Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

The gathering finally came to an end, and it was already very late.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” Irene asked, standing outside the restaurant with Hestia.

“No need,” the girl shook her head—not out of politeness but because she wanted to walk alone tonight.

Seeing her so calm and at ease, Irene understood that Hestia wasn’t just being polite. She nodded. “Alright, then stay safe tonight.”

“When’s your next day off? Let’s go shopping together,” Hestia asked.

“It should be next weekend,” Irene replied.

“Then it’s a promise,” Hestia said softly.

“Yes, it’s a promise.” Hestia nodded, gave Irene a gentle hug, then waved goodbye.

Irene stood still, watching as Hestia walked alone into the neon-lit streets, her figure relaxed and confident.

“Thilan has grown up,” Irene murmured.

Although she had been the one supporting Hestia most of the time today, Irene felt that even if Hestia were on her own, she could still manage just fine—though the process might have been more subdued. Hestia’s gentle personality often made her avoid conflict with others.

Irene called for her car parked nearby and left.

…

After returning home and going to bed, Hestia felt like she had a long dream, reliving many past memories. The emotions she had bottled up for so long had all erupted today, leaving her feeling relieved and refreshed.

The next day, she returned to work at Crystal Dream.

After changing into her uniform and stepping into the store, a thought struck her—what if a classmate came to find her? Wouldn’t that be awkward?

Fortunately, nothing like that happened. Perhaps her classmates thought the expenses at Apex Tower were too high, or maybe they just didn’t want to disturb her.

The day flew by.

In the morning, she helped out at other counters. During lunch, she practiced piano with Amdusias, and in the afternoon, she returned to her “library.”

The library, her designated space, was arranged entirely to her liking. It had several comfortable chairs and a cabinet with small compartments where Hestia, like Decarabia, stored a few boxes of cookies and snacks.

They always came in handy, whether for entertaining acquaintances or indulging herself.

That day, she continued a trial reading session for her companions, narrating the second half of The Song of Seven Kingfishers. As the afternoon drew to a close and work hours neared their end, Hestia found herself wandering into Botis’s jungle.

Walking through the shaded groves and shrubs, she reached the water pool at the far end, where Botis was feeding some venomous creatures.

“Ah, Dantalion is here~” Botis called out, beckoning Hestia over.

“How’s your violin practice going?”

“Getting better,” Hestia admitted, though she knew there were still details she hadn’t mastered. She estimated it would take another month to play with ease and precision.

The two sat together, feeding the creatures and chatting, until Botis brought up a certain giant spider.

“Do you know about that big blue spider, Hestia?”

“What about it?” Hestia asked, a hint of concern in her voice at Botis’ sudden mention.

“It seems to have failed its advancement attempt and is now sulking in a corner,” Botis recalled the scene of searching for it earlier.

“Wait, animals can feel sadness?” Hestia asked, surprised. Like most people, she subconsciously thought that animals were content as long as they had enough to eat and drink.

“Most animals are easy to please and have simple needs, but magical creatures are different. As they become smarter and more emotionally complex, they can experience depression and sadness too,” Botis explained.

“Come, let’s go check on it. It usually likes you and often hangs around you,” Botis said, standing up.

She led Hestia into the dense jungle nearby. Unlike the relatively open main path they had entered, this area was overgrown with vegetation, making it easy for clothing to get caught or torn. Even walking was difficult, which was why they rarely ventured here.

After squeezing through the undergrowth and bushes, Botis guided Hestia deeper into the forest. Along the way, they encountered various venomous creatures. Fortunately, most were tame and didn’t attack upon recognizing Botis.

“Hey, don’t mess around,” Botis muttered, lifting a black python off her shoulders and hanging it on a tree branch before continuing. Eventually, they stopped at a secluded corner.

Parting the dense purple-red grass, they revealed a space beneath some coiled roots where a large blue, spiny spider crouched.

