The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 72: 'Shell' and 'Transformation'

After settling into the new residence, Sylutia first took a tour around the entire house. Although it had been newly built not long ago, it was clear that the designer had put considerable thought into making it livable and close to nature.

Before arriving, Sylutia had imagined that Tetis College would have an architectural style that was exceptionally rigid, all straight lines and sharp angles. But from what she could see now, the Mithril Clock school wasn't that rigid after all—the streets and gardens all looked quite nice.

She opened the trunk, took out her belongings, and began making her bed. The house had bedrooms on both the first and second floors, but she was still accustomed to staying on the second floor, probably because the view from the window was more open, and she could occasionally enjoy the breeze.

After making the bed and putting on the sheets, Sylutia went to the bathroom on the first floor. The space wasn't large, but it was more than enough for her to bathe and wash up alone.

After checking that the hot water worked fine, Sylutia undressed, took a comfortable hot bath, and then changed into a light, comfortable nightgown.

By then, dusk had fallen, but she didn't feel like going out for dinner. So she found some pastries and cookies that Lovier had given her before from the trunk, sat down at the table, and ate slowly, occasionally gazing through the window at the distant sunset view.

At night, Sylutia read a book for a while before settling down to sleep peacefully, only waking up gently at dawn.

Ever since Lovier and Aurora left, she felt her life had become much quieter, almost like returning to the days she had lived in the Hidden Grove.

Speaking of which, the front and back of this residence had quite a bit of open space, perfect for planting some flowers and grass.

Putting on a simple dress and light sandals, Sylutia went to the front yard of the house. A number of roses were planted there, some already budding.These were rare 'Black Roses'—apparently planted specifically to match the name of this place. She touched them gently with her fingers, blinking as she observed carefully.

Since coming to the Mage Alliance, she hadn't planted any flowers or grass. More than a year had passed, and it felt a bit unfamiliar.

She should pick it up again and give it a try. But it would have to be a gradual process—after all, the identity of 'Hedra' hadn't been one to possess the skills of a gardener before. Sylutia pondered this.

Then she went to the backyard. There were no neatly arranged flowers here, just mostly ordinary wild grass, though it had been trimmed and wasn't too messy.

Suddenly, Sylutia remembered the 'Eyeball Fruit' seeds she had bought long ago on the Camel Tower heading to the Hidden Grove. Back then, the seller couldn't cultivate them himself and could only trick others. Later, she found no relevant information in the Hidden Grove either, until she resolved the matter of the 'Hundred-Eyes Sect' and learned why he couldn't cultivate them.

It was because the 'Eyeball Fruit' wasn't originally a natural species of this world at all. It was a strange species born from the power of the 'Master Who Gazes All Truth'—whom the Hundred-Eyes Sect worshipped—spilling over during its invasion in the Seventh Epoch and combining with some of this world's plants.

After the great war ended, most beings from across the Astral Plane were driven out. The influence of the 'Master Who Gazes All Truth' on this world gradually weakened, and the species born from that power were rejected by the world, unable to display their former strength.

However, she could use secret arts related to the 'alien star' to reactivate the vitality of these seeds.

'Mithril Clock' was a school that primarily cultivated the 'Secret Word·Gold Steam·Alien Star' path. They also mastered quite a few secret arts related to the 'alien star', and the determination of standard time was also tied to the 'alien star'.

Currently, she was mainly cultivating 'Secret Word'. Later, she could supplement with some secret arts related to 'Gold Steam' and 'Alien Star'. When she reached the Fifth Tier, she could choose another Aspect to merge.

But she had just arrived at Tetis College, and she would need to understand more before deciding on which progression path to take for advancement.

When Mages reach the Third Tier, they generally choose either the 'Spell Forge' or the 'Spell Frontispiece' as their Core Card. The former is the choice for the 'Gold Steam' Aspect, and the latter is the choice for the 'Secret Word' Aspect.

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**Core Card: [Spell Forge] [Gold Steam]**

You have mastered the construction of spells, like a blazing forge, allowing you to freely shape any spell you desire with the power of your Aspect.

- Affects [Spellcasting Ability]. Uses Aspect power to construct spells, but due to the forge's instability, the power is somewhat diminished. (Spell Versatility +1, Power -2)

**Core Card: [Spell Frontispiece] [Secret Word]**

"You have mastered the construction of runes, like a finely cut frontispiece, allowing you to use runes to combine the spells you desire."

- Affects [Spellcasting Ability]. Uses runes to construct spells, but due to the frontispiece's limitations, you can only use the runes recorded within it, and the power is slightly diminished. (Power -1)

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After obtaining one of these Core Cards, Mages can use various spells more freely without needing each spell to occupy an Ability Card slot. Of course, the trade-off is that the power of spells is often lower than that of wizards at the same tier, and casting and changing spells requires more preparation time.

