Chapter 203: How Can a Tea Party Lack Desserts, Tea, and Coffee?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: How Can a Tea Party Lack Desserts, Tea, and Coffee?
"The scenery here is truly something else."
Having accompanied Tan Han to the summit of this massive Ancient Dragon's head, I gazed out at the distant landscape and the blazing magma churning beneath us. Despite the relentless surges of heat, the view held an indescribable, breathtaking majesty.
"Yes, this place is indeed sufficient for the ritual. I shall apply for the preparations then," Tan Han said after confirming the site's suitability.
The process of holding a ritual involved submitting an application to the Dream. As long as the conditions were met, anyone could apply, though a single academy could only have one active application at any given time.
With Tan Han deciding to hold it here, the original plan for the Forging Ancient City was completely scrapped.
The ritual application occurred simultaneously with the manifestation of the pillar of light. After all, rituals involved many components. For instance, the Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony of the Dragon Blood Academy required a ritual altar that couldn't be constructed in a short amount of time.
Similarly, the tea tables, tableware, and desserts required for a Witch Tea Party weren't things one could just find lying around here.
These were the fundamental tools of the ritual, granted upon the application's approval. If these items were destroyed, the ritual itself would be considered sabotaged. Furthermore, once a ritual was ruined in a specific area, that same ritual could not be held there a second time.
Theoretically, there was a cap on how many times each academy could attempt a ritual. Blindly starting one and failing to defend it was the ultimate waste of resources.
As a pillar of light once again pierced the heavens from this spot, the tea party grounds enveloped within it looked like a protagonist under a circular stage spotlight, drawing everyone's gaze.
The phenomenon of a pillar of light extinguishing only to rise again in the same location certainly attracted a lot of attention. Academies not directly involved might not have realized what was happening yet, but the students of the Dragon Blood Academy understood all too well.
Their academy's ritual had been destroyed, and now another academy was usurping their place to hold its own!
Revenge!
They had to have their revenge!
Even if the Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony couldn't be held there a second time, the ones responsible for the destruction had to pay!
This was a slap in the face—a blatant insult to their academy.
"It seems the preparations for the Witch Tea Party are a bit more troublesome than I imagined," I remarked, looking at the items appearing before us.
Honestly, if it were just a matter of moving things and assembling equipment, I wouldn't find it troublesome. But for the Witch Tea Party, the equipment was already set up; what was missing were the "Witches from afar" and the "desserts, coffee, and tea prepared for the Witches from afar."
It was just like how the Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony required a blood sacrifice of local creatures, the lighting of a sacrificial bonfire, cutting one's own palm to stain a reverse scale with dragon blood, multiple Dragonkin joining hands for a ritual dance, and finally, communal consumption of the sacrificed creature.
In truth, the other academies didn't have it any easier than the Witch Academy.
I picked up the raw ingredients: eggs, sugar, almonds, low-gluten flour, tea leaves, and coffee beans.
It seemed one couldn't even host a Witch Tea Party without some actual skill.
"Tan Han, do you... know how?" I asked, looking at her with a hint of hesitation.
"I have some knowledge of hand-ground coffee and the tea ceremony," Tan Han replied, looking back at me. "Let's just proceed with the minimum standards for the tea party preparations. Besides, these aren't the most important part. The key is the 'Witches from afar.' I wonder if they'll be able to make it here."
"Is that so? But don't forget, I'm a member of the Baking House. It won't do to lack skill. Hosting a Witch Tea Party at the minimum standard would be a laughingstock." I pulled out a chair and sat down.
"And don't forget, our every move is being live-streamed right now. We just don't know which perspective they're using." Although I said that, I could use my Spirit Vision to see the "framing" perspective within the Dream. Through this, I could roughly deduce where the "hidden camera" was located.
Unfortunately, I couldn't interfere with that perspective.
It would be fine if I couldn't see it—no psychological burden—but I kept catching glimpses of it unintentionally. It was like a constant reminder that I was currently being broadcast to the world.
"You're right, I almost forgot." Tan Han smiled and shook her head, though she didn't specify what she had almost forgotten—the fact that everyone was being live-streamed, or the fact that I was a member of the Baking House.
"So, don't worry about the Witch Tea Party. Don't you see the equipment is all ready over there?" I stood up and carried the ingredients to the preparation counter. As expected of a ritual from the main Witch Academy, everything was provided. There was an oven and all sorts of utensils; it was so complete it gave me the illusion of being in the back kitchen of the bakery.
I casually picked up a nearby apron and tied it around my waist. I didn't know who designed it, but the style matched the uniform for the Exchange Competition perfectly.
"Tan Han, it looks like someone is coming to disturb us already."
I picked up a whisk and checked the other tools while sensing movement from others in the distance.
Tan Han didn't need my reminder; she headed straight out.
There was no rush for the hand-ground coffee or the tea brewing she mentioned. Although Tan Han was also a member of the Baking House, this young lady clearly had never tried her hand at making a cake.
