Chapter 59: Finally Sprouting

Chapter 59: Finally Sprouting

Moran and the others had just finished dinner when Lilith kicked them out of her dormitory

"Go back, go back! You have classes tomorrow!"

Every extra second she spent with her juniors, she felt her dignity as a senior slipping away.

Moran and her two companions, however, failed to notice anything unusual about Senior Lilith.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, they returned home happily.

After washing up, Moran lay on the wooden bed in her bedroom. The Witch Book Magic supported the Book of Witches, keeping it hovering above her, making her feel as if she had returned to her previous life, lying in bed using a phone stand to read web novels before the apocalypse.

Except that what she was reading now, *What Exactly is Magic*, was far more tedious than any novel.

"Magic is the application of energy.

Energy exists in various forms, but only mana is the most primordial energy. The inclusivity and potency of mana are the greatest among all forms of energy.

All other forms of energy outside of mana are merely variations of mana..."

As Moran read, she grew drowsy.

With a loud *thud*, the heavy Book of Witches lost its support, fell vertically, and slammed into her face, eliciting a cry of pain.

Instantly, her sleepiness vanished.

She pushed the book aside, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and went to look in the mirror. Fortunately, she wasn't disfigured!

"I was wrong. Witch Book Magic is nothing like a phone stand!"

Moran learned her lesson, set the Book of Witches aside, and went to sleep.

"Clang~ Clang~"

It was a new week.

Carrying her satchel, with the Book of Witches following beside her, Moran walked out of the dormitory with a piece of breadfruit cake in her mouth and a roll of parchment being infused in her hand.

Hearing the door to the dormitory on her left open, she looked over: "Morning, Vasida!"

"Morning, Moran! Why are you carrying so much stuff?" Vasida only had a wand in her pocket.

Living next to the breadfruit grove, her "devouring stomach" was full every single day. The little witch who used to faint from hunger had transformed into the little witch with the most stored supplies in her belly.

Since they had class in the planting area this afternoon, she hadn't even brought any snacks for lunch.

"Well, the road to the castle is too long. I'm looking for some work to do along the way!" Moran said.

Vasida wiped her eyes and activated her energy vision, looking at the parchment in Moran's hand. Sure enough, it was being infused!

You could do that?

"Moran, wait for me! I'll bring a roll of parchment too."

She dashed back into her dormitory and emerged again, looking just like Moran.

"Let's go! Let's go call Sylph!"

Standing outside Dormitory No. 68, Moran and Vasida took a deep breath and shouted at the top of their lungs: "Syl—ph—! Time for school!"

*Click~* The dormitory door opened, and Sylph emerged holding a flowerpot: "Moran, Vasida! My bellflower has finally sprouted!"

"Really?" Moran and Vasida immediately crowded around to look.

On the morning of her second day at school, Sylph had planted the bellflower seed that appeared in her Box of Myriad Species.

She kept it on her bedroom windowsill, and the first thing she did every day upon returning to the dorm was check if it had sprouted.

Moran and Vasida had heard her mumble about why the bellflower wouldn't sprout many times.

Now, in the very center of that clay pot, a single yellowish-green sprout had emerged; another part was still curled up, not yet unfolded.

"It really sprouted?" Moran's face was full of curiosity; she even wanted to blow on it to see if it would ring.

However, since this was a seed from Sylph's Box of Myriad Species, her reason kicked in and she kept her mouth shut.

Forgive her for being unworldly.

There were many wildflowers and weeds in the Emerald Creek Plains, but no bellflowers.

Moran had only seen descriptions of bellflowers in the little witch stories within the *Young Witch Series*.

It was said that when this flower was blown upon, it would ring like a bell.

Some witches loved excitement and would plant some in the Witch Home.

Some witches loved peace and quiet, and the bellflowers near their homes would suffer a tragic fate.

Vasida was also unworldly; her witch mother was the type who loved peace and quiet, and wherever she went, bellflowers went extinct.

Unable to help herself, she pursed her lips and gave a gentle puff of air.

However, nothing happened.

"Haha!" Sylph was amused: "It's just a tiny sprout! The flowers haven't even bloomed yet, so it won't ring! Once it blooms, I'll give you each a string to hang in your windows. When the wind passes through, it will ring—it can capture the sound of the wind!"

Vasida: "..."

Moran: *New knowledge acquired √*

Having shared her joy with her friends, Sylph happily hugged her precious flowerpot and put it back in its place, preparing to head to school.

"By the way, what are you doing with the parchment? Do you need it for class?" Sylph asked.

"Moran said the road to the castle is too long, so she's looking for work along the way," Vasida said. "You should bring a roll too! It's no trouble to infuse it while you walk. You can finish transcribing the complete set of *The Birth of an Exquisite Cover* sooner."

Greatly inspired, another little witch carrying parchment to school was added to the group.

Other little witches wanted to learn, but their magical penetration ability wasn't strong enough to infuse an entire roll of paper directly.

"What's the big deal? Can't you just infuse a little bit at a time? Once you've infused it all, just roll it up, and you'll have a roll of infused parchment in the end!" Moran said.

"(○o○)!" The little witches scattered like birds and beasts.

They all went back to get their parchment.

A new cover couldn't be made in a short time, but they could certainly prepare plenty of blank inner pages!

If they couldn't transcribe and take away all the books in the academy by graduation, they might regret it for the rest of their lives!

On the mountain path, the little witches formed a long line, infusing their parchment as they walked.

Lilith, who had woken up early to transcribe *The Birth of an Exquisite Wand* in the library, flew past on her broom. Seeing this scene, she felt numb.

She really wanted to wake up all the classmates who were still sleeping to show them—the first-years were working themselves to death.

Thinking back to last year, what were they doing on their way to school?

Chasing each other and gossiping?

And the juniors? They were actually infusing parchment.

That overachieving junior was even reading a book while infusing parchment!

No, no! I'm out of here!

"Wow! It's Senior Lilith! She's heading to the castle so early, how hardworking! As expected of a witch!"

"All witches are equally hardworking! Moran is just exceptionally hardworking."

"We have to work hard too!"

"Mhm!"

The little witches watched the receding figure in the sky, encouraging one another.

Moran glanced up once and then continued reading the Book of Witches.

Reading *What Exactly is Magic* in bed last night was quite hypnotic, but reading it this morning, she felt it was packed with useful information.

This morning's Basic Magic Theory class would cover this book, so reading it ahead of time served as preparation.

With work to do on the road, she actually felt that time was passing too quickly by the time she reached the castle.

Since she had to go to a theoretical classroom she had never visited before, Moran finally diverted her attention from the book to look at the map.

(End of Chapter)