As soon as news of the Class Competition broke, the students couldn’t stop buzzing about it.
“Selecting only four people? I wonder who it’ll be?”
“The students with the best grades, obviously!”
“But school only started a few days ago. Who knows what the rankings will look like by the end of the month?”
“Who do you think has the best shot?”
“Is that even a question? The strongest four in our class have to be them! I’m calling it now—it’ll be the Dorm Leaders from Rooms 201 to 204!”
“Don’t be so sure. Maybe a dark horse will emerge?”
“Unlikely. Those four are just too brilliant. Forget our class—you won’t find anyone better in the entire year.”
…
Wang Yue’s prediction matched her classmates’. Aside from herself, the top spots would likely go to Lilith, Lulu’anna, and Medeili. Just imagining the scene of teaming up with them gave her a brewing headache. She got along well with Medeili, but the other two were like oil and water. They would be at each other’s throats every second, and there was zero chance of her being able to mediate.e.
He made a decision: he had to sandbag his scores. He didn’t care for the vanity of being in the top four, especially if it meant making a fool of himself in front of the whole school.
Besides, winning the Class Competition didn’t offer any substantial rewards. They just awarded small points—3 for the winner, 2 for the runner-up, and 1 for third place.
At the end of the semester, the totals for all five classes would be tallied. The class with the highest score would win the annual trophy and a class field trip.
A field trip—it sounded nice, but a field trip organized by a witch academy… that was suspicious.
Where would they even go? The Gloomwood? The Crypt of Death? The Dark Dungeon? Maybe the Plague Wetlands, the Rotting Swamp, or the Ashlands?
Regardless, he wasn’t looking forward to it.
–
Wang Yue hadn’t seen the sun in days and was starting to worry that a Vitamin D deficiency might affect his health. Fortunately, organ meats were a good supplement for that.
At lunch, he piled his plate with foie gras and chewed it slowly with bread. The taste left much to be desired, but the high fat content made it easy to swallow. He finished quickly.
He had been taught from a young age never to waste food. In a school cafeteria where bread and potatoes were the staples, he took this habit to the extreme. Every time, he used the last corner of his bread to wipe his plate until it shone like a mirror.
At that moment, Mapeel rose from a corner seat with her sister on her back. She walked straight to him and hesitated for a long time, looking as though she had something difficult to say. It wasn’t until Wang Yue gave her an inquiring look that she stammered her request.
“Um, Student Wang Yue… do you have some time?”
“Don’t use such formal language; it makes me uncomfortable,” Wang Yue said.
“Oh, okay.”
“If there’s something on your mind, just say it.”
“Lilith asked me to come over at noon to rehearse a script, so I won’t have time to look after my sister. My roommates were called over too. Student Wang Yue, could you… could you please help me watch my sister for a while?”
“Just leave her here. By the way, you don’t mind if I take her around with me, right?” Wang Yue patted the chair next to him.
“I don’t mind at all. I was actually hoping to see more of the place,” Prima, the sister, spoke up.
“Thank you! Truly, thank you so much for the trouble.”
Mapeel thanked him repeatedly, a weight finally lifting from her chest. She turned around and carefully lowered her sister.
Wang Yue glanced over the disabled girl, checking her physical condition. Her neck was thin and long, her cheeks were gaunt, and the veins beneath her skin were clearly visible. The places where her limbs had been severed were shriveled into puckered, pale pink nubbins of flesh.
Though her sister took good care of her, the lack of exercise had caused total muscle atrophy. Despite her thin frame, her body fat percentage was clearly over the limit, and her flesh felt unusually soft to the touch, like cheese on the verge of melting. Her health was quite poor.
Wang Yue popped the last plate-cleaning bread crust into her mouth, drained her half-cup of black tea, and finished her meal. Then, she hoisted Prima onto her back.
The disabled girl was very light—hardly heavier than a backpack.
He walked through the noisy cafeteria to the entrance and let out a sharp whistle.
Kira Yoshi-lamb trotted over from nearby, still chewing his cud. He had been grazing in the vicinity.
“Rest your chin on my shoulder. Keeping your neck stiff like that is tiring,” Wang Yue said, turning his head to remind her.
“Thank you, Student Wang Yue.”
