The Cornflower Witch Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Testing Grounds

After a good night’s rest, Hylial finally woke up around noon the next day.

She changed into a white dress with light yellow trim and lace, twisted her hair to the side, and then walked downstairs.

Madame Faran was not out today; instead, she was sitting in the living room reading a book. Seeing the silver-haired girl in the dress come down, she nodded slightly and then beckoned.

“Come here, Lia~”

“Okay.” The girl, who had originally intended to sneak a snack to fill her stomach, could only turn around and go to Madame Faran’s side.

Noticing the girl’s small movements, Madame Faran found it amusing and told her,

“Wait a little longer. Lining is already preparing a hearty lunch.”

“Okay.” Hylial sat obediently on the sofa.

“You were too tired yesterday, so I didn’t tell you much about the Hidden Grove. Today, we can probably have a good talk about it.”

“First, how much do you know about the Hidden Grove?”

“It’s probably where various organizations recruit students,” the girl answered based on previous information.

“Yes, but not entirely correct.” Madame Faran thought for a moment before answering.

“The Hidden Grove is just a general term. In fact, it refers to multiple outposts of the Shadow World in the southern part of the continent, where countless talented young people are recruited and thrown in. Some rapidly grow and become the backbone of various schools and organizations that resist distortion and acquire resources.”

“But those who fail will also die silently in the Grove, unknown to anyone,” she propped her ear with one hand, her golden hair slightly curled.

“I rarely talk to you about my past, Lia.”

“I once had a very good companion who also entered the local Hidden Grove. At first, she wrote to me once a month, telling me about her progress and growth. It was clear that she was doing well then.”

“However, after a few years, she became anxious as her tasks gradually increased, and she began to fall behind the pace of the talented people her age.”

“After that, she had to participate in more dangerous but more rewarding missions, until eight years later, when I stopped receiving replies from her.”

“Years later, when I advanced to Third Rank and joined the loose organization ‘Sunflower Cottage’ – although it was a small organization, its founder had once been a member of the ‘Four Seasons Alliance’ and had extensive connections in the Grove – I obtained a letter of introduction through him and went to the branch of the Grove where my companion went missing.”

“It took several months of investigation, but I finally found her name recorded there. It stated her last information: she and her entire adventure team went missing while searching for a ‘Scarlet Monkey’ in a hidden Shadow World.”

“The ‘Scarlet Monkey’ is a monster from the Shadow World. Its eyes and heart can be refined into a special elixir called ‘Scarlet Stone Dew,’ which is an elixir that can steadily enhance the ‘Blood Discipline’ aspect and is also a rare medicine for many Transcendent struggling to advance, helping them break through to Third Rank.”

“Ordinary students can’t afford it and can only go to the Shadow World themselves to find the raw materials for refining.”

“Actually, her talent was no less than mine. You can imagine, being able to advance to Second Rank within five years and attempt to break through to Third Rank before the age of thirty, this already exceeds many people’s imagination.”

“It can only be said that excessive anxiety and haste ruined her, but that is the atmosphere of the Hidden Grove. It cultivates Transcendent in an extremely efficient manner, but it also eliminates a large number of students who are unlucky, untalented, or go in the wrong direction.”

“In the past, many organizations didn’t care about the Shadow World and the Abyss below the Sea of Twilight, but those that ventured into the Shadow World early on developed rapidly. With a constant influx of new blood, new core strengths grew within the organizations, making them powerful and starting to squeeze the living space of other organizations.”

“Under such circumstances, all parties and schools had to participate in the competition for the Shadow World. Even the Regas royal family, which you are familiar with, has an outpost branch in the Shadow World and cultivates reserve attendants for the ‘Fir Knights’ there.”

“The Candlefort School is a bit special. They are not heavily involved in the conflicts of the Shadow World, but they are deeply involved in the governmental affairs of secular kingdoms. Few people compete with them in this field, so the only one ordinary people might know is the Candlefort School. In fact, there are many organizations more powerful than the Candlefort School, such as the ‘Four Seasons Alliance’ I mentioned earlier. They are one of the three most powerful forces on this continent, secretly controlling many countries.”

