Chapter 857

Chapter 857: The Witches’ Tea Party (Additional Update 0 0)

Coming to the mountainous area on the northern side of the academy, Lolan Hill failed to find the underground room where Siye and Chris resided. She had no choice but to ascend into the air, relying on the wind and air currents to sense her surroundings.

The gentle winds circled softly, brushing over the entire campus imperceptibly. After a long while, Lolan Hill slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the verdant mountains in the east.

In the forest, there was a towering tower hidden within, emitting a familiar aura from within. These two witches seemed to have already known of her arrival and did not hide themselves.

Indeed, the book in Siye’s hands could apparently show the situation within the academy, revealing many pieces of information.

Once Lolan Hill’s mind settled, she flew towards the tower.

Her toes lightly touched the soft ground, causing a faint sound of crushed leaves. Her skirt then fluttered with the airflow, and the young lady looked up at the circular tower towering dozens of meters high, each floor adorned with windows. The summer evening breeze flowed through them, occasionally stirring the curtains.

Walking across the forest floor covered in fallen leaves and grass, Lolan Hill arrived at the base of the tower. The stone door slowly opened before her.

Upon entering, a cool, spacious feeling enveloped her. Inside this circular tower, books were arranged in circles along the walls, one layer upon another, reaching all the way to the top.

At the upper levels of the tower, a small platform protruded, bearing a wooden chair. On it sat a doll-like girl with black hair, pale skin tinged with blue, and a darkly embroidered skirt, holding a thick book that remained open in her arms.

She was the Witch of the Sealed Book, Siye.

“It’s been years since we last met, little Lolan,” Chris’s voice echoed beside the young lady. Then, a golden-haired witch gracefully leaped out of a mirror and stood in front of Lolan Hill. She still wore the same princess dress of pink and white, with her sweet and unchanged face.

“Long time no see, Chris,” Lolan Hill smiled.

“Come with me.” With those words, Chris grabbed Lolan Hill’s hand and jumped into another large mirror nearby, emerging in the upper part of the tower.

Chris waved her hand, and a mercury-like mirror surface unfolded below, floating with neatly arranged tea tables and sofas.

“So, where have you been all these years?” she asked curiously after they sat down, pouring hot, steaming black tea for Lolan Hill.

“I went to the Eastern Region,” Lolan Hill replied simply, cradling the warm cup.

“The East? It seems like quite some time since I’ve been there. But these past few years don’t count; I need to recover my strength first and can’t run around recklessly,” Chris said, currently at Sequence 8 and not yet fully recovered to Sequence 9.

“This time, Lolan came back at the invitation of the Council of Sages.”

“Yes,” Lolan Hill nodded and then asked, “Are both of you members of the Council of Sages?”

“Siye is, but I’m not,” Chris shook her head, explaining the reasons.

“When Siye was very young, she was adopted by a sage, making it easy for her to join the Council of Sages. But I didn’t join because I was already powerful and traveled around frequently.”

“At present, the Council of Sages is somewhat better than before. If Lolan has no urgent matters, joining won’t affect things much,” Chris said, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, showing off her pink-and-white stockings.

“The current Council of Sages is more relaxed. Lolan’s joining won’t impose too many constraints,” Siye added, nodding silently.

“Alright, let’s consider joining,” Lolan Hill nodded slightly, though this wasn’t her main purpose today.

“In fact, I want to learn about the Space Witch Dorothy’s story from back then,” she said, surprising Chris and then looking at Siye before nodding.

“Alright, looks like I’ll have to satisfy your curiosity today. But after I tell you, I hope you’ll answer a few questions,” Chris said, twirling her curly golden hair and covering her lips with her hand, her eyes curious as she stared at Lolan Hill.

“Regarding Dorothy’s research, Siye has plenty of materials and design plans. Lolan can directly take a look. These alchemical techniques aren’t considered taboo,” Chris explained.

“But other aspects related to chaotic phantoms involve the ‘Ejika Secret Art,’ which I can only reveal part of,” she added.

“No problem,” Lolan Hill didn’t need to understand the secret art imitated in later times. She possessed the original ancient method, although it required the cooperation of the Solar Crown.

Afterwards, Chris handed Lolan Hill a transmission gem. Seeing the young lady accept it, she asked about the reason.

“That year, in Mozwa’s underground, I saw Ruerna’s line of mages preserving Dorothy’s remains, learning about events from the past,” the young lady sighed gently, then spoke of how Dorothy was led astray by Selene.

“It seems you know more than us, even clearer. There’s no need for us to explain much,” Chris said after hearing the story. The outcome of Dorothy’s affair hadn’t been particularly good for either side. Siye had consequently locked herself away in the Star Observation Tower for centuries.

“Now that you’ve clarified everything, what do you plan to do next, little Lolan? Do you want to continue exploring Dorothy’s unfinished path?”

“Yes, but this time, not relying on the Ejika Secret Art, but rather another, more ancient and powerful force.”

For a long time, people believed that extraordinary powers were overwhelmingly strong, but Lolan Hill didn’t think so.