Depending on the style of each school, their chosen core secret arts differ slightly. For example, all members of the 'Lightning School' use the [Spell Forge]. They are masters at shaping lightning, transforming 'Gold Steam' and 'Vaulted Sky' into powerful thunderbolts.

The 'Fire Essence School' and 'Mist Spirit School' also use the [Spell Forge], while 'Mithril Clock' and the 'Puppet Shadow School' both use the [Spell Frontispiece]. Each of these two secret arts has its advantages and disadvantages, but in the later stages, each school has secret methods to combine and use both, no longer distinguishing between them. It all converges in the end.

She wondered which Core Card options were available in the 'Mithril Clock' school. She would probably have to wait until the official start of classes to find out.

In the following days, Sylutia began exploring the vast college. Following the instructions in the student handbook, she visited various locations to familiarize herself with the environment.

The library, the restaurant, the lecture halls, the experimental building, the training grounds, the botanical garden, the stargazing tower, the ceremonial rotunda, the furnace hall, the precision workshop, and so on. Although she couldn't enter some places yet, she made sure to understand their locations and purposes.

And so it went until the day before the opening ceremony.

"Hello, is Miss Hedra at home?" Around ten in the morning, Sylutia heard a knock on the door.

She went out and opened it, seeing two maids standing one in front of the other outside. They were both dressed in neat black-and-white maid uniforms, and the one in front was holding a basket.

"I am she. May I ask what this is about?" Sylutia replied.

"Hello, Miss Hedra." They looked to be in their early twenties, both at the First Tier. They first bowed politely, then took out clothes from the basket.

"These are your school uniforms. There are two sets total—an inner layer and an outer layer—plus a short cloak." The two had come to deliver the clothes.

"You can try them on now. If anything doesn't fit, we'll adjust or replace them for you on the spot."

"Alright." Taking the two sets of clothes, Sylutia temporarily closed the door and went inside to change.

About five minutes later, she came out again, letting the two maids inspect her.

The school uniform was entirely black in color, styled as a simple mage robe without any extra ornamental patterns. However, the stitching was meticulous, the material and tailoring were excellent, and it was very comfortable to wear, not at all restrictive.

The upper part of the uniform looked like a single piece of black cloth, but upon closer inspection, it had been tailored and stitched at the sides and back to better fit the curves of the human body. It subtly outlined Sylutia's graceful figure, giving off a faint, youthful charm.

Overall, the outfit was rather conservative and simple in style. It seemed that Tetis College had a relatively strong academic atmosphere and didn't want students to be distracted by other matters, straying from this more serious tone.

Judging from Damian's attire when he welcomed them on the first day, the uniforms of the upperclassmen seemed much more handsome, mature, and flashy. It was probably also a way to motivate the new lower-year students.

The young girl stood on the doorstep, letting the two maids adjust and inspect the clothes. After a few minutes, they nodded slightly.

"It fits very well, Miss Hedra."

"The included cloak can be worn during snowfall or light rain. It will effectively keep your hair from getting wet. If the clothes are damaged, please note it on the cardboard slip on the laundry basket, and we will replace them for you later."

"On Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends, we will come to collect your clothes for washing and deliver them the next day, placed in a clean storage bin. Please remember to take them out."

"If you are lacking any daily supplies or need help with cleaning, you can also leave a message on the cardboard slip. A maid from the college will come to assist with cleaning."

"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony. It will be held at the 'Hall of Wisdom' in front of the central square. Please make sure to arrive in your school uniform by eight in the morning."

"Finally, we wish you a pleasant life and fruitful studies here. Goodbye." With that, the two maids bid farewell to Sylutia and left.

Watching their receding figures, Sylutia unexpectedly felt good about it. Probably because the style of these two reminded her of the maids who had taken care of her in her family when she was young.

The Meizhalansi family was the origin of the 'maid' profession, having established the earliest maid handbook. It was said that the family still preserved the 'holy scripture' of the maid profession. Through that treasure, one could smoothly advance to the high-level maid profession and gain many abilities. For a long time, the royal maid corps of the Sun Dynasty was trained and instructed by the Meizhalansi family.

When she was little, she seemed to have had a dedicated maid corps. She wondered how those people were doing now. Several of them had filled the role of an older sister during her growth, taking care of her and guiding her a great deal.

Sometimes, she would share her small thoughts and ideas with the maids first before telling her mother. For the young Sylutia, the Aster Sorceress Sherin was simply too powerful. Even though her mother would restrain her aura when interacting with her daughter, the overflowing mental power and strong consciousness would unconsciously affect Sylutia.

Occasionally, she would also hear her mother complain that she wasn't close to her, saying, 'Little Ya prefers playing with the maids at home.'

These fleeting memories of the past left Sylutia in a daze for a moment. She then returned inside, looked at the uniform she was wearing, took it off for the time being, and put it away properly.

