The Cornflower Witch Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Reflection in the Water

“What does a bird see when it flies over the water, Yero?”

In Scholar Hyde’s study, a warm fireplace burned. He asked the student who was copying scrolls beside him.

“It sees the fish and water plants in the water, doesn’t it, teacher?” Yero looked up and asked.

“Not just those, it also sees its own reflection.” Scholar Hyde coughed, covering his mouth with a towel.

“Teacher.” Yero put down his pen and walked over, taking Scholar Hyde’s place to pat his back.

“Hoo… I’m fine, let’s continue with our previous conversation.” Scholar Hyde raised his hand.

“Just as a bird flying over water sees its own reflection, when the Seven Continents float on the Twilight Sea, do you think they have shadows?”

“This, there should be shadows,” Yero nodded.

“And what form do you think these shadows would take?” Scholar Hyde looked up at his last official student.

“Since it’s a shadow, its outline should be similar to the continent,” Yero pondered.

“Yes, and not just generally similar, but as if it were another continent, perfectly duplicated,” Scholar Hyde answered with a cough.

“Do you know why I never suggest that you go to the Hidden Grove?”

“Because my talent isn’t good enough,” Yero answered calmly, having long recognized this.

“If it were merely a lack of talent, it wouldn’t change the benefits of that choice. Nobles would surely send all their children to the Hidden Grove to learn powerful secret arts,” Scholar Hyde shook his head.

“But you also know that most nobles don’t do that. They aren’t even willing to let their children enter the Hidden Grove.”

“Why… is that?” Yero became serious.

“Because the Hidden Grove is not located on any part of the continent, but in the shadow beneath our continent,” Scholar Hyde struggled to utter the words.

“It’s a space submerged by the Twilight Sea, a corrupted sea where countless monsters are born, a desperate place where twisted forms constantly erode and spread.”

“If that’s the case, then why is it still set up in that place?” Yero felt there must be a reason for it.

“Yes, that’s right, it’s a corrupted place, but in a way, it’s also a place with many valuable resources,” Scholar Hyde sighed.

“In the Seventh Era, an Alien Star descended, piercing the earth, and many Paradises sank into the depths of the Twilight Sea. The Seven Continents where we live now are just a small part of the world back then.”

“Those worlds that sank into the depths of the Twilight Sea became breeding grounds for monsters and gave rise to many things we don’t understand. Some of these things have been analyzed by certain schools and can be utilized.”

“To facilitate research and to harness those resources, they established outposts in the Shadow World deep within the Twilight Sea, with many personnel permanently stationed there.”

“If the Twilight Sea is an unknown sandy plain where no one knows what lies beneath, then the shadows of the Seven Continents floating in the sky are like a net filtering the sand. Certain things will be drawn into it when the shadow covers the area. This is the origin of the monsters in the Shadow World.”

“Why is the first assessment to enter the Hidden Grove always about finding something? It’s to sift out students with searching abilities.”

“Why is the second assessment to enter the Hidden Grove always about defeating enemies of the same rank? It’s because you’ll always encounter various monsters in the Shadow World.”

“Why is the third assessment to enter the Hidden Grove about obtaining something amidst great difficulty? It’s because those rare resources are always so hard to acquire.”

“If your strength isn’t enough, going there is just suicide. Now do you understand my difficulty, cough cough.” Scholar Hyde coughed again.

“I understand. I’m sorry, teacher.” Yero again rubbed Scholar Hyde’s back.

“Why tell me suddenly today?” In truth, he had never even considered going to the Hidden Grove.

“Why…” Scholar Hyde looked at the falling snow outside the window, his eyes deeply lost in memory.

“Most likely, I don’t want to have any more regrets or misunderstandings.”

“I rarely told you about my youth, but now I can.”

“Once, I was much like you, a student particularly drawn to the path of ‘Secret Words,’ or rather, deeply devoted to knowledge. But our talents were both quite ordinary.”

