The Cornflower Witch Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Girl and the Wolf

Fourth Continent, Aurora Wind Season, Autumn Teewolf Festival

(Tee: Orange-yellow, orange-red, also refers to armed personnel, Tee Cavalry. Today’s Five Earls’ Tee Robes are the remnants of ancient military uniforms. – “Spring Officials: Robe Annotations”)

In the ninth year of the Aurora Wind Season, this continent passed the brightest period of the ‘Blazing Sun’, and the vitality of the Blazing Sun carried by the wind made everything grow. In just a few years, animals in the mountains and forests multiplied greatly. Packs of wolves, chasing food, bathed in the forest wind, growing stronger due to the abundance of food. They no longer disguised or dodged, and after absorbing the vitality of the ‘Blazing Sun’ attribute, their grey fur became tinged with orange-yellow and crimson, making them fiercer and more untamed.

;

A gentle breeze wafted through the forest, and a pale yellow, reddish leaf slowly drifted down from a branch, landing on the head of the girl beneath the tree.

The dry, hard edge of the leaf scraped against her snow-white, soft long hair, then slid down with the wind and her hair, landing on the leaf-strewn forest floor.

A girl was confronting a vicious wolf.

Hylial’s expression was tense as she watched the orange-red wolf growling in front of her. One hand nervously fidgeted with the side of her skirt, while the other trembled slightly in the air. Her peripheral vision desperately searched for anything usable nearby.

Anything would do, a branch or a stick, at least it would be better than facing this fierce wolf empty-handed.

She couldn’t remember why the previous memory was of her sitting on a bus going back to her hometown, and the next moment she woke up in this deserted forest. She had walked for an hour without finding any trace of human habitation. If it weren’t for the fact that everything in front of her and around her was so real, she would have suspected she was dreaming.

“Woof…” a low growl came again.

Baring its fangs, the red wolf revealed its interlocking canines and bright red gums. The orange-red mane on its back stood slightly erect. It crouched low, its triangular eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl, as if evaluating her strength. As a vicious wolf imbued with the ‘Blazing Sun’ attribute, it had gradually transcended the category of ordinary beasts, developing a slight intelligence.

The opponent’s snow-white, tender skin and clean, soft scent all indicated that this was an extremely rare delicacy. Although it had never eaten a human, its instincts told it that the creature in front of it would be the most delicious food in its wolf life.

Eat her!

The red wolf moved. The girl barely saw how it leaped, but when the wolf’s head was less than half a meter in front of her, she still reacted.

She turned her body sideways, her right hand blocking her chest. When the red wolf leaped into the air, her slender fingers from inside her sleeve flexibly landed on the wolf’s head, her ring finger pressing exactly on the wolf’s eyeball. The stiff eyelashes and moist eyeball made the girl’s heart tighten, but she suppressed her fear, pushing the wolf’s head aside, causing it to lunge past her right side.

After avoiding the first attack, Hylial had no time to think. She almost stumbled forward, running. As she ran, she bent down, grabbed the branch she had just urgently noticed, and then turned back. At this moment, the red wolf pounced again.

Having fallen to the ground while grabbing the branch, Hylial had no time to get up. She could only try her best to pull her calves back to prevent being bitten by the wolf.

The red wolf, having missed its target and only gnawed at the hem of the girl’s skirt, released its mouth and, with fierce eyes, pounced again at Hylial’s throat. Hylial then extended the wooden stick she had gripped tightly, aimed at the open wolf maw, and plunged it in.

The rough bark of the wooden stick pierced into the soft throat, causing the red wolf to have a strong urge to vomit. It recoiled, shaking its head, trying to dislodge the stick from its throat.

Violent struggling and shaking transmitted from the wooden stick in her hand. Hylial knew that at this moment, she absolutely could not let the red wolf shake off the stick. With one hand, she firmly gripped the lower end of the wooden stick inserted into the wolf’s mouth, while with the other hand, she gripped the fur on the back of the red wolf’s neck, trying to hold it still.

