The Cornflower Witch Chapter 239

Since she was going back to the surface continent, Sylphidya needed to prepare thoroughly, following the advice of her predecessors.

First, many things in the Shadow World were scarce and hard to obtain in the surface world. If she could bring some back, whether for gifts or trade, it would be beneficial.

“So, I need to buy boxes first, right?” Sylphidya stood before the market gate, recalling the items she needed to purchase today.

Her ‘Autumn Courtyard’ could be used to store non-living items, but due to the concept of her core secret art, she needed to wrap these items in specially made wooden boxes rather than placing them directly into the courtyard.

The core secret art involved ‘concepts.’ If too many other items were placed inside, it would disrupt the overall ‘Autumn Rhythm,’ significantly reducing its effectiveness. Therefore, suitable boxes were needed as isolation to prevent interference.

Arriving at a furniture shop, Sylphidya explained her intention.

“Oh, so the young lady wants to buy boxes? What style do you like, and what are you planning to use them for?”

“We have sturdy iron boxes, beautiful and suitable wooden boxes, and small boxes specifically for jewelry, and so on,” the shop owner enthusiastically greeted her.

“I want a batch of boxes made from maple wood, and there mustn’t be any nails on them,” Sylphidya stated her request.

“This…” Such a request was quite uncommon.

Sylphidya thought for a moment, took out a small pouch of gold coins from her bosom, and placed it directly on the table.

“This is the deposit. Can you find someone to make them?” She didn’t have much time to find a carpenter now.

“Of course, no problem. When do you need them? I can find someone to custom-make them for you today.” The owner opened the bag and scanned its contents; there were at least 30 gold coins inside, which was a considerable sum.

“The sooner the better, preferably within three days,” the girl pondered.

“The boxes don’t need to be too exquisite; try to retain their original ecological characteristics, so they can blend in with the natural environment. Their exterior should preferably look like tree stump logs, and no locks are needed.”

“I have noted that. How large do you need them to be?”

“At least 1 meter long and at least 0.6 meters wide. More than ten boxes. For each additional box, I’ll give you an extra 2 gold coins, up to twenty boxes.”

“I understand.”

After giving her instructions, Sylphidya left the shop and continued to browse the market.

The Golden Glades’ specialties were grain crops, weapons, and armor. Additionally, there were several print shops here, so books were plentiful.

Thinking that she might encounter Ray, Mike, Komia, and Karen, Sylphidya bought a long-handled great axe, a two-handed sword, a dagger, and a longbow. For armor, she chose a lightweight adventure armor that could be adjusted in size, which was tough leather combined with a small number of armor plates for key defenses.

This would be more practical. Besides, if she bought full plate armor, its weight would probably only be marginally manageable for Ray.

The four sets of weapons and armor were all of ‘Tier 2 Excellent’ quality. Sylphidya was afraid that giving higher quality weapons might bring trouble to her friends, as some high-tier weapons possessed Aspects, which low-tier supernaturals found difficult to control.

Thinking of Madam Fran and Scholar Hyde, her two teachers, Sylphidya carefully selected some items, purchasing three bottles of ‘Falling Moon Flower Dew’ and three bottles of ‘Cedar Cold Honey.’ The former could assist supernaturals in increasing their mental power and calming their minds, while the latter could recuperate the body, heal hidden injuries, and alleviate some chronic diseases.

Next were Winnie, Talir, and the Village Chief Grandpa’s family. Sylphidya didn’t know what they needed, so she bought five bottles of ‘Tier 2 Excellent’ quality ‘Emerald Wind Flower Honey.’

Even for Viscount Xuefeng, Sylphidya prepared a gift: a ‘Four-Color Glazed Flower Lamp’ for the living room. This was an exquisite ornament made by alchemists that could adjust the ambient temperature, making it more comfortable.

Who else was there? Sylphidya recalled the people she had met.

Ah, there was also Vanders, the merchant who lent her his house. Sylphidya thought for a moment, then went to an alchemy workshop and bought two ‘Alarm Lanterns.’ These items were similar to the brooch she currently wore but with a slightly narrower effective range, only 80 meters. The brooch she wore, carefully crafted by Dolores, had a range of about 200 meters and could even detect ghosts and other evil creatures.

Over the next two days, Sylphidya visited other acquaintances in the Golden Glades, including Tristan, the ‘Master Stonecrafter’ who was the chairman of the Forging Gold Hammer and helped her craft armor, and Cassius, the commander of the Holy White Knights’ Hall.

Both happened to be in the tower of the White Stone Fortress. When Sylphidya arrived, she was led directly by an attendant into the Conference Hall to meet them.

Similar to her visit to Kurland Hill, both were interested in Sylphidya’s experiences in the Dark Mist Mountains over the past two years, asking her many questions and praising her.

“Are you returning to Scorched Stone City?” Cassius asked, remembering something.

“Yes.”

“The situation there has changed a lot. You might not find the people you once knew,” Cassius told Sylphidya about events that occurred a year ago.

“Has Viscount Xuefeng moved away?” Sylphidya asked in surprise.

“Yes, it is said he went to a distant Eastern Country, and Scholar Hyde went with him.”

