novelhk Chapter 212 The Night the Stars Fell (Part 5)
Chapter 212 The Night the Stars Fell (Part 5)
Elena is not good at hiding her emotions.
This can be seen from many aspects. Many people can easily read what she is thinking from her face full of worries, without needing any profound mind-reading magic.
"Teacher, is it because I didn't do well enough?" Fran asked timidly.
“It’s none of your business.” Elena sighed—any unresolved troubles, even if temporarily forgotten, will eventually come back to haunt you. “I’m the one thinking about things.”
"Is there any problem that the teacher can't solve? If the teacher were in our kingdom, even all those bad guys combined wouldn't be a match for a single thought from the teacher."
Only by facing a witch will you understand the distance between you.
Fran felt that if she could truly master the skills of a witch, she would be free to roam the world.
“This world isn’t a game of rock-paper-scissors—everyone has troubles, and witches are no exception,” Elena said. “There are always people stronger than you, and witches’ power can be limitless.”
She suddenly recalled the words of the war-monster Elena.
Perhaps—as she said—only when she truly possessed unparalleled, unstoppable power could she cast aside these worries. Ultimately, it was simply that the unknown enemy she faced had a much stronger fist.
That was the overwhelming power of an entire arrogant kingdom; the gap between himself and it was no less than the gap between a newborn baby and an old witch.
"If you encountered an opponent you couldn't defeat no matter what you did, what do you think you would do?" Elena asked.
"Run away, isn't that what my teacher taught me?"
If you can't win, just run away. It's simple. A witch's revenge is never too late—those who seek revenge on the spot are long gone, their graves overgrown with weeds.
Any great figure who founded a nation, putting aside everything else, is absolutely first-rate at escaping. Survival is the most important thing; ambitions, ideals, and strength come second. Once you're dead, everything you have is just a stepping stone for others.
"What if you can't escape? You can't escape no matter what," Elena continued to ask.
"Then beg for mercy? Ask them if they can let you go," Little Fran said without batting an eye.
Dignity is a matter of opinion... but for Fran, it's definitely not as important as her life. While she admires those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for dignity, that doesn't stop her from not wanting to become one of them.
"Beg for mercy?" Elena murmured.
Would it work if I gave in to them? Would they abandon their plans? Probably not.
But if I choose to let go and take a step back, they'd probably be happy to ignore me, since their only goal is probably the piano.
but……
"What if you don't want to beg for mercy? Or maybe begging for mercy won't do any good?" Elena asked.
She felt it was a bit unreasonable to ask a child such a question.
“Life is a series of choices, there are no right or wrong answers, it’s not an exam,” Little Fran said. “Even the brightest star will eventually go out—you can’t have it all, perfection is just an illusion.”
Sometimes, those involved are simply blinded by their own perspective...
I was a bit greedy. I always felt that I could solve this kind of problem without paying a terrible price.
It's impossible to have both.
The problem is already in front of me, but I'm still thinking of a foolproof solution.
"Teacher, are you afraid of dying?" Little Fran asked.
"what?"
“That must be because I’m afraid of death—me too—terrified. The thought of being transported back in time and facing that same death again terrifies me,” Little Fran said. “But—being afraid is useless.”
As soon as Fran finished speaking, light particles suddenly began to appear on her body.
"Huh?" Little Fran felt like she could disappear at any moment.
Could it be that my jinx came true? What I feared has come to pass, and I wasn't prepared at all.
But no matter what Fran thought, she clearly felt herself disappearing.
“It seems you’re going back,” Elena said.
"Wow, that was fast." Now that things had come to this, Little Fran accepted reality. "Um... Teacher Elena, have I graduated?"
"It's still early; you've only scratched the surface of magic."
“Oh, I see—it’s such a pity I can’t learn more,” said Little Fran. “Well then, Teacher Elena, please take good care of yourself in the days to come.”
She floated up, placed her hand on Elena's shoulder, and then vanished into countless particles.
Under the starry sky tonight, those magical particles floated and scattered like stardust, adorning this peaceful and melodious night.
……
"What is this..." Little Fran slowly woke up.
She still remembered what she had just done—it didn't feel like a dream, but like something that had actually happened.
Now, she found herself no longer in that stinking basement, but on someone's broom, the flowing gray hair making her momentarily hallucinate as Elena.
"Teacher Elena?" Little Fran asked in confusion, "You've also traveled through time?"
“Who is Elena?” The gray-haired woman turned around. “Oh, you’re awake.”
"So it was you." Fran's face fell. You riddle-teller, Fran doesn't like you.
"Why are you looking at me with such a bitter face? I know I'm beautiful," the gray-haired woman said. "I just saved you, and you're treating your benefactor like this."
They saved me.
So, when he was unconscious and on the verge of death in the basement, it was she who brought him out.
“Yes, yes, that’s the look of admiration in your eyes,” the gray-haired woman said. “You have good magical aptitude, and I’m in a good mood, so I’ve decided to take you as my apprentice.”
Hmm... ah?
Suddenly, I have a magic teacher again?
“I am Victorique, the Gray Witch,” Victorique said. “Now, it’s time to deal with the troubles of your kingdom.”
She flew through the air on her magical broom, scattering leaflets filled with accusations against the backward traditions of the deep forest, including human sacrifices and a host of other heinous acts.
She wanted to enlighten the ignorant people here who had been brainwashed by the kingdom, to prevent more people like Fran from appearing in the future.
These leaflets naturally became the catalyst for the local residents' uprising that overthrew the kingdom's rule and ultimately turned the deep forest of Bira into ruins.
Years later, Fran, having completed her studies, returned to her homeland. Through her own exploration, she vaguely discovered the reason for her time travel.
The right location, the right concentration of magic, and the right intensity of starlight made that brief journey possible.
If I had lingered a little longer, many of the phantom images of these kingdoms would have also traveled through time.
Perhaps fate is such a wondrous thing, allowing me to meet my two teachers—a mother and daughter, no less. I truly don't know how to describe it properly.