Chapter 437 – The Underground Room
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the start of the semester again. The second half of the term was about to begin.
Lolan Hill boarded the airship once more, carrying a wicker box, heading towards Emanas.
After a long journey, she stepped onto the soft ground, gazing at the long bridge spanning across the great river. She returned to this wonderful academy once more.
Young men and women dressed in various colors returned from all directions. Some rode horses, some sailed boats, some traveled by airship, and others were carried back by dragons or giant birds.
Since they had just come back from vacation, their clothes still retained the style of the holiday. Some wore hunting outfits, some looked like they were dressed for a banquet, and some wore very light clothing, suggesting they came from the warm southern region.
Lolan Hill, wearing a black Gothic dress, carried a doll that almost matched her own attire, walking down the road and attracting much attention.
“That girl is quite special,” one of the students whispered to their companion.
“Oh, indeed. But she’s so cute,” she replied, looking at the exquisite doll with stars in her eyes, filled with envy.
“Where can one buy such a doll?” some wondered aloud.
Unfortunately, Lolan Hill did not stay long. After registering at a small house near the bridge, she boarded the school’s magitech vehicle.
On the magitech vehicle, the river breeze blew fiercely. Lolan’s silver hair fluttered, and her sleeves flapped in the wind, making a whooshing sound.
At this moment, there weren’t many people on the magitech vehicle. The doll in her arms slightly turned its head and leaned against the window, watching the shimmering river outside.
“This bridge is the Unyielding Bridge, and below it is the Blue River,” she whispered.
“How beautiful,” Ixuegelin’s voice echoed in her mind.
—
With the magitech vehicle, they continued until they reached the final stop, behind the central school building. Lolan then transferred to the western Temple Academy.
“Chief Lohil is here!”
As soon as she got on the vehicle, a chorus of welcome greeted her.
The girl looked up, seeing the Temple students in black and white uniforms. Only then did she realize that she was now considered a semi-chief of the Temple Academy, having made a name for herself in the competition and no longer being an unknown ordinary student.
“Hello everyone.” She extended her hand, and the ruffles of her Gothic dress fluttered as she greeted her classmates.
Once she sat down, the students around her seemed to quiet down, perhaps wanting to maintain their image in front of the chief, or perhaps not wanting to disturb this girl.
Unlike other academies, the students of the Temple Academy were generally introverted, rarely showing fanaticism. In terms of maintaining silence, only the magic sequence students who delved into research could compare.
Upon arriving at her small room, Lolan first put down her luggage, sat for a while, and then headed north to the tower.
—
“I’m sorry, classmate. The observatory is now the dean’s office, and Madam Night Mistress isn’t here.”
Just as Lohil was about to climb the stairs, a guard politely refused, stating that under normal circumstances, one should not disturb the dean without special reasons.
“Understood.” The girl nodded and left with the doll.
“Who is Night Mistress?” the doll asked curiously.
“She is a witch, also known as the Witch of the Sealed Book. She is a witch born after the end of the Mercury Dynasty.”
Ixuegelin lived during the era when the Mercury Dynasty and the Elves were competing, so she might not know this new generation of witches.
Afterwards, Lohil turned to a corner of the tower academy, took out the silver pocket watch hanging from her waist, opened it, and gently touched it. A while later, she closed it.
She looked at the snow-capped peaks and mountains to the north, jumped off the suspension bridge, and fell into the vast canyon amid the surprised gazes of the crowd, becoming a small dot in everyone’s view.
The cold winds and snow continuously entered her collar, stealing away some of her body heat. Lolan flew between the cold snowy mountains and cliffs, turning several bends before landing on a slope halfway up the mountain.
She waved her hand, clearing away the accumulated snow, revealing a sealed stone door in front of her. Recognizing the familiar style, she placed her hand on the gemstone in the center of the door. As she channeled her magic, the stone door slowly slid open, revealing a downward passage.
