Chapter 281: The Image and Placement Problem of Fool Dream
“Ah… Huh?!”
Hearing my assertive words, Bai Yu was stunned for two seconds, and the small spoon she was stirring her coffee with clattered to the ground.
“Wh-what are you saying, Xiao Han? Haha, are you joking again? What nonsense are you talking about?” At that moment, Bai Yu seemed restless, her gaze flitting.
“Words that don’t reflect the heart will let this opportunity slip away, you know?” I stirred my coffee, lowering my head and no longer looking at Sister Bai. Now that things had come to this point, did I really need to say any more?
Surely she couldn’t think I was oblivious to what was happening. In fact, if Sister Bai were to speak up at this moment, I might actually agree.
“I don’t understand what you mean, Xiao Han. Let’s change the subject…”
“Fine…”
I sighed. I had gathered the courage to come, and now it had turned into this situation.
But perhaps I should be grateful, because I also didn’t really know how to act as a qualified boyfriend… oh, now it would be a girlfriend.
However, this round of probing had revealed Sister Bai’s situation and psychological expectations. At least in the future, nothing that happened would surprise me too much.
“Sister Bai, why don’t you choose the topic? You know I’m not very good at chatting; I’m that rather passive type.”
At that moment, I rested my right hand on the table, my whole body sprawled out on my arm, turning my face to look at Sister Bai. In truth, this was also my only proactive moment of bravery, and after this… there might not be another chance.
“You want me to find a topic…” Bai Yu looked at me, who was sprawled like a salted fish. Although she hoped Xiao Han could relax a bit, seeing me like this made her subconsciously laugh.
“Hahaha… But as for topics… I really don’t know what to talk about.” After chuckling a couple of times, Bai Yu fell into thought. Although she considered herself to know Xiao Han quite well, she realized she had never truly understood him deeply.
“Well… how about discussing Rune Literature? Last time I heard you say you had started to systematically learn runes…”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Before I could finish, Bai Yu interrupted my suggestion. “That topic is terrible. Do you think this atmosphere is suitable for that?”
“Well… it indeed doesn’t seem appropriate… So… let’s talk about Fool Dreams. Sister Bai, do you like them?”
“Those Fool Dreams… they are indeed very cute, small and silly.” As soon as she mentioned Fool Dreams, Bai Yu immediately recalled the days spent living with them, which were indeed very pleasant. Girls have a weakness for such adorable things.
Moreover, given that their bodies had the rare and cute appearance of Flower Elves, they were simply born cuties.
Their cuteness, in my heart, felt second only to cat girls.
“That’s true, but after the Fool Village Secret Realm completely collapsed, they all died. Actually, strictly speaking, it’s not accurate to say they died. They continue to exist in another way, but as long as you provide them with a body, they can be revived. The Academy Head gave me the right to customize, but I never decided what kind of body to give them.”
“Is there really such a saying?”
“Yes, yes, Sister Bai, help me think too!” I quickly said.
“According to what you said, then naturally you hope they’ll be whatever you want them to be. How about asking the Fool Dreams for their opinion?” Bai Yu pondered for a moment before speaking up. After all, such matters suddenly asked of her would be difficult to answer.
“Asking the Fool Dreams? That might not work. They are currently in their original forms, having lost their memories and past cognition.” I shook my head.
The growth of Fool Dreams essentially comes from increased cognition and the erosion of nightmares. Nightmares are their memories and cognitions, and if the Fool Dreams want to maintain their current state, they require different means.
The thoughts of Fool Lake were rather naive, wanting to coexist with nightmares. But at this moment, I clearly understood that it was useless. That was straying down the old path of dream creatures, not becoming life.
Only by shedding the nightmare part, stripping away the essence of the dream, and enlightening wisdom in the form of Fool Dreams could they be qualified to embark on the path to becoming true beings.
Looking at it this way, the Academy Head’s removal of Fool Lake’s memory was also for his own good. Walking down the wrong path would only lead to more mistakes.
It would be better to cut off the past early, abandon it, and start on a new path and life.
“I see… So isn’t this your one-man show? What do you like, Xiao Han?”
“Me? I… like small cats, but I’m still more accustomed to humanoid Fool Dreams. How about… designing using a catgirl template for the Fool Dreams?” I said, and if I were to decide, I would most likely choose such an option. I just didn’t know how Sister Bai would view it.
