The tremors of the Magic Tower slowly subsided.

The president's wife's sudden outburst of rage seemed to be just an illusion felt by everyone in the great hall.

Instead, a deeply repressed and almost tangible sorrow surged from the president's wife like a tide.

It wasn't extremely violent, but it was ceaseless and seemed endless.

The lady cried.

After the unexpected death of the Commerce Association's eldest daughter, the lady, who hadn't shed a tear, cried.

"...Alright, I'm fine now." Andrew finally recovered from being knocked out of breath by the lady's slap, took a breath, and gently pushed Barbara's lower back, "You should go over. Your mother probably needs you very much right now."

This time, it wasn't a message conveyed under the "Underwater World" state; he spoke directly.

His voice was still a bit weak, but steady.

"This 'Water Soul Constitution' combined with the 'Water Priestess Series' has quite a strong recovery power," Andrew thought with pleasure, gaining more confidence and expectation about the "Snickers" Magic Potion made based on the Water Soul Constitution and Water Priestess Series.

And he wasn't sure if it was just an illusion, but it seemed that at the last moment when the president's wife's slap finally landed, she actually... withheld her strength?

Looking back at the opposite side, he saw the president's wife's face full of tears, but she made no sound.

She stood still, one hand clenched in a fist, gently pounding her chest, her whole body slightly hunched, her steps unsteady, while her other hand was raised, waving twice in the air, seemingly searching for a point of support.

"Madam..." Susan, seeing this, originally intended to step forward, but after hearing Andrew's words to Barbara, her face changed, and she withdrew her already outstretched hand.

Barbara, hearing Andrew's words, hurriedly stepped forward, bypassing Susan, and stretched out her hand to support her mother's hand that was waving in the air, actually seeking help.

In all these years, the mother and daughter had hardly exchanged words, and Barbara had never experienced the maternal affection that ordinary children could enjoy.

The moment her palm touched, Barbara's body trembled again, and she couldn't help but cry.

She then realized: her mother's hand was surprisingly cold.

As a Warm Fire Mage and a Tier Nine strong mage, she should never be that cold!

"Mom..." Without further delay, Barbara held her mother's hand with one hand and embraced her with the other, gently patting her mother's trembling back.

Then she saw the hand that was hitting her own chest stop on her heart, clutching her clothes tightly, her whole body trembling, and after holding back for a long time, she cried softly.

There was no heart-wrenching wailing.

There was no pounding of the chest and stomping of feet.

The sound of crying conveyed an extreme sorrow.

Hearing this cry, everyone in the great hall, including Andrew, felt a pang of sadness and an urge to cry.

Not only in the great hall, but the entire Warm Fire City outside, residents seemed to sense something, raising their heads. Just a short while ago, the "Phoenix's Cry" resounded, evening bells echoed through the entire city. Now, people couldn't hear the president's wife's crying but could feel the emotion.

Even the birds on the vast waters around the city stopped flying for a moment, perching quietly on the ship's railings.

Though emotions like sorrow are indeed harmful.

But sometimes, crying it out is a form of emotional release and catharsis.

Only after releasing can one let go.

At this moment, people felt the intense sorrowful emotion emanating from the Magic Tower, thick enough to cut.

On the other hand, they vaguely felt: that the oppressive negative emotion, which cannot be described or explained, hanging over Warm Fire City ever since the president's wife sat in the top hall of the Magic Tower, was slowly dissipating.

"Did something happen?" Debbie walked out of the academy dorm, her hair slightly wet; she just took a shower to adjust her mood after being defeated by Andrew.

Just as she stepped out of the room, she felt the subtle change in the entire Warm Fire City.

Meanwhile, in the practice room of Warm Fire Academy, Sabye was drenched in sweat; he also seemed to sense something, but soon ignored it, continuing his training.

In the Magic Tower, inside the great hall.

The president's wife's crying stopped at some unknown time.

She had fainted or, rather, fallen asleep.

Just sleeping in Barbara's embrace.

"...Come with me." Susan spoke softly, "I'll take you to the lady's room."

"Mm." Barbara nodded, carefully picked up her mother in a princess carry, nodded to Andrew, who made a gesture saying, "It's fine, you accompany your mother," and then Barbara quickly followed Susan while holding her mother.

The great hall remained empty, but after Barbara's mother cried, the overly empty, uncomfortable feeling like a large hollow heart gradually disappeared.

After the president's wife, Barbara, and Susan left the hall, those remaining inside were silent; no one spoke.

Andrew looked at the faces of the Commerce Association's higher-ups and saw their complex expressions, some relaxed, some sad, including Jin, many seemed to recall many past events.

"So, what exactly happened with that incident back then?" Andrew wanted to ask but forced himself to hold back.

He said nothing, patiently waiting.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ivan returned to Andrew, still looking worried.

"I'm sure I'm fine," Andrew replied, "Barbara's mother actually... didn't really exert her strength. She deliberately withheld her power in the end. And the slap that hit me before was actually not heavy at all."

"Really?" Ivan was somewhat skeptical. How could the president's wife, seemingly in a near-insane state just now, make such a rational judgment as to 'withholding her strength at the last moment'?

Andrew turned to Leia and Falk: "Grandfather Falk, are you alright?"

Falk smiled wryly: "I'm doing okay."

He primarily practices the "Solar Series," excellent in one-on-one combat but lacking in recovery power. Because the Solar Series is so strong, it somewhat rejects other Warm Fire Magic Series and is not sensitive to the Fire God Blessing Series, naturally making wound healing slower. Of course, age is also a factor.

Andrew then stepped forward, operating the "Flowing Water Spirit" to help Falk stabilize his injuries again.

Falk never openly took sides, yet he came with injuries this time; for this, Andrew said nothing but felt very grateful inside.

"Objectively speaking, if Grandfather Falk hadn't brought Barbara here, we wouldn't have been able to provoke the lady's other side, and I wouldn't have realized the root of the problem. Then, along with Barbara, I helped the president's wife release the pent-up sorrow within her heart," Andrew thought to himself while whispering, "Thank you for coming."

Falk waved his hand, indicating there was no need for politeness.

The wound that had opened just now quickly stopped bleeding again with the help of the "Flowing Water Spirit."

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