Chapter 453: Conversation with Tan Han
“Well… it feels like some new friends have arrived.” After a brief opening exchange with Tan Han, the atmosphere of communication seems to be gradually improving.
However… it would be better if there weren’t some other interfering factors.
I slightly turned my head, my gaze passing by one side of Tan Han’s body and landing on a young girl who had just entered.
I didn’t know her, but I could tell that her first confirmed target upon entering was Tan Han.
After making eye contact with me, she instinctively flinched.
“Hmm?” Tan Han looked a bit puzzled, but she turned around, following my gaze and eventually landing on the person whom she was not surprised to see.
Tan Han sighed and turned back, a hint of apology on her face. “Sorry, I should have told them not to come along.”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind, and I understand your predicament.” I replied with a smile.
Yet beneath the smile that Tan Han couldn’t decipher, I was contemplating how to choose between trouble and fun.
Eventually, it dawned on me: if something is destined to happen, resisting it would only bring about trouble. If I choose to enjoy it, then it becomes fun.
Tan Han’s group of supporters is quite interesting. I thought that someone as strong as Tan Han, with her personal charisma, would not create such a mess with them.
But all of this was merely speculation, and I felt there was a need to probe further to see if this was indeed a worthy source of entertainment.
“Thank you for your understanding,” Tan Han said. However, she also felt somewhat relieved, as at this moment, Xiao Han seemed to give her a different impression. Or rather, she had sensed this subtle change during their last encounter.
If this had happened back in Ninglan New City, the newcomer would have absolutely made her feel reclusive.
“Thank you for the compliment. After all, I’m trying to understand others too.”
“Is that so? You indeed have changed quite a bit.”
“Everyone undergoes change, just like how growth happens subtly over time. We haven’t seen each other for quite a while, so… shall we get straight to the point?”
“Alright.” Tan Han nodded.
She continued with the way she had learned to interact with Xiao Han, decisively taking out the storage equipment without any unnecessary talk.
“Here, this is the spellbook from earlier; I haven’t missed a single one.” Tan Han placed it on the table and pushed it toward me.
“It doesn’t matter; I don’t care whether you missed anything. After all, the wager that got you this spellbook wasn’t exactly fair.”
Just as I was speaking, a waitress walked over to me, a cheerful Fool Dream bouncing beside her, arriving right in front of me.
It was the Fool Dream I had mentioned earlier. I ordered another Fool Dream Drink, and the materials for that had arrived.
My gaze naturally turned toward them.
As I looked over, I pretended to casually glance at the unfamiliar young girl. Although Tan Han did not explicitly say she was one of her supporters, the relationship was easy to guess, and I could also affirm that this girl was not a true friend of Tan Han.
At that moment, she clearly heard what I had just said, her expression a bit awkward, showing a hint of hostility towards me.
Those who oppose someone they admire are either having issues themselves, or Tan Han is. As for who it is… I glanced towards Tan Han, ultimately leaving only a reserved opinion in my heart.
As I had thought earlier, this world is like a huge makeshift stage. Even Sister Bai, who is now an Extraordinary Witch, hasn’t changed since she was still a student; only her status has changed.
Tan Han is merely the first Child of Fortune in the Main World; she isn’t a deity and can make mistakes.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder, if everything continued to develop as I envisioned, who would truly be the source of entertainment?
Is it Tan Han? Or her supporters?
Or both?
Or perhaps me?
What I truly wanted to do was simple: I just wanted to stir the relationship between Tan Han and her supporters.
My intention was to let Tan Han see how fragile the connections between these supporters and the ones they support truly are, as well as to advise her not to rely too much on this group.
The reason I had such thoughts was that I noticed the inconsistency in Tan Han’s viewpoints compared to theirs.
If I could, maybe I could help Tan Han avoid being influenced by those supporters. Of course, this was my perspective; I wouldn’t impose it on Tan Han. I would only work in my own way to help her understand and see if she would make the same choice as me after unveiling the truth.
Another reason for my actions was to deal with the trouble that Tan Han presented to me.
But honestly, did I not want those spellbooks?
