Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 234

In the underground training facility of Edess Academy, Thilan sat by the edge of a clear pool. Under the fluorescent lights above, the water shimmered with ripples of light. She closed her eyes, raised her palm, and a deep blue flame appeared, twisting and turning until it formed a small ring of blue fire, no larger than her hand. The ring spun above the water, sprinkling tiny sparks that, upon touching the surface, instantly froze the water, forming sharp, crystalline ice flowers.

Soon, the entire pool was frozen, covered in a field of icy blossoms emitting a cold mist.

"It’s still quite different from the teacher’s Ice Lantern Flowers," Thilan murmured, opening her eyes and recalling the techniques she had learned from the Ghost Princess.

Because her talent was related to crystallization and aggregation, it closely resembled the formation of ice. This was why she could quickly learn many of the ice spirit techniques taught by the Ghost Princess. Although she had memorized a lot from the Ghost Princess, she hadn’t truly mastered many of them due to limited time and energy.

After the training expedition, she had begun to summarize her experiences and selectively practice certain skills.

"Greed leads to mediocrity," she thought.

While she knew many powerful secret arts and abilities, mastering them would take a lot of time. For now, she focused on a few that offered the fastest growth.

"It’s been a while since I returned to Swallow Garden Academy. After sorting out the affairs at Edess this week, I’ll have to make time to go back. I also promised to visit Mel’s home," she reminded herself, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

Standing up, Thilan closed and then opened her eyes, a faint blue light glowing within them. The frozen pool quickly melted, the ice crystals dissolving into flowing water once more.

Currently, her strongest form was when she combined both of her talents without restraint, akin to the glorious moon that rose over Lebion that night. However, this form was far too conspicuous. If fully revealed, she wasn’t sure what kind of waves it would cause in the Federation, nor could she control the aftermath. Thus, she rarely used it.

Next was her Songstress form, utilizing the Songstress’ "Soul Resonance" talent to pull the opponent’s consciousness into her mental world, as she had done with Ranbell that night. This was something she had learned from the remnants of Isanisha’s songs and memories.

Then there were the ice spirit techniques taught by the Ghost Princess, combined with the Decay Sequence’s abilities, allowing her to unleash freezing power. She hadn’t used this much during her training, as no enemy had been strong enough to warrant it.

Finally, there was her swordsmanship. Based on what she had learned as a child, combined with the inheritance from Thousand Towers City and various secret arts, she could wield different mystic swords with great flexibility, adapting to various situations with minimal energy consumption.

After organizing and categorizing her current skills, Thilan prepared to leave. It was time to meet today’s guest.

In the afternoon, at the "Black Cat Rica" café in Edess Academy.

Black-clad maids with cat-ear knee-high socks greeted customers as a few students curiously entered to experience the café.

The interior was decorated mostly in black and walnut tones, with soft, indirect lighting creating a relaxing atmosphere. Although the staff wore cat-themed maid outfits, this wasn’t a special-service maid café. It was simply the owner’s preference and the café’s unique style, offering only coffee and simple snacks.

Thilan and Dolores sat in a private booth. Thilan looked around with fresh curiosity, comparing it to her experience working at Crystal Dream last year.

"The environment here is quite nice, isn’t it?" Dolores asked with a smile.

"Yes, it’s very relaxing. Even the violin music is soothing," Thilan commented briefly.

"It’s owned by a friend of mine, though she’s not in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region right now. She’s on a trip to Sickle Seed Star Region."

"Your connections are truly impressive," Thilan said, not for the first time marveling at Dolores’s network.

"You’ll get to know them too someday," Dolores replied, her words sounding both encouraging and prophetic.

The two hadn’t been sitting long when a girl with a handbag walked in. She had long chestnut hair and wore a blue-and-white dress, with a white checkered bag slung over her shoulder.

"Long time no see, Imy."

"Long time no see, Dolores," she replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Her eyes couldn’t help but drift to the black-haired girl beside Dolores.

