novelraw Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Chapter 48: Hepburn’s Letter
Since it was a weekday, there were not many people on the streets, and Lina’s strange outfit did not attract much attention.
Originally, Lina had planned to stop by the Howard Doll Workshop on the way to ask about the matters inside that old mansion and see if he had any clues.
After all, that Howard Manor had originally belonged to him.
Lina arrived at the workshop entrance and gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.
The door was not closed, only left ajar, and a strong floral fragrance rushed out to meet her, almost making Lina sneeze.
After receiving no response to her inquiry, Lina did not push the door open. Entering someone else’s home without permission was impolite.
Maybe the Wizards’ Association had taken him away for ‘protective detention’? Lina guessed.
With some lingering doubts, Lina left the doll workshop and headed to the service center inside the Association.
“How may I assist you?” The receptionist greeted Lina with a flawless professional smile.
“I’m here to collect a commission reward,” Lina said expressionlessly. “Registered name: Slacker Witch.”
“Please wait a moment.” Upon hearing that codename, the receptionist’s eye twitched noticeably, but her professional training allowed her to maintain her composure.
She took a piece of magical metal plate from the shelf behind her and handed it to Lina. “Please place your right hand at the center of the metal plate. We need to verify your identity.”
Lina placed her palm in the center of the plate. A soft blue light flickered twice, and a metal magical device beneath the counter immediately produced a pleasant printing sound. A detailed commission report and confirmation slip were printed out.
The clerk took out the confirmation slip and handed it to Lina.
After deducting handling fees, the commission amount was 90 gold dragons. Each of the three Plant Demons was worth 70 gold dragons, totaling 300 gold dragons.
Once confirmed, the money would be transferred to Lina’s default bank account registered with the Association.
The only problem was that the Celestis Central Bank did not have a branch in Osselro Town. If Lina wanted to withdraw money, she would have to go to the nearest branch in Gaul City.
Although magical technology in this world could already achieve functions similar to a POS machine, the cost was still too high and had not yet been widely adopted. Most transactions were still conducted in cash.
So she still had to go to Gaul City to withdraw money... what a hassle.
Lina pursed her lips, but when she thought about how 160 of those gold dragons were hers, her expression relaxed again.
“No problem.” Lina picked up a pencil from the counter stand, signed her name on the confirmation slip, and handed it back to the clerk.
“Alright, Miss Slacker Witch,” the receptionist said as she accepted the slip.
Not long after, she returned from the storage room and handed two envelopes to Lina. “The first is your employment confirmation letter. Next Monday, you may bring your apprentice to report to the Containment Item Management Department of the Association. The specific salary and benefits are all detailed in the letter.”
“And the other one?” Lina picked up the second envelope. It was exquisitely crafted, its edges stitched with fine golden thread. A white flower petal, specially preserved with magic, was affixed to the front, and the entire envelope emitted a faint, delicate fragrance.
“This letter was sent from the Association branch in Gaul City. The sender is another witch,” the receptionist explained. “Her registered name in the Association is Tulip.”
The Tulip Witch?
Lina searched carefully through her memory and was certain she did not know such a witch.
It couldn’t have been sent to the wrong person… right?
Lina accepted both letters and her reward, leaving the Wizards’ Association with a head full of questions.
As she left, Lina felt as though she had forgotten something, but she could not recall what it was for the moment.
Forget it, it probably wasn’t anything important. Better go home first and see what that letter was about.
After returning home, Lina quickly took off her tattered witch robe, changed into her sleepwear, and curled up on the sofa.
Sibyl was sitting in the dining room, quietly reading *“General Knowledge of Common Magical Beasts.”* Annie seemed to be tinkering with something upstairs, Shirley had already left, and there was now an extra fruit platter on the coffee table in the living room, filled with attractively colored fruit.
“Did everything go smoothly?” Sibyl asked while flipping through her book.
“Pretty smoothly. The money’s already been transferred to my account, but I’ll have to go to the bank in Gaul City to withdraw it,” Lina said as she sat on the sofa, casually picking up an apple from the fruit platter and taking a bite. “Just in time—I was planning to buy a new set of clothes anyway. I’ll make a trip to Gaul City in the next couple of days. Ah, this apple tastes pretty good. Where did you get it?”
“Let’s go together,” Sibyl closed her book and smiled slightly. “Shirley just brought the apples over. They’re grown by her family.”
“Oh? Shirley’s family are fruit farmers?” Lina raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Seeing how skilled she is in mathematics and engineering, I thought her parents were engineers or teachers!”
“Shirley’s parents work out of town all year round. She’s been living with her grandmother,” Sibyl rested a finger on her chin, recalling as she spoke. “Come to think of it, the first time I met Shirley also had something to do with apples.”
“Let’s hear it?” Lina was immediately interested. Although she knew Sibyl had quite a few followers, Shirley didn’t seem like the type who could be easily won over with money.
“I remember, it was my third year at the junior academy,” Sibyl said. “At the time, my grades in all subjects were excellent—except for courses related to magical device theory and mathematics...”
Mm, that checked out. This blonde young lady really was a bit slow when it came to the sciences.
