Chapter 297 Burden? You are my spiritual support…
“Leaving…?”
I stared blankly as the Academy Head’s clone vanished at this moment.
After I finished asking those previous questions, I chatted with the Academy Head about other matters to enrich my understanding.
I realized that I had to stir the waters this time, as my expectations of Sister Bai might fall short again.
Whatever the Academy Head wanted me to do, I naturally was willing to do, as it’s said that you owe a debt of gratitude to those who help you. When I exhibited some irregularities, the Academy Head had already noticed me. I had come here rather smoothly, crediting much of that to the Academy Head’s subtle guidance.
This included, but was not limited to, the Spellbook of Unity, and other benefits I had yet to fully understand.
Therefore, the only dilemma now was regarding Sister Bai.
Both Sister Bai and I had signed a confidentiality contract; she knew this, but probably not to the extent I did, which required me to find a reason to persuade her—or perhaps… no reason was necessary at all.
After all, just recently, Sister Bai had called me, and now I was all of a sudden going against her.
I couldn’t just act unilaterally. It was similar to what happened in the Fool Village Secret Realm; I assumed that everything would be fine once Sister Bai went out safely, but it was only when I saw her worrying about me that I realized I was overthinking it.
“Sigh… I’m overthinking again.”
I slapped my forehead, realizing that I seemed to be getting stuck in a stubborn mindset again. I should just be frank with Sister Bai about such matters; was there anything I couldn’t tell her?
Perhaps there was, like the issue concerning the Great Spellbook. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Sister Bai, but knowing such things could lead to unimaginable disasters, even if merely known.
Thus, I called Sister Bai again, ready to share some things with her. At least… if I conveyed my points clearly, she should understand whether what I was doing held any significance.
As for the meeting place… it was at the Witch Cat Café.
This was a place I was very familiar with, even having met its “owner” behind the scenes. Perhaps there would be collaboration in the future, so naturally, I felt a sense of warmth toward this place.
Just like last time, but this time I arrived at a themed cat room, that is, a private room, since the matters I would discuss with Sister Bai couldn’t be heard by outsiders.
“Little Black Cloud~ What a coincidence, I see you again~”
Upon entering the Witch Cat Café, I bumped into the pure black kitten I had met earlier.
I went up and picked it up, not caring about its meowing as I took it into the themed cat room.
Then, I ordered a dessert coffee and a cat food set for Little Black Cloud, and sat quietly waiting for Sister Bai to arrive.
Not long after, before Little Black Cloud had eaten much, Sister Bai arrived.
“Sister Bai, you’re here.” I hurriedly set the cat treats and Little Black Cloud down, surprised at how quickly she came.
“Xiao Han, you contacted me in such haste. Is there something urgent to discuss at the cat café?”
“Well, there are indeed some things I’d like to discuss with you, Sister Bai.” I nodded and replied.
“Is it related to this sleeping curse?” Sister Bai asked tentatively.
The outside world did not know the culprit behind it causing this abnormal sleep, so the most direct name circulating on the Academy’s website was “Sleeping Curse.”
“There is indeed some relation, but it differs from what you might think.” I pushed the beverage I had ordered toward Sister Bai. I hesitated, unsure how to start; if I simply stated it without any lead-in, Sister Bai would surely disagree, right?
“Is it really related to that? The d*ath case at Holy Angel Academy has spread on the Academy network, and the situation isn’t looking too good. Xiao Han, you didn’t call me just to tell me you want to get involved in this matter, did you?”
At this moment, Bai Yu had also formed some of her own guesses, fearing that those she cared for might act foolishly.
“Sister Bai, I know the cause of this incident. Can we set aside this serious matter for a moment and talk about something else?” I spoke softly.
“Okay.” Bai Yu nodded, willing to hear Xiao Han’s explanation. She understood that while she might not be able to stop what Xiao Han wanted to do, at least she wanted to know why.
“Well then, let me explain.” I nodded, then snapped my fingers, and a soundproof barrier appeared. This soundproofing spell was just a small spell from a Spellbook, and while it was limited to physical soundproofing, it would suffice for now.
While there are powerful soundproof spells that consume much energy, I didn’t need one of such high levels just yet.
“Sister Bai, do you remember our encounters in the Fool Village Secret Realm?” I thought for a moment and decided to start detailing some matters from the Fool Dream, making it easier to convey once I omitted the content of the Great Spellbook.
“In the Fool Village Secret Realm? Are you referring to the collapse of the secret realm or the experiences we faced?”
“I’m referring to the nightmares I encountered, part of the Fool Dream.”
“Nightmares that are part of the Fool Dream… nightmares? Wait, are you implying that this incident was caused by nightmares?” Bai Yu was quite intelligent and, after a prompt and her own deductions, quickly arrived at the answer.
