“Master, where have you and Plum been these past few days?” Dorothy asked.
Wang Yue remained silent.
“Lilith has been looking for you like she’s lost her mind,” Dorothy continued her report.
Wang Yue’s expression stiffened, her gaze drifting.
“You missed the monthly exam. Oh, and the Class Competition as well.”
“The competition is over?”
“You, Plum, and Lilith—the three main pillars of the class—didn’t participate in the monthly exam. Lulu’anna simply transferred classes; she’s completely devoted to Leona now, glued to her side like they’re conjoined twins. She actually stood with Class 3 during this competition! Our main roster was replaced by a bunch of new people. The other classes actually thought Class 5 was hiding a group of secret masters.”
Wang Yue suddenly realized the implications and asked, “Isn’t that terrible? None of the captain-level students participated? Did we come in last?”
“The result was actually alright. Third place,” the little maid replied.
“Huh? We got third even like that?”
“Prima had the highest total score in the class for the monthly exam this time, and she’s reached captain-level strength. Her sister, Mapeel, had the second-highest score. The sisters participated in the competition together; they were the final faces of our class’s dignity. The venue this time was the Tides Arena—half water, half sand, filled with shell towers and coral reefs…”
The Class Competition rotated between six different arenas; they weren’t all held in the Demon Arena.
The little maid gave a concise report on the match details.
Wang Yue nodded in satisfaction. Since getting her prosthetic limbs, Prima had worked harder than anyone else. Through diligent practice, her strength had taken a massive leap forward.
Judging by the fluency and summarization skills in Dorothy’s report, her secretarial abilities had also improved significantly.
Wang Yue’s mind raced. Her and Plum’s absence from the monthly exam wasn’t a huge issue; they had slots for Extracurricular Practice, so they could delay the exams and just take make-up tests later.
Lilith missing the exams was the real problem. It seemed she still hadn’t found a way to restore her faith and was still in a “black account” status. She couldn’t pass any courses involving the use of magic—she couldn’t cast witchcraft, and she couldn’t transform into a cat.
Having been gone for over a week, returning felt like stepping into a different world.
It was time to say something to Lilith.
They were over.
Wang Yue lowered her head in silence, hesitating as she walked to the neighboring room. She pushed the door open; Lilith was sitting right there.
The blonde girl heard the movement but didn’t look up. Instead, she sat quietly by the window, as if she already understood what was coming.
She was motionless, unnervingly quiet.
She wore a simple outfit: a white shirt, a plaid skirt, and her slender legs were crossed. Her black stockings shimmered with a matte luster, tucked into a pair of white rubber shoes.
The wind caught her long hair, dancing in the dim light.
Lilith had seen it from afar long ago—Wang Yue and Medeili together, relaxed and happy, wearing smiles that came from the heart.
It was completely different from the cautious, careful, and awkward way Wang Yue acted when she was with her.
Lilith wasn’t a fool. Wang Yue had found something better. Someone “not so good” like her was no longer needed.
Just like a discarded date pit, she had been spat into the trash can.
Hearing the door open, she didn’t need to look to know that Wang Yue had come to say, “We’re over.”
Just like what Lilith herself had done that day.
It was no big deal.
Hmph.
The super-cool Lilith wouldn’t let such a boring trifle affect her mood.
Ridiculous.
Is she coming?
Is she walking over?
Is she going to speak?
Has she made up an excuse?
Is it ‘You and I are incompatible’?
Or ‘I don’t want to be a Little Tail’?
Boring.
The knife to cut the bond of friendship had long been prepared.
Take it.
However…
I’m holding on very tight.
It won’t be easy to snatch away.
I won’t let you take it easily.
Eh?
Aren’t you going to hesitate?
Hmph.
How cold-hearted.
As expected of you.
When you want something, your heart is hot; when you’re bored, your heart turns cold.
Huh?
Why are these tears coming out on their own without permission?
Who told you to act of your own accord?!
