Chapter 453: A Conversation with Tan Han
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 453: A Conversation with Tan Han
"Hmm... it feels like some new friends have arrived." After a brief opening exchange with Tan Han, the atmosphere of our conversation seemed to be hitting its stride.
Though... it would have been better without certain distractions.
I tilted my head slightly, my gaze passing Tan Han to land on a girl who had just entered.
I didn't know her, but I was certain that the first person she looked for upon entering was Tan Han.
When our eyes met, she instinctively looked away.
"Hmm?" Tan Han looked puzzled, but she turned around, following my gaze until it landed on someone who clearly didn't surprise her.
Tan Han sighed and turned back, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, I thought I told them not to follow me."
"It’s fine, I don't mind. Besides, I understand your predicament," I said with a smile.
But behind that smile, which Tan Han couldn't quite read, I was weighing whether to treat this as a nuisance or a bit of fun.
Ultimately, I realized that if something is destined to happen, resisting it makes it a nuisance, but enjoying it makes it fun.
Tan Han’s supporters were interesting. I had assumed that someone as strong and charismatic as Tan Han would have no trouble managing them, yet here was this mess.
But that was just a guess. I felt it was necessary to test the waters and see if this would be a "fun" worth having.
"Thank you for understanding," Tan Han said. Internally, she felt a sense of relief, because the Xiao Han before her felt different—or rather, she had caught glimpses of this change during their last encounter.
If they were still back in Ninglan New City, the old Xiao Han would have definitely retorted until Tan Han fell into a state of self-imposed isolation.
"Thank you for the compliment. After all, I am trying to learn how to understand others."
"Is that so? You really have changed a lot."
"Everyone changes. Growth happens imperceptibly. It has been a while since we last met, so... shall we get straight to the point?"
"Alright." Tan Han nodded.
She continued the rapport she had established during our last meeting, decisively pulling out a storage device without any wasted words.
"Here. These are the spellbooks from before. I haven't left out a single one." Tan Han placed it on the table and pushed it toward me.
"It doesn't matter. I don't care if you missed any. After all, the bet that won me these spellbooks wasn't fair to begin with."
As I spoke, a waitress approached me, accompanied by a Fool's Dream spirit that bounded over cheerfully.
It was the extra Fool's Dream Drink I had ordered earlier; the ingredients had arrived.
My gaze shifted toward them.
As I looked over, I let my eyes brush past the unfamiliar girl. Although Tan Han hadn't explicitly said she was one of her supporters, the relationship was easy to guess. I was also certain that this girl wasn't a true friend to Tan Han.
Right now, she had clearly overheard what I just said. Her expression was unnatural, tinged with a hint of hostility toward me.
People who like to act against the very person they support are either problematic themselves, or the person they support is the problem. As for which it was... I looked back at Tan Han, ultimately deciding to reserve judgment.
As I had thought before, this world is just one giant, shambolic stage. Even Teacher Bai, who had now become a Transcendent Witch, hadn't changed since her student days; only her status had.
Tan Han was merely the first Child of Destiny of the Main World, not some god. She could make mistakes too.
At this moment, I couldn't quite tell who the "fun" would be if things proceeded as I expected.
Was it Tan Han? Her supporters?
Both?
Or perhaps myself?
Actually, what I wanted to do was simple: I just wanted to drive a small wedge between Tan Han and her supporters.
My initial intention was to show Tan Han how fragile the bond was between these supporters and the object of their devotion. It was also a warning to her not to rely too much on them.
The reason this idea had sprouted was that I had noticed the disconnect between Tan Han's ideals and theirs.
If possible, I might be able to free Tan Han from being swayed by them. Of course, that was my philosophy; I wouldn't force it on her. I would only use my own methods to let her see the truth and see if she would make the same choice as me after seeing reality for what it was.
Doing this would also allow me to handle the "trouble" Tan Han had given me as a side benefit.
But honestly, did I want these spellbooks?
From a standpoint of greed, of course I did. But aside from expanding my library and filling my Myriad Methods Bookshelf, they served little purpose. I didn't even care for the most precious one, the Ancient Remnant Ice transformation.
