Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

Swallow Garden Academy, Circular Dining Hall.

Situated next to a tall cedar forest, the dining hall was a unique structure. Supported by columns below, the hall itself was designed like a circular corridor. At the center of the circle stood a special tree with blue leaves. The delicate, light-blue foliage adorned the branches beautifully, emitting a subtle floral fragrance.

As classes had just ended, the staircase leading to the dining hall was crowded with students, dressed in either white or light brown uniforms, chatting about their day.

At the end of the year, Swallow Garden Academy would hold its first major exam and the much-anticipated intraclass competitions.

Unlike previous competitions, which exclusively utilized magical creatures trained by the academy, this year’s challenge required students to raise their creatures from scratch. As a result, the quality of participants varied widely.

Despite this inconsistency, the unique and often amusing strategies displayed by self-trained creatures at lower levels brought laughter and excitement to the battles.

“Today is the final round, right? The top 16 have already been decided,” students discussed at their tables. Overhead, autonomous flying units resembling cartoon birds delivered lunches to students who had placed orders, before flying out to fetch the next batch.

“Yes, even though everyone’s skill level isn’t very high, the matches have been much more entertaining this time.”

“For example, there’s a contestant whose creature can only perform a levitation skill. All they do is lift their opponent into the air, rendering them helpless. Another mimicked the phantom rat from the entrance exam, making their companion appear massive and intimidating to scare off their opponent. Someone even used a stench-based strategy to chase others away!”

Though the battles could be described as “rookie-level skirmishes,” the creativity on display was abundant.

While these discussions continued, Hestia and her friends were also having lunch in the dining hall.

“Hestia made it to the top 16 this time. That makes two from our class. Not bad!”

“At first, I was worried because other classes seemed stronger, but it turns out we’re all pretty much the same,” Agnes remarked, patting her chest with relief.

“Look, Qiu Shu is over at that table. It seems the boys in our class are treating him to lunch, probably cheering him on,” Mel pointed to a lively table nearby.

“I want to treat Hestia to something delicious, too!” Mel exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

Mel’s fondness for Hestia was evident. At school, the two were often together. Though Mel wished to express her feelings, she didn’t know how. Her solution was to treat Hestia to good food, the same way she approached bonding with her pets—through treats.

Hestia felt a little embarrassed about this. Mel’s frequent gestures left her unsure how to reciprocate. Refusing would risk upsetting the pure-hearted Mel, so she could only smile and accept.

“Alright, but nothing too expensive. After we win, let’s all go to the city together.”

“Okay!” Mel nodded enthusiastically, thrilled that Hestia had finally agreed to go shopping with her.

Soon, the dining hall served its signature T4-grade Blue-Tinted Pastry. Resembling a burger but unique in composition, it featured a base and middle layer of mochi-like dough, with blue ice cream and a soft purple yam filling with a hint of savory flavor in between. The semi-transparent top layer was sprinkled with crushed blue flower petals, creating a visually stunning dish.

Cutting a small piece with a knife and using a fork and spoon to eat it, the dessert released a cool, mildly sweet flavor with subtle variations across its three layers, each separated by mochi.

…

Afternoon.

“Next, let’s welcome Hestia from Class 1-2!”

In a large outdoor courtyard surrounded by tall cedar trees, students eagerly watched the center arena. A gray-haired girl stepped into the field, facing a black-haired boy on the opposite side.

“Match three: Hestia versus Oconna.”

Hestia recognized her opponent as the boy who had chosen the indigo wolf cub during the second trial.

“Hestia, I remember you. You left quite an impression on me back then,” Oconna said, wiping his cold nose in the winter air, looking spirited.

“Let’s settle this today and see who’s truly the strongest in our grade!” With a dramatic sidestep and a finger pointing skyward, he struck a pose that drew cheers from his classmates.

Swallow Garden Academy’s first-year cohort consisted of about 300 students. Though not a large number, everyone was familiar with the standout individuals, including Hestia and Qiu Shu from Class 2, Oconna from Class 3, Paula from Class 6, and Orcas from Class 7.

Hestia used to view the title of grade champion as an unattainable honor. After all, this was Swallow Garden Academy, home to countless talents and fierce competition. But now, she realized she had exaggerated the challenge in her mind.

There were nine classes in the first year, with little disparity in strength among them. Each class had only two or three truly outstanding individuals, meaning her competition was limited to 20 or so top-tier students. Among them, only three to five were on her level.

Unbeknownst to Hestia, she had always been considered a favorite to win by her peers.

“She’s Hestia, one of the top three in the entrance exam,” murmured some of Oconna’s supporters, uncertain if their champion could prevail.

