Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

A month isn’t a long time. By now, admission processes at various schools across Verdant Veil had either entered the interview stage or were wrapping up. This included Edess Academy, one of the top four institutions in the star system.

Southern District, B12 Sector.

Unlike the grand architectural styles built into the mountains in the Northern District, the structures in the Southern District align more with humanity’s vision of a futuristic technological utopia. The entire district is divided into 54 massive hexagonal sectors that fit together seamlessly and can even move if necessary.

Among these, six sectors are dedicated to living services, offering activities like shopping, dining, recreation, and wellness in crystalline commercial complexes. Twelve sectors are residential, dotted with parks and public facilities such as hospitals and police stations. Five sectors are used by the federal government, as Verdant Veil is the capital and home to numerous federal headquarters. Twelve others house businesses and corporations.

Beyond these, functional sectors cater to specific needs, such as spacecraft ports, military bases, industrial zones, and schools.

Edess Academy occupies one such sector entirely, a space equivalent in size to the entire Arpeggio City. Its vast grounds include independent forests, lakes, and even a ski resort. Two major corporations collaborating closely with the academy have established their labs and R&D centers within the campus.

With pristine grounds, autonomous service units at every corner, a beautiful environment, and top-tier instructors and equipment, Edess’s students grow up with unparalleled opportunities. It’s akin to running on a fast-moving train, leaving students from ordinary schools struggling to keep up.

Technology has propelled progress and made life more convenient, but it has also widened certain gaps—ones no amount of effort in isolation can bridge anymore.

…

At this moment, a meeting had just concluded in the boardroom of Edess Academy. High-ranking members of the board began leaving one by one.

“Director Hayden, good day. I’m Fernandi. I’d like to report something to you,” a tall man carrying a folder approached an elderly man exiting the meeting room.

“Ah, Fernandi. What is it?” The elderly director recognized the man immediately. After all, Fernandi had been one of the students he supported during his youth, and his current position at Edess Academy was largely thanks to Hayden’s influence.

“Please, this way,” Fernandi gestured toward a balcony that jutted out into the air. The hallway wasn’t a suitable place for detailed discussions. A wave of his hand summoned an autonomous unit, which brought beverages for the two men.

“Here’s the situation…” Fernandi began, recounting the story of a uniquely gifted girl he had encountered a month prior in the Northern 7th District.

“Ah, I see. Granting her special admission is certainly possible. But since you’ve brought this to me, there must be some complications,” Director Hayden spoke calmly.

“Exactly, Director.” Fernandi opened the folder in his hand.

“Students admitted through special channels undergo rigorous background checks to ensure there are no issues. But this seemingly ordinary girl has raised numerous questions, causing her application to stall at this stage.” He spread out the documents, which included photos of Hestia during her school days, evaluations from students and teachers, as well as detailed information about her parents and, particularly, her sister, Themisia.

Upon seeing the photo of the dark-haired, violet-eyed girl, the elderly man fell into contemplation.

“Themisia… That’s a name I’ll never forget,” he murmured.

Four years ago, Edess Academy had one of its most talented cohorts. Under their leadership, the school team defeated numerous rivals across the Four-Leaf Crystal Star System, reaching the finals. There, they encountered a girl from Saint Ingo Academy.

Themisia was like a violet comet streaking across the night sky. In the finals, she single-handedly defeated four of Edess’s brightest, crushing their hopes of claiming the system’s top academy title and forcing them to settle for second place once more.

“However, rumors say Themisia met with an accident later, and Saint Ingo Academy has since prohibited any mention of her name,” Hayden set the document aside.

“That’s true. But as our investigation deepened, the situation turned out to be far more complex.”

Fernandi explained further. “For instance, their father’s records contain significant ambiguities. Upon verification, we suspect they’re forged. Such extensive forgery suggests powerful individuals or groups backing him.”

“Thankfully, their mother’s records provided some leads, which in turn uncovered another identity for their father.”

He produced a document bearing the photo of a short-haired, imposing man. His demeanor was entirely different from the mild-mannered office worker Hestia remembered—radiating menace and lethality.

“A key operative of the Moku Bureau, ranked as Blade Sequence 6 among high-level transcendents. He participated in corporate espionage, patent wars, and other high-stakes missions before vanishing over 20 years ago…”

Figures operating in the gray zones of society often earned the trust and employment of major corporations but were never allowed too close, much like dangerous weapons.

After a long pause, Hayden set down the document, closing his eyes in thought.

“No wonder you hesitated—her sister’s precedent and her father’s history both make this situation delicate.”

“Is her father still around?” he asked, opening his eyes.

“No, according to records, he disappeared over a year ago,” Fernandi replied.

“Likely to avoid bringing trouble to his family. A man like him would only attract danger to those nearby. I suspect he deliberately vanished.”

“Faking his death would’ve been easier, but that would devastate his daughters—especially Hestia, so young and having already lost so much.”

After another moment of silence, Hayden finally spoke.

“I’ll explain to the board. Take the necessary documents and head to 7th District to bring her to the Southern District.”

“If her sister created miracles, there’s no reason the younger sibling can’t do the same. Edess Academy has already stumbled once in our bid for first place in the star system. We can’t afford to fail again.” Rising to his feet, the elder’s voice grew firm.

“Besides, I’d love to see the look on Saint Ingo Academy’s faces when she represents us.”

“Saint Ingo failed to support Themisia’s family after her death, which suggests their relationship wasn’t as amicable as it appeared. Now, their institution, though filled with influential students, suffers from arrogance and internal conflict.”

Staring into the distance, Hayden concluded, “If not for Themisia’s brief brilliance, the system’s top spot would’ve rotated long ago. Those in power have grown rotten, draining the Four-Leaf Crystal System’s potential.”

…

Three hours later, a white aircraft adorned with blue rose patterns took off. It soared over Verdant Veil’s vast oceans and navigated through layers of toxic rainclouds, heading for a distant, overlooked northern city.

Destiny would soon entwine with a fateful name once more, rekindling past connections and inescapable legacies.