Aside from cleaning the memorial hall, she has spent most of her life researching McCarthy Delin. She is the best scholar in this field, knowing all the anecdotes by heart. The academy needs a lecturer like her, so they let her live here permanently.

"These are the Dean's notes, where did you get them!?"

Mrs. Judith blurted out, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"A friend gave them to me. He didn't want anyone to know his name," Ethan said. "You just said Dean McCarthy Delin was always waiting for someone, what does that mean?"

Ethan admitted that his heartbeat quickened considerably when Mrs. Judith spoke up.

In theory, he had an agreement with McCarthy Delin that, at some future point, he would return to the academy with this book and complete those unfinished tasks for McCarthy Delin. But that was, after all, a world of illusions. He had never seen the real McCarthy Delin, let alone become the person he was always waiting for.

But on another note, this world had strange prophecies.

According to the mages' understanding of the magical network, it once was a mirror capable of reflecting the future.

Moreover, similar situations had happened before.

They rewrote history in the polluted area, causing Saint Mary to think of him for a lifetime.

This seemed more like the powers of "Future Lindong," and she had indeed appeared during trials. The line of hints in the notebook was the hint left by "Future Lindong."

Could the same thing have happened to Dean McCarthy Delin?

Mrs. Judith didn't answer immediately. She kept flipping through the book, and when the notes several pages ahead turned completely blank, she exhaled deeply with a "just as expected" expression.

"There are many identical notes here, but the subsequent content has been hidden."

Mrs. Judith said, "The professors said it might be some encryption magic they have never seen, or maybe the Dean simply did not continue writing."

She wasn't the only researcher; many once tried, under the guise of research, to decipher the many secrets hidden in the notebooks. Those people actually weren't concerned about the Dean himself.

"Maybe he was always waiting for someone who could solve these secrets."

Mrs. Judith said, her eyes somewhat glum.

"Did he find that person?"

"No."

She shook her head. Not only the Dean, but she also didn't have much time left.

"How did you know?"

Lindong, not affected by the gloomy atmosphere at all, curiously asked the question in her mind. Professor Wabul also mentioned that McCarthy Delin's residence hid some unknown secrets. She admitted that her curiosity was successfully piqued. Her gaze wandered, occasionally picking up exhibits on the cabinet to sniff.

"Because the missing parts all talk about the same thing."

Regarding Lindong, the infamous troublemaker, Mrs. Judith felt complicated. On one hand, she worried Lindong might cause destruction in the memorial hall as rumors suggested, possibly even lifting off the roof if she wasn't careful. On the other hand, if she had to pinpoint someone who could solve these secrets, she could only think of Lindong.

The traps meticulously set by professors could not stump her. She was a more outstanding Elemental Shaper than any professor.

Mrs. Judith even thought that perhaps Lindong was the person Dean McCarthy Delin had been waiting for.

But Professor Wabul talked to her.

That was a long time ago. The professor solemnly told her that Lindong must never learn the secrets here, and they must protect this place at all costs.

To Judith, it seemed more like a group of professors sulking after losing a magic duel, with only Lindong able to make those professors exhibit a child-like unwillingness to lose.

"Did Professor Wabul send you here?"

"Uh, actually..."

"Yes, he did send us here."

Before Ethan could smooth things over for Wabul, Lindong unapologetically betrayed Professor Wabul.

Is this something you can blurt out?

Ethan had already noted Wabul's carefully suppressed tone and evasive gaze while in the office. Having workplace experience, Ethan could immediately tell that this suggestion was definitely out of bounds; if Lindong really did lift the memorial hall's roof, Professor Wabul as the "whistleblower" would surely be held accountable.

"Looks like he finally made up his mind."

Mrs. Judith cleared her throat, "Dean McCarthy Delin was a rational man. He dedicated his entire life to the academy. Since the day the academy was established, he didn't step out of this island even once. All the notes he left behind are considerations for the Elemental Shapers and the academy's future. Until his final days, he was still actively searching for ways to eliminate magical addiction."

She couldn't recall how many times she had introduced Dean McCarthy Delin like this to others.

Whenever visitors came here, she would act as a guide, introducing them to the past happenings in this place.

Anyone who got to know McCarthy Delin would be captivated by his selflessness and greatness.

"But that's because the Dean hid all of the parts related to personal emotions."

Those are parts she would not introduce to visitors. "On the day the Dean left, he actually left a letter, but later, due to some special reason, the existence of that letter was hidden."

The special reason naturally related to the content of the letter.

It had been encrypted by magic, masking the text and turning it into a "wordless scripture" that no one could decipher.

But based on people's knowledge of the Dean, they guessed the letter must record quite important contents.

It might be about the magical network or even the "Doomsday."

The encryption of the letter was meant for one day in the future when the right person would open it.

"Where is that letter?"

"I've preserved it... come with me."

The location was McCarthy Delin's bedroom. The bedroom still maintained its ancient construction from a thousand years ago, and nothing in this place has been altered. Facing the bed were three bookshelves, almost entirely filled with McCarthy Delin's notes.

Judith unlocked the magical cord used as an isolation, leading them into the bedroom.

She rummaged through the collections on the bookshelf for a while, pulling out the letter from the folds of a book titled "Elements Shaping Fundamentals."

Yellowed parchment, bearing no visible content.

"Professor Wabul believes that the contents of this letter likely relate to the magical network, and keeping it preserved is the best option."

"Does the Dean know?"

Lindong abruptly asked.

"He tried it himself, but he failed."

Mrs. Judith shook her head.

Initially, people frequently came to attempt solving it, but after a while, no one showed interest again, "The professors believe this letter is waiting for the right person, and that should be the Dean's final wish."

When writing this letter, McCarthy Delin might have realized he wouldn't have much time left.

Lindong held the yellowed parchment, sniffing it before suddenly showing a peculiar smile.

"Did you find something?"

"The professors guessed correctly, this letter is waiting for the right person."

"Indeed, the Dean had long sensed the crisis in the magical network, putting everything he knew..."

"You're completely wrong."

Lindong interrupted Mrs. Judith, shifting her gaze to Ethan, looking deeply into him, "He's dedicated his entire life to the academy. Yet, if he knew this was the last letter he would ever write, who would he most wish to write it to?"

The magical network?

Addiction to magic?

Or perhaps to a Doomsday in a distant future, arriving unpredictably?

Lindong didn't think so.

After finishing the letter, McCarthy Delin took up his fishing rod and left the academy alone, heading toward the circular lake, leaving all trivial matters behind.

According to Ethan, on a morning of his 107th year, McCarthy Delin finally retired.

The change on the envelope made Mrs. Judith's pupils contract.

With Lindong's magical power infusing it, a line of text slowly emerged.

The content differed from everyone's assumptions, mentioning only one name.

Prior to this, this name had never appeared in any of McCarthy Delin's notes:

"To Cynthia."

Ethan silently looked at the words on the parchment.

His suspicions arisen in the polluted area, about the Elemental Shapers alliance, finally came to a conclusion at this moment.

—McCarthy Delin and Cynthia never married in the end.

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