Chapter 598

Chapter 598: The Farewell Party Before Graduation

After Lolan Hill and Keti left, the underground hermitage became quiet again.

“Night Mistress, come over here. Lolan left us some candy. It’s really good.”

Chris sat at the table, opened the light red box in front of her, took out a piece, untied the bow on the candy wrapper, revealing a white square soft candy block.

“I understand.” Night Mistress walked over slowly, holding her book.

“Here you go.” Chris handed over a small spherical candy, orange and semi-transparent, seemingly soft and elastic.

Night Mistress couldn’t refuse Chris’s kindness and bit into the candy, savoring its sweet and sour taste.

“What’s wrong, Night Mistress? You seem to have something on your mind,” Chris observed, noticing Night Mistress lost in thought.

“I’m a little worried,” Night Mistress said after swallowing the candy.

“After Lolan and Keti leave, she won’t stay in school for long. She’ll probably return to Clancia soon, and then…”

“Are you worried that Lolan will drag Keti into a war?” Chris asked, crossing her legs. As a free-spirited witch, she was very relaxed in the absence of outsiders.

“I did consider that,” this mirror witch put a lollipop in her mouth, licked it, then took it out.

“But it’s not good to keep Keti here either. She’s almost awake and wants to see Lolan. If we forcibly stop her, she’ll surely be unhappy, and who knows what resentment might build up over time.”

“There’s no need to make things so tense. I trust Lolan will handle it and won’t let Keti get involved easily,” Chris gently bit down on her pink-and-white striped lollipop, breaking off a small piece.

“Don’t be so stubborn anymore. Sometimes going with the flow is better. You’re not employed by the academy now, so just rest well,” Chris looked at Night Mistress, who was lying on the table. This witch often had too much responsibility.

“Ah, okay.” Night Mistress sighed slightly.

“But I feel something strange has been happening with the Frost Rose recently. There are some bad signs,” Night Mistress continued, and Chris handed her a large sucker.

Night Mistress looked at the sucker nearly as big as her head, hesitating whether to take it. After a while, she decided to extend her hand and grab it.

“Hmm.” Chris’s tone was unusually serious this time.

“In fact, last time, during Agatha’s incident, didn’t you find it odd? Why were all the Sequence 9s in the academy absent?”

“The one from Bridgehead Academy suddenly said he had to go to the Endless Sea after watching the Winter Festival. Then, Binnes was recalled by the Church, and the other two Sequence 9s seemed to know everything, showing no concern about interfering with our battle.”

“I felt something was off, but couldn’t figure out what. So, I let Keti and Lolan stay together, which was safer.”

“Luckily, Agatha appeared, and Servis and Tides arrived in time to resolve the issue within the witches’ ranks before it escalated further.”

“Over the past two years, I’ve been in contact with the other members of the Sage Council, gathering intelligence from various places. That’s when I started to notice some clues.”

“What kind of clues? Chris never told me this,” Night Mistress placed the sucker down and looked at her friend with worry.

“Some people seem restless and want to try something, testing the boundaries of the forbidden era of dusk.”

“Isn’t it said that many people are involved, but they don’t directly participate? Instead, some seem to be deliberately allowing certain behaviors to occur.”

“Just like how the guards watch the thief open a closed box in a room without intervening,” Chris made an analogy.

“The Sage Council isn’t united anymore,” Night Mistress sighed, unable to do anything about it. She didn’t have as many connections as Chris.

“Let’s hope Lolan can uncover something useful this time, and Keti will protect her well,” Chris said.

—

At Emanas, the Fortress Academy.

The long-unopened dormitory was opened, and although the items inside hadn’t changed, they were covered with a thin layer of dust.

Lolan Hill stretched out her hand, and gentle breezes blew continuously, precisely sweeping away the dust and letting it float out the window. The room became clean once more.

“What would you like to eat tonight, Keti?” She led the girl beside her towards the kitchen or lab.

