“Yes, let’s get down to business.”
Miss Violet then spoke, glanced at the cat lying on Xia De’s lap, and motioned for her maid to bring a stack of papers. Xia De wasn’t sure about the papermaking technology at the end of the fifth epoch, but visually, the quality of the paper stack was comparable to what he used in his hometown. Moreover, the paper even had a faint fragrance, which probably meant it had undergone special treatment from the raw material stage.
“The improved method for the 【Fire Resistance Potion】 elixir.”
She waved the paper in her hand and handed it to Xia De. Including materials and the elixir-making process, it was a total of four pages. Xia De scanned it in less than ten seconds.
“I’ve also completed a part of my thesis.”
Miss Teresa rummaged through the pile of books behind her and pulled out a rolled-up scroll of parchment.
This parchment scroll was much thicker. Unlike Miss Violet’s flamboyant and elegant cursive, Miss Teresa’s handwriting was extremely neat. These two writing styles perfectly corresponded to the Witches’ personalities.
“This is mine.”
Xia De also took out his thesis and handed it to the two Witches for inspection and perusal.
While they were reading his thesis, Xia De stroked Mia and looked around. He then noticed that compared to his last visit, there were more scattered daily necessities in the lakeside camp. Although he didn’t know how much time had passed, the eight-person Witch team had clearly made plans to live here long-term.
Miss Violet looked a bit pale, and the hem of Miss Teresa’s skirt was torn off by something. The six maidens, compared to last time, showed visible signs of fatigue. Although time was chaotic, time still affected them.
“It was really not easy to finish this thesis. I even consulted a Witch to complete the final draft. However, since the three of us are all prepared, at least one should be recognized by that deity.”
Xia De said softly, his voice still clear amidst the crackling of the bonfire. The cat he was stroking was already a bit drowsy. Although it had just woken up, the current environment was simply too comfortable.
“I also hope everything goes smoothly.”
Miss Teresa said softly, but Miss Violet did not immediately signal for them to depart. She handed Xia De’s thesis to Miss Teresa, then looked at Xia De inquisitively:
“Sir, you left in such a hurry last time, and we didn’t have time to ask more questions. What exactly are you? Don’t say you’re a traveler from another land again; a traveler from another land wouldn’t suddenly disappear from Lost Lake. This lake doesn’t allow such things.”
“Who I am isn’t important.”
Xia De’s fingers scratched Mia’s chin, and the latter squinted, tilting her head back, purring from her throat:
“What’s important is that I’m here to help you.”
Miss Teresa’s gaze moved from the thesis written in the sixth epoch language to her distant aunt. She still remembered the academy rumor, circulated among the Three Great Academies, that they had discussed after Xia De left last time. Although Xia De was not the so-called “well-built lady,” he did appear from the mist and offered them assistance.
Miss Violet waved her hand backward, and the maid brought the Night Watchman. The familiar sword was plunged into the ground beside the Witch, and the strange power of Lost Lake’s Lake Heart Island stimulated the silver sword’s blade to emit a sacred glow. The clear yellow Ling Rune, “My Heart is Clear, My Sword Slashes Demons,” lit up, ready to be drawn by its wielder to face the enemy at any moment.
“Have you ever used this sword?”
Miss Violet asked directly. Xia De heard “her” laugh, and then he also raised an eyebrow, thinking of the sword’s ability to inherit the wielder’s skills. Xia De knew very well that his swordsmanship was certainly not worth recording and inheriting, but his method of amplifying Miracles and using Miss Daniste’s experience to use “Moonlight series Miracles” with this sword might still have some value.
Thinking of this, and remembering that he had touched this sword last time, Xia De roughly understood what had happened:
“There’s even this method. When I touched the Night Watchman in this timeline, it was equivalent to me being recognized as its wielder again, therefore…”
Time converged on this sword. Xia De narrowed his eyes:
“Yes, I have indeed used the Night Watchman, but not at this point in time.”
He admitted it. Miss Teresa looked at him in astonishment, while the Witch Emperor showed an “as expected” expression:
“It seems I guessed correctly, but what method did you use? I don’t believe there’s any way that allows you to undertake such an ‘adventure.’ Even if you successfully crossed over here, The Watcher left by the Tree Father should still hunt down your violation.”
Miss Violet asked suspiciously, never explicitly mentioning the term “time travel,” as if worried about disturbing something.
Xia De shook his head slightly:
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can say.”