These aren’t tears of sadness from being abandoned.
They are… they are tears of joy from finally being rid of that band-aid pervert’s pestering.
Don’t flatter yourself!
Who would care about a stupid black-haired bob-cut girl?
This is great.
Lilith is alone again.
Lilith doesn’t need friends.
Don’t just stand there.
Get lost.
Lilith is very busy.
I have loneliness to fight off…
***
Wang Yue walked out of Room 204 with a heavy heart.
Although the catalyst was her collapsing at the door and Lilith failing to help her, that wasn’t the true reason.
Wang Yue simply wanted to interact with others as equals, and Lilith was incapable of being an equal.
If it went on for too long, one of them would eventually break.
However, they were still in the same Academy. She would need to carefully consider how they should interact in the future.
She headed toward the Headmaster’s office; she needed to apply for a “Demon Realm Campus Entry Permit.”
Normally, no sane principal would allow such an application. However, His Excellency Elliot was an unconventional man, and the Witch Academy was a very special school.
“Watch your step.”
A soft, thin voice came from ahead.
Looking up, she saw an orange-haired young girl—Senior Fumi, whom she had met once at the tea party.
Senior Fumi and another senior were carrying a promotional board together, heading toward the school gates.
Wang Yue stepped aside to let them pass. She saw the artistic calligraphy for “Welcome New Students” on the board, with exquisite leaf patterns spiraling out in rainbow paint on both sides.
This was prepared for the extra batch of “Term 0.5” freshmen.
The school plaza was filled with glossy lacquered carriages bearing the eye-catching school crest, giving off a strong sense of ceremony.
Once they had enough people, the carriages would head out to pick them up.
Wang Yue didn’t have much of an opinion regarding the new students; after all, she wasn’t a pervert like Gymnopedie.
Arriving at the Headmaster’s office, she knocked and entered. Matriarch Gwendolyn was sitting at the desk, looking up at her. Her pen was set aside, and the ink on the paper was not yet dry.
Wang Yue briefly recounted her experience of being trapped in Full Moon Town and her subsequent escape, finally making her request to bring a Demon Realm into the school.
Of course, she didn’t mention going to the subterranean world. She claimed she had fallen into an unknown summoning and couldn’t extricate herself, so she needed the Demon Realm to isolate herself.
Gwendolyn was silent for a moment before saying, “The Explorers’ Guild trusts you implicitly, so there are no issues regarding safety. However, since this is special treatment from me, you will need to give something in return.”
“That is only fair.”
Wang Yue nodded slightly. It was better to have the price laid out clearly.
“I need you to handle something for me. Right here in the school,” Matriarch Gwendolyn said, her voice steady and powerful.
“I’d like to hear what it is first.”
“You should know that Faith Sources are the key to recharging a witch’s magic.”
“I know. This current recruitment is because a new Faith Source was added.”
“It’s easy to calculate how many ordinary witches a single Faith Source can provide magic for. But what about Hush-Names? Don’t forget, Hush-Name Witches also require magic.”
Hearing this, Wang Yue’s mouth hung open in shock.
Right. Why had she been blind to this issue?
Hush-Name Witches also needed magic to recharge during battle. Those who utilized divine power could not self-recharge; they had to rely on the “wireless charging” provided by their deity.
The “bandwidth” required for a Hush-Name Witch to fight was undoubtedly massive. When a witch of this level entered battle, they would hog a huge amount of traffic, leaving insufficient flow for the younger witches. They would likely struggle to even cast simple witchcraft.
It was like six people in a dorm sharing the same broadband; if someone was downloading a movie, everyone else’s connection would lag.
“All the Faith Sources combined can only support about five Hush-Names being deployed at once. In other words, only five Hush-Names can be sent into the battlefield via Induction Beacons at any given time. However, there are more than five Hush-Names in this world… This is the origin of the Witch Sects.”
Wang Yue understood instantly. Then, she nodded solemnly.