“You’re very close; this incident was indeed triggered by nightmares. Nightmares are part of the Fool Dream. When the Fool Village Secret Realm collapsed, the Fool Dream had nowhere to go, and the sealed nightmares were similarly affected. Of course, this also involves the Academy Head’s influence.”
“This matter involves the Academy Head? Wait… Xiao Han, how do you know so much?”
At this moment, Bai Yu furrowed her brows in deep thought. She hadn’t anticipated that this matter would be linked to the Academy Head. The Academy Head had been out to soothe everyone’s emotions earlier… so the implications of this situation ran deeper.
“The Academy Head told me. Don’t you remember that the Academy Head entrusted the Fool Dream to me? You can think of the Fool Village Secret Realm as a scheme set by the Academy Head herself. Our arrival and my discoveries generally aided the Academy Head greatly. Beyond that, I cannot disclose any more.”
“I understand; if you can’t say it, don’t force it. I’m not the kind of person who insists on knowing everything.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Sister Bai. In any case, after the destruction of the Fool Village Secret Realm, the Academy Head also accomplished what she intended to do, and I entered the Academy Head’s radar. You know about my special abilities, right? Spirit Vision…”
“Yes, so this is why you have garnered the Academy Head’s attention?” As she said this, a hint of concern surfaced in Bai Yu’s eyes. Being noticed by someone of the Academy Head’s caliber did not imply only positive aspects; it also indicated greater dangers. The slightest stir from someone at such a level could lead to calamity for those around them.
This wasn’t an exaggeration; what the Academy Head valued also required corresponding value in return, a burden Xiao Han was far from ready to bear. At least… that was Bai Yu’s perception.
“That’s about right… Sister Bai, cheer up! This is a good thing, isn’t it? Why do you always wish for an easy life like that of ordinary people?”
“This… I…” At this point, Bai Yu didn’t know how to explain. Should she reveal that this is her own quest?
The quest for ordinariness… which led her to subconsciously adopt such a perspective, pursuing comfort in the mundane… this was an instinctual behavior.
“It’s fine, Sister Bai, you have your own convictions. But I also have my own that we should find balance between our differences,” I shook my head, trying to break the awkward atmosphere. Did Sister Bai also have things she wished to keep to herself?
Just like Sister Bai wouldn’t pursue certain behaviors as she had mentioned before.
“In fact, Sister Bai, nightmares don’t cause d*ath, but there is still a certain level of danger, as we have both witnessed such creatures.”
“Mm.” Bai Yu nodded, recalling how perilous it had been when that creature had pulled her into a dream. Although it was thrilling, it hadn’t inflicted any substantial harm on us. “Xiao Han, then are you implying that the d*ath case was actually false?”
“Not false, it was true, but not caused by nightmares,” I shook my head.
“Not caused by nightmares? Then why would you mention nightmares…?”
“Sleep was caused by nightmares, but d*ath was not. These are two separate matters,” I corrected.
“This is like… %&# umm…” Just as I was about to continue, my tongue suddenly betrayed me, and I found myself unable to articulate clearly, ultimately unable to make any sound at all.
I realized that what I was trying to express had touched upon the implications of the script.
This wouldn’t grant any useful information to a typical person, but Sister Bai had also signed a confidentiality contract, so the hints I wanted to convey were now being forcibly held back by the contract’s binding power.
“Xiao Han, what’s wrong? Xiao Han… what’s happening to you?”
Seeing my abnormal state, Bai Yu instinctively grew panicked, wanting to check on me. But with my body language’s reassurance, I managed to calm her down as she gradually understood what this meant—this was a speech restriction, and such a sudden silence led Bai Yu to quickly grasp its significance.
We silently completed a wordless exchange.
After a while, once I sensed the contract’s power dissipate, I took a deep breath.
“Ha—okay! In any case, that’s what’s going on. What we experienced… I don’t know how to describe it, and we can’t speak about these matters. I know more than you, Sister Bai. Did you not initially hope that I wouldn’t get involved in this whirlpool?”
“Mm… I understand… but… you shouldn’t be involved in this matter at all. By telling me this much, aren’t you hoping to refute my wish for you to act?”
“Yes… So Sister Bai, you still don’t fully grasp it. Our efforts as small characters always only allow us to survive in between cracks. What seems like effort from a higher-level perspective is akin to mocking ants.”
“I understand this feeling of powerlessness, which is why I know you shouldn’t oppose this matter; it holds no benefits.”
“I have never opposed it. At least not after I understood… Furthermore, I’m not just getting involved; I’m striving for an opportunity… an opportunity to escape the mire once and for all.”