“Let the match begin!” the teacher announced. Oconna waved his hand, summoning three gray-furred, black-eyed mongooses into the arena.

These creatures, Sequence 2 Illusory-Eyed Mongoose, were magical animals that lived in groups and used illusions to repel or frighten enemies. For a first-year student, raising three Sequence 2 creatures in just a few months made Oconna a leader among his peers.

“Fish,” Hestia commanded simply. A large silver fish leapt from a nearby pool, hovering by her side.

Compared to the fish she had initially caught, it had grown nearly twice as large, now close to a meter long. This was likely the result of advancing in sequence and receiving adequate nourishment and magical stimulation.

The silver-scaled fish glimmered as it circled Hestia. With a wave of her hand, it charged at the three mongooses.

“Triple-Eye Illusion!” Oconna shouted. The mongooses stood upright, their six eyes radiating ripples of energy.

To the fish, the surroundings began to warp and invert. The sky and earth appeared distorted, and the mongooses’ black eyes seemed to bleed as they swayed and danced like ancient, unknowable deities. Strange voices echoed, causing the fish to grow restless and uneasy.

Ignoring the illusions, the floating silver fish lunged forward, but its sense of direction faltered. It crashed into what seemed like a towering mongoose but found only emptiness, as if falling into a chaotic abyss.

To the audience, the fish had simply flopped to the ground, thrashing its tail helplessly, unable to rise again. Laughter erupted from the spectators, and even Hestia pressed a hand to her forehead in embarrassment.

Fish, having weaker mental resilience compared to mammals and reptiles, struggled against spiritual attacks despite its advancements. Recognizing this, Hestia had no choice but to clear her throat and issue a second command.

“Sashimi Rice Bowl!”

This sentence caused the large fish lying on the ground to suddenly spring up reflexively, flailing wildly as it flew around the area. It finally crashed into a mongoose using illusionary magic.

The cold fish tail slapped against the mongoose’s face like a palm, splashing salty water into its eyes, making it blink involuntarily. This brief lapse in its illusionary magic allowed the Silverstone Fish to regain some clarity. Realizing it had been under the influence of an illusion, the fish—far from being a Sequence 2 transcendent existence—quickly detected the weakened spell.

Once again, it accelerated, its silvery body shining as it became as hard and heavy as a rock, then slammed into the mongooses, knocking it down.

After dealing with one, the remaining two were just a matter of time. Half a minute later, all three mongooses were declared defeated.

“Round three, Hestia wins!”

“Next up is the semifinals,” the students murmured excitedly.

The competition continued, and soon the four semifinalists emerged: Hestia, Orcas, Paula, and Lynn.

“In the semifinals: Hestia vs. Orcas, and Paula vs. Lynn.”

Shortly after the announcement, Hestia saw her next opponent take the stage.

Compared to the other students, Orcas was always quiet. His skin was dark brown, marked with scars. Rumor had it he grew up in the wild and was specially recruited by the academy. Though he lagged in theory classes, he was a rare talent in both nurturing and combat.

“Let’s begin.” Orcas, wasting no words, gestured for the match to start. A green figure leaped from his back.

Dragon Sequence 3 · Jade-Tailed Gecko.

The gecko, about one meter long, had a flat body pressed close to the ground, large eyes, and small, pale green scales covering its body.

This is going to be tough, Hestia thought as she observed the massive gecko, shaking her head inwardly. Her Silverstone Fish wasn’t a dedicated combat partner, unlike Orcas’s creature.

Magical creatures of the Dragon Sequence were typically stronger than their peers of the same rank. This was no exaggeration—it was fact. Apart from the unique Blood Eye Sequence, it was incredibly difficult to defeat a Dragon Sequence creature in a same-rank battle.

But she had to try. Making it to the semifinals was already beyond her expectations, as she hadn’t initially invested much energy into this competition.

“Stone Charge!”

Hestia pointed forward, and the silver scales on her fish shimmered as thick ice spikes formed over its body. Accelerating continuously, it charged toward the Jade-Tailed Gecko lying on the ground.

Due to its speed, the gecko couldn’t dodge quickly enough, and its forelimbs and torso were directly hit. A gash appeared on its scaled body.

“Fire Counter!” Orcas commanded, his voice calm and steady.

The Jade-Tailed Gecko twisted its neck and opened its mouth, spraying emerald flames at the fish. The intense heat forced the fish to wobble and retreat, white smoke rising from its body. Many of its scales had turned blackened from the heat.

“One more time,” Hestia said, shaking her head. She had no other options—it was her final chance. If this charge couldn’t knock out her opponent, her Silverstone Fish wouldn’t have enough magical energy left for any other tactics.