“That’s right, my talent wasn’t good either. Back then, I could only watch enviously as my clever classmates effortlessly learned knowledge and secret arts.”

“But everyone says that the teacher was a brilliant talent in his youth and achieved success very early on,” Yero shook his head.

“That was the impression later, my foolish child,” Hyde shook his head.

“When I was eighteen or nineteen, I was completely unknown, and no one paid me any attention.”

“I only had one friend, Jerry. We always encouraged each other, studied together, and even lived together for a long time, sharing a rented house.”

“Because we couldn’t enter the Hidden Grove, and couldn’t win the favor of those large organizations, the two of us could only find some obscure methods, or rather, very笨拙 (clumsy) methods.”

“There are several channels for the Candlefort School to recruit official members, and the Hidden Grove is just one of them.”

“If I assisted ‘Candlefort’ in collecting and compiling certain materials, I could become an peripheral member, and then gradually accumulate various contributions until, at some point, I was recognized and accepted by them.”

“Jerry and I planned to take this path, doesn’t it sound a lot like what you’re thinking now?” Scholar Hyde smiled nostalgically.

“Back then, I would eat only a little bread and drink well water every day, running around everywhere, investigating local conditions, consulting locals about past events, and then meticulously recording and organizing everything.”

“Such work was incredibly tedious and dry, and established scholars were too busy to waste their precious energy on it. Only we low-ranking peripheral members did it.”

“Jerry and I ran to many places, in the mountains, by the river, and even through the city’s underground sewers, searching for certain recorded items.”

“Those days were very busy and exceptionally fulfilling, especially seeing the contribution points slowly accumulate, as if seeing my beautiful future unfold.”

“It took us about seven years to accumulate enough contribution points. Then we found that scholar from Candlefort and asked if we could be officially accepted.”

“He didn’t answer directly at the time, just chuckled and handed us a book.”

‘I know you harbor great hopes, but please understand the organization’s reputation. This is a valuable book explaining how to advance. Once you become a ‘Level 3 Secret Word’ one day, then come talk to me.’

“Our hopes were dashed. Although that book was good, it wasn’t suitable for people like us who lacked talent.”

“Jerry and I walked aimlessly down the street, then went to a bar and drank a lot of alcohol.”

“At that time, we were nearing thirty, but still remained at ‘Level 1’. Because running around had wasted a lot of our energy, and we hadn’t saved up resources to practice advancement.”

“We’re nothing,” we said, mocking ourselves, and then the two of us wandered the streets, sleeping in alleys.

“From then on, we no longer passionately traveled and investigated, but instead concentrated on improving our own attributes and ranks.”

“Perhaps years of travel and visits gave me a particularly deep understanding of the ‘Secret Word’ attribute. When I truly focused on this area, I achieved unimaginable results.”

“Soon, I was promoted to ‘Level 2 Secret Word’. At that time, I had just turned thirty.”

“This achievement wasn’t genius, but it was considered a minor local talent. So I gained a modest reputation and secured a job under the previous Viscount Xuefeng.”

Perhaps the progress I made gave me a lot of confidence and hope, and I began to dream of achieving “Level 3 Secret Word.” I decided to continue imitating my past experiences, investigating concepts everywhere, and began writing my travelogue.

“At this point, Jerry found me. He was surprised by my advancement and asked me how. I generously told him everything and wished him to advance as well.”

“After receiving all my knowledge, Jerry was very grateful. He also decided to continue traveling like me.”

“Thus, we often communicated by letter and occasionally reunited in certain places.”

“After a few years, Jerry finally entered ‘Level 2 Secret Word’ as well. We were extremely happy and celebrated specially.”

“Originally, I thought our friendship would deepen because we were again at the same stage,” Scholar Hyde lamented.

“I started writing a new book, and he was also interested, often coming to check my progress, wanting to learn something.”

“Certainly, he was my best friend, so why would I refuse him?”

