The Witch's Anatomical Notes

Chapter 89

Farewell and Departure

In the end, Olivia still accepted the proposal to pursue advanced studies at the Star Law Institute.

On the night before her departure, the two of them intertwined until exhaustion finally parted them.

Olivia took off the necklace around her neck, a keepsake left by her mother, and fastened it onto Lucy’s fair skin.

"Mother said this could protect the wearer from misfortune." Olivia’s lips gently rubbed the collarbone beneath the gemstone. "Now it will watch over you."

Lucy lightly caressed the ruby pendant.

"Once your journey is over, you must come find me."

"Alright."

The two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms.

...

At dawn the next day.

The cold wind atop the tower stirred Lucy’s robe.

She and the members of the Mead Squad watched as Olivia boarded Wizard Theodore’s airship.

When the silver-grey hull began to rise into the air, Olivia suddenly dashed back in front of Lucy and trapped her in an almost suffocating embrace.

"I’ll wait for you." These three words slipped into her ear mixed with warm breaths. "If you dare fool around in the Old Lands—"

Lucy interrupted with a laugh. "Then punish me by never letting me unfasten the buttons of your blouse again."

The airship turned into a streak of light and vanished into the sky.

When Lucy turned around, she was met with the peculiar gazes of the rest of the squad.

Though they had long suspected something, the undisguised affection between two equally beautiful and captivating young women still made their eyes shine.

...

Lucy did not spend a single moment feeling dejected over Olivia’s departure, because she too began to prepare for leaving the tower.

A large amount of basic medicinal materials were stored into the "Key to the Abyss of Nightmares", and she almost wore out the bookshelves in the library as she searched through them.

Thanks to Mentor Fernando’s guarantee, she was permitted to take away a large number of books—particularly anatomical treatises, potionology manuscripts, and travelogues.

When Lilith looked at the now-empty front rows of shelves, the librarian lady’s eyebrow twitched violently.

"Mentor! This is practically emptying out the entire tower!" She turned and protested at an iron crow perched on the counter.

The iron crow’s mechanical eyeball rotated, transforming into a human-like pupil.

"This Tower War is no trivial matter. Keeping these books here might be less safe than letting this little one carry them along."

Lilith let out an "oh" and did not say anything further.

Yet the iron crow once again emitted Tower Master Derrick’s voice. "Our conscription order arrived last night. Afterward, Fernando and I will head to the front lines… Tomorrow you will hand the library keys over to Madam Vine, then leave for two years of field experience…"

This time, however, Lilith uncharacteristically disobeyed her mentor’s instructions. "No, Mentor, I’m not going anywhere. I will remain here in the library. This is the only home I have."

...

On the night before departure.

Lucy knocked on her mentor’s door.

When the door opened, it revealed Fernando’s figure behind the desk.

Lucy stepped into the study. "Mentor, I’ve come to bid you farewell."

Fernando seemed to have already anticipated this.

"Come in and sit."

Once Lucy was seated, he personally brought her a cup of black tea.

Lucy held the cup with both hands and took a sip, letting the fragrance drift between her lips and teeth.

"Your talent in the Anatomical School is exceptional. Your future achievements will surely surpass mine." Fernando took a sip of black tea and continued, "This time, you’ve gained the chance to receive personal guidance from Master Theodosius. You must not grow complacent."

He raised a hand with a wave, and three items appeared in front of Lucy.

Fernando pointed to the first item. "This is a robe I wore in my younger days. It is called Nightwalker."

Lucy received the robe with both hands.

Even though the black robe carried a dull, aged air.

But it was not hard to see that this was a robe far more powerful than any of her current witchcraft equipment.

[Equipment: Nightwalker Robe (A wizard’s robe worn by the Midnight Dissector in his younger days. It permanently solidifies two witchcraft effects: Auto-Repair and Shadow Walker.)]

"A creation of the Occult School, a Wraith Essence." He pointed to a crystal ball. "It seals away dozens of bizarre servants inside. They can be used for combat and reconnaissance, but since it involves the Occult School, you should use it cautiously."

Fernando then gestured toward the last piece of witchcraft equipment, and a trace of puzzlement appeared on his face. "A broom from the Witch’s Cottage. By all accounts, it should be a fine flying tool, but I tried several times and never managed to activate it… You’ll have to figure out how to use it yourself."

These three items were the wagers from the three wizards during the Tri-Tower Tournament.

[Equipment: Wraith Essence.]

[Equipment: Black Cat Broom (A witch’s broom crafted by the great Cat Witch, Molly. It allows female witches to gain temporary flight, but be careful of sudden cat claws that might tear your stockings. When a young woman’s thigh touches the broom, it temporarily grants 1.5 times speed.)]

Lucy’s face darkened.

Was this broom really proper?

Naturally, Fernando knew nothing of the broom’s hidden mischief, and Lucy did not dare reveal a certain old pervert’s peculiar fetish.

"I ought to have prepared more tools for you, but this time everything happened so suddenly…"

A trace of worry surfaced on Fernando’s face.

Even though their mentor-student relationship had only lasted a few short months, Fernando genuinely liked this student who was obsessed with anatomical scholarship.

"Mentor, you’ve already done more than enough for me." Lucy offered the old wizard a sincere bow.

Fernando forced out a smile.

"The circumstances are special, so don’t trouble yourself with saying goodbye to your friends. Leave the Tower of the Four Sages before dawn."

The old wizard helped straighten the collar of her robe. In the silent fragrance of black tea, the two of them completed their farewell.

...

The border of the Principality of Kolo in July.

Cold air carried heavy snow down from the sky. (The Principality of Kolo is located in the Southern Hemisphere, geographically similar to Australia.)

A young woman stood at the edge of the merchant caravan’s encampment.

She wore an old long robe, her silver hair loosely tied behind her head, and her deliberately restrained mental strength made her look no different from an ordinary traveler.

A leather notebook and several quill pens hung from her waist, the attire of a free witch.

Such witches—no, it would be more accurate to say trainee apprentices—typically made their living by selling herbs or low-grade enchanted materials and were common temporary members of merchant caravans.

Indeed, the young woman was Lucy, who had set off on her journey alone, disguised as a wandering scholar.

At this point, it had already been seven full days since she left the Tower of the Four Sages.

As for her reason for joining this caravan—naturally, it was to avoid the hostile witches secretly blocking her path.

"Hey, Miss Felicia!"

At that moment, Leo, the mercenary company’s leader hired by the caravan, carried a greatsword on his shoulder and shouted at her gruffly, "Ahead lies the territory of the Rotten Fang Wolves. Don’t stray too far from the convoy! Watch out you don’t get carried off by them!"

Lucy smiled faintly, her fingertips brushing unobtrusively against the Wraith Essence hidden in her sleeve.

The amber crystal was silently directing several bizarre servants to circle overhead, relaying every movement within a mile back to her.

"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Leo."

Her tone was gentle, as if she truly were a harmless, inexperienced scholar.

When the other mercenaries occasionally cast curious glances her way, she would deliberately reveal a trace of nervousness, gripping the short dagger at her waist whose purpose was more decorative than practical.

Usually, at such times, she would be rewarded with a bright and somewhat clumsy laugh.

A scholar skilled in potions, to mercenaries who licked blood from the blade, was undoubtedly a lifeline.

And so these men, rough by nature, were doing their best to show their goodwill in what they believed was a friendly way.