The Silverstone Fish climbed higher into the sky, struggling as it ascended. Once it became a tiny speck in the air, it dove sharply, gaining momentum from the dive.

Its silver tail swayed constantly to adjust its trajectory, carving a shining arc in the sky before slamming into the gecko on the ground.

The ground was carved into a shallow trench as a loud crash echoed. Both the Silverstone Fish and the Jade-Tailed Gecko rolled together, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.

Both creatures lay on the ground, unable to move. The Silverstone Fish seemed to be completely drained, while the Jade-Tailed Gecko had passed out.

“How will the winner be decided?” The students buzzed with discussion as the referee began a countdown.

“Ten… nine… eight… seven… four… three…” At “three,” the Jade-Tailed Gecko slowly lifted its head and began to crawl. Its body showcased the toughness and resilience typical of Dragon Sequence creatures.

“Orcas wins!”

Seeing the result, Hestia shook her head slightly but showed no sign of disappointment. Making it to the semifinals was already an unexpected accomplishment, given that her Silverstone Fish wasn’t optimized for combat. Its abilities were simple, relying primarily on charges.

She carefully lifted her exhausted Silverstone Fish and placed it back into a nearby pool for recovery. A short while later, it was lively and energetic once more.

Returning to the audience, Hestia joined her classmates to watch the remaining matches. As the competition’s dark horse, Lynn—a previously unknown student—defeated the “Golden” Paula and advanced to the finals against Orcas.

“Strix Claws!” Onstage, Lynn, a cold-eyed and expressionless girl, gave a sharp command. Two peculiar gray-blue owls flapped their wings and charged at Orcas’s Jade-Tailed Gecko.

Decay Sequence 3 · Frost-Claw Owl.

These mutated versions of Dark-Claw Owls were known for their razor-sharp ice claws and resilience to extreme cold.

Emerald flames filled the air, but the Frost-Claw Owls flew through the fire, diving at the gecko. Their icy claws tore into its scales and flesh, causing it to howl in pain.

Unlike the earlier, more restrained matches, the final round revealed a degree of cruelty and bloodshed that unsettled many students accustomed to urban life.

“Roll!” Orcas remained unperturbed, his calm demeanor unchanged.

The Jade-Tailed Gecko rolled across the ground, worsening its wounds but forcing the owls to disengage.

“Flame Cloak,” Orcas commanded next. The gecko sprayed flames over its own body, bathing itself in fire. The open wounds began to cauterize, stopping further bleeding.

“Nightfall Dive!” Lynn’s sharp gaze locked onto the gecko as she issued her next order.

The two Frost-Claw Owls soared higher, then curled their bodies and plummeted downward, faint white light emanating from them. Their claws glowed with icy blue brilliance, coated with a sharp layer of frost, and their beaks hardened into piercing points.

The owls descended in tandem, their sharp talons tearing away large patches of the gecko’s scales and flesh. One managed to hook the gecko’s forelimb, dragging it several meters into the air.

“Claws,” Orcas muttered, directing the gecko to counterattack.

Unlike other reptiles, geckos don’t have strong bite force, but their claws are effective.

The gecko’s sharp claws gripped one of the owls, and it unleashed a burst of flames. The owl turned charred black and fell, losing its combat ability.

Though heavily injured, the Jade-Tailed Gecko crouched on the ground, its gaze fixed on the remaining owl circling above.

Both sides were clearly exhausted, prompting cautious moves.

Eventually, the airborne Frost-Claw Owl showed signs of fatigue and began to dive. The gecko, seemingly preparing to flee, suddenly turned its tail upward.

Unable to stop its descent, the owl grabbed the gecko’s tail. At that moment, the gecko coiled its body and bit the owl’s wing, spewing flames.

After a chaotic struggle, the last Frost-Claw Owl fell, defeated. Though the gecko had lost its tail in the fight, it stood tall, placing one foot on the fallen owl.

“Orcas and his Jade-Tailed Gecko are the champions!”

Cheers erupted throughout the arena. With that, the first semester at Swallow Garden Academy gradually came to an end.

There were no dramatic twists or extravagant events—everything progressed steadily. The students slowly adapted to the academy’s style, discovering their interests and paths while accumulating experience and skills for the future.

After the competition, Hestia bid farewell to her companions and returned to the lake behind the mountain, where her training as a Songstress would enter its next phase.

=========================

Author’s Note:

The recent plot has been a bit slow-paced. I’m considering ways to make it more engaging.

This isn’t the right time to dive into the main storyline. Many of the characters destined to shine in the future still need time to grow and develop.