The Cornflower Witch

After obtaining the next assessment content from Master Sagna, Sylutia didn't rush into action.

"Cerise, are there any fun places to visit in Mishil District?" she asked while sitting in front of the dressing mirror after waking up early.

Cerise, dressed as a maid, helped tie the young girl's hair while answering.

"I don't know. You could ask Boya and the others." The person she mentioned was a member of the Inspection Department who, outside of work, loved to wander around and try local specialties.

"After a whole month of reading documents, I really don't want to jump right back into work." Sylutia looked at herself in the mirror. Once her black hair was neatly arranged, Cerise, as usual, tied it with a blue ribbon.

"Taking a break and resting is fine too." It was rare for Cerise to agree, considering she had always been a workaholic.

"Oh, Cerise has changed her tune," Sylutia said, resting her hands beneath her and lightly swinging her legs as she waited for Cerise to finish tying her hair.

"It's because you've been working so hard and seriously lately, miss. I'm not that strict a person." Cerise shook her head, wondering when her reputation had become like this. It seemed that whenever other team members saw her, they would also be quite reserved, rarely having a moment to relax.

"Well then, Cerise, accompany me shopping today." Sylutia stood up once her hair was done.

"Very well, young lady." Cerise responded with a standard maid's posture.

After that, the two of them left the residence.

It was now late summer, and the weather wasn't too hot, but Cerise still prepared a parasol for Sylutia and walked by her side.

As they walked down the street, Sylutia curiously swept her gaze across the shops lining the road, scrutinizing each one.

Like many bustling cities, this place had clothing stores with exquisite window displays, jewelry shops, bookstores, and so on. As a prosperous area in the eastern part of the Alliance, Mishil boasted high-end shops rarely found in smaller towns. Among the fine clothes and accessories sold here, some could reach the Fourth Tier, often costing several thousand gold coins for a single set.

Many great nobles from remote countries would come here to purchase their favorite items, while skilled artisans, fashion designers, gemstone carvers, and the like would also gather in such prosperous areas.

"Cerise, are there many places as bustling as Mishil District within the Alliance?" she asked curiously.

"There probably aren't many. Even if you count the entire vast territory of the Alliance, Mishil District can still rank within the top 30," Cerise replied.

"Top 30, huh. Then about where would Tetis District rank?" Although Sylutia had lived there for a long time, she had spent most of her time at the academy and rarely went out shopping.

"Tetis District is definitely within the top three," Cerise answered.

"You should have seen the headquarters of guilds there that sell Fifth Tier creations and materials. Such shops are almost unheard of elsewhere."

"A Fifth Tier treasure, for some small countries, could already be considered a national heirloom."

"I see..." Sylutia thought for a moment. She actually had a set of luxurious clothes where every piece was of Fifth Tier quality or above. They were made and designed for her by Dorothy and a group of masters from the Hidden Grove before she left.

She hadn't thought much of it back then, but looking back now, it felt like the best clothes prepared for a daughter before her wedding. Not that she was getting married, of course—she was going abroad to study.

"Let's go in and take a look." Pulling back her thoughts, Sylutia stopped in front of a clothing store.

As she stepped into the shop, a wave of cool air hit her. It turned out the store had specially installed cooling facilities.

Seeing customers enter, a girl dressed in a green-and-white uniform quickly approached.

"Welcome." She guided the two further inside and then asked Sylutia what kind of clothes she needed.

"Just curious, so I came in for a look," Sylutia replied. Her misty, jade-like white eyes, paired with her gentle, striking brows, left the shop girl momentarily dazed.

Even though the young lady had clearly said she might not buy anything, the shop girl couldn't muster a hint of slackness or displeasure. It was as if whatever this young lady said was right. Just looking into those eyes made one willingly oblige.

"That's fine. You're welcome to look at any outfit," the shop girl said, before enthusiastically introducing items to Sylutia.

"This red lace-sleeved formal gown is made from 'Coral Silk Fabric' imported from the Harp Flower Union. The interior is stitched with 'Gold Weave Thread.' When light hits it, it reflects a faint golden shimmer. Paired with the original crimson (#ee7959) dress body, it looks especially beautiful."

