Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

After finishing the evening party dinner at 'Dream of Glazed Glass', Tilan returned to the relaxed routine she had enjoyed at home, occasionally visiting Grandma He and meeting familiar elementary school classmates. Time flew by, and the vacation was coming to an end. Packing up her luggage and belongings once more, Tilan bid farewell to Grandma He's family and once again boarded the flying machine that came to pick her up, headed for the distant Yuanting Academy in the Northern First District. As expected, she would spend more time here this semester, first because she needed to learn about being a Songstress from her teachers, secondly because the breeder's coursework at Yuanting Academy gradually got on track during the second and third years, and thirdly because the pressure at Edith Academy was much reduced, so there was no need to stay under constant media scrutiny, which made things more relaxed. "But remember to come over once a week, Tilan," came the voice of a young woman from the other end of the phone. The woman in contact with Tilan was one of the younger teachers at the Academy, named Lusa, who taught art and design. She was also one of Tilan's contacts at Edith Academy, responsible for coordinating and communicating various activities. Although she didn't have to stay at Edith Academy for long, in order to maintain Tilan's online popularity and avoid negative news, the Academy decided, after discussion, that Tilan should update a video weekly. The content of these videos was not too strictly limited; it could be Tilan performing a solo in the music room, scenes of her walking and interacting with small animals, participating in academy activities, or making simple crafts, and so on. The main purpose of these videos was to keep the heat on Tilan, the champion, online and to show a more life-like and approachable side of the young girl to the outside world, rather than deliberately shooting exaggerated stuff. "All you need to do is take a walk, do some work, and the rest — editing and refinement — will be handled by a specialist." To alleviate the Songstress's concerns and fear of hassle, Lusa explained the video's requirements and process to her in advance. The whole process wasn't long, as long as she kept the updates coming. After agreeing to Lusa's request, Tilan didn't feel much, but the other party sighed in relief because she had not prepared a speech for a failed request; if Tilan refused to send videos or something similar, the academy could hardly enforce it, as this young girl was no longer a student who could be easily manipulated. As the flying machine landed amid the mountains of the Northern First District, Tilan stepped out of the cabin and felt a chill under her feet as the familiar cold winter wind blew through her legs, followed by the accumulated white snow as far as the eye could see. Unlike the warm, seaside South First District, the winters in the Northern First District were much colder. On her way, Tilan saw many people wearing long coats and warm clothing, walking along the mountain paths towards the side entrance of Yuanting Academy. She took a whistle from the high platform near the campus gate, held it in her palm, and gently channeled magic power into it. A unique whistling sound ensued, and soon after, a chestnut-feathered falcon flew from the horizon, swooping down next to the girl before stopping, shaking off the snowflakes on its body. The chestnut falcon looked at Tilan, stepped closer, and slightly bent down to reveal the saddle among its feathers. "Thanks for this." Tilan stepped on the stirrup at the edge of the saddle, then mounted, half-buried in the fluffy bird feathers, feeling quite warm. The chestnut falcon then rose and flew into the wind, carrying Tilan towards the distant hills. In less than a minute, the chestnut falcon descended with Tilan atop the Ring Bird Wind Tower and then spread its wings and left once more. Their nests were in the canyon walls among the mountains, sheltered from the rain and dry and safe. Back in her dormitory, Tilan first set down her suitcase, let out the five Light Cotton Birds to feed them, then the large spider circled around her, wanting something tasty to eat. As for the Indigo Snake, it had been hibernating in the suitcase and hadn't moved much. Lately, it had subtly shown signs of a breakthrough, as if it was gathering strength. While Tilan was checking the condition of the Indigo Snake, a small tree viper with white scales also lifted its head from the box. Just as it was about to nuzzle against Tilan, she pressed it down with her finger. This white-scaled little snake was the same one that used to cling to Tilan in the store. After returning to Dream of Glazed Glass, this fellow woke up and kept coiling around Tilan, seemingly determined to stick with her, so Tilan simply decided to bring it along as well. "Well, one more won't make much difference," the girl glanced at the two snakes in the box, the Indigo Snake being slightly larger, while the white-scaled tree viper was somewhat smaller. There are actually many types of snakes, and although most are frightening and ugly, some are also quite beautiful. The tree viper is one of the representatives, with layered scales slightly raised like fish scale armor. However, their diverse and brilliant colors give these tree vipers a somewhat dragon-like appearance, which many people find appealing. Tilan opened her personal terminal and flipped through information about tree vipers. At this time, the white-scaled tree viper levitated and circled behind the girl, curiously watching the screen. "Too bad you can't read; you probably don't understand it," the girl tapped on its head with her finger, then closed her personal terminal, began to tidy up the room a bit, and arranged sleeping spots for these little fellows. Following their instincts and custom, she let the two snakes sleep in the drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe, where it was dark and quiet. The 5 little Light Cotton Birds huddled in a downy nest with a small heater, their feathers slowly turning white, making them look much prettier than before. In a little while, they should be ready for flight training. The sleeping spot for the large spider didn't need to be arranged; it had always done whatever it pleased, sometimes perching on top of the wardrobe, sometimes crawling under the bed, and occasionally hiding inside the black crystal ball Tilan had prepared for it. After taking care of these, Tilan changed into her usual nightclothes and slipped into her warm bed to catch up on some sleep. After spending a relaxing two days in the dormitory, admiring the snowy scenery, Yuanting Academy officially started its school year. Tilan went to classes with her classmates. Even though her hair color differed from the well-known songstress Hexia Tilan, the girl's own features were still easily recognizable. Therefore, she had to wear thick glasses and pair them with long, straight hair that covered a large portion of her cheeks, to roughly hide her identity from her classmates. "The new year has started, did everyone enjoy their holiday?" Under the big red Parasol tree in the woods, the teacher asked the students enthusiastically before discussing the tasks and goals for the new year. "With the foundation built over the past year and a half, you all should now have your own opinions and preferences regarding Transcendent animals." "This year, you will learn how to nurture these creatures further and master a variety of skills." "The scene of striving together and ultimately winning the competition is so fiery and exhilarating, it's something to long for." "Over the next year, various contests will be held within the grades to test your nurturing methods and at the same time deepen the bond between you and your partners." "Aim to be the top of your grade first. If you are outstanding enough to take the position of grade leader, later on, you may be able to step out of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain and take a look at other Star Domains." In the new year, Yuanting Academy began to operate in a serious and tense manner, with various activities and events related to the breeders gradually increasing in number. The large competition jointly organized by the numerous Star Domains of the southwest was also approaching.