Cornflower Witch

Chapter 34 The Girl Alone

At night, after settling into their accommodations, the group of students regrouped.

"The place where we live was specially built by Viscount Scheffer; he occasionally brings his family here for outings." Komia was in a good mood.

"Although it's quite ordinary, it's relatively clean, much better than those houses that are full of straw and the smell of livestock."

"The three of us share a room, and across from us are Iona, Valenie, and the others." There are only five girls in this cohort of students; the rest are about ten boys.

Back in the village square, Maester Hyde was still talking with the village chief when Thorin and Baron approached with their students and waved to them.

"Today you can walk around the village and get used to the environment, but don't go too deep into the forest to avoid getting lost."

"We'll meet back here when it gets dark, and then we'll have dinner and activities together."

"Oh~"

The trainees were delighted to hear that they could move around freely and play wherever they wanted.

After all, they are all young people who have been studying and training all this time, so it's rare for them to have such an opportunity to relax and have fun outdoors.

Soon, the boys began to wander and run around the village in twos and threes. Some were going to swim in the river, some wanted to explore the woods, and others wanted to go horseback riding.

"Lady Iona, where are we going?" Valenie followed the blonde young lady.

Iona seemed a little impatient with this and casually waved her hand, telling her not to keep following her.

"I'll walk by myself, you don't need to come with me."

"Uh, yes, Lady Iona." Valerie was a little disappointed, but she still watched Iona leave with eager eyes.

Walking along the country lane, Iona felt a little bored. She looked at the unremarkable village around her and didn't have the excitement and anticipation that the other students had.

There are countless such villages along the way, from the capital Baiya City to the remote Jiaoshi City in the south. The people in these villages, to put it nicely, lead simple and peaceful lives; to put it bluntly, they lead mediocre and laborious lives, spending most of their lives on barren land.

She felt a strange aversion and fear towards this kind of life.

Many of the aristocratic students envied her, but only she knew that her current situation was not good.

His Majesty not only stripped my father of his title, but also confiscated his lands, wealth, and family property. A year ago, he had many servants and knights who followed him, but now almost all of them have left.

She has lost a significant portion of her territory's income and can no longer afford to support a large retinue, so she now has to stay with her distant uncle, Viscount Xue Feng.

Although Viscount Xue Feng treated her very well, she didn't think that this kindness would last forever.

If she fails to tap into her potential in the next few years and embark on the true path of becoming an extraordinary being as soon as possible, her final fate may be to be betrothed by Viscount Xue Feng to a minor local nobleman and live a mediocre life in Jiao Shi City.

But who is she? She was once the most beautiful and beloved young lady of a wealthy family in the capital city of Baiya.

Previously, the young noblemen and ladies who followed behind her could have filled the entire hall; she was the object of countless people's admiration and pursuit.

She simply couldn't accept the idea of ​​willingly spending the rest of her life here. The thought of a bleak and colorless life felt like being entangled in something sticky and disgusting.

A troubled mood is like a gloomy sky, where layers of clouds never seem to dissipate.

Lost in her own world, Iona strolled slowly along the stream until a burst of cheerful laughter interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up and saw the three ordinary girls who had come with her.

That short-haired, laughing girl, her name is Komia, right? She remembered the scene of Komia using her special eye technique during yesterday's competition.

The 'Mist Shadow' aspect is rare in a place like this.

The element that best counters the 'Mist Shadow' attribute is 'Radiant Moon', followed by 'Blazing Sun', which she cultivates. Therefore, she was only slightly surprised by Komia, but not at all astonished.

The capital city of Baiya is full of geniuses, including young talents who cultivate various spiritual aspects. She even saw a 15-year-old boy who performed magic tricks for His Majesty. He was a prodigy who mastered the 'Mist Shadow' spiritual aspect.

Across the street, by the small bridge, Siltia, Komia, and Karen were trying to fish together.

"Tia, look, I caught one." Komia stood up and showed the wriggling earthworm in her hand to the girl, her expression excited.

“Yes, that’s it.” Hiltiya nodded.

"Cut it into small pieces, hang it on the hook, and you can fish." This was an experience she learned in her previous life when she was a child.

"Okay~" Komia carefully hopped on the rocks by the river and walked over to Sylvia's side. On the other side, Karen searched around and found a few earthworms, picked them up, and walked over.

“This is enough, no need to look anymore, Karen,” Hiltiya reminded her.

The three then found a suitable spot, sat on a rock, and patiently watched the fishing line being cast and falling into the water.

"What kind of fish will there be? I want to have a grilled fish feast tonight!" Komia exclaimed happily, announcing her goal for the day.

……

Iona, watching the interaction between the three from a distance, stood quietly under the tree, watching them laugh and talk by the river, fishing for fish they didn't know if they would catch anything. Even though they didn't catch anything for a while, they were still happy.

Envious? No, she didn't envy this simple happiness.

These ordinary people's children are like roadside weeds; they're happy with just a little water or dew.

Those who have truly experienced prosperity and seen a wider world will not be numbed by such simple pleasures.

How long could their happiness last? She placed her hand on the tree trunk beside her, the hard, rough bark scraping against her palm and bringing some debris.

The best outcome for an ordinary girl is probably to marry a city clerk and live a stable but uninteresting life.

Iona looked away, gazing at the still-cloudy sky.

Would that also be her fate?

No, she clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails dug into her palms...

After a long while, Iona loosened her fingers, glanced at the three people by the river again, turned and left, walking alone towards the village path, which led back to the village square.

……

As evening fell, Hilti stood up from the rock she was sitting on and looked up at the nearly dark sky above.

"It's time to go back," she reminded the remaining two.

"Sigh, are we leaving already?" Komia gripped the fishing rod, feeling a little reluctant to part with it.

"Yes, if we don't go back soon, it will get dark."

“Okay, let’s go.” With that, Komia put one hand on Karen’s shoulder and struggled to stand up.

Karen then put away her fishing rod and stretched her legs. "Phew, the afternoon went by so fast."

After tidying themselves up, the group headed up the riverbank.

"I caught five fish today!" Komia counted the five silver-scaled fish lying on the grassy bank of the river.

"Does Tiya recognize their species?"

"I don't know either." She didn't know much about fish in this world. These five fish were slightly longer than her palm, but not particularly big.

"Alright, I'll have to go back and ask Professor Hyde for advice."

Karen found some small wooden sticks, strung the five fish together, and then she and Komia carried them back.

“Actually, I can help too.” Hilti wanted to lend a hand, but the wooden branch only had two ends and was not suitable for three people to lift.

"It's okay, it's not heavy." Komia waved her hand.

Even so, she switched hands halfway through, and then Siltia took over with a smile.

The three of them walked slowly toward the village square. As darkness fell, they heard the sound of drums beating from the square.

At first, the drumbeats were sporadic and not continuous, but then the drumbeats gradually became rhythmic and melodic.

As they drew closer, the fiery red bonfire in the distance came into view in the night, and then ancient and melodious humming of traditional Japanese songs spread out amidst the flames and drumbeats.

Around the huge bonfire, villagers walked hand in hand, their footsteps tapping to the beat of the drum, their expressions radiant and carefree. Accompanied by their shared humming, the flames swayed to the rhythm of the drums, sometimes large, sometimes small, as if they had come to life.

(End of this chapter)