The unique physical laws of this world, when pushed to their limits, might not be weaker than extraordinary powers. People simply chose easier paths and no longer wholeheartedly pursued this route.

In contrast, the Deep Sea Alliance, which left Earth, though lacking support from the three crowns, adapted to the vast starry universe over tens of thousands of years, gradually spreading its influence to other star systems. In terms of scope, it had slowly surpassed the peak achievements of the ancient Mechanical Parliament.

The world continued to advance, with multiple solutions.

“I hope to unite the entire world, advancing society to the next stage and entering the stellar era, so we have more means and ease when facing the next chaos disaster.”

“This isn’t a simple task, little Lolan. Even if you’re a witch, achieving such a great feat isn’t easy.”

“Whether it’s the distant Eastern Continent, the Ice Elves’ Northern Continent, the fragmented islands far to the south, or even the Western Continent, unifying them is no easy feat.”

“The West Wind fragmented so easily not just because of your assistance, but also because Tides held back. Otherwise, with her methods, she could have maintained stability,” Chris said calmly.

“The Snowflower Seven Kingdoms resisted the Green Verdant Empire for centuries without being conquered. This wasn’t just due to the seven kingdoms’ resistance, but also because witches like Tides supported them. Even with Sequence 9 support, the Green Verdant Empire couldn’t quickly defeat them.”

“The only crisis was a few years ago when changes in heaven and earth caused witches to lose their power. This was a divine opportunity, but unfortunately, the empire didn’t succeed. Perhaps it was destined.”

“Green Verdant Empire’s establishment and expansion weren’t just guided by Siye teaching Alin. Our line of witches also provided support, including the Rose Twins, the Holy Reborn, and the Jackdaw Witch.”

“If you want to unify the empire using Clancia, our faction of witches won’t agree, even if Siye agrees,” she shook her head, directly refusing Lolan Hill’s proposal. Siye paused her page-turning, her eyes fixed on the paper.

“I understand,” Lolan Hill knew Siye had invested much emotion in the Green Verdant Empire. At this moment, her gaze turned to the silent Siye, who looked like a porcelain doll, her eyes fixed on the book, seemingly unwilling to speak.

“I won’t use Clancia to unify the empire, but I want to help it escape its current dire state and enter a stable period,” Lolan Hill explained. Siye’s fingers trembled slightly.

“I understand your personality, little Lolan,” Chris watched the nervous but earnest young lady.

“Your idea is good, but others may not readily accept it. For witches, the empire is like a spoiled child, hard to tolerate others’ discipline.”

“Even if it’s bad, it’s still their own, not to be touched by others.”

“If you use Clancia to defeat the empire, we might have to acknowledge this reality, but wanting other witches to surrender the empire with just a word is unrealistic,” Chris said.

“I see,” Lolan Hill had to abandon her direct intervention plan.

“Then is there any other way to quickly achieve a harmonious and unified situation?”

“I believe the harmonious and unified situation you envision must be based on Clancia,” Chris winked.

“It’s challenging for us. Clancia is a star among witches now, with many witches interested in you,”

“But if you truly wish to inherit Dorothy’s legacy and aim to explore the universe, I can mediate and negotiate with several other witches, allowing you to intervene in the empire,”

“Just be aware that other witches will propose various tests. Whether you pass depends on you,” Chris said, holding up a finger in front of her lips, one eye closed.

“Really?” Lolan Hill, who had lost hope, looked up in surprise.

“Yes, who would have thought Siye would support you? Even the Grand Alliance Leader agreed, so the other witches will have to give her face,” Chris teased, making Siye, who pretended to remain calm, puff up her cheeks.

“Alright, no more teasing Siye this time,” Chris covered her mouth and laughed, then clapped her hands. Suddenly, all the windows in the tower closed, curtains drew together, and the room plunged into darkness, lit only by a candle on the table, glowing with an orange-yellow light.

In the dim light, half of Chris’s body was shrouded in darkness, with only her light red eyes standing out, gazing at Lolan Hill.

Then, those eyes closed, and a gentle breeze began to swirl around the room, countless pages flipping, mirrors flying out from hidden corners of the bookshelves. Their shapes varied—some shield-like, some oval gems, others irregular polygons, and some serpent-like.

These differently shaped mirrors floated around the three, gradually brightening, and silver mirrors revealed silhouettes behind them.

Some appeared to be petite, pre-adolescent girls, others young women just past seventeen, and some mature women. They presented different black silhouettes on the mirrors, with colored glows emanating from their sides, each glow related to their respective powers.

Some were grayish-white, some split like red and emerald gems, some rust-colored, and others like lustrous purple.

“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the witches’ tea party hosted by Chris,”

The figures behind the mirrors began to sway gently, each representing a witch from their faction, some powerful, some weak, some curious, some noisy, and some quiet. Their gazes, piercing through the mirrors, traversed vast distances to reach the three in the tea party.

“Let’s welcome tonight’s guest, the most adorable junior witch of ours, the Witch of Stars and Winds, Lolan Hill.”

After the words fell, numerous gazes converged on the delicate face of the silver-haired young lady.

(The chapter ends)