The Cornflower Witch Chapter 195

Whitecliff City, Holy White Knight Hall.

Hylial rode a white horse, practicing circling in the training ground, constantly guiding her warhorse to leap over obstacles along the way, or accelerating to strike targets with a light lance.

(‘Horsemanship Skills’ Proficiency +11)

(‘Horsemanship Skills’ Proficiency +15)

…

The silver-haired girl, dressed in a white hunting dress, continuously familiarized herself with the techniques of riding a warhorse and gradually bonded with the animal beneath her.

An hour later, Hylial, her back damp with sweat, stopped her training and came to a nearby seat to rest.

“Have some water, Lia.” Sophiedina thoughtfully brought clear water and handed it to her.

The two sat in the shaded seats, conversing about recent events.

“The association has been arranging a lot of training for you lately, haven’t they? Horse riding, archery, lancing, military management knowledge… are they training you to be a knight?” Sophiedina asked with a hint of curiosity.

“No,” Hylial shook her head, wiping the sweat from her forehead and face with a towel.

“They said they wanted to train me comprehensively, to test my potential in various fields,” she stretched her legs slightly, loosening her body.

“During the day, I have to learn horsemanship and lancing, and in the evening, I have to attend classes with several teachers.” Hylial counted the classes she currently had each day with her fingers, feeling as if she was back in the stressful days of high school.

Does the otherworldly realm also emphasize comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, and physique? She shook her head, then gathered her hair at the back of her head, tying it up for better ventilation, allowing her sweaty back to dry slowly in the wind.

But learning new things is also good. During this time, she had not only raised her ‘Basic Lancing Skill’ to Lv.5, but also learned ‘Knight Lancing’ and raised it to Lv.3. Her ‘Horsemanship Skills’ from today’s training also reached Lv.3, comparable to many Knight Attendants.

“What will Lia be studying tonight?”

“Probably ‘Financial Management’ and ‘Resource Development,’ which include many miscellaneous items, basically the management knowledge a small city lord needs to know.” Hylial only wanted to lean back in her chair and take a nap.

Although her talent in this life was very high, and her learning speed was several times that of ordinary people, this state of concentrated attention and heightened perception also increased the consumption of her mental energy, making her occasionally feel sleepy.

“You’ve worked hard, Lia. Sleep here for a bit,” Sophiedina affectionately held Lia in her arms, letting her rest her head on her lap, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The afternoon breeze rippled, and the scorching sun cast a dazzling white light on the training ground. Occasionally, the sounds of students sparring echoed from afar, lending an air of relative quiet to the surroundings.

After about 20 minutes, Hylial slowly woke up, feeling much better and remarkably clear-headed.

She stretched lazily, waved to Sophiedina sitting on the bench, and then headed back to the stables to retrieve the white horse, ready for her afternoon training.

…

A month later,

In the same training ground, young students gathered. This time, not only were there members of the Holy White Knight Hall, but also apprentices from the Four Seasons Alliance and the Gold Forging Hammer. They stood by the fence, curiously watching the sparring match unfolding inside.

On the knight’s track, two figures charged at each other on horseback, their lances held steadily as they accelerated, pointing forward.

Then, at the moment they crossed paths, their lances clashed. One struck an armor, sending a shower of splintered wood fibers flying, and the struck rider fell from their horse, tumbling to the ground.

Due to the sturdiness of the armor and the lances being intentionally made of light, easily breakable materials, there were no bleeding external injuries. However, the internal shock and impact were certainly unavoidable.

After the exchange, the other rider guided her white horse to slow its pace, removed her helmet amidst the cheers of the onlookers, revealing a cascade of silver-white hair like mercury. Her graceful figure and beautiful face drew screams from the many students.

“Hylial!”

“Hylial!”

“Hylial!”

The girl, clad in silver armor and a white skirt, nodded to everyone, then slowly brought her white horse to a halt and dismounted.

A formal knight then led the girl onto the platform, placing a woven crown of emerald green branches and leaves on her head, as the honorable reward for winning the horsemanship competition. “Let’s congratulate Hylial, our champion of this competition!”

