The Cornflower Witch Chapter 130

After temporarily sealing away [Aromatherapy Lv.1], Hylial continued to study her [Star] talent. Remembering the swarm of bees she sealed in the Shadow World before, she searched tirelessly and finally found the fragile card [Bees and Night Flower Bushes] (First-Order – Alien Star – Moth) in a corner of her Fate Card.

‘At night, white bees like fireflies flit through illusory cornflower bushes, like a dream.’

This card maintained a delicate balance. At the time, she had barely managed to seal those white bees. To command the swarm like the black cat, she was still far from capable.

At least “Second-Order” or above was required, the girl sensed.

Reinforcing the seal again, Hylial hid the card under the flower bushes of her Fate Card, ignoring it for now, and then opened her eyes.

Currently, she possessed two abilities: [Moonlight Breath Method Lv.3] and [Blooming Flower Method Lv.2]. The latter’s progression was slow, mainly because her Aspect rank was insufficient. She probably needed to reach “Second-Order Emerald Honey” to continue improving [Blooming Flower Method].

As for [Moonlight Breath Method Lv.3], she had not yet reached its limit, but she had been busy lately and hadn’t calmly explored and trained it.

“I should sort things out during this time,” Hylial thought.

After eating some baked biscuits at home for lunch, Hylial went to the stables.

Over the past ten days or so, she had grown familiar with three horses. Hearing her footsteps, the mare continued to eat its hay, only nudging its head slightly when Hylial approached.

The other two foals were much more enthusiastic and lively. They came to Hylial with light steps, bumping her from time to time, and occasionally licking her fingers with their tongues, probably wanting some treats from the girl.

“You’ve already eaten all the carrots,” the girl shook her head. She had no more carrots to feed them now.

However, remembering the turnips, she went and cut a few pieces of turnip and fed them to the two little ones.

While watching the two foals eat turnips from her hand, Hylial delicately observed their condition.

[Lakeside Foal]: An ungrown Lakeside Horse, healthy and lively.

“I wonder if horses can learn to breathe,” Hylial suddenly thought, lightly pressing her chin with her finger.

Leading out the two foals, one brown and one black, Hylial put a saddle on the brown foal, hung a lantern on it, and then rode it herself. Her light weight, paired with this foal, was just right.

Feeling someone on its back, the brown foal was a little unaccustomed, but Hylial soothed it for a while, and it continued to walk. The small black horse, seeing this, curiously followed behind, occasionally biting the brown foal’s tail, and then staying by Hylial’s leg, its warm tongue licking her clothes.

Riding the horse, Hylial walked through the valleys, moving continuously forward, closer to the inner side of the valley plain.

After a certain distance, the weeds underfoot became noticeably thicker, reaching above the foal’s legs. If Hylial were walking in the weeds, they would probably reach her chest.

There were no traces of large animals here. After walking for a long time, all she saw were occasional birds flying in the sky.

Just as Hylial was about to continue exploring, the brown foal beneath her stopped. It huffed anxiously, its head lowered into the grass, seemingly trying to tear at something.

“What’s wrong?” Hylial gracefully dismounted and pushed aside the grass to examine it closely.

A few strange and twisted weeds were wrapped around the brown foal’s hooves, their tips, like thin snakes, burrowing under its fur, seemingly sucking blood.

Seeing these bizarre weeds, Hylial frowned, then took down the lantern hanging from the saddle.

An invisible wave of fire swept through, pushing down and scattering the surrounding weeds. Then, she drew her short sword and precisely cut the entangled weeds, bringing up a few strands of blood.

[Twisted Strange Grass]: Strange wild grass corrupted by the Twisted Aspect, it actively entwines passing creatures and feeds on their blood.

After freeing the foal from the entangled weeds, she took hold of the lantern again. Invisible flames continuously spread, incinerating and igniting the surrounding weeds, sending up large plumes of green smoke.

The thick, damp weeds here made it difficult to ignite them.

“Not enough fire,” the girl shook her head slightly, then pressed a button on the lantern. Several drops of high-concentration Emerald Dew Water dripped into the flower pistil, and the wave of fire at her side quickly expanded, growing more powerful and intensely hot.

Invisible orange fiery ripples continuously spread from Hylial’s feet, incinerating the surrounding weeds and finally revealing the scorched soil mixed with ash. The two foals huddled beside the girl, curiously watching the scene.

Afterward, Hylial remounted and continued walking through the woods and grass.

The further in she went, the darker the light became, and the air grew quiet, as if strange creatures could rush out from the dark corners at any moment.

But there wasn’t. Hylial shifted her gaze, meticulously observing the forest, but found no traces of large animals. Just as the patrol cavalry had said, this area had indeed been thoroughly cleared.

“It seems the association’s people are quite thorough and reliable,” she thought.

Although there were no large animals, she found many rabbits and wild mice, but these animals posed little threat.

After inspecting the entire valley, she felt much more at ease and then turned back, leading the two foals back to her residence.

After removing the saddles and letting the two little ones return to their mother, Hylial went upstairs to the stone house to rest.

Two days later, the sown wheat began to sprout, tender young shoots appearing in the black soil, forming green rows.