Although the time key did not prohibit investigators from revealing secrets, based on Xia De’s understanding of time travel, the Father of Infinite Trees prohibited any actions originating from him that could widely affect spatio-temporal continuity.
“Alright, I know some things, even I cannot know. After all, I am still a mortal, but this is truly remarkable, that such a thing could even happen. Sir, if only you could stay longer, I have many questions I want answered.”
“That won’t do. My purpose is only to help you.”
Xia De said regretfully. He also had many things he wanted the Witches of the fifth epoch to answer.
“Aunt, what do you understand now?”
Miss Teresa, who was beside them, asked curiously. She had a vague guess but couldn’t be sure.
The Witch Emperor pressed the brim of her hat, her tone slightly sterner:
“Schultz, graduating from the academy is just the beginning of your journey as a Witch. You haven’t even reached the starting line yet, how can you know things that only the Witches of the Judgment Seat can know?”
Miss Teresa opened her mouth but said no more. Xia De clearly saw her pout.
Miss Violet held the hand extended by the maid, preparing to stand up, and motioned for the two to depart:
“I’ve had enough of this place. Since I took the throne, I’ve never lived in the wilderness for such a long time.”
“Are your living supplies still sufficient?”
Xia De asked curiously.
“Sufficient. At least, less than half of our current consumption has been used.”
It wasn’t Miss Violet who answered, but the head maid among the six maidens. As for how Xia De knew she was the head maid, it was because only her dress style was slightly different from the others. Tifa had mentioned the difference between head maids and maids to Xia De.
“Before departing, Her Majesty specifically brought the relics 【Endless Spring】, 【Trish’s Changing Room】, and 【Brave One’s Food Pouch】. Although we cannot use those simple and strange ingredients to make the delicacies from the palace kitchen, merely maintaining basic consumption is enough.”
“So well-prepared?”
Xia De was a bit surprised, and then realized again that the Witch Emperors of the fifth epoch might not all be demigods, but their power and wealth were absolutely unparalleled in the fifth epoch.
“Do you want to try this before we leave?”
Miss Violet didn’t immediately stand up. Instead, she had the brown-haired head maid bring a dark red leather pouch, tied with a silk ribbon, about the size of Xia De’s two palms. Xia De couldn’t tell what animal’s hide the pouch was made of, only that its surface was covered with various bumps.
But when Miss Violet handed it over, Xia De immediately smelled a fragrance.
Almost instantly, both his and Mia’s stomachs rumbled. Both man and cat had set out without breakfast, and upon smelling that abnormally enticing scent, their bodies involuntarily reacted.
“Mia, don’t be so embarrassing.”
Xia De scolded his cat.
“Meow?”
The small cat looked up at him with wide eyes.
“By paying Ling to this relic, you can obtain food. But the type of food is completely random; theoretically, anything that won’t cause death with one bite counts as food.”
Miss Violet smiled:
“The negative characteristic is relatively simple: 【Brave One’s Food Pouch】 might produce live creatures, or food containing fatal diseases.”
Saying this, she motioned for Xia De to try it.
Xia De had never heard of this relic in the sixth epoch, but he had heard Priest Augustus mention a relic that converted feces into food. In comparison, while this 【Brave One’s Food Pouch】 was less practical, it was definitely more acceptable than the latter.
The fragrance emanating from the food pouch was also a characteristic of this relic; it would actively entice people to take food from it. The Witches could resist this scent, but if an ordinary person obtained this relic, they would likely be stuffed to death.
From this perspective, this relic was helpful for obtaining the gluttony Ling Rune.
Xia De reached into the pouch and felt warmth rising from inside. He quickly felt he had grasped something, so he pulled it out and found it was a steaming egg. The eggshell had already been peeled, and hot mist swirled around the smooth, white surface of the egg.
“Hmm…”
He thought of a certain memory, and “she” laughed in Xia De’s ear. Mia glanced at the egg and surprisingly showed no desire to eat it. Xia De, of course, knew what “she” and it were thinking, so he said nothing and silently took a bite.
“Just an ordinary egg, how boring.”
Miss Violet said, resting her face in her hand, while Miss Teresa observed Xia De’s strange expression. Xia De said nothing, reaching out to hand the food pouch to Miss Teresa, but the latter refused, suggesting with a smile:
“Sir, let your cat try it too.”
---Extraneous Notes---
PS: One more chapter added to celebrate the launching of 003.
