The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 227: The 'Switch City' of Kikas

Vol 2 Chapter 227: The 'Switch City' of Kikas

Late at night, the candle lamp in the bedroom was still lit.

Sylutia sat on a chair, slowly flipping through the notes she had taken over the past few months. The elegant handwriting was neat and clear, with various key points of knowledge arranged in an orderly manner.

As she read, she reminisced, occasionally putting down the notebook to glance at the night outside.

A pale moon hung in the sky. In the overly quiet night, she could hear the gentle sound of the wind, exceptionally soft and tranquil.

When a person becomes accustomed to a certain life and environment, it is inevitable to develop feelings for it.

She had only lived in Quebec for four or five months, but a faint sense of attachment had already formed. Even if they weren't truly family, the atmosphere of this home environment made her feel a touch of nostalgia.

Parting was already a foregone conclusion. All she could do now was savor this feeling carefully before leaving.

Holding the book, she slowly leaned back in the chair. Her dark, long hair was pressed against her lower back, with a few strands slipping down and hanging, casting elongated shadows in the candlelight.

...The next day, Sylutia, carrying a packed suitcase, arrived at the foot of the Lighthouse. Behind her were the Griffin family who had come to see her off, as well as Rosalie and Virelna.

Nodding to everyone, she opened the door at the base of the Lighthouse and walked inside.

Not long after, a sharp bird cry came from the distant sky.

A huge, grey-and-white falcon descended from the sky, swooping down. It cut through a long trail of air, descending at a speed visible to the naked eye. Only as it neared the Lighthouse did it spread its wings to decelerate. The flapping air currents scattered, blowing the clothes of those waiting outside the tower and making them step back repeatedly.

This enormous falcon stood waiting atop the tower. Soon, Nox appeared in his wheelchair, with Sylutia following behind.

Under the girl's curious gaze, Nox buried his entire wrist into the thick feathers, stroking the giant falcon for a while. Then he turned his head to introduce it to Sylutia.

"His name is 'Night'. He's a little bird I adopted a long time ago, though he's grown up now."

*Is this a little bird?* the girl silently complained in her heart, but she also began to observe the creature carefully.

[Gale-Feather Falcon] (Third Tier · Vaulted Sky); A raptor that soars the skies, possessing outstanding flight capabilities. It is said that high-tier individuals can cross the Sea of Clouds alone, traveling between different continents.

"He will take you to the Mage Alliance. Also, I have two letters here. One you are to deliver to a mage named Kidi in the border city. The other you should keep for now and deliver later, depending on the situation, to Master Glandor of the 'Bionics School'."

"I've already spoken to Kidi about your situation. He will help you with the procedures to enter the academy district normally. If you encounter difficulties in the Mage Alliance in the future, you can also seek his help. However, his abilities are limited, so it's best not to trouble him too much."

"Here, I also have a case for you. It contains some things I'm giving you. Take good care of it." After saying this, he retrieved a small suitcase from under his wheelchair and handed it to Sylutia.

"Thank you, instructor."

Half an hour later, under Nox's guidance, Sylutia fastened a harness onto the giant falcon and then climbed onto its back.

At that moment, Nox waved to her from below. Immediately, the giant falcon beneath Sylutia lifted off, carrying the girl into the air before she even had a chance to say goodbye.

With just two flaps of its wings, Sylutia found herself getting farther and farther from the ground. The tiny figures below the white Lighthouse waved to her, but their words were already scattered in the wind, impossible to hear clearly.

Carrying her on its back, the giant falcon flew higher and higher, and the winds in the vault of heaven grew stronger.

Sylutia watched as the falcon plunged into a bank of clouds. A mist of water droplets brushed past, and then they emerged. At this point, it stopped climbing further and instead maintained a steady speed forward.

*So high up.* Gripping the harness on the falcon's back, Sylutia carefully turned her head to gaze at the world below. From here, she could clearly see the dividing line between Meteorite Lake and the land. One side was azure blue like a mirror, while the other side, after a small transitional area of sandy yellow, became a vast expanse of verdant green earth.

As the giant falcon flew onward, Meteorite Lake gradually disappeared behind them, and one tall mountain range and plain after another appeared below.