“I love everything Lolan makes,” Keti followed Lolan Hill.

“How about mushroom soup?” Recalling Keti’s previous experience of gathering mushrooms, Lolan Hill suddenly wanted to try again.

“Mm.” Keti stood curiously beside Lolan Hill, watching her.

“Come on, Keti, help peel the potatoes.”

“Okay.”

The two returned to the days of their academy life, peacefully preparing dinner in the kitchen.

—

The next day, at the activity room of Black Swan Castle.

“Waaah, Lolan sis is finally back!” Night Spirit Ling rushed over as soon as she saw Lolan Hill appear.

She and several others had gathered in the activity room after hearing Lolan Hill had returned to school.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you again,” Night Spirit Ling rubbed against Lolan Hill, speaking in a muffled voice.

With graduation approaching, this little girl felt melancholic. Oddly enough, her body hadn’t grown much over the past two years, still smaller than Lolan Hill.

“Kuku, Night Spirit Ling is still crying,” Lily whispered. She often played with Night Spirit Ling and naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity to tease her.

“She must miss Lolan,” Alena, who was sitting nearby, said. Compared to a few years ago, she had matured significantly. The yellow-and-white cat on her lap was also much fatter and more lazy, no longer as timid as before.

“Lolan hasn’t changed,” Letis said today, combing her intricate hairstyle and revealing her smooth forehead, with two light gold earrings hanging from her ears.

“Is Vimya not coming?” Lolan Hill put down the crying Night Spirit Ling and looked around, not seeing the blue-haired sea witch.

“Vimya apparently had some family matters to attend to earlier this year and took leave,” Nia shook her head. This goat-horned girl still seemed a bit petite among them, standing quietly aside. She was now more confident and peaceful compared to before.

“Hey hey, the snacks are ready,” Bumansa came out wearing an apron, still holding freshly baked snacks.

“This is my masterpiece this year. Lolan, why don’t you give it a try?” After placing the plate, this neighbor-like girl smiled.

Despite winning multiple championships consecutively in the campus, she seemed approachable, unlike someone who held the title of ‘Unique Champion’ three times.

“Waaah, don’t feed me,” Night Spirit Ling mumbled, shaking her head vigorously and blocking the offered snack with her hand.

To turn Night Spirit Ling’s tears into laughter, everyone at the table fed her the snacks.

“Keti, have some too,” Lolan Hill picked up a crispy yellow snack and put it in Keti’s mouth, watching her eat it slowly.

“Lolan, you should eat too,” compared to before, Keti now reminded Lolan Hill instead of just eating passively.

“Okay.”

They sat together, chatting. Since Lolan Hill left the school, they had fewer opportunities to gather.

“Time flies, graduation is approaching,” Bumansa said with a sigh. This usually composed senior sister also felt this way.

“No, no, it’s just that Bumansa is too amazing,” Alena said, holding a cookie and playing with the big cat in her arms.

“Letis and I are only in the fourth grade now. It’s not easy to advance to fifth grade,” she said, though she was excellent, she couldn’t be considered a genius.

“Hehe.” Hearing this, Night Spirit Ling smiled proudly. As a highly talented girl, she was naturally in the fifth grade, putting her ahead of Alena.

“Crybaby Night Spirit Ling,” Lily seized the opportunity to express her dissatisfaction. As a girl with average talent, she was currently in the third grade.

“I think it will take a few more years before I graduate,” Caffra said. This girl was still studying in the central school building, but her attitude was positive, steadily improving herself.

“Nia, however, has exceeded expectations. She’s already in the fifth grade,” Letis said with admiration, looking at the once unremarkable roommate.

Nia lifted her head, feeling embarrassed as everyone’s eyes focused on her.

“In fact, I was just a bit lucky,” she humbly said.