The stiff, orange-red mane pricked her hands a bit, and the neck muscles beneath the fur were also difficult to grasp. This guy is really strong, the girl thought to herself.

To prevent the red wolf from breaking free, she almost knelt on the red wolf, almost being thrown off several times, and the skirt beneath her was constantly torn and scratched by the wolf’s claws, leaving fiery red scratches on her legs through the fabric.

Time flowed…

It was unknown how many minutes passed, but when Hylial felt like she was about to give up, the struggles of the red wolf beneath her finally slowly diminished. Bloody foam spilled from the wolf’s mouth, but the girl was still uneasy. She continued to thrust the stick deeper into the red wolf’s throat until the creature was completely still, with no heartbeat. Only then did she finally relax, settling down slightly.

Slowly standing up, Hylial realized that her back was already soaked with sweat, and some of her hair stuck to her forehead. She took a deep breath, calming her rapidly beating heart, finally having leisure to survey her surroundings.

Orange-yellow, fiery red, and a hint of black. Hylial observed the fur of the dead wolf at her feet. She had never seen its appearance or color before. She vaguely remembered orange-red furred wolves in America, but their appearance was completely different from the one in front of her.

Her finger lightly touched the coarse fur, and a faint sensation of warmth spread through her. It was weaker closer to the roots of the fur and strongest at the tips, even causing a slight prickly sensation.

[Teewolf]

In the middle and late Aurora Wind Season, lupine beasts will change their fur to orange-yellow due to being tainted by the power of the ‘Blazing Sun’ attribute, becoming ‘Teewolves’. When their entire fur turns fiery red like flames, they become first-tier ‘Red Wolves’. Ferocious ‘Red Wolves’ pose a great threat to villagers and livestock, so much so that images of these creatures often appear in fairy tales.

Every year at this time, hunters organize to enter the mountains and forests to hunt them in advance. Some nobles also enjoy this activity; they hang the pelts of hunted ‘Teewolves’ in their living rooms as a symbol of their honor and bravery. This activity eventually became a tradition in many places, and this season is also recorded as the ‘Teewolf Festival’.

Note: The fur of ‘Teewolves’ and ‘Red Wolves’ contains a trace amount of ‘Blazing Sun’ attribute power, giving it excellent insulation in winter. If preserved until the Misty Season, its value will further increase.

Hylial’s eyes blinked, surprised by the knowledge that appeared in her mind. Why did she know the origin of the dead wolf, and even understand some history and customs of this world?

It seemed there was still a lot she needed to understand.

Slowly standing up, she looked around, then reached out and tried to drag the wolf carcass beneath her. Its weight made her abandon the idea of taking it with her.

She had no knife, so she couldn’t skin or dissect it. Moreover, she had never killed a wolf before and didn’t know where to start. After a few seconds of thought, Hylial decided to continue walking out of the forest. She didn’t know if the dead wolf carcass would attract other creatures, but since she couldn’t utilize it now, she had to move away.

After a few minutes of rest, Hylial tidied her disheveled dress and hair and continued walking along the shaded path. Judging by the sun’s position, it should be around 3-4 PM, past the hottest part of the day.

She wondered where she could find food and a place to stay overnight. The girl touched her stomach, realizing she wasn’t hungry yet.

This body was clearly not her past self, yet moving it felt completely natural, as if she was always meant to be this way. As she walked in the shade of the trees, Hylial slowly pieced together her memories.

She remembered clearly that she had received a call from home this time, so she applied for annual leave from work to go back.

Sitting on a speeding high-speed train, she left the big city where she had worked for several years, heading towards her hometown which she hadn’t seen in years. Ever since graduating from high school and going to another city for university, and then working after graduation, the days she spent back home were few and far between, probably only during the Chinese New Year.

Speaking of which, it had been a long time since she had walked in the mountains and forests like this. The girl looked up, one hand lightly shielding her forehead, gazing at the pale green and yellow leaves above her.

