Cornflower Witch

Chapter 392 The Black Griffin That Should Not Be Provoked
In late March, when spring was in full bloom, the students rode in a large, long horse-drawn carriage, chatting and laughing all the way to their destination.

Unlike the previous visit to the Janmi district, the Senis district was still a bit chilly. After stepping off the carriage, Hiltiya saw an endless reed plain, with lakes and rivers hidden within it.

Because it was a group activity, it couldn't be as free as a trip. The students walked around and stopped at various times under the teacher's guidance.

"We'll have our activities here this afternoon, and tonight we'll sleep and rest at the boathouse on the other side of the river. We've already made arrangements there." After the teacher finished speaking, the students dispersed and gathered in twos and threes to discuss the afternoon's activities.

They weren't the only ones there; there were also students from other schools in the Asra district, some tourists, and small vendors selling snacks and handicrafts from boats.

It was a rare treat for everyone to get out together, and unlike the dull atmosphere at school, everyone naturally felt much freer and more refreshed.

Some people rented small boats, some studied the ducks on the shore, some looked for clean lakes to swim in, and some brought easels to paint.

"Aurora, Hedra, there are little fish here~" Lowell squatted by the river, her skirt rolled up to her knees, watching the tiny black fish swimming in the water, looking very happy.

"Okay, we're coming right now." Hilti and Aurora smiled at each other, then slowly walked over.

The three sat on the bent and dry reeds, watching the fish swimming in the water not far away. The sky was exceptionally vast and blue, and a gentle breeze rustled the reeds. Occasionally, laughter could be heard from afar, but it was not noisy; instead, it created a sense of calm and tranquility.

They sat shoulder to shoulder talking, then slowly lay down on the reeds, gazing at the white clouds in the sky. Hiltiya held the hands of the two people beside her, slowly closed her eyes, and enjoyed this tranquil rest.

"This feels so good," she thought to herself as she drifted off into a short sleep.

Although I only slept for more than ten minutes, the feeling was incredibly relaxing.

The three of them then sat up. Luo Wei'er's wide pink and white dress was spread out on the grass. She held a reed she had just broken and tried to weave something, but because she had never done it before, she was a little clumsy.

In response, Aurora recalled what she had learned before and picked up a reed to try it out. Seeing that the two of them were also interested in playing with reeds, Hilti also picked up a few and slowly started weaving. She was quite skillful and, following her vague memories, slowly wove a bracelet.

By now, the reeds in Luo Wei'er's hands had become unusable due to being broken too many times. Seeing this, Xilutiya leaned over, gently grasped her delicate wrist, and began to teach her how to weave.

"Fold it in half like this and insert it, then repeat the process several times to make a sturdier bracelet," Hiltiya carefully instructed.

"Okay, I understand." Following the example given by Xilutiya, Luo Weier tried again, bending and intertwining the reeds in her hands. Slowly, after several attempts, she finally wove a decent bracelet.

Looking at the light reed ring in her hand, Luo Weier stared blankly, and for some reason, it seemed as if warm tears were about to overflow.

She put the bracelet away, then leaned against Siltia's arm, remaining silent for a long time.

Not knowing what had happened to Luo Wei'er, perhaps it had stirred up some kind of nostalgia and sadness, Xilutiya didn't investigate too much, but instead held her and stayed there quietly for a while.

On the other side, Aurora had already woven a straw man the size of a palm out of reeds. Then, she spread her fingers and threaded several strands into the small straw man, after which the little creature began to dance on her knees.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Luo Wei'er exclaimed in admiration. She regained her usual joy and energy and started nagging Aurora to teach her this.

"Hmph, you always say you want to learn this or that, but when I actually teach you, you can't stick to it," Aurora complained.

"Because I'm not as smart as Aurora, can you teach me?"

"Alright, but this time you'll have to start by learning how to make straw figures. Just so you know, if you want to learn that, you won't have time to play anything else this afternoon."

"Ugh?"

“So, let’s go boating first.” Aurora directed the little grass man to jump onto her shoulder, then patted her skirt and stood up.

"It's a rare treat to be out here." The three gazed into the distance as a flock of waterbirds slowly landed on the lake.

Half an hour later, the three of them set off in a small boat. Along the way, Aurora and Lovely listened to Silutia talk about the habits, characteristics, and unique features of swans.

