The Cornflower Witch

After the Mechanical Creation competition concluded, the sky was already nearing dusk. Sylutia stepped down from the award platform amid a chorus of cheers and swarming embraces from the apprentices of Tetis College, only to be surrounded by well-wishers offering congratulations and praise, with some even curiously asking about her various experiences throughout the competition.

By the time Sylutia managed to extricate herself from the encircling crowd of classmates, the sky had fallen completely dark.

With the competition over, quite a few people had already left, and the spectator stands were beginning to thin out.

Sylutia surveyed the scene and, recalling that Amelie might still be waiting for her in the viewing room, quickly made her way toward that chamber located in the upper tier of the stands.

Upon arriving, Sylutia encountered another female Sage. The woman was seated in the room, engaged in conversation with Amelie. She had light cyan hair and wore a robe of misty green, draped with a lightweight flaxen shawl over the top, giving her an appearance of understated elegance.

"Hello." Sylutia greeted her first, then nodded in a formal bow.

"I am Hedra, and you are?" She had never met this Seventh Tier Sage before.

The other's gaze shifted to Sylutia, appraising her with evident interest before she slowly spoke.

"My name is Tivelino, and I am the guardian who looks after Amelie in her daily life." As she finished speaking, she gently beckoned for Sylutia to come closer.

"Quite impressive, Hedra, managing to secure the championship in one of the competition events at the Grand Competition." She possessed light cyan eyes matching her hair color, with soft, gentle brows, appearing to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

"Well, this was actually a bit of luck on my part." Sylutia replied modestly.

"Heh heh, luck is still something worthwhile." The other chuckled lightly, then introduced her specific identity.

"I am not a member of the 'Mithril Clock' school, but rather hail from the 'Origin Hourglass.' I currently teach at Gras College, and I was wondering if you would be interested in coming over for an exchange study period?"

"This..." Sylutia was taken aback by the sudden invitation.

"I would need some time to consider it, and I also need to arrange matters regarding the Mishil District." She replied in a soft tone.

"That is true." The other nodded, then brought up Amelie's situation.

"About twelve years ago, we discovered Amelie in a small nation on the Alliance's border. She was born with talents and abilities far beyond ordinary people. Considering that remaining in such a family and environment might hinder her healthy growth, and that she could easily harm her family through unconscious actions, we brought her to the heart of the Alliance, where dedicated personnel could instruct her."

"I was the one who handled this matter from the very beginning, so Amelie has known me since she was very young." As she said this, Sylutia's gaze turned toward the blue-haired girl, who gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before looking down at the hem of her own skirt.

"Caring for a child was actually quite a challenging task for me as well. Fortunately, Amelie was sensible from a very young age and never threw tantrums, so it wasn't long before she no longer needed my daily attention and care."

"After that, we arranged a private living quarters for her in the library, where she could stay. We would regularly rotate people to teach her various subjects, and in her daily life, she would simply read books and sleep in the library. And so, more than a decade slowly passed." Tivelino recalled.

"You've probably noticed by now that Amelie is quite extraordinary. Her speed in advancing to the Fifth Tier has already broken the Mage Alliance's records, though it has never been publicly announced."

"To avoid inciting jealousy and covert harm from hostile factions, we have always kept her existence a secret. That's why very few people within the Alliance know about Amelie."

"Originally, she was supposed to continue living like this for another three to five years, until she matured a bit more, before we considered gradually allowing her to interact with various people and matters. However, she seemed unwilling to wait that long, and a month ago, she advanced to the Fifth Tier with a hint of urgency."

"After inquiring about the reasons, we Sages who oversee her held discussions, and only then did we learn of her desire to go out and see the world."

"Fortunately, the Silver Bell Festival was approaching. Such a grand celebration was the perfect opportunity to bring Amelie out to observe and experience things, which is how you came to meet that child a few days later." As she spoke, Tivelino's fingers gently stroked the long hair cascading down Amelie's back, her eyes filled with a measure of doting affection and tenderness, as if regarding her own daughter.

"Though she has read many books and possesses a photographic memory, she has had limited exposure to the outside world. She may have caused you quite a bit of trouble over these past couple of days."

"It's no trouble at all. I've actually received a great deal of guidance and care from Amelie." Sylutia shook her head in response.

If not for the various knowledge Amelie had imparted to her, she likely would have struggled to secure a placing in this Mechanical Creation competition.

"Hehehe, it seems the two of you get along quite well." Those words caused the nearby Amelie to feel somewhat shy, lowering her head.

Seeing this, Tivelino smiled once more before getting down to business.

"However, Amelie's identity still cannot be easily divulged, so I must ask that you, Hedra, refrain from speaking about her matters to others."

"I understand." Sylutia nodded.

"Additionally, she will likely need to remain in the library for some time, only occasionally going out when permitted."

"If you have free time, you are welcome to come visit her often."

"I will." Sylutia nodded. Even without being asked, she would have gone anyway.

Having finished discussing Amelie's matters, Tivelino propped her cheek against her fingers, deep in thought, before turning her gaze back to Sylutia.