“So I very generously told him my source of inspiration, the framework of the entire book, the ideas, and the sources of all the materials.”

“But later, later events, you might have already guessed.”

“I didn’t advance to ‘Level 3 Secret Word’. There must have been an accident, just as I said before, I trusted him too much, which ultimately led to tragedy.”

“He took my achievements and rushed to publish them, quickly gaining recognition from Candlefort.”

“At that time, he was on the verge of advancement, and Candlefort regarded him as a prospective member, treating him with exceptional warmth and care.”

“I was filled with resentment but helpless. After all, I had no way to prove that it was something I had created first.”

“The entire process was known only to the two of us, and I had already told him everything about the book’s origin and contents.”

“I was sad for a long time and prepared to leave this land, but I didn’t expect that the first thing he did after his promotion was to have me arrested, falsely accusing me of plagiarizing his work.”

“Such a charge would have kept me in prison for decades. I couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing.”

“Because he had already taken everything from me, and I had no means to get it back.”

“Long after, he told me the reason: because I was his only blemish, the one person who knew his past. And if he wanted to live a peaceful and secure life, I couldn’t be alive.”

“It was too late. I was tormented to death in prison by the people he arranged, never to see the sun again.”

“Originally, I had given up and was preparing to commit suicide in despair, when the previous Viscount Xuefeng sent someone to release me from prison, finally giving me a chance to voice my grievances.”

“Although he knew the entire creative process of the book, and had memorized the inspirations and materials, those places were ultimately where I had traveled. The testimonies of the locals and my records in the taverns and inns ultimately helped clear my name.”

“I was rehabilitated, and he lost everything, becoming worse than an ordinary person.”

“That day, when he was exiled, I rode in the same carriage with him again and asked about his experiences and thoughts over the years.”

“He told me that actually, he hadn’t intended to do that initially, because I had helped him a lot.”

“However, he was too envious of the achievements I was about to make, too eager to achieve the same success, and I, in turn, was too trusting of him, allowing that ambition and desire to grow unrestrained, eventually running wild.”

‘I had believed that if I learned your methods, I could achieve the same results as you, and so I was full of hope.’

‘In fact, it was a trick of fate; I could never be like you.’

‘Another person’s success can never be replicated. I merely approached it in vain, only to be cast aside again. I shouldn’t have held onto such hopes and ideas. These early hopes ultimately turned into the bitterest and most painful things, keeping me awake at night.’

‘Hyde, you misunderstood me. Did you think we really had the same talent? No, you were far more sincere and down-to-earth than I, and I also misunderstood myself, because I actually believed that by learning a method, I could replicate someone else’s achievements.’

‘People are different; there is no reference value.’

“Jerry died in the Hot Rain Swamp the year after he was exiled. It is said that the mosquitoes there were particularly fierce,” Scholar Hyde slowly put down his cup.

“Now that you know my past, are you still planning to imitate me and travel around to investigate?”

“I will, teacher.” Yero’s voice remained steady, even more determined.

“Why, my child?” Scholar Hyde’s eyes softened.

“It’s not about imitating the teacher’s past methods, but because I understand my own determination.”

“I don’t know how you achieved your success back then, but I see a different kind of calm hope in you.”

“That is the unwavering pursuit of what you love, watching it accumulate little by little, which is enough to soothe the unease and regret in your heart.”

“A result without a process is ultimately fleeting, you taught me a similar truth, didn’t you?”

“I don’t want to wait until your age, then sit in a room reminiscing about things I didn’t fully pursue in my youth.”

“If I am destined not to succeed, then let me give it my all. Only then can I abandon it with a clear conscience.”

“Give it your all…” Scholar Hyde shook his head slightly.

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Where is the end of all effort, until the end of life…?

But at this moment, he would not say anything more, just as if he were to go back in time and try to persuade his twenty-something self, he could not change his state of mind or thoughts then.

After all, it is better for a person to live with fewer regrets.

(End of this chapter)