Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 227

After an unforgettable night, the next day it was time for everyone to leave.

"For now, we’ll take care of things here. It’s time for you all to return to school," said the kind-hearted teacher, surrounded by the children, addressing Valk and the others.

This teacher and her two assistants had been temporarily assigned by Edess Academy to take over the duties of the pastor, who had been sent to a sanatorium for rest. The doctor had recommended that he take a few months off before returning.

"Thank you, Mrs. Xuelin," Valk bowed in gratitude before waving goodbye to the children in the church.

"Brother Valk!" someone called out to him as he walked toward the nearby aircraft.

A few children clung to the churchyard fence, shouting after him.

"Good luck, Brother Valk!" they yelled again. To these children, Valk was their hope and role model. It was because of him that the church had seen so many improvements.

"Yeah... I will," Valk waved again, swallowing hard before responding in a low voice. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

The gray aircraft’s wings spread out, and blue jets of air blasted the ground, creating a gust of wind that made it hard for the children to keep their eyes open. Their clothes and hair fluttered as the engine roared, and the aircraft gradually rose higher and higher, becoming a tiny dot in the sky before disappearing.

"Brother Valk will definitely succeed," one child murmured, looking up at the sky, now empty except for the contrails. It took a while for the teacher to calm them down before they finally let go of the fence.

...

Returning to the bustling Southern 1st District, the streets were filled with hovering vehicles following their designated routes, and various rail transit systems were in constant motion. Huge screens displayed all sorts of information, overwhelming the senses. The drastic change felt like stepping into a world centuries ahead.

After disembarking from the aircraft, Thilan returned to her wisteria-covered home, where Annelie was already waiting for her.

"Welcome back, Thilan," she greeted, lifting her skirt slightly as she stood in the courtyard, flanked by two rows of uniformly dressed black-and-white maids.

"It’s been a while, Annelie," Thilan nodded in thanks before everyone entered the house.

After setting down her luggage, Thilan glanced at the clock. It was only 2 PM, and she had taken a short nap on the plane, so she wasn’t feeling sleepy.

"Did anything happen at the academy while I was away?" the girl asked, sipping her favorite floral tea.

"There were quite a few things. I might end up making you sleepy if I go through all of them," Annelie teased. Thilan had a habit of taking afternoon naps and often dozed off during her reports.

"Cough, I’m not that prone to sleepiness," Thilan replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Let’s hear it. If I do get sleepy, I’ll just stand up and move around a bit."

"Alright, let me think. I’ll start with the simpler things that happened on campus."

"In March, members of the ’Indigo Cornflower’ club booked out a high-end restaurant in Southern 1st District. Unfortunately, they ran into students from Saint Ingo Academy, leading to a conflict. The scene was recorded and posted online, sparking a lot of discussion, most of it negative. This forced the academy to issue an apology and impose restrictions on the Indigo Cornflower club members."

"Then, members of the Hat and Dagger club participated in a niche inter-star region competition and won the championship. This helped restore some of the academy’s reputation, but since the competition was small-scale, the impact wasn’t huge."

"In April, Crystal Grid Academy invited several of our academy’s clubs for a joint training session, seemingly with the intention of forming an alliance. President Amorth responded tactfully, not committing fully. His reasoning was that he would soon graduate, and decisions affecting the next few years should be left to you, Thilan."

"The ’Black Boot Workshop’ collaborated with our academy to develop a new elixir called ’Phantom Elixir,’ which received high praise from the Federation Rainbow Vial Agency. This Outstanding Gold-Grade elixir aids Decay Sequence transcendents in advancing, particularly those in ghost or phantom-related Sequence 5 pathways. It has excellent efficacy with minimal side effects."

"The ’Phantom Elixir’ sparked some discussion in the Decay Sequence community. Next month, teachers and students from other star regions are expected to visit for exchange programs, and the student council will need to assign people to guide and accompany them."

"The mega-corporation ’Gray Dust Crystal’ has added another 6 billion Federation credits in sponsorship to our academy. While the official statement didn’t specify the reason, the academy hinted to me that it might be because of you, Thilan."

At this point, Annelie couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted Gray Dust Crystal to make such a significant investment.

"6 billion? That’s a number I can’t even begin to comprehend," Thilan leaned back on the sofa, holding her forehead.

"Are mega-corporations really that wealthy? Can they just casually throw around 6 billion?"