"This is Thilan, my classmate and the president of the club I’m in," Dolores introduced.

"Hello, I’m Thilan," the girl nodded.

"Uh, hello," Imy responded, seeming a bit uncomfortable. She didn’t quite match the image of someone adept at social situations.

After the introductions, Imy seemed at a loss for words. She wanted to break the awkward silence but didn’t know what to say. After all, she wasn’t particularly close to Dolores.

Back in middle school, Dolores had been the most dazzling presence in class—a wealthy family background, unparalleled beauty, talent, and abilities. She was so far above the rest that envy was pointless. Even if some classmates were jealous, they only dared to whisper behind her back, never openly.

As for Imy, although her family ran a company, she knew it was nothing compared to Dolores’s wealth. The gap between the rich and the poor was vast, but the gap among the rich was even more severe. The wealthy generally didn’t care about the opinions of the poor, but if you were within their circle, careless words could easily lead to trouble.

"Is Imy still in the Indigo Cornflower Club?" Dolores asked.

"Uh, yes. I know, I’ll apply to leave the club soon," Imy replied. The Indigo Cornflower Club’s reputation had taken a hit recently, and Imy was aware of it. She hadn’t left earlier because she feared being labeled a traitor by the club members.

"No need to rush. We just want to understand what’s happening inside the club," Dolores explained.

"Alright, I’ll tell you everything I know," Imy nodded, not worried about Dolores deceiving her. In the circles she knew, Dolores had a good reputation.

"First, what’s the current situation inside the Indigo Cornflower Club? How did they react to the recent incident?" Dolores asked on Thilan’s behalf.

"Let me think..." Imy pondered for a few seconds before organizing her thoughts.

"Sesaron keeps saying it’s not our fault, just biased opinions from outsiders. She says we shouldn’t care about what others think. If we give up our hobbies and habits because of others’ opinions, we’d be fools."

"How do the other members feel?" Thilan continued.

"Most of them agree with her. The club’s atmosphere has gradually influenced everyone to think the same way."

"When I first joined, I found it a bit strange, but now I’ve gotten used to it," Imy recalled.

"This isn’t good."

The fact that the Indigo Cornflower Club remained so stable after the incident showed that Sesaron’s rhetoric was quite effective.

"Her way of thinking easily absolves them of responsibility. These young ladies don’t have to worry about the future like ordinary people, so they naturally prioritize their own comfort."

The two then asked Imy more about the club’s internal dynamics and structure.

"Aside from Sesaron, the most prominent members are Tatanis, Huna, and Pecosy."

"Tatanis is the second daughter of ’Frozen Ore.’ Huna’s mother was a famous actress. Pecosy’s uncle is a high-ranking official in Southern 2nd District. They all come from wealthy families and have strong personalities. Many in the club revolve around them, and Sesaron often gathers with them, maintaining close relationships."

"How close are they?" Dolores asked curiously.

She was well aware of the habits and dynamics of upper-class circles. Even if people appeared to get along and socialize frequently, it didn’t necessarily mean they were truly close. Often, it was just for appearances.

"I’m not sure. I don’t interact much with them. I’m more of a peripheral member," Imy replied softly.

After some more conversation and two rounds of coffee, the sky outside began to darken. The two didn’t keep Imy any longer and bid her farewell.

"Imy may be a bit vain, but she’s not a bad person. Her family doesn’t pay much attention to her, focusing more on her younger brother," Dolores explained Imy’s family situation to Thilan.

"With proper guidance, she could become a good person."

"I understand," Thilan nodded.

After sitting for a while longer, the two stood up, paid the bill, and left.

Over the next two days, with Dolores’s help, Thilan gradually gained a clearer understanding of the Indigo Cornflower Club’s internal situation.

"Sesaron holds the dominant position. She’s close to the other core members and often invites them to her home or outings."

"Can we break through these three core members?"

"That depends on how determined you are, Thilan," Dolores smiled at her.