“The so-called Hidden Grove is the entry point for these organizations to recruit new members. By going there, you will receive resources for cultivation from the local Grove and have specialized teachers to impart various knowledge.”

“These benefits come at a cost. Every course costs money, and the cultivation resources provided to the students must be slowly repaid over several years.”

“However, once you advance and join one of these organizations, all previous cultivation expenses will be repaid by the organization on your behalf and written off.”

“Talented students, or those with special skills, are very popular there, and various organizations will offer excellent terms to recruit them.”

“There are many benefits to joining an organization. Firstly, for resource gathering, the organization helps. Additionally, safety is somewhat guaranteed, because murder of organization members at will will be retaliated against by that organization.”

“Originally, I didn’t care for this, but in hindsight, due to safety concerns a few years ago, I joined the relatively loose ‘Sunflower Cottage.’ As a member of the organization, I have an obligation to submit a portion of refined ‘Sunseed Oil’ each year. Other than that, ‘Sunflower Cottage’ has few demands, and of course, they don’t provide many benefits. That’s the price of freedom.”

After listening to Madame Faran’s narration, Hylial finally understood what the Hidden Grove was like.

“Is it very difficult to seek knowledge through other means if one doesn’t go to the Hidden Grove?” she asked Madame Faran.

“That’s right. The temperaments of each organization vary. If there’s no one to recommend you, it’s difficult for them to trust you. Therefore, it would probably take several years to join one, working in a peripheral organization and passing assessment before gradually getting closer to the organization.”

“And, once you move elsewhere, your previous accumulation will be reset to zero, and you’ll need to re-establish trust and relationships,” Madame Faran commented.

“It’s difficult for people without an organizational endorsement to be trusted by others, just like strangers with unknown backgrounds. When you have an identity from a certain organization, as long as that organization has a good reputation, you can easily gain the trust of others.”

“Of course, if you do anything that harms the organization’s reputation, there will be corresponding disciplinary measures within the organization, some of which are even exceptionally strict.”

“For the Candlefort School, writing books and treatises is extremely important, and plagiarism is considered absolutely unforgivable. Now you understand why Scholar Hyde’s punishment was so severe when he was framed back then.”

“According to the previous plan, if you continue to study with me, I could recommend you to a peripheral organization of the ‘Four Seasons Alliance’ in two years. You would work for them for five years to become an official peripheral member, and to truly join the ‘Four Seasons Alliance,’ you would need to perform exceptionally well in the peripheral organization and demonstrate special talent and strength.”

“If you go to the Hidden Grove, if you achieve outstanding results within three years, you can directly join the ‘Four Seasons Alliance’ as a reserve apprentice and begin to enjoy many of the organization’s benefits.”

“And after you reach Third Rank and officially become a member of the ‘Four Seasons Alliance,’ they will allow you to choose one of the Four Seasons Elixir to be bestowed upon you. If you choose the ‘Spring Elixir,’ you will gain twenty years of immutable youth. If you choose the ‘Summer Elixir,’ your body will regenerate, healing any injuries or illnesses, including severed limbs and disabilities. If you choose the ‘Autumn Elixir,’ your aspect will be refined and condensed, making it easier to advance to the next stage. If you choose the ‘Winter Elixir,’ your physical state will halt, freezing you in a sixty-year slumber.”

“Of course, if you are not interested in the ‘Four Seasons Alliance,’ you can also join other organizations, such as the ‘Moonfall Forest,’ ‘Holy White Knight Hall,’ ‘Rainbow Glazed Bottle,’ or ‘Demon Eye Cult.’ These are all reputable and powerful organizations, and their new members will receive various precious benefits.”

“The advantage of the Hidden Grove is that the achievements you make there are universally recognized by various organizations. This is much easier than in the outside world, and you also have more choices.”

(End of Chapter)