It wasn't that I thought that Over-consumption Spellbook was worthless—on the contrary, it was highly valuable—but its value would divide my focus. I currently had two Over-consumption Spellbooks. Aside from the Fire Rain Domain spellbook, I didn't even know the name of the other one. Out of sight, out of mind.
My energy was currently focused on the Tree of Knowledge spellbook. With that, I had the confidence to counter any method.
With the Tree of Knowledge, even if I used a mere ten-mana Flame Fairy Transformation, I had the confidence to face Tan Han even if she used her Ancient Remnant Ice transformation.
In the past, I had dared to clash my Fireball Spell against her Ancient Remnant Ice out of the ignorance of the bold, combined with the fact that Tan Han was also a novice. But now, I possessed absolute confidence.
Therefore, I was very clear about my priorities.
With the Tree of Knowledge as the core of everything, offensive spells, alchemy, body arts, and the like were merely means to an end. I wouldn't let the power brought by these means blind me.
"But you're giving it to me so easily, and for the second time at that." I held the storage device between two fingers. It partially obscured Tan Han's face as a playful smirk touched my lips. "Don't you feel even a hint of reluctance to part with these spellbooks? Or have you simply not thought about it, choosing to gloss over the issue and force your heart to accept the reality of what's already happened?"
"Xiao Han, are you worried I'll regret it later? No, I won't..."
"No, no, I'm just purely curious about what you're thinking," I interrupted quickly.
The reason I suddenly asked this was mainly to get an answer to a specific question.
That is: when faced with a choice, does a person strive to maximize their interests within their reach, or do they choose "enough is enough"?
This seems like a choice between egoism and altruism, but in different environments, even the same person will make different choices.
To make a choice without hesitation, one needs a very clear personal baseline to support that decision.
On this point, Teacher Bai had raised objections regarding the profit distribution of my partnership between the Fool's Dream Drink and the Witch Cat Cafe. She advocated for fighting for the interests that belonged to us, while I chose "enough is enough."
Tan Han’s choice was similar to mine. She didn't fight tooth and nail for her own interests. In fact, she didn't have to give me these spellbooks at all, yet she did. In my eyes, her behavior was a choice of "enough is enough" among her many spellbooks.
"These spellbooks are resources that belong to you. Don't brush me off with your previous excuses. You clearly had more choices. Even if you felt you weren't a match for these spellbooks yet, you could have simply not used them. Once you felt qualified, they would have been the foundation for your explosive growth. So... with what mindset did you give them away?"
"I'm not brushing you off. Once I recognized my own shortcomings, I realized that having too many spellbooks would only become a burden. My past preconceptions about combat trapped me in a battle-centric mindset. As Teacher Lina put it... I was gradually walking down a path where I was being blinded by power."
"So you're just testing your limits this way, rather than thinking 'enough is enough'?"
"Hmm?" Tan Han wore a look of appropriate confusion.
"Sorry, sorry. My bad—I accidentally wandered into a dead end of my own thoughts. We're meeting up today, and here I am asking such serious questions. It really wasn't right of me. Since you've brought the spellbooks to me, does that mean I can dispose of them however I wish?"
"Of course." The confusion on Tan Han's face didn't fade much. She could tell that her answer wasn't the point of what I had said; I was using her response to ponder my own questions.
While chatting like this was indeed a bit rude, the fact that it was Xiao Han made it seem not strange at all. She was used to it.
"As an apology, let me treat you to a Fool's Dream Drink. It's a pretty good drink here at the Witch Cat Cafe, and it's not cheap."
"Ooh~ Sister Xiao Han, does that mean it's my turn to shine?" The Fool's Dream spirit, who had been waiting nearby, spoke up, having refrained from interrupting our conversation.
"Sorry~ since it's an apology, I have to make it myself to show my sincerity." I took the tools from the Fool's Dream spirit. When it came to mixing a Fool's Dream Drink, no one knew more than I did.
"Guest, the Fool's Dream Drink is a mixed juice made using special techniques. It's not as simple as just mixing juices together," the waitress nearby quickly reminded me.
"Thank you for the reminder, but you can ask the Fool's Dream spirit if I know what I'm doing," I replied with a smile.
