She Is Not a Witch

Two days later, in Emenas, early morning.

The morning breeze carried with it the dew, still a bit cold. Students gathered in front of the large bridge over the Blue Stream River, lining up in their designated areas according to their student numbers. Teachers and staff members checked their identities, badges, and documents one by one.

After verification, each new student received a small booklet with their student number and name, serving as a temporary pass. Then, accompanied by the sound of iron locks sliding, the tall city gates on the bridge slowly opened, revealing a wide road in the center.

The spacious bridge deck could accommodate 10 carriages side by side, extending all the way to the opposite shore. The morning mist lingered on the river surface, enveloping the latter half of the bridge, leaving only a vague outline visible.

“Everyone, please line up and come one by one,” some staff members pulled up ropes to separate the new students orderly, then had them board the vehicles according to their student numbers.

Indeed, since the bridge was too long for new students to walk across on foot, especially with luggage, special magic-powered vehicles were provided for transportation.

These magic-powered vehicles were about five meters tall and over ten meters long. Staircases on the sides allowed direct access to the second level where passengers sat. The first level housed the complex power system and mechanical structure, not meant for seating.

Loranhil boarded the second level of the vehicle with her suitcase, finding a window seat and briefly surveying her surroundings.

Since she arrived early, many new students in her group were still queuing. Only a few students were on the vehicle. After Loranhil sat down, a new student in front turned around to greet her.

“Hello, I’m Bumansha,” said the new student with chestnut-gold wavy hair and a slightly rounded face, giving off a big sister-next-door vibe.

“Hello, I’m Loran,” the girl nodded.

“Mm, very pretty, Loran. Are you from the Golden Daffodil Dynasty?”

“Well, not really. I’m from Cransia. Perhaps I have some Eastern blood,” Loranhil could only explain this way. Previously, with silver or blonde hair, it wasn’t obvious, but now with black hair, her Eastern serene aura immediately stood out, making people suspect she was indeed from the East.

“I see. I’m from the eastern coast of Verdant. Sorry about that. I’ve seen quite a few Eastern merchants and travelers when I was young, so I thought you looked similar and made that guess.”

“It’s alright. Actually, I grew up with my teacher, so I’m not sure about my exact bloodline either.”

Loranhil shook her head, her silk-like black long hair gently swaying in the river breeze. They chatted briefly, but as more people boarded the vehicle, their conversation gradually ceased.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

As the vehicle was almost full, a girl rushed in, looked around, and carefully asked, probably finding Loranhil’s gentle appearance easier to approach.

“No, it’s free. Please sit,” Loranhil replied.

This vehicle was filled with girls, chattering softly. It seemed the student numbers were divided by gender. Although Loranhil had toned down her appearance, she still stood out, making many girls feel inferior and hesitant to sit with her. Only when the last few seats were available did new students come to inquire.

“Thank you, I’m Nya,” said the girl wearing a hat, her tone slightly relieved. She then put down her luggage and sat on the wooden seat.

After most people had arrived, a staff member came up to do a headcount.

“Still missing one…” he muttered, sounding hesitant.

“Ready to depart?” asked the middle-aged man operating the magic-powered vehicle from the bottom of the stairs.

“Let’s wait another 10 minutes. Otherwise, if we miss one, we’ll have to write a report to explain, which is quite troublesome.”

“Ah, what a bother. I was hoping to go back for a drink,” the middle-aged man complained before walking to the other side to rest.

After a while, just as the staff member was about to call for departure, a girl in a golden long dress approached, followed by a group of attendants carrying luggage.

“I told you the academy’s magic-powered vehicle wouldn’t leave first. Miss Yin arrived just in time,” she said, waving her folding fan with a hint of pride, then instructing her attendants to carry the luggage on board.

“I’m sorry, but only new students are allowed on the vehicle,” the uniformed staff member blocked the way.

“Then what about all my luggage? You don’t expect me to carry it myself, do you?” the young lady from a wealthy family complained.

“According to academy regulations, new students are only allowed to bring two suitcases worth of items to school.”

“I’ve never heard of that. Are you trying to fool me?”

“This should have been mentioned when you received your recommendation letter,” the staff member frowned and continued to explain.

They argued for a while until the guards helping with the luggage came up to persuade their young miss not to conflict with the staff, as they weren’t officially students yet and could suffer greatly. After all, Emenas was the world’s top academy, and their family’s influence wasn’t enough to make a difference.

Finally, the young lady had to compromise, choosing only the two most crucial suitcases for the staff to help carry onto the vehicle. The rest were left with the guards to keep for now, planning to find a way to send them into the school later.

Once everyone was on board, the magic-powered vehicle slowly started.

The road on the bridge was very smooth. The magic-powered vehicle used a mainstream magic furnace, similar to an electric motor, with less noise and a more stable speed.

As the sun gradually rose, it was around 10 AM. A pleasant river breeze blew through the entire carriage from the windows. The bright sunlight shone on the vast river surface, creating a glittering spectacle. The mist that had previously shrouded the river had completely dissipated, revealing the distant scenery.

Since the other end of the bridge was directly ahead, only a small part could be seen from the windows. As they approached, passing through the long city gate tunnel, a cool air rushed in from the windows. It was only then that the new students barely realized how grand the bridgehead fortress was.

After the magic-powered vehicle exited the city gate tunnel, it took a long time to escape the shadow of that magnificent building. Some new students looked back in awe, letting out exclamations.

Rather than calling it a bridgehead, it would be more appropriate to describe it as a war fortress. The enormous towers and high walls resembled a ferocious beast lying across the riverbank. The beast’s mouth was the tunnel they had passed through. The layers of embrasures and watchtowers on the fortress emitted a grayish-blue color under the sunlight.

“This fortress is one of Emenas’s four major colleges, the Unfaltering Bridge Pier. It was also the main battlefield during the Chaos War. Students majoring in War Sequence and Ocean Sequence will come here in the future,” the staff member explained in detail.

Known as the sturdy bridge pier amidst raging torrents, this college specializes in cultivating warriors with unyielding will and military talents.