If not for their familiarity with it, encountering such a dangerous venomous creature would have made most people instinctively retreat. A single bite could spell serious trouble.

“It’s still here,” Botis called Hestia over.

“Don’t touch it just yet. Its emotions are unstable right now.”

“Alright.” Hestia crouched down to observe the giant spider curled up in the grass.

“It’s a variant of a burrowing tarantula. It prefers to live in dark, underground environments, which make it feel safe,” Botis explained.

Noticing the two approaching, the giant spider opened its eyes but then shrank back further into its hiding spot, seemingly unwilling to see anyone.

“It’s still upset. This guy has even lost its appetite,” Botis said, shaking her head and pointing at a few small food blocks she had left for it earlier that morning.

“Did it fail its advancement to Sequence 5?” Hestia asked softly.

“Probably. A few days ago, I noticed some irregularities in the Aijeka particles in its enclosure—like residual traces from magical overflow. When I checked this little guy, it had those residues all over it,” Botis explained.

“It was originally Sequence 4, with the strength of a peak Golden grade entity. This time, not only did it fail to advance to Sequence 5, but its core was damaged. Now, it’s only at the standard Golden grade. I guess it just can’t accept that, so it’s feeling down.”

As Botis spoke, the giant spider let out a few angry hisses, clearly upset at having its failure exposed in front of Hestia.

“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more.” Botis waved her hand, trying to calm the spider down, then gave Hestia a look that said, See? I told you so.

“Uh…” Hestia was caught between laughter and helplessness, marveling at how emotionally complex even animals could be.

After spending a little more time observing and tending to the spider, the two eventually backed away.

“Failed its advancement…” Hestia murmured, lost in thought as they walked, wondering how she could help her usually lively companion.

“Advancing is tough for animals. Their success rates are often much lower than humans’,” Botis commented as they walked. “For example, among humans, one in twenty or thirty Sequence 3 individuals might advance to Sequence 4. But for animals, it might take hundreds or even thousands of Sequence 3s to produce a single Sequence 4 success story.”

“That’s why some transcendents specialize in raising and assisting animals to advance, using them as allies. It creates a kind of mutual benefit and synergy,” Botis continued.

“In the Rose Federation, these animal breeders have a long tradition. Many rare and precious materials we know come from such ‘gardens.’”

“‘Gardens’?” Hestia asked curiously.

“Yes, they’re environments specially designed by breeders for animals to live and reproduce. Over time, large factions and organizations have built these places to cultivate resources. These places are also called ‘gardens.’”

“For example, the Federation’s popular Three Moon Silk includes Snow Moon Silk, which is spun by the Snow Velvet Moth. The garden that houses the most Snow Velvet Moths is the Snow Velvet Garden in the Emerald Moon Star Region. This T4-grade silk is used to make luxurious clothing, prized for its comfort and soft, elegant colors.”

“The other two types of Three Moon Silk are entirely different. Inlaid Moon Silk is spun from the fibers of a certain magical plant, while Dusk Moon Silk is said to be woven using secret techniques that condense the glow of twilight into fabric.”

“I’ve heard of the Swallow Garden Academy in Northern 1st District,” Hestia said suddenly.

“Swallow Garden Academy, yes. It used to be famous for its breeders and its Swallow Garden. But with the deteriorating environment and toxic rain in the Verdant Veil region, the garden has been destroyed. Their strength isn’t what it used to be,” Botis said with a shake of her head.

“This tarantula,” Botis continued, “I bought it two years ago from the Amethyst Courage Garden in the Phosphorite Star Region. I spent a month bonding with it there before it agreed to come with me. Now that it’s having trouble advancing, I’ll probably have to contact someone from the garden to handle the ‘after-sales service.’”

Botis slumped onto the table, clearly distressed.

Requesting help from the Amethyst Courage Garden won’t be cheap. But she can’t just let this big guy starve itself and sulk in the corner.