Chapter 323: Where’s My Key?
Victoria didn’t specify what felt familiar. Winona didn’t press further, simply accompanying the mage, strolling amongst artifacts that were, ironically, younger than Victoria herself. It felt surreal, even for someone like Winona, a member of the magical world. Victoria looked at the artifacts, some hundreds, even thousands of years old, with the wide-eyed wonder of someone seeing something new. It was truly a magical experience.
Finally, she stopped before a vase, gazing at it for a long time. This was a product of her era. If they were in a shop, Winona might have considered buying it for Teacher Victoria, a small gesture of hospitality. It wasn’t about gaining Victoria’s favor, just…well, being a good host. If someone liked something, she would buy it for them. But unfortunately, the vase was in a museum. Buying and selling national artifacts was illegal…So Winona couldn’t say, “How about I buy it for you?” She could only silently accompany Teacher Victoria, appreciating and observing the vase.
After a while, Victoria smiled and said, “It’s so beautiful. It feels like the kind of thing one of my former girlfriends would have liked.”
“One of your girlfriends…” Winona’s lips twitched. Although she knew Teacher Victoria was the same type of girl as that mischievous Adele, possessing an unimaginable allure and charm that could make many girls fall head over heels for them, she still didn’t want to associate Victoria with Adele in her heart. Teacher Victoria wasn’t as…flippant as Adele.
So, the reason Victoria stopped was that she remembered the past and an old friend, thinking that it would be nice to buy this vase and give it to her…was that it? So it wasn’t something she liked herself. Winona’s feelings were complicated.
Moreover, Victoria didn’t make any unreasonable requests. She knew what a museum was. She also knew that the person she wanted to give the gift to might have already… After collecting her thoughts, Victoria still smiled. Her personality could be described as optimistic. Otherwise, if an ordinary person suddenly arrived hundreds or thousands of years in the future, realizing that they were all alone in the world, that the person they loved had long since turned to dust, and everything was unfamiliar, feeling like an outsider, an outcast, most people would become depressed and despairing, perhaps even giving up their hard-won new life.
Next, Victoria left the porcelain exhibit and went to other areas. Winona bought her a milk tea and some desserts. After tasting them, Victoria showed a surprised expression. Presumably, these were delicacies she couldn’t have tasted in her time.
“Is there magic added to this!?” she asked with a smile.
Winona thought, No magic…but probably a lot of food additives. But so what? Many people cared about this, and many others thought that as long as it tasted good, it was enough. They could sacrifice some health for deliciousness. Moreover, some additives weren’t actually harmful to human health.
“If you like it, I’ll often buy it for you, Teacher Victoria.”
“Then~ how should I repay you?” Teacher Victoria seemed to lack a sense of propriety. Or maybe this was her charm. She actually took Winona’s hands and stared into her eyes in public. Winona blushed, her heart racing. The gazes of the people around her made her want to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.
“N-No need, it’s just a small token of my appreciation for Teacher Victoria!” Winona hurriedly pulled her hands away from Victoria’s. But after pulling away, facing the cold air, she suddenly regretted it, wishing she could have stayed in that warmth a little longer.
Victoria didn’t give up after Winona’s refusal. She thought for a moment. Winona was a talented mage, but the current magic system had changed over time and was vastly different from the magic of her era. This change had its advantages, but some aspects were inferior to the magic of Victoria’s time. This was the conclusion Victoria reached after observing the magical world for a while. So she thought that for a genius, the best gift was improvement in magic.
Therefore, Victoria proposed, “How about this, let’s have a magic spar~”. It was called a spar, but it was actually a private lesson. Using a spar as a practical exercise, analyzing and imparting experience. In today’s world, perhaps only Victoria was qualified to offer a “lesson” to a legendary mage.
Winona understood Victoria’s implication. And she had her own pride. Her eyes lit up. “Really…is that okay, Teacher Victoria!?”
“Why not? You even call me Teacher~”
“Is there a place nearby where we can use magic?”
“This world is ruled by too many muggles, there’s nowhere to use magic.” Victoria said with a wry smile. She certainly wasn’t one of those who believed that mages were superior and should rule the world. But it wasn’t good that ordinary people occupied the entire world, squeezing the living space of mages and preventing them from using magic freely.
Winona hurriedly replied, “Of course there is, Teacher Victoria!”
“There’s a magic training ground at the school where I’m the Headmistress.”
“Oh, Winona is a Headmistress? Hello, Headmistress~”.
“Don’t tease me, Teacher Victoria…” Winona lowered her head shyly.
Then, the two prepared to leave the museum and head to Cromwell Academy. It was worth mentioning that they didn’t use magic to teleport away, but took a taxi. It was Victoria’s first time in a taxi, and she felt it was quite novel, praising its comfort, much better than a carriage, with almost no bumps.
During the ride, Winona introduced Cromwell Academy to Victoria. When she mentioned that the majority of the students were vampires, Victoria’s expression could be described as exaggerated. Winona didn’t know what the reputation of vampires was like in Victoria’s time. But the fact that the “dark day” was caused by a Vampire True Ancestor sacrificing himself to summon an evil god from another world was enough to make the entire magical world, including Victoria, dislike vampires.
