Chapter 99: The Eternal Witch’s Burden

Far across the ocean, on a solitary island, stood a castle reminiscent of medieval Europe.

It was not merely a single structure; its immense scale encompassed nearly the entire island.

The entire island was enveloped by a faint, translucent aura, making it appear, from the outside, as though it didn’t exist at all.

From within this aura emanated a potent spiritual energy, hinting at the immense spiritual power required to sustain such a grand arcane art or wondrous artifact.

Yet, this aura persisted, ceaselessly shrouding the island, twenty-four hours a day.

No unauthorized life form could possibly breach this defense, which was as impregnable as solid gold.

At the very pinnacle of the island’s tallest spire, a petite girl sat before a table.

Her posture was entirely casual, her small feet, clad in tiny leather shoes, propped carelessly upon the table.

Her countenance was almost perfect, though if one were to truly assess it, she was perhaps just a shade less flawless than Bai Yu.

Her hair was tied into twin pigtails, giving her a cute and mischievous air that was utterly endearing.

At this moment, she listlessly perused the report in her hands.

It was a top-secret personnel file, each individual within boasting an incredibly profound background.

Despite their impressive credentials, this very group of people was dismissed by the girl before her as she scanned through their files, tossing them aside one by one as if they were refuse.

After tossing yet another file into the waste bin, she sighed with resignation and took a sip of the cola on her table.

“Each generation proves worse than the last,” she scoffed. “Now, even rubbish of this caliber is landing on my desk.”

The girl’s tone was dismissive, clearly holding little regard for the strength and talent of these individuals.

“There are still some geniuses, though,” the female secretary interjected respectfully. “That knight family from the Nation of Will, for instance, reached the fourth tier a year ago, a rare feat across the entire world.”

The female secretary spoke to the girl with utmost deference, despite the fact that their appearances suggested no hierarchical relationship whatsoever; yet, such was the reality of their dynamic.

“Is the fourth tier truly so rare?” the girl countered. “Anyone who manages to reach this place is, by definition, a genius.”

“To meet the requirements a year ahead of schedule is certainly intriguing,” she conceded, “but that’s as far as it goes.”

Shrugging indifferently, the girl then pulled another file from the stack, one with a blank photograph.

“This…?!”

The secretary’s eyes widened as she stared at the tier designation, scarcely believing what she saw.

A fifth-tier at eighteen years old!

What an astonishing genius!

Furthermore, beyond this single line, every other detail—from their nation of origin to all other information—was marked as top secret.

Even their name remained classified.

What kind of background could necessitate such extreme secrecy, compelling even the academy to conceal their identity?

Beyond the mere knowledge of this individual’s existence, everything else was a blank slate.

“Surprising, isn’t it?” the girl remarked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “Even I hadn’t expected anyone in this generation to reach such a level.”

“However, aside from this person, whose origins remain utterly unknown, this particular generation has produced far too few noteworthy individuals.

I could count them on one hand, which is precisely why I declare this the worst cohort yet.”

The girl furrowed her brow.

“That girl from the Dragon Summer Nation is one, her spiritual core is quite intriguing.

And the Witch from the Mist Rainbow Nation.

Are there any others?”

Taking another sip of cola, the girl shrugged again, her gaze drifting towards the window.

From the highest point of the spire, she could even discern the boundless expanse of the ocean.

As the girl narrowed her eyes slightly, the spiritual core within her body began to tremble faintly.

This sudden tremor nearly caused her to spill her cola, her body shaking uncontrollably.

Then, a final shudder ran through her.

It had been decades since she last experienced such a sensation.

‘Could it be that even I cannot escape the relentless march of time?’

“Principal!”

Upon seeing the girl’s state, the secretary immediately moved to offer support.

“There’s no need to approach,” the girl dismissed, waving a hand and revealing a hint of resignation. “I’ve grown accustomed to it.”

She knew, with a certainty that chilled her, that her time was rapidly drawing to a close.

Though she appeared to be nothing more than a young girl, she was, in truth, an ancient being who had lived for several centuries.

Decades prior, sensing her lifespan nearing its end, she had employed a peculiar artifact capable of extending her life by several more decades.

The unforeseen side effect, however, was her reversion to the appearance of a small child.

Compared to the precious gift of extended life, this side effect was utterly negligible, prompting her to use it without a moment’s hesitation.

Yet, even such a prolongation had to conclude someday.

“This…”

The female secretary watched the Principal with a worried expression, unable to utter a single word.

The Principal rose, her hands clasped behind her back, and turned to face the window.

“I can only hope to find a suitable successor before my departure,” she murmured.

The girl sighed, the memory of taking over this very position from the previous Principal still vivid in her mind.

‘To think so many years have already passed,’ she mused inwardly.

She couldn’t help but sigh with emotion, her childish face, at this moment, bearing a profound world-weariness utterly at odds with her youthful appearance.

It was a pity, however, that after centuries of life, she had never once experienced the sensation of love.

She had always been solitary, and even the looming specter of death felt terribly lonely.

The truth was simple: she had never been able to confront her true inclinations, a dilemma that had plagued her for centuries.

Indeed, she, the esteemed Principal of Lugos Academy, harbored a preference for girls.

As for the reason, it was likely tied to her innate personality and her spiritual core, for Witches were, by nature, deeply averse to men.

She was, in fact, one of the five Witch Spiritual Cores explicitly recorded in the annals of the world.

The very first Witch Spiritual Core to be unequivocally documented in history.

Vivian, the Eternal Witch.

While such a matter of preference was hardly a significant issue within the world of Arcanists, especially considering her status as a Witch Spiritual Core, it was still incredibly challenging for an ancient being like her to confront it directly.

Consequently, she had kept her heart sealed, steadfastly refusing to dwell on the matter.

It was only now, sensing that her days were numbered, that she finally understood the utter irrelevance of such concerns.

To truly confront her inner self—that was what she genuinely needed to do.

But now, it was too late for such reflections; with only a few years of life remaining, she could no longer seek out that girl.

Moreover, she now had no one with whom she could truly confide.

“Oh, well, never mind,” Vivian muttered.

Vivian ceased her reflections on life, resuming her seat to sip her cola.

She also requested that her female secretary fetch her a bag of potato chips.

With a small hand, she tore open the bag and began stuffing chips into her mouth, one after another.

“I’ll just live one day at a time!”

If nothing could be changed, then she would simply embrace her fate.

She chuckled to herself.

She felt she was quite optimistic, after all.

“Oh, right, what exactly did you come here for?”

Vivian inquired of the secretary beside her, as she typically preferred to be alone in her office.

“Principal, I’m here to report on the admission slot for the Witch Council,” the female secretary replied respectfully.

Evidently, she genuinely feared the petite Principal.