The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 60: The Feast Ritual and Bionics

“Let us enjoy this feast to the fullest!”

Walking into this fiery red domed exhibition hall, everything in sight was a variety of delicacies—spicy and hot roasted dishes, icy sweet and crispy treats—all kinds of flavors and colors intertwining, stirring up the appetite.

Although the 'Feast Ritual School' was only ranked twenty-second, its influence far surpassed the others. Not just on the Fourth Continent—it was originally formed by gourmets from all over, with the purpose of exchanging rare and exquisite cuisines. Little did they expect that this would also lead to the development of many new secret arts and food varieties, ultimately giving birth to an entirely new school.

The 'Feast Ritual School' had branches on every continent; this one under the Fourth Continent's Mage Alliance was just one of them. Though they didn't possess powerful combat strength, from high-ranking Transcendent nobles to mountain-dwelling commoners, everyone loved the food they created and the banquets they hosted.

In a bright yellow copper pot, neatly cut chunks of meat tumbled in the boiling red broth, paired with green and light-colored side dishes that gave off an especially enticing aroma. Beside this five-meter-wide pot, a chef holding a long ladle quickly scooped out the delicacies, pouring them precisely and without a single drop spilled into the bowls of the seated students in front of him.

【Spicy-Scented Hord Beef】(Third Tier·Superior): A delicacy paired with high-quality sesame seeds, chili peppers, fire radishes, and refined clear oil. It can stimulate the blood within the consumer, causing it to boil, restoring stamina, healing hidden muscle injuries, and slightly enhancing muscle strength (long-term effect).

Seeing the red oil, beef, and hot steam falling from the air, many students let out cheers. Their gazes and expressions were infected by the fiery atmosphere, their mouths watering. One by one, they sat at their tables and devoured the food heartily.

Although each student could only eat it once, it was still a rare perk.

No wonder so many young people loved coming to the Mage Alliance. Compared to other organizations, the Mage Alliance was indeed much more generous in what it gave.

Sylutia and Lovier sat down. The two watched the broth fall into their bowls, then picked up their spoons to enjoy it in small bites. Only after they finished eating did they leave and reunite with Aurora, who was waiting nearby. This young lady of the Helt family didn't like spicy food; she was holding a cup of ice cream. By the time the two came out, she was almost done eating.“How was it?”

“It was so delicious~” Lovier said happily.

“Hehe, there's still a lot more ahead.” With that, Aurora led the two forward, continuing to taste the various delicacies in this exhibition hall.

“The 'Feast Ritual School' is so lively—their popularity is completely unmatched by the other schools,” the three discussed.

“There must be over forty people here. At other schools' exhibition halls, there might only be three or four hundred at most.”

“That's the charm of a feast.” Aurora turned around, raised a finger in front of her face, closed one eye slightly, and showed a smile.

“Ever since flames were used to cook food, the pace of human development has accelerated dramatically.”

In this world, the earliest advanced intelligent beings were probably the Fairies. However, they had some aversion to flames, likely originating from their connection to 'Verdant Nectar·Insect Moth.' They also preferred plant-based fruits and melons for food. As for the meat-loving Star-Gazing Beasts, they had been defeated by the Fairies. Eating meat was considered crude and lowly in the culture of that time, so grilled meat dishes never developed.

But in the Seventh Epoch, during that period of shattered heavens and chaotic warfare among all sides, the corruption of Distortion ravaged the land. Many sources of fruit and melon food withered away, and numerous races began to eat meat. Various methods of preparing meat also developed. It was said that the ancestors of humans survived that environment surrounded by powerful enemies precisely because they excelled at making delicious food.

Cooking food, in a sense, was the recasting of food, allowing it to take on an entirely new appearance. And since it heavily involved fire and heat, this matter fit perfectly with the concept of the 'Gold Steam' Aspect. Therefore, many mages or Chefs within the 'Feast Ritual School' had backgrounds in the 'Gold Steam' Aspect. After reaching the Fifth Tier, they would try to incorporate another Aspect to pair with and create new cuisines.

For example, pairing it with 'Verdant Nectar' to create brand-new 'fruit puddings' and other honeyed delights; pairing it with 'Bloodline' to create more flavorful grilled meat masterpieces; pairing it with 'Insect Moth' to create a unique hundred-insect feast; pairing it with 'Luminous Moon' to create miraculous 'Moon-Infused Cuisines'; pairing it with 'Distortion' to create bizarre 'Corrupted Foods'; pairing it with 'Nightmare' to create terrifying 'Dark Dishes'; and finally, pairing it with 'Scorching Sun' to create 'Noble Holy Meals.'