But after teaching for so long, Winona had let go of her prejudice. Because she had met many wonderful vampire children who respected their teachers, excelled in their studies, were elegant, and helpful. She had also met some terrible ones, like Adele. So she was really worried about First Snow being bewitched by that “bad woman” Adele~ Perhaps her relationship with First Snow was that of “best friends” with a significant age gap? So as a best friend, she was naturally unhappy about her good friend being infatuated with a woman.
Speaking of the age gap, there were actually two meanings. In terms of actual age, First Snow was much older than Winona. But in terms of mental age, Winona was naturally more mature.
The taxi stopped at the school gate. Cromwell Academy was a famous private aristocratic academy that prohibited outsiders from entering. Therefore, the security guard, who was also an ability user, was in a dilemma. He knew Headmistress Winona, but who was the lady with light blue hair? But then he thought, rules were dead, people were alive. It was best not to offend the Headmistress. So he didn’t stop them, watching as Winona and Victoria entered the academy.
Winona excused herself to go to her office to get the key to the magic training ground. Actually, mages of their level didn’t need a key. Keys were for students. They could directly teleport inside, even that lazy cat First Snow could easily do it. Winona did this to create a private space for herself and Victoria. So that she could…return Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” to her!
Although it was Winona’s prized possession, now that its owner had returned, Winona had to reluctantly part with it, even though she cherished it dearly. It wasn’t that Winona was being forced. She was happy to see Teacher Victoria reclaim her staff. However, returning the staff should be done in the guest room. Winona didn’t dare let Victoria see the room full of her Victoria-related collections, books, figures…
That’s right, Victoria even had figures… But considering that in many human anime and novel works, ancestors and gods were often depicted in a moe style, it wasn’t too outrageous for the magical world to do this.
But before Winona could return the staff, she discovered a big problem in her office.
—Where’s my key!?
Chapter 324: Xiao Ai’s Move
Winona’s face alternated between pale and flushed. Victoria was at her desk, tasting the tea of this era, when she smelled an unusual aura and asked softly, “What’s wrong, Winona?”
“N-Nothing…” She couldn’t tell Teacher Victoria that…a thief had broken into her house! And it was an inside job! Because the magic array Winona had set up for the manor hadn’t been triggered. That meant that only those recognized by the magic array could enter recently. And besides Winona, the only one recognized by the magic array was…
First Snow, oh First Snow! You’ve really been taught to be a bad kitty! Steal a needle when you’re young, steal gold when you’re older. One takes on the qualities of one’s company. She really shouldn’t have allowed First Snow to interact with that bad girl Adele. Sigh, it was too late now. First Snow had completely become Adele-fied…
Winona’s heart was filled with regret and annoyance. Oh well, she had a spare key. Winona was going to see what those little ones were up to. The Headmistress was fuming.
But just then, Victoria called out to her, “Winona, look at this.” Saying this, Victoria handed Winona a note with scribbled handwriting that she had just found on the desk. Winona was stunned, then took it. She was all too familiar with this “cat-scrawled” handwriting. It was clearly from First Snow’s paw!
—Xiao Wei! I’m going to the training ground to teach Xiao Ai magic, meow! To prove it was her, First Snow had even dipped her paw in red ink used for seals, leaving a cute paw print above the writing.
Winona couldn’t help but chuckle, her anger instantly dissipating. What she blamed was always “taking without asking,” that is, the act of “stealing.” But if a note was left, then it was “borrowing.” And borrowing the key was to teach Adele magic. This definitely wasn’t something the lazy kitten First Snow would think of doing. Therefore, there was only one possibility. It was Adele, she had started to work hard! And during the holidays, the magic training ground wasn’t open to ordinary students. So she thought of asking First Snow to borrow the key. How surprising.
But her actions were commendable. She just hoped it wasn’t a fleeting whim. Adele’s magical talent was quite strong. Once she truly grew up, Winona could safely entrust First Snow to her. In the past, it was she who protected the naive First Snow. In the future, it might be Adele’s turn. As a vampire, her lifespan wasn’t short. Perhaps she could accompany First Snow through a long and happy life.
Thinking of this, Winona’s mood gradually improved. She found her spare key, then instead of leaving the manor directly, she opened the door and walked into a secret room. Victoria politely stayed where she was, tasting the good tea of the modern era, waiting for Winona to return.
Soon, Winona returned to Victoria’s side, clutching a staff tightly in her hand. With just one glance, Victoria froze, her eyes trembling.
“Teacher Victoria, you’re back, and this ‘Moon Sprout’ should be returned to its rightful owner.” Winona’s eyes were filled with reluctance, but more with the joy that it could finally return to its owner’s hands.
“…But I’ve been away for so long, it already belongs to you, Winona.” Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” held a significant past for her. But she still insisted that the staff should belong to Winona. The life crystal at the top of the staff was emitting a warm glow.
