The Lonely Girl

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

"The place we're staying was built specifically by Viscount Xuefeng; he occasionally brings his family here for outings," Comia said, in high spirits.

"Though it's quite ordinary, it's relatively clean—much better than those houses reeking of straw and livestock."

"The three of us are sharing a room, and Iona and Valenie are right across the hall." Among the students in this cohort, there were only five girls, while the remaining dozen or so were boys.

Returning to the village square, they found Scholar Heide still in conversation with the village chief. Seeing Solin and Baron leading the students over, he beckoned them closer.

"You may walk around the village surroundings today to acclimate yourselves, but do not venture deep into the forest, lest you lose your way."

"When it gets dark tonight, return here to gather; we will have dinner and activities together then."

"Oh~"

Hearing they were free to roam and play, the students grew excited.

After all, they were young, and having spent this entire period studying and training, this was a rare opportunity for outdoor recreation and relaxation.

Soon, the boys were wandering and running about the village in twos and threes; some prepared to swim in the river, others wanted to explore the woods, and some wished to go horseback riding.

"Lady Iona, where shall we go now?" Valenie followed close to the blonde young lady.

Iona felt a touch of impatience at this, waving her hand dismissively to tell her not to keep following.

"I'm going for a walk by myself; you don't need to tag along."

"Uh, very well, Lady Iona." Valenie looked a bit dejected, yet her gaze remained fixed on Iona with fervent admiration as she walked away.

Walking along the small country path, Iona felt bored. She looked at the unremarkable village around her, feeling none of the excitement or anticipation the other students displayed.

From the capital, White Cliff City, to the remote Scorched Stone City in the south, there were countless villages like this one. To put it kindly, the people here lived simple, peaceful lives; to put it bluntly, they spent their entire lives in mediocrity and toil, wasting their years on barren land.

She felt an inexplicable disgust and panic toward such a life and such a fate.

Many among the noble students envied her, but in truth, only she knew that her current situation was dire.

The Emperor had not only stripped her father of his title, but his fief, wealth, and family estates had all been confiscated. A year ago, she had still been followed by many servants and knights; now, almost all of them were gone.

Having lost the income from her important fief and unable to afford a large retinue, she was now forced to lodge with her distant uncle, Viscount Xuefeng.

Though the Viscount treated her well, she did not believe this kindness would last forever.

If she could not unearth her potential and step onto the true path of the transcendent within these next few years, her final outcome would likely be a marriage arranged by the Viscount to some local minor noble, spending a mediocre life in Scorched Stone City.

Yet, who was she? Once the delicate lotus of White Cliff City, the high-born young lady who had been the center of everyone's attention.

The young noblemen and ladies who used to follow in her wake could have filled an entire auditorium; she had been the object of countless people's admiration and pursuit.

To have her willingly stay here for the rest of her life was something she simply could not accept. The mere thought of such a dim, lusterless existence felt like being entangled in something thick and repulsive.

Her gloomy mood was like the overcast sky, where the layers of clouds never seemed to disperse.

Immersed in her own world, Iona walked slowly along the small river until a burst of crisp laughter interrupted her thoughts.

Looking up, she saw the three commoner girls who had come with them.

That short-haired girl who was giggling—Comia, right? She recalled the scene from yesterday's sparring match where Comia had used a special ocular technique.

"Mist Shadow" Aspect Power, was it? A rarity in a place like this.

The Aspect Power that best countered "Mist Shadow" was "Radiant Moon," followed by the "Blazing Sun" she herself practiced. Thus, she felt only slight surprise toward Comia, nothing more.

The capital, White Cliff City, was teeming with geniuses who practiced all manner of Aspect Powers. She had even seen a fifteen-year-old boy perform parlor tricks for the Emperor, a prodigy who commanded the "Mist Shadow" Aspect.

Across the way, by the small bridge, Sylutia was trying to fish with Comia and Karen.

"Tia, look, I caught one!" Comia stood up, showing the wriggling earthworm in her hand to the girl, her expression excited.

"Yes, that's it." Sylutia nodded.

"Cut it into small segments and hook it onto the line; that's how you catch fish." She recalled this as a lesson she had learned in her previous life, back when she was a child.

"Okay~" Comia carefully hopped over the stones by the riverbank and walked to Sylutia's side.

On the other side, after rummaging around, Karen also found a few earthworms, picked them up, and walked over.

"That's enough, no need to look for more, Karen." Sylutia reminded her.

The three then found a suitable spot, sat on the rocks, and patiently watched as the fishing line was cast into the water.

"What kind of fish will there be? I'm going to have a grilled fish feast tonight~" Comia happily shouted out her goal for the day.

The interaction between the three was seen by Iona from afar. She stood quietly under a tree, watching the three of them laughing and chatting by the river, fishing for fish that might not even be there. Even without a catch for a long while, they remained happy.

Envious? No, she did not envy this simple joy.

These commoner children were like weeds by the roadside; a little dew was enough to make them happy.

Those who had truly experienced the height of prosperity and seen a wider world would not be numbed by such crude pleasures.

How long could such happiness last for them? She rested her hand on the trunk of the tree beside her; the hard, rough bark scraped her palm, leaving behind a few fragments.

The best outcome for a commoner girl was likely marrying some clerk in the city and living a stable, dull life.

Iona looked away, gazing up at the overcast sky that had yet to clear.

Would that be her fate as well?

No, she dug her fingers into her palms, her nails biting deep into her flesh...

A long while later, Iona released her grip, cast one last glance at the three by the river, and turned away. She walked alone down the small path leading back toward the village square.

As evening fell, Sylutia stood up from the rock she had been sitting on and looked at the darkening sky above.

"Time to head back," she reminded the other two.

"Aww, already?" Comia gripped her fishing rod, reluctant to leave.

"Yes, if we don't go now, it will be pitch black."

"Alright, let's go." Comia placed a hand on Karen's shoulder and struggled to stand up.

Karen then reeled in her line and stretched her legs. "Phew, the afternoon went by so fast."

The group packed up their things and headed up the riverbank.

"We caught five fish in total today~" Comia counted the five silver-scale fish laid out on the grassy slope.

"Do you know what species they are, Tia?"

"I'm not sure." She didn't know much about the fish in this world; the five fish were slightly longer than her palm, hardly large.

"Oh well, we'll just have to ask Teacher Heide when we get back."

Karen found a small wooden branch, strung the five fish together, and then she and Comia carried them back.

"Actually, I can help too." Sylutia reached out to assist, but the branch only had two ends, making it unsuitable for three people to carry.

"It's okay, they aren't heavy." Comia waved her off.

Despite saying that, she switched hands halfway through the journey, and then Sylutia took over with a smile to take her turn.

The three walked at a leisurely pace toward the village square. As the sky gradually darkened, they began to hear the rhythmic beating of drums echoing from the square.

At first, the beats were sporadic and disjointed, but soon they grew into a steady, rhythmic cadence.

As they drew closer, the fiery red glow of a bonfire appeared in the night, and the sound of an ancient, distant chant began to swell amidst the flames and the drumming.

Beside the massive bonfire, the villagers circled hand in hand, their footsteps falling in time with the drums. Their expressions were filled with ease and joy, and as they sang in unison, the flames flickered and danced to the beat, growing and shrinking as if they possessed a life of their own.