The Cornflower Witch

Over the following month, the professor and the instructors led the apprentices on another tour through the Western Mountain Range. Along the way, the professors lectured the students on the habits and weaknesses of the various monsters they had encountered before, analyzed the resources and wildlife of the rivers and hills they passed, explained the history of how local tribes grew and prospered, and traced the origins and backgrounds of the other races.

“The Bird Tribe, what you often call birdmen, were originally elevated to an intelligent race by the Hours known as the Dawn Wind Eagle. Unfortunately, most of them were eccentric and not good at cooperation or governance, and eventually were abandoned by the Dawn Wind Eagle.”

“Later, the Dawn Wind Eagle chose the ancestors of humanity as its favored people, and at that time the Dawn Church became the largest organization among humans in the early days. Its establishment set the template for many later organizations—prayer rituals, ceremony formats, the hierarchy of dining etiquette, multi-layered command structures, and so on.”

“The Church planned many career advancement paths for humans and summarized the early inheritance system of secret arts. They assigned people to copy these secret arts and handed them to clerics, who then carried that knowledge out to the undeveloped human tribes in distant lands to spread it.”

“Although the Dawn Wind Eagle is long gone, as an Hour it was undoubtedly key to humanity’s rise and prosperity.”

“In that era, humans who advanced high within the Dawn Church’s secret system could transform themselves into angelic forms. Unlike flesh-and-blood bodies, angels are bodies condensed from light and heat, and they do not easily age or be wounded. This was the highest reward for outstanding humans and guided many down that path.”

“Unfortunately, after the Dawn Wind Eagle’s passing, the angel transformation ceremony was cut off. There are now certain similar rituals and secrets, but those only allow a temporary angelic transformation to boost combat power; none can maintain the form permanently.”

“Without the Dawn Wind Eagle’s protection, during the Eighth Epoch humans were courted by many other Hours. At the same time, internal human opinions and ideas diverged. Gradually humans became fragmented, and no longer had a fully unified human organization.”

“On the Fifth Continent, during the Golden Honey Dynasty’s heyday, most residents were human. After reaching a high tier, they received the Blissful Bee Queen’s blessing to become ‘bee-fied,’ acquiring certain bee-like traits. Though not as powerful as angels, those traits granted many formidable strengths.”

“Today, on the First Continent the Sun Dynasty enjoys the favor of the Corona Dragon. Their royal line runs with Dragon Blood; even in human form they can possess many true dragon characteristics and are overwhelmingly powerful.”

“In addition, the distant Sixth Skyland is a realm under the patronage of the Emerald Dragon. Its royal family bears similar blood, growing dragon horns on their foreheads, imposing and awe-inspiring.”

Listening to the professor recount histories and far-off realms, everyone was enthralled. Some grew curious and asked many detailed questions, such as whether Dragon Blood passed to descendants when royals married commoners.

“A royal marrying a commoner will of course pass down Dragon Blood, but the bloodline dilutes over generations and the power weakens,” the professor replied kindly.

“In fact, apart from princes and princesses eligible for succession, collateral branches’ dragon blood constantly fades. Those chosen as heirs briefly reach the Dragon Kingdom during the succession ceremony to receive the blessing of an upper-rank true dragon, which purifies their lineage.”

“Heh, if you all gain sufficient power in the future to cross the sea of clouds, you can travel to the continents and see a far broader, richer world.”

Sylutia, among the party, felt a stir at those words. That had always been her dream, but her current strength was insufficient. To travel across the vast cloudsea safely she would need at least Sixth Tier power; otherwise it would be extremely dangerous.

Each year some cloudship convoys that traverse the continents vanish into the depths of the cloudsea, so every voyage is a gamble. Though the chance of returning alive is fairly high—perhaps over ninety percent—any accident means a permanent farewell, a body lost without trace.

A month passed peacefully. When the instructors finished their lectures, the group reached the terminus of this trip, the largest city in the Western Mountain Range, Dragon Fang Fort.

The city sits beside a great river, ringed by a cluster of spike-like peaks that thrust upward like fangs guarding the central settlement, hence the name Dragon Fang Fort. Legend says it was once a dragon’s lair; in ancient times many draconic subspecies roamed those peaks, but after the Calamity War most true dragons left the mortal continents, and the area became contested land for the local races.

After two years of war, the region had once been ruled by an orc warlord of First Tier; fierce cave-lion warriors, the White Vulture Guard, and others made him the weakest powerful orc warlord beyond the Western Mountains. Before his defeat and death at the hands of the Mage Alliance, his forces had already splintered. Many of his ancestors and clans perished in the wars. Now the area is administered by the Mage Alliance. The City Alliance of the West has its headquarters there, with daily airship traffic transporting supplies and local produce.

Entering the buzzing city, Sylutia’s eyes swept the scene. Calls and shouts filled the air as travelers from many races and merchant caravans crowded the streets. The roadways were squeezed by pack beasts and carriages, leaving narrow lanes to pass.

“Fine-steel hand axes, from Battlefrenzy Workshop, only 3 gold coins!”

“Grilled Corong lizard tail, star anise, fresh and delicious~”

“Craft-brewed strong liquor, guaranteed to make you forget today’s worries.”

“Aishan armor, sturdy and affordable.”

Merchants and shops along the streets offered cold, relentless sales pitches to passersby. Many orcs were dazzled by the array of goods, itching to buy. Particularly eye-catching were well-crafted fine-steel weapons whose keen edges drew crowds of orc onlookers, several of whom were egged on to test them out.

“That feel… really solid,” an orc youth said while gripping an axe. His smooth fingers stroked the polished blade, clearly tempted to buy.