"Tatanis’s family, ’Frozen Ore,’ has significant operations in the northern regions, including 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th District. They’re a dominant local enterprise in the Verdant Veil, but their expansion attempts outside have failed in recent years."

"Huna’s mother, Juana, was a rare celebrity actress in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region. After marrying into a wealthy family, she enjoyed a period of glamour but was later looked down upon by her in-laws. After a long struggle, she finally divorced and received a settlement. Huna’s older brother, Juan York, remained in the family as an heir, while Huna lived with her mother."

"Pecosy’s uncle, Wilfred, served as a captain in the exploration fleet in the outer star regions. He retired eight years ago, failed in a political campaign in Southern 1st District, and then moved to Southern 2nd District, where he became a high-ranking official in the security department. He dotes on Pecosy, as he has no children of his own."

"As for Sesaron, you might not believe it, but her family background isn’t as impressive as most people think. Her father was once a corporate executive who later started his own business, quickly rising to become a company CEO. However, after a decade of success, his company began to decline as the market and industries changed. His company’s total assets are now only around 2 billion, insignificant in Southern 1st District."

"On the surface, these seem like perfect, unattainable young ladies, but upon closer inspection, each family has its struggles," Thilan mused. She then glanced at Dolores beside her. This young lady seemed almost perfect, with no apparent hardships.

"Who do you plan to approach first, Thilan?" Dolores asked, unaware of Thilan’s earlier glance.

"I’ll start with Tatanis, but not directly. I’ll first contact her family elders. Many industries in the north need to recover, and I need to help Burning Iron Energy and Black Hammer Heavy Industries regain their footing."

"Frozen Ore is a mineral producer, but the current market for raw ore isn’t great. Interstellar transportation costs are high, and unless it’s high-value-added goods, like ordinary heavy ore, shipping it out would result in losses. It can only be sold domestically, making it hard to expand their network to other star regions."

"Burning Iron and Black Hammer’s production capacity can help accelerate the construction of Shallow Glaze City, reduce costs, and familiarize themselves with new technologies through production. Additionally, the Withered Tree Garden needs to build many glass-domed ecological gardens, requiring a lot of materials and engineering machinery."

"Once these are built, the Withered Tree Garden can produce many special magical fruits for profit, feeding back into the upstream companies. Although Shallow Glaze is a new city, its residents and cultural heritage remain. It can develop into a unique tourist city and also operate in the transcendent faction, transforming the previously closed faction inheritance into an open transcendent school, attracting elites and talents from all over."

"Any excellent skill, if not kept updated and iterated, will eventually fall behind. Thousand Towers City suffered from being too closed off."

"But this will take time, as it’s a significant shift from previous customs and habits."

"Thilan, you’ve thought of everything, haven’t you? Not a single detail missed," Dolores said, wanting to pinch the black-haired girl’s cheek but being deftly avoided.

"As for Pecosy, you can ask Evony for help. Her father is a high-ranking official in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region. A single call from him would make Pecosy’s uncle, Wilfred, understand the importance of discipline. He’s a military man, after all," Dolores suggested.

"As for Huna, I’m not familiar with the entertainment industry. Maybe you can ask Ruby. She’s not a big star, but she should know about the industry."

"Once the three core members leave the club, Sesaron will be isolated. Making her publicly apologize will become much easier."

"Yes, that’s true, but it still feels a bit mean," Thilan said. She had always been someone who resisted and refused passively. It felt strange to be taking the initiative now.

"Are you persecuting them? You’re just making them acknowledge their mistakes. Thilan, you’re still too naive, but that’s what I like about you," Dolores finally caught Thilan’s shoulder, holding her in place, and pinched her cheek.

"Alright, Dolores, you’re right. Can you let go now?"

After some playful banter, the two sat down again, and Dolores poured Thilan a cup of tea she had brewed.

"The main thing is, we’re not adults yet, so many punitive measures aren’t available to us. Reaching out to their elders and backers is the best way to solve the problem."

"But everyone grows up eventually. There will come a day when the elders grow old, and we’ll have to support our families and everything else."