The Cornflower Witch

A scepter white as marble, with a deep blue gem embedded in its top, its lower end split into four prongs, the shaft engraved with elegant patterns. When grasped, one could clearly feel the power contained within it.

In mortal nations, the power of the royal authority system was mostly directly bestowed upon the king, helping him solidify the 'Castle' Aspect. However, not all countries adopted the noble system. Within the Mage Alliance, the 'Castle' Aspect condensed by the royal authority system was often attached to official positions, such as the local City Lord, Tower Guardian, Guild Leader, and so on. Whenever a position changed hands, like a royal succession, a special ceremony was required to transfer this condensed 'Castle' Aspect.

To avoid interfering with their own professional Aspects, or to facilitate the handover of positions, many Tower Guardians within the Mage Alliance often did not let the 'Castle' Aspect condensed from their position directly bless them. Instead, they transferred it to the scepter representing their identity. This way, holding the scepter allowed them to wield this power, and they could put it down when not in use, free from its influence.

Mishil District was a prosperous area within the Alliance. It housed one major main city, six secondary cities, twenty-seven towns, and hundreds of villages, with a total population of over three million—equivalent to a small nation.

For the Carving and Casting School, this was one of the two most prosperous regions they could dominate. Although the school also controlled some other areas, none compared to Mishil District in terms of population and economy, which were far inferior.

Mages were not unworldly scholars detached from mortal concerns. They needed funds for research, advancement, purchasing books and materials, and they required many low-tier apprentices to assist them in handling various tedious tasks. If a school could long-term control a certain region, it brought numerous benefits. Apprentices from that region would naturally gravitate toward that school, easily becoming its fresh blood and backbone in the future.

This was precisely why the Carving and Casting School was so reluctant to let go of Mishil District. However, Master Sagna held high status and seniority within the school, and no one could truly force him. As the one who had personally led and developed Mishil District into prosperity, this master also had absolute say over the region, which allowed the handover ceremony to proceed smoothly.

Otherwise, even if the Tower Guardian dominating a certain region was willing, the school they belonged to would firmly oppose it, stubbornly holding onto the region under their control.

Of course, not all regions were like this. In fact, nearly half of the areas within the Mage Alliance were not exclusive to a single school but were jointly controlled by members of multiple schools. The composition of this control would change over time; for instance, it might be School A this term, School B the next, and School C after that. The Alliance Council generally did not appoint consecutive members from the same school as the local Tower Guardian, to ensure the region remained under the Council's control.

Mishil District had been like this in the past. However, Master Sagna had served as Tower Guardian here for nearly thirty years. If you added the forty years before he became the local Tower Guardian, that totaled seventy years. Seventy years of time could change many things, and it had deeply imprinted Mishil District with the marks of both him and the Carving and Casting School.

After the handover ceremony, the local residents learned of Master Sagna's retirement. Many gathered in the square, hoping to see him one last time for a final farewell.

For many residents of Mishil District, Master Sagna represented many things. He was the collective memory of several generations. Perhaps a family's great-grandfather, grandfather, father, son, and grandson had all lived and worked under the industrial system he led.

Thus, facing the retirement and departure of this long-serving local Tower Guardian, many locals were reluctant to let him go. But they also knew the master was indeed very old and deserved a rest, making it difficult to persuade him to stay.

In response to the local residents' feelings, the Mithril Clock School and the Carving and Casting School jointly organized a large retirement farewell ceremony, allowing the master to wave goodbye to the local residents one by one.

This kind of activity and ceremony lasted for an entire week before gradually coming to an end. Afterward came the busy handover process. To quickly familiarize themselves with the local situation and prevent the region's economy and industry from rapidly declining due to Master Sagna's departure, the Mithril Clock School mobilized many personnel from various places to provide support.

We had to clear the backlog of accounts in the region, handle various recent applications and dispute rulings, and audit the region's public resources and assets.

With so many complicated tasks, if it were left to Sylutia alone, even ten of her wouldn't be able to handle it all. Fortunately, the school provided tremendous support, assigning her seventeen deputies at once to deal with all sorts of miscellaneous affairs.

"Then what should I do?" Faced with a situation where everything had been arranged, Sylutia couldn't help tilting her head and asking. She felt like she was just a vase now.

"You? Just sit tight in this position," Senior Da Vinci pushed up his glasses and replied with a smile.

"The development of Mishil District requires an expert well-versed in the steam vehicle system to lead the way and compete with several other factions in this field."

"Such a person must be the local leading Tower Guardian, holding the highest authority, to ensure they aren't interfered with and can develop the region's industrial system according to plan."

"However, we can't really let such a person be bogged down every day by the various tedious affairs attached to the position. That would be a tremendous waste of their abilities and would take up time needed for more important matters, making them difficult to advance."

"So, you don't need to worry about the various complicated affairs that come with the Tower Guardian position. Just focus on researching and improving steam vehicles. We'll handle everything else for you."

"I understand." Sylutia blinked. So she really wasn't a vase after all.

Except for matters related to steam vehicles, she didn't need to worry about anything. And since the new steam vehicle had yet to be designed, and they were building a new production line and sourcing materials for mass production, she couldn't help with those things. All she could do was wait, which actually left her with free time.

Since she couldn't interfere for now, she might as well use this time to thoroughly study the legacy left by Master Sagna. She could also take advantage of the fact that he hadn't left yet to ask questions about anything she didn't understand. Once the handover was completely finished, it would be much harder to ask.