Every summer vacation when she was a child, she would spend a long time at her grandparents’ house. Her grandparents’ house wasn’t in the city, but in a very remote mountain village with rolling green mountains, small rivers, and various animals.

Her grandfather raised a flock of goats, which he would take to the mountains to graze every day. Young Hylial would follow with her cousins. Everything in the mountains and forests was incredibly fresh to her, having grown up in the city.

The spiky, cracked chestnuts, the bright red and appetizing snake berries by the mountain paths, the green berries clustered with knots, the occasional peculiar bird calls, and the owls nestled in the trees and fallen leaves that were hard to distinguish – these things were like splashes of vivid color in a monotonous life, making young Hylial exceptionally happy.

Childhood for city kids was rather boring. She recalled her past, most of her time spent in school, tutoring classes, doing homework, and taking exams. Only at her grandparents’ house was no one urging her to read or study; she could play freely. Her aunt and uncle also doted on her, asking what she liked to eat and doing their best to satisfy her.

Dragonflies, fireflies, caterpillars, butterflies, and even snakes in the woodpile – these things from books, she first saw them all in her hometown’s mountain village. Going there every summer vacation became her happiest time.

Sitting on the bus to her hometown, she leaned against the window, reminiscing about the past. The sunlight outside the window, filtered through the roadside trees, fell on her, momentarily blurring her vision.

Going fishing at this time would be great, and if she could catch a few crucian carp to make soup, it would be even better.

Crucian carp are relatively small fish, and they were the only fish she had ever caught as a child. Back then, there were only bamboo poles, silk lines, and fishhooks, far fewer sophisticated equipment than today.

After catching crucian carp for the first time, she and her brothers and sisters gathered around the bucket, not knowing what to do with them. Put them back in the water? None of the children were willing to give up the fish they had worked so hard to catch, but for eating, the fish didn’t seem to have much meat.

The shiny scales felt a bit slippery in their hands, and when looked at against the sun, they had a slight iridescent reflection. There was a row of small dots along the midline of the fish’s body, which made the children particularly curious.

Finally, her aunt helped process the fish they had caught and made them into fish soup.

“It’s a pity Grandpa didn’t get to eat any…” The girl sighed with regret as she recalled that scene from when she was ten.

After that fishing trip, Grandpa heard about it and laughed, saying he hadn’t gotten any, and asked them to catch him one sometime. She and her siblings readily agreed, but after that, the adults feared the children would drown while playing in the water, so they never allowed them near the river again.

The incident slowly faded from memory until a few days ago, when she received a call about her grandfather’s passing, and then embarked on her journey home.

…

She wondered if she could ever return to her original world, or perhaps even if she did, it would be a very long time from now. But she still missed the hometown in her memories, and those beautiful memories that warmed her entire childhood.

With her hands slightly spread for balance, the girl’s toes lightly stepped on the stones covered by fallen leaves, as she made her way downhill. After many years, the familiar feeling for the mountain terrain returned to her heart, allowing her to easily navigate the rugged slopes and bushes, traversing through layers of forest shade.

And so, until just before sunset, after climbing over the last small hill, she saw plumes of smoke rising in the distance.

A quiet and archaic medieval village, surrounded by fields, appeared in her sight.

There were no familiar telephone poles here, no flat concrete roads, only houses built of stone and rough wood. Ancient windmills stood slowly turning in the wheat fields, and piles of straw were bundled and placed in the fields.

When a horse-drawn carriage with an iron frame slowly drove along the field path, and the shield-skinned beast pulling it came into view, Hylial finally realized that this was a completely different world, and if she wanted to return to her hometown, she probably had a very, very long way to go.

Shouldn’t the script be that she receives a letter from her grandfather, then returns to her hometown to inherit fields and pastures, living a leisurely pastoral life away from work?

Things really took a sharp turn, the girl slightly grumbled in her heart, then walked towards the village down the mountain.

(End of this chapter)