Half a day later, Sylutia saw the distant sun gradually aligning with the cloud layer. Golden radiance dyed everything, transforming the originally empty, monotonous sky into a multi-layered spectacle. The convergence of gold and red gave birth to thousands of overlapping shades of orange, red, and yellow, like paint smeared across an oil painting.

Slowly, the giant falcon began to descend. Now Sylutia could gradually make out the buildings on the ground. Unlike the white-brick, orange-tile style of the seaside at Meteorite Lake, the buildings here were noticeably taller and more complex.

Then, the giant falcon beneath her banked and flew through a canyon between mountain peaks. A stream of cool air rushed towards her, refreshing the girl's spirit. Immediately after, she saw...

...a city nestled between a great river and the mountainside. The flow of people here was dense, and wisps of smoke rose from the city, bringing a sense of bustling activity and complexity rushing towards her.

Slowly, the giant falcon flapped its wings and landed at the base of a tall tower outside the city. The style of this tower was identical to the Lighthouse where Nox lived, but its color was black-grey.

A man wearing a black trench coat was already waiting at the base of the tower. As the falcon descended, he smiled and waved to Sylutia on its back.

Untying the straps, Sylutia grabbed her suitcase and jumped down from the falcon's back. Her small black leather shoes landed on the soft lawn. She then took a few steps forward to adjust her balance.

"Hello."

Holding the suitcase with both hands, Sylutia politely bowed. Her wind-tousled hair traced a lovely curve against her cheek.

"Hello, lovely child," the other party said with a smile, walking over and adjusting the monocle on the bridge of his nose.

"My name is Kidi. And yours?"

"My name is Hedra. One moment, please. This is the letter my instructor entrusted me to deliver to you." Sylutia opened her suitcase, rummaged inside, found the letter, and handed it to him.

After receiving it, Kidi opened the letter, briefly checked its contents, and nodded.

"Mm, I understand," he said, putting the letter away.

"Come with me first. Rest for a while in the tower." After saying this, he seemed to remember something else. He walked over to the giant falcon, gently patted it a few times, and whispered something to it. Then the giant falcon named 'Night' took flight again, disappearing into the distant sky.

Afterwards, Sylutia followed him into the slightly cool, dark tower, listening as he explained the situation along the way.

"I've heard about you from Instructor Nox. He specifically wrote to me some time ago, asking me to look after you." Reaching a corner at the base of the tower, he lightly pulled a rope.

One by one, strange luminescent lamps lit up.

"Let's go sit in the living room on the third floor. I'll tell you about the arrangements from here on out."

"Thank you, Mr. Kidi," Sylutia said, following him upstairs.

After sitting down on the third floor, the man brought over brewed tea, placed it in front of Sylutia, and then introduced himself.

"My name is Kidi. I'm also a mage born locally. I joined the Bionics School when I was young. At that time, Veteran Nox served as a temporary instructor for a while, teaching newcomers within the school, and I happened to be one of the apprentices."

"Time flies. Speaking of which, that was already over thirty years ago," he sighed with emotion a few times.

"Currently, I serve as the Watcher of this 'Black Bird Tower'. My main duties are to maintain the local environment, preventing erosion from the Shadow World. Additionally, if I encounter any strange phenomena or powerful magical beasts, I'm responsible for reporting them and contacting people to handle them." He possessed Fourth Tier strength and seemed to have the rare 'Death Burst' Aspect.

"Regarding your situation, I already know. Tomorrow, I'll take you to a subordinate institution of the Mage Alliance in the city to take an assessment. Once you pass, you'll receive a blue recommendation letter. Then you'll be able to go to the core region of the Mage Alliance to study."

"Thank you," the girl said, putting down her teacup and expressing her gratitude again.

"You're welcome. After sitting for a while, I'll take you into the city to find a comfortable inn."

"Living here by myself is fine, but it's rather cold and gloomy, probably not suitable for you. So, spending the night in the city will be more comfortable. By the way, you can also have a nice dinner in the city, hehe." He admitted he wasn't skilled at cooking. To avoid both of them suffering through a bad meal, it was better to just go into the city to eat.

Afterwards, the two conversed for a while longer. Then Kidi stood up and led Sylutia into this populous riverside city.

"Oh, by the way, this place is called Kikas. The 'Switch City' of Kikas. The vast quantities of industrial products from the Mage Alliance all flow to the outside world via this river and this city."