The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 40: The Late Student

After the match ended, Sylutia spent quite some time finally extricating herself from the crowd surrounding her, only then arriving at the boat house where she would stay tonight.

The so-called boat house has a shape just like an overturned boat hull, with thick layers of grass leaves serving as the roof. Between the roof and the walls made of mud bricks, a layer of space is separated with wood for ventilation, allowing the interior to remain relatively dry even in damp locations. As for the base of the house, it is also supported by wooden stakes, raising the floor off the ground to prevent moisture.

"During the windy season, such houses can withstand strong winds quite well. It's a local specialty," the instructor casually explained to the students, then called everyone over to the campfire to eat tonight's dinner.

Dinner consisted of taro, corn, and potatoes stewed in clear water. No extra meat was prepared, as there were many students and preparing a lot of meat at short notice could easily spoil. Furthermore, these students weren't lacking for a single meal of meat.

Gathered around the campfire, many students were still discussing the recent match. Many were amazed by Sylutia's strength, but there were also some students who hadn't seen it in person who were unconvinced.

"It's just weaving threads into a flying bird, sounds pretty ordinary to me. What's so surprising about it?"

"I've currently mastered the 'Chain Fireball' spell, it's just that casting it is a bit slow. If I had two companions with me, no matter how powerful she is, she couldn't block it."

"So-called 'geniuses' are at best equivalent to the strength of three ordinary students. What's so surprising or unexpected about that?" This student expounded his logic and thinking, believing that compared to that Hedra, he was only a little behind.

In his view, on the battlefield, a formidable soldier could at most hold his own against three ordinary soldiers. Even if the former were rarer, it wouldn't affect the overall situation much. It was just that.

"This line of thinking holds true when the gap isn't obvious," a teacher sitting by the fire slowly explained."But time constantly marches forward. Like the two lines forming an acute angle, they start off very close, then get farther and farther apart, the gap growing larger and larger, until in the end, no amount of numbers can bridge it."

"A Sixth Tier mage can easily defeat three Fifth Tier Transcendents. Against Fourth Tier opponents, the number they can handle multiplies several times over. Against ordinary Third Tier mages, it's already meaningless to him."

"The reason you think this way now is because you're all still in the apprentice stage, haven't officially stepped into the Third Tier yet. Wait until time moves forward, ten years from now, I'm afraid even I will have to rely on those geniuses I once taught." He slowly shook his head.

As a school teacher, he had experienced and felt this many times already, so he understood especially well. Even though they were all in the same classroom now, all Second Tier apprentices, seemingly not much different, equal in status, as long as time was pushed forward a few years, the gap would widen to a sigh-inducing extent.

After the teacher finished speaking, many students fell silent. Many began thinking about the present from a more distant future perspective, realizing it seemed indeed true.

"Then, how far can Hedra go, teacher? Will she advance to the Sixth Tier?" In the eyes of many students, becoming a Sixth Tier professor was the top echelon of the Mage Alliance.

"She probably can. The reason I'm not making a definitive judgment is because I haven't reached the Sixth Tier either. If you insist I say, you're asking a bit too much of me." The teacher smiled, lightly complaining.

"With other students, it's unclear, but 'Ke' definitely has high hopes. Some time ago, she went to participate in Vichia College's Silver Bell Festival and received Professor Merlen's approval, saying her talent and brilliance were both excellent, with a high likelihood of impacting the Sixth Tier in the future."

Xinke, the student ranked first in the evaluations of the teachers in the Asra district, possesses the awakened 'Golden Honey Blood', excels at bee manipulation and musical conducting, and can easily command groups of 'Second Tier' bees to perform and engage in combat.

The students held wooden bowls, eating their simple dinner, listening to the teacher chat about various topics. Occasionally, someone would pass by the campfire, heading to the boat houses to rest and sleep, experiencing the local characteristic living environment.

At another campfire, Sylutia was now sitting with Lovier and Aurora on a horizontal log, enjoying the simple dinner.

"Although it's just stewed in clear water, the texture is surprisingly good." The stewed taro was very soft and glutinous, paired with the faint sweetness of the corn, making the mouthfeel not monotonous.

As Sylutia ate, the two beside her also chatted about the recent match.

