Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 245

It was June, the warm and comfortable early summer season. The animals at Swallow Garden Academy were particularly active. As Hestia walked along the path, two gray-and-white squirrels jumped out of the grass, chasing and playing with each other. She wasn’t sure if they were raised by the academy or belonged to some student.

Not far away, on the square, five crown birds with feathers ranging from pale yellow to goose yellow flew in circles, forming a rotating crescent moon in the sky. Below, a second-year student rode past on a tall, curly-horned goat. The thick brown fur of the goat almost buried the student’s lower body, making it look incredibly fluffy.

It felt like she had missed a lot during the half-year she was away. The girl thought to herself, gently stroking the indigo serpent coiled around her arm. Unfortunately, its scales were always a bit cold, not as pleasant to touch as a fluffy animal.

Should she get a more cuddly companion? The thought crossed her mind, but considering how busy she was now, she sighed and dismissed the idea.

She’d probably have to wait until the second semester of her second year, when everything was more stable, before she could find the time to raise a new companion.

After a relaxing and comfortable morning, around 2 PM, Hestia met up with Mel at an ice cream shop.

"Hestia~"

As Hestia stood in front of the shop, looking at the dazzling array of flavors on the menu, Mel’s familiar voice called out from behind.

Wearing a light blue plaid skirt, carrying a paper bag in one hand, and holding her gray moon cat in the other, Mel ran over to Hestia with a smile. Her deep purple hair was tied into a shoulder-length ponytail that draped over her shoulder.

"Hestia’s finally back!"

As she approached, she set down the paper bag, and the gray moon cat in her arms meowed before jumping away. Mel then wrapped her arms around Hestia for a hug before letting go.

"You’ve been gone for so long this semester. I thought you might have dropped out," she said, expressing her earlier worries.

"Not at all. I just didn’t expect the training to take so long," Hestia replied. Standing in the gentle summer breeze, the two caught up while each bought a colorful scoop of ice cream. They then strolled and chatted as they walked.

The gray moon cat followed behind Mel, occasionally leaping to catch birds, sometimes running ahead and climbing trees to look around.

"The first year is almost over, and everyone’s starting to get into raising magical creatures. We’ll probably specialize in specific directions in the second year," Mel explained their current progress.

"There’ll be a rough classification, like birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and so on. By the third and fourth years, we’ll dive into more specialized studies."

"What category are you planning to choose, Mel?" Hestia asked.

"Definitely the one with cats. I also want to raise a majestic lion, but Grandma says I’m too weak and it’s not safe to interact with lions casually," Mel said, a bit defiantly.

"A lion, huh? That’s true."

If it were a transcendent lion, its size and strength would be even more amplified. A single swipe from its paw would be too much for an ordinary person to handle.

The two chatted about recent happenings at the academy until they reached a round pavilion by the lake, where they sat down to rest.

"When are you coming to my house, Hestia? We agreed on it last time," Mel reminded her.

"Hmm, how about this time? I happen to have some free time now," Hestia blinked.

"Yay~" Mel happily hugged her gray moon cat.

"I’ll tell Grandma when I get back. We’ll prepare delicious food and fun things for you." This child was truly carefree, radiating a simple and pure kind of happiness.

"I’ll look forward to it," Hestia replied with a smile. After resting, they continued their stroll.

"What are you planning to buy, Hestia?"

Mel asked as Hestia led her into the shopping street on the academy grounds. The area was bustling with students and some tourists who had come to see the magical creatures.

"I need to buy some food for the two little ones at home, and then get some gifts for friends."

The Northern 1st District had preserved many traditions, and many handmade items held significant commemorative value.

"I know just the place! Follow me."

At this, Mel’s eyes lit up, and she led Hestia through the shopping street, turning into one of the side streets.

Most of the shops here were related to raising magical creatures. There were pet shops selling various harmless, beautiful, and cute small animals, stores selling spiritual herbs and resources needed for nurturing magical creatures, and even more shops selling pet food, toys, furniture, and more. These pet-related shops contributed significantly to the academy’s income.

Ding-dong~

As they entered the shop, a crisp wind chime rang out. Hestia took a moment to observe the store.

The shelves were lined with pet food packaged in oil-paper bags, each featuring illustrations of different animals according to the type of food. The packaging had a consistent, professional style.

There were a moderate number of customers in the shop, all seemingly regulars who knew exactly what they wanted without needing to browse.

"Sister Tongtong~"

Mel waved as they entered, greeting the shopkeeper, a mature woman wearing a black fitted T-shirt.

Her outfit was primarily red and black: a black T-shirt, a deep red skirt, black tights, and she held a card reader she had just used to check out a customer.

"It’s Mel! What brings you here today?"

After finishing with the customer, she walked over, patted Mel’s head, and then turned to Hestia.

