The Cornflower Witch Chapter 192

Led by a guard, Hylial navigated the complex corridors and passages to reach a tower where the forge fires roared within the tall castle of Whitestone Fortress.

“This is where Tristan usually lives,” the guard said, opening the door and asking Hylial to wait while he announced her.

Soon, he emerged.

“Lord Tristan bids you enter.”

“Understood.” The girl nodded and stepped into the tower.

Following a passage, she soon arrived at a forging room with four burning furnaces, each shaping different tools. A blacksmith, approximately 2.4 meters tall, with muscles like cast bronze, was at work, his movements powerfully precise.

Seeing the young girl approach, he put down the iron block he was hammering.

“Hylial, isn’t it? Have you decided what you’d like to have forged this time?” This was none other than Tristan, the ‘Boulder Craftsman’ and branch head of the ‘Gold Forging Hammer’ guild in the Glittering Gold Plain.

He looked at Hylial, his large, bronze-lamp-like eyes seemingly able to see through her.

“Your arms are thin, but I think you’d look exceptionally magnificent wielding a giant axe.”

At this suggestion, Hylial couldn’t help but cover her forehead. She always felt that these adults wanted to groom her according to their own ideas.

Crundlow wished for her to choose the ‘Spring Courtyard’, Knight Commander Cassius hoped she would become a knight like a flower of the battlefield, and now this blacksmith uncle was suggesting she wield an ultra-heavy giant axe and become a warrior.

“Thank you for your suggestion, but I only need a suit of practical armor that allows for agility,” the girl replied after some thought.

“Armor? Most of what I forge is knight armor for the lads in the knight order,” he answered with a cheerful laugh.

“But those things are like iron cans, and you’d look too ugly wearing one.” It seemed this blacksmith had a surprising aesthetic sense.

“Let me think if there’s a style suitable for you.” He crossed his arms, deep in thought.

Two minutes later:

“I’ve got it! I once saw a mural depicting Princess Elentina of the Blood Dynasty in her flower battle armor, riding a black nightmare warhorse, holding a long axe handle. With the warhorse’s rise, her black and red giant axe was lifted, like a general conquering purgatory.”

“I’ll use that as a template and make some slight modifications to tailor it for you.”

“I don’t really understand the aesthetics of battle armor, but that set was the culmination of the Blood Dynasty masters’ wisdom, so it must be exceptionally beautiful.”

“You don’t need to worry about the materials; I’ll advance the cost. You can measure your body, and I’ll create a mold.”

After hearing the blacksmith’s description, Hylial was curious about what the armor would look like, though she regretted never having seen that mural.

Going to a side room, Hylial found a soft tape measure, carefully took her body measurements, and then recorded them before handing them to the blacksmith.

“Alright, with these, I should be able to forge a well-fitting armor.”

“You can head back now. Once it’s finished, I’ll have someone notify you.”

“Thank you, Lord Tristan.” Hylial bowed and then turned to leave.

***

Over the next two months, Hylial resided in Whitestone Fortress, diligently attending various courses with the Serofina Scholars. She has now mastered ‘Elven Language,’ ‘Fairy Language,’ ‘Basic Runes,’ and ‘Lobai’s Garden.’ Currently, she is studying ‘Ancient King Murreto’ and ‘Noble Etiquette and Heritage.’

“In the Seventh Era, the barbarian King Murreto led his people through the Vast Star Wilderness, trekking for nearly twelve years, overcoming countless hardships to reach the Midsummer Land…”

“This journey was incredibly arduous. Along the way, he defeated many monsters that blocked his path, including the twin-headed serpent, Black Kues.” Serofina lightly tapped the blackboard, and a massive, twin-headed serpent image appeared.

“The twin-headed serpent had one head with the ‘Nightmare’ aspect, featuring dark purple scales, and the other with the ‘Dead Ember’ aspect, with black-purple scales. They represented the dual death of life and spirit. In his confrontations with it, Murreto repeatedly skirted the edge of death, being defeated and fleeing three times before finally achieving a difficult victory on the fourth encounter.”

“So, how did he finally defeat that twin-headed serpent?” Hylial eagerly asked.

“That twin-headed serpent possessed a special ability for continuous rebirth, so it had to be killed simultaneously. However, at that time, there was no human hero equal to Murreto.”

“Ultimately, Murreto employed his wisdom: he gripped both serpent necks with his hands, forcing them to bite each other, injecting venom into one another, and dying together.”

“This story later gave rise to an idiom, ‘Snake devouring itself,’ which describes those who commit evil deeds only to bring harm upon themselves.”

“The same story can always be viewed in different ways. Although the giant serpent died, some of the accompanying humans became remarkably enchanted by its life force. They preserved remnants of its body, secretly worshipping them afterwards, attempting to gain similar powerful abilities.”

“This was the origin of an early human cult: the ‘Dual-Serpent Cult.’ They would raise serpents, feeding them other humans to elevate their power, and once they reached a certain level, they would merge themselves with the serpents to become half-serpent, half-human monsters.”

“If you ever encounter members of the ‘Dual-Serpent Cult,’ simply execute them,” Serofina instructed the two.

“Are there still people from the ‘Dual-Serpent Cult’ today?” Sophiedina asked.

“Yes, but they operate more secretively now,” Serofina shook her head, then continued to explain.

“You must understand that not everyone can reach higher tiers and attain longevity. Some demented individuals, in their pursuit of immortality, fall into the embrace of such cults. They use sacrificial rituals to empower themselves, choosing to live on, even if it means becoming monsters.”

“The human heart is unfathomable, and evil organizations like the ‘Dual-Serpent Cult’ persist in every corner.”

“Alright, that’s all for today. Class dismissed.”

“Yes,” both girls nodded, then packed their notes.

After class, Sophiedina invited the girl to the castle’s training ground.

“I haven’t had a real combat practice in a while. Would Hylial mind practicing with me?”

“Of course.” Hylial also wanted to test herself; it had been a long time since her last real combat.

Half an hour later.

The two changed into training clothes and sparred in the training ground. Sophiedina used a rapier, while Hylial used a saber.

The girl’s sleeve subtly fluttered as the narrow blade, perfectly aligned with her arm, moved forward in a steady stride.

Then Sophiedina swiftly advanced, her rapier thrusting in the shortest trajectory directly towards Hylial’s face. However, Hylial moved as well, sidestepping lightly to elegantly evade the attack, then spinning her body to gather momentum with the blade in her hand, directly performing a whirling slash that struck Sophiedina, causing her to fall to the ground in pain.

As it was merely a practice match, neither used their transcendent abilities. Yet, even with the protection of training attire, Sophiedina felt she couldn’t bear the force.

“Sorry, sorry,” Hylial said, helping her up and leading her to sit down.

She hadn’t practiced with anyone in a long time, and subconsciously, she acted as if in real combat. Even with some restraint, the force was more than Sophiedina could withstand.

‘Tee, ouch,’ Sophiedina, who had intended to continue sword practice, now lay on the chair, completely disinclined to move.

“My apologies,” Hylial said, trying to comfort her and help stimulate her blood circulation for recovery.

Speaking of which, was Sophiedina really that delicate? Hylial mused, pressing on her back, she had clearly held back.