Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Ring Bird Wind Tower, entering the doorless high tower, one could gaze up from the bottom to the translucent dome at the top, the interior spacious and quiet, as though one could hear the sound of a feather falling.

Ascending the steps, the wide spiral connected each floor, with the staircase corridors inlaid with colorful patchwork glass. These colorful fragments formed patterns of birds and were illuminated by the lights inside, decorating the interior of the high tower. Each level had an open communal area where light and wind interplayed. Hexia could see students sitting at tables chatting and reading, others gathered together enjoying a simple lunch, talking.

Each floor of the tower was roughly divided into six equal areas, with each area about 120 square meters. Four of these areas were student dormitories, the remaining two for communal use—one featuring a kitchen, scattered tables and chairs, a stove, and students' personal belongings, while the other varied.

Some floors housed quiet reading rooms, others were nests for birds, some designated for indoor combat and skill practice, and a few held potted plants and herbs, seemingly maintained regularly. There were even small stages for student use.

Despite it being daytime, there were not many students to be seen in these places, but Hexia could tell from the signs of use that they must become lively at certain times.

The two of them continued upwards along the stairs, the large wild boar also climbing step by step. It seemed to be its first visit here, curious, occasionally sniffing around.

Finally, the two stopped on the twelfth floor.

"This room has been arranged for Hexia," Vitelina said, shaking the keys in her hand, then inserting them into the lock. After recognition, the door unlocked.

"Of course, after you input your own information, you won't need a key, but occasionally when someone else opens the door for you, you'll need this key," Vitelina explained.

Entering the room, there were plain wooden floors with dark red grains and walls like stone that gave the illusion of an ancient castle. The living room was furnished with scattered wooden chairs and a large table.

The table was large enough to hold many items, and nearby shelves were already filled with hundreds of books, some provided by the school in earlier years, others left by previous students. There was a small kitchen on one side of the living room, a bathroom on the other, and further inside were the bedroom and a room for storage. The entire dormitory was about 160 square meters, housing only one student.

"If you keep animals later, the two vacant rooms inside can be used for their nests. Each dormitory is equipped with two Autonomous Units, one responsible for cleaning and the other for cooking and preparing simple drinks."

"It's quite large," Hexia remarked softly after inspecting all the rooms.

"It's actually not bad; the Academy has enough land, so building larger rooms allows for comfortable living. We don't need to skimp on construction materials," Vitelina casually explained.

The number of students at Yuanting Academy fluctuated between 1,200 and 1,500, and they were distributed across several dormitory areas. The Ring Bird Wind Tower area alone could house up to 300 students, with each high tower holding roughly 100 students—four per floor—offering ample space.

"Let's unload the things first," Vitelina suggested as she and Hexia stepped out of the room into the spacious corridor, unloading the luggage from the wild boar into the dormitory room. Fortunately, the dormitory was well-stocked with many essentials, so there was no need for additional purchases.

"The bed is newly made, as are the sheets and other bedding. However, the table and bookshelves in the living room are old, carrying on from the past. After your graduation, Hexia, you can also leave behind your favorite books or notes for future students."

"I see," the young girl nodded, slightly intrigued.

"Does every generation of students leave something behind as a legacy?"

"That's generally the case, and it's quite interesting, isn't it? When I enrolled, I discovered notes from previous seniors on the bookshelves. They contained various rants about Academy events and shared their own experiences—pitfalls they encountered and events they enjoyed, which they cherished enough to record."

"After watching their experiences, I quickly became familiar and fond of the school, so I also grew to love this tradition," Vitelina said with a smile.

Is this the confidence of a school with a long history? They aren't afraid of students writing bad things in their notebooks, Hexia thought. She also became interested in those books and notes.

"Alright, after we put our things down, let's go to the restaurant by Fragrant Leaf Lake. I reckon Hugh Neil will already be waiting for us by then, as it's closer to the forest cabins."

"This time we won't need the big mountain pig to carry our luggage, we can ride on its back instead, and it can get some tasty treats over there too." After saying this, she patted the big mountain pig's head, eliciting lively grunts in response. Then it crouched down to let the two girls climb on.

Stepping on what originally served as handles, the two sat firmly, and then the big mountain pig made its way down the stairs on its own. Thankfully, the slope inside the Wind Tower was gentle, so there was no risk of the girls falling off.

After leaving the high tower, riding on top became much more comfortable. During this time, Vitelina continued to talk about the academy.

"Now it's the end of August. Come October, the academy will hold the 'Autumn Wind Festival,' which is the liveliest time of the year, different from the winter festivals held by most schools."

"In addition to the usual combat competitions, there will also be relaxed singing and dancing performances, bonfire camping, and the like. At Yuanting Academy, combat isn't the main focus, and most students are trained for life professions."

So chatting, the two made their way to the lake at the mountain's base. The clear lake was encircled by mountains covered in red-leafed forests, and the lake water reflected the fiery red leaves, with foliage drifting upon it.

The entire lake was about the size of six football fields and was roughly crescent-shaped. On one side of the lake was a boat-like structure built over the water with five floors above the surface and five below, symmetrically mirroring each other, like shadows against the lake surface.

Arriving at Fragrant Leaf Lake, Vitelina and Hexia got off the big mountain pig and approached the boat-shaped building by the lake to swipe their student chip cards.

"Let's get it some grilled fish first. There's an automatic cooking machine over here, and it's very cheap," Vitelina said as she made her selection. Shortly after, a tray opened close to the ground and dispensed a steaming grilled fish, which landed in a food bowl in front of the big mountain pig.

It was only about 20 Federation Coins, indeed very cheap. Outside, such a dish would cost at least 40 Federation Coins, thought Hexia.

"Then let's head in. If you get tired of playing later, just go back to your place," Vitelina said, patting the big mountain pig, then she and Hexia entered the boat-house by the lake.

"The upper part above the lake serves as student dormitories, while the bottom is a public area, such as the scenic underwater restaurant. The fish and shrimp dishes here are also very rich and affordably priced."

Upon entering the boat-house, it was quite lively inside. They could see students in different uniforms and grades, many of whom were laughing and passing by on their way to the restaurant.

Following the stairs down, a large underwater restaurant came into view, with sunlight shivering through the water above and fish swimming around. The area was lit up with lamps highlighting the green aquatic plants swaying around. The space was spacious, with the capacity to accommodate about 500 people for dining.

As they were just arriving at the restaurant, they saw Hugh Neil waving from a distance, and Orcas beside him drinking a beverage.

"Come over here, I ordered you a delicious T4 level 'Red Snapper Casserole'~" Hugh Neil's refreshing laugh could be heard from afar.

And so, Hexia's life at Yuanting Academy gradually began.