Late March was the season of warm spring and blooming flowers. The students, chatting and laughing along the way, arrived at their destination in a spacious, elongated carriage.
Unlike the previously visited Jianermi District, Senis District still held a slight chill. After stepping down from the carriage, Sylutia saw a boundless plain of reeds, with lakes and rivers hidden within.
Because it was a group activity, they naturally couldn't be as free as tourists. The students in the class, led by their instructor, walked and stopped intermittently.
"This afternoon's activities will be here. Tonight, we'll sleep and rest in the boat houses on the opposite shore; arrangents have already been made there." After the instructor finished speaking, the students dispersed, gathering in twos and threes to discuss the afternoon's activities.
They weren't the only ones here; there were also students from other schools in the Asra District, so Travelers, and even so small vendors rowing boats to sell snacks and handicrafts.
It was a rare occasion for everyone to co out together. Unlike the stifling atmosphere of the school, everyone naturally felt much freer and more refreshed.
So went to rent small boats, so studied the ducks by the shore, so searched for clean lakes to swim in, and others brought drawing boards, planning to paint here.
"Aurora, Hedra, there are little fish here~" Lovier squatted by the riverbank, her wide skirt gathered at her knees, watching the small, slender black fish shadows swimming in the water, feeling very happy.
"We know, we're coming over now." Sylutia and Aurora exchanged a smile and then slowly walked over.
The three of them sat on the bent and dry reeds, watching the fish swimming in the water not far away. The sky was exceptionally vast and azure, with gusts of breeze constantly blowing, causing the reed bed to rustle softly. Occasionally, the sound of laughter ca from the distance, not noisy but instead bringing a faint, reassuring tranquility.
Sitting shoulder to shoulder, talking, the three slowly lay back on the reeds, gazing at the white clouds in the sky. Sylutia held the hands of the two beside her, slowly closed her eyes, and enjoyed this peaceful little nap.
This feeling is really nice, she thought to herself, drifting into a brief slumber.
Although she only slept for a little over ten minutes, this feeling was extraordinarily relaxing.
Afterwards, the three sat up. Lovier's wide pink and white skirt spread out on the grass. She held a reed she had just broken off, trying to weave sothing, but being inexperienced and a bit clumsy.
Seeing this, Aurora rembered sothing she had learned before and also picked up a reed to try. Seeing that both were suddenly inspired to play with reeds, Sylutia picked up a few stalks as well and slowly began to weave. She was actually quite dexterous; following a vague mory, she slowly wove a bracelet.
By now, the reed in Lovier's hand had beco difficult to use after being bent too much. Seeing this, Sylutia moved closer, gently held that delicate wrist, and began to teach her how to weave.
"Fold it like this and thread it through, then repeat the crisscrossing with a few strands, and you can weave a relatively sturdy bracelet," Sylutia patiently instructed.
"Mhm, I understand." Following Sylutia's guided example, Lovier tried again, bending and intertwining the reeds in her hand. Slowly, after a few attempts and errors, she finally wove a decent bracelet.
Looking at the light reed ring in her hand, Lovier stared at it blankly. For so reason, it seed warm tears were about to spill over.
She carefully put this bracelet away, then leaned against Sylutia's arm, remaining silent for a long ti.
Not knowing what had happened to Lovier, perhaps sothing that stirred up nostalgia and sadness, Sylutia didn't probe too deeply. Instead, she held her close, just staying quietly like that for quite a while.
On the other side, Aurora had already woven a palm-sized straw doll from reeds. Then, seeing her fingers spread, several threads connected to the small doll, after which this little fellow began to dance on her knee.
"So amazing~" Lovier exclaid in admiration, having now regained her usual cheerfulness and energy, and began pestering Aurora to teach her this.
"Hmph, you always say you want to learn this and that, but when I really try to teach you, you never stick with it," Aurora complained.
"Because I'm not as smart as you, Aurora. Teach , please~"
"Alright, but this ti you have to start by learning to weave the straw doll. I'm warning you, if you want to learn this, you won't have ti to play with anything else this afternoon."