The shop girl was introducing a gown of *Third Tier·Excellent* quality—one of the best outfits the store had to offer.

After that, Sylutia looked at other items. The store didn't just have clothes; it also had matching hats, sun hats, veils, silk gloves, scarves, ribbons, stockings, shoes, shawls, and decorative items like folding fans, pendants, small mirrors, and headbands.

Compared to what Sylutia had seen in Quebec, the overall quality and design aesthetic were a tier or two higher.

It seemed there were differences even between regions.

She wasn't particularly interested, having seen even more luxurious and beautiful things as a child, which left her somewhat indifferent.

Still, she had been away for a while. Even though they weren't her real family, Alanfude Griffin was her nominal uncle. Perhaps she should send something back as a gift. It wasn't like she was short on money now.

With that thought, Sylutia shifted her mindset and began picking out items for the Griffin family.

Madam Haier was slender and older, so clothes that were too light or bright wouldn't suit her. Sylutia thought for a moment and chose a *deep-sea blue gauze* long dress. Then she also bought a set of jewelry, a folding fan, and matching high heels.

"Pack these up. I'm sending them as a gift to an elder," Sylutia instructed the shop girl.

"Yes, miss." Seeing Sylutia suddenly change her mind and make purchases, the girl felt excited and immediately got to work.

Afterward, Sylutia looked around again, thought for a moment, and decided to buy the 'red lace-sleeved formal gown' that the shop girl had recommended earlier. She also selected matching hair accessories, a necklace, bracelets, shoes, and so on.

This set would be for Eriel, her nominal cousin.

While Sylutia waited for the items to be packed, the shop door opened, and a new customer arrived. Like her, this person was also accompanied by a maid. She wore an elaborate, embroidered Rococo-style deep-pink fluffy gown.

Once inside, she spoke impatiently.

"Shop girl, what new styles do you have? Show them to me." She fluttered a folding fan in her hand, her expression slightly irritated. It was clear she had come here to vent some accumulated frustration.

Hearing her call, another shop girl hurried out from the back room to receive her.

"Very well, Miss Brier. This way, please. I'll introduce you right away." As she spoke, the girl walked past Sylutia.

Perhaps out of curiosity, after passing by, the young lady in the elaborate Rococo gown turned back to size up Sylutia, wondering who this black-haired girl was.

"Never seen you before..." the girl muttered, then shrugged it off and continued walking forward.

A few minutes later, the shop girl who had been attending to Sylutia brought the packed clothes and jewelry back to her.

"Miss, please see if this meets your satisfaction." She opened the lid for Sylutia to inspect.

"It's fine. Pack it like this. How much in total?" Sylutia nodded slightly.

"That will be 1,262 gold coins. This includes two sets of Third Tier gowns, six matching accessories, and two pairs of fine shoes."

"I understand." Sylutia raised her hand, and Cerise behind her took out the gems and gold coins to pay at the counter.

From a distance, Brier, who was browsing clothes, heard this and looked a bit surprised. She walked back.

"Are you buying that much?" She glanced at Sylutia's selections and suddenly let out a sneer.

"Never mind, forget I said anything." With that, she waved her fan and went back to picking out new styles.

After settling the bill, Cerise picked up the packed bags, and the two left the shop.

Next, Sylutia went to another store selling men's clothing and accessories. She picked out sets for Uncle Alanfude and Ecor. With four sets in total, she spent about 2,500 gold coins.

Bringing everything back to the residence, Sylutia found a team member and asked him to mail these items to Quebec by Meteorite Lake.

"I understand, Lady Hedra," the member acknowledged.

With that done, Sylutia continued shopping with Cerise in the afternoon, but this time, they didn't go to the commercial street. Instead, they headed to the river in Mishil District, which had many scenic spots. They could also take a small boat along the river for sightseeing.

At three in the afternoon, Sylutia sat in a small white wooden boat, twirling the parasol on her shoulder with her fingers as she admired the riverside scenery, occasionally overhearing conversations between tourists and passersby on the bank.

A gentle river breeze blew, carrying away some of the heat and bringing a hint of comfort.