I looked earnestly at Sister Bai. If this time I could successfully leverage the Academy Head’s power to sever the Earth Vein Shackles, it would mean breaking free from the script. And soon, Sister Bai would become an Extraordinary Witch as well, capable of severing the Earth Vein Shackles. At that time, both Sister Bai and I would possess tickets to leave this world. It was almost like passing the college entrance exam to the same university—free to soar at great heights…
Though it may sound overly ambitious, at least it’s a hope, isn’t it?
“One-off solution? How could that be… how could there be a one-off solution?” Sister Bai shook her head at this moment.
“Why wouldn’t it be possible? Sister Bai, aren’t you close to becoming an Extraordinary Witch?”
“Well… to be honest, I’m not too sure.” At this point, Bai Yu instinctively looked at her palm, then clenched her fist. “It seems I’m just one crucial step away… but I don’t know what that is. My instructor said it’s because I haven’t figured it out. Once I do, I just need to break through that layer of paper…”
“So does that mean you’re on the brink? Have you thought about where you’d like to go once you become an Extraordinary Witch? Beyond this world?” I continued probing.
“I… to be honest, I haven’t thought about it. The world beyond is something I have never witnessed; I’ve heard it described as the Void, vast and endless… but I don’t think I would find a place for myself in such an enormous realm…”
“But the world we live in isn’t so beautiful, is it?”
“Yet this is the world that birthed and nurtured us…”
“Is that how you think, Sister Bai?”
But I did not share that view. This world had shown me a malice beyond anyone’s imagination.
First, I was born with Spirit Vision, which nearly drove me insane; then, a bad family; now, I’m ensnared in a script… If I hadn’t met Sister Bai on the front lines… I don’t know how long I could persevere in such circumstances on my own.
I felt like an outsider—an outsider to my family, and an outsider to this world, utterly out of place.
Sister Bai had such thoughts which might also be related to the so-called Earth Vein Shackles, feeling a strong sense of belonging to this world.
“Mm… Xiao Han, how about you?”
“Me? I want to see what lies beyond this world—whether it’s starry seas, or myriad races, or perhaps a dark forest… The unknown and curiosity drive me to pursue things I do not understand.”
“Is that so?” Bai Yu lowered her head with a bitter smile, but thinking it over, she probably reached a similar conclusion. Perhaps this was the environment in which Xiao Han had always existed, compelling her to seek what lay beyond.
Yearning for the outside world and lacking the sense of belonging to her original family, thus extending this feeling towards the entire world.
“Sister Bai, what’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“As long as it’s nothing, then would you be willing in the future… to come with me… to explore what the Void is like?”
“Together… to explore? Yes! Since you want to see, Xiao Han, I will definitely accompany you.” At this moment, Bai Yu nodded firmly, as if she had made up her mind.
“Well, don’t say it like you’re unwilling and only changed your mind because of me. What I want is for you to genuinely wish to experience it!”
“Yes, I truly wish to.”
“Then let’s make a pact… wait, never mind. Since you understand my feelings, let’s return to the main topic. Sister Bai, have you heard of the Earth Vein Shackles?”
“Earth Vein Shackles?”
“It seems not. I see your expression, so I nod my head. The Earth Vein Shackles are what keep us tethered to this world, and they are what we must sever before leaving. Sister Bai, when you ascend to become an Extraordinary Witch, you should be able to sever your own Earth Vein Shackles, while I cannot…”
At this point… I also realized. Since becoming an Extraordinary Witch allows one to sever the Earth Vein Shackles… wouldn’t it mean that any Extraordinary Witch could help me without me owing a debt to the Academy Head?
But things probably wouldn’t be that simple. I still remembered that when the concept of Earth Vein Shackles was introduced, the Teacher Ji who accompanied me to meet the Academy Head had a moment of surprise.
Either there are other secrets to severing the Earth Vein Shackles, or they can only be severed independently, making it even more… difficult to utilize external power?
Perhaps I could ask Teacher Ji.
“Severing the Earth Vein Shackles?” At this moment, Bai Yu also repeated my words.
“Yeah, severing the Earth Vein Shackles not only allows you to leave this world but also cuts ties with it, which is precisely what I intend to do. Because once the Earth Vein Shackles are severed, it means I’m also free from %*&… um…”
“This… I… I understand…” Seeing me once again rendered mute, Bai Yu could no longer deny her understanding.
“But that’s still too dangerous… I think…” At this point, Bai Yu abruptly paused, seeming to reflect inwardly while closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes with seriousness, gazing intently at me, and said, “If—I mean if—I accompany you… if I go with you… would I be a burden to you?”
At this moment, hearing Sister Bai’s words, I felt relieved and smiled. I tried to speak, my muteness now having vanished.
“How could you be? Sister Bai has never been my burden.”
You are my spiritual support…
