazy." Despite her severe condition, she was still worrying about him, even to the point of enduring everything herself. "If I don’t screw them over, I’m not a man..." William muttered as he walked back to the greenhouse.
After making a decision, he quickened his pace. Each step echoed more forcefully than the last, showing his resolve. As he opened the door, the scent of sap and damp earth flooded his lungs again, like poison. The class was still in session. Professor Silga Mern was explaining the process of spore extraction for study without even turning to look at the door.
Normally, it would be difficult to find the culprit, but this time William didn’t need to look far. There they were, Julien Tavros, Erel Vanvar, and Mikkon Velth, the three nobles sitting together, smiling, one of them even absently shaking a dwarf genoderma leaf. Their faces showed no remorse whatsoever. Only arrogance, as if the tragedy were just a funny note from the morning. Seeing their attitude, his resolve grew stronger; he had doubted a little before, but now he was sure of what he had to do.
Without a word, William headed to his desk. When he sat down, the teacher finally turned her gaze.
"William, is everything alright with your companion?" she asked in a flat voice, as she wrote formulas in the air with a blue sage wand.
"She’s stable," he replied, without emotion.
"I’m glad. What happened earlier was an unfortunate accident. Let’s continue with the class, please."
William laughed. It was brief, dry, a hollow laugh. Everyone turned to look at him. Even the three nobles stopped pretending indifference.
"An accident..." he murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.