She couldn’t help but wonder how insignificant such a sum was to a mega-corporation.

"Well, it depends on the type of mega-corporation. Gray Dust Crystal is mid-to-lower tier among mega-corporations, with an annual revenue of about 2-3 trillion, and a net profit of at least 600 billion. So, 6 billion is roughly 1% of their annual profit," Annelie estimated.

"Business in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region only accounts for about 12% of Gray Dust Crystal’s operations. They have branches and industries in many star regions, with a core workforce of about 3 million people, and affiliated companies and subsidiaries totaling over 10 million."

"Over 10 million people? That’s hard to imagine," Thilan shook her head, marveling at the sheer size and power of mega-corporations, which seemed like colossal beasts roaming the galaxy.

"You’ll get used to it, Thilan," Annelie said, finding the sight of Thilan hugging her knees on the sofa both adorable and amusing. She resisted the urge to introduce even larger mega-corporations.

As many on the Star Network often remarked, these enormous corporations were like independent kingdoms. They had their own systems, allowing employees to live their entire lives within the company’s affiliated industries. If not for the need to join the vast market of the Federation, which forced them to compromise some of their power, these mega-corporations would be like feudal lords, difficult for outsiders to interfere with or regulate.

"Let me move on to May. At the beginning of the month, the academy organized a trip, and many students spent a pleasant time in the mountains and forests of Southern 3rd District. Also, quite a few students advanced this semester, with over a hundred third-year students reaching Sequence 5."

"Other than that, I can’t think of anything particularly noteworthy," Annelie gradually trailed off.

"Now, let’s talk about things outside the academy. Are you sleepy, Thilan?"

"Not yet," Thilan replied, now more alert after hearing about so many things related to herself.

"Giggle, then I’ll continue~"

"First, at the end of March, the songstress ’Fiery Sugar’ Princoco from the Hive Dominion Academy celebrated her birthday with a party at sea. Many celebrities from across the star regions attended, and the event was widely covered by the media. This boosted the Hive Dominion Academy’s popularity, even temporarily surpassing Saint Ingo as the most popular and sought-after academy in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region this year."

"At the beginning of April, Thunder Edge Academy challenged Crystal Grid Academy. The participating club from Thunder Edge was the previously unknown ’Galloping Dragon Lancers,’ while Crystal Grid’s ’Purple Mist Labyrinth’ club, one of their top clubs, accepted the challenge. Surprisingly, Thunder Edge won, sparking a lot of online discussion. Some even speculated that Thunder Edge, long considered an underdog, might rise this year and compete for a higher ranking."

"Perhaps it was this defeat that prompted Crystal Grid to consider forming an alliance with us," Annelie commented briefly.

"Additionally, the usually low-key Relisa Academy held an ’Angel Descent Ceremony’ at the end of April. During the ceremony, two students resonated highly with the angelic spirits of the Aijeka Sea, receiving blessings—essentially, ancient secret arts granted to them."

"In May, Saint Ingo Academy, in response to the rising popularity of Hive Dominion Academy, released a special admissions brochure. The gist was that if there were exceptionally talented students, they could send self-recommendation emails to the academy, which would then arrange on-site assessments and exams. Those who passed would be admitted."

"This caused quite a stir, as Saint Ingo, consistently ranked first, is notoriously difficult to get into, even for the wealthy. This move broke tradition, and the admissions process, resembling a talent show, attracted a lot of attention and discussion."

"How did it turn out? Did they recruit any outstanding students?"

"Apparently, yes. On the spot, they discovered a student with a Perfect-Grade talent. There were also some unreleased records, but it’s likely they found 2-3 students with Perfect-Grade talent."

"That seems quite effective," Thilan covered her mouth in surprise.

"The population of the Verdant Veil is around 2.6 billion, with over 30 million students of high school age each year. Among them, there are roughly 30-50 students with Perfect-Grade talent, most of whom are scooped up by the top six academies. While Saint Ingo gained some advantage this time, it wasn’t overwhelming," Annelie explained to Thilan.

"So, we need to work hard too. While you were away, President Amorth taught me many of the student council’s affairs, hoping I could assist you well in managing the academy’s matters," Annelie said, puffing out her chest slightly to show her usefulness.

"You’ll have to work hard from now on, Annelie," Thilan blinked, unable to resist praising her.

