Cornflower Witch

Chapter 110 Classmates Parting Ways
“I see.” Hiltiya nodded, recalling the story told by the witch Melinsa yesterday.

The Night Dream Tea Party is a witch organization based on the two genders of Nightmare and Mist Shadow. It brings together many witches, and it is said that there is a sixth-rank Grand Witch in charge of it, so it has a considerable influence in the woodland.

However, she probably prefers 'Radiant Moon' more, and joining 'Night Dream Tea Party' would be somewhat incompatible with her.

After understanding the general situation of the Hidden Forest, Hilti decided to wait until she entered and studied for a while before making a decision.

……

On the third day, Hilti was resting at home. Today, she sat under the eaves in the backyard, leaning back in a recliner and reading a book.

Here you can see a clear blue sky, a gentle breeze, and a golden flower field in front of you. It's exceptionally peaceful and comfortable. Occasionally, when she gets tired of looking at the flowers, she wraps herself in a blanket and takes a nap on the deck chair.

These past few days, she hasn't had to take care of the flower field; Madame Fran has been doing it all herself.

In the afternoon, a few birds flew across the sky, some landing in the yard, pecking at the grass clippings and searching for insects, before taking flight and leaving.

A melodious bell rang from the front yard, and soon Lining came over to tell Siltia that a friend had come to visit her.

"Is that Komia and the others?" She stood up.

“Yes, one of the girls has the ‘Mist Shadow’ personality type, which should be the Komia that Miss Tia mentioned.” Lining recalled briefly.

"Okay, I'll be right there." She put the blanket down, checked her simple long dress for the day, and then headed to the front hall.

Lining was leading the group across the front garden lawn toward the main entrance living room.

Upon entering this incredibly luxurious mansion, the group looked on with surprise and curiosity.

"Wow, is this where Tia lives? It's so big!" Komia wanted to jump up and look at her surroundings.

"This must cost a lot of money." Mick felt that even if he sold himself, he couldn't buy even a small part of this mansion.

"It looks good," Lei commented.

“It really exceeds my expectations.” Karen stretched out her chestnut hair and looked around.

She led the four to the living room and seated them. Soon after, Lining brought out fine tea to entertain them.

"Is this snow orchid tea?" Komia asked in surprise, looking at the slender white tea leaves floating in the tea and the special fragrance it emitted.

"It seems so, what's wrong?"

Hiltia often drank this kind of tea, it seems that when she first came, Madame Fran served her this tea.

“A small packet of ‘Snow Orchid Tea’ costs five gold coins and can only be used to brew one pot, which means two cups cost one gold coin,” Komia quickly stated the price.

"Ah." The others gaped in surprise, feeling as if they were drinking not tea, but gleaming white coins.

"Is it that expensive?" Karen looked at the teacup in her hand and took another small sip.

"Yes, it is said that 'snow orchid tea' can regulate the body and reduce hidden injuries and strains, so many nobles like it and the price remains high."

"Making snow orchid tea requires several rare types of orchids and tea leaves, as well as the addition of auxiliary materials with the 'blazing sun' attribute to perfectly bring out the tea's effects," Komia explained again.

“I see.” Hilti nodded. Rare orchids and tea leaves can be bought with money, but auxiliary materials with the 'blazing sun' attribute are not so easy to obtain. Fortunately, Lady Fran has plenty of them, so she did not realize how rare they were.

“Oh, right, Tia, Viscount Sherwin asked us if we wanted to make something from ogre leather. He recently sent someone to tell us that the ogre leather has been tanned,” Mick thought.

"What are your plans?" That day, Mick and Ray each killed an ogre, but Mick's ogre was defeated by the combined efforts of the group.

“We discussed it and decided to make a few pairs of gloves and boots,” Karen replied.

“Ray is currently learning blacksmithing and needs a high-quality heat-resistant glove. If Mick and I have a pair of gloves in battle, it will greatly improve our defense and combat effectiveness.”

"As for Komia, she doesn't need gloves, but we can make her a pair of boots."

"No way, ogres smell awful." Komia pinched her nose and shook her head vigorously.

Hearing her words, the group couldn't help but laugh.

Hilti turned her head and thought for a moment. She was also a little resistant to ogres. In addition, she didn't lack protective gear. The coat that Lady Fran gave her, although it looked simple, was actually very tough. It helped her avoid a lot of minor injuries and scratches during this test.

"I don't need it. If you need it, you can take mine."