Prima’s breath brushed against the fine hairs near his ear, tickling him.
“Don’t mention it.”
Wang Yue didn’t ride the lamb because she needed her hands to support Prima’s weight from behind, leaving her no hands to steer.
The two of them walked along the stone-paved paths, wound through twisting alleys, crossed the wide, open fountain square, and finally arrived at the bustling Needle Street.
This was the academy’s only commercial street, and it was always lively. Not only students, but teachers and maids often came here to shop.
“Wow, what is this place? It’s so lively,” Prima asked in a small voice.
“Did you forget? The place where you pick up your wands is right…”
Wang Yue stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly realized—she had no hands. How could she use a wand?
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter if I can’t use a wand; I’m just here to audit the classes. The Headmistress spoke with me and gave me permission to audit until the sixth year. Originally, I wouldn’t have been able to pass the advancement exams, so I would have had no choice but to be held back. I’m grateful to the Headmistress. Now I can listen to five more years of lessons. I’m satisfied, so please don’t be sad for me.”
“Have you ever tried holding a wand in your teeth to cast spells?” Wang Yue had a sudden flash of inspiration.
“I haven’t. I’ll borrow my sister’s wand later and give it a try.”
“This world is full of infinite possibilities. Don’t give up too early; a turning point might be waiting for you tomorrow,” Wang Yue comforted her.
He thought to himself: I can even transform into a girl. Is finding a way to fix a few limbs really going to be harder than that?
He walked into Needle Street, passing by the shop windows. When they reached the candy store, he suddenly stopped.
“Do you want some candy?”
“No, thank you.” Prima shook her head gently.
“Are you sure?” Wang Yue asked again.
It wasn’t a random whim. He had caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass—Prima had her small face turned sideways, peering through the thin, ice-like glass at the sparkling gems of sugar. A tiny spark of longing was hidden in her dull eyes.
“My sister already helped me brush my teeth. If I eat candy now, I’ll get cavities,” Prima whispered.
“It’s fine, I’ll help you brush them again,” Wang Yue said, nudging the shop door open with his toe. “I’ve never brushed someone else’s teeth before. I’ll give you my first time.”
Ding-ling-ling.
The bell summoned the shopkeeper, a short, plump woman holding a rag. she began prattling on about how sweet and delicious her candies were.
Wang Yue picked out a few boxes of fruit jellies and dried plum candies. He tucked them into his bag and hung it around the lamb’s neck.
They passed a few more shops and arrived at the wand shop.
Since the freshmen had already collected their wands, the shop was quiet.
Donna sat in a rattan armchair, leaning against a knitted cushion with her eyes closed.
Hearing the door open, she lifted her eyelids, her forehead wrinkling deeply. “Ah, you’ve come.”
“Granny Donna, this is my classmate, Prima. I have to look after her for a while this afternoon. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, you poor little thing. Let me get a cushion for you.”
Donna found a knitted cushion and gave up her own armchair.
Wang Yue backed up to the chair and gently placed Prima onto the cushion. Then, he took the fruit jellies out of his bag.
The candy was in a beautiful box, painted with a scene of blue sky and white clouds.
When he opened the lid, a layer of wax paper sat beneath large chunks of fruit jellies. They were soft and wrinkled, with a texture almost like peach resin, dusted with a layer of white powdered sugar. They gave off an inviting, honeyed scent.
Wang Yue poked a piece with a small wooden pick, turned, and fed it into Prima’s mouth.
The girl’s eyes, already veiled with a moist mist, began to overflow. Her lips trembled along with her small body, making her look like a sparrow drenched by a rainstorm.
“Do you like fruit jellies that much? Have a few more pieces then.” Seeing her intense reaction, Wang Yue picked up another piece and fed it to her.
The girl swallowed the candy in her mouth lingeringly, licked the sugar powder from her lips, and opened her mouth for the second piece. Her lip color grew more vivid.
Donna brewed a cup of black tea, tempered it with a bit of cold milk, and handed it over.
Prima ate a piece of candy and took a sip of tea. She didn’t say a word, though her eyes were so moist it looked like they would drip. She forced herself to hold it back. This was a moment meant for smiling; how could she cry?