"Sister Xiao Han is amazing! The mixing techniques we use were learned from her, so don't worry," the spirit chirped.
"Is... is that so?"
"Mm-hmm~"
I didn't spend much time responding to the waitress's shock. Instead, I picked up the glassware and the custom-made tools designed for a Fool's Dream spirit and began the process.
Though the tools weren't perfectly suited for my hands, my movements were fluid and seamless: the ritual, the juicing, the blending...
In a short while, a cup of Fool's Dream Drink was ready.
"Taste my handiwork?" I pushed the full glass toward Tan Han. This was a treatment even Teacher Bai hadn't enjoyed, though in all likelihood, this would be the last time I'd mix one for Tan Han.
But if Teacher Bai ever wanted one, I could make it for her anytime.
"Alright, I'll leave the cleaning of these tools to you," I said, placing the tools back and smiling at the waitress.
"O-okay..."
The waitress quickly took the items and left.
"Thank you." Tan Han didn't decline. She took the drink and offered a simple word of thanks.
"It's nothing. I hope you like it." I picked up my own half-finished glass and took a small sip. It was indeed slightly different from the one I had just made. It seemed to be a difference in the ritual—did the composition of the Fool's Dream Drink mixing ritual actually encompass the mixer themselves?
As I was thinking, Tan Han spoke again.
"Xiao Han, I wanted to ask... what are your plans for the academy later on?"
"Plans? Hmm... strive to stop being a student?" I put on a thoughtful expression, then shrugged and laughed.
"Is that so? I suppose that makes sense. You are the most unique student in our year. I'm really curious about what you do usually. Is Innate Spirit Vision... really that powerful?"
"Innate Spirit Vision... hmm? You think I've reached this point entirely by relying on so-called Innate Spirit Vision?" I looked at her with a beaming smile.
"I didn't mean it like that. I meant that your own hard work is also—"
"No, you're wrong. I did start out relying on Innate Spirit Vision. Without that ability, the old me would have been a negligible ordinary person, without even the qualifications to enter the Witch Academy. But if someone told me now that I would lose my Innate Spirit Vision, I would only find it a minor inconvenience."
"..." Tan Han looked at me in shock. She hadn't expected me to say something like that.
I only gave a light chuckle at her expression. My gaze drifted away from the Soundproofing Spell I had just cast. From the moment I started speaking, I didn't want that person eavesdropping nearby to hear a thing.
"But what about you, Tan Han? Have you thought about your current self? If you discarded the Luck Seed, what would you have left? The spellbooks? Those supporters? Or the favoritism shown to you by the mentors and the Dean?" As I spoke, I once again waved the storage card containing the spellbooks in front of her.
"You've given the spellbooks to me. Those supporters would leave you in an instant the moment they learned you were no longer the Child of Destiny. Aside from a few close friends, no one would care about you. The mentors and the Dean would treat and teach you like any other ordinary student."
"Tan Han, you're a smart person. I don't want to dig into why you were so resistant to fate before, only to act as if you've accepted the script now that you know it. But I have to say, you were dealt a better hand than me, yet you've played it terribly. You wouldn't want the only thing left of you, once the Luck Seed is stripped away, to be the hollow title of a former genius, would you?"
"..." Tan Han's hand instinctively clenched, her nails digging into her palm. With a crisp sound of shattering glass, the cup of Fool's Dream Drink, which she had barely touched, was crushed in her grip.
"Sorry, Tan Han. It wasn't my intention to cause you anxiety. Charge the glass to my Cat Card. I'm just reminding you not to waste your efforts. Look more at what belongs to you once all the external things are stripped away."
Just like me. Even if I were stripped of all my Mana Sources, spellbooks, and even my Spirit Vision talent, as long as I remained on the path of the Transcendent, I would eventually reclaim what is mine.
But there are no "ifs" in this world. I won't give up a single thing I currently possess. My "what if I lost it" was merely a hypothetical premise for self-examination.
The same applied to Tan Han. Her status as the Child of Destiny wouldn't be taken away, so she had the capital to slack off—but she wasn't the type to do so.