"How did Hedra dodge the opponent's attack?" Aurora had also analyzed it for a while but couldn't figure out how Sylutia solved the problem.

"This..." Sylutia thought about how to explain.

If she lied now, she might have to tell more lies to cover it up later. Besides, she didn't want to deliberately hide something like this.

"Actually, I know a bit of 'Breathing Technique', which happens to allow slight changes in blood pulse rhythm, so that spell didn't harm me much." She tried to downplay the difficulty, making it seem like just a clever trick.

"So that's how it is." Aurora hadn't practiced Breathing Technique and didn't know its difficulty. Her attention was quickly diverted to other matters, so she didn't press further.

"This potato would taste much better with a bit of salt." Lovier carefully speared a piece with her fork, slowly placing it in her mouth to chew.

"That's simple." Sylutia thought for a moment, stood up, rummaged through her carried luggage to find a small bottle, then sprinkled some on the potato on Lovier's fork.

"Actually, you could also roast it yourself to make it a bit crispy," the girl suggested.

"Really? Then I'll try." Lovier finally remembered that she seemed to be a Transcendent of the 'Scorching Sun' Aspect. She rotated the potato on her fork, and a faint ring of fire magic surrounded the potato, roasting it.

"Indeed, it tastes much better now, just a bit hot."

"Let me handle this." Aurora took it over. A hint of cold air swirled in her hand, then transformed into a small vortex, enveloping the potato to cool it down.

"There, that's better. Can't let it get too cold either." Once it was about right, Aurora handed it back to Lovier.

'Slumbering Winter' and 'Scorching Sun'—both of these roommates were Transcendents of solar attributes, Sylutia suddenly realized.

If we reach summer in the future, we should be able to rely on Aurora's ability to cool down the dorm, right? That way, even without air conditioning, we could live quite comfortably. She inexplicably thought of this point, just like how currently in the dorm, when taking showers, they often borrow Lovier's crystal ball for heating, and usually, Lovier is the one charging it.

Her thoughts drifting, Sylutia suddenly felt having these two roommates was a very fortunate thing.

After finishing dinner, the students each returned to the boat houses to sleep and rest. Sylutia and the other two also slept together on a wide wooden bed tonight, unknowingly drifting into dreamland.

The night gradually deepened. The campfires at the resting area slowly went out, leaving only a few spots for keeping watch, with teachers and students taking turns on guard duty.

Approaching midnight, a hurried figure walked from the distant wilderness, approached the campfire, greeted the teacher on watch, and sat down by the fire.

"Sorry for coming so late, but I finally finished the experiment before leaving." The speaker was a girl dressed in a neat green and white short skirt. She had golden hair like silk threads, and her pupils also showed a pure red color. If Sylutia were here, she would notice the other's features bore many similarities to Iona, whom she had once known.

"It's good you came, Xinke. It's rare for everyone to come out and play together this time. If you were absent, there might not be another chance to make up for it in the future." The teacher smiled comfortingly, then brought over a portion of dinner kept for her and heated it up.

"Have something to eat."

"Thank you, teacher." Xinke took it and slowly began to eat. The teacher then recounted today's events to her.

"In the evening before you arrived, 'Maluo' from School No. 24 and 'Hedra' from No. 89 School had a match."

"What was the result?" The girl was somewhat curious.

"Hedra won a complete victory. Maluo was sent flying by the bird, rolling in the grass until he was covered in mud." The teacher commented with a smile.

"That guy finally had someone put a check on his arrogance."

"Is that famously renowned 'Hedra' that strong?" Xinke was a bit surprised. She actually knew about the 'Kuras Blood Tremor Art' and understood it wasn't easy to deal with. Even she might accidentally lose against it.

"She is indeed very impressive, whether in reaction speed, or the flexibility and precision of her spell manipulation, and so on."

"During the Silver Bell Festival, she went to Rorik College and even placed in the freshman competition, defeating several Third Tier Official Mages." This teacher recalled and commented.

"We only learned about this afterward; it's just spreading now."

"Third Tier opponents, huh. That is indeed strong." Xinke put down the empty wooden bowl.

"I'm looking forward to it, the day I get to spar and compete with her."

"That day will come. You are both the most outstanding students of this cohort. Sooner or later, you will meet."