Chapter 38: The Disaster Caused by This Year’s Number One
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: The Disaster Caused by This Year’s Number One
As the call ended, a weight seemed to lift from my heart. Perhaps this was the sense of security that Sister Bai always brought.
Knowing she would be here soon, I stopped panicking. Although the aftershocks of the battle outside continued, I felt calm enough to find a place to sit down.
I even took a moment to straighten the bread baskets that had been knocked askew by the tremors.
Meanwhile, in the sky above, two factions had formed a tense standoff. Even so, they weren't exactly having a peaceful face-to-face discussion.
Instead, spells were being traded back and forth, clashing and canceling each other out. If one weren't careful, they’d find themselves swallowed by a terrifying surge of magical energy with nothing but a "sorry" for their troubles.
Naturally, the combatants didn't neglect the verbal sparring; taunts were an essential part of any battle.
"I’ll only say this one last time: Hand over Tan Han!"
This was the phrase the opposing side repeated most often. The one leading them was, naturally, a student from the Holy Angel Academy.
The entity's voice was gender-neutral, and while their appearance leaned feminine, their flat chest seemed to suggest otherwise.
The students of the Holy Angel Academy were mostly suspended in mid-air, white wings spread wide behind them. However, the wings didn't flap; it was clear their flight had nothing to do with aerodynamics.
Even more extravagant than their actual wings were the massive wing-like projections extending from them. Holy power manifested as white feathers, drifting down from the sky.
Faint halos hovered above their heads, channeling surges of holy energy into their bodies.
"Hilarious. You couldn't even win a recruitment war, and now you're storming our academy in a group? Are you that desperate to become a member of the Witch Academy?"
The senior sister leading the Witch Academy's side spoke with an overbearing air, her tone dripping with mockery. Her words drew a chorus of laughter from the other senior sisters nearby.
The one laughing the hardest was Xia Li, standing off to the side.
Yes, Xia Li, the manager of the bakery.
If Ying Shiqian hadn't been holding her back, she likely would have been even more outrageous. Nothing delighted her more than seeing the people from the Holy Angel Academy suffer.
As for the Witch Academy's curtain wall being shattered? That was nothing. The wall got damaged a few times every couple of years for one reason or another; they were used to it. It could always be repaired.
But now that these hotheads from the Holy Angel Academy had been lured into Witch Academy territory, they weren't going to be allowed to leave in one piece.
If she didn't break a few of those birdmen's wings today, Xia Li wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
As things stood, a full-scale brawl was imminent. From this moment on, it wasn't the witches who should be afraid, but the Holy Angels.
And... those few from the Wizard Academy who had come to "help." Watching the show always came with a price.
The Holy Angels had realized this too, but they were in a position where they couldn't back down. The threats had been made and the insults traded. At worst, they’d just have to resurrect back home.
After all, the person they were supposed to protect—this year’s number one student—had already been snatched away.
And by that detestable Xia Li, no less. Xia Li was a witch whose name was infamous at the Holy Angel Academy. While her strength wasn't at the absolute peak, she was ruthless and had a specific vendetta against the Holy Angel Academy. She was the type who would never miss an opportunity to make their lives miserable.
Everyone feared a ruthless person.
Especially when it came to her "Red Velvet Cake"... It was a famous and delicious dessert, but at the Holy Angel Academy, it had become a taboo subject.
No one even dared to sell it there anymore.
If anyone in the Holy Angel Academy received a piece of Red Velvet Cake, they’d have nowhere to go to cry. The stuff was incredibly expensive—its value was equivalent to a single Resurrection Spell!
This time, while escorting Tan Han, this particular Holy Angel student had received an entire Red Velvet Cake. The moment it arrived, their hair stood on end, and shortly after, they were outmaneuvered by Xia Li.
Now that Tan Han had fallen into the enemy's hands, she was a lost cause. Reclaiming a living person from them was almost impossible.
Returning to the Holy Angel Academy would mean facing endless criticism. She and her team had completely botched the mission, despite her earlier guarantees.
Therefore, the most logical course of action was to "die back." What problem couldn't be softened by sacrificing a life once?
For senior students, dying and resurrecting once wasn't an unbearable price to pay.
They had done their best and given their lives for the cause. Even if people still criticized them, the words wouldn't be too harsh.
That was why they were still here. It was a case of one side being willing to hit and the other being willing to be hit.
* * *
Inside the bakery.
I watched the glass door push open as a familiar figure hurried inside.
"Sister Bai, over here~!" I called out, waving as soon as I saw her.
"Xiao Han." Drawn by my voice, she walked straight toward me. "How are you? You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine," I replied, touched by her concern.
"As long as you're not hurt." Sister Bai grabbed my wrist, seemingly checking for any external injuries, before finally sitting down beside me.
"Xiao Han, what made you think of working part-time here?"
"It's close to the dorms, and the pay is great!" I answered without hesitation. Those two reasons were enough, weren't they?
"Xiao Han, if you're short on money, you can tell me. I can introduce you to some better part-time jobs. Do you even know the background of this bakery?"
"There's no need to trouble you, Sister Bai. Besides, I'm quite happy here. They even provide meals. As for the shop's background, I have a general idea. The senior sisters here haven't really hidden anything, so I know the gist of it. But I don't mind."
I spoke soothingly to Sister Bai. I knew she was just worried about my safety, but I didn't feel it was a big deal.
The events outside had made it clear that danger was everywhere. I couldn't just run away because a part-time job might bring trouble. Since I had already begun to touch upon the Transcendent, I would eventually master power myself. I would use that power to protect myself.
Being overprotected was useless; it only fostered incompetence. I knew my own situation well. Compared to others, I was at the bottom of the barrel. If I kept going like this, I might not even manage to graduate!
I was someone who aspired to graduate from the Witch Academy!
I wanted to become a Transcendent Witch and see the higher worlds, even if I didn't yet understand what "Transcendent" meant or if those higher worlds even existed.
But that didn't stop me from setting such a goal for myself.