Cornflower Witch

Chapter 355 The Starting Train

In the early morning, a thin white mist still shrouded the city, and the cool air made early risers pull up their collars and hurry across the streets.

Inside the station, crowds thronged, and the tall, black train sounded its whistle, beginning its pre-train warm-up.

Led by Qidi, Xilutiya arrived at the station. After a complicated process of verifying her identity and invitation, she and Qidi entered the station and arrived at the train that was about to depart.

This long, steel behemoth was far taller than Hilti had imagined. Below it were rows of large wheels as tall as the girl, and the body of the vehicle was as sturdy as an iron fortress. There was a row of smaller round windows on the upper side of the vehicle, and patterns engraved in large square frames on the lower part of the body.

These patterns are all human figures, including old men, women, young girls, kings, queens, knights, and swans. The origin of these patterns is the seven gates of the first city built by the Swan King. At that time, each gate was engraved with different images and figures. Later, these seven gates became the symbol of the royal school and even the castle's image, and were used in various occasions and ceremonies, possessing special power.

"Let's go, Hedra." Chidi led the girl to the large black steel train.

Looking up slightly, Hiltiya estimated that the train was roughly three stories high. After passing through the ticket gate, she climbed the steel steps, which made a crisp sound as she stepped on them.

This train was specially prepared for new students. The interior was similar to the old-fashioned trains she had seen in the movies of her past life, but the space was much more spacious. She took her ticket, found her seat, and put her suitcase away.

Qidi told her to sit there and not move, then went to the train room at the front, seemingly to talk to someone about something.

About half an hour later, he came over with a train attendant in a dark green uniform. The attendant quickly confirmed Hiltya's appearance and identity and nodded.

"I understand. I will take good care of this young lady from now on. Please rest assured, Mr. Qidi."

"Thank you very much." Qidi took off his hat, nodded slightly to the train conductor, and then sat down in front of Xilutiya.

"The train will take about 3-4 days to reach its destination, Asura. The journey will be quite tough, but I believe you can overcome it."

"Food is served on the bus every noon and evening. It doesn't taste very good, but it's enough to fill your stomach. There is also a toilet on the bus, but there is no shower. You can only use a towel to wipe your face and arms."

"Once you arrive in Asura, there will be staff to take care of you new students. Just follow their instructions. Once you're settled, write me a letter to let me know."

“Here’s an address for a clothing store in Asura. I know the owner there very well. With this business card and token, you can find him. He lives there year-round, so you can ask him for help if you have any questions.” After saying that, Qidi handed over a business card and a black bird feather.

"I understand." Hilti nodded, accepted the business card and bird feather, and carefully placed them in her notebook.

After saying a few more words, Qidi stood up and bid farewell to Xilutiya.

After he left, the carriage quieted down. Only Hilti was seated at this moment, while many freshmen in the station had just boarded the train.

Sitting on the velvet-covered bench, Hiltiya carefully observed the structure and style of the carriage. The decorations were elegant, with flower-shaped lamps on both sides of the carriage walls. The table was made of fine hardwood, covered with a white tablecloth, and decorated with simple flower arrangements that emitted a faint fragrance.

The car windows were covered with light blue curtains, and the floor was covered with horizontal wooden planks with many scratches, but they were very clean, giving it a new yet old feel.

Soon the train became lively as many new students walked, talked, and took their seats in the carriages. Everyone was excited and expectant, and many of them, like Hilti, were riding a train for the first time.

Although this was her first time in this life, Hilti had lived on a highly developed Earth in her previous life and had ridden similar and even more advanced bullet trains and high-speed trains, so she was not surprised. But it was a completely different story for those children from the countryside.

Stepping out of a village or town where, for the first seventeen years, one could only see horse-drawn carriages and oxen, and then encountering a steam-powered, roaring steel behemoth, and even sitting inside it—the anticipation and tension of this experience is something that those familiar with it cannot comprehend.

Sitting by the train window, Hiltiya could hear various noisy conversations coming from afar, most of which were about the train.

"You know what? My father said that trains are all transformed from dragons, which is why they can emit jets of air and make noise."

"After the powerful mage defeated the dragon and made it submit, it was transformed into the shape of this train."

"Really? The mage is really powerful." Many students watched curiously, their minds filled with all sorts of thoughts.

As more and more students boarded the train, new students slowly boarded the carriage where Siltiya was. It was only then that the girl noticed that the carriage she was in seemed to be special. Not only were the seats more spacious and the decorations more exquisite, but it also had a separate changing room, a tea room, and two toilets separated for men and women.

