Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Riding the familiar flying craft, its grey wings sliced through the drifting clouds as it descended once more into the lush green mountains. When the hatch opened, Tilan felt a chill in her legs, followed by a gust of cold air filling her sleeves and swirling under her skirt.

Although the valley forest before her eyes was a deep green, with evergreen trees standing tall, the white snow on the distant peaks and the white breath she exhaled both told of the winter season.

The girl, carrying her suitcase down the escalator, noticed that the Indigo Snake inside seemed to sense the familiar environment. It poked its head out, looking at the outside world through the gaps and holes in the case, while the giant spider at the girl's feet sprang up, leaping into the forest—probably to take a romp before following her back.

"Go ahead and play, you've been cooped up for far too long," Tilan said as she opened the suitcase, letting the Indigo Snake slither out to look around curiously for something new and interesting.

During the time at Edith Academy, although they had opportunities to get out and move, it was not as free as it was at Yuanting Academy.

Compared to ordinary snakes, the Sunlight Snake is a rare homeothermic species, which doesn't hibernate unless it encounters extremely cold weather. Winter is, in fact, a more active season for it in the wild.

Walking on a snowy forest path, a crunching sound occasionally came from underfoot, heard whenever she compressed the fluffy snowflakes with her steps.

Tilan was not in a hurry to get to school but strolled through the snow, appreciating the scenery along the way, sometimes plucking the clear ice formed on branches, holding it in her hand to examine.

After tiring of this amusement, she threw the clear ice hook away, and both the giant spider and the Indigo Snake leaped after it, vying to shatter this icy stick, eliciting a light laugh from the girl.

Since it was winter, the path to the landing pad was deserted and very quiet. The girl, the snake, and the spider proceeded stop-and-go, sometimes observing the little flowers in the snow by the roadside, sometimes squatting under a tree to watch the spider dig out nuts from the ground and applauding, or to see the Indigo Snake breathe fire into the snow to make a small fire, and then grill fruit for them to eat together.

It took nearly two hours for Tilan to cover this short distance, after which she finally came to the bustling mountain street with people around.

The mountain path here had a roadway hanging over a cliff on one side, and on the other, lively decorated stores. Through transparent curtain walls, one could see the warm lights within the stores and the many people coming and going.

Because Yuanting Academy is located here, this street is quite popular, with many students gathering here for meals or shopping. There are also some tourists who come to buy pet-related items, such as various pet foods, Spiritual Medicine, treatment at hospitals, or breeding houses. Often one could see that some shopkeepers and staff members are graduates of Yuanting Academy.

"Alright, time to go back into the suitcase," Tilan said, setting down her suitcase for the Indigo Snake to crawl inside.

It was not that she was worried about it attacking people, but after all, it was a snake, and many people are afraid of them.

As for the giant spider, the creature could turn invisible and hide in Tilan's shadow, enjoying freedom on its own.

Picking up the suitcase again, Tilan walked into the street, looking past the various shops before choosing a restaurant to enter.

Sitting on a wooden light-yellow chair, she ordered a serving of spicy beef noodles and waited contentedly, watching the falling snow outside, the glass wall inside the room misted up with condensed dew due to the temperature difference.

When the noodles were served, Tilan ate delicately, careful not to make big movements that could splash the spicy oil onto her clothes.

The warm and bustling atmosphere inside, with many customers talking, sometimes about life and sometimes about recent events, was filled with harmony, evoking a touch of nostalgia and a longing for home.

But well, the place where she was now, that was home because she was the only one in her family.

Normally, one would feel lonely, but Tilan didn't feel that way at the moment. Perhaps she had already gotten used to it; sometimes she even felt happy being alone, with everything under her control, free from constraints.

After returning to campus, Tilan had a good day's sleep before reporting to the Ghost Princess the next day and continued learning things related to being a Songstress.

One day, after finishing today's lesson, the Ghost Princess asked about Tilan's current academic progress.

"So you mean to say, you haven't chosen a partner to nurture yet?" she knew that students at Yuanting Academy begin learning to nurture Transcendent creatures in their second year.

"Uh, yes." Oh no, she seemed to have forgotten an important matter, Tilan blinked her eyes.
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"You should pick one; otherwise, after you graduate from Yuanting Academy, it would be rather unfortunate to have raised no animals at all," the Ghost Princess shook her head.

"I was an Ice Spirit in my previous life, raised aurora birds, rode unicorns, and occasionally fed the great boars in the forest. I recall those memories as quite joyful and beautiful," she reflected.

"Don't be too utilitarian; that won't lead to happiness," the Ghost Princess advised.

"I will make a good choice," she nodded in agreement.

In the following days, the girl picked out her new animal companion at the Yuanting Academy Breeding House, guided by Agnes, the class president from Hexia's class.

"So Hexia is also choosing her new companion. It seems she's well-prepared," Agnes commented while introducing the various creatures to the girl, with a tricolored squirrel perched on her shoulder curiously surveying the surroundings.

Seeing the girl's interest, Agnes explained, "This is a 'Glimmer Squirrel' I've recently been raising. It doesn't have much combat ability, but it's excellent at finding things. I'm planning to explore outer star regions after graduation, and it will be a great companion."

"Exploration?" the girl asked, intrigued, as the term was rarely encountered in modern society.

"Yes, some undeveloped ancient planets are teeming with vegetation but have yet to see the emergence of higher intelligence life forms."

"Such planets hold high scientific value, needing botanists to reside and conduct long-term surveys, searching and recording, observing and analyzing—I aspire to do this kind of work."

"Also in need of exploration are abandoned planets leftover from the Fifth Epoch, which are filled with various radiations and toxins, and may still harbor residual life forms and combat units, making them quite dangerous. Typically, survey teams would be fully armed."

"I wouldn't go to the second type, but I long for the first," Agnes concluded while showing Hexia the various juvenile animals.

"Do you like this white big cat? It's a variation of the Golden Waves Tiger. It grows up to be very strong, and its fur is very warm," Agnes pointed to a little one in a glass incubator not far away that had just opened its eyes.

A white tiger? Involuntarily, the girl thought of Mel's.

"Forget it, it's too big." She wanted to raise a bird.

"How about this one then?" Agnes gestured toward a large caterpillar perched on a leaf nearby.

"It might look a bit ugly now, but it'll grow into a beautiful butterfly."

"Hmm, I do like butterflies, but..." She hesitated, wondering if she could admit her slight fear of insects.

"Okay, then I won't recommend any more. Hexia, take your pick," Agnes said with a smile, winking before leading the girl further on.

Eventually, Hexia selected several snow-white eggs from among the various small animals.

"These are Light Cotton Bird eggs, also one of the oldest breeding companions at Yuanting Academy. The most famous evolution endpoint among them is the Sequence 8 'Heavenly Mandate Kite.' If Hexia chooses them, one could say she has a very forward-looking vision," a breeding instructor introduced to the pair.

"These are the ones," Hexia made her decision, reminiscing about the past stories and history that Mel had once shared with her, and ultimately coming to a halt here.

Perhaps it was the nostalgia for that beautiful Jade Skirt or the desire to fulfill that uncompleted wish—she took the eggs as they were taken out of the incubator.

Feeling the little lives inside just beginning to sprout, a faint sense of anticipation and warmth flowed through her heart.

"You all need to grow up well," the girl silently urged in her heart, placing them into a box padded with cotton and feathers, then cradling the box against her chest to keep them warm and protected.