Chapter 12: The First Night of School

Chapter 12: The First Night of Enrollment

"This is the dormitory? Did we take a wrong turn?"

This thought crossed the minds of every first-year little witch.

A row of earthen houses stood side by side. Even with green vines climbing some walls and flowers planted in some courtyards, it couldn't hide the fact that, aside from the owners' efforts at decoration, the houses themselves looked quite crudely constructed.

Even Moran, who had lived in dilapidated housing since childhood, felt a sense of disappointment.

These earthen houses truly felt like they would crumble into dust at a single touch!

"You didn't take a wrong turn! Don't let the earthen construction fool you; they are very sturdy. No matter how they are built, quality issues won't arise, and they will automatically revert to their original state after the owner moves out.

It is said that these hundred dormitories were built during the early days of the school's founding and have remained perfectly fine until now.

The simple conditions are intended to encourage the little witches to study hard and improve their survival skills during their time at school, rather than indulging in pleasure and wasting time.

An ideal life can only be earned with your own hands after graduation."

Lilith repeated the words the seniors had used to comfort them when she enrolled last year.

In reality, she was also quite disappointed with the living conditions.

The little witches' expectations for the dormitories plummeted several levels instantly.

The first few rows were occupied by third-year seniors. They had arrived early on their broomsticks and were already deep in dreamland.

Passing those rows led to the second-year seniors' quarters.

The maintenance of these houses was noticeably worse than that of the third-years.

Some houses looked almost as if they were uninhabited from the outside.

The second-year seniors were also returning to their respective dormitories one after another.

Only the first-years continued to move forward.

The poor dormitory conditions were one thing, but after walking for so long, they were truly exhausted. All they wanted now was to wash up and go to bed.

Moran, Vasida, and Sylph walked together. They were neighbors, staying in numbers 69, 70, and 68, respectively.

The three rooms at the end of the sixth row were theirs.

Aside from the numbers, they looked exactly the same.

Each was an earthen house with a courtyard enclosed by a wooden fence.

The courtyard was much larger than the house itself.

However, unlike the seniors' courtyards, which were either planted with flowers and greenery or paved with stone bricks, their courtyard was a wasteland. Only a mess of overgrown weeds grew there, making the dormitory look even more dilapidated.

"Senior Lilith said the fourth-year seniors moved out during the day. How did these weeds grow so high in just one day?" Sylph asked curiously. "It's not like the seniors specifically accelerated the growth of weeds before they left!"

"Every freshman dormitory is like this. Perhaps the houses reverting to their original state includes these weeds in the courtyard!"

Moran looked at the weeds in every courtyard, which were of similar species and thick enough to almost cover the entrance paths. "Maybe the Headmasters think that clearing the courtyard is a form of training for the little witches!"

"I get it now. The academy's mercy ended at the enrollment banquet."

Sylph adjusted her mindset. "Forget it, it's all for our better growth. Looking closely, these earthen houses have a certain charm..."

As she spoke, she realized Vasida hadn't said anything for a while. Worried that she might be feeling unwell again, she turned around only to find Vasida staring fixedly to the right. "Vasida? What are you looking at?"

Vasida pointed to the woods outside the right-side dormitory area. "Is that the Breadfruit Forest the seniors mentioned?"

"According to the map, it should be," Moran said, then looked at Vasida suspiciously. "You're not hungry again, are you?"

"No, no!" Vasida waved her hands hurriedly. "I was just thinking that I might have gotten hungry so quickly before because I manifested my stomach sac. It's getting late, let's all go back to our dorms and rest—*gurgle~*"

Moran and Sylph looked at her stomach. "And you say you're not hungry!"

"*Gurgle~*"

Vasida covered her unfaithful stomach and retreated into herself.

Moran and Sylph exchanged a glance and pulled Vasida toward the Breadfruit Forest.

"I'm really only a little hungry, I can go by myself! The banquet was too short, I didn't eat enough to cover the energy spent walking down the mountain..." Vasida tried to save face.

She had good stamina and wasn't tired; she was just a bit hungry and didn't want to trouble Moran and Sylph to accompany her for food so late at night.

They were already tired enough.

"You wouldn't want your future juniors to say that the great Lady Vasida couldn't avoid the embarrassing story of fainting from hunger in the Breadfruit Forest on her first night of school, would you?" Moran said.

"..." Vasida's struggling immediately weakened.

Moran's words hit the bullseye.

How could someone with the potential to become a proud Witch leave behind such a dark history?

"I think it's better if you stock up on more food at home," Sylph said. "It would be best to learn planting magic quickly so you can grow food in your own courtyard. Next year, the academy will only provide unprocessed meat products."

Vasida made a bitter face. "Why is my manifested talent such a glutton!"

...

Next to dormitory number 70, separated by a small path, was the Breadfruit Forest.

Moran and the others stood by the roadside. Ahead lay a pitch-black forest where even the moonlight could not penetrate.

In the areas illuminated by the roadside lamps, the trees had been picked clean; not a single breadfruit remained.

The breadfruit trees grew exceptionally wide, with particularly large canopies.

In the darkness, every tree looked like a clawing monster, appearing somewhat eerie.

Vasida felt somewhat relieved that the three of them were together.

If she had come alone, she would have been trembling just from walking in.

"It looks like we'll have to go into the forest to pick them," Moran said. "Once we go in, wait for your eyes to adjust to the darkness first, then look slowly. The map says there is no danger within the academy's core area. As long as we are careful, it should be fine."

"I'll lead the way! I grew up in the Starlight Forest, so I'm quite familiar with jungles," Sylph said.

"Then I'll bring up the rear," Moran said.

The unwell Vasida was unceremoniously assigned to the middle of the group.

Just as they were about to plunge into the forest, a warm white light appeared behind them, illuminating their path.

The voice, so close at hand, made Moran and the others jump. "You lot, what are you doing in the woods so late?"

Turning around to see the familiar red hair, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Senior Lilith, it's you!"

"I was in my room and saw the three of you reach the dormitory entrance but not go in, instead heading this way, so I came to check. There are no lights in the forest at night; it's easy to trip and fall!" Lilith said.

"*Gurgle~*" Vasida's stomach was always so honest.

"Alright, I understand. I'll lead you in! The fruit trees on the outskirts are close to the dorms, and as soon as the breadfruit grows, it gets picked. We'll have to walk a bit further in."

Lilith held up her wand and walked to the very front.

The large orb of light on her wand slowly grew larger, and the warm white light became increasingly bright, only stabilizing once the area within ten meters around them was as bright as day.