"This is my classmate and good friend, Hestia. She’s here to buy food for her companions," Mel introduced the gray-haired girl beside her.

"Hello, I’m Hestia," the girl introduced herself simply, then called out the large spider from the shadows behind her and picked it up. The indigo serpent coiled around her arm also slithered up to her shoulder, curiously raising its head to look at the woman in front of them.

Seeing the two creatures on Hestia, the woman narrowed her eyes and tapped her chin with her index finger.

"Hmm, quite rare. Let me think."

She then asked Hestia, "The spider is probably a subspecies of tarantula spider, right? As for the snake, it doesn’t look like a common venomous snake. It’s non-venomous, isn’t it?"

"Yes, it’s a sun-loving indigo serpent. It’s not venomous," Hestia said, gently pressing the serpent’s head to stop it from flicking its tongue at the woman.

"A girl who keeps serpents and spiders is quite brave. Let me go upstairs and see if I can find suitable food for the indigo serpent. As for the tarantula spider, that’s easy."

With that, she asked them to wait and went upstairs.

A short while later, the woman returned with two bags of packaged food.

"This one is roasted ‘translucent upturned-mouth fish,’ and this is ‘white sun quail eggs.’ Both are meat and egg-based foods related to ‘sunlight’ and ‘light’ attributes, perfect for the indigo serpent," she explained, holding up the two specially prepared bags of food.

"Originally, these were custom-ordered by a customer for their Scorching Sun Crocodile Turtle, but they’ve gone on a trip to another star region and won’t be back until the second half of the year. I can sell these to you first and reorder later."

"As for the tarantula spider, here is ‘red honey protein balls,’ a favorite among most insect-type magical creatures."

She took out two more bags of food from the shelves and then picked up two transparent balls from a sample tray, placing them in Hestia’s hand.

"They’re rich in nutrients, have a sweet red honey flavor, and can replenish some magic power, nourishing the body. That’s why magical creatures love them. They’re a common type of pet food."

"That’s really detailed."

Although Hestia had learned some related knowledge from books, her innate talent made gathering magic power effortless. She rarely needed to give her companions special food, but ordinary people didn’t have that luxury. To help their companions grow quickly, feeding them purified magic-infused food with magical effects was essential.

"Mm-hmm, I often come here to buy food for my cat. Sister Tongtong was my mom’s student. She’s very professional and takes good care of me," Mel said happily.

"Didn’t you bring your cat today, Mel?"

The woman smiled and bent down to ask.

"I did."

Mel waved to the gray moon cat playing outside, and the little creature quickly darted in, leaping onto Mel’s shoulder.

"Meow~"

It recognized the woman and let out a friendly meow.

After giving the little one a few tasty nutrient beans, Hestia and Mel sat in the shop, listening to Sister Tongtong explain the dos and don’ts of feeding, such as portion sizes, storage tips, preventing sneaky eating, and how to train them.

By the time they left the shop, an hour had passed.

"Sister Tongtong was always really good at studying, but she wasn’t interested in combat or anything like that. Later, she opened this shop," Mel shared the woman’s story.

"Is your mom a teacher too?" Hestia asked curiously.

"Yes, my mom, grandma, and uncle are all teachers. But I don’t want to be a teacher," Mel said, sharing her little dream.

"Why not?"

"Because being a kid is great! You get taken care of by older siblings, uncles, and aunts. But if you become a teacher, you have to take care of others," Mel said with a serious expression.

"That’s... quite a straightforward reason."

The two walked along the street, then headed to another part of the shopping district, where they bought many unique souvenirs. By the time the sun was setting, they started heading back.

After a busy period at Edess Academy, Hestia finally had a few days to relax at Swallow Garden. Walking along the sunny forest paths, sitting on the grass with other students during lectures, riding giant birds to soar over the mountains and take in the scenery, or sitting in underwater restaurants by the lake discussing recent events—time flew by.

Before she knew it, a week had passed, and Mel’s family sent an email formally inviting Hestia to visit.

Boarding the mountain tram unique to the Northern 1st District, Hestia watched the scenery outside the window as the tram wound its way along steep cliffs, gradually entering the heart of the mountains. There, nestled high in the mountains, was an ancient-looking architectural complex. White walls, deep purple tiles, wave-like shell-shaped side walls, and slightly curved domed roofs were densely packed in this high mountain valley.

"Arrived at Purple Snail Valley Station."

The tram’s announcement sounded, and Hestia and Mel stepped out onto the platform perched on the mountain cliff.

The wind blew down from the distant blue sky, rustling the white wolf-tail grass on the mountainside. The warm breeze lifted their skirts before gently settling, blowing toward this peaceful, secluded haven.

No wonder Mel had such a simple personality. Perhaps it was because she grew up in this isolated land.