Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 1380 60: Past Achievements

"Is this a duck? It doesn't look very big, just like me." She is currently the youngest among the Silkworm Moth Species, probably only 10 years old, though she looks about the same size as a 12-year-old human.

Compared to humans, the Silkworm Moth Species matures much earlier; at 10 years old they are considered sub-adults and can perform many tasks, and their bodies won't change much afterwards.

Turning the pages, Temeluna focused intently on the text on the pages, slowly reading aloud as she practiced recognition and reading.

Time passed unknowingly until she reached the end of the story and discovered it was already 10 o'clock.

"It's time to sleep, Temeluna." Another Silkworm Moth came over, gently waking her.

"Ah~" Temeluna looked up in surprise and glanced at the clock hanging in the activity room.

"Scared, aren't you?" Brenna, nearby, hugged her soothingly, and Temeluna shook her head.

"It's not Brenna's fault, it's because I read for too long." She put down the book, carefully inserting it back into the bookshelf, then returned to the sleeping quarters with Brenna.

A number of companions were already in bed here, with twelve beds spaced a certain distance apart in the room.

The Silkworm Moth species sleeps lying down, using their Moth Wings as blankets without needing anything extra, though their wings tend to stretch out past the edge of the bed, making it inconvenient to sleep too closely together.

Nonetheless, they still enjoy everyone sleeping in one room, as it gives them a sense of security and prevents loneliness.

Finding her bed, Temeluna and Brenna waved silently to each other to say goodnight, then lay down on the soft pillow and quickly fell asleep.

In her dream, Temeluna found herself transforming into an ugly duckling living on a farm, encountering many different animals and experiencing various stories, until at the dream's end, she tried swimming for the first time and suddenly awoke.

Why couldn't she dream of swimming? Perhaps it's because she had never truly been in contact with real river water, unable to imagine what that experience would be like.

Unfortunately, she had never truly flown either, so she didn't know what kind of scenery a White Swan would see flying in the sky.

The Silkworm Moth Species adapts well to and enjoys staying in the dim underground, as it allows them to avoid outside malice and live their own peaceful, happy lives.

However, they ultimately have wings, suggesting that the one who created them perhaps hoped these Silkworm Moth Species could fly, like those species with snow-white wings.

——————

November's cold wind came from the west, covering the earth in white frost.

After the onset of winter, the number of pedestrians on the streets noticeably decreased, but the taverns and public halls in the city remained lively, even noisier than usual, due to the free charcoal provided to warm every traveler who stopped by.

Considering that many farm tasks and work couldn't be done after winter began, Hexia decided to teach basic literacy and reading to both the organization and the city's residents during this period, prompting the opening of several initial rank classes. Additionally, the Chasing Star Covenant issued a commendation announcement: anyone completing daily studies in the classes would receive food rewards, which was a significant benefit for wanderers and low-class residents who couldn't work in winter.

The food rewards weren't large, but they were enough to support them so they wouldn't starve and could hold out until spring came next year.

Soon, various reading and writing sounds echoed throughout the city, with people chatting over which class was the hardest, what stories they learned that day, and memorizing Lord Hexia's wise sayings and classics.

"Is it really necessary to use my offhand remarks as teaching material?" Tilan felt a bit embarrassed as she heard the repeated reciting coming from downstairs in the office.

Though people often praise her, being an outstanding university graduate, she knows her own level and feels it doesn't measure up to those great individuals; yet now she's being held up so high by everyone. If one day the Federation's fleet arrives, and people find out, maybe some opportunistic reporter will broadcast these matters to the public, which would be a bit humiliating.

"I think it's a great arrangement." Flan, now the leader of the education department within the organization, agreed.

"Back when I was receiving education in the Slami Association, we used classic sayings from the organization's predecessors as well. This form, paired with some stories of their experiences, makes the memory picture very vivid and easy to learn. If you insist on using dry, unsigned text for teaching, it's hard for people to remember and learn effectively." Flan explained emphatically.

"I'm saying, they exaggerate my role somewhat, given that what I say is mostly others' summarized experiences, not my original creations." Although others didn't know, Tilan was clear in her heart.

"Don't worry about who summarized and passed it on to you; now that you've taught it to everyone, just accept the honor openly, our great Lady Hexia~" Flan stated with a performative tone.

"Hexia, you're too pure-minded. Actually, from a practical point of view, this teaching method not only promotes education more easily but also establishes your authority well, making future reforms or policies easier to implement." Flan persuaded again.

Though the young girl still felt Flan was seemingly playfully teasing her, what he said indeed had some merit.

Achieving a great cause isn't easy; if it's for a more important, greater enterprise, this bit of embarrassment, she'd still be willing to endure.

It seems returning to the Federation, she also needs to learn to promote herself a bit, rather than always hoping everyone will spontaneously, naturally understand her without her taking control of public opinion; otherwise, this front will fall into enemy hands, and mere generosity and kindness probably won't bring about good results in the end.

"Let it be like this." Listening to the reading and reciting sounds again from downstairs, especially when a few sentences specifically mentioned her name, she had to get up and close the curtains.

"Ahem, where were we talking about? Right, the aftermath of the bug disaster, how is the investigation going?" Last winter's bug disaster destroyed Shilin Mountain Castle and Heshan Rescue Association; Tilan doesn't want it to happen again this year.

"The investigation team we sent visited the old site of Shilin Mountain Castle and the ruins of various settlements severely affected last year, and found no signs of a bug disaster reoccurring." Guy, who had been leaning on the door frame, stood upright, came to the coffee table and answered.

"Continuing eastward?" Tilan glanced at the gray sky outside the glass window, reminded of the time spent with Ores at Shilin Mountain Castle.

"Lord Loloria took a look around the eastern mountains as well and found nothing unusual."

"That's good..." Tilan sighed a little, relaxing.

After considering the Chasing Star Covenant and city affairs, she looked at the ring on her hand, which had recently emitted some unusual fluctuations several times. It seemed there was progress and breakthroughs on the Grey Dust Crystal side, though she didn't know when the connection could be fully established.

This process probably wouldn't take too long; within three years, it should be doable. She was aware of the strength of those giant enterprises in the Federation and some advanced technologies that were officially Concealed. If all of these were employed, in this Milky Way, they could probably accomplish almost anything.

Destroying stars, shoving planets, setting up space-time gates – these once thought impossible miracles, the Rose Federation can now achieve. However, over the past hundreds of years, due to economic depression and lack of strong will driving leadership, many grand projects have stalled, even abandoned.

As in ancient Earth times, who would have thought the nation that realized the Apollo program, sending humans to the Moon, would have no progress in the following decades, even unable to replicate past achievements?

Technological advancement doesn't always proceed smoothly; grand projects often require a powerful country and collective strength to push forward.

The Rose Federation has stagnated for too long, causing many to forget the majestic ambitions of its early founding, unbelievable that human society could have new changes, only able to indulge in the historical spiral of the past, lost in dreams and oblivion.

Players within often miss what outsiders see clearly; having distanced from the Rose Federation, Tilan realized that advancing certain reforms was so direct and easy, far from the difficulty-filled narratives in everyone's mouths before.

This reason, of course, includes the organization's small size, making it flexible and easy to steer, but the Rose Federation indeed lost its earlier progressive spirit.

It's time to reignite ambition.