The Girl Who Was Alone

At night, after settling into their lodgings, the students gathered again.

"The place we're staying was built especially by Viscount Xuefeng. He occasionally brings his family here for an outing." Comia was in a good mood.

"It's pretty ordinary, but at least it's clean. Much better than those houses filled with straw and the smell of livestock."

"The three of us are sharing a room, and Iona and Valenie's room is across from ours." There were only five girls in this group of students, with more than ten boys making up the rest.

Back at the village square, Scholar Heide was still talking with the village chief. When he saw Solin and Baron leading the students over, he beckoned them closer.

"Today, you can explore the area around the village and get used to the surroundings, but don't venture deep into the forest in case you get lost."

"Come back here at dusk. We'll have dinner together and some activities."

"Oh!"

Hearing that they were free to explore and have fun, the students cheered up.

After all, they were young, and they had been studying and training for so long. A chance to relax and enjoy the countryside was rare.

Before long, the boys had split into groups and were wandering and running around the village. Some planned to swim in the river, some wanted to explore the woods, and others were going to ride horses.

"Lady Iona, where are we going?" Valenie stayed close to the blonde young lady.

Iona was a little impatient with her. She waved her away and told her not to keep following.

"I'm going for a walk by myself. You don't need to come."

"Uh, all right, Lady Iona." Valenie looked a little disappointed, but watched Iona leave with eager eyes.

Walking along a country lane, Iona felt bored. She looked at the unremarkable village around her, feeling none of the excitement and anticipation the other students did.

There were countless villages like this along the way from White Cliff City in the Royal Capital to remote Scorched Stone City in the south. One might say the people here lived simple, peaceful lives; less charitably, they spent their whole lives laboring in obscurity, wasting most of their days on barren land.

She felt an inexplicable disgust and dread toward this kind of life.

Many of the noble students envied her, but only she knew how bad her circumstances really were.

The king had not only stripped her father of his title, but also confiscated his territory, wealth, and estate. A year ago, many servants and knights had still followed them. Now, almost all of them were gone.

She had lost the income from her family's territory and could no longer afford a large retinue. Now she had to stay with her distant uncle, Viscount Xuefeng.

Viscount Xuefeng treated her well, but she didn't believe his kindness would last forever.

If she couldn't unlock her potential over the next few years and set foot on the true path of the Transcendent, she might end up with Viscount Xuefeng arranging a marriage for her to some local minor noble. She would spend the rest of her life in Scorched Stone City, living a mediocre existence.

But who was she? The once-famous flower of White Cliff City in the Royal Capital, a high-born young lady who had captured everyone's attention.

The great hall could have been filled with the young noblemen and ladies who used to follow her around. She had been the object of countless people's admiration and pursuit.

She could never accept staying here for the rest of her life. At the thought of a bleak, hopeless existence, it felt as though something sticky and repulsive had wrapped itself around her.

Her gloomy mood was like the overcast sky, its thick clouds never clearing.

Lost in her own thoughts, Iona walked slowly along the river until a burst of clear laughter interrupted her.

She looked up and saw the three commoner girls who had come with them.

The short-haired girl who was laughing must be Comia, right? She recalled Comia using a special eye technique during yesterday's contest.

Mist Shadow Aspect Power? It was rare to see it in a place like this.

Radiant Moon was the best counter to Mist Shadow, followed by the Blazing Sun she practiced. So Comia had only surprised her a little; she wasn't astonished.

There were countless talented people in White Cliff City in the Royal Capital, including young prodigies who practiced all kinds of Aspect Power. She had even seen a boy who performed magic tricks for the king at the age of fifteen. He was a genius who could wield Mist Shadow Aspect Power.

Across the river, by the little bridge, Sylutia was trying to fish with Comia and Karen.

"Tia, look what I caught!" Comia stood up and showed the girl the wriggling earthworm in her hand, looking thrilled.

"That's right. That's the one." Sylutia nodded.

"Cut it into small pieces and put one on the hook. Then you can fish with it." It was a trick she had learned in her previous life, when she was little.

"Okay!" Comia carefully hopped across the stones by the river and came over to Sylutia.

On the other side, Karen searched around and found a few earthworms. She picked them up and came over.

"That's enough. You don't need to look for more, Karen," Sylutia reminded her.

The three of them found a good spot and sat on some stones, patiently watching their fishing lines arc down into the water.

"What kind of fish will we catch? I'm going to have a huge fish dinner tonight!" Comia happily announced her goal for the day.

Iona watched the three of them from a distance. She stood quietly beneath a tree, watching them laugh and talk by the river as they fished for whatever might be in it. Even after waiting a long while without catching anything, they remained happy.

Was she envious? No. She didn't envy this simple happiness.

Commoner girls like them were like weeds by the roadside; sprinkle them with a little dew, and they were happy.

Someone who had truly experienced splendor and seen a wider world wouldn't be content with such paltry pleasures.

How long could their happiness last? She rested a hand against the tree beside her. Its hard, rough bark scraped her palm, leaving a few splinters behind.

The best a commoner girl could hope for was probably to marry some clerk in town and live a steady, dull life.

Iona looked away and gazed at the sky, where the dark clouds still hadn't dispersed.

Would that be her fate, too?

No. She clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palm...

After a long while, Iona unclenched her hand and glanced at the three by the river once more. Then she turned and walked away, heading alone along the village path toward the square.

At dusk, Sylutia stood up from the stone she had been sitting on and looked at the sky, now nearly dark.

"We should head back," she reminded the other two.

"Aw, do we have to go?" Comia held her fishing rod, reluctant to leave.

"Yes. It'll be dark if we don't go back now."

"All right, let's go." Comia put a hand on Karen's shoulder and struggled to her feet.

Karen put away her fishing rod and stretched her legs. "Whew, the afternoon went by so fast."

After tidying up, they made their way up the riverbank.

"We caught five fish today!" Comia counted the five silver-scaled fish lying on the grass by the riverbank.

"Tia, do you know what kind they are?"

"I'm not sure." She didn't know much about the fish in this world. These five were a little longer than her hand, but not especially big.

"All right, we'll have to ask Teacher Heide when we get back."

Karen found a small branch and strung the five fish on it. Then she and Comia carried it back.

"Actually, I can help too." Sylutia reached out to take some of the weight, but the branch only had two ends, so there wasn't a good way for three people to carry it.

"It's fine. It's not heavy," Comia said, waving her off.

That was what she said, but halfway there she switched hands. Then Sylutia smiled and took over in turn.

The three walked unhurriedly toward the village square. The sky gradually darkened, and soon they heard the steady thump of drums coming from the square.

At first, the beats came at random, with no regular pattern. Then they gradually formed a rhythm.

As they drew closer, the red glow of a distant bonfire appeared in the night. Soon, ancient, haunting folk songs drifted through the air, mingling with the flames and drumbeats.

Around the enormous bonfire, the villagers joined hands and formed a circle. Their steps fell in time with the drums, their faces bright and carefree. As they hummed together, the flames swayed with the beat, growing and shrinking as if they had come alive.