“You also like small cats?” Bai Yu became interested upon hearing my response. “But it seems that in the Witch Academy, liking cats has become quite common.”
“Yes, that’s true.” I nodded, and the derivative catgirl culture had many senior sisters who liked it. From the existence of multiple Witch Cat Cafés in the Witch Academy, one could tell.
“Hey… don’t change the subject! What do you think, Sister Bai? Is it a bit… hmm… hasty to determine the image of the Fool Dreams as cat girls so abruptly?”
“Hasty? Not really! It’s indecision that makes it hard to decide. Let’s go with small cat girls! By the way, there are so many Fool Dreams. Have you thought about where to place them?”
“Um… not yet.” I shook my head.
Even if I brought them to my villa, there wouldn’t be enough space. Moreover, the villa wasn’t mine alone; others had their lives too. I couldn’t decide on my own.
“Sister Bai, does the Academy have vacant houses for rent?” I asked hopefully.
“There are definitely houses available, and plenty of them. The Witch Academy is much larger than you expect. But the key issue isn’t just providing Fool Dreams with a place to live. It’s not easy to settle them. Do you intend to provide for them for life?”
“So… you mean to teach them to be self-sufficient?” I asked curiously.
“Pretty much that. The Witch Academy actually has many such beings. Many are creatures brought out of secret realms that have flourished in the Academy, eventually becoming part of it. Have you ever seen them?”
“It seems… I haven’t?”
I thought for a while and shook my head. My life at the Witch Academy had been too much about a straight line, and I had really never been to other places. I truly didn’t know there were creatures from secret realms in the Witch Academy; perhaps I had seen them but didn’t pay attention.
“That’s one of the characteristics of the Witch Academy! Xiao Han, you didn’t know? You really should take a good rest and wander around the Witch Academy more, okay?”
“Alright… I will.” At that moment, I felt a bit ashamed, realizing I had indeed been so reclusive.
“Okay, back to the topic. What do you plan to have those Fool Dreams do?”
“I’m not too sure… they can’t just sell cuteness, right? Besides, I really hope they remain small and petite like before… very cute…”
“You’re just making it harder for yourself, Xiao Han. But… if it’s just about selling cuteness, maybe you can try collaborating with the Witch Cat Café?”
“Huh? Collaborating with the Witch Cat Café? Then… wouldn’t that be competing with the cats there for work?”
“This is service diversification. Just think, if the Witch Cat Café were filled with catgirl Fool Dreams and small cats, would you want to spend money there?”
“Oh… that does spark some spending desire… But… I don’t even know the owner behind the Witch Cat Café… and I have no idea how to operate or collaborate…”
“Don’t give up before anything is settled! There’s always a first time for everything. Did you forget that golden cat card you were given? If you’re willing and present your value, I believe that person would be happy to meet you. Your request isn’t high, is it? You just want to find a way for those Fool Dreams to support themselves.”
“Right… that’s indeed the case.” I nodded, feeling that this idea seemed quite good.
The Fool Dreams without any memories were like blank slates, not knowing how to do anything. However, being mascots would be quite nice.
Sister Bai was right; I couldn’t support them for life. Even the Academy Head threw them into secret realms to let them grow on their own. So why shouldn’t I try that approach?
I didn’t need to have complete control over the Fool Dreams, nor did I want to.
If I had too strong a desire to control them, when they became true beings, I might be the first to face their resistance, right?
Even if I granted them life, it couldn’t guarantee the “loyalty” of all the Fool Dreams. So why not let them have “freedom”?
Moreover, even before they became true beings, they still had a strong dependence on me. Even after becoming true beings, I would have become the one who understood them the best. They would want to grow, want to strengthen, want to gain power, etc… and still could not do without me.
Although this may sound a bit far-fetched, it was indeed a likely scenario.
So, this matter needed to be resolved quickly.
Additionally, I still had many things to do with the Academy Head, not just related to the Fool Dreams’ bodies and placement issues, but many other things, such as… the situation with the Great Spellbook.
I couldn’t keep the Great Spellbook safe. The only one who could do that was probably someone at the level of the Academy Head. This wasn’t a matter of the Academy Head saying a few words to keep the Great Spellbook safely with me.
Rather, until I became an Extraordinary Witch, the form in which I possessed the Great Spellbook could only be a “borrowed exchange.”
