CHAPTER 1484: CHAPTER 1484: THE TEACHERS

Fiona, who was embracing and kissing Shard, froze instantly as she looked at the scene before her.

The witch sitting on the left side of the table wore laced women’s tall fabric boots. Her yellow hair flowed down the back of her spring green long dress, which was adorned with intricate lace decorations on the front and densely embroidered with Elven Runes on the sleeves.

This Half-elf Witch with pointed ears wore a yellow crescent-shaped earring on one ear and a silver crescent-shaped earring on the other. As Fiona’s teacher, Miss Briony Orlando was holding a white porcelain teacup, blinking at the two who had suddenly appeared before her. After pausing for a moment, she took a sip of tea but continued to watch them.

On the right side of the table sat another witch, as beautiful as a purple rose, wearing black ladies’ short-heeled boots and a luxurious purple dress. Her golden hair was styled simply and tied up at the back of her head, with a book-shaped ruby earring on her right ear.

Miss Mana Feliana held a notebook in her right hand, and beside her stood a maid with long brown hair bent over, reporting to her. She also looked suspiciously at the two who had inexplicably appeared, embracing each other.

There were actually quite a few people on this level of the glasshouse. However, at this moment, everyone had fallen silent and directed their gazes over. The sound of the stream outside was so loud, and the birds’ melodious singing so delightful, that when Fiona saw the bright and cheerful scene before her, she wished desperately that she had stayed in the City of Eternal Night.

"So this is what home refers to? Truly reasonable. I don’t have a home in this era, but to Fiona, being beside Miss Feliana and Miss Orland is home."

Shard thought to himself, wanting to speak to the two ladies he hadn’t seen in a long time, but his mouth was still unable to move. Thus, the only one whose mouth was not constrained, the humorous cat, gave a "meow" to break the awkward silence, but now the cat’s call made the scene all the more comical.

Upon hearing the cat’s call, Fiona’s mind, previously shocked into stasis, returned to normal. She suddenly pushed Shard away but immediately regretted her action.

Shard, unable to care about much else, quickly said:

"If a soul is tainted with the corruption of this land beneath our feet, what methods aside from the Heart of the Earth are there to cleanse it?"

Miss Orland answered calmly as if she were in a classroom:

"It’s simple. If it can’t be purified and cleansed, transfer the soul’s corruption to another person."

Shard immediately nodded and then asked:

"Regarding The Great One, the Stone Heart Demon, what do you know?"

Miss Feliana looked at Shard’s face, briefly feeling as if she’d returned to the Forest of Thousand Trees, back to that blazing bonfire:

"I gave you those notes, I hope you take them seriously. Regarding the deity you mentioned, aside from those precautions, you should also know that He utterly detests power from the sky."

Shard took a deep breath and finally said:

"Really, it’s truly great to see you both, Miss Feliana, Miss Orland, I..."

He held the cat with one arm and reached out with the other. The Half-elf Witch instinctively grabbed the armrest of her seat to stand up, only to find Shard and the cat were already taken away by a white mist.

She sighed lightly, releasing her grip on the armrest. On the other side of the table, Miss Feliana teased with a smile:

"Don’t be so hasty, Briony, otherwise you’ll end up just like our little Fiona."

Hearing her name mentioned, Fiona could no longer care about her melancholy and regret.

She stiffly withdrew from her earlier embrace with Shard, brushed the white ash from her body, then turned to face her two teachers. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tall trees’ branches and leaves, through the glass, falling upon her, yet the young girl felt no warmth at all.

The relief of narrowly escaping death was overwhelmed by awkwardness and confusion. After stuttering out some unintelligible words, she finally said:

"Teacher Feliana, Teacher Orland, I... I’m back safely."

"Little Fiona, once again looking so disheveled."

Miss Feliana said, while Miss Orland, having composed herself, added:

"Not only disheveled, but already at the Twelfth Rank? Look at that, already learning to show off to her own teacher."

Her tail swayed uneasily behind her. The young witch, head lowered, wasn’t sure how to explain.

Soon, the light sound of the porcelain teacup set on the table made her heartbeat quicken. Fortunately, the emotional teasing did not continue.

"What happened?"

Miss Orland asked. Fiona glanced at her teacher, though the smile remained on her face, her tone lacked any hint of amusement.