[Wheat] (Defect -21): Due to contamination by the Twisted Aspect, growth is difficult. If left unchecked, it will wither and die in five days.

As expected, it was extremely difficult to cultivate crops when both the soil and water were problematic. Hylial had anticipated this at heart.

But how to solve these problems? Looking at the wheat, Hylial was lost in thought.

To eliminate the Twisted Aspect, one could use the abilities of the “Castle” path to isolate and dispel the erosion of other Aspects. However, this also had a downside, as it would not only isolate the “Twisted” Aspect but also suppress beneficial Aspects like “Emerald Honey” and “Blazing Sun” that aid growth.

The final result would be that the crops in the manor could at most be cultivated to a good quality, but it would be difficult to further improve them to excellent.

If she failed, and this valley remained without a suitable gardener to cultivate it, the final outcome would be to hand it over to the scholars of White Stone Fortress. They would expend effort to design and set up high walls and stone pillars, building it into a small manor to produce some food to supply the fortress.

This would not be cheap, and the value of the crops produced, after offsetting expenses, would not leave much. Therefore, the association and the White Stone Fortress official would not do this unless absolutely necessary.

So, besides “Castle,” are there other “Aspects” that can effectively deal with “Twisted”?

“Blazing Sun” can incinerate, effectively eliminating “Twisted” objects, but it cannot be used for cultivation.

“Dragon Eye” is the scales of the world, capable of resisting the erosion of “Twisted,” but not destroying it.

“Glorious Moon” is a symbol of clarity and purity, capable of purifying “Twisted” contamination, but it finds it difficult to eliminate the source.

The source of everything, where does the root of “Twisted” truly come from? It is the impact of alien laws and powers on this world.

Walking through the black earth and sky, Hylial’s mind was filled with thoughts.

Since she was the only one in this valley, she didn’t need any disguise or worries. So, she let go of her restraints and revealed her hidden [Alien Star] Aspect.

Strange starlight flickered and vanished in her eyes, and then she released her perception, an invisible ripple sweeping across the land.

Cracks in the grass, dew under leaves, particles in the soil, crushed stones and impurities underground…

Her perception continuously penetrated downwards, extending endlessly into the dark underground, sensing the increasingly obvious “Twisted” Aspect power beneath the surface.

Originally, she thought there would be an end to such “Twisted” things, but she didn’t expect that after truly letting go, she only felt that the valley she was in, this plain, and even this Shadow World, were all built upon an endless twisted abyss, and she couldn’t see the end of the abyss at all.

Deeper and deeper, there was only a more profound darkness, a twisted abyss whose end her current spiritual power could not reach.

Finally, Hylial withdrew her spiritual perception, lightly rubbing her forehead, feeling a bit tired, using the coolness of her fingers to clear her mind slightly.

Well, in that case, it’s impossible to completely eliminate it. Reflecting on it, it makes sense. In those days, all the forces of the entire world gathered to fight against the descending Alien Stars, and countless indescribable alien creatures fell into this sea of abyss. Even multiple Hour Lords perished in the great war. If the source could be easily eliminated, there would be no need for the great serpent to carry the continent, traversing the boundless Sea of Twilight.

Such a historical problem was something she couldn’t solve at present.

So, she had to think of other ways, such as using the power of “Glorious Moon” to purify this land.

It seemed she couldn’t leave “Glorious Moon” alone. Since that was the case, the empty ability card slot would be used to learn “Glorious Moon” abilities.

However, this would make her a “Emerald Honey” gardener somewhat undeserved. If someone were to ask, “Hylial, as a Transcendent with the ‘Emerald Honey’ Aspect, you must have learned many abilities of the ‘Emerald Honey’ path, right?”

At that time, she would probably only be able to awkwardly reply, “Actually, I only learned one ‘Blooming Flower Method,’ and the others were all used to learn ‘Glorious Moon.'”

Possessing multiple Aspects was not uncommon, but to truly achieve integration and balance, it required at least Fifth-Order. Low-level attempts often resulted in neglecting both, hindering progress, interfering with each other, and making advancement difficult.

The founding monarch of the Kingdom of Winter only fully balanced two major Aspects at the Sixth-Order, successfully ascending to the “Sixth-Order – Sleepy Winter – Castle” class of “Winter Crown Knight.”

Originally, she had planned for her next ability to be from the ‘Emerald Honey’ path, but it seemed she had to change her plans now.

Returning to the meditation room, Hylial sat on the soft mat, closing her eyes and perceiving the depths of her consciousness. The book “Merelankah Praying in the Lake” opened again.

The deeds of the founder of the “Silverlight Church” at that time reappeared in her mind. She began to search for clues in historical legends.

…

Two days later, Hylial finally made a discovery and gradually began to re-enact the legendary power. ‘Disease ravaged the city, corpses piled up by the roadside, well water was polluted, and a foul stench of decay filled the air. Cries gradually dried up, leaving only numb death.

The Raven Chaos had not yet ended…

I followed that noble one through streets filled with grey smoke and despair, seeing the silver-glowing saint with eyes full of compassion and sorrow, and I cried with her.