From my greedy perspective, I naturally wanted them. However, these spellbooks, aside from filling my spell library and occupying my spellbook rack, held little else of value to me. Even the most precious Ancient Ice Transformation spell didn’t catch my eye.
Of course, it’s not that I think the Excessive Consumption Spellbook lacks value—on the contrary, it has great value. But its value would divide my attention. Right now, I had two Excessive Consumption Spellbooks. Besides a Fire Rain Field Spellbook, I didn’t even know the name of the other spellbook, which is best left unseen.
My focus was now on the Knowledge Tree Spellbook. Having this meant I had the confidence to combat any means.
With the Knowledge Tree, I could face Tan Han, who possessed the Ancient Ice Transformation spell, even with just my ten-point consumption Flame Fairy Transformation spell.
In the past, I dared to confront Tan Han with only a Fireball spell, but that was due to ignorance and the fact that Tan Han was also inexperienced. Now, I was absolute in my confidence.
Therefore, for some matters, I was clear about the priority scale.
With the Knowledge Tree as the core of everything, offensive spells, alchemy, body techniques, etc., are all merely means in my pursuit; I won’t let the power brought by these means blind me.
“However, you just easily gave it to me again,” I remarked, pinching the storage equipment in front of me, blocking half of Tan Han’s face, and revealing a playful smile. “Don’t you feel even a bit reluctant about these spellbooks? Or do you think about it at all? Just brushing the issue aside and forcing yourself to accept the current reality?”
“Xiao Han, are you worried I’ll backtrack in the future? No, I won’t…”
“No, no, I’m just purely curious about what you’re thinking,” I interrupted her quickly.
The reason I suddenly asked this question was mainly to gain an answer to my inquiry from Tan Han.
That is, when faced with choices, does a person strive to maximize their benefits within their reach, or do they choose “enough is good”?
This question seems to be a choice between self-interest and altruism, but in different environments, even the same person may make different choices.
To make choices without hesitation, one needs a very clear bottom line to support that decision.
In this regard, Sister Bai expressed dissent regarding my cooperation with the Witch Cat Café and Fool Dream Drink allocation; she argued that one should strive for their own interests, while I chose to settle for enough.
Tan Han’s choice is similar to mine; she doesn’t strive hard for her own benefits. In fact, she didn’t need to give me these spellbooks in the first place, but she still did. Her actions indicated that among the numerous spellbooks, she chose… enough is sufficient.
“These spellbooks are your resources; don’t just use your previous statement to brush me off. You clearly have more choices. Even if you think you’re not qualified for these spellbooks, you can choose not to use them. When you feel you deserve them, they become your foundation for future growth. So… what mindset did you have when giving away these spellbooks?”
“I’m not brushing you off. Once I recognized my shortcomings, I understood that too many spellbooks would only become a burden. My past expectations for combat led me to fall into a mindset focused solely on fighting, as Teacher Lina would say… I’m gradually walking down the path of being blinded by power.”
“So you’re just testing your limits in this manner, rather than thinking ‘enough is good’?”
“Hmm?” At that moment, Tan Han showed a perplexed expression.
“Sorry, sorry. Ah, I accidentally walked into my own dead end. Since we came out to meet, I shouldn’t have asked you such a serious question. Since you’ve given me this spellbook, does that mean I can dispose of it however I want?”
“Of course.” Tan Han’s puzzled expression hadn’t faded much; she could tell from my previous words that her response wasn’t the focus. She was reflecting on her own issues through her answer.
Even though this kind of conversation was indeed a bit impolite, since it was Xiao Han, it didn’t seem strange at all; she was used to it.
“As an apology, let me treat you to a Fool Dream Drink. It’s a pretty nice beverage from the Witch Cat Café, and it’s not cheap either.”
“Um~ Xiao Han, does this mean it’s my turn to perform?” At that moment, the Fool Dream, who had come over, did not disturb me while I was chatting.
“Sorry~ Since it’s an apology, I have to do it myself to show sincerity.” I took the tools from the Fool Dream’s hands, and no one understood how to mix the Fool Dream Drink better than I did.
“This customer’s Fool Dream Drink is a special mixed juice made using unique techniques; it’s not just a simple mixture of juices,” the waitress quickly reminded.
