The nobles inspected the hospital room repeatedly, finding fault with everything.
One complained about one thing, another pointed out something else; in short, they criticized the hospital room relentlessly.
Some of them even piled the gifts they brought just outside John's room, almost forming a small mountain.
Leopold, Archibald, and others were also present, all watching John intently.
Lavinia went straight up to check on John's condition.
"I spoke with the doctor; they said you've just been drained of mind power and needed some good rest, nothing seriously wrong otherwise."
"My family is mostly comprised of support classes, quite skilled at applying buffs and dispelling debuffs. If you feel any discomfort, just let me know."
Leopold and Archibald stood slightly behind, not approaching to speak, but their faces were full of expectation.
What Lavinia said essentially voiced what they wanted to say, only they didn't have the right classes for it, so they had to hang back.
They too had come as soon as they heard John had awakened, eager to see how he was doing.
"I'm telling you, the most important thing for you now is to rest properly. If there's anything you need, just command us; my family's servants are waiting right outside the door, ready to obey your instructions at any moment."
Lavinia's earnest demeanor actually made Leopold and the others internally curse; they hadn't thought of leveraging their servants this way, no wonder House Blackwood had brought so many people.
"Absolutely, absolutely, you can make use of anyone from House Brown at your whim. I'll have them wait by the door 24/7 ready for your command," one noble eagerly added.
"This time, House Sterling also brought several people along, all skilled in caregiving. Rest assured, if there's any problem on your end, we'll be the first to know," another chimed in.
Darius Ashford's family wasn't as affluent, so they hadn't brought extra people, but he still earnestly assured John, "Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you. I won't let you down."
The room was buzzing with people talking over each other, all with the same idea: to make sure John saw their goodwill.
Suddenly, the chaotic room became as noisy as a marketplace.
John didn't notice much else, only that his headache was intensifying.
"Sophia is coming!"
Someone shouted, and instantly the room fell silent.
Everyone moved aside to create a pathway and turned their eyes towards the door.
Several people subtly straightened their clothes, knowing well the Principal was a semigod-tier powerhouse.
Despite some harsh words in their rush earlier, they deeply respected this master.
After all, without the Principal's help, they wouldn't have been able to get their children out so swiftly.
"You should know why I'm here," Principal Sophia's voice held a calm authority, making John feel inexplicably uneasy.
He had a rough idea of why she had come—undoubtedly concerning the secret realm fragment.
These matters couldn't be hidden, especially since Sophia was the previous owner of the fragment.
"Principal Sophia, I'm really sorry about the secret realm fragment. I don't know why it suddenly bound itself to me, but I had no intention of taking your fragment," John said, his voice tinged with embarrassment.
Sophia seemed taken aback for a moment, then let out a light laugh.
Her blond hair, radiant as sunshine, shimmered brilliantly in the light.
"If the secret realm fragment has chosen you, then it is fate. I didn't come here for that," she reassured him.
Not for that?
John was puzzled.
If it wasn't for the fragment, then what?
"You did very well this time. If not for you, those children might not have made it out," Sophia said, her eyes showing genuine admiration.
Her gaze held more than just appreciation, though its deeper meaning was unclear.
"It wasn't just my doing," John replied humbly.
"If it weren't for everyone's cooperation, I couldn't have withstood alone."
"And it was also your decision to share the power of control with me, which gave me the strength to fight against him. Otherwise, I would have surely perished."
Principal Sophia settled herself on the room's sofa, tilting her chin up slightly as she looked across at John, who still lay in the hospital bed.
"If you were useless, even if I had shared the power of control with you, you wouldn't have been able to perform so excellently," she stated sharply.
John wasn't expecting such forthright words from the principal and found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
"I came here today because there's something I need to ask you," Principal Sophia continued, lifting her gaze to stare intently at John, as if scrutinizing every subtle expression on his face.
The aura of a semigod-tier powerhouse gradually filled the room.
Although it wasn't directed at John specifically, he could still feel an extraordinary pressure.
Although he had a guess about what Principal Sophia might be about to inquire, there was no avoiding it.
"Please ask, Principal Sophia," John responded, meeting her gaze directly.
A slight smile curved Principal Sophia's lips.
"Every critical moment, the silver mirror blacks out. This has never happened before. What exactly happened during those blackouts?"