Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 224

"Right, this is the spot. Dolores, just adjust the instrument a bit more to the left."

Under the sunlight, the two girls were setting up equipment on a deserted hilltop, preparing to record data.

A few minutes later, the instruments were in place, and all that was left was to wait for about ten minutes for the data collection to complete.

The two sat on a rock on the hillside, leaning against each other as they chatted, occasionally touching on their hobbies and recent experiences.

Once the data collection was finished, they packed up the equipment and loaded it back onto the small plane, ready to take off for the next location.

Five days wasn’t a long time, and most of the places they visited were uninhabited. Only once did they encounter a special situation—a sampling point that had been taken over by a group of wandering troublemakers. After a brief moment of hesitation, the two decided to clear out the hideout.

After a scuffle, Thilan discovered equipment in the underground hideout used to produce certain chemical substances. It turned out to be a setup for manufacturing addictive hallucinogenic drugs.

They set the place on fire, handed the troublemakers over to the nearest police station, collected their data, and then flew off.

As they flew over the landscape, collecting data along the way, the five days passed quickly. Once all the sampling points were completed, they returned to the small town where they had started.

The small plane, resembling a plump warbler, landed gently in the courtyard, its landing gear stabilizing as it touched down. The two girls jumped out of the plane.

"It feels like we’ve been on a long trip, even though it’s only been five days."

Back at their lodgings, they first took showers and then finally got to sleep in soft, comfortable beds. Thilan wrapped herself in the blanket and quickly fell asleep. When Dolores returned to the room after her shower, she found her companion already breathing steadily in deep slumber.

"Such a little sleepyhead," Dolores poked Thilan’s cheek, then sat by the bed, flipping through the photos they had taken over the past few days. After a while, she too felt drowsy and went to sleep.

The next day, everyone gradually returned to the church.

"And so, our training journey has finally come to an end," N announced in the church hall, eliciting scattered applause from the group.

"Regardless, I’m quite pleased to see that all of you made it through without anyone dropping out."

"Originally, I expected that some of you might not adapt, grow bored, or try to take shortcuts along the way. But thankfully, none of that happened." With that, N clapped his hands.

"As for the gains from this training, I’d like you all to write a reflection. Not just a perfunctory one, but something that comes from the heart—your memories, thoughts, and summaries."

"Once you’ve written it, you don’t need to hand it in to me or the academy. Keep it for yourself. Years from now, when you look back, you’ll find this journey even more meaningful."

"There’s still some time before we return to school. Over the next few days, you can relax around here or travel to other parts of the north. Though I imagine you’re probably not in the mood for more travel, haha."

"That’s true. Right now, I just want to curl up in my room, sleep, play games, and eat all sorts of delicious food," Jinzerk raised his hand. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Previously, he had found life dull and monotonous, but the experiences of the past few days had been far too intense. Now, he just wanted a few days of peace and quiet.

"Speaking of which, we haven’t had a proper group meal yet. How about we all gather in the church tomorrow for a potluck? We can each buy ingredients and cook together. What do you think?" Iyepher suggested.

"I’m in, though I’ll probably just buy a bunch of barbecue meat," Jinzerk was the first to agree.

"I think we should make some special local snacks," Guro stroked his chin.

"It’s got to be spicy to be flavorful!" Simu gave a thumbs up.

"I kind of miss the bat soup from my hometown," Xelian leaned against the church windowsill.

"Fresh peaches, cherries, and ripe apricots~" Iyepher listed off some fruits.

"Some light pastries would be nice too," Evony tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Desserts are the real deal~" Ruby held up two fingers.

"I’d like some purple wine to go with it," Alen shared his thoughts.

"I still prefer clear black tea," Dolores glanced at Thilan beside her.

"Haha, I’ll go with black beer. It pairs well with tasty food," Phyllis walked over with a glass of water.

"I’m not picky, but if I had to choose, I’d love the honey-glazed ham Father used to make for us when we were kids," Valk’s voice was full of nostalgia.

"What about you, Thilan? What do you like?" Dolores walked over to the bench and sat down next to the girl who seemed lost in thought.

"For me, I’d like to have some fish. I guess it’s because I didn’t get to eat it much before," Thilan replied, as fishing was underdeveloped underground.

"Then we’ll make cod soup for Thilan," the others responded with a smile.

"Looks like we’ll have to prepare well today. Tomorrow’s going to be lively."

"By the way, can we invite the kids from the church to join us? It’ll be more fun with more people," someone suggested.

"I’ll talk to Father Berys. I don’t think he’ll refuse."

"It’s a rare chance to relax. Who’s going to go shopping for ingredients with Ruby today?" Ruby stood on the bench, raising her hand high.

The once quiet church began to buzz with activity. The children, hearing the news, cheered in the classroom. Under Father Berys’s resigned expression, they put down their pens and gathered around Ruby, each listing their favorite foods and dishes. The group did their best to accommodate everyone’s requests.

An hour later, Ruby, having collected all the requests, led a large group to the supermarket. The church was given a day off, becoming much quieter.

Sitting under the big tree in the church’s backyard, Thilan flipped through an old illustrated book of poems she had found in the church. It was a birthday gift the pastor had bought for the children many years ago, but its owners had changed several times since then, and the pages showed signs of wear.

“The young nobleman in white who sought the path of a hero, and his childhood companion, a servant who aspired to the way of the assassin.”

“In their youth, they practiced swordplay together, their bond tight, seeing each other as the best of friends and rivals.”

“In a lush green forest backdrop, two boys stood back-to-back, one dressed in white and the other in black. The white-clad boy had golden hair, while the black-clad boy had short wine-red hair. Each held a sword, their gazes forward, filled with different but equally firm convictions.”

“But their fates were destined to diverge, and as they grew, their paths grew further apart.”

“The noble-born young man, leveraging his family’s power, rose through the ranks of the empire, becoming a shining new star and renowned general on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the common-born boy gradually faded into the shadows, his name never heard again.”

In the illustration, the two walked down diverging paths—one leading to a white castle tower, the other into the dark depths of the forest.

“But it wasn’t over. The two, now on different paths, eventually crossed swords once more. They accused each other of straying from the right path.”

“Holding swords of different lengths, they clashed, sparks flying where their blades met. The white-clad man wore a general’s coat, while the black-clad man was dressed in a dark assassin outfit, only his eyes visible.”

“Crossed blades, diverging beliefs—once friends, now the greatest of enemies.”

“A fate to be lamented, a cruel joke, yet unforgettable.”

“Remembering the days when they stood together under the setting sun, shouting into the wind. Oh, time, if only you could stop, how beautiful it would be.”

At the end of the poem, on the horizon where the two crossed paths, a golden glow faintly revealed the scene of their youthful days, leaping and shouting together.

Thilan’s fingers turned the last page, but there was nothing more—only the worn, faded cover.

"Do you like stories like this, Thilan?"

A familiar voice came from above just as the girl was still immersed in the tale.

Evony, with her long golden hair, leaned over, her hands resting on her white dress as she looked down at the girl sitting under the tree. Her hair shimmered in the golden sunset, glowing like gold.

====================

T/N: Poem about Isaiah and Rock’s journey in She is Not a Witch~