"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 9: The Stingy Tea Treasure~
 

Jiang Cha didn’t want to bother her roommates. Her hunger for knowledge was stronger than anything else. Tonight, she'd focus on catching up.
After all, she’d already been late by a full month—there was no time to waste.
Back in her room, she snapped her fingers. Soft blue lights flickered from her fingertips and drifted through the air, activating the magical devices around her.

The chandelier lit up. The air conditioner hummed to life. A large, ornate wall clock—straight out of a medieval castle—ticked once, then began projecting a soft virtual screen. It adjusted her future alarm schedule and disabled the hourly chime.
"Feels... empty."
She sighed. Her current living space lacked the breath of life. There was a shopping street on campus, but she didn’t have a single coin to her name. Even the robe she wore had been a free gift from Qu Sinan. It only slightly amplified magic power.

Far more useful was the [Solidification Cleansing] enchantment on it—infuse it with mana, and the robe would clean itself ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) instantly.
"I really need to earn money."
Thankfully, she’d spent the afternoon learning. In witch society, every witch could make magical items. This had led to an extremely lively and chaotic flea market culture.

And witches loved flea markets.
As long as your creations were well-made, fun, cheap, or convenient, they’d sell. Even first-years could earn money turning imagination into tangible goods.
Better yet, there were no production patents. Only academic theories received citation royalties in papers. Anyone could replicate items freely. This was the true form of knowledge supremacy.

Of course, quality control was questionable—but reputation mattered. And if you couldn’t make your own items, you could apprentice in a workshop. That route paid poorly and was mostly taken by those with low magic or poor families.
"Start-up capital..."
All magical production—alchemy, potion-making, machinery—required basic tools and raw materials. They weren’t expensive, but they were still out of reach for Jiang Cha right now.

No skills, no tools, no money.
But there was another option.
Witch clubs.

At Aislyn, student-run clubs were practically mini-companies. Some had business ties with front-line witches. The Alchemy Club, Potion Club, and Battle Club were top examples. They sold products, paid student creators, and reinvested profits into equipment and training.
Clubs were resource-rich, and Jiang Cha set her sights on them. Not the Battle Club, obviously—she didn’t look the type.
But alchemy, potion-making, machinery, puppetry? Each one offered a path forward.
There would be entrance exams, though. She’d need to decide on a specialty and prepare. Even if she couldn’t practice yet, she had to ace the theory.

"Which one...?"
She rested her chin in one hand. All the basic branches were important—and profitable.
But high-tech products usually combined multiple disciplines. More complexity, more profit.

So... specialize or go all in?
"Forget it. Let’s study first. Maybe the answer will come."
Despite their casual image, witches were very thorough in writing textbooks.

Her current read, Simple Magic Mechanics, laid everything out clearly. It began with a bold claim:
Magic is omnipotent.
She paused.

"A Grand Unified Theory?"
Not quite.
Unlike science, which explains laws and builds upon them, magic distorts those very laws. It bends reality. Defies logic.

Her head hurt.
The opening chapter detailed magic’s nature. The next covered its uses—particularly as an energy source. Disadvantages? Virtually none.
She hadn’t reached the chapters on alchemy or machinery yet, but she’d learned enough for now. The content was deeply theoretical—useful later, not now.

She closed her eyes and took five minutes to rest, letting her mind process it.
Her magic, Information Collection, was a student’s dream. Custom-tailored for learning, its mana usage was absurd—214 units per second. Other witches would need twice that. Only high-tier mages could maintain such costs.
It granted her a ridiculous learning boost. Side perks included perfect muscle control and natural martial arts talent—but in a magic-focused society, learning was king.

Miss Moore had been right.
Jiang Cha was a genius.
And now that she understood the nature of magic, her decision was clear: she’d pursue all four disciplines.

She’d need it—to survive, to thrive, to pay her tuition.
Her scholarship only covered the first year.
After that, she was on her own.

"I won’t waste this gift. I’ll head to the library tomorrow."
First-year students only had four core courses. Secondary disciplines began in year two, but books could be borrowed early. Self-study was encouraged. Only combat-track students spent all their time in the Battle Club.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a childish voice.

"Open the window! Pixie Express!!"
Loud knocking followed. She blinked and looked up.
Hovering outside her window was... a tiny girl with cat ears and a fluffy tail, riding what looked like a miniature sci-fi motorcycle.

She was barely thirty centimeters tall. More figurine than person.
"A familiar? A magical creature?"
Unsure, Jiang Cha opened the window.

"Here’s your campus delivery slip. Please confirm and sign."
The cat-eared courier tossed her a paper. Jiang Cha read it—it was a list of standard-issue daily items.
She signed, and while the little one clambered back onto her bike, Jiang Cha reached out to help her up.

Unexpectedly, the courier looked pleased.
"First one’s free. Next time you touch me—five witch coins!"
With a wink, she hurled the tiny package into the room and sped off.

Jiang Cha stood frozen.
This society really was something else.
...But still.

"Charging for being touched...? I won’t touch you next time. I’m broke."