"Although swans may seem gentle and not very agile, they are rare birds that can fly over mountain peaks and withstand extremely cold climates."

"In addition, there is a fairy tale about swans in my hometown." This was the first time that Hiltiya mentioned her past life in front of outsiders.

"What fairy tale is that?" Aurora and Lovell both looked eager to hear it.

“Its name is ‘The Ugly Duckling’…” Hiltiya slowly recounted the story she had heard in her childhood, carried on the wind by her thoughts and memories.

The lake reflected the sky, a deep blue and serene. Occasionally, the oars would stir the water, creating ripples with a creaking sound. The three women talked about their childhood memories, and before they knew it, it was getting dark.

"It's time to go back." Hilti looked at the shore and the distance. There were far fewer students now, so they must have gone to the boathouse the teacher mentioned.

They slowly approached the shore, returned the small boat, and then walked along the riverbank.

However, before they even reached the boathouse the teacher had mentioned, the road ahead was blocked by a large group of people, from which lively shouts could be heard from time to time.

Hearing the sounds coming from inside, Hilti realized that there must be a competition taking place inside. She walked over and gently patted a familiar classmate.

“Ah, it’s Hedra.” She was a little surprised, and then began to explain.

"At first, a few people from the neighboring school said they wanted to have a competition, and then many people joined in. Now there's a contest going on inside."

“There are four classes in total. We are one of them. The other three are classes from school number 19, school number 24, and school number 75.” Just as she was speaking, another cheer came from the crowd.

"Marlowe has won again."

"This guy is amazing. He took on seven opponents in a row, and they were all students of the same level who were quite strong."

"Who is Marlowe? I've never heard of him before." The students who had just arrived were also unaware of the situation.

"Actually, you should have heard of him. Do you remember the final exam last semester? There was a genius who defeated ten opponents in a row during the school's internal assessment."

"Ah, you mean that student who chose the 'Blood Law' affinity and mastered the long-lost 'Kuras Blood Shock Technique'?"

"That's right, it's him! See him? The one in the black tuxedo with the white scarf and a smug look on his face, that's him!"

In the center of the crowd, a young man who looked to be around 19 years old held a small staff in his hand and shook it back and forth like a music conductor. His arm trembled, his expression was proud, and in the evening firelight, his eyes were slightly closed, immersed in the triumphant victories.

"This guy is too arrogant, who can take him down?" Many students from other schools disagreed.

“Even Curry, the best player in our class, lost. I guess no one can beat him,” a student from school number 75 whispered.

What about your school?

"Our school?" Some students looked around, then suddenly someone shouted, "Here!"

Amidst the rustling sounds, the crowd slowly parted, revealing Hilti standing behind them.

"Huh? What's going on?" Siltia hadn't figured out what was happening yet, but many people had already turned their attention to her, even Lowell and Aurora behind her were whispering among themselves.

"Go for it, Hedra."

Then, surrounded by a group of people, Hilti slowly walked to the open space in the center of the crowd, where braziers were burning on both sides, illuminating the faces of the students in the night.

As the black-haired girl walked towards him surrounded by a group of students, Marlowe lightly ran her fingers through the hair on her forehead and combed it back. At this moment, her eyes, which had been immersed in the invisible music, finally opened, revealing her deep brown pupils, and she saw the figure in the firelight.

"Oh, so you're the famous Hedra?" He curled his lips into a wicked yet expectant smile.

Me? Famous? When did all this happen? Hilti had never felt this strange and unfamiliar before. She looked around and saw hundreds of students gathered there, all looking at her and Marlo opposite her with anticipation and curiosity.

"Do you see her? That girl with black hair."

"That's the genius from School No. 89. Our teachers have all mentioned her, saying that she went from the first tier to the second tier in just six months, and even has a record of defeating a third-tier formal mage."

"You've probably heard the stories circulating in the Asura District lately: 'The Black Griffin Who Is Not to Be Trifled With,' 'The Girl Who Manipulates the Magic Threads of Death,' 'The Dark Young Lady Who Cruels the Orcs.'"

"Ah, so that's the person they were talking about. She's really scary. I think Marlowe is going to be in big trouble this time."

"That's the famous 'Hedra'."

(End of this chapter)