Warm applause and cheers filled the arena again. Afterwards, the organizing Holy White Knight Hall also presented the girl with a White Stone Chess Piece badge as a prize.

With this ‘Tier 2 – Castle’ Chess Piece badge, she could change her affinity and choose the ‘Castle’ affinity for professional advancement. Even if not used for advancement, she could rely on the badge’s effect to provide protection.

[Knight Attendant Badge] (Tier 2 – Castle): A badge symbolizing victory in competition. Can release ‘Holy White Armor’ once every seven days. (1/1)

After the badge was hung on the girl’s armor, three magnates from Glittering Gold Plain slowly walked up the steps, gradually quieting the cheers from below.

“Today, I have an announcement to make,” Cassius’s booming voice instantly pierced through the entire arena, quieting everyone.

“The Headquarters of the Woodland Association has issued an order to dispatch about 60 students to the Dark Mist Mountains to establish a new outpost.”

“This pioneering effort is of great significance. All outposts will select personnel to participate. If you sign up, not only will your supply standards be increased by 300%, but you will also receive additional supplies sponsored by Glittering Gold Plain…” His words immediately piqued the students’ curiosity and excitement.

Subsequently, the three explained in detail the matters related to this draft of personnel and finally made an announcement.

“Furthermore, the leader of this pioneering mission will be our outstanding student from Glittering Gold Plain, the beautiful and exceptionally talented—’Hylial’!”

This announcement surprised many students present. They had originally thought that a skilled member of the third or fourth rank would lead the team, but unexpectedly, the association chose the girl who had just won the championship.

In the past, many students would have been unconvinced, believing it to be a deliberate favoritism from the association’s upper echelons. However, after the training and extensive comparisons of this period, everyone had clearly recognized the girl’s beauty and strength. Therefore, even though they were greatly surprised, few questioned it.

“I didn’t expect the higher-ups’ arrangement to be so bold, having a second-tier student lead the team.”

“Hylial, I admit she’s very strong, but can she really handle such an important task?”

“Without a third-tier formal knight, mage, or professional, can we really establish a foothold in such a place, just with us?”

Although no one questioned the legitimacy of Hylial’s position, there were still many concerns, as the girl appeared too young for complete reassurance.

“Let’s take it one step at a time. From what the Commander said, our main responsibility is logistics, not the most dangerous front lines, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”

“Also, high-level professionals often have their own tasks, and it would be difficult to reallocate them on short notice.”

After all, the Woodland Association was not a strict military organization, but a complex union of many organizations. Re requisitioning official professionals required considering the wishes and arrangements of various subordinate organizations. However, for apprentice members, mobilization and arrangement were exceptionally easy and simple.

After confirming the personnel assignments, the Glittering Gold Plain Association began to act, preparing various materials for the team that was about to depart.

On the other side, Hylial also arrived at the ‘Gold Forging Hammer’ outpost to receive the recently forged ‘White Flower Armor’.

This set of knight armor struck a balance between aesthetics and protective qualities. Tough silver plates were placed on the chest, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and along the sides of the skirt. The inner lining was made of softer material, making it feel like a princess’s dress for an outing, adorned with white cuffs and skirt trim, softening the armor’s otherwise rigid aura.

[White Flower Armor] (Tier 3 – Rare): A suit of armor crafted primarily from Mithril and Snow Steel, complemented by pure white rose fabric and sacred moon silk threads. It offers excellent overall protection and is exceptionally lightweight, allowing the wearer unrestricted movement, achieving a perfect blend of art and practicality.

This single set of armor alone was of immeasurable value, and Hylial felt overwhelmed when she received it.

“Take it,” you said. “I know you might feel uneasy, but don’t forget, this is the association’s expectation of you and our recognition of you.”

Holding the armor, Hylial’s heart swelled.

Since awakening in this world, she had received help from many people. Even if they had the intention of investing early, their trust and generous giving had deeply moved her.

“Thank you.” The girl silently made a firm resolve in her heart.