Winona didn’t argue, and handed “Moon Sprout” to Victoria, who caught it in a fluster. Then Winona said, “As expected, this staff suits Teacher Victoria better.”
“It just so happens that I have a student practicing magic in the magic training ground.”
“Why don’t you give her some guidance, Teacher Victoria!” It would be better to use the staff for guidance, as she could teach the student how to use her own staff. In this way, Winona gave Victoria a reason to keep the staff.
After speaking, Winona opened the door, and the “Arbitrary Staircase” appeared. It was a type of magic that allowed the stairs to move and assemble freely. Whether you were in the basement or the attic, you could reach any room in the house through the “Arbitrary Staircase,” saving a lot of trouble and providing mages with a convenient life.
Victoria looked at her staff with deep emotion. Finally, she nodded silently and followed Winona.
Meanwhile, in the magic training ground, Adele was learning elemental magic under First Snow’s guidance, starting with the basics. There was no need to mention basic spells like Water Ball and Fireball. First Snow was teaching Adele how to construct magic formulas. These formulas were the key to the diverse forms of elemental magic. In a sense, as long as the practitioner had enough magic power, she could memorize all the magic formulas recorded in the elemental magic books and construct them when needed.
It was worth mentioning that the stronger the elemental vampire, the less they needed this rote memorization method. A genius could manipulate elements freely. That’s why Hermione could easily make it snow around her, or create frost blades and blizzards. It was truly unfair.
Adele only wanted to learn enough to be useful. Her true reliance was probably still her witch identity. As for what type of magic Adele wanted to learn, she felt that “wind” was more suitable for her. Because it sounded very…carefree. And fun!
“Hasaki!” The girl imitated the formula First Snow had just taught her, trying to create a small tornado on the ground. Then came the most important part, to push the tornado out forcefully! And sweep up everything and everyone in its path.
Adele’s magical talent was indeed strong. She quickly created a small tornado in front of her, which would dissipate with the overflow of magic power after a short while. This wouldn’t do, so she practiced again and again, with First Snow guiding her from the side.
Finally, she succeeded! A tornado about her height formed in front of her, and with Adele’s continuous infusion of magic power, it could last for a long time. Small objects that could be attracted, like dust, leaves, branches, etc., were all sucked into the tornado.
Next, she would forcefully push it towards the target in the training ground to see its effects and power! The girl took a deep breath, focusing her energy.
“…Hasaki!” She shouted joyfully.
The result was, unsurprisingly…it went off course! If this were in the game, it would definitely attract a string of yellow question marks. And going off course wasn’t the worst part. The key was where it went off course…
Why are there people there, meow!? Adele watched as the ground-level tornado swept towards Headmistress Winona and an elegant lady with light blue hair! It was too late to retract it. The formula had its own duration. To stop it, she would have to use an opposing formula to deconstruct it.
Crap, I messed up! But not too badly, because in front of Headmistress Winona, this level of magic was child’s play. As expected, Winona frowned, waved her hand, and a wind wall appeared, blocking the tornado. Is this an enemy Yasuo!? She even, to teach Adele a lesson, separated a similar wind from the wind wall and sent it towards Adele.
Victoria smiled slightly, thinking it was the first time she had seen Winona show such a cute side. The power of this tornado certainly wouldn’t be enough to lift Adele. But her skirt would probably fly up. Then Adele would be “Marilyn Adele Monroe.”
But at this critical moment, no one expected that Xiao Ai, wrapped in a red hooded coat like Little Red Riding Hood, would suddenly speak.
—”Hasaki!” Her eyes lit up with fire. Trying to hurt my Mama…I won’t let you succeed!
She hadn’t practiced magic at all, just quietly watching from the side as First Snow taught Mama Adele. Could it be…that she learned just by watching!? She even learned Adele’s strange verbal tic!
What was even more terrifying was yet to come. The magic created by Xiao Ai easily reached the seventh rank! A tornado three stories high, mixed with lightning, formed before everyone. It collided with the small tornado Winona used as punishment, shattering it effortlessly and even absorbing its magic power! Then it continued relentlessly towards Winona and Victoria.
What is this…a nightmare bot game!? Adele was so surprised that she could barely close her mouth.
What was even more ridiculous was that Xiao Ai felt it wasn’t enough, and was about to chant another childish “Hasaki…” Just how much magic power did she have!?
Fortunately, Adele hugged Xiao Ai in time.
“Yamete! Don’t fight the fountain turret, Xiao Ai!” That’s an invincible enemy, meow!
And it was indeed as Adele said. Seventh-rank magic was child’s play for both Winona and Victoria. However, this time it was Victoria who took action. She used her staff, and a complex formula unfolded in the air. In an instant, the tornado froze in place, and the attached dust fell to the ground as ice shards.
Before Adele could marvel at how Xiao Ai had surpassed her, Headmistress Winona frowned and walked towards her. The unfamiliar lady kept smiling. Her gaze fell on Adele’s face, and there seemed to be a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
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