The environment here was really nice. No wonder there were so many tourists. Occasionally, she could even see people from the Harp Flower Union.

Sylutia closed her eyes, quietly savoring the gentle stillness of the summer breeze as time slowly passed.

......

Three days later, after a good rest and some fun, Sylutia finally gathered her motivation and began tackling the second assessment that Master Sagna had assigned.

"Speaking of building steam vehicles, which workshop did Master Sagna assign me to?" Sylutia recalled the important task.

"The model you chose was the 'Mockingbird,' which has a design leaning toward birds and feathers, one of five models. The workshop assisting you is 'Sheria Workshop' in Mishil District," Cerise answered.

"Take me there."

"Yes." Cerise then informed the members at the residence. Soon, a group of about twenty people set off for Sheria Workshop at No. 65, Ink Street, in Mishil District's industrial area.

Half an hour later, Sylutia stepped out of the vehicle and stood at the workshop's main gate.

After a brief announcement, a workshop supervisor quickly came out to greet them and led Sylutia and her group inside.

The workshop covered a large area, with two large production halls and five small-to-medium test sites. The sound of machinery running could be heard from not too far away.

After ushering Sylutia into a dedicated meeting room for a short rest, the workshop's responsible person arrived with several technical advisors and mages.

"Welcome, Lady Hedra." The man bowed respectfully and politely before raising his head.

"Hello. I am Master Sagna's new assisting deputy. Following the master's guidance, I hope to cooperate with you to develop and build a new type of steam vehicle," Sylutia stated her purpose.

"We have already been informed of what you mentioned, my lady. Please allow us to brief you on the current situation." With that, the responsible person had an advisor beside him take out a dossier and begin explaining things to Sylutia.

Their workshop had one resident Fifth Tier mechanical expert, fourteen Fourth Tier senior technicians, and over a hundred full-fledged alchemists, scholars, and mages.

"In Mishil District, our capabilities probably rank in the top ten," the responsible person from Sheria Workshop proudly introduced.

"So, was it your workshop that previously handled the production of the 'Mockingbird' series of steam vehicles?" Sylutia asked.

"That's right. We've always been the ones producing this model. Currently, no one else in Mishil District can compete with us in this area." Though the production volume wasn't high, no one else was fighting them for it anyway.

Next came the tour of the workshop's production process. Different stages had different personnel in charge: body frame casting, component manufacturing, rune carving and assembly integration, debugging and tuning, accessory installation, finishing touches, post-production test runs, and so on. The entire process yielded an average of about eighty 'Mockingbird' series steam vehicles per month.

The finished 'Mockingbird' steam vehicle had an overall shape resembling a diving bird. The sides featured indigo-blue winged body panels, and the front end was shaped like a bird's head, sleek and streamlined. The engine was rear-mounted, allowing for brief gliding during acceleration to clear obstacles or cross rivers. Its speed ranked among the top in its class of steam vehicles.

Unfortunately, vehicle enthusiasts weren't plentiful in this world. For most people buying steam vehicles, speed wasn't the primary consideration—safety and stability were the most important factors.

After the tour, Sylutia had a general idea of things.

It seemed the difficulty of this second assessment had increased significantly. Without this workshop's cooperation and assistance, relying solely on her own tinkering and setting up a research facility would probably take a whole year just for the preparatory work.

Once she understood the general process, she began refining and improving it step by step.

Over the following week, Sylutia stayed at Sheria Workshop, silently noting and calculating every aspect of the process, gradually understanding where the 'Mockingbird' series steam vehicle stood.

Two weeks later, Sylutia had mentally run through the entire process and officially began taking action. At this point, the people who had long been lying low at Sheria Workshop also started observing and recording the young girl's actions, repeatedly searching for any sign of cheating or cutting corners.

However, the first time they tried to prepare a Memory Gem to record certain things, they were caught red-handed by the Inspection Department members accompanying Sylutia.

With the evidence undeniable and no room for excuses, these people quickly revealed, under the Inspection Department's interrogation, who had instructed them.

It was only then that Sylutia realized the other deputy assistants might have been the biggest obstacles and tests of this operation.

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