Chapter 50: The Dream Ends
Liya had a very short dream, but it took her back to a long time ago.
In that dream, snow and wind howled outside the window.
When she opened her eyes, she was back in a small cabin in the forest. Brown wooden floors and tables filled her line of sight.
Dreams are often blurry, and in the hazy vision, Liya saw “Gentle Blessing of Warmth” placed on the table.
“Mom… Mom?”
She called out, just like when she was a child.
But…
The Gentle Blessing of Warmth still on the table was not the same as it was back then. It was contained in an exquisite beaker, and through the glass, she could see a dark blue liquid with a burning coin inside.
It was not like the one her mother had casually made, with its gentle taste.
She raised her head, wanting to see her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in so long, in her dream.
But…
As her gaze moved upward, she saw her mother’s smooth neck before being interrupted—
“Liya, it’s not time yet.”
“Mother. I want to know what you are thinking now. The words you told me back then… sitting in front of it, how do you see them now?”
“Me… Ah ha, Liya, do you know? Witches seemingly have long lives, but even if you live a hundred years as you do, you only achieve the growth of an ordinary twenty-year-old.”
She turned her head and looked out the window, resting her chin on her palm.
“Without meeting, without experiencing storms, without farewells, without walking the human world, there will be no growth.”
Liya followed her turn and looked out the window.
The howling sound in her ears stopped, replaced by a gentle breeze like the spring wind. Outside the small window, flowers were in full bloom, and birds chirped joyfully.
The candle in the room extinguished, but it did not plunge into deep darkness.
In the naturally lit cabin, her mother’s figure was gone, only the Gentle Blessing of Warmth still shimmered, emitting a red light…
Red…
Red light…
Liya’s consciousness gradually cleared, as if being pulled out from deep water. The wind sounds in her ears slowly turned into noisy human voices.
The red light in front of her eyes.
It was a red-bound notebook.
There seemed to be a few words written on it…
“Uh… Quest System?”
“Ah, you’re awake.”
*Snap.*
Before Liya could get a clear look at the book, the person holding it quickly closed it.
“Will? I… What happened to me?”
“Teacher~! You just said you’d take me as a student, and then you fainted. I was so worried.”
Will pouted and said in a high-pitched voice.
“Ugh, you don’t have to put on such an act! Besides, I’m not even crying.”
“Ha, actually, you were too rushed. You expended too much energy running over here, and then the Blood Mint accelerated your magic power consumption. It was a brain protection mechanism, forcing you into sleep. Fortunately, it was on the practical exam grounds, and the Priest gave you a few buffs. You should be fine now.”
“Added… Added what?”
“Oh.” Will scratched his head. Some terms came out naturally, but his brain followed suit. “Let me see… Stamina recovery for half an hour, accelerated blood production for half an hour, and magic circuit rest for ten minutes…”
“N-no need to report all of it. So…”
Liya sat up and touched her head. She glanced down; her clothes hadn’t been touched. It seemed whoever brought her here didn’t expect her to sleep for long.
“Did you carry me here?”
“Of course… not. Teacher Liya, although you are slim and delicate, look at me, frail and weak. Do I look like someone who can carry another person? The Priests brought a stretcher and transported you here.”
“I see.”
Liya couldn’t be sure if she felt more relieved or disappointed.
“So, Teacher Liya, when you speak, is your mind clear? Not confused? You still remember now?”
“W-what are you…”
“Well, it’s what you said when you were using this robe to shield me… Wow, that was the best straightforwardness and passion. Please, you must remember…”
“Clear. I remember. So, do you want to be my student?”
Liya crossed her arms, interrupting Will’s recitation of his tsundere tendencies.
And she said it with a clear conscience and a steady heart.
“Ah… Ah?”
What had he done?
How had his tsundere changed into a straight shooter in just a week?
He felt this was the most successful cultivation attempt of his life, as satisfying as directly modifying character attributes as an administrator during development.
“So, answer me quickly. Teacher’s time is precious.”
“Why did you suddenly change your mind?”
“N-nothing… It’s just that I still… have many more years to live, so… so I want to find a capable student.”
Liya clutched her quilt tighter.
She admitted that on this sentence, she had regressed a little.
“If you are willing to take in a student like me with poor talent, I, Will, will not refuse. Moreover… you won an award, this is the Academy’s Rising Star in Scientific Research. It’s not easy to be your student.”
“Huh? Wha… what rising star?”
Just as Liya was thinking, Will stood up and opened the door.
“She’s awake? Sister Liya, are you okay—”
The first to enter was Mary, leaning on her crutches. She looked very worried.
“A s-small problem…”
Liya waved her hand and then realized that the first person she saw upon waking was Will, not her, and not a doctor… Could it be?!
“Wait, Mary, didn’t you tell him to guard here alone?!”
“Ehehe?!”
On the old woman’s face, a rare, childlike mischievous smile appeared.
Then…
As the door opened, a large group of people rushed in from outside.
“Professor Liya, what do you think is the acceptable project budget for Gentle Blessing of Warmth?”
“Professor Liya, what do you think of the newly acquired ‘Ice Array’? What inspiration can it bring?”
“Also, our project is still looking for a cooperating teacher! Won’t you come and take a look?!”
“There’s a project in the Dungeon for mass production and heating of items. Would you like to see it?”
“Wow! Professor Liya, are you still looking for students?”
“How did you go from being an obscure professor with no major national projects to this level?”
…
As above, a crowd of people who had just been following the scientific research competition rushed in from outside.
This left Liya, who hadn’t had proper social interactions or engaged in scientific research for a long time, overwhelmed.
“Wait, I, I, I… I’ll reply to everyone one by one later… Or you can ask him—he’s my student!”
“Hey, is this why you recruited me?!”
…
About half an hour later, the two of them finally dealt with all the messy people and walked out of the school’s infirmary.
“So… so tired. It feels more tiring than creating Gentle Blessing of Warmth once…”
“You’ll have plenty more of that in the future.”
“Why do you seem so relaxed? And very skilled. The Young Master of the Hysterm Family, who is in business, is indeed different.”
Will thought to himself, he had seen plenty of chaotic scenes of the planning meetings, with the art, combat, and system departments fighting each other. This was nothing.
“Well… Right. I booked a turkey dinner for tomorrow. At noon, do you want to come to my home to eat?”
“!!!”
Liya’s eyes lit up, as if she hadn’t eaten for two hundred years.