Life became stable again. Under the guidance of local guild members, Sylutia toured and learned about the major workshops and merchant guilds in Mishil District. In her spare time, she browsed through the vast amount of notes and materials Master Sagna had left behind, and often discussed specific matters with the master himself.

Half a year later, Mishil District gradually stabilized, and she had fully taken over the authority over this region from Master Sagna.

Feeling the power contained within the scepter, Sylutia moved her mind, and the 'Castle' Aspect blessed her, rapidly elevating her to Fifth Tier, then gradually to Sixth Tier. At the same time, the power carried by this authority allowed her to sense the status of the mage towers distributed throughout Mishil District. She could take control of these towers at any time, activating their barriers, initiating their Magic Arrays, and communicating with the Alliance Central Council.

So this was the authority of a Tower Guardian? Truly powerful.

She quietly floated in the air, pure white light bathing her entire body, rendering her noble and sacred.

As a prosperous region within the Mage Alliance, becoming its ruler pushed her Aspect to Sixth Tier. In contrast, sparsely populated northern regions could only provide enough power from the royal authority system to elevate to Fifth Tier.

However, even though she was at Sixth Tier, the Aspect power built by this royal authority system didn't feel entirely natural. Perhaps it was because she wasn't a traditional king, but someone relying on a scepter to temporarily 'borrow' this honorable Aspect.

If she wanted to rely on such power to confront the true Sixth Tier masters within the Mage Alliance, it would be completely insufficient—unless she abandoned her mage system training and fully integrated into the School of Royal Authority, becoming a ruler dependent on fiefs, armies, and knights. Only then could she unleash the true power of the School of Royal Authority and fend off powerful master-level mages.

But doing that wouldn't suit her personality. Besides, she didn't want to be bound for life by so-called royal authority and enfeoffed lands. That would go against her free-spirited nature.

After experiencing the power attached to this authority, Sylutia loosened her grip on the scepter slightly, and the light bathing her gradually faded. She then landed back on the ground, returning to her usual Fourth Tier appearance.

Still, even though she hadn't truly advanced to Sixth Tier, experiencing this sense of mastery over power gave her many insights and pointed the way for her future advancement.

The following spring, Mishil District held Sylutia's first new vehicle exhibition since her appointment. The newly showcased 'Mockingbird·Starry Sky' astonished visiting guests and members of many schools with its unique design and revolutionary features for the era.

For a time, various newspapers within the Alliance reported on this grand exhibition, promoting the many functions of this new steam vehicle and its technological breakthroughs. With the combined push from the Mithril Clock School and the Carving and Casting School, the momentum quickly spread throughout the entire Mage Alliance. Countless wealthy nobles and high-tier mages took interest, and within just three months, orders exceeded ten thousand, with production scheduled well into the following year.

Given such favorable circumstances, the earlier skepticism within Mishil District quickly crumbled. Even within the Carving and Casting School, complaints greatly diminished. Many began to understand why Master Sagna had so boldly handed over the position to a young Fourth Tier junior.

The 'Mockingbird·Starry Sky' steam vehicle was sold across the Alliance. Its streamlined matte black body, paired with dazzling starry ribbon side lines, immediately made it the most striking and unique presence in every city and region. Topics surrounding this new vehicle spread rapidly, and discussions about its designer, along with Master Sagna's handover, were also hotly debated.

Many people began to know the name 'Hedra.' This rising star from Tetis College officially became known throughout the Alliance. Her portraits and posters especially attracted many young people. After all, a stunning young woman in the prime of her youth was naturally more captivating than any old master and easily became the center of conversation.

With such overwhelming fame, doubts followed. Some suspected it was merely an act of creating a god, as Sylutia's age seemed too young and immature to many. It was hard to believe she could grasp such complex theoretical knowledge and apply it creatively at her age.

Originally, everyone thought these doubts would persist for a long time, until years later, when the young girl would shatter and redefine perceptions through her strength and a series of new creations.

However, the Alliance Council issued a rare official announcement, co-signed by five Sages. It praised Mishil District's breakthrough in the steam vehicle field and highly affirmed the outstanding contributions made by the new Tower Guardian, Hedra.

The signatories were:

Dean of Tetis College—'Gray-Carved Sage' Aitos

Dean of Gras College—'Verse-Gathering Sage' Lu Anse

Dean of Taireze College—'Scorching Sage' Hermes

Supreme Commander of the Northern Metropolis Candela—'White Sage' Kiran

Leader of the Carving and Casting School—'Bronze-Bearing Sage' Kaiborn

Within the Mage Alliance, the nominal supreme leaders of the top three schools were the three Majesties. But in reality, the Majesties didn't oversee specific matters year-round. Instead, the deans of the schools acted on their behalf. Their opinions represented the will of their schools.

For those familiar with the Mage Alliance's power structure, this announcement was particularly shocking.

If only the Sages of the Carving and Casting School and the Mithril Clock School had signed, it wouldn't have been surprising, given Sylutia's strong connection to these two schools in taking over Mishil District.

But under these seemingly unrelated circumstances, the leaders of the three major schools, representing the highest will of the Mage Alliance, all signed the announcement. Such an honor had eluded even many master-level figures, let alone a Fourth Tier mage.

Such a rare occurrence made many perceptive mages realize something. More people began to focus on and discuss Sylutia's background and history. Portraits and posters of this black-haired young girl became wildly popular. One could say the printing machines were practically smoking, yet they still couldn't meet the demand.

The Once-in-a-Millennium Beautiful Young Girl—Miss Hedra

That Silhouette I Once Saw

-Hedra's Past in Asra District