Chapter 80
Garrett pondered his own sense of detachment. So far, he hadn't received a single allowance or used any materials from the Mage Tower. Even if they deducted his salary and resources next year, his room, books, and the paper he used for copying were probably exempt...
He chuckled to himself, continuing to climb the stairs with effort. The dining area was on the fifth floor, the residence of Mage Gelman. It was decent, just a bit too high; he had to climb these stairs thrice daily. Well, as a doctor, he was used to climbing around the hospital, so this wasn't much of a difference.
Actually, this was quite a favor. Garrett had heard from the young priest John that in their temple, apprentice priests weren't allowed to dine with the official priests; they had to eat in a separate hall. But maybe Gelman was more lenient, or perhaps, with only four mages in the tower, since Garrett became an apprentice, he had meals with the official mages every day.
High dining standards aside, he could occasionally catch Gelman for a few questions or pick up some insights by overhearing others' conversations.
Just as Garrett reached the third floor, the stairway door opened, and two official mages with grim faces joined the line. The moment they entered, Garrett felt the atmosphere grow unusually heavy, as if the pressure dropped by a hundred pascals. Elliott, in a low voice, complained, "It's all because of you! If you hadn't diverted all the resources, would my spell model have been completed by now?"
"Now it's entirely up to you!" Karen retorted with a stern face. "Improving a spell model is no easy task, you know! ...Sigh, with fewer resources next year, it'll be even harder to achieve anything..."
Garrett glanced left and right, lowering his head to focus on climbing the stairs. They filed into the dining hall, and after a while, Mage Gelman also emerged from his room, silent and somber. The group waited, nearly fifteen minutes passed before the old wizard hurriedly came out. His face was dull, eye bags almost touching his cheekbones. Without sitting down, he addressed Gelman, "Gelman, please send a few people to bring over the leaders of the temple. George coughed for most of last night, having trouble breathing now and running a fever. It's been chaotic, and he hasn't even had breakfast."
Coughing?
Most of the night?
And running a fever?
Garrett's breath hitched. So, the Aen Stone from last night hadn't been swallowed but instead got lodged in the airway, causing inflammation?
That was a big problemforeign objects in the airway could lead to suffocation and hypoxia. If it was a plant-based object like peanuts or beans, it could cause acute bronchitis with symptoms like high fever, coughing, and coughing up pus.
What type of object was the Aen Stone?
As the light dissipated, the boy's forehead beaded with sweat, his flushed face calming down instantly. The old wizard grasped the grand priest's hands, expressing gratitude, then asked, "So... if the Aen Stone isn't removed, will he continue to fall ill?"
Certainly! The grand priest didn't speak, but his expression said it all. Unable to resist, the old wizard pressed on, "Can you find a way to deal with that Aen Stone?"
"Well..." The grand priest hesitated, reluctant to intervene. He glanced at Elder Elwin, who pondered for a moment before softly saying, "Judging by the cause and effect, I can only guess it's stuck in his lungs. - Garrett, what's your opinion?"
- Watson, what do you think? Garrett silently supplied the voiceover for Elder Elwin. Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, he stepped forward, serious, "I also suspect it's stuck in the lungs. To confirm if it is and precisely where it is, I need to perform an examination."
"An examination?"
The old wizard raised his eyebrows. All three temple leaders had seen his grandson, but not one had mentioned an "examination." And now, this young lad casually mentions an "examination"...
"How do you plan to examine?"
"Please wait a moment."
Garrett slightly bowed, retreating to a corner, opening the box the knight had brought him all the way from the horse. Seven to eight people's gazes fixed on him as he lifted a copper tube from the black velvet padding inside the box. With one hand habitually covering the tube's far end, he approached the boy's bedside, calmly instructing, "Come on, sit up, undo your shirt... pull it aside, expose your entire chest."
"I won't! Go away!"
The boy screamed, attempting to kick. Garrett didn't argue, calmly taking two steps back, turning to the old wizard.
Hey, can't you control your kid?
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