…

For sixteen days, our companions transported pure spring water from the mountains, pouring it into the clean white stone pool. That blemishless saint bathed and changed, then walked step by step into the water. She prayed under the moonlight, and invisible moonlit glory descended in layers.

We sang ancient prayers, invoking the Elder of the Moon, the eternal and pure God.

Glorious Moon manifested, and pure power filled the pool.

…

Clean spring water purified the body, washing away black evil diseases and dispelling invisible corruption.

We give thanks for the saint’s benevolence and greatness, wishing eternal radiance upon the figure beneath the silver glow.

At this point, the Raven Chaos found a hopeful turning point…’

The book recorded the experience of “Silver-Glow Saint” Merelankah suppressing the “Raven Chaos” at the end of the Eight Epoch. This was the first time Merelankah influenced the world at that time. After this event, the “Silverlight Church” she led gradually expanded, establishing branches in various places, step by step becoming an important and powerful organization.

“Spring water, huh…” Hylial pondered in the dark.

Legends have many interpretations and can extend to many concepts. If she wanted to create purifying water capable of dispelling corruption, she would likely need spring water as a base.

But in a sense, she could also work backward from the legend to obtain spring water in this way.

(Understanding of ‘Merelankah’ legend +12)

As if a light bulb of inspiration had lit up, Hylial began to attempt to recreate the scene described in the book, including the setting, the state of mind, and the necessary steps.

She first bathed and changed into the pure white dress she wore when she first awoke, then came to the pond at night.

Bathed in moonlight, she began to pray, but she did not invoke the “Glorious Moon” Hour Lord, because at the time recorded in the book, the “Dream Lord” Silvermoon Dragon ruled the Glorious Moon, and she was particularly unfamiliar with the current “Fantasy Black Rabbit.”

She could only pray to the invisible moonlight. To strengthen this prayer and self-suggestion in her heart, the silver-haired girl stepped barefoot into the pool, knelt halfway in the water, closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and softly sang a ballad that matched her current state of mind.

‘In the light of hope’

‘The waiting hour’

‘The sleeping heart slowly awakens’

‘I will sing in your ear’

…

‘Singing songs of thanks for the grace she brings us’

‘And the endless power that brings growth to all things’

‘(Longingly) I sincerely pray for hope’

‘(Seriously) I ask that it be conveyed to my heart’

‘I pray for the light of hope’

…

‘(Earnestly) I beg you to hear my soul’

‘Come down once more’

The girl’s clear singing drifted along the breeze, towards the silent valley, this world still enveloped in darkness.

No one expected, nor paid attention, to this corner at the edge of the world.

She sang her song once, and the dark world remained unchanged.

But she didn’t give up; the gentle song was sung a second time, and her voice became even softer.

…

The third song sounded again, echoing in the wind, dispersing silently into the dark land.

The insects still chirped, the twisted weeds in the mountain still grew rampant, and the invisible troubles still restricted this land.

…

As the seventh song began, the girl did not stop, and the emotion in her voice still held anticipation and tenderness.

She believed it was not time to give up so easily.

…

When the twelfth song sounded, her voice trembled and wavered slightly, even she felt tired internally.

But it was not yet time to surrender. The girl recalled all she had learned, trying to remember the scenes described in the book.

…

As the seventeenth song began, she no longer believed that the invisible glory and spirits would respond to her.

At this time, she could only trust everything she perceived, using scene after scene from her memories to awaken her imagination of a distant future.

She yearned for a peaceful and stable world because she had been traumatized in her childhood and understood the details of that pain.

Tenderness is born from scars, and understanding is born from the process of perceiving pain.

Pale goodwill is merely a hypocritical facade for gaining fame and fortune; true empathy must be a resonance of similar sorrow.

…

‘Once again’

‘(Sincerely) I hope we can be together’

‘Pray for that cry of life’

‘(Seriously) I hope we can sing’

‘To resonate again’

…

This time, faint specks of light finally emerged in the breeze, like fireflies dancing in the wild grass.

Although tiny, these weak points of light responded to the girl’s prayer, beginning to truly manifest.

They swayed gently in the wind, like returning wanderers, drifting through the sky and land of this valley.

A few specks of light landed on the silver-haired girl, and an invisible aura appeared, spreading outwards from her as its center, towards the pool.

(New ability ‘Hylial’s Pure Water’ condensed successfully)

Myriad specks of light danced, forming a gentle vortex, slowly converging into the pool beside the girl, purifying the corruption within it. A faint glow appeared on the clear water.

(Ability advanced, ‘Hylial’s Spring Water’ condensed successfully)

[Hylial’s Spring Water] (Glorious Moon): Clear spring water containing purifying power, capable of watering and cleansing, removing pollution brought by Aspects such as ‘Twisted’ and ‘Dead Ember’. (Because you are the creator of this ability, the extent you can achieve is the limit of this ability.)

—

Note: The song is “EXEC_REBIRTHIA=PROTOCOL” from Ar Tonelico 3. A new playlist has been created, and you can search for “Songs quoted in ‘Witch of Cornflowers'” on Netease Cloud Music.

Note 2: The playlist already includes “Woven Song” as the starting point of a distant story.