"Why won't you let me through? There are so many empty seats in this carriage!" Three freshmen stared indignantly at the train conductor blocking their way at the junction of the carriages in the distance.

"Sorry, this is a private carriage, not for your use," the train attendant replied indifferently.

"Why? We're all freshmen, why are they allowed to sit in this carriage?" The young man in the lead pointed to one of the students in the carriage; he seemed to know one of them.

"That's not my responsibility. All I know is to let the new students with special tickets enter this carriage," the train conductor retorted.

“I’m a freshman with straight A’s, the best student in the class. If the carriages are assigned based on grades, I should be in the one with the best grades,” the young man said, still unconvinced.

The train conductor sighed at this.

"I understand how you feel, but no one has told you that this is the rule for assigning carriages."

"Then tell me the reason for dividing the train into different carriages. Does this mean that even the temple of truth has been corrupted and polluted by money?" The other person seemed to be obsessed and wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Unfortunately, the train conductor never gave a reason, and the argument between the two sides eventually attracted other passengers on the train.

A middle-aged man in a black trench coat and uniform strode over with an imposing air. He had a thick black beard. He reached the shouting youth, grabbed him by the collar, and stared at him with a chilling gaze.

"What's your name?"

"I... my name is Erwin." His voice softened, and he looked to his companions behind him for help, but both of them were somewhat afraid and dared not step forward.

“Very well, Elwen, let me tell you why you can’t enter this carriage.”

"Because you're not qualified, it's that simple."

"You have neither a distinguished family background nor exceptional talent, nor a humble attitude towards learning. What right do you have to pollute the noble young flowers with a weed like you?" After saying this, he threw the other person to the ground and then glanced at the freshmen watching.

"It is not shameful to be of humble origin, but to know this and still waste your energy on trivial matters is foolish. If you have any self-respect, become a formal mage within ten years, and then come back and prove me wrong."

"Go back to your seat, you idiot." After dealing with the matter, he coldly closed the door connecting the two carriages, and then stormed back to the front of the train.

Like a cold wind passing by, it took a while before the sound of conversation returned to the carriage.

"That uncle was so fierce."

"But it's really impressive, I don't even dare to say anything."

"Judging from this, the students sitting in this carriage are probably all from well-off families," a girl dressed in expensive clothes said, looking around with a slightly proud expression.

"Hehe, is it okay to praise yourself like that?" Her companion across from her chuckled, covering her mouth.

"However, they are all acquaintances; I've met most of them before."

"That's Duke Chicas's niece, and the one on the left is Earl Fenglai's son." The two lowered their voices and spoke quietly.

They weren't speaking loudly, but Hilti could hear them clearly. She could even hear the conversation of dozens of people in another carriage through the door and understand it.

Sitting quietly in her seat, Hilti slowly sorted out a lot of intelligence and information.

The carriage she was in, near the front, was probably the best in terms of environment. Behind it were the other new students' carriages, which were roughly arranged according to their grades. The last three carriages contained the kitchen and food, as well as places for train staff to rest.

The train carried approximately 3000 new students, more than 70% of whom came from countries outside the Mage Alliance. Many of them had received 1-2 years of basic education in border cities of the Mage Alliance before taking an assessment in the switch city of Chicas and obtaining a letter of recommendation.

Every year, the Dharma Alliance welcomes nearly 20 new students from all directions. They will enter the academy district in the center of the continent to study and work. Of these students, about one-tenth will eventually become formal Dharma Masters, and only one percent will be able to enter the ranks of Dharma Masters within ten years.

Although not everyone can become a formal mage, even a second-tier mage apprentice is far better than an ordinary job in the countryside and can get better treatment. Therefore, residents of various regions take pride in sending their children to study at the Mage Alliance.

The train whistle sounded again, and a muffled wave of air surged out, accompanied by a whistling sound. With a brief tremor, the train gradually started moving and slowly pulled out of the station. At this moment, the freshmen on the train shouted excitedly, and joyful noise filled the entire train.

No matter what the future holds, at this moment they are like vibrant little suns, full of youthful vigor and boundless possibilities yet to be fully formed. The scroll of a new world is about to slowly unfold before them.

Outside the carriage, a black crow swept past, its speed matching that of the still-unaccelerated train, and tapped on the window with its beak.

After several times, Hilti opened the window with a hint of curiosity. A refreshing breeze rushed in from outside, and the crow brought the package it was carrying into the carriage. It stood in front of Hilti, tilted its head to look at her, and seemed to confirm that it was correct. Then it spread its wings, cawed, and flew out of the window again, disappearing into the misty sky.