“The knights I sent left their communication method. You can take the address and visit them later, but it won’t be in Regas anymore.”

“I understand.” Although it was a pity she couldn’t meet Scholar Hyde, she still planned to visit Scorched Stone City first. After all, there were others there, and Mike, Karen, and the others were probably also in the Regas Kingdom, not too far away. Hearing that Sylphidya was returning, Tristan, the ‘Master Stonecrafter,’ who was as tall as a giant, pulled out two thumb-sized magnets and tossed them to Sylphidya.

“Take these. If your weapon gets chipped or dull, you can use these to temporarily repair them.”

[Hot Iron Magnet] (Tier 2 Excellent): Adsorbs onto a weapon and, through friction, melts itself to repair minor chips and restore sharpness.

“Thank you,” Sylphidya accepted the casual small gift with a slight surprise.

“If you encounter any trouble back home, you can also announce the name of the ‘Holy White Knights’ Hall.’ With my endorsement, feel free to call upon it, haha,” Cassius said from the head of the table, his rough voice muffled by his armored mask.

This man was truly the head of a faction, while Kurland Hill and Tristan, though branch presidents, were restricted by rules and couldn’t make promises or commitments lightly.

“Thank you, Lord Cassius.” Sylphidya bowed her head in gratitude, feeling that these seniors in the Golden Glades were exceptionally pampering towards her. Sometimes, she even felt it was a little unfair.

After all, many students also worked diligently, but they didn’t receive as much care and nurturing.

“By the way, do you still have the badge you won as the competition champion?” Cassius suddenly asked.

“Yes, I do.” Sylphidya remembered something and took out the white stone badge from inside her clothes.

[Knight Attendant Badge] (Tier 2 Castle): A badge symbolizing victory in a competition. Once every seven days, it can release ‘Holy White Armor.’ (1/1)

“Give it to me.” Cassius extended his hand, and Sylphidya placed the badge in his palm, which was covered by a silver gauntlet.

As he gripped the badge, brilliant light flashed between his fingers. It was as if a gust of wind swept through the hall, and the air swirled. The invisible power of the castle surged from the tower and the entire fortress, pouring into his clenched fist.

Soon, the light dissipated, and Cassius handed the badge back to Sylphidya. The badge, which was previously of ‘Tier 2 Castle’ Aspect, had now transformed into ‘Tier 3 Castle.’

[Knight Badge] (Tier 3 Castle): A badge symbolizing victory in a competition, consecrated with an official blessing, which can temporarily grant the ‘Tier 3 White Knight’ status for ten minutes, possessing all the abilities of a White Knight. (Usable once every seven days)

Although it was a rare and wondrous item for Sylphidya, to this exceedingly powerful Knight Commander, it was merely a small gift that could be created with ease.

“Take it. You might have a use for it. When you’re traveling alone, you can never be too careful.”

“Yes, Senior.”

Sylphidya carefully accepted the badge and tucked it into an inner pocket of her clothes.

After the two gave her further instructions, telling the girl to be wary of all sorts of accidents and deceptions, and confirming that Sylphidya had truly taken their words to heart, they finally let her go.

After Sylphidya left, the two continued to discuss the girl in the now quiet hall.

“Such emotions are truly wondrous. I haven’t cared for someone so deeply in a long time,” Cassius said from his elevated seat, his steady voice muffled by his helmet.

“Haha, well, I’m different. I usually give away any interesting little gadgets I make to my apprentices and students,” Tristan laughed heartily.

“I think it’s because your standards are too high. You usually don’t pay much attention to those juniors whom you consider too green and childish. It’s rare for you to encounter a junior with such high talent who is also sensible, obedient, beautiful, and charming.”

“The longer you pay attention to her, the more emotions you’re bound to invest. And little Tiya is indeed the only true genius to emerge from our outpost in the past few decades, someone who might inherit our positions in the future.”

“Though there are many students in the Forest Land each year, you and I have experienced much and understand that most people have limited talent. Reaching Tier 3 might be their limit. Only a very few have the chance to reach Tier 5 or 6, attaining a position equal to ours.”

After listening to Tristan’s words, Cassius pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“I didn’t realize you were so perceptive.”

“That’s the prejudice of you armored knights. When you’re a craftsman, meticulous observation is essential. Even a slight difference in temperature or skill won’t do.”

“Haha, is that how it is? Perhaps I should come to your place and try my hand at smithing in a couple of days.”

“Let’s not. I’m afraid you’d hammer my anvil into the floor,” Tristan waved his hand. Despite his tall, muscular build, when it came to strength and combat prowess, ten of him wouldn’t be enough for the current Commander Cassius to chop down.

“Alright, after seeing little Tiya, I need to get back to smithing.”

“Recently, the nations of the surface continent have been in constant warfare, and the Forest Land has seen an increase in armor and weapon orders. It’s a good time to make money.”

“Go ahead,” Cassius said.

Soon, only Commander Cassius remained in the hall. His metal-clad fingers intertwined, his elbows resting on the table, still deep in thought.

“Scorched Stone City… that name truly evokes nostalgia. I suppose no one remembers why it’s called Scorched Stone City anymore.”