Cornflower Witch

Chapter 127 The Girl in the Rising Wind
Walking down the street, Hiltiya passed through the bustling area and heard music coming from afar—the sound of bagpipes and lyre playing together.

Behind a stall selling potatoes and parsnip in the distance, two people sat on a pile of wooden barrels and boxes, one pressing down on the bagpipe's air bladder to play, while the other gently plucked the strings of his instrument.

Judging from their mud-splattered clothes, the two were probably stall owners rather than professional musicians. The melody they played was simple and melodious, and their movements were relaxed, as if they were improvising according to their mood.

Most people were busy on the noisy street, some carrying goods, some picking things out. Few people listened to their music. The most focused person was probably the down-on-his-luck homeless man in the corner.

Hiltiya didn't leave. Instead, she stood under the awning of a stall not far away and listened quietly to the two performers before continuing to browse the market.

Is there any point in listening to this piece of music? Probably not. However, the peaceful and natural atmosphere did give Hilti a faint fondness for it.

Perhaps years later, she will have long forgotten what she bought at the market that day and how much she negotiated with the vendors, but she will remember for a long time the sight of the two of them improvising and playing musical instruments at the market.

"This is a nice place," the girl thought, her steps becoming lighter.

After resting for the day, she plans to explore the fortress today. It has a large population of over 10,000 people. Even though it is less than a quarter of the size of Burning Stone City, it is still a major city in the Shadow World.

After a day of touring, Hilti had a basic understanding of the fortress and felt much more at ease.

Although the population is smaller, the shops and guilds in the city are of a much higher level than those in Jiaoshi City. Here, you can even see Tier 3 items for direct sale, as well as equipment, potions, and so on. Of course, the prices are also quite high, making them unaffordable for her.

After returning to their lodgings to rest, they gathered again the next morning to listen to the old man's guidance.

"Over the past two days, I'm sure you've all taken a walk around the city. I don't need to introduce the more prominent guilds and organizations one by one. Now let's talk about something practical for daily life."

"First of all, you live in the woods. Whether it's for daily life, collecting secret resources, or buying things to improve yourself, you need to spend money. But how to make money is something that requires long-term attention."

"It's easy for gardening students to learn; they can simply sell their produce. Students seeking the path of craftsmanship can earn money by crafting their own items, repairing things for others, or working as apprentices to master blacksmiths."

"As for you members who have chosen the path of chivalry, the association has also assigned you patrol duties, but the pay is not high."

"If you want to earn some extra money, you can either find some side jobs or patrol the border of the Radiant Gold Plains. If you can kill a few monsters, you can earn some money, but it depends on luck. If you think it's a waste of time, then focus on improving your strength. Once you reach the second tier, you'll have a lot more options."

"In addition, whether you are selling your harvest or buying what you want, remember to come to the market in the city fortress on the third day of each month. On this day, everyone will gather to trade, and you can not only get a better price, but also find what you want."

"That's basically all I wanted to say. If you have any questions in the future, you can come to the association to consult me. I will be based here regularly."

"Thank you, Professor Bed." Although he only taught some basic things, they were all quite practical, and everyone showed their respect.

……

After staying for a few days, the association staff informed Hilti that the valley plain she had previously selected had been initially prepared.

On this day, a guard dressed in a white smock approached Hilti.

"You must be Miss Siltia, right? I am a patrol cavalryman from White Rock Fortress. Five days ago, the Woodland Society notified us to assist in clearing the newly developed valley plains, and it was all done yesterday."

"As per your request, we will build you a two-story stone hut on the sunny side of the valley. Next to the hut is a newly dug well that can be used to irrigate crops, but..." He hesitated slightly before continuing.

"Because it's newly developed land, the water there is still somewhat polluted, meaning it contains certain distorted phases. It needs to be purified with 'Jiangying powder' regularly before it can be drunk." "Considering that the drinking water is indeed greatly affected, we will provide you with an extra six months' worth of 'Jiangying powder' later. After that, you may need to purchase and process it yourself."

"I see..." Hilti didn't care about that. She could even drink water with a 'distorted' nature without much problem, since her origin was a star and she was not afraid of distortion and pollution.

However, water with 'distorted' properties can affect crop irrigation.

"I understand your difficulties, but long-term use of chlorophyll is quite taxing and will affect my future crop cultivation," she said.

"Could you provide some additional subsidies from other sources? After all, a large portion of my crops are handed over to Whitestone Fortress."

"This... I don't have the authority to make a decision, but I can report your situation to my superiors later." The other party also knew that the water issue had a significant impact on crops.

After discussing it for a while, several patrolling guards came over in the afternoon to help Siltia load her luggage onto the car.

"Today we will take you to the valley on the west side of White Stone Fortress."

Soon, a tall, gray-black horse pulled the carriage out of the association's premises and onto the streets of the city.

Sitting atop the stacks of wooden crates and haystacks on the carriage, Hirutiya lightly gripped the railing with one hand, watching the four cavalrymen escorting the carriage below.

The one in the lead is a knight squire from the 'Second Tier Castle' level, who is said to have already begun learning the prerequisite abilities for the 'White Knight'. The others are light cavalry from the 'First Tier Castle' level, who are probably seniors of Siltia from the previous year.

The group of five walked out of the city along the street, strolling across the rolling plains. They chatted occasionally, and Hilti heard them talk about their recent training and interesting stories from within the White Stone City.

"The strongest in the city should be Knight Commander Charles. He has been at the fourth rank for a long time and just completed the trial last year, successfully condensing the rank of 'Holy White Knight'."

"Besides him, there are two other fourth-tier superhumans in the city, but their main focus is not combat, so the outside world doesn't know much about them."

Upon hearing this, Hilti couldn't help but ask, "Are fourth-tier superhumans common in the woods?"

"Of course it's not common. Fourth-tier members are usually high-ranking members of small organizations. Even in large organizations, fourth-tier members are core members. They usually explore the remote and secret realms of the Shadow World or carry out dangerous and difficult missions. They rarely appear in stable areas of the interior."

"We don't understand higher levels of power, because we can't access them." After saying this, the group continued riding forward. At this moment, one of them even hummed an unknown ballad.

"That's a tune from his hometown; he always likes to hum a few lines when he has nothing to do," a companion joked.

"I guess it might be a reflection of a tragic love affair from his youth, haha." The remaining two laughed for a while, then spurred their horses to follow.

Hiltiya lay amidst the dry haystacks, her skirt spread out on the golden straw. Her arms were slightly outstretched, her eyes gazing at the azure sky above. Her body moved slowly forward with the carriage, like a small boat drifting on the water.

She hadn't seen the sky like this in a long time. When she used to work, there were tall buildings all around her, and she could never see the sunrise or sunset, only the blinding midday sun.

Recalling her ordinary life in the past, Hiltiya leaned against the haystack and closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun made her sleepy, and she slowly drifted into a nap.

The carriage continued along the path through the fields, the girl amidst the golden wheat stalks, accompanied by the rising wind, slowly drifting into the distance.

(End of this chapter)