Chapter 35 — Discipleship Ceremony: One Year of Flower Wine Cards

“Witches, in certain respects, are a pretty open‑minded race. The red‑light district exists legally…”

“So Senior Mephisto, even if you reported her, it wouldn’t help, right?”

Seeing the elegant silver‑white beauty’s veins bulge in anger as she pulled out her comm card to dial 110, the girl calmly soothed her.

“…Phew.”

Mephisto took a deep breath, forcing down her indignation: “You’re right, Jiang Cha. I lost my temper.”

“All right, all right. You’re still as old school as ever, little Mephisto.”

Moli laughed lightly, waving her hand to ease the tension: “My mother’s always like this. Don’t argue with her — wait here, I’ll go fetch her back.”

The witch in hunter’s leather armor dashed out the door. Jiang Cha wanted to follow but paused — considering age restrictions in the red‑light district, she restrained herself.

After a moment’s thought, she tried to resume the conversation.

“Senior Mephisto and Ms. Moli seem to have a pretty good relationship, don’t you think?”

“Moli is kind. She lacks a noble’s polish, but she has many admirable qualities.”

Mephisto, now completely composed, produced two teacups from somewhere and placed them on the table to invite Jiang Cha to drink and wait.

“We are cousins. Although Aunt Mortel left the family years ago, we are still family. Things are complicated, but our relations have been stable.”

“When I came to Aislen Academy, I hoped to persuade them to return to the family, but…”

She sighed, offering a shy half‑smile: “Sorry, I’ve talked too much. I won’t trouble you with these messy family matters.”

“That’s fine,” the girl said warmly. On her delicate face appeared a wistful expression: “I rather envy that — the ties between family.”

“That feeling of being adrift but still having someone who cares.”

“Jiang Cha, you are a naturally awakened witch, right?”

Mephisto’s eyes flickered, and she set down her teacup with poise, quietly shifting the topic.

“Yes, and of my past I only retain fragments of knowledge unrelated to this world…”

Jiang Cha tilted her head to look up at the magical chandelier overhead, showing Mephisto a refined profile.

‘This is the perfect angle~’

“There are rumors in this society of naturally awakened witches discovering their origin worlds. If you succeed after graduation, perhaps you could explore it yourself.”

“Although…”

Although the outcome for such recovered origin worlds rarely is good.

A naturally awakened witch implies their origin world suffered spatial instability. No one knows how long they wandered in interstices searching, or how many trials they endured.

Thus, in the few known cases where witches have found their origin worlds again, often the world was already on the brink of collapse, or had been colonized by higher civilizations.

Worst of all was one world decades ago: the civilization was flourishing, had colonized nearby planets, and had defeated a mid‑level civilization. But after the witch located it, she turned it outright into a resource world.

Yes, that witch did it personally.

Once someone becomes a witch, they start a second life. Over time, the longing and identity for their “homeland” fade. Even if Jiang Cha someday finds her origin world, what would she choose? She hardly has any memory left.

“Thank you for your comfort, senior. But…”

The girl shook her head, giving a mischievous smile: “Perhaps not returning is the kindest thing I can do for that powerless world.”

Indeed, even if the witch doesn’t expose the coordinates herself, other higher civilizations or witches in the multiverse wouldn’t let a nascent world live in peace. They might exterminate it, enslave it as servitude, or use it as a magical core — all for profit.

“You are kind, Jiang Cha.”

Mephisto praised her, but with a troubled smile: “Now I worry what will happen when you face Aunt Mortel.”

“Senior, you haven’t told me why you called me here today?”

The girl cocked her head, smiling, but was interrupted by a mature, husky voice.

“You were called here because of your innate magic.”

The witch had long, silver hair like Mephisto’s, flowing in waves.

Tall, elegant — around 1.75 meters. Her face bore some resemblance to her niece’s, but unlike the noble girl’s refined gentleness, she exuded a mature, seductive, free‑spirited energy.

She was a powerful older sister figure. Though her features were soft, her voice and bearing held an assertive charisma.