The members of this school were more like gourmets and Chefs than mages. However, they did indeed study food pairings and creations. In terms of spiritual concepts and pursuits, they could indeed be classified under mages.

The three walked along, listening to the mages in the exhibition hall introduce the various glories of this school. It was then that Sylutia heard information about the 'Flesh and Blood Feast' again.

“If you apply and pass the school's assessment to become one of us, the school promises to hold a high-quality 'Feast Ritual' for all new apprentices at the next Silver Bell Festival, to help everyone gain power enhancement and advancement.”

“Wow, is that true?”

“It's true. The Feast Ritual School, like the Gold Leaf School, is very wealthy. It's just that their academic-related aspects haven't advanced in years. The members of this school mostly spend their energy on finding new ingredients and improving recipe flavors. They don't put as much effort into studying spells, runes, or basic theories.”

“No wonder their strength is so great, but their ranking never goes up,” someone said regretfully.

“Probably some people just like these things and don't care about the so-called ranking. They have their own income and resource sources, and they don't rely much on the Mage Alliance's resource allocation.”

“If that's the case, I want to join too. Just eating delicious food every day is already very appealing.”

The students chatted as they walked forward. Sylutia, on the other hand, was curious about what tier the 'Feast Ritual' prepared for new students by the 'Feast Ritual School' was, and which Feast Ritual they used.

If possible, she actually wanted to learn it herself, so she could use the food she grew to host a feast for friends in the future.

— Afternoon · Pinecone Street —

More than a month had passed since being poisoned by the mandrake. 'Four Fingers' had finally recovered. Today, he also held a rare meeting within the group, summoning several important subordinates.

“With everyone's persistent efforts, we've made it through a difficult period. I am proud of all of you for this!” Four Fingers raised his glass, calling for everyone to respond with pride on their faces.

After the recruitment personnel from various colleges settled in, the underground world of Asra District had temporarily entered a period of peace. They all knew that causing trouble during this time would easily invite harsh suppression from the authorities.

“Now, the construction of exhibition halls for all the colleges requires our manpower assistance. Although it's menial grunt work, without us, things just can't get moving, hehe,” a minor leader below said with a laugh.

“That's right. No matter how bold that 'Fire Pig' is, he's quieted down now and doesn't dare to cause trouble recklessly.”

“With the convenience of our recent work, we can also easily build relationships with those noble college mages and get some of their unused items.” Every year after the recruitment exhibition ended, some things weren't taken back to the colleges but were sold directly.

“The day before yesterday, I already reached an agreement with that mage from the 'Mist Spirit School.' After it's over, he'll sell us the unused 'Mist Body Potion.' With this, whether it's spying or taking out the Fire Pig, it'll become much easier,” the leader 'Blue Toad' said smugly.

“However, he said we'll have to wait until at least after the student assessments in June to use this kind of potion.”

“It seems we'll have to endure for a while longer,” Four Fingers mused for a moment before slowly nodding.

After briefly entering a stable period, Asra District finally welcomed the second batch of college representatives to move in. Among them was the 'Bionics School,' where Sylutia had once studied.

This time, the 'Bionics School' didn't display the incredible abilities related to various ancient creatures, nor the numerous creations and technologies imitating animals. Instead, they directly recreated a lifelike True Dragon within their exhibition area.

Hearing this news, many students were stunned. Those who entered the school's exhibition hall to experience it were also awed by the dragon's powerful majesty, becoming well-behaved and obedient on the spot.

“Is it really a True Dragon?” Carrying this doubt, Sylutia and her two roommates also stepped into the school's exhibition hall.

After briefly touring the various secret arts of this school, the three quickly entered the central hall. There, a massive dragon beast, about thirty meters tall, stood tall. Its front limbs were resting on stones, and the fiery red wings spread behind it gently flapped, the scorching air currents they stirred up sweeping through the entire hall like a gale.

【Red-Scaled Dragon Restored Specimen】(Fifth Tier·Dragon Eye·Bloodline)

Even after thousands of years had passed, the bones of the deceased dragon, under the secret arts of the 'Bionics School,' rose again, stretching its body, displaying its roar and power.