If she were the one hosting the Witch Tea Party, I could foresee that her greatest effort would result in a cake that was, at best, a recognizable geometric shape.
Then again, wasn't it common sense for girls to know something about the process of making cakes and cookies?
Otherwise, if a ritual required students from various academies to be hands-on, but the students themselves didn't know how, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
Although I hadn't been to the Baking House to practice for many days, I still knew how to bake some simple cookies and cakes. Besides, Senior Sister had given me that production list back then. While I might not know how to make most of the items on it, this was a Witch Tea Party, not a dessert buffet. I only needed to make a few things. Also, Senior Sister Tang Yihan's dark cuisine definitely couldn't make an appearance here.
* * *
At that moment.
In the arena outside the Dream, the massive central Ley Line Operating System carried numerous live-stream and commentary perspectives, ensuring a 360-degree view so everyone could see the most exciting highlights.
If one were to name the person with the darkest expression right now, it would be the students from the Dragon Blood Academy who had come for the exchange.
As the first academy to have its ritual destroyed, the students watching the match felt like they couldn't even hold their heads up.
Meanwhile, the many Witch Academy students in the audience weren't about to let such an opportunity pass.
Whether it was the slaughter that had just occurred at the Dragon Blood Nest volcanic group or the performance of those Dragon Blood Academy students, the atmosphere at the scene had escalated to a new level.
It made the substitutes and exchange students from the Dragon Blood Academy feel even more humiliated.
After all, the live stream couldn't show things like Illusion Clones, and the Dream wouldn't display such illusion effects just for the sake of the broadcast. Consequently, from the viewers' perspective, they just looked incredibly dim-witted.
What excited the Witch Academy students even more was the convergence of the "Two Beauties," a meeting filled with dramatic flair.
It was Xiao Han and Tan Han—currently recognized as the two most powerful combatants among the freshmen.
Now, with the preparations for the Witch Tea Party ritual underway, one was facing outward, purging powerful enemies, while the other was inside, tying on an apron. This contrast instantly sent many senior sisters into a frenzy of excitement.
Some even started shipping the two of them on the spot. At this moment... a world where only Sister Bai was hurt was born.
Bai Yu had never wanted to charge into the arena as much as she did now, but she couldn't.
Oh, wait—the students and teachers of the Dragon Blood Academy and its affiliated schools were also very much "hurt."
"It's Xiao Han! Tang Yihan, why didn't you teach Xiao Han more of your skills, hey!" Ying Shiqian pointed excitedly at the massive projection curtain wall inside the bakery.
Because the senior sisters felt they couldn't see the actual scene even if they were at the arena, Ying Shiqian and the others hadn't scrambled for tickets this time. Instead, they stayed at the bakery. Since there was a Ley Line System here to watch the live stream, she didn't complain.
Actually, it was mostly because they hadn't managed to snag any tickets.
"As if you've ever taught him anything. Xiao Han has great baking talent and his own ideas. Does he really need me to teach him?" Tang Yihan silenced the shouting, overexcited Ying Shiqian with a flick to the forehead.
"Have some mercy... Wuuu, I really want to eat desserts made by Xiao Han's own hands."
"Here, I made this, just make do with it. Didn't you give away all the ones Xiao Han made before for free?" Tang Yihan stuffed a piece of cake into Ying Shiqian's mouth, making it difficult for her to even speak.
"Wuuu... (munch munch munch)"
With Ying Shiqian's noisiness gone, the bakery became much quieter.
However, many people were drawn here by the shop's reputation at this time.
Sometimes, a craft might be very ordinary, but when placed in a special setting, it could produce a magical effect.
Watching the fluid, seamless operations on the screen—the crisp, decisive movements in every turn—certainly made many people's eyes light up. After all, who wouldn't enjoy watching a beautiful girl hand-crafting desserts for them to taste?
The only pity was that the people outside couldn't actually taste them.
If a beautiful girl were to participate in the Dragon Blood Feast and share in a blood sacrifice, most people probably wouldn't be able to stomach it.
Thus, the Dragon Blood Academy's culture was at a natural disadvantage in this regard.
Only the hot-blooded students of the Dragon Blood Academy would feel pride and adoration for such crude behavior.
It was likely similar for the Demon Academy. But precisely because rituals needed to consider aesthetic appeal, many academies had spent a lot of brain cells on this aspect. Only the muscle-brained academies like Dragon Blood wouldn't care about such things.
* * *
As time ticked by.
The cake I was making finally came out of the oven, and the cream I had prepared in the meantime could now be put to use.
"Does it need to be so exquisite?"
Tan Han, who had just finished a battle, returned and looked at the cakes and cookies I had made. She subconsciously swallowed hard before asking.
"It's just the standard procedure. Want a taste? You look quite tired from the fight just now." I used a long blade to slice the frosted cake, then piped on cream flowers and garnished each plate with a fresh cherry.