"Huh?"
"So, let's go boating first." Aurora commanded the little straw doll to jump onto her shoulder, then patted her skirt and stood up.
"It's rare to co out like this." The three gazed into the distance, watching a line of waterfowl slowly land on the lake.
Half an hour later, the three set off in a small boat. Along the way, Aurora and Lovier listened to Sylutia talk about the habits, characteristics, and unique aspects of swans.
"Although swans may seem gentle-tempered and not very agile, they are among the rare birds that can fly over mountain peaks and also withstand extrely cold climates."
"Also, there's a fairy tale about swans in my hotown." This was the first ti Sylutia had ntioned her previous life in front of outsiders.
"What kind of fairy tale is it?" Both Aurora and Lovier looked very eager to hear.
"Its na is 'The Ugly Duckling'..." Sylutia, following the thoughts and mories carried by the wind, slowly narrated the story she had heard as a child.
The lake's surface mirrored the sky, azure and tranquil. The oars occasionally stirred, creaking as they raised ripples.
The three talked about their respective childhoods and mories. By the ti they realized it, the sky had gradually darkened.
"Ti to go back." Sylutia looked towards the shore and the distance. There were far fewer students now, probably having gone to the boat houses the instructor ntioned.
Slowly docking, the three returned the small boat and then walked forward along the riverbank.
However, before reaching the boat house the instructor ntioned, the path ahead was blocked by a large crowd, from which lively cheers occasionally erupted.
Hearing the sounds coming from within, Sylutia realized there was probably a competition going on inside. She walked over and lightly tapped a familiar classmate on the shoulder.
"Ah, it's Hedra." She was sowhat surprised, then began to explain.
"At first, a few people from the neighboring school said they wanted to compete, then quite a few others joined in. Now, there's a tournant going on inside."
"Maluoyi won!"
"This guy is really sothing. He took on seven opponents in a row by himself, all of them students of the sa tier with decent strength."
"Who is Maluo? How co I haven't heard of him?" So students who had just arrived didn't understand the situation.
"You should have actually heard of him. Rember the end-of-term assessnt last sester? There was a genius who defeated ten opponents in a row during the internal school assessnt."
"Ah, you an that student who chose the 'Bloodline' Aspect and knows the long-lost 'Kuras Blood Tremor Art'?"
"That's right, it's him. See, the one wearing the black formal wear with a white cravat, looking incredibly smug, that's him!"
In the center of the encircled area, a young man who looked around nineteen years old was currently holding a small wand, shaking it back and forth like a conductor. His arm trembled, his expression proud. In the evening firelight, his eyes were slightly closed, imrsed in the triumph of continuous victory.
"This guy is way too full of himself. Who can take him down?" Many students from other schools were unconvinced.
"What about your school?"
"Our school?" So students looked around. Suddenly, soone shouted, "Here!"
Amidst the clamor, the crowd slowly parted, revealing Sylutia standing behind them.
Huh? What's this? Sylutia hadn't yet figured out what was going on, but many people had already focused their gazes on her. Even Lovier and Aurora behind her whispered.
"Go for it, Hedra."
Then, amidst a crowd of students, Sylutia slowly walked to the open space in the center of the crowd. On both sides, braziers were burning, illuminating the faces of the students in the night.
"Oh, so you're the famous Hedra?" The corner of his mouth lifted, revealing a charmingly wicked and expectant smile.
"See that black-haired girl?"
"That's the genius from School No. 89. Our school's instructor ntioned her, saying she went from First Tier to Second Tier in just half a year, and even has a record of defeating a Third Tier Official Mage."
"'The Unprovokable Black Griffin,' 'The Girl Who Manipulates Death Threads,' 'The Cruel Dark Young Lady Who Brutalized Beastn'—you should have heard the stories circulating recently in the Asra District."
"Ah, so that person is her. Truly terrifying. I think Maluo is about to take a fall this ti."
"That's the famous 'Hedra,' after all."
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