Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 226

Pop~

A simple firework exploded inside the church, scattering shimmering, colorful particles that illuminated the candlelit surroundings, creating a dreamy and fantastical atmosphere.

"I declare tonight’s gathering officially begun!"

Standing on a high chair, Ruby held a paper microphone and announced cheerfully, raising two fingers high in the air like a signal. Fireworks burst one after another in the hall, showering the room with dazzling light. The children’s cheers rose and fell like waves.

At the center of the hall, a long table was laden with all kinds of delicious food. The most eye-catching item was the five-tiered cake in the middle, topped with a bright red gem-like apple, exceptionally beautiful.

This was a special magical apple specially ordered during their shopping trip, meant to be the prize for the children of the church tonight.

Surrounding the central cake were various delicacies: a large, golden-brown roasted lamb leg sprinkled with cumin and spices, steaming hot layered meat pies, sweet and refreshing melon slices as green as jade, creamy cod soup, crispy fried dumplings, roasted vegetable sticks seasoned with spices, and a variety of cool, refreshing drinks. The colorful spread resembled a rainbow. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Thilan and her group of twelve, the children from the church, and Father Berys were all gathered in the church hall. The usually austere pastor was smiling today, sitting at the head of the table.

Thanks to the help of Valk and the others, the pastor could now enjoy the feast quietly and comfortably, rather than constantly tending to the children as he usually did.

"Thank you, thank you all, thank the angels, and thank this beautiful world for bringing us together here today."

He raised a small glass of wine, took a sip, and the wrinkles on his forehead softened.

"Father, you’ve worked hard. Take it easy tonight," Valk, standing beside him, patted his back and suggested amidst the lively chatter and laughter.

"Ah... I will, I will. Valk, you’ve grown up so well," the pastor said, looking up at the towering figure of Valk beside him, his eyes glistening with warmth.

Years of hesitation, anxiety, guilt, self-abandonment, and unease were finally smoothed over at this moment. His past efforts had finally borne fruit, allowing him to rest easy.

What he had done was not in vain; it had value and meaning. With this thought, he leaned back in his chair, his body gradually relaxing.

The lively scene before him became blurred and hazy through his tears, but the golden glow of the candlelight and the sounds of laughter were still so beautiful.

Yes, what I did ultimately had some value. Even though some children passed away, some left, some disliked me, and some resented me, at least now, I have no regrets.

After all, I’m just an ordinary person. To have such a joyous gathering today is already a rare blessing. The disappointments of over a decade ago, the mistakes made along the way, the anxiety and guilt, and the lingering unease and hesitation were finally ironed out.

"There are no more regrets..."

As this thought surfaced, the accumulated exhaustion of many years slowly washed over him. He no longer resisted, letting the feeling engulf him.

In the midst of the children’s lively feast, the hall was filled with various sounds. Ruby and a few companions sat among the children, guiding and caring for them, watching them play games, compete, and argue over who would win first place and claim the bright red gem apple atop the cake.

"Haha, I won~"

The victorious child raised his arm high, his face smeared with cream, while his other hand clutched a half-eaten chicken leg.

"Ugh, I lost," the child opposite him sat dejectedly in his chair, the roasted ham in his arms no longer appealing.

"It’s okay, there’s still plenty of delicious food and drinks~" Ruby shook the bell on her wrist, catching the child’s attention, and handed him a cup of light green, fragrant fruit milk.

"Thank you, Sister Ruby~" After drinking the delicious beverage, the child’s face lit up with a smile again.

On the other side, the gentle black-haired Thilan sat in a chair with a picture book, telling stories to the children around her. Her voice, even in such a noisy environment, was clear, as if she were whispering directly into their ears. The children, clutching their food, sometimes forgot to continue eating as they became engrossed in the vivid stories.

Across the long table, Jinzerk twirled a lightweight toy gun in his hand, explaining it to the children around him. He then raised it and fired at a target hanging on the wall. With a few light pops, several sponge bullets hit the mark.

"I want to play, give it to me, big brother~"

"Me too~" The children clamored for the toy, even forgetting about the sumptuous feast.

"Hahaha, no problem, I’ve got plenty," Jinzerk said, pulling out colorful plastic toy guns from behind him like a magician and distributing them to the children.

Amidst the joyous gathering, someone noticed Father Berys slowly leaning to one side in his seat at the head of the table.

"Father, what’s wrong? Wake up," someone walked over and shook him gently, but there was no response, causing panic.

This scene caught the attention of others, and soon the laughter in the hall ceased. Everyone gathered around the pastor, and Thilan also approached, placing her fingers on his forehead to carefully sense and examine him.

After a while, she opened her eyes and spoke to the concerned faces around her.

"It’s alright. Father is just too exhausted and has fallen asleep."

After her words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’ll take Father Berys back to rest and keep watch by his side. Everyone, please continue with the feast," Valk stood up and volunteered.

"I’ll go too. Father needs some simple treatment," Thilan added.

Thus, Valk carried the pastor, and the two walked out of the church hall, through the corridor, and into a quiet room in the backyard.

After laying the pastor on the bed and covering him with a thin blanket, Valk turned to Thilan.

"Is Father really just overly exhausted?"

He was skeptical because earlier, when he patted the pastor’s back, he had felt how frail the pastor’s body was, almost on the verge of collapse. He hadn’t expected the pastor to not even make it through the evening feast.

"Fainting from exhaustion is indeed the main reason, but he also has accumulated many health issues. If he doesn’t receive proper treatment and care, there could be more problems in the future," Thilan explained, placing her hand above the pastor and closing her eyes. A faint glow appeared, making the pastor’s breathing more steady and peaceful.

"I’m using a calming spell formula to soothe his mind and help him enter a deep, restful sleep. After tonight, he should feel much better."

"However, we can’t let Father continue to exhaust himself like this alone."

As the two sat by the pastor’s side, Valk began to recount various childhood memories.

"As a child, I only thought Father was occasionally irritable or rarely paid attention to us. Later, I realized he had too much to do," Valk shook his head, looking at the sleeping pastor.

"Didn’t he think of hiring help?" Thilan asked.

"He probably did, but the church isn’t wealthy enough to offer high wages. I doubt anyone would want to come, as there’s no future in it. Jobs like these are usually done by the elderly. This town only has a few hundred people, so it’s hard to find anyone willing to take on the work."

"I didn’t think it through before. I’ll use the academy’s scholarship to help Father hire two assistants. That should ease his burden," Valk sighed.

"That should help a lot," Thilan nodded, then thought of something else.

"What about the other children your age? Where are they now?"

"Some were adopted, some found work elsewhere, and some... perhaps went down the wrong path."

"Because of their poor backgrounds, many of the children had limited education, and their jobs didn’t pay well. It’s hard for them to support the church, so over the years, Father has been doing almost everything alone. Even I had gotten used to it and forgotten."

"We can’t let this continue," Valk stood up and began pacing, planning the future division of labor and responsibilities in the church.

"It’s not too late to realize this now. You can also reach out to your old friends and ask them to send emails. Even if they can’t provide financial support, knowing that the children from the past are living stable lives should bring Father some comfort," Thilan suggested.

"That’s all doable, but..." Valk thought of a familiar name.

If only he could come back. No, it’s better not to dwell on that, he shook his head.

After a long silence, he slowly brought up the name, "Actually, among our group of children, besides me, there was another child Father had high hopes for... but things didn’t turn out so well."

"His name is Grid. He was my best friend, or rather, like a brother to me."

Slowly, Valk recalled many past events.

When exactly did the two of us, who were once so similar, start walking down different paths?