Cornflower Witch

Chapter 10 Visiting Winnie's Family

Entering a quiet alley, Thalys and Sylphia stopped in front of a door and gently knocked.

"Sister, sister, are you there? It's me, Taliel."

After a short while, footsteps came from inside the door, and then the door creaked open, revealing a woman who looked somewhat like Taliel. She had the same reddish-brown hair, but it was braided and coiled on her shoulders. She was wearing an apron, and although her appearance was not outstanding, she had a gentle and virtuous temperament. There was also a boy of about five years old beside her.

“Come on, call her Auntie.” Winnie guided the boy by the hand.

"Auntie, Auntie." The boy was a little shy. After calling her name, he hid behind his mother, clutching her skirt tightly.

"Hehe, it's little Randy. Have you been behaving well lately?" Taliel chased after him, patted the boy's head, and prepared to play with him.

Winnie noticed the figure behind Taliel and couldn't help but speak up.

"Taliel, who is this?"

At this moment, Hilti took off her hood, revealing her smooth silver hair and face, which made Winnie open her mouth slightly in surprise.

"Hello, my name is Tia, I'm Taliel's friend, and I just arrived in Scorched Stone City," the girl introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Winnie, Taliel's sister. Please come in and have a seat." With that, she stepped aside to let the two of them in.

Then Thaliel and Hilti entered the house and sat down on the bench in the hall. Soon after, Winnie picked up the teapot hanging on the fireplace and poured them warm tea.

"It's been steeping for a while now, so the taste might not be quite right. Please forgive me." If Taliel had come alone, she wouldn't have needed to be so polite, but there were outsiders present today.

"It's alright." The girl took the tea and then looked around the house.

Its size is similar to the house she lives in now, probably around 110 square meters. The house is furnished with wooden cabinets, tables and chairs, and there are many ceramic bottles and jars on the table.

After the three sat down, they quickly began chatting, and Winnie gradually learned about Siltia's background and current situation.

"I see. Miss Tia, you can't remember what happened before?" She thought for a moment.

"There are many reasons why this could happen, including common brain injuries and the influence of other supernatural forces."

"Oh, what kind of extraordinary powers can do this kind of thing?" the girl wondered.

"Things related to the spiritual realm mostly fall under the lunar element, specifically the three aspects of [Radiant Moon], [Mist Shadow], and [Nightmare]." Winnie was indeed quite knowledgeable.

"But I don't know exactly which abilities or secret techniques can interfere with memories; perhaps I'll have to ask my teacher."

"Thank you." Hiltiya wasn't in a hurry to find her memories; settling down was more important right now.

The three then talked about Tia and Thaliel's future life in the city.

"As for work, I'm familiar with working as a waitress in some restaurants. I don't know if Taliel can adapt." She knew her sister's personality well.

“I don’t like the maid.” Sure enough, Thalyss shook her head.

"Having to stand still and maintain that posture while speaking in that tone must be very uncomfortable."

“The other jobs aren’t so easy, you know,” Winnie continued with a smile.

"Oh, sister, tell me."

"Laundry room, bathhouse, hotel cleaning and general cleaning..." Winnie rattled off a list of jobs.

"Ah, these feelings aren't good either." It's far from the idyllic city life that Taliel has always dreamed of.

"It's not very good. I know some good jobs, such as gardening helper, pastry chef, maid in a wealthy household, shop assistant, etc."

“Some of these jobs require certain skills, some require good looks and manners, and some require literacy and numeracy. Unfortunately, you don’t meet any of these requirements,” her sister replied with a sigh.

"Ah, I know, sister, don't sigh. It's just that I didn't study hard enough before, and you always criticize me." Taliel covered her ears.

"Oh, by the way, I recently learned swordsmanship. Is there anything I can use it for?"

"Swordsmanship?" Winnie tilted her head and looked at Taliel, somewhat disbelieving and puzzled.

"Where did you learn that?"

“I learned it from Lord Frien, but Tia guided me more.” With that, Talil pulled the girl next to her closer.

"Oh, I see. Do you know breathing techniques?" Winnie continued to ask.

“No.” Taliel shook her head vigorously.

“If you don’t know how, it’s not very useful,” Winnie replied.

"Simply knowing swordsmanship is not very useful. Your physique is not strong enough, your strength is weak, and your reaction speed is not fast enough. You can't beat those warriors who know breathing techniques at all. Some strong adults can easily beat you."

"Ugh..." Taliel was so discouraged by her older sister that she lost all confidence and had no power to refute.

"I understand. So what should I do? Do I really have to work as a waitress in a restaurant? I feel like I would have a hard time doing it well."

“Well… that’s true.” Winnie was also at a loss and could only shake her head. “I’ll ask your brother-in-law when he gets back; maybe there are some opportunities in the Chamber of Commerce.”

