She Is Not a Witch

Pushing open the long-closed wooden door, Loranhil stepped out, washed her face with clear water, and looked up at the azure sky, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

Has it really been seven years? What a long dream indeed.

Her eye color shifted from red to blue, and then a gust of wind enveloped her form as she took to the sky.

The verdant mountains remained unchanged, and in the distant east, the peaks of the Sigh Mountain Range were faintly visible through the clouds and mist.

Loranhil flew towards the village where she had slain the giant snake years ago. The wind whistled in her ears, bringing a long-missed sensation of air pressure and a comfortable feeling. A sense of exhilaration spread through her heart.

The Snake-Slaying Village had now become a city. On the hilltop were stone-built council halls, schools, nurseries, hospitals, and other public facilities. Midway up the hill were warehouses, warrior training camps, shooting ranges, and workshops. At the foot of the hill was a huge marketplace, surrounded by colorful mushroom houses with only a few main roads passing through.

When Loranhil arrived above the city, she saw a scene of prosperity. Young rabbits in colorful clothes ran joyfully through the streets after school, warriors chanted slogans as they wielded spears in the training grounds, and the evening market was ablaze with orange lights as noisy crowds haggled.

She slowly descended onto the square in front of the council hall, and the delighted guards immediately ran to gather everyone.

A bronze bell in the tower next to the council hall was rung, its sound reaching the entire mountain city. The rabbits in the city all looked up, and when they saw the silver-haired, red-dressed figure, cheers echoed through the mountains. Messengers on swift horses scattered from the city, heading to various rabbit-eared cities to announce that the supreme Lady had finally returned today.

Upon receiving the news, the upper echelons of other cities rushed out en masse towards this city.

In the spacious council hall, rows of tall brass candelabras were arranged, illuminating the interior brilliantly.

On the dais in the hall now stood an ornate throne, with gold-carved edges and a soft red backrest.

A silver-haired girl sat on the throne, her hands resting on the armrests. Seven years had left no trace on her; she looked exactly the same as before.

Appearing sixteen or seventeen years old, at first glance one might easily mistake her for a delicate young girl, though she was indeed extremely powerful.

Loranhil’s scarlet eyes slowly swept over the rabbits present, recognizing familiar old faces and new members.

“Now, I want you to report on your achievements over these seven years, one by one.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” everyone answered in unison.

The first to step forward was the mayor of Snake-Slaying City, Kanda. He now wore steel armor, a white cloak draped over his shoulders, his expression resolute, much more steady than years ago.

“Your Highness, these are the fields, orchards, and lakes we’ve developed in the mountains over the past seven years.”

Two rabbits brought out a long table, and a huge map was unfolded, clearly marking the locations of various cities, the distribution of all production areas, their sizes, and brief descriptions of their situations.

According to statistics from various cities, there were approximately 20,000 mu of farmland, 5,000 mu of orchards, and 600 mu of lakes, producing about 20 million jin of grain, 16 million jin of fruits, and 3 million jin of fish and shellfish annually.

As various managers and mayors continued to report, Loranhil quickly calculated in her mind.

The average yield of this farmland was almost catching up to the level of the Mercury Dynasty, but it still lagged significantly behind the industrialized agriculture of her previous world.

This was partly due to the lack of fertilizers, and partly because mountain farmland wasn’t as convenient to work as flatland.

The production of natural fertilizers needed to be put on the agenda. Food waste, straw, and other such materials were good raw materials.

Chemical fertilizer production was still too difficult for the rabbits’ current level, so it was better to focus on quantity and develop more farmland.

“Basic education has now been universally implemented in all cities. All underage rabbits enter schools to receive education.”

“The curriculum includes, but is not limited to, literacy, arithmetic, literature, history, philosophy, agriculture, combat, and herbal medicine.”

Not bad in terms of education, Loranhil nodded in satisfaction.

Next came military affairs.

“After continuously improving our physiques by consuming supernatural fruits, we now have more and more supernatural warriors.”

“Each city has a standing force of 80 steel-armored warriors and 200 reserve militia.”

“Among them, statistics from all cities show that we have over 2,400 Sequence 1 supernatural beings, over 600 Sequence 2, 135 Sequence 3, 16 Sequence 4, and 1 Sequence 5 supernatural being.”

“Who is the Sequence 5?” the girl asked with interest.

“Your Highness, it’s the mayor of our city, Kanda,” a nearby scribe answered.

So it’s him. This once hot-blooded youth has matured so much, I almost didn’t recognize him.

Kanda, the girl remembered, was only Sequence 2 back then. She hadn’t expected such great progress in seven years.

Loranhil blinked, and his information appeared in her mind.

Name: Kanda

Race: Beast-folk (100% Rabbit-eared type)

Identity: Mayor of Snake-Slaying City

Status: Healthy (No abnormalities)

Sequence: Primal Sequence 5 · Sword of Steel Consumption (Evaluation: Outstanding Gold grade)

Talent:

[Robust] (Outstanding): Tough constitution, great strength, strong resistance to impacts.

Abilities:

[Iron Consumption] (Outstanding): Can absorb iron elements to strengthen bones and muscles simultaneously. (Robust +1)

[Song of Courage] (Excellent): Resounding song can boost allies’ morale, reduce fear, and slightly enhance strength.

[Steel-Breaking Sword] (Outstanding): Can imbue weapons with one’s magical power, increasing sharpness and toughness, especially effective at cutting steel.

Skills:

[Steel Hardening] (Excellent): Can temporarily harden certain muscles or tissues, enhancing impact resistance, but prolonged use can cause irreversible damage to the body.

[Troop Training] (Excellent): Has organized and trained many new recruits, developing a set of personal insights and methods.

This is good material for a general, the girl thought, then copied the military formation techniques and strategies she had taught Pullman years ago, recording them in an inheritance gem.

“This gem contains a complete record of the Mercury Dynasty’s war techniques from that time, as a reward for your advancement to Sequence 5.”

A transparent gem flew from the girl’s hand, slowly descending in front of Kanda.

This steel-armored warrior excitedly cupped it in his hands and knelt on one knee.

“Thank you for your bestowal, Your Highness. I am willing to go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!”

His excitement was understandable. The Mercury Dynasty of that time was infamously formidable, campaigning north and south, never losing, defeating ogres, beast-folk, elves, and many others in succession.

Fighting wars for nearly a thousand years, they annihilated countless races. Their army’s discipline, tactics, morale, and strategy were unparalleled in the world. Even when they later disintegrated due to internal reasons, other races dared not test their might. That awe and fear were almost engraved into the bones of their enemies.