"If there are any left, give them to Viscount Xuefeng. I remember he seems to need them to arm his warriors."

“That’s true. The people who came told us that if we didn’t use it, Viscount Xuefeng would buy it back at 30% above market price as compensation.” “Well, let’s do that then. Actually, we were able to study under Professor Hyde thanks to Lord Xuefeng’s subsidies.” Otherwise, the tuition they paid wouldn’t have been enough to hire Scholar Hyde, the instructors at the training grounds, or allow them to use the castle’s training facilities for free.

After discussing the spoils of war, the group talked about their future plans.

"I'll probably be going to Meteor Lake in the east afterward. On the other side of Meteor Lake, there's a small witch organization that's recruiting students. They don't have high requirements for qualifications," Komia said, explaining her future plans.

"This was an introduction that Maester Hyde found for me after contacting other members of Candlehold," Komia said gratefully.

"Congratulations!" the others congratulated.

After that, Lei, who had been relatively quiet, scratched his head and spoke up.

"I am currently learning from a blacksmith in the city. It will take about two years to complete my initial training and become a qualified apprentice craftsman."

"Ray has been working really hard lately. Last time Karen and I visited him, he was at the blacksmith's shop, covered in sweat," Komia praised.

"Where's Mike?" Hilti asked curiously, referring to the boy who had been clamoring to be an adventurer.

"Me..." Mick thought for a moment, but didn't answer immediately.

"After that day, I went back to the city and talked with Brother Jero all night. We talked a lot."

“He plans to leave here and go to other cities,” Mick said with a touch of emotion.

"I guess I don't want to think about bad memories here."

"Before leaving, Brother Jero told me that being a guard in Scorched Stone City was actually a good choice."

"However, he didn't force me to do anything; he just told me that."

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I still find it hard to let go. I want to go out and see the world, to make my own way in the world. Even if I have to retire as a guard, I’ll wait another ten years.” Mick looked out into the distance beyond the gate.

"That's fine too." Everyone thought about it and nodded in agreement.

Where is Karen?

"I'm going to Valley City. There's a high-level hunter guild there where I can learn a lot of skills and receive better training." Karen didn't have the same lofty ambitions as the others.

"I heard from the teacher that Tiya will also be leaving Jiaoshi City in a while, is that right?"

“Yes.” Hilti nodded, feeling somewhat saddened by the impending separation.

"It's alright, we'll meet again someday." Komia hugged Sylvia, feeling each other's warmth.

A few days later, as Komia and Karen were about to depart, the group gathered again for dinner at a restaurant in Scorched Stone City, with the meal sponsored by Maester Hyde.

"Waaah, I have to leave. I'll miss everyone so much." Even though Komia had been the one comforting Sylvia before, now it was Sylvia who was the one who would miss her the most.

After some words of comfort from the others, they soon sat back down at the table, talking about their futures.

“I went home and gave my mother a sum of money, all of which I earned through risky ventures, along with a reward from the Viscount. It should be enough for her to live comfortably for nearly ten years,” Mick recounted his experiences over the past few days.

“Although Jiaoshi City is nice, there aren’t many opportunities here. I asked Brother Jero about things outside and I’m planning to go north to take a look. It’s more prosperous there and there are more opportunities.”

"If I achieve something, I'll come back and buy my mother a house in Jiaoshi City so she can retire in peace," Mick envisioned for the future.

"Forget about achievements. No matter what happens outside, we'll all come back and get together again sometime." Komia raised her glass, but unfortunately it only contained honey water, not alcohol.

"Five years. We'll return to Jiaoshi City in five years, after spring, when the trumpet trees are in full bloom," Komia thought, recalling the botanical knowledge she had learned.

“Alright! Five years from now!” Mick stood up and raised his glass.

Upon hearing this suggestion, Ray and Karen stood up one after the other, and Hilti also raised her glass and drank the wine with everyone.

The light fruit wine made Hiltiya slightly tipsy, her face flushed slightly, making her look somewhat cute and charming. However, she was still quite sober, and this amount of alcohol was not enough to affect her brain.

The group talked about their experiences over the past few days, from getting to know each other to participating in training, hunting, and adventures together, and then they talked about their families, life ideas, and plans.

Before they knew it, the sumptuous meal on the table slowly turned into scraps, and the wine bottles were emptied one by one. Mick drank the most and fell asleep on the table.

After the event ended, everyone felt a little sad, knowing that it would probably be a long time before they met again.

There are two days left until the day Hiltiya sets off.

(End of this chapter)