In addition, special birds continuously circled the upper air of the hall. They looked like real creatures, but were actually, like the 'Thread Bird' that Sylutia had mastered, simulated creatures created by the Bionics School using unique rune combinations.

Thus, after circling several times, these birds swooped down again, transforming into different forms one after another. Some resembled beasts, others were as agile as fish.

After that, a mage from the school used a similar secret art to imbue the power of an ancient creature onto himself, granting him a certain ability temporarily.

After touring most of the hall and preparing to leave, Sylutia was stopped by a silver light bird that flew down from the air.

“Miss Hedra, please come this way,” the other party extended an invitation.

Afterward, Sylutia had to temporarily part from her two companions and come to a lounge on the side of the exhibition hall. There, a mage of short stature, but with a hooked nose and a stern face, was already waiting.

“I've heard of you, Hedra.” The other party turned around as she entered the room, revealing those gray-blue eyes, like snow that never melts on a high mountain.

“In Asra District, you once defeated an opponent using threads, and you wove exquisite birds from those threads, as well as applying them in combat.”

“It's clear to see that you are already quite proficient in some of our school's secret arts.”

“I'm curious, which mage gave you your enlightenment?”

“This...” Sylutia knew that the instructor she referred to didn't actually want to get in touch with old acquaintances from the 'Bionics School.' But if she lied now, it would be easy to be exposed in subsequent investigations.

“She was a mage guarding a lighthouse in my hometown. Her name is unknown, and she often sat in a wheelchair.” Hearing this evasive answer from the young girl, the other party fell into thought.

Indeed, with Sylutia's description, the other party couldn't immediately recall which senior of their school she was referring to. Finally, he had to drop the subject.

After that, to recruit this young girl, the representative of the 'Bionics School' offered generous conditions.

“If you come to our college, we will provide you with three rounds of high-quality resource support to help you advance quickly, gaining respect and recognition.”

“Secondly, various high-level compound runes and numerous secret arts for enhancing runes will be taught to you free of charge.”

This could be said to be an extremely generous reward. Under normal circumstances, new students joining wouldn't get all the school's secret arts for free. Many things had to be learned through earning credit contributions, guiding students to practice through the secret arts they learned to earn their living needs.

Unfortunately, Sylutia didn't value these promised benefits. Seeing her refuse so decisively, the mage sighed, shook his head in self-deprecation, and let Sylutia go.

Sorry, Sylutia silently murmured, thanking the other party for their kindness, and then left the lounge.

Having finished her tour of the Bionics School, Sylutia would still visit the remaining school exhibition halls, but her focus was already on the upcoming assessments. She no longer spent much energy sightseeing but concentrated on reviewing and studying the previous years' assessment projects of Tetis College.

Under her influence, her two other roommates also began preparing for their respective upcoming assessments.

Thus, the number of times the three appeared in the school classroom gradually decreased, and they began to go their separate ways to the places where experiments and practical training were conducted.

At the end of June, after finishing her busy studies, Sylutia once again came to Agate Street. This time, she was there to meet Anari.

“This is your new student certificate. Congratulations, you can continue to study here from now on.” Sylutia opened a book and handed the other party a card that had been re-stamped with a seal and given special treatment.

The purple-haired Anari carefully took it. She gently stroked and looked at this small card, as if something so simple determined the branching path of her entire life.

Finally, she pressed the card lightly to her chest and bowed gratefully to Sylutia.

“Thank you, Lady Hedra. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

“No, no, no. I just helped you solve some small problems along the way.” The young girl raised her finger and shook it.

“The one you should truly thank is yourself—the one who persevered day and night, who worked hard and diligently.” After saying this, she touched the girl's head, her fingers gently caressing the one large and one small curved horn.

The tip of the smaller curved horn had been broken off, looking somewhat damaged. When Sylutia touched it, Anari's body trembled slightly, as if recalling unpleasant past events.

“It's okay. Everything is in the past now.” The young girl's voice was gentle and comforting.

“Don't hate your past, and don't feel inferior because of it. Those memories may be full of pain, but as long as you've moved past them, they will also be your most glorious scars.”

“People become strong by overcoming difficulties. So do you.”

“Keep it up, Anari.”

The soft words seeped into that dry, cracked, and barren heart like a clear spring, slowly nourishing it. After a long while, this horned beast girl wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded slightly.

“Thank you. I will, veteran.”

Veteran... that was a pretty good title.