Lina nodded, signaling for her to continue.
“At that time, a transfer student suddenly arrived at the academy. In her very first exam, she scored nearly full marks in magical technology theory, and a perfect score in mathematics. I became very interested in her, so with someone’s introduction, I went to find her.”
“Under an apple tree on campus, I saw a gray-haired girl wearing black-framed glasses. She was intently holding a thick book titled *‘Mathematical Foundations of Magical Science’* and studying it carefully.”
“Even when I walked right up to her, she didn’t notice me.”
“So I came up with a little prank,” Sibyl said, somewhat shyly twirling a few strands of hair that fell over her forehead. “I quietly hid in the bushes and used wind magic to knock down an apple on purpose, making it hit her on the head.”
“You had that kind of flair as a kid? Pulling pranks and all?” Lina teased. “I thought you’d always been that proper young lady type.”
“Ahaha... I was quite mischievous back then,” Sibyl’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Shirley didn’t realize it was my prank, but her reaction after being hit by the apple was completely unexpected.”
“She picked up the apple and muttered to herself: ‘Why did the apple suddenly fall instead of flying into the sky? Was it the ground that hit the apple, or the apple that hit the ground? What principle is behind this?’”
“Shirley has always been like that. Things we take for granted raise countless questions for her, and she wants to figure them all out, to truly understand them,” Sibyl smiled. “Compared to being superior and subordinate, we’re more like friends... As for the promise I gave her, it’s that once she becomes a full-fledged witch, I’ll sponsor her to continue her studies at the Royal Magic Academy in Solennam.”
“That girl really is a talent!” Lina couldn’t help but sigh. She had a faint premonition that Shirley’s future achievements might far exceed everyone’s imagination.
The driving force behind the world’s progress was often people like this—those who kept asking questions.
After chatting casually with Sibyl for a while, Lina entered the study on the first floor.
The bookshelves here were still completely empty, but Lina believed that before long, they would be filled with all kinds of books.
She sat down at the desk, took out the two envelopes, and first opened her employment confirmation letter.
A weekly salary of 7 gold dragons, a two-days-off-one-day rotation system; one night shift and one day shift, twelve hours each day. During work, the Association provided three free meals. She had to remain on duty in real time during working hours and could not leave until the next shift witch arrived. Overtime was paid at double wages, triple on holidays, which could be converted into compensatory leave. There were thirty days of paid annual leave each year, in exchange for having to work even on statutory holidays…
Looking at it this way, the overall benefits really couldn’t compare to those of a magical engineer, or even a teacher at a magic academy.
The premise of two days off and one day on required working night shifts, and the remaining rest day was basically just for catching up on sleep—there wasn’t really any time to relax.
The minimum wage standard for a D-rank witch in the Wizards’ Association was 5 gold dragons per week. Teachers generally earned around 6 to 8 gold dragons, while magical engineers were paid even more, usually above 8 gold dragons, with some companies offering over 10.
However, teachers had excellent benefits—there were substantial subsidies and privileges for their children’s education and housing. The Association also did not prohibit teachers from running private tutoring classes like Lina, as long as the required curriculum was properly completed.
So witches who took on Lina’s current job usually fell into two categories.
The first type wanted to use this job as a way to enter the Association’s internal system, then look for opportunities to be promoted into management positions.
The second type consisted of students from higher magic academies across various regions. Here, they could not only obtain internship certification, but also write papers related to Containment Items. This was far easier than writing papers on magic theory or magical device manufacturing, since there was no need to worry about innovation points at all...
But neither of these was Lina’s goal. She took this job because the Containment Item Management Department was the place in the game where one could most quickly grind experience—or rather, obtain ‘Essence.’
However, this still required certain ‘little tricks’ known only to Lina, along with a special ‘small tool.’ Otherwise, the position of Containment Item Administrator would definitely be even more sought-after than that of a magical engineer.
Lina put away the confirmation letter and took out the envelope that still carried a faint fragrance of perfume. She carefully broke the elegant wax seal and removed the letter inside.
“
Dear Miss “Slacker Witch”:
I hope this letter finds you well.
Since our brief parting at the café, your analogy of the “bubble economy” has lingered in my mind. I have already conveyed your insights to my father, and I expect to receive his reply in the near future.
It is my hope that, with your wisdom and our efforts, more people may become aware before the storm arrives.
Autumn in Koberen is growing deeper. Though it is separated from Solennam by only a single mountain, the scenery is entirely different.
In Solennam, autumn is often shrouded in continuous rain, with no clear skies for weeks; whereas here, the sky is high and the clouds are light, the air crisp and clear, possessing a distinctly pure charm.
After leaving Osselro, I am temporarily residing in Gaul City. It is truly a city flowing with the fragrance of flowers and romance.
On October 19th, the World Expo preview will open in Gaul City. I wonder if you might have the time to come and take a look?
An invitation is enclosed with this letter, on the back of the envelope. Should you honor us with your presence, my residence is at No. 36 Wutong Street, and I will be awaiting you at any time.
Yours,
“White Tulip”
Roland Hepburn
”