After finishing talking about Taliel, Winnie's attention shifted to Sylvia.

"Does Miss Tiya have any plans at the moment?"

“Not for now, but I’m planning to learn some knowledge. I don’t know what channels are available in the city, or how much the tuition would be,” Hiltiya said.

"I can do basic basic education, but the more difficult part is probably arithmetic. If I really want to study in depth, I'll have to consult the scholars in the city."

What are some recommendations at the moment?

“There are currently three bachelors in the city, among whom Bachelor Hyde is the most senior and was also the teacher of the other two,” Winnie explained.

“However, Maester Hyde is not currently accepting students. As for the other two, Maester Romanda is Viscount Scheuff’s advisor and has no time to teach. The other is Maester Edson, who is now an advisor and appraiser for the Oak Barrel Merchant Guild and seems to be very busy, making it difficult for him to find time to teach,” Winnie said regretfully.

“My husband Ancher and I were introduced by Edson, so maybe I can ask him again.”

Upon hearing Winnie's description, Hilti knew that the hope was somewhat slim, so she turned to inquire about other aspects.

Looking for a job?

Winnie looked at Hilti with some surprise. In her opinion, girls like her basically didn't need to work. As long as they were willing to show up among the nobility, they would definitely receive countless gifts and invitations. They would have to make long schedules for attending banquets and going on outings every day.

"I have to live independently, and besides, I don't really like entrusting my future to others." This is a world with extraordinary powers, and external things are hard to rely on.

“In that case…” Winnie roughly understood Hilti’s personality, and to be honest, she admired it quite a bit.

“If it’s Miss Tia, you could find many good jobs, such as an opera singer, a jeweler’s promoter, or a flower salon host.”

"No, no, please recommend some jobs that require less public exposure." The girl didn't want to be so high-profile.

“She doesn’t show up much…” Winnie fell into deep thought again.

“Book copyist, no, that’s too tiring. Waitress in a high-class restaurant, no, that doesn’t suit Miss Tia’s status…” She rejected several options in a row, and the jobs she mentioned made Tariel, who was standing next to her, very envious.

Is this the advantage of being smart and good-looking?

"I just heard you mention the Apothecary Guild and the Horticulturist Guild. Are there any suitable jobs for me there?" Siltia became interested in this.

Her discerning eyes should be of great help in distinguishing medicinal herbs and their properties. Moreover, if she could learn how to concoct potions, she could earn her own living expenses without having to go out and show her face. As for gardening, she wanted to find out if there were any cornflower seeds or related cultivation techniques.

"We'll have to ask to find out," Winnie nodded in agreement.

As evening approached, Winnie's husband, Ancher, returned home from get off work and was greeted by two guests.

"I see." After listening to Winnie and Taliel's account, he roughly understood the situation.

“I’ll ask Mr. Edson tomorrow. As for the Pharmacists’ Guild, I recommend that Miss Tia buy a herbal identification guide first. It will be easier for her to learn before starting work there,” he suggested during dinner.

“Taliel knows where to buy books, and if you need money, I can lend you some.” Considering that Tia has just arrived in Scorched Stone City, it would indeed be quite difficult for her.

How much would it cost to buy the books?

"If it's the herbal medicine identification guide I mentioned, it would probably cost 8 silver coins."

"Wow, are books this expensive?" Taliel exclaimed in surprise.

“Of course, knowledge is never cheap,” Ancher nodded.

“No problem, thank you for your guidance, Mr. Ancher.” Hiltiya expressed her gratitude.

“It’s nothing. You are a good friend of Taliel’s and have helped the residents of Linden Village. It’s just what I should do.”

After dinner, Thaliel and Hilti said goodbye and returned to their lodgings.

After they left, Ancher and Winnie discussed the silver-haired girl from earlier.

"This Miss Tia must have an extraordinary background," he remarked with some emotion.

"Yes, just in terms of accent and appearance, there is a huge difference between them and ordinary people."

"Besides, it was very comfortable to chat with her; she didn't have the aloofness and arrogance typical of nobles," Winnie recalled her feelings from the day.

"I'll go to the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow and ask around. Oh, and there's also my sister Taliel's matter. Grandpa asked her to come to the city, probably because he doesn't want her to waste her time at home."

"She just turned sixteen this year, so she can start working now."

“Taliel is a lively person, so she probably wouldn’t be able to do those quiet jobs. But she’d love to do something that involves a lot of running errands,” Winnie said, describing Taliel’s personality.

“It will happen,” Ancher reassured his wife.

The two discussed these things, and the topic shifted to their child, Randy. They planned their lives and future until they fell asleep late at night.

(End of this chapter)