Compared to heavy broadswords, the axe’s handling felt more comfortable for orcs—balanced for chopping, easier to wield, and still requiring skill for precise strikes. Against the soft-boned beasts of the mountains, an axe was more practical; it could cut wood, strip hides, and double as a hammer to drive nails.

The Tetis students found these scenes novel—items they rarely encountered in daily life were wildly popular in these mountains.

“That fiery liquor I tried on an expedition last month—too spicy. It gave me a headache. I don’t know how the orcs can take it,” one student murmured.

“And those axes—I can’t get used to them. Too front-heavy, way too heavy,” another whispered.

“Well, they are orcs, after all…” someone said.

Pushing through the lively streets, the group reached the City Alliance headquarters, a fortress-like stronghold built within the city—once the construction of an orc warlord, now the alliance’s command center and garrison.

Inside, Sylutia saw many soldiers in chest armor practicing with long halberds. They were the City Alliance’s elite, most holding the Second Tier · Castle rank, while squad captains had Second Tier · Castle strength. Occasionally she glimpsed a few fully-armored knights walking by.

In the main hall, the current Grand Guildmaster of the City Alliance, Harlson, descended the staircase.

“Oh, my dear Professor Vekos, and these lovely, outstanding young people—you’ve finally arrived,” he boomed with a laugh as he came down to welcome them.

“Thanks to your joint efforts during the recent war, the City Alliance weathered that crisis. You all contributed greatly,” he praised, making the students blush—after all, they were still pupils and a bit embarrassed by the attention.

“All right, Harlson, enough flattery for now. I brought the students here to stay for two weeks; I’ll need your assistance arranging that,” Professor Vekos interrupted with a slight shake of his head, as if they were well acquainted.

“Of course, you are always welcome here. I’ve already had accommodations prepared; once you’re ready you can go straight to them.”

“But you’ve just arrived and must be weary. How could I not properly host you?” Harlson clapped. A group of maidservants in brown-and-white uniforms emerged, bringing out tables, laying white cloths, and serving a spread of delicacies.

“The Western Mountains may lack some resources, but their cuisine is especially rich. Rare mountain king-honey syrup, upstream salmon from the river, and the fleet-footed sound-hunting spotted deer from the woods—all are rare delicacies,” he said, enticing many.

Sylutia and the other apprentices sat down to eat in the hall. While dining, Harlson warmly introduced the City Alliance’s current development and explained that joining the Alliance in official posts would secure dual subsidies from the Mage Alliance and the City Alliance, accelerating promotions.

Only then did Sylutia understand his enthusiasm—he was trying to recruit them.

From third year onward, Tetis students begin practical work, and many fourth and fifth year students already participate in Mage Alliance departments. This grants them salary and resources while letting them apply their studies. Tetis students are prized throughout the Alliance and receive preferential treatment wherever they go, so few opt to take positions in remote places like this.

Harlson understood that, but the pupils’ recent impressive feats had tempted him. One outstanding elite talent could replace dozens of ordinary mages—this cost-effectiveness and high growth potential excited a City Alliance short on manpower.

Although Harlson himself was around Sixth Tier, there were few others of that level in the Alliance. High-tier mages tended not to stay in such backwater regions; the remaining Fifth Tier mages and professionals are pillars of each city node and hard to reassign. As Grand Guildmaster, Harlson could not command much; he often had to negotiate with various parties and submit reports to headquarters to request support—a frustrating process.

After the delicious meal, the maidservants led everyone to their lodgings. Sylutia was assigned to a cliffside bedroom with a fine view, quiet and overlooking wide scenery.

“If Sister Hedra needs anything, you can ask directly during the day,” the maids said as they left.

Sylutia—also known by the alias Hedra—settled in.

During the next two weeks, the students continued receiving instruction from the teachers and accompanied them to the city’s market to learn about local products, economic development, and the output of various artisan workshops. These sights modestly expanded the students’ knowledge and helped them sketch a small operational model of the City Alliance in their minds.

“Although everything seems prosperous, the whole process is rather muddled and opaque. It mirrors the complicated simplicity inside the Mage Alliance nowadays,” one instructor remarked.

“They must be interested in you. You could apply for positions here earlier; the Alliance and the City Alliance would grant generous support.”

Two weeks passed, and the students reached the next stage of their journey.

“Now, the Shadow World above the Western Mountains hasn’t established its signal beacons yet. Previously you entered the Shadow World via teleportation and completed your first Shadow World exploration, learning and studying its various phenomena.”

One day, the instructors announced the next step and led everyone to the city’s teleportation pool. Under the students’ curious gazes, the surroundings blurred and changed. Seconds later, when they looked up again they no longer saw a clear blue sky but instead a thick stack of layered clouds.

A silver-white column of light shot skyward, piercing the clouds and cutting a tunnel through the dense layers so the students could faintly see a tiny patch of land at the far edge of the cloudsea, hurriedly drifting below.

“Wow, it’s not so distant!” students who were visiting the Shadow World for the first time exclaimed.

“This environment feels a bit chilly.”

“Because the sky is blocked by the cloud layer, the canopy is especially dim and oppressive.”

After observing the sky view, their eyes turned to the surroundings. Around the beacon three tall towers rose as if forming a ritual node that upheld this region from being swallowed by the Shadow World’s pale domain.

Mages and practitioners came and went in this area; most were professionals of Third Tier or higher. Sylutia saw many wearing badges of other academies.

“That one carrying the hand cannon is a member of the Firecraft sect,” someone pointed out toward a nearby figure clad in sturdy leather armor, the silver sheen of the firearm indicating a carefully crafted device.

After familiarizing themselves with the environment, the professor led them to register at the Shadow World guild point, officially beginning this cohort of Tetis apprentices’ first exploration.