"Hedra, I was wondering if you had any extraordinary experiences when you were young, such as discovering that you were different from ordinary people?"

"This..." If she were to truly answer that, there were simply far too many things.

As the legitimate daughter of the Meizhalansi family, she had awakened the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect since early childhood. At the age of ten, she had received the blessing of the Fairies, which also granted her a high affinity for 'Verdant Nectar.' After that, her mother had taught her all sorts of strange secret arts and abilities. If one truly wanted to list the ways she differed from ordinary people, they were simply too numerous to count.

"I was indeed somewhat different when I was young, but I've forgotten many things. Around the age of ten or so, I experienced an incident, and from that point on, I lost some of my memories." Sylutia replied thus.

"Is that so..." Tivelino nodded slowly.

"How much do you know about the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect? As you can see, I am a Sage who has advanced along the three-Aspect path of 'Luminous Moon · Secret Word · Gold Steam.' From what I can observe, you actually have a very high affinity for the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect."

'Luminous Moon'? It was true that she had always possessed the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect as a child, and it was precisely because of this that she was often compared to Ilythia. That proud princess of the dynasty was born with the natural 'Scorching Sun' Aspect. When the two of them stood together, their golden and silver hair intertwined, like the sun and moon converging.

However, ever since she had lost her memories, it seemed her original Aspect levels had all been lost as well, forcing her to start her cultivation and advancement from scratch. And although she had later obtained the inheritance of the 'Silver Radiance Church,' Sylutia had never had the opportunity to properly rebuild the levels of the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect.

"I do have some understanding of the 'Luminous Moon,' but I've heard that this Path is rather difficult to cultivate." Sylutia shared what she had learned from both the Hidden Grove Alliance and the Mage Alliance.

"Correct. Because the Hours governing the 'Luminous Moon' Path is somewhat different, Transcendents exploring this Path often find themselves making missteps. Furthermore, since that Hours is difficult to gain an audience with, no one has been able to obtain a 'blessing' from them to directly advance to the Seventh Tier." Tivelino shook her head.

"If the difficulty of advancing along other Aspect Paths is rated at 10, then the 'Luminous Moon' Path is at least at the level of 15 to 20. This is also why you rarely see Transcendents on this Path. Even if they exist, they often choose it as their second Aspect after the Fifth Tier. Walking the 'Luminous Moon' path from the very beginning would be exceptionally difficult." She explained simply.

"While the difficulty is higher, you carry a faint affinity for 'Luminous Moon.' If you were to walk this path, you would achieve remarkable success with relative ease."

"Aside from the shared 'Secret Word' and 'Gold Steam,' the three major factions led by the Alliance each specialize in 'Alien Star,' 'Luminous Moon,' and 'Scorching Sun.' Our 'Origin Hourglass' is the faction dedicated to the 'Luminous Moon' Path."

"If we trace the origins back further, we would have to start from the Seventh Epoch, for this continent was once a land blessed by the 'Silver Moon Dragon,' with numerous secret arts of the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect Path circulating here. As for the wizard factions inherited from that ancient era, we have also recorded a considerable amount of related knowledge, which has been passed down continuously to this day."

"The Mage Alliance generally does not permit cross-school study of high-level secret arts knowledge, but there are exceptions. As long as you demonstrate sufficient talent and secure a championship at the College Grand Competition, you earn the qualification to study the knowledge of two major factions simultaneously."

She was indeed aware of this special rule, but she hadn't expected the invitation to come so quickly. After all, the competition had only just ended moments ago, and she hadn't even had the chance to report and consult with the Dean.

Regardless, her current identity was after all a member of the 'Mithril Clock.' Even if she yearned for the knowledge and secret arts of the 'Luminous Moon' Aspect, she couldn't casually agree to this person's offer.

After some deliberation, the young woman shook her head gently.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lady Tivelino, but I still need to consider this on my own. It will probably take some time before I can give you an answer."

"That's fine." The other nodded.

"Actually, the Origin Hourglass school also possesses many 'time'-related secret arts. Since you advanced via the 'Astronomical Clock Chapter Page,' you'll likely find much of it useful in the future, and it won't delay the path you've already set for yourself."

Afterward, Sage Tivelino introduced a great deal more of the secret arts heritage of the 'Origin Hourglass' school. From research materials on the bloodlines of the ancient Primordial Beasts, to textual investigations into the origins and histories of the various continents, and even studies on the even more ancient Sixth and Seventh Epochs, all of it captivated Sylutia, who listened with rapt attention and growing longing.

Truly worthy of being the origin of the Mage Alliance and the school with the longest-standing heritage, the depth of the 'Origin Hourglass' was unrivaled across the entire Alliance, leaving no one able to catch up.

Seeing the look of anticipation and curiosity for knowledge in Sylutia's eyes, Tivelino knew her purpose had been achieved.

Things carried too far would be counterproductive. Enough had been said today; it was time to take their leave.

"Well then, until we meet again. I hope to hear good news from you next time, Hedra." With those words, the Sage rose to take her leave, waved at the two of them, and vanished on the spot.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!