She Is Not a Witch

The deafening dragon roars echoed in the sky as the giant dragons gradually flew over the crowd. Their broad wings blocked out the sun, creating an immense sense of pressure, while their gleaming golden scales became increasingly visible.

As they slowly descended, their wings stirred up dust and sand. Finally, the dragons landed, their proud heads looking down at the onlookers, while the Eastern visitors on their backs came into clear view. Their attire strongly resembled the ancient people in Loranhil’s memories from her previous life: silk robes, crowned headdresses, and long sleeves fluttering in the wind.

These Eastern students used a language different from that of the Western Continent, with clear and resonant pronunciation. Though distinct from Chinese, it was quite similar. There were about 50-60 of them, including students and accompanying guards. Though few in number, each guard was at Sequence 5 or above, while the nine giant dragons were around Sequence 6 or 7. Their golden dragon eyes exuded a tremendous sense of power, causing one to tremble in fear if directly gazed upon.

As daylight gradually faded to darkness, the day’s registration came to an end. Orange-yellow street lamps lit up around the plaza, with flames burning quietly inside semi-transparent shades that blocked the evening wind, illuminating the various tents surrounding the square.

Emenas’ vast campus lay on the other side of the river, while this side had no buildings. It only became particularly lively during the school’s registration period each year. Visitors from around the world, friends and relatives seeing students off, and small merchants doing business all gathered here temporarily, setting up tents of various styles—common grassland-style round tents, simple triangular Southern tents, and desert windbreak tents of the Falcon people.

The plaza area didn’t quiet down at night; instead, it became even livelier than during the day. Small stalls filled the square, selling specialties from various regions: elegant longbows and wines from the elves, carvings and sabers from the Falcons, furs and coats from the Gufia Grasslands, fruits from the Southern Islands, and even silk dresses and hairpins from the East. Most students coming to study at Emenas were from well-off families and spent generously, allowing many merchants to make a small profit during this time.

Loranhil and Gena also browsed these stalls, examining the items with curiosity.

“Shopkeeper, how much is this saber?” Gena picked up a curved long blade and asked the stall owner.

“Ten supernatural gold coins.” The owner gestured, wearing a white robe and a hat with a long feather on one side.

“That’s a bit expensive.”

Gena carefully examined the blade as she spoke. The slightly curved blade had a groove down the middle, with delicate wave-like patterns from edge to back. The girl held the blade up to the light to check if it was straight, gently running her thumb along the back to feel the smoothness of the lines and check for any flaws.

From Loranhil’s observation, although the blade didn’t use any supernatural materials, it had rarely achieved Silver grade, making it a fine piece among its kind.

“Can you lower the price a bit? I only have a budget of about 8 gold coins.”

Gena seemed to really like the blade, swinging it in the air a few times, reluctant to part with it.

“I’m sorry, miss. These goods are all transported from the Falcon region. Not to mention acquisition and inventory costs, the transportation fees alone are considerable, plus security issues along the way. We really can’t lower the price,” the stall owner explained in detail, then began to introduce the saber’s background—crafted by a highly skilled master who regularly supplied the military, guaranteed quality, and so on.

Gena negotiated with the stall owner several times but still couldn’t bring the price down. Finally, she had to give up.

“I have some money left. Do you need me to lend you some?” Loranhil asked the slightly dejected Gena in a low voice.

“This… never mind.” After careful consideration, Gena shook her head, declining Loranhil’s kind offer.

“Actually, I was being impulsive. Spending so much right after coming to school might cause problems later.” She restrained her desire.

“Alright.”

“Does Gena really like swords and sabers?”

“Mm, a bit. Many of my family elders are mercenaries, so I’ve been exposed to weapons since childhood and know quite a bit about them. A handy weapon is often our second life.”

“I’m a girl, but when I was young, my father taught me some basic sword techniques and footwork. However, he hoped I would never have to use these skills, because even the most skilled warriors can get injured, or even lose their lives due to accidents. A life on the edge of a blade isn’t as beautiful as poets describe; it’s more of a last resort.” Walking among the stalls, Gena reminisced, her young face looking somewhat immature in the lamplight.

The night market was filled not only with students from various countries on the continent but also a few Easterners. Two siblings wearing Eastern robes were also walking among the stalls.

“Brother, did you see? That beautiful black-haired girl in front.”

“I saw her. What is it, Lufrost?” The handsome older brother asked. He wore a long sword at his waist with red tassels and a metal cloud-patterned scabbard, exuding a unique Eastern charm.

“That girl, with black hair and eyes, and such a gentle face. Which family from our Golden Daffodil Dynasty is she from?”

“This… I don’t think I’ve seen her before. Strange.” The senior-year brother looked puzzled.

“No way, brother. You’re not even familiar with the beautiful girls at school? What about your future sister-in-law? Don’t tell me you’re planning to wait for an arranged marriage after graduation. You’ll lose your freedom then.” The stunningly beautiful sister teased, her moon shadow flowing immortal dress seeming to shimmer in the lamplight, exuding a charm that could topple nations.

“She must be a new student. I really haven’t seen her before,” the brother finally said with certainty, looking at the profiles of the two girls in the lamplight ahead.

“A new student? We’ve met all the ones who came with us, and she wasn’t among them. But her appearance does look more like our Eastern style.”

“Ah, if only I were at Sequence 5 · Dragon Vein Priestess. All our major Eastern families have dragon bloodlines and can easily sense it.”

“Or perhaps she’s a descendant of one of our branches left on the Western Continent? Anyway, you’re starting school this year too, so you’ll have plenty of chances to meet her in the future.”

“Yes, yes. But that older sister is really beautiful, like an orchid in a secluded valley, serene and lovely. Why don’t you try pursuing her, brother?”

“It’s your first day at school, and you’re already thinking about these things? Your brother has a lot on his plate recently. If it weren’t for coming to pick you up, I’d still be practicing swordsmanship now. You should take care of yourself first, and don’t let some scoundrel trick you.” The brother in the moon-white robe patted his sister’s head, his eyes filled with doting affection.

“Yes~ my dear brother.” The girl deliberately drawled her words.

In the spring night, the flickering lights cast dancing shadows as the night market bustled like daytime.