She Is Not a Witch

The four girls wandered from stall to stall, lingering at each window. Before they knew it, Alena was carrying a bag filled with various foods, desserts, barbecue items, and cookies.

By the time they had roughly explored one floor, several hours had passed. Finally, they found a place to sit down, each having bought something. In Emenas’ cafeteria, purchases could be made with money or meal tickets. Students were given a portion of meal tickets each month, ensuring that even those from poorer regions could eat their fill. However, for more luxurious meals, one would definitely need to pay extra.

As it was the first day and meal tickets hadn’t been distributed yet, Leticia covered this meal for the four of them. This young lady from a wealthy family seemed quite rich and didn’t mind spending a little money. Upon hearing that Leticia was treating, Alena began to regret having already bought so much food along the way. Now she couldn’t eat anymore, so she retaliated by ordering a relatively expensive chocolate mousse cake.

Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, was widely grown in the Southern Islands. Alena had liked it since childhood, but due to her average family background, she couldn’t eat much of it usually.

However, if Alena’s family background was considered average, Nya’s could be described as impoverished. She didn’t dare order much, only asking for two butter rolls. Seeing this, Loranhil spent her own money to buy some additional smoked meat slices for her, careful not to choose anything too expensive for fear Nya wouldn’t accept it. For herself, Loranhil ordered bread with a fruit platter.

Leticia opted for a set meal: grilled steak, egg roll, vegetable soup, and a small glass of wine.

The girls sat on bamboo rattan chairs around a small square table, eating and chatting. As the conversation deepened, they gradually became more familiar with each other. Occasional light laughter from the group of girls drew curious glances from passing students.

Among the four, in terms of appearance, Loranhil was the most attractive, followed by Leticia, the golden-haired young lady exuding a golden aura. Next was Nya, a bit shy but very cute. Alena was actually quite pretty too, with a lively and energetic appearance, but her roommates were so beautiful that she seemed less outstanding in comparison.

As the four were dining, a series of exclamations and girlish screams suddenly erupted from the lower level.

“Jerayne~”

“Jerayne!”

“Jerayne…”

A golden-haired young man entered the hall. He was extremely handsome, followed by about 20-30 people. He wore a silver ornate armor with a golden lion’s head on the chest. The edges and contours of the armor were also golden, and he had a large red cape behind him, instantly becoming the center of attention.

“Who’s that?” Some nearby students began to discuss.

“Don’t know.”

“Well, I do.”

“Quick, tell us, good brother.”

“Haha, he’s Jerayne, the eldest son of the Sarius family from the Verdant Empire, the future Duke of Griffin-Lion.”

“Oh, one of the four great ducal families, no wonder.”

“Indeed, any single duke has power comparable to one of the Snow Flower Seven Countries.”

“Isn’t the Snow Flower Alliance already just a name? I heard your side has already split up.”

“That may be so, but if you Verdant dare to come over, we’ll unite in a second, believe it or not.”

“I believe you. Can you bring me meals in the future?”

“That’s the one thing I can’t do, kid.”

“Damn it!”

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

In the spacious hall, Isaiah followed among the group behind Jerayne. As the brother-in-law of Count Wolf-Thorn, he naturally stuck close to the leader of their faction, the eldest son of the Duke of Griffin-Lion, and had become a reserve member of the “Golden-Maned Griffin-Lion” group.

Besides being divided into four major colleges, Emenas also had various student groups. For example, there was the “Time Gear” to which Laniel and Tilera belonged, the “Golden-Maned Griffin-Lion” led by Jerayne, the “True Crimson Rose” of the Red Apostles, the “Angel of Death” studying the stars of chaos, and so on.

The reasons and ideologies behind these groups were very complex. Some were formed due to personal charisma gathering a group of followers, some due to long-term inherited goals, some based on certain schools of thought, and some due to shared hobbies.

According to school regulations, the most basic and smallest group needed at least three core members to be established and had to pass certain assessments. Students could join multiple groups but could only be a core member of one.

The world-renowned Legend of Wind and Moon originated from two groups at Emenas: the “Storm Wind” led by Roland and the “Azure Moon” led by Yalin. As that batch of students graduated, most of them joined their respective camps and later became founding heroes of their countries.

It could be said that these two groups from that year were the embryonic forms of Western Wind and Verdant, the beginning of countless legends.

Although a thousand years have passed and these two groups no longer exist, countless students still view them as idols, longing to follow that glorious path.

“What would everyone like to eat? Feel free to order anything,” the handsome young man who had caused countless girls to scream turned to address the people behind him after entering the hall.

The people behind him were either core members of the “Golden-Maned Griffin-Lion” or new students this year. These new students were the younger generation under the Duke of Griffin-Lion’s network of relationships. They were either children of the duke’s vassals or vassals of vassals, or their relatives.

As the future Duke of Griffin-Lion, Jerayne certainly wasn’t short on money. Today being the first day of school, he naturally wanted to win over and familiarize himself with his future subordinates. Who knows, one of them might become his right-hand man in the future, a military talent, a peerless expert, or a strategic advisor.

Isaiah, following at the back of the group, was also excitedly observing this eldest son of the Griffin-Lion. He had always loved reading hero stories since childhood, and now seeing a living legend up close naturally made him more excited.

The power of the Duke of Griffin-Lion, when compared to those outside of Verdant, could be said to be almost equal to that of a king. Jerayne was destined to become the next king. His powerful strength, striking appearance, and brilliant character were all objects of Isaiah’s admiration.

These people found a spacious area, coincidentally on the same level as Loranhil and her group. After sitting down, they began to introduce themselves.

“Hello everyone, I’m Duncan, from Dark Hammer County…”

“Hello everyone, I’m Linton, from…”

Several new students introduced themselves in turn, and finally, it was Isaiah’s turn.

“Hello everyone, I’m Isaiah, from Eck County…”

“Oh, it’s you, kid. You look a lot like your sister. I attended Comanche’s wedding back then, haha.”

Some students familiar with Count Wolf-Thorn teased him. They were basically from the same circle, so it was normal for them to know each other, which made Isaiah feel a bit more at ease.

Then it was time to order. The boys were more open, ordering mostly large portions of fish and meat. After all, the Duke of Griffin-Lion’s family wasn’t short on money, so they had no reservations.

Some students even got some alcohol. The school cafeteria only sold low-alcohol drinks, but they still started toasting and drinking.

As Loranhil’s roommates finished their meal, they prepared to leave.

“Can we wait a bit? I want to buy some snacks to take back for dinner,” Alena suggested. The others also had similar thoughts, not wanting to come down again in the evening, so they split up to buy some things.

Loranhil was simpler; she actually had quite a bit of food in her luggage, so she just bought some bread and came out, waiting at the balcony where they had been earlier.

It was just past noon, and sunlight poured down from the dome. Occasionally, a few small birds flew through the spacious hall, their lively chirping echoing within. A warbler suddenly landed on a small shrub branch in front of Loranhil, making a “chirp–chirp–” sound.

After toasting with everyone at the table, Jerayne drained his glass and slowly put it down. Sitting in his seat, his eyes unconsciously fell on the girl at the opposite table. At this moment, he was incredibly grateful for the excellent vision granted by his supernatural powers.

The black-haired girl gently bent forward, her silky long hair sliding off her shoulders. She extended her hand, and a small bird landed on her slender white fingers. The girl smiled, and the pale golden sunlight fell on her gentle features, making her as beautiful as a dream.