Of course… she also looked a bit disheveled.

“Aunt Mortel! If you’re here, at least maintain basic decorum around Jiang Cha!” Mephisto scolded. But the older witch just twirled her ear: “Alright, alright. You brought her over — you’re free to leave now.”

“Mom! Be nicer to little Mephisto — or I’ll cut off your allowance.”

Moli’s casual remark made her mother freeze. She gave a pleading smile, drawing close to her daughter: “Moli, my good daughter, I am your real mother.”

“In the red‑light district, your own daughter might be your paying customer?”

Moli rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Uh…” Mortel was flustered, facing her annoyed daughter. Her hungover brain throbbed painfully: “Ah… what crime have I done now?”

“Drinking all our savings, mom!”

“Next time I’ll take Moli with me?”

“Who brings their daughter to a red‑light district, mother? Are you even really my mother? Would that be service as a mother‑daughter pair?”

“You have a point…”

Mortel waved off the conversation: “Never mind, I don’t care!”

Seeing mother and daughter arguing in this fashion, Mephisto turned to leave in exasperation. Before walking out, she admonished: “Do not lay a hand on Jiang Cha. Or I’ll have Grandma come punish you, Aunt.”

“Yes, yes~ I haven’t stooped enough to touch a minor… wait, is she even a minor?”

Jiang Cha: “…”

She really wanted to tell Mephisto that noble witches having red‑light traditions was kind of an unspoken custom.

She wanted to tell Mortel that if they wanted to do mother‑daughter things, she’d be happy to join — at a fair price.

But in the end, she only sipped her tea politely, saying nothing.

After all, it was their family’s business.

“Now then—annoying niece at last gone. Let’s discuss serious matters… First, guess how I know about you. Answer carefully — it affects how I judge you.”

Mortel hung her coat on the chair, sat beside Jiang Cha. She wore a mysterious smile, and fingers tapped the table in a rhythm. The little alchemy shop fell silent.

A test? A test of intellect?

Jiang Cha paused, then answered without hesitation: “It’s Senior Mòr.”

“Why do you guess that? I am a specially appointed professor at Aislen, and I know all your mentors.”

Mortel raised an eyebrow, expression unreadable — Jiang Cha couldn’t tell whether she was correct.

But she felt confident.

“Because only Senior Mòr knows I’m studying how to create magic. Mortel Karell, author of Mystic Magic: Root Analysis, one of the greatest grand witches just under Sage rank.”

At the mention of Mortel’s name, Jiang Cha felt something awry, and that question made her recall a name she’d seen in her books. Thankfully, she had the habit of noting down authors.

“Very well, you smart kid — you are correct.”

Mortel clapped lightly, but without overt praise — appropriately restrained.

This was just a small test, after all.

“Have you taken the alchemy certification yet?”

“Not yet. I plan to do it later.”

“All professions?”

“All professions.”

“Excellent.”

Mortel smiled, then suddenly wore an expression both mild and casual — one could hardly believe it on that mature, regal face; like a group of university bros squatting by the road gawking at pretty girls.

“If I wanted to take you as my disciple, what gift would you give me?”

“A one‑year membership card to the red‑light district.”

Jiang Cha answered without thinking, then shrugged helplessly: “But I have no money right now.”

“Hahaha~ Then you’ll owe me for now.”

“When you do have money, remember to repay.”

“Mom! Don’t let a minor fund your flower wine!”

Moli shouted in protest.

What she didn’t see, though, was that in a private sitting room behind closed doors, two witches — one large, one small — smiled knowingly in silence.

Mortel Karell.

In Jiang Cha’s perception — aside from her lifestyle — this woman was indisputably the highest witch under Sage rank.

She was masterful in every discipline, fluent in every magic system. If she hadn’t resisted the responsibilities of ascending to Sage, she’d almost certainly already be on the Sage Council.

In other words:

A supremely powerful figure.

And also the most fitting teacher for Jiang Cha.