Tomorrow, classes would officially begin.

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**—The Next Day·Tetis College Central Square—**

Flowers were placed here, and triangular pennants hung from strings. The students passed through the long corridor and entered the interior of the 'Hall of Wisdom'. It was like a church or temple—vast, spacious, and tall.

The opening ceremony was much quieter than Sylutia had imagined. After all, there were only 76 new students. She even had the spare energy to memorize everyone's names on the spot.

"Next, we invite student Hedra to introduce herself." The instructor read out the last name on the roster.

The black-haired girl stood up and walked onto the stage under the slightly curious gazes of the crowd.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the new students probably guessed that the later a student went on stage, the higher their grades and ranking. Since Sylutia was the last one on stage, her assessment was likely the best among the new students.

"Hello everyone, my name is Hedra. I come from the Asra District..." Sylutia gave a brief self-introduction, recounting her experiences, including her origins near Meteorite Lake in the south, her studies in the Asra District, and which spells she was proficient in.

After she finished, sparse applause rippled through the audience. Except for a few students from the Asra District who were very enthusiastic, the rest were relatively indifferent. Some were only interested in Sylutia's appearance.

Then the instructor took the stage and began introducing the goals and important points for the new students for the year.

"First of all, congratulations on all of you coming to Tetis College. This will be the best college in the entire Mage Alliance. You have also passed strict examinations and screenings to earn the qualifications to join us."

"Being able to come here, I believe none of you are mediocre or ordinary people. Therefore, Tetis College will teach you using methods designed for geniuses, rather than lecturing into thin air like other ordinary colleges."

"I will list in detail the secret arts and skills you need to learn and master this semester, and I will give you a recommended curriculum. Most of you can simply follow this curriculum to arrange your studies. If you have better ideas, you can also adjust it yourselves, but it's best to consult your mentor or a veteran first, because some courses are not as simple as they appear on the surface."

"Currently, half of you have not yet advanced and become Official Mages. This is actually a good thing, because within the college, you can choose a better Core Card for advancement, which gives you tremendous development potential."

"As for the students who have already advanced, you have two options. First, spend half a year readjusting and changing your advancement method. Second, set this aside for now, and when you advance to the Fifth Tier, recast your core and abilities according to the new method."

"I hope to see each of you successfully step into the Third Tier after one year and complete the courses on the list. This is my expectation for a genius. If you think it's unreasonable, then you need to consider keeping up or dropping out."

"After one year, once you have a solid foundation based on this curriculum, you can start looking for and taking on various topic-based tasks released by the college that interest you."

"These topic tasks will allow you to earn valuable college points, gradually familiarize yourselves with various matters, and discover what you love and are good at."

"Then, as you grow, you will take on topic tasks that require higher standards, offer greater rewards, and demand mastery of more abilities."

"In the following 2-3 years, you will continuously repeat this process, learning through practice, transforming theoretical knowledge into powerful abilities, achieving the 'Balance of the Threefold Law,' until you become a powerful mage."

"The motto of our school is, 'With the clock and the rule, make the world grand and magnificent.' Many of you, before coming to Tetis College, may not have truly understood this saying. But rest assured, over the next three years, you will come to realize your mission with increasing clarity."

"Before the clock was invented, people could only rely on the rising and setting of the sun, the shadows of the sun and moon, to vaguely perceive the passage of time."

"Before the rule was created, people could only use their hands and feet to measure everything. The size and distance of all things were equally vague and changeable."

"The doubt, deception, falsehood, and hesitation brought by vague things made it impossible for people to make decisions or lead humanity forward."

"The creation of precise time and the rule gave clear data to all observations. With data that could be communicated, recorded, and passed down, the transmission of doctrines and the accumulation of experience became possible."

"By establishing standards and obtaining clear, precise observational data, we can begin to turn experience with 'wisdom,' deducing the blueprints and vision for the future."

"Thus, we finally had direction. We finally had continuous research, development, and accumulation built upon the foundation of our predecessors. Finally, we have everything you see today."

"This is the stacking and accumulation of knowledge and information—the [Castle]. This is the recording and transmission of history and stories—the [Secret Word]. This is our recasting and reshaping of this world once again—the [Gold Steam]."

"From nothing, we created these three brand new Aspects of this world. And you will inherit this great mission and aspiration, continuing to blaze this Path."

"Pursue this vision. It will help you better understand the Path you are on. It will allow you to understand the 'essence of the Aspects.' And the results it brings will ultimately enrich your life."

"The Fairies of the ancient era once said that all advancement is 'transmutation.' All the essence of life is but weak insects, requiring exquisite and powerful 'shelters' for protection. And the vision I speak of today is the 'shelter' you are about to conceive."

"When one day, you and this shelter merge as one, completely unified, then you will be great and immortal, beautiful and eternal."