Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

A high podium overlaid with dark curtains, a dimly lit room, and that lone beam of light shining on the girl.

Cyril stood below the stage, alongside numerous freshmen, watching the girl ascend to the podium. He did not know this black-haired, blue-eyed girl, which was somewhat odd, because Edith Academy was unlike other ordinary institutions. Those chosen by the Academy to represent the freshmen in their speech were either sufficiently outstanding and admired by others or had such substantial familial backgrounds that few students would feel dissatisfaction.

However, if it were such a student, they would usually have a certain reputation before even entering school. The Jade Skirt might be vast, but there are only a handful at the Top Rank; living in the South First District all year round, it was impossible not to have heard her name before.

How strange, Cyril shook his head slightly. He didn't mind, but others might not feel the same way. Such a student without any background, suddenly representing so many people with her speech, would provoke dislike in some.

And now, he could overhear some of the whispered discussions among his classmates nearby. At this tempestuous junior high and high school age, no one would easily concede, especially those pampered descendants of wealthy families.

His indifference stemmed from experiencing many things others his age hadn't, which led to his broader perspective.

However, just as he was thinking about where to dine with friends after the ceremony and then return to the company in the afternoon to continue work, the girl on the stage had already completed her salutations and began her speech.

The introduction was a set format, essentially a self-introduction, followed by expressions of gratitude and the customary wishes of the new students.

"Entering Edith Academy was something I had not anticipated, and looking back on it now, I am still very thankful for the opportunity the Academy has given me."

...

"Each of us has our own thoughts, and having just myself to express those on everyone's behalf might make some students uneasy, as what they hold in their hearts is not being voiced…" but the speech given by the girl on stage was not following the usual protocol.

"Merely within my 16 years of life, I have seen countless diverse ideas and thoughts become popular online and in reality, with people pursuing their own paths. We respect the freedom of each perspective, but this kaleidoscopic world also leaves one's head spinning."

"What was originally intended to protect individual freedom has been manipulated by certain individuals for the purpose of fostering their own interests, leading to the societal fragmentation, slicing and dividing it into many pieces."

"With power dispersed and hearts misaligned, everyone clings to their narrow interests, unwilling to let go, and attacking one another, leaving people exhausted from chasing after various concepts and anxious about topics…"

"Maybe for a while, one gets to indulge in certain joys, but as time passes, it's easy to fall into a sort of helpless anxiety because your happiness and your lifestyle are not validated by the majority. They will negate you, denigrate you, leaving you helpless and lost."

"The poor are mocked for their lack of effort, and so all they endure is deemed justly deserved, while the rich are resented because many believe their wealth was obtained through exploitation total with tears and blood, thus animosity and disparagement also become the norm."

"Impoverished people don't receive respect but simply spit and wipe their faces clean, whereas the affluent must live discreetly because revealing any hint of their lavishness in public draws all sorts of attacks and suspicions,"

"I think everyone certainly wishes to become wealthy, but now even if one becomes affluent, they must always hide, because resentment has long simmered between different social strata."

"The estrangement between the social tiers, the unity above and below, overcoming difficulties together, and advancing in unison, seems to have become an extremely distant notion."

"What exactly has made us so awkward, is it because life is downright unlivable?"

"Not at all, even though ghettos still exist across the Federation, it's rare to hear about people starving to death. Industrialized production of starch and protein powders is more than sufficient, which is a lot of progress compared to the ancient Third Epoch or the chaotic, ruinous end of the Fifth Epoch." Explore more adventures at empire

"I think the answer might be that we have fallen into the inevitable trap of civilization's development, which is to judge a person's life solely based on wealth."

"Can a person's life really be measured simply by whether they're rich or poor? If so, that's far too simplistic and tragic, like entering a forest for a nice stone by the path and staying beside it forever, forsaking the chance to venture deeper into the forest to see the many animals, trees, and all sorts of flowers."

"Wealth, or money, was originally a tool created by the division of labor in society, allowing us to focus on one thing and obtain our daily needs, but this tool has gradually become the shackles for most people."

"In the past, you were a spinner, your next-door neighbor was a carpenter, and the elder brother at the end of the village was a fisherman on the river. Each of you had a skill, exchanged your products with each other—you provided cloth for everyone, the neighbor gave you furniture, and the fisherman gave you food. Everyone could find their place and felt secure because you knew you were needed and recognized by the community."

"But as society developed, markets became more convenient, and logistics faster. Even if you didn't know anyone, you could buy what you wanted with money."

"Once, picking a flower from a faraway mountain could express your love, but now the same flower can be bought for 20 Federation Coins. Once, pouring your heart into a handwritten letter could convey your deepest feelings, but now AI can produce tens of thousands of unique love letters per minute online."

"As everything became more convenient, everything also came to be measured by money. Any gesture we could make to express our feelings might be mistaken for something bought with money, replaced by money."

"A meticulously carved doll is far less perfect than one carved by a machine. A confession prepared with all your heart might not compare to the temporary setup from a professional company. The time you spent on actions might just seem like a show when many of the steps are replaced by AI and others."

"Money can buy any service, but trust between people has greatly diminished because counterfeiting is so easy. Even when there's something genuine, it's hard for us to believe."

"The standards for evaluating various things have become more singular: How much money you can make, how much the gift you give is worth, how much your sentiment is priced, and so on..."

"When a person falls from a height and only a single rope holds them, they would certainly be extremely worried about the rope. But what if there were several ropes, or even a net made of many ropes? They would feel much safer because even if one rope broke, the others could still support them."

"Yet, when real-world evaluations become singular, the rope also becomes the only one. Wealth, money, price—they become obstacles that are always there."

"Poor people need money to sustain their life, the middle class need money to maintain their dignity, and the rich need money to keep their fortunes from declining. Everyone is craving for more wealth, anxious and uneasy."

"In the past, we ridiculed those backward and conservative moral rules, the honor maintained by people, the beliefs passed down—believing that 'survival of the fittest' is the truth. That was just a fig leaf to cover our shames when bullying others, excusing our unjust actions."

"Many people were willing to fight to the death for that honor and belief, but how many are willing to die willingly for money? Even if there are some, it's because they want to leave the money for their loved ones, which is actually another form of honor and belief."

"Money can solve many superficial problems, but relationships built upon it are so fragile, causing anxiety and unease."

"Society, the nation, needs a new system of evaluation. People need new standards to settle their restless hearts, to set clear measures, to connect the various classes, to rebuild the foundation."

"This is my vision for the future, and I hope to achieve it someday. It may still be naive and have much to improve and change, but I sincerely hope to realize it step by step in the future."

Even years later, Cyril would always remember that day at the opening ceremony of Edith Academy, when he saw the black-haired, blue-eyed girl, her voice soft and strong, so serene yet so powerful, immovable.

Perhaps it was from that day that he decided to follow that figure and set out on the path to change everything.