"I will."

Giggle and laughter filled the room.

...

After a good day’s rest, Thilan finally returned to her normal class schedule, catching up on the coursework she had missed. However, since she had already studied ahead, her progress was already ahead of schedule, so there wasn’t much to make up for.

Studying with her club members in a dedicated classroom, their relationships had grown quite close after spending so much time together. During breaks, they often chatted and played, making the otherwise tedious make-up classes much more enjoyable.

"Hey, you still don’t get this? Should the mature and beautiful big sister Ruby teach you?"

Sitting on the desk, Ruby pointed at Guro with a smile, her finger resting on her chin.

"You’re just taking advantage of being a year ahead of us. Cut it out," Guro naturally wouldn’t admit he needed tutoring—it would be too embarrassing.

"Oh~ Mature boy Guro, can you tell me how this twisted light formula constructs a Fresnel lens system?"

"Well, uh... I’ll figure it out after I check the materials. I don’t need you pointing things out."

"Alright, alright. It seems someone doesn’t appreciate the genius idol Ruby’s personal tutoring," Ruby stopped teasing him and moved on to chat with other companions.

In a corner of the classroom, Thilan sat at the back, quickly going through the questions and filling in the answers. She then checked and auto-graded them, revisiting any mistakes to understand them better.

Meanwhile, Dolores, sitting beside her, wasn’t as fast. The young lady took her time with each question, filling in the answers after a while. Although her accuracy was decent, her speed was nowhere near Thilan’s.

Learning is indeed an equalizer. No matter how wealthy a student’s family is, they can’t buy instant improvement in grades or quickly surpass their hardworking peers. While teachers are a key factor in academic performance, in this age of advanced online education, there’s no significant gap between ordinary and wealthy students in basic and intermediate theoretical education.

The main differences come in areas requiring resource investment, such as magical elixirs, auxiliary potions, and the supply of magical foods.

However, among the top tier of peers, the most significant factors affecting advancement are talent and a bit of luck. With exceptional talent, even those from less affluent backgrounds can secure sponsorships from academies or corporations, ensuring they aren’t short on resources. But ultimately, success depends on personal opportunities, performance, mindset, and luck.

After catching up on her coursework, Thilan finally began taking over student council affairs.

"Time is running out, Thilan," President Amorth said, standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the high-rise building, overlooking the familiar academy.

"I’ll be leaving in two months. During this time, you’ll become the student council vice president, gradually taking over my duties and some of my authority. It’s not ideal to rush this, but the recent expedition disrupted many of my plans. I hope you don’t mind and can adapt quickly."

"I will, President," Thilan nodded, holding a clipboard in front of her.

"That’s great. You seem more decisive and mature than before. It seems the expedition was quite effective," he turned around, smiling.

"Let’s start with something light. A well-known clothing brand in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region, ’Gothic Doll,’ has approached us. They want to collaborate on a new product line—designing several outfits with our academy’s style and branding to boost their influence in the youth market."

"This will likely involve designing clothes, selecting materials, fittings, and photo shoots. Since they approached us, our academy has significant leverage in the collaboration. I trust your aesthetic sense, Thilan. You’d be perfect for this job."

Of course, there was more he didn’t say—he hoped Thilan would model for the clothing line, appearing on the cover of magazines and boosting the academy’s publicity by leveraging her beauty and charm.

However, he couldn’t force this. After all, Thilan would be the next student council president, and in Amorth’s eyes, she was his equal. Even after graduation, she would likely remain a lifelong ally.

"I understand," Thilan nodded after hearing Amorth’s explanation.

"Let’s end here for today. I’ll send you the ’Gothic Doll’ materials later, including their recent designs, market positioning, and the terms and prices of our academy’s past collaborations with various companies. You can draft the agreement based on previous templates and submit it to me for a quick review."

"Tomorrow afternoon, their design team will arrive at the academy, about 6-7 people. You can make arrangements in advance and let me know if you need any student council members to assist you."

"So soon? They’re coming tomorrow?" Thilan was surprised.

"Yes, we must make good use of time, my successor," Amorth picked up his coffee, offering an encouraging smile that somehow seemed like a sly fox teasing a little rabbit.

“It seems this semester won’t be boring. There are probably many things waiting for me,” Thilan thought to herself.

But she was ready to face them. It was time to grow stronger, step by step.