What is this? Hilti opened the black cloth wrapping, inside was an exquisite paper box containing fresh and delicious pastries, with a note underneath.

'~A gift for lovely Hedra.'

Seeing the familiar black feather mark at the end, Hilti knew it was Mr. Chidi's little gift, and a faint warmth rose in her heart.

She's a really special person; she seems to be very good at taking care of young girls like her.

……

Switch City, Chicas, 'Blackbird Tower'

The mage in the black trench coat stood under the window of the tower, watching the crow return from the sky and land on his shoulder.

"Has it been delivered yet? It's a gift for that lovely child."

"Yes, I know, thank you for your hard work." He stroked the crow for a while, then released it again. Turning back into the tower, Qidi held a candle and continued down the steps to a place deeper than the surface. After turning several spirals, he arrived at a sealed underground door, then used a special key to open the stone door and stepped inside.

Compared to the bustling city, this underground room was exceptionally quiet, with only the crisp sound of his leather shoes audible.

After passing through several doors and corridors, he finally entered a room decorated with blue roses. There was a stone coffin there, with exquisite vine carvings on it and a line of beautiful calligraphy in the middle.

Qidi placed the candle on the pedestal, leaned against the stone coffin, and gently stroked it.

“I’m here to keep you company again, Vitinoa.”

"You know what? I recently met a girl who looks a lot like you."

"Although she is not as spoiled and willful as you, she has similar black hair and figure to you."

"Of course, in my heart, you are definitely the most beautiful, hehe, I know you always like to get jealous..." he said softly, as if to relieve years of depression and loneliness.

The gentle voice echoed in the silent tomb until the candle was about to go out, at which point he slowly stood up.

"Don't worry, I'll be back, Vitinoa."

“If the ritual succeeds, you will awaken again, and we will never be separated again.” He then put on his trench coat, picked up the candle again, and left the tomb deep underground.

……

'Harp Flower Union' Flower Vine City · Ella Fengti

On an open space outside the city, a white sailing airship is undergoing final adjustments, and many passengers are queuing up to slowly board.

Several luxurious carriages slowly drove up and stopped on the lawn in the open space. Then, surrounded by family members and maids, a girl with beautiful blonde hair stepped down from the carriage. She was wearing a luxurious dress made of fine lace, and her light pink headband and blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

"Alright, that's enough for now. I'm getting on the airship."

"Oh, Luo Wei'er, I'm so reluctant to leave you. Please promise your mother that you will study in Ellafendi, okay?"

"Oh, why is Mom still saying that? I've been preparing for this for so long." The beautiful blonde girl shook her head and then took the small golden cage from the maid.

“Even the most powerful astrologer in Ellafenthy said that my choice to study at the Mage Alliance is in accordance with destiny.” She opened the cage, picked up an adorable golden cat, and gently stroked it.

"But that divination ceremony was interfered with by the cat, does that mean it still counts?" the older brother asked worriedly.

"Of course, that's how divination works. Any unexpected event is a hint from fate." She held up the slightly chubby, round-faced cat in her hand and rubbed it against her cheek, feeling its soft and cute fur.

“Since fate has guided me in this way, then I must follow the script. Isn’t that our family’s motto?” She raised her head, revealing a flawless smile.

“But our family motto is ‘Perform until the very last moment of the curtain call.’” The other person shook their head.

"Although the meanings are somewhat similar."

"Alright, since Luo Weier has made her decision, we can only wish her well and hope that she can find her own destiny and script in the Mage Alliance."

The group watched as the blonde girl, carrying a cat, walked up the steps of the airship and waved goodbye to her.

……

North of the icy sea, the blood-red royal court.

Inside the dark hall, one candle after another was carried in by maids dressed in classical gowns. They stood on both sides of the hall and then bowed their heads respectfully.

These maids were all of superior appearance and beautiful figure, and all possessed the 'Blood Law' attribute of the fourth level or above. If there was anything unusual about them, it was that their skin was relatively pale, as if they had never seen the sun for many years.

Soon, a woman dressed in a gorgeous black and red gown slowly entered. She had delicate, golden hair, each strand of which was neatly combed and smooth. The long court dress that trailed on the ground had matte, elegant black pleats, as if it were a masterpiece from a thousand years ago. The rose-red glimpse that occasionally rose from the lining was so striking in the darkness, like blood that had not yet congealed.

She slowly ascended the Gothic-style black throne in the main hall, sat down gently, her slender fingers supporting her cheeks, and opened her eyes to reveal blood-red pupils, like a tranquil yet frenzied beast, or a sorrowful and aloof emperor.

“Bring Camilla up.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The maidservant beside her bowed respectfully.

