The Cornflower Witch

After arriving at the temporary manor borrowed in Southrey, Sylutia and her entourage settled in.

Soon, that very afternoon, Southrey's daughter came calling.

"Oh, it's you?" This young lady in a Rococo-style gown was taken aback when she saw Sylutia, so much so that she forgot even basic pleasantries.

Hearing this, Sylutia studied the other's face for a moment and recalled where they had met before. It was shortly after she had first arrived in the Mishil District, while she was picking out gifts for the Griffin family, that she had encountered this young lady.

"Forgive me, Lady Hedra, I am Brie." The other finally realized her lapse, fingers clutching the fabric at both sides of her skirt as she bowed her head in embarrassment.

"It's fine, but I didn't expect you to be Lord Southrey's daughter." She was somewhat surprised, after all, the Mishil District was quite a distance from here.

"Well, that's because the Perika District doesn't have much in the way of fashion trends. I usually go elsewhere to look around, and take the opportunity to visit some pen pals." The other explained with some awkwardness.

Sylutia blinked, feeling that this young lady had quite a personality, though this wasn't the time for a lengthy chat.

She first had the other come inside with several maids, then had her attendant serve tea. Afterward, the two of them went to sit in a wooden cabin by the manor's lake, where they could enjoy the vast lake view without fear of wind or rain, and occasionally fish from the wooden platform by the water.

Brie was quite familiar with this place. She explained that as a child she used to come here often during holidays to play, and that the small stool in the wooden cabin was custom-made for her by her father.

"It seems Lord Southrey loves you very much." Sylutia remarked with a smile.

"Father does love me a lot, but he's also quite strict, especially when it comes to limiting my allowance." Brie complained.

As the only daughter of Southrey the mage, she had been doted on since childhood, though her family also held many expectations for her. From a young age, she had been educated in all sorts of knowledge and skills, raised to become a proper young lady of local high society.

"I did learn quite a bit, but it was also very stifling. That's why I always wanted to go out and play, and hated staying at home." Brie spoke of her feelings.

"When I used to read all kinds of novels and stories, I always wondered where the countries and places described in them actually were. After I grew up and got permission to travel, I would always rush off to visit them. I'd even write down my impressions and share them with like-minded friends, earning quite a lot of praise." Speaking of what she was proud of, this young lady gradually became more talkative.

Besides enjoying traveling everywhere, Brie also loved keeping up with fashion trends. Perhaps because she came from the Perika District, which was often dismissed as countryside, she needed to visit the prosperous areas of the Mage Alliance to shop for clothes and accessories, just to satisfy that anxiety and avoid being laughed at by her friends.

Over time, she gained a good understanding of the fashion trends and prices across the Alliance. The reason she had smirked when she saw Sylutia buying a large number of clothes and accessories at the shop that day was because she thought the styles that black-haired girl had chosen were hopelessly outdated, just like those country bumpkins from the countryside.

But then she saw how extravagantly Sylutia spent money at the time, and comparing that to her own pitiful allowance, the sense of superiority that had risen quickly faded. With such mixed emotions stacking up, she hadn't wanted to interact with that black-haired girl back then.

Of course, these complicated feelings weren't something Brie said outright, but rather something Sylutia gradually sensed and understood through their conversation.

"So that's how it was. No wonder you had such an odd expression on your face after seeing what I bought." Sylutia chuckled, not bothered by Brie's earlier sense of superiority.

She had indeed considered when buying those things that the styles might be outdated, but that was only relative to the Mage Alliance. Meteorite Lake was quite far from the heart of the Alliance, so styles that were outdated here might have just become trendy there.

Also, considering the differences in aesthetics across regions, what was fashionable in the Mage Alliance might not necessarily be well-received there. So Sylutia had chosen relatively common, popular styles, what Brie called "countrified," because classic, universally-liked designs tended to stay in fashion for a long time.

After finishing the topic of their first meeting, the conversation quickly relaxed, and Brie, free from the tension of her earlier faux pas, eagerly began introducing Sylutia to the Perika District's conditions and scenery.

"The most famous thing here is, of course, the lake before us. The locals call it the 'Blue Eye.' There are many water birds on the lake, and the most famous among them are the great herons."

"Oh, why are they the most famous?" Sylutia asked curiously.

"Because they're so big, they catch your attention right away. The other water birds are smaller, and ordinary people can't be bothered to distinguish them, so that's how it went." Brie explained her reasoning.

"I see." Sylutia found it quite interesting.

"Also, the fish here are relatively decent. Roughly one or two out of a thousand can condense an Aspect level. They can live for a very long time. Some wealthy people like them and will specially hire someone to catch such great herons and keep them in their own ponds for viewing."

"When I was young, I once visited an uncle's house and saw one. It was about the size of an ox, and it could carry me flying and circling over the lake. It could even catch a few fresh fish as the main course for guests." Brie recounted her childhood experiences.

Being able to associate with Southrey the mage, that uncle was probably no ordinary person either, Sylutia thought.

After discussing the lake, the water birds, and the climate, the topic finally turned to the Wind Chime Grass Plains.

"The Wind Chime Grass Plains? I haven't been there many times. The only thing I remember is their local flatbread. They add a small amount of thyme to it, giving it a unique flavor."

"Oh, and how do the people there live? Are they prosperous and well-off?"

"They seem to be doing alright. The Perika District isn't particularly wealthy, but because the water and grass are fertile, grain and livestock production are relatively high. Famines and tragedies like those in other regions rarely happen." Brie answered after thinking for a moment.

"However, the Wind Chime Grass Plains used to be ruled by a small kingdom. They say the nobles there were rather stingy, levying heavy taxes on passing merchant caravans and controlling the pricing rights for all regional products themselves. As a result, most of the income went to the nobles, while ordinary farmers and herders had only mediocre living conditions."

"How should I put it? They were somewhat exploitative and unpopular, but not to the point of driving people to desperation. The local residents also got used to it and didn't find it particularly unusual. It's just that I've been to many places, so I have a more obvious basis for comparison." Brie explained.

"Brie observes things quite carefully." Sylutia praised.

Although Brie had average talent on the mage path and hadn't inherited the aptitude and abilities of a mage like her father Southrey, she had an easygoing personality, had been to many places, possessed broad knowledge, and had excellent observational skills. Even if she never became a high-ranking mage, she should still be able to live a good life.

After receiving this praise from the black-haired genius, Brie didn't say much verbally, but the joy and pride radiating from her face were almost enough to make her tail wag.

After all, the young woman before her was a genius and celestial being renowned throughout the entire Alliance. To receive her praise was something Brie could boast about in her circle of friends for the rest of her life.

Decided. She was going to write about what happened today, especially this compliment, into her diary and autobiography. Whenever she felt down in the future, she would take it out and read it.

After learning quite a bit about the local conditions from Brie, Sylutia had gained some basic understanding. Finally, she made a suggestion.

"Tomorrow, I plan to visit the Wind Chime Grass Plains. I've heard the wind chime grass there is very beautiful. I wonder if Brie has the time?"

"Of course! Let me be your guide!" Brie agreed without a moment's hesitation, overjoyed.

Seeing her so excited, Sylutia found it somewhat amusing, but upon reflection, she understood the source of the other's excitement.

It seemed that hosting her had become something worth bragging about. She was gradually realizing just how high her status in the Mage Alliance had risen.

Before she knew it, she had become a household name across the entire Alliance.

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