Above the passage, glowing gemstones provided light. The stone steps were hard and cold, and each step echoed clearly in the chamber.
As the spiral staircase descended about 50 meters, another door appeared in front of her. Lolan pushed it open, and a warm gust of air greeted her. The few snowflakes on her body melted into droplets.
The scene before her was a spacious underground cavern nearly a hundred meters high, supported by several rugged rock columns. At the center was what appeared to be a pool of magma, but surprisingly, the space wasn’t as hot as expected, instead feeling somewhat comfortable.
Lohil looked at the center of the magma pool, where a sleeping girl lay on a black stone bed. Her fiery red hair rose and fell gently, as if breathing. The heat from the magma constantly gathered around her, vanishing without a trace.
“Did Xiao Lolan return so quickly?” Chris’s voice echoed behind the girl, followed by her embrace.
“How cute this outfit is!” she exclaimed happily, lifting her foot slightly.
Chris then led Lohil to a small room nearby. It took Lohil a while to understand what had happened.
Keti had been in a weak state since her last battle, which disrupted her recovery process. To make up for it, Chris had moved her to this underground volcano, using the abundant geothermal energy to accelerate her recovery.
“So, Keti will need to sleep for about two years before this process ends?” Lolan asked.
“Yes.”
Madam Night Mistress sat in a chair, supporting her chin with both hands, staring at the doll in Lolan’s arms. Unlike before, she wasn’t holding a book today.
“After working for hundreds of years, it’s time for a good rest,” Chris said, forcing Night Mistress to take a year off from reading.
“I see.”
Lolan turned to examine the small room. The walls were made of natural rock, seemingly freshly excavated. Against the wall were bookshelves, souvenirs, daily necessities, cabinets, and a large bed. Several people sat at one side of the room, where there was a small table.
“Do you live here?” Lolan blinked and asked.
“Yes, is something wrong? Did you think witches would live in fancy, girlish rooms to be considered normal? Hehe,” Chris placed her hands together under her chin, tilting her head. This witch always remained lively like a young girl, sometimes even enjoying small pranks.
“Not really,” Lolan shook her head. It was her first time meeting them, so she felt a bit surprised. She had only seen Trina’s and Lagdith’s living spaces, so she didn’t have much to compare with.
“In fact, you’re not far off. We’ve been living here for too long, and we’re getting a bit tired, so we want to change places. Hehe,” Chris covered her mouth and laughed.
“We’ve lived in the high observatory before, in the forest, and even in a candy house for a while, but this is our first time underground. It’s actually quite interesting.”
“It’s especially quiet here, without the usual sounds of wind, bird calls, or students disturbing us. As Madam Night Mistress would say, it’s a perfect place for reading and writing.”
“And it’s very warm here,” Night Mistress added, seemingly more talkative than before, with a hint of liveliness, no longer as silent as a doll.
“Alright, let’s not talk anymore. Would you like something to eat?”
Chris patted the thick wooden table.
“I recently discovered a simple and convenient way to cook,” Chris made a gesture, and suddenly her body vanished and reappeared, now holding a large plate filled with sliced meat and vegetables.
Seeing the contents of the plate, Lolan vaguely guessed what was coming. Sure enough, Chris led them to a small stone table next to the magma pool, where a black iron plate was placed.
It was indeed iron plate barbecue, the girl thought.
Then Chris placed the meat and vegetables on the iron plate. Suddenly, a silver light flashed, and the ingredients sank into the magma and disappeared.
“What?”
The ingredients reappeared above the magma, falling downward, and then a silver mirror appeared in the air beneath them. The ingredients entered the mirror and fell back from above, creating an endless loop.
As the ingredients flew through the high temperature, they were evenly cooked, emitting a pleasant aroma.
Is this a perpetual motion machine? Lolan widened her eyes, watching the ingredients reappear on the stone table surface, followed by a sprinkle of spices, releasing a delicious and tempting fragrance.
(End of Chapter)