"Um... thank you."
Tan Han didn't stand on ceremony as she looked at the dessert handed to her. The enemies she had to face weren't actually that numerous; after all, the competition had just begun, and all the academies were busy preparing their own rituals.
Hosting a ritual was an effective way to "regroup" with teammates from the same school.
Tan Han mostly dealt with the Dragon Blood Academy contestants here, but after she killed a few, they learned what it meant to stop throwing their lives away. With Tan Han standing there, she directly intimidated many who came to cause trouble.
So, they were either gathering strength to wait for more people to join a coordinated attack, or they were teaming up with people from other academies who had come to scout the situation, or perhaps intercepting Witch Academy students who were rushing over.
But Tan Han wouldn't give them the chance to do that.
"They've been waiting for a while, haven't they? With flying brooms, they shouldn't be that slow," I remarked.
"The Ley Lines inside the Ancient Battlefield are abnormal; all sorts of things can happen. I'm afraid they might be in dire straits." Tan Han checked the rankings. Here, one could see everyone's score and remaining resurrections.
The Witch Academy... wasn't exactly without casualties right now.
We could kill students from other academies, and they could do the same to us.
While Tan Han and I could thrash the Dragon Blood Academy students like dogs, their inherent strength simply hadn't been fully displayed yet.
The intensity of their dragon blood body modification far exceeded some of the transformation spells of the Witch Academy.
Those hard dragon scales, that terrifying physical constitution, and that vitality were definitely not things a Prospective Witch with a transformation spell could easily block.
Since they were chosen as contestants for the Exchange Competition, the academy would naturally tilt resources toward them. Mana Sources and spellbooks wouldn't be withheld. Their combat power had surely seen a qualitative leap compared to when I fought them before.
At a time like this, we just had to believe in them.
"Yeah, more and more academies are preparing rituals. From the looks of it, every academy wants to seize this opportunity and not be left behind." I looked at the several ritual pillars of light that had appeared on the horizon. In the end, only one ritual could be successfully completed.
"Our progress might be lagging a bit. Tan Han, why don't you go check out that ritual over there? According to the sequence, that one started before ours. If they finish, we'll be in a very passive position. You wouldn't want my desserts to be wasted like this, would you?"
"But here..."
"You have me. Do I look like I desperately need your protection?" I looked down at my apron. While it certainly wasn't very convincing, Tan Han wouldn't doubt my strength.
"Can you handle it alone? You'll have to deal with enemies and protect the tea party."
"Of course I can. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve." I shook my head and cast a massive energy shield over the tea party area. It wasn't just an energy shield; it also had a shield blessing to prevent the aftershocks of battle from affecting the desserts.
"Is that so? Your methods really are beyond my expectations." Tan Han breathed a sigh of relief seeing my actions. Spells from a spellbook were, to some extent, quite rigid. For example, some protective blessings could only be used on oneself, or the size of a shield could only adapt within a certain range. Being able to protect an entire tea party site definitely exceeded the limitations of a standard spellbook.
"Don't worry~ Take a piece of cake to eat on the way."
"Thanks. Then you're..." Tan Han saw that I hadn't taken off my apron and seemed ready to keep working, so she couldn't help but speak up.
"I'm going to make some more desserts. The ritual doesn't say the desserts have to be made on the spot, so those prepared in advance can be used directly. I remember you have storage equipment, right? Take some for yourself and for whoever arrives later. It'll make hosting the Witch Tea Party easier." I toyed with the whisk in my hand and smiled.
"Alright. Be careful on your own."
"I will." I smiled as I saw Tan Han off.
In truth, the positioning of the Witch Academy was meant to be scattered from the start. Perhaps there would be one or two companions, but most would wander alone. This fit the theme of a witch choosing a location, hosting a tea party, and inviting witches from all over to gather.
Because once the Witch Tea Party ritual began, everyone was required to speak, sharing their observations and joys. Tasting desserts and coffee was secondary.
"Was that Tan Han who just left?"
"Tan Han actually left?"
"What's going on? Leaving behind just one person who only knows how to make cakes? Has she given up on hosting the Witch Tea Party?"
"Careful, it's a trap. You can't trust a witch's word."
"That person... she's not just someone who makes cakes!"
Regardless of what those watching from the shadows discussed, Tan Han's departure undoubtedly made them feel that the greatest threat was gone.
Such a perfect opportunity could not be passed up!
And so, at this moment, their sharpened dragon claws were fully bared.
"Oh dear... this is quite a predicament. Are you sure you want to disturb a weak girl making desserts?" I stood within the pillar of light, my tone carrying a hint of playfulness.
Looking at them, I didn't show a trace of nervousness—only an inner delight. These were all points, after all. I'd be loath to let Tan Han harvest them all.
"Heh, I don't know who gave you such courage. Is it that shield, which looks even more fragile than the eggshells in your hand?"
"How could that be? But I'm sorry—the desserts I made don't have a portion for you."