Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

"Tilan, take me with you." Ores hugged Tilan, speaking with a mixture of pleading and playfulness.

"I really wish I could take you out, Ores, but it's not possible this time." The girl patted Ores' back, feeling like she was hugging a life-sized doll. After letting Ores hug her for a while, Tilan released her grip and explained the reason.

"This time, there are many tasks to execute, and besides, Ores is too beautiful. If you go there, bad people might try to take you away." Tilan blinked and told the naive Elf.

Due to the urgent food issue that needed resolving quickly, Tilan truly didn't have the energy to look after Ores on the road. Additionally, the camp genuinely needed Ores because activating and using the Rhythmic Crystal required her. The overall strength of the Transcendents here was lacking; even the highest in the Heshan Rescue Association was just Sequence 4, let alone others. Only Ores could stably utilize the Rhythmic Crystal.

Moreover, Ores herself is a Songstress. Even though she lost her memory, many of her instincts were still intact. With her around, camp disputes could be well-managed. Besides, she was also strong in combat; apart from Tilan and Loloria, no one in the camp was stronger. If Ores regained her memory, by Tilan's estimation, she could even hold her own against Loloria.

"Did you learn the usage method I taught you today?" Seeing Ores' emotions stabilize a bit, Tilan took out the Rhythmic Crystal and placed it in Ores' palm.

"Yes, Ores learned it." She answered proudly and happily, feeling that even with memory loss, such things were still very simple for her.

"That's good, let me think. Later, Mimi will tell you where to use it. If you don't understand, just ask her. If anyone in the camp makes you feel uncomfortable or unsure how to respond, talk to Ore, the big gentle moose; he'll help you solve it." The girl advised and instructed once again.

"Let me think, do you still remember the songs I taught you last winter?"

"I remember, Tilan taught me, I remember." Ores nodded.

"Hmm, in the evening, you can sit by the campfire and sing a couple of songs for everyone. They've been through a lot of sadness and difficulty and need you to comfort them. I believe Ores can do it." After imparting quite a bit of daily knowledge to Ores, Tilan was also preparing to enable her to step out of the small room and engage with the world independently.

"Ores, I will."

Hearing the tasks given by Tilan, Ores felt a bit of anticipation, and her mood slightly improved, perhaps feeling the joy of being recognized and needed.

"Keep it up, Ores." Afterward, Tilan hugged Ores again, feeling her soft body with a slight cold fragrance, before releasing her after a while.

"I'll be going now." Tilan waved her hand to say goodbye.

Several minutes later, the caravan finished preparations and set off from the small hillock on the prairie. The tawny oxen shook their heads and began to move their hooves, pulling the wagons loaded with supplies. The iron bells hanging from the leading ox could be heard from afar.

Thus, the crisp sound of the bells accompanied the caravan as they gradually traveled across the prairie, with the silhouettes of the group slowly disappearing into the distant horizon.

...

On the first day, Tilan and the others' oxen caravan did not encounter any settlements or travelers. This area had recently been ravaged by a locust plague, causing many settlements either to be destroyed or to migrate. Along the way, they saw several broken wagons and scattered bones on the grass.

After a simple burial for the dead bodies, the group took whatever usable materials they could from the broken wagons, loaded them onto their carts, and continued forward.

Due to the limited number of oxen carts, the caravan consisted of only 16 people, including Loloria, Sura, Flan, Guy, three technical members of the Heshan Rescue Association, and other new members of the camp. Many of these new members were people whom Hexia guided the Heshan Rescue Association to save from various settlements on their journey to the prairie for refuge.

Even though they hadn't known each other for long, the impression they had of one another over the past few days was quite positive. Plus, having Hexia to thank for their rescue, many still held feelings of gratitude, especially in a world where kindness was a rare species.

"I remember that you're also a member of the Grey Feather Species, so why didn't you escape with the main group at that time?" On the carriage, Tilan asked the young man in front of her with some interest. He had not-so-dark hair and wore dyed black leather armor.

"I had a unique way of thinking at that time. I thought that following a large group made us a bigger target, while traveling alone might not attract those bugs' attention. Plus, our Grey Feather Species naturally has a strong ability to hide our auras, so I boldly decided to escape on my own." He scratched his nose a bit awkwardly as he spoke.

"But I still ran into problems on the road. The horse I was riding couldn't conceal its aura like I could. If I abandoned it and relied solely on my legs, even as a Transcendent, I'd eventually run out of energy on such a long journey."

"So first I galloped on horseback for a long time, then I abandoned the horse and traveled quickly under the night sky. I thought I had escaped, but due to unfamiliarity with the terrain, I ended up in a certain valley and it took some time to get out. By then, the bugs were conveniently flying overhead." He expressed a feeling of helplessness as he spoke.

"From that point on, it was a continuous struggle with the bugs while fleeing for my life."