Over the past two years, after resolving her inner conflicts, Nia made rapid progress. Additionally, with the aid of potions provided by Lolan, she advanced even faster, becoming a Sequence 6 existence, surprising her former friends.

“So, does that mean Lolan, Bumansa, Nia, and Night Spirit Ling will be graduating this year?” Lily counted on her fingers.

“Yes.” Bumansa hugged Lily, like a sister embracing her younger sister. They both attended the Fortress Academy, so their bond was naturally stronger.

“Waaah, who will support the club after we leave? The upperclassmen have already gone, and now Bumansa and Lolan are leaving too,” Lily suddenly thought about her club’s weak strength, feeling sad. The position of the Black Lotus Club might decline gradually.

Reflecting on the past, the club not only had Lolan and Bumansa, who were exceptional, but also Red Sail, Bitter Leaf, Atatty, Iggy, and other talented geniuses. Now, they have all left.

As an elder member of the club, Lily, being only in the third grade and a Sequence 4 existence, couldn’t support the ‘Black Lotus’ club’s lofty status.

“There’s no permanent gathering without parting,” Lolan Hill comforted Lily, quoting a proverb from the Eastern Region.

“After leaving school, everyone will have broader horizons,” Letis comforted her from the side, having seen many seniors from the same faction reunite after graduation.

“We will have chances to meet again in the future. If not, I’ll go find each of you,” Alena confidently promised. In her first year, she had a good relationship with Lily, and now she could better understand her friend’s sadness.

“Let’s enjoy this winter festival together,” everyone said.

—

Two weeks later, the Winter Festival was about to begin.

Throughout the campus, streets and classroom corridors were adorned with frozen green branches, woven into circular shapes with a few bright red berries scattered in between. Some important places were decorated with unique paper flowers, creating a lively and warm atmosphere. This year’s ‘Crown of Melody’ seemed particularly skilled at decorating.

Students from Emanas walked on snow-covered paths, some talking about recent amusing events, others discussing a star student and a teacher.

“Who do you think will win this year? I heard a girl from the Eastern Continent came to Tower Academy and reached Sequence 6 in the third grade.”

“There’s no need to guess. I bet it’s still Bumansa from Fortress Academy. That girl’s swordsmanship and strength have reached a level of naturalness.”

“Since she easily defeated Darsi that year, no one else has challenged her status in the school. This ‘Separate Blade’ is a living legend.”

“You mean the seven legendary figures? But those were a few years ago, right? They should have graduated,” a student asked doubtfully, having heard the name for years.

“No, actually, Bumansa won her first championship in the second grade, and now she’s in the fifth grade,” another student pointed out specifically.

“Winning in the second grade, that’s truly terrifying.”

“At the time, there were several legends, but only two remain in the school now: Bumansa and Aloy, the genius who can transform into a rock dragon.”

“That year had an unusually high number of geniuses, with several of them.”

“Indeed, but the most mysterious one is still the president of the ‘Black Lotus’ club. It’s said that she single-handedly quelled the civil unrest in Fortress Academy.”

“As time passed, some legends became even more fantastic.”

“Ahh, I haven’t heard of this,” a third-year student asked curiously.

“Well, let me tell you the story slowly,” a senior from Fortress Academy said proudly, having heard it from a graduating senior.

“It’s said that she was a black-haired girl with red eyes,” the group continued talking as they headed toward the dining hall.

Three days later, before the grand event at the Winter Festival.

“Now, please welcome Mitchel, a fifth-year student from Bridgehead Academy,” the host announced loudly. As his words fell, cheers and applause erupted from the surrounding stands.

“He will face Lolan, a fifth-year student from Fortress Academy,” a name unfamiliar to many students.

In the central school building, vast open ground surrounded the stage with tiered seating, filled with cheering students.

On the high platform resembling a cake, two figures stepped onto the stage from opposite staircases. One of them wore a vibrant red winter dress, standing out especially in the snowy world.

For a moment, the crowd roared, their voices thunderous.