The followers of the Demigod Witch and the Thirteenth Rank Witch had now tacitly exited the second floor of the structure created by the witch’s magic "Feliana’s Resting Cabin." Fiona stood there awkwardly, beginning to recount the various "unfortunate events" she encountered after entering the City of Eternal Night.

Her account wasn’t long, as she actually spent most of her time losing consciousness or sleeping in various places. The four 40-minute periods and the last 3 minutes with Shard were the only parts worth recounting.

Though not herself of the Thirteenth Rank, she was a true Demigod upon leaving the City of Eternal Night, and thus remembered every detail clearly.

And once everything had been recounted, even when she blushed while describing her feelings, Miss Orland turned to Miss Feliana for guidance:

"Teacher, this..."

"The contract has been fulfilled. Though the deity gave an additional condition in the end, they truly have fulfilled their promise. So that region in the Far North is ours. Moreover, based on Fiona’s description, the sunlight they noticed at the last second..."

The stunning Demigod Witch paused, a thoughtful expression appearing on her fair face, prompting the Half-elf Witch beside her to adjust the yellow sapphire crescent earring on her right ear and nod gently:

"It’s really a pity; I prefer the scenery of this river valley. The northern part of the Northern Continent is likely very cold."

"The scenery here is indeed beautiful, but the issues with the land beneath our feet are quite serious. Especially after Shard consulted on the issue, this place definitely can’t be chosen as the school location. But fortunately, it’s not a problem we need to resolve."

Miss Feliana said lightly, then added to Fiona:

"You did very well this time, Fiona."

The Red Dragon Girl pursed her lips, unsure of what to say, but Miss Orland spoke up for her:

"Since the minor matters are settled, let’s discuss something important—what’s going on between you and Shard?"

The two witches looked at the girl with a tail, who softly said:

"I... really am useless."

"According to Fiona’s earlier explanation, Shard probably paid a price to appear for those final three minutes. However, Shard’s method was interesting; Fiona suddenly became a demigod. I assume that at some point in the future, Fiona left a part of her power to him, and he brought the echo of that power to our time."

Miss Feliana said, proceeding with the recent arrangements:

"The scenery of this river valley is indeed quite nice, so we’ll spend this spring in the city here and then head to the Northern Continent. I think I need to negotiate with the Eternal Night Deity to determine the future scope of the academy."

"Shard took a fancy to some things in the City of Eternal Night; we can help him obtain them."

Fiona said softly, and the golden-haired Grand Witch, who had laid down her book, nodded:

"It really is a pity; this time, again, we only saw him without a chance to do anything else."

Fiona felt the same; if not for those mere three minutes, she...

"There will be a reunion in the future."

The Half-elf Witch beside her said gently, then asked her student:

"This is already the second time, right? How does it feel to kiss Shard?"

Fiona kept her mouth closed, thinking it best not to say anything at the moment.

"I’ve noticed your time-related power has strengthened to an astonishing degree."

Miss Feliana smiled, interrupting her student’s ’questioning’:

"Rest for a while; I’ll give you a new assignment this winter."

"No problem!"

Fiona immediately responded, then asked:

"What needs to be done this time?"

"This."

A small wooden key beneath some letter paper on the table floated toward the Red Dragon Girl, who caught it:

"Time Key?"

"Yes, corresponding to the early Fifth Era."

Miss Feliana nodded:

"We’ll use some special methods to allow you to communicate with witches from the past in bygone eras."

"That witch was also a demigod, skilled in ice and snow magic."

Miss Orland added.

"Are you intending for me to acquire knowledge on building a castle in ice and snow?"

Fiona asked curiously, but Miss Feliana smiled and shook her head:

"That’s our job.

Fiona, Shard left footprints in the past, though faint, they indeed existed. When we bridge the times of now and past, linking those footprints, we might discover some incredible secrets. Your target is the year 910 of the Fifth Era, the Demigoddess Ice Witch Chloe. Seek traces of Shard; that is your entire task."

Miss Orland considered for a moment, exchanged glances with Miss Feliana, then revealed more critical information:

"Some things can’t be disclosed to you in advance, but since you’ve genuinely touched upon the Secrets of Time, I think it’s time you know. We are not the only ones doing this."