Soon, four knights, fully clad in black armor, escorted a woman with similar golden hair into the main hall.

Surprisingly, the woman being escorted and the figure sitting on the throne had almost identical appearances, and even their gorgeous black and red dresses were roughly the same, differing only in style and details.

With specially made silver chains around her wrists and ankles, she was dragged to the center of the hall and then put down.

After the black bandage covering her mouth was removed, the woman on the ground screamed.

"Let me go, Katella, you heartless bastard!" Despite being chained, she seemed completely unafraid, only filled with anger and resentment.

"Be quiet for a while, my dear sister." The figure on the throne raised his hand, and an invisible force directly controlled the woman's body, making it difficult for her to speak.

"Why? I didn't do anything wrong, why are you locking me up!" Camilla on the ground was still defiant, struggling to break free from the other's control. Then, their equally beautiful crimson eyes met, and an invisible battle of forces took place between them.

A few seconds later, Camilla on the ground let out a gasp, then covered her eyes and slowly sat down, seemingly having lost the contest of strength.

The figure on the throne snorted coldly and issued another warning.

“Now I will pronounce your sins, Camilla.”

"As the queen candidate of the Sea Cliff Blood Clan and the current first heir to the Crimson Royal Court, Camilla has committed a grave mistake by coveting the throne and colluding with foreign enemies."

"From this point forward, you will be stripped of your sexual phase rank and all your identities within the Sea Cliff vampires, and banished from this land," she coldly pronounced, and the woman on the ground, no matter how much she struggled, could not utter a word in resistance.

A few days later, this once noble vampire royal, dressed in simple black clothes, was sent to a ship to leave the country. Along the way, she tried to escape, but unfortunately, not only had her status disappeared and she had become an ordinary mortal, but her physique had also deteriorated considerably, making her roughly the size of an ordinary 17-year-old human girl.

“Accept this reality, Lady Camilla,” one of the accompanying black-robed enforcers advised.

“Even if you are Her Majesty the Queen’s own sister, you cannot disobey her decree.”

"This ship will sail to the human kingdom, a place south of the icy sea, which is said to be currently occupied by a force called the Mage Alliance."

"Go there, it will be your new home."

……

A remote, desolate mountain village.

Flames spread across the night sky, and corpses littered the ground. However, these corpses were different from ordinary people; they all had features similar to wild beasts, some with horns, others with tails and unusual ears.

On the Fourth Continent, such people are often called beastmen, or subspecies of humans.

In the Seventh and Eighth Ages, ancient wizards experimented with many methods to gain power, the most effective of which was bloodline transplantation. Orcs were the product of such experiments; their ancestors were implanted with the bloodlines of powerful creatures, thus gaining innate powers different from those of humans.

Of course, this implantation is not without its drawbacks. It brings many side effects and causes many orcs to have congenital diseases and defects, and their lifespan is shorter than that of normal humans.

Fortunately, after nearly 10,000 years of reproduction and elimination, most of the orc races that are still alive today have stabilized their bloodlines and their lifespans are not much different from those of humans.

The orc corpses on the ground were mostly in a pitiful state, many bearing terrible scars and marks from needle pricks. They had died in a rebellion for freedom, and although almost all of them had fallen, their enemies were also lying on the ground.

The dead mage, with a thick bull horn piercing his chest, leaned against a pillar, motionless. The tall golem beside him was now dismembered into pieces and lay in the fire, slowly burning.

A small, thin figure struggled slowly in the pool of blood, trying to get up, but her injuries were too severe and her consciousness was almost gone.

Suddenly, a figure arrived, helped her up, bandaged her wounds while she was still unconscious, and then slowly began to tell her story.

“I still have many things to do and cannot take you with me. Once you have recovered from your injuries, take the letter of recommendation beside you. It will guide you to the center of the Mage Alliance, where you will gain the power of revenge.”

"Do not despise this power, even if it comes from your enemy."

Several days later, the thin figure finally regained consciousness, then touched his body and the sealed recommendation letter and letters beside him.

She picked it up, slowly pieced it together, and finally understood its general meaning.

"I see."

Clutching the letter, she ran through the mountains, stumbling and falling repeatedly amidst countless bushes, weeds, and pebbles, only to struggle back to her feet each time.

She couldn't remember how far she had traveled; her clothes were tattered and covered in abrasions and bruises, but the letter she held in her arms remained intact.

Pushing aside the branches obscuring her view, the girl with tiny animal horns stood on the hillside, gazing at the open field under the setting sun, where a black train, whistling its horn, wound its way across the land...

(End of this chapter)