“Thanks for the reminder, but you can ask the Fool Dream and see if I can do it.” I smiled back.
“Xiao Han is amazing. The mixing techniques we mastered are also learned from Xiao Han, so don’t worry.”
“This… really?”
“Um-hmm~”
I didn’t respond much to the astonishment of the waitress but directly picked up the glass and the specially customized tools suitable for the Fool Dream and began to operate.
Although the tools weren’t very handy for me, my movements were very fluid—ceremony, juicing, blending…
In no time, a cup of Fool Dream Drink was ready.
“Want to taste my skills?” I pushed the filled cup to Tan Han. This was a treatment that even Sister Bai hadn’t experienced; however, this was probably the last time I would prepare one for Tan Han.
But if Sister Bai wanted one, I could mix it anytime.
“Well, the cleaning of these tools will be up to you guys.” I placed the tools back in their original position, smiling at her.
“Alright… okay…”
The waitress quickly accepted the items and left.
“Thank you.” Tan Han accepted the Fool Dream Drink without decline and simply expressed her gratitude.
“It’s nothing; I’m glad you like it.” I lifted my own half-finished Fool Dream Drink and took a delicate sip. Indeed, it had a slight difference from the one I made. It seemed to be a difference in the ceremony; did the entire preparation process of the Fool Dream Drink also encompass the maker…?
While I was pondering this, Tan Han spoke up again.
“Xiao Han, may I ask what your plans are for the academy in the future?”
“Plans? Well… trying not to be a student?” I put on a thoughtful expression and finally shrugged with a smile.
“Is that so? Also, you are the most special student in our class. I’m really curious about what you usually do; is your innate spirit vision really that impressive?”
“Innate spirit vision… hmm? Do you think I could achieve where I am now solely based on this so-called innate spirit vision?” I looked at her with a smiling face.
“I didn’t mean that. What I meant is your own efforts are equally…”
“No, you’re mistaken. I built my foundation entirely on innate spirit vision. Without this ability, I would have just been an inconsequential ordinary person, unqualified to enter the Witch Academy. However, if someone were to tell me now that I would lose my innate spirit vision, I would merely shrug it off.”
“…” At this moment, Tan Han looked at me in shock, unable to believe I would say something like this.
I could only chuckle softly at Tan Han’s expression, shifting my gaze from the soundproof spell I had just cast. From the moment I spoke, I didn’t want that eavesdropping individual not far away to hear.
“But what about you, Tan Han? Have you considered who you are now? If you gave up the Fortune Seed, what do you have left… spellbooks… those supporters, or the favor of the instructor and the academy head?” I stated this while shaking the storage card containing the spellbooks in front of her.
“You’ve given me the spellbooks, and those supporters will leave you the moment they learn you’re not the Child of Fortune. Aside from a few friends you’re close with, no one will care about you. The instructor and the academy head will still treat you like an ordinary student.”
“Tan Han, you are a smart person. I also don’t want to delve into why you were so resistant to fate earlier, yet now you seem to have accepted the status quo after understanding the script. But I want to say you have a better hand than me but played it poorly. You wouldn’t want to be left with just the title of a former genius after shedding your Fortune Seed, would you?”
“…” At this moment, Tan Han instinctively tightened one hand, her nails digging into her palm. With a sudden crisp sound of shattered glass, the cup of Fool Dream Drink, which she hadn’t drunk much of, was crushed by her grip.
“I’m sorry, Tan Han. It wasn’t my intention to add to your anxiety. Let me cover the cup; just charge it to my cat card. I just wanted to remind you not to put forth unnecessary efforts and to reflect on what is still truly yours after removing external factors.”
Just like me, I could shed all magic sources, spellbooks, and even the spirit vision talent; as long as I continue on the path of the extraordinary, what belongs to me, I will slowly pick back up.
But this world does not entertain hypotheticals. Right now, I won’t give up on any of the knowledge I possess. My so-called “if I lose” is merely a hypothesis and premise for self-examination.
Tan Han is the same; her identity as the Child of Fortune cannot be revoked, so she has the capital to slack off, but she won’t do so.
