The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 162: Factions of Beast Fangs and Blood

Vol 2 Chapter 162 Factions of Beast Fangs and Blood

Before leaving, Sylutia said goodbye to many people, some from her past and some she had just met.

On the third floor of the palace guard hall, in a room with a window.

A simple wooden table sat by the windowsill, bearing freshly brought steaming food. Sylutia stepped into the room and saw Karen waiting for her, along with Knight Haines and a black-robed Morris.

"Tia's here." Karen waved at her.

"Lady Tia." Haines and Morris stood and bowed to the young woman.

"No need for so much formality." Sylutia told them to rise, then took a seat at the small table. This room served as the main station for the palace guards. Haines was now the palace guard captain and stayed here regularly.

As for Karen, she had recently been learning military matters from Haines.

She had long hesitated between following the Castle progression as an elite archer or the Bloodline path as a ranger. It seemed there was no longer any need to hesitate: since she served in the Regas army now, both for career demands and personal development, the Castle path fit better.

Come to think of it, these choices had all been influenced by Sylutia. If she had not abruptly reversed the situation in Regas, Solyn and Karen would probably have chosen the Bloodline path.After the four sat down, they first reminisced, then each recounted life and work in the new Regas.

"In every respect, I owe Lady Tia my thanks." Haines spoke sincerely.

"When I was young I wandered around, gained much experience, but never had the chance to truly shine. Only now do I finally have a chance to use what I've learned."

Although Haines's strength did not put him at the very top among the vulture-lion knights, he had abundant worldly experience. In leading soldiers, completing training, and building discipline, he outperformed other newly ennobled knights and showed real potential as a commander.

"I also only did what I was asked to do, never imagined so much would happen afterward." The girl sighed softly.

The four then sat at the table talking for a long time, until the meal ended.

"I would like to follow Lady Tia to the Hidden Grove to study and work." Morris asked before Sylutia left.

"…I'll have to bring you to the Hidden Grove Alliance outpost to apply, but it should not be difficult." Sylutia thought for a moment.

"And Karen?"

"I'm not going. That place is for geniuses." Karen shook her head.

"I still have many directions to strive for, and protecting my hometown has always been my wish."

"In that case, I won't force you, Karen." Sylutia nodded.

Finally, Sylutia returned to Scorchstone City once more to see how its recovery and development were progressing. The current official there was Scholar Romanda, once the student of Scholar Hyde. Romanda had been the Viscount Xuefeng's advisor and was very familiar with Scorchstone City's affairs.

Scholar Romanda, who also served as city lord, hosted Sylutia warmly for one night. After Sylutia gave some instructions, she prepared to depart.

"Mr. Romanda, do you know anything about Senior Lucas?" Sylutia remembered the young man from a few months ago.

"Him." Romanda stroked his beard and recalled.

"He left two months ago and told only a few people before he departed."

"Compared to you, Lucas was much more reclusive, probably connected to the Dead Embers Aspect. When he studied under our instructor, classmates described him that way."

"I'd met him a few times, but we weren't close."

"Judging by what he intended, he likely returned to the Hidden Grove to keep seeking resources and opportunities. In the current world, Dead Embers resources are scarce and sensitive, usually located in claimed tombs and ancient battlefields."

"You should be able to contact him after you go back to the Hidden Grove."

"I see, thank you." Sylutia nodded, then returned to White Cliff City.

She first went to the dungeon to see Carkis again and examine the documents he had been copying over time.

There was a considerable amount about the Twin-Snake Cult. According to Carkis's account, the cult had retreated far into the depths of the Twilight Sea centuries ago, yet before they left they buried many Twin-Snake treasures in various places. Those treasures would lure greedy people—tempting them to follow the cult's path.

These treasures often had easy-to-meet usage conditions and effects that were hard to replicate by other means; they were undeniably very tempting.

"According to the Twin-Snake Cult's high priest prophecy, they will return in seven hundred fifty-six years. A twin-headed great snake born from the depths of the Twilight Sea will devour the giant serpent that carries the clouds, swallowing the seven continents into its belly, and nurture an entirely new world."

"The twin-headed snakes coil around each other. At the center of their ring a sky and earth, stars and cosmos, will be born and divided into six layered worlds. The scaled serpents will occupy the upper layers, the beast-footed will live below, and the scaleless will dwell in the middle."

This prophecy circulated among many Twin-Snake adherents and was called the Snake Prophecy.

After organizing and binding these records, Sylutia stored them in the manor's saved space.

At last, it was time to bid farewell to Mursa and the others.

The farewell banquet took place in a room of the palace. The guest list was small but filled with friends and companions Sylutia knew well. Queen Mursa had specifically worn a simple dress and sat among the group.

That night everyone reminisced, thanked the young woman, and sang several traditional Regas ballads before the celebration wound down amid laughter.

Of all those seeing Sylutia off, Queen Mursa seemed the most reluctant. Even with Sophitina standing in to assist, it was hard for Mursa to fully relax and trust anyone the way she did Sylutia.

"All right, no crying. I'll come back." Sylutia patted Mursa as she lay in her lap. Seeing tears fill the queen's eyes and well up before falling, Sylutia couldn't help but feel pity.

The young queen had become even more charming than when she was a princess. It made Sylutia curious what kind of partner Mursa would choose someday to continue the royal line.

…

At last, the farewells were over. Sylutia mounted her freedom-loving white Windtrust horse and set out once more.

The wind swept across the plains, and her silhouette moved across the horizon. The grass shimmered like fine waves, and her hair spilled out from the white hood.

The girl rode across plains and mountains, through forests and canyons, finally arriving again deep within the Granite Mountains.

Morris, who had requested to go to the Hidden Grove, had already arrived earlier and waited for her. He held Sylutia's letter of recommendation and asked the Hidden Grove Alliance personnel for assessment.

"Lady Tia." When he heard Sylutia had arrived, he hurried out from a makeshift tent in the camp.

"How did your review go? Did the Hidden Grove officially accept you?" Sylutia wasn't certain whether he would be recognized by the Hidden Grove.

"They were surprised by my background. Most groups refused me, but one house showed interest and told me I could go to them."

"Oh? Which one?"

"The Beast-Call Valley, Beast Fang · Bloodline. They say the school specializes in various beast-transformation secret arts and in breeding and taming wild beasts." Morris answered.

"A school like that…" Sylutia hesitated. She wasn't sure whether to recommend it; it felt a bit dangerous.

"I'll accompany you to take a look." Given her current standing at the Hidden Grove as a rising talent and representative, her word carried weight.

She had long thought that, if she only grew high-quality fruits and crops, she wouldn't be able to consume or spend all of them. Using them to breed other creatures might be more useful. Alchemy and pharmaceuticals were also promising, but those required prolonged study; she didn't have the spare time now. She guessed she would only have the leisure to dig into complex alchemy and medicine after reaching the Fifth Tier.

Her advancement had been so rapid that many things in her own path remained unlearned. This situation was rare—most people were stuck trying to level up, not like her.

Returning to the Hidden Grove meant more catching-up study. Once the elders heard about what she had been up to during the holiday, they'd likely assign her various tasks to guide her growth.

Thinking of this, the girl shook her head and felt a bit overwhelmed.

The more talent and ability she displayed, the more expectations and responsibilities followed.

Maybe she should conceal some of her talents. That would make life easier and allow her to slack off occasionally.