Chapter 88: The Lovely Violet

If things really were as Mephist said, then Jiang Cha truly was the only candidate for the final member of this competition team.

First, even among students, very few witches specialized in Mysticism, and those who also had command abilities were even rarer.

A dual-specialist in Creation and Shaping who also possessed commanding skill—there was practically no one like that in the entire academy. Not that there was absolutely no one; as far as Jiang Cha knew, there was a senior named Helen she had met once, but Helen was already older than the competition’s under-18 age limit.

So, considering these three limitations together—someone who could compensate for Necromancy’s drawbacks, command the team in battle, and be under 18—there truly was no other choice besides Jiang Cha.

“I don’t want to force you… but I honestly didn’t expect you to come here to talk to me directly. So I can only be straightforward about my conditions.”

“I only need that seventh-level spatial material to complete my Advanced Alchemy exam project. The prize money and the guidance from the Sage can all go to you.”

Mephist’s tone was sincere.

But Jiang Cha could read her helplessness even more clearly. With Mephist’s connections, gathering a team capable of winning the championship—both within the academy and among her family members—wouldn’t be difficult.

The reason she gave—her unwillingness to give up the Necromantic Witch’s immense power—was partly unavoidable, influenced by family considerations. After all, in witch society, the First Grand Sage was a figure above all others.

There were few ways to gain favor with such a person, and even Mephist’s family wouldn’t give up the chance to gain her friendship.

Still…

“May I meet that little senior… that little senior first?”

Calling a child whose psychological age was likely under ten a “senior” felt awkward to Jiang Cha, but she still wanted to see her before making a decision.

She thought that after seeing her, she could make up her mind.

Jiang Cha spoke sincerely, knowing Mephist would understand her meaning.

Simply put, Jiang Cha herself was not the only one in the world with a master or from a notoriously unorthodox noble witch family. Friendship with the First Grand Sage was far too high-profile; for Jiang Cha, it was utterly useless at this point.

If that young lady turned out to be an annoying brat, and Jiang Cha wanted to refuse, she could do so without any burden. She didn’t need to invest herself for the Grand Sage’s child, where the effort and reward were completely disproportionate.

After all, a Grand Sage wouldn’t treat someone differently just because they spent some time playing with their child. Any “benefit” would exist only in fantasy.

To gain such benefits, one would need to accompany a child for many years, like Mephist, to bring something to one’s own family.

Her decision to see the girl was also because the competition reward was genuinely appealing, and Mephist’s offer was generous—a very good deal.

If the other “client” had a decent personality, it would make things easier.

“Of course.”

Mephist agreed decisively. “Violette will definitely like you, trust me.”

When she said this, Jiang Cha noticed a subtle expression on Mephist’s face, which she didn’t yet understand. But when she saw the girl, she completely understood.

“Wow!! Mephist, you’re back! I missed you so much!”

As soon as Jiang Cha entered, she heard a young, cute cheer. But instead of calling out Mephist’s name, the little girl jumped up and hugged Jiang Cha herself.

“I like this big sister! Your red eyes are so pretty!”

This black-haired, black-eyed girl with a traditional European name tilted her head, her childish face smiling like an angel.

Jiang Cha immediately noticed the child’s essence.

“She’s a face-lover!!!”

It wasn’t some feminine intuition—she saw the slightly apologetic expression on Mephist’s face. Combined with the girl being almost as stunningly beautiful as Jiang Cha herself, it was obvious why she liked Jiang Cha at first sight.

But Violette was also adorable—no, she was super adorable.

Her delicate witch skin, whitened by youth, seemed almost translucent. Two shallow dimples appeared when she smiled, making her as sweet as an angel.

More uniquely, her European features combined with black hair and eyes typical of Asian witches, creating a hybrid witch appearance. She was so cute that even Jiang Cha, who normally disliked children, felt her heart soften slightly.

Witches typically had no mixed-blood children. Even if an Asian witch married a European witch, their child would inherit only one parent’s appearance.

Molly, for example, had a European-style name but a fully Asian appearance, following her mother’s side. In her bloodline, seven-eighths was European, but she inherited her mother’s Asian looks.

So Violette’s hybrid appearance was extremely rare among witches. Her black hair and eyes likely stemmed from her being a Necromantic Witch.

A rare mixed appearance combined with her already adorable and obedient personality made Jiang Cha suddenly understand why Mephist took such care of her. This was indeed the ideal daughter figure for witches.

“I like you too! You’re really cute. Your name is Violette, right?”

Jiang Cha crouched so the little girl’s dangling feet touched the floor and carefully picked up her fallen slippers, putting them back on her. She spoke softly and gently.

“Jane Violette! That’s my name. Big sister, what’s yours?”

“Me?” Jiang Cha almost melted at her cuteness, her voice softening. “I’m Jiang Cha, but I’m not a sister. So you can just call me by my name.”

“Eh—”

The little girl drew out the sound, hesitated, and looked at Mephist. Only after Mephist nodded did she nod back with her chubby little face. “Hello, Jiang Cha~ Nice to meet you. Can we play together?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Cha didn’t hesitate to agree. Mephist didn’t even have time to stop her.

Then she saw the little girl wave her right hand. In an instant, pure black magic flashed in the air, and seven or eight different-shaped undead creatures appeared out of thin air.

“Violette, don’t scare Jiang Cha,” Mephist instinctively scolded.

The little girl shrank back and instinctively tried to retract the parade of undead.

But Jiang Cha spoke gently.

“It’s fine, big sister.”

“Did you forget? I also know Necromancy. I’m used to scenes like this.”

Violette’s eyes immediately lit up!