To borrow the Great Spellbook in the form of a contract, allowing the Academy Head to bear the pressure for me, while the true owner would be me.
After the storm passes and I have the capability to study the Great Spellbook, only then can this borrowing contract be lifted.
This has already become the best solution at present.
The reason for this compromise is simple: I don’t have the power to suppress everything, so strength is equally important.
You could say that since I got the Great Spellbook, the pressure on my shoulders has far exceeded that of my peers, even senior sisters.
Perhaps Sister Bai was right; I really needed to learn about the balance between work and rest.
Now I still had a few days of time to rest and catch my breath because the Academy Head needed to face outside enemies. The Academy Head told me it would take a few days, but she wasn’t sure how long. After the Academy Head returns, many matters can continue.
And right now, there are still a few things I want to do, such as… I want to “replicate” my favorite mixed juice, Fool Dream Drink, from the Fool Village Secret Realm.
Previously, I had deliberately collected seeds of those plants, originally thinking of planting some. I even learned the technique for making Fool Dream Drink with the Fool Dreams.
Now it seemed that the Fool Dream Drink I held and those seeds were likely the only legacy of the past Fool Dreams.
I planned to pass on this technique to them once they obtained new bodies after their resurrection. It would be like a master teaching a disciple, and the disciple then teaching the master.
“Xiao Han, where are you planning to go?”
As I walked out of the café, I had already changed back into my previous disguised appearance. After all, my original look was somewhat well-known, and even Teacher Ji had advised me to tone it down a bit. On the academy’s internet, those guys had spread that the explosion in the secret realm was my doing, and many senior sisters were already waiting for the academy to announce a compensation notice.
Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be waiting for that notification.
“Um… I plan to take advantage of these few days when there’s nothing to do to get things done that I’ve been wanting to do.”
“Things you want to do?” Bai Yu raised her eyebrows slightly, not expecting that I would suddenly have things I wanted to do. “Shall I accompany you? What are those things?”
“Well, Sister Bai, do you remember the drink from the Fool Village Secret Realm that impressed you the most?” I smiled and asked.
“Um… that seems to be… Fool Dream Drink? You told me that drinking it would allow you to see the so-called revelations more clearly.”
“Exactly, it’s Fool Dream Drink! I want to replicate it, and after the Fool Dream Clan is settled in the academy, I plan to return this technique to them.”
“Ah? But that Fool Dream Drink needs fruits… Oh… did you collect those seeds? You anticipated this?”
“How could that be! I’m not a prophet. Originally, I just wanted to bring back some seeds to plant. The taste of those fruits is pretty good even when eaten alone.”
“That’s indeed true.” Sister Bai nodded and agreed. In the Fool Village, besides eating the dry rations she brought, the most she had eaten were the various kinds of fruits there.
“So where are you heading?”
“I… I met two senior sisters in the secret realm earlier. We only met once, and it seems one of them has a contracted plantation. She herself is also a planter, so I think she wouldn’t reject new seeds for cultivation.” I recalled the two senior sisters, remembering I had saved their contact info. That planter sister seemed to be called… Sofiry?
Even if they might be unavailable, they should have their own networks as planters. Perhaps they could recommend other senior sisters to me.
“Acquainted senior sisters?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” I looked at Sister Bai with confusion, not understanding why she stressed that word. Surely she wasn’t being jealous, was she?
“It was my first time going to a secret realm, forming a temporary team to get to know each other. I just experienced it at that entry-level Red Copper threshold secret realm.” In the end, I still explained a bit.
“Xiao Han, next time you go to a secret realm, you can call me. Randomly teaming up with strangers is a very dangerous behavior, you know?”
“I know, I know! Geez, Sister Bai, do you always have this inexplicable controlling desire in strange places?”
“Controlling desire? No, I’m just worried you might get taken advantage of. You’re going to find that senior sister, right? I’ll accompany you. To be able to contract a whole plantation requires some means and connections. It’s possible she might be temporarily managing the plantation under her mentor’s guidance, while the remaining area is freely allocated to her.”
“Is there really such an explanation?”
“Of course. When you reach fourth year and choose your mentor, you must be cautious.”
“Yes, yes, got it!” I agreed. However, according to Teacher Ji, it wouldn’t be surprising if my mentor still ended up being her.
