Cornflower Witch

Chapter 374 Invitation to the Silver Bell Festival
In early January, the school's final exams ended, and the holiday began.

After packing her things, Hiltiya and her two roommates walked along the road, talking about what happened at school that day.

"I didn't expect Rolik Academy to send an invitation to Hedra." Aurora said with slight surprise, looking at the special silver stamp in Sylvia's hand.

'Rolik Academy' is the affiliated higher academy of the 'Puppet School'. This school is skilled in the creation of various puppets and golems, and also uses various puppets to assist in battle. Its strength ranks seventh in the Mage Alliance, making it a rather high-ranking school.

Those who receive an invitation can participate in the college's 'Silver Bell Festival,' which is the only way for non-students to attend the festival.

"What are the benefits of attending the Silver Bell Festival at Rolik Academy?" Luo Wei'er asked curiously.

“Of course there are benefits,” Aurora replied quickly.

"First, you have experience participating in the academy's Silver Bell Festival. Then, when applying to the academy, you can choose one of the assessments and pass it directly, which greatly reduces the difficulty of admission."

"Secondly, by participating in the academy's Silver Bell Festival, one can receive an exclusive commemorative gift from the academy. This gift is at least 'Tier 3' or higher, which is extremely useful for apprentices who are still at Tier 2."

"Furthermore, when participating in the academy's festival, you can also choose one secret technique to learn on-site for free. Although the time is very short and whether you can master it depends entirely on the individual, it is a rare way to obtain an exclusive secret technique from another academy."

"Finally, if you catch the eye of one of the academy's instructors during the festival, it's like gaining a powerful backer in advance. Those instructors are at least at the fifth rank, and even a little help from them can change the fate of a second-rank student."

"Wouldn't that be a huge profit?" Only then did Luo Wei'er realize the value of the invitation.

“Yes,” Aurora added.

"The Silver Bell Festival is the most important festival of the Mage Alliance, and it is also a time for various schools of thought to compete and showcase their talents. Every academy will do its best to prepare."

Suddenly, Luo Wei'er thought of something, "Aurora, your family is a prestigious 'opera school,' right? Did they send you an invitation?"

“Yes, but I don’t really want to go.” Aurora thought for a moment, took out her notebook from her bag, and then pulled out an invitation with a red background and gold patterns.

"This is an invitation from Vicia Academy. If Luo Weier wants to go, I'll just give it to you." After saying that, she placed the red and gold invitation in Luo Weier's hand.

Upon receiving the invitation, Luo Weier excitedly held it up, examining it repeatedly, touching it carefully to discern the delicate and beautiful gold thread patterns on it.

“Most of my relatives graduated from Vicia College, so there’s nothing new or exciting about going there,” Aurora shook her head.

Hiltia recalled that when school started, Aurora had said she wanted to go to Lorik Academy, but unexpectedly, she was the one who received the invitation first.

……

On the second day after her holiday, Siltiah went to the 'Black Lily' clothing store in Beetle Street.

"Oh, it's rare to see Hedra here today." Mrs. Grace was instructing the shop assistants at the moment.

"Please have a seat, I'll be right there."

A few minutes later, Lady Grace walked over gracefully. She wore a snow leopard fur shawl, held a folding fan in her hand, and had two blooming black lilies pinned in her hair, which complemented her delicate dark gray hair perfectly.

"Come with me to the back room for a drink." She led Siltia to the back lounge.

The winter sun shone through the clouds, casting a hazy glow outside. Inside the room, the fireplace burned, occasionally making soft noises, warming the room.

A candlestick was placed on the small round table to increase the brightness. Lady Grace invited Hedra to sit down, then brought out a silver teapot and poured warm black tea on the table.

"What brings you here today?" Grace asked casually, leaning back on the sofa and sipping her tea.

"Because it's a holiday." The girl held her teacup, looking around the small lounge with a curious gaze.

"Holidays are great. Back then, before I had a holiday, I would go on trips with my friends..." Mrs. Grace looked at the fireplace flames opposite her with slightly tipsy eyes.

"Isn't Hedra planning to go out?"

"I don't really want to this year." Hilti is a homebody and generally doesn't have much motivation to go out.

"Such a lovely child, it's a bit of a waste to keep her at home all day," Mrs. Grace said jokingly. "At your age, you should be styling your hair nicely, putting on some makeup, wearing a pretty new dress, meeting all sorts of young and interesting men, confidently showing off your beauty, and experiencing the unique freedom and joy of youth."

“But I’m really happy staying at home,” Hilti said, expressing her feelings.

"Change into comfortable pajamas, lie on a fluffy blanket, read your favorite book, cook something delicious, write in your diary, and chat with friends occasionally."

"You..." Mrs. Grace said, then laughed and stopped trying to persuade her.

"The Silver Bell Festival is coming soon. Has anyone you like invited you to the party?"

"I received an invitation from the school, but I declined." The girl shook her cute head.

"I don't want to be in a relationship yet."

Speaking of this, Hiltiah remembered the invitation.

"Are you familiar with Rolik Academy, or rather, the 'Phantom School'?"

"Do you want to apply? Let me think about it." Mrs. Grace put down her teacup and recalled.

"The area where Rolik Academy is located is not far from the Asla District, only about 200 kilometers away. I sometimes receive orders from them to make clothes for puppets in some performances."

"If the 'Opera School' is the glamorous young lady of the Mage Alliance, then the 'Puppet School' is the craftsman behind the stage. Those exquisite and flexible puppets are all the result of the hard work of the creators. They are more like 'craftsmen' than 'scholars' who study theories."

"The Loric Academy has hundreds of doll workshops that produce mechanical dolls that serve in many situations. Although they are expensive, they are still ordered by many people."

"Compared to humans, mechanical dolls are much more rigid, but the advantage is that they do not need to eat or drink and are very stable. Many important figures prefer a quiet and undisturbed environment, so they use dolls rather than servants. In addition, they can also be used in certain dangerous situations."

"For example, high-level laboratories and cultivation rooms emit a kind of spiritual energy that can erode the bodies of ordinary people, while dolls, being inanimate objects, have much better resistance and are easier to repair."

"Do you like dolls? If so, going there would be a great choice."

“A doll…” Hilti recalled her past and present lives. Although she had hugged dolls when she was a child, she did not have that kind of fervent love for them.

"I don't dislike it."

“Rolick College sent me an invitation, and I’d like to go check it out.”

"I see. Then let's go." Grace thought for a moment, then held up her finger.

"If you go to Rolik Academy to participate in the Silver Bell Festival, I suggest you choose to learn the secret technique 'Suspended Thread Puppet,' which is an advanced application of the 'Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation' you learned before."

"If you learn this, you will be able to perform puppet shows all by yourself in the future, and you can also direct simple puppets to do various things, which will be very helpful in your life."

"Okay, I've got it."

The two chatted for a while longer, and when Hiltiah got up to say goodbye, Lady Grace called her back.

"When you attend the Silver Bell Festival, come to me and I'll prepare suitable clothes for you."

"Is this another advertisement?" Hiltiya nodded and agreed.

Stepping out of the 'Black Lily' shop, a thick layer of snow was falling on the street. Large snowflakes drifted down slowly, covering the view. In this white world, everything became quiet.

Hilti bid farewell to Lady Grace and walked alone in the soft snow, tucking her frostbitten fingers into her sleeves. Occasionally, she would look up at the snow-covered sky and shake the snowflakes off her hair.

In the distance, where snowflakes obscure the view, the melodious sound of bells drifts through the air.

Before we knew it, another year had passed.

(End of this chapter)