Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

In September, Tilan returned to the "Harp Crown" of the Jade Skirt Star Domain and started a new semester.

This semester, Deloris transferred to Academy City and joined the Star Cluster where Tilan was, working on financial documents.

Throughout the following half-year, Yarnasha no longer imposed rigorous training like last year. Instead, she began to teach the songstresses various essential knowledge and secret techniques they needed to learn, including how to interact with official institutions, handle conflicts, avoid political crises, and ensure personal safety—practical aspects.

The half-year was fulfilling, with no unexpected events occurring. The songstresses continued attending classes as usual, occasionally gathering, but what used to be a group of four became a group of six with the addition of Audrey and Prin.

At the winter festival, the six of them performed together at a grand event hosted by the official federation, broadcasted live for many federation residents to see.

After the new year, Tilan and the other songstresses began engaging in large-scale group tasks, with less time to gather, and as time slipped by, it was April when Tilan released a new song album after prolonged preparation.

In the activity hall of the "Pitch Black Flower" Star Cluster, the members were the first to watch the MV of the new album.

At first, the projection gradually opened, revealing a world where ruins coexisted with nature. Green wild grass grew around the collapsed uninhabited buildings, and occasionally, rabbits and deer would pass by. The steel and concrete debris emerging from the weeds silently conveyed that this once bustling world was inhabited by humans.

A gentle, distant piano melody slowly played, like sunshine at dawn, tender and nostalgic. Following this, a pair of snow-colored short boots stepped through the grass, lightly spinning in front of the camera.

The view then lifted to reveal the back of a girl wearing a silver-white uniform with long hair, appearing on the screen. She jumped down from the remnants of a collapsed tall building, landing slowly in a distant canyon, and as she continued forward, the camera closely followed until she exited the canyon, revealing a suddenly wide-open world on the screen.

This world was full of ruins yet vibrant with life. Majestic collapsed buildings and moss-covered starships pierced the ground, reminiscent of half-destroyed arched stargates. The vine-covered train tracks lingered on the ground.

Standing at the canyon exit, the girl closed her eyes and hummed softly, her gentle voice full of hope, gradually floating in the wind.

(Background music reference: "遺サレタ場所/斜光")

...

The song was inspired by the Fifth Season Origin's history that Tilan had seen. It must be said that witnessing those shocking, devastated historical records had quite an impact on her, leading her to recurring dreams of those recorded words transcending time.

To express the lasting melancholy in her heart, Tilan composed this song to commemorate that bygone era.

As the song ended, the room fell into intense silence. Although most members hadn't seen the history of the Fifth Season Origin, they were moved by the emotions conveyed in the song.

"There's always a faint urge to cry, but it's not that sad. There's even a hint of nostalgia," commented one of the students after listening.

"I don't know, but after the trip to Glance Starfield, President Tilan seemed less talkative and sometimes stared out the window in a daze."

"President Tilan has always been a bit quiet, right?"

"Not exactly; Tilan used to occasionally joke with us, but after that, she seems much more mature and not as cautious and reserved as before."

"President Tilan has indeed grown up. Speaking of which, President Tilan looks so young that she often feels like a little sister." Among all the members in their twenties, Tilan, who appeared about 17, indeed looked younger.

"Even in a daze, President Tilan is adorable. That faint melancholy in her eyes stirs a protective urge."_

"Hehehe, probably just wishful thinking. President Tilan is quite strong when it comes to fighting, don't you know that even the experts in the team say her depth is unfathomable?"

"Alright, stop it, you two. You think Tilan can't hear? A songstress's perception is quite keen."

The discussions paused, and when Tilan appeared in the activity room, applause erupted again, with such enthusiasm that even made Tilan a bit uncomfortable.

She didn't provide extensive explanations, merely conveyed that the theme of the album was to commemorate those long-gone eras and times, and then formally released it.

Throughout the year, the "Pitch Black Flower" Star Cluster expanded continuously, and its membership has now approached 500, five times that of the same time last year.

With the new generation of songstresses steadily maturing, each one's unique style was gradually emerging, and someone online had specifically reviewed the six of them.

Speaking of popularity and recognition, Ores ranked absolutely first. She debuted the earliest and had the backing of the Elf Families. Coupled with her exceptional appearance and temperament, her advantages were substantial.

Next was Blanchi, whose fame escalated rapidly thanks to an unexpected failed assassination and the staunch support of the vast Northwestern Star Domain residents. While the Northwestern Star Domain is impoverished, its population is sizable.

Following was Shui Yanqing, who garnered considerable attention due to her diverse heritage. Her centuries-spanning background was deemed legendary by many, and backed by immensely skilled commercial packaging and strategic operations from the major corporation behind Shui Yanqing, her fame remained high.

Then were Prin and Tilan, with little difference in their online fan base, though rock enthusiasts dominated Prin's fans while Tilan's fan base was more diverse yet relatively low-key.

Despite Tilan's thread not being particularly active, during new album releases, her sales soared, prompting curiosity about exactly who was buying Tilan's albums.

Lastly was Audrey, whose fame was the lowest among the six. It's not that she underperformed—she was also notable in the songstress community. However, her peers were each prominent in unique ways, and in the Pan-Eastern cultural sphere, another "Red Stingray" Luo Fenghua drew away some of her fans, leading to Audrey's lower ranking.

After the release of the new album, a small-scale discussion erupted, and Tilan's heat gradually subsided. Tilan was indifferent to this, as there hadn't been any extensive promotions from the start. Still, some friends felt anxious for Tilan, especially Ores, who even asked if she needed help promoting, but the offer was later rejected by the young songstress.

The third year is slowly coming to an end. This semester, Ailu Kelu, Luo Fenghua, and Jian Xin'er are officially graduating, and moving forward, it will be Tilan and others as the songstress seniors staying at the academy.

"Next semester, new songstresses will come to the Golden Flame Flower Academy." During one lunch, Prin mentioned something concerning.

"Who?"

"'Weilan Bubble' Merulu," Prin said, mentioning a name Tilan was somewhat familiar with.

"Oh, it's her."

"Is it just her?" Tilan felt that there weren't many songstresses in his class.

"Yes, there aren't that many songstresses, so our generation's situation is kind of unique."

"Time flies; we're almost in the fourth year."

"Next semester, we'll gradually leave the academy and head to various places, right?"

"Yes, just like Jian Xin'er and Luo Fenghua, we'll also take our respective teams to step by step realize our paths across different regions."

"Yianqing is preparing the Gene Origin Exploration Organization, right?" Tilan inquired.

"Mm, because the Federation is currently very much against gene editing, we're initially focusing on validating the human gene origin and normal evolutionary changes, slowly correcting people's thoughts," Shui Yanqing replied.

"As for me, I plan to form a large opera troupe to pass down the legendary stories from the Third Era and even earlier times in a format that people like," Audrey said about her future plans.

"What about Ores?" Tilan slightly turned her head.

"I'll probably be performing back and forth between the Twin Trees Star Domain and the Chui Yue Star Domain. My family has arranged it long ago," Ores said, slightly helplessly.

"I plan to first do a nationwide tour around the Federation, then decide my future direction," Prin said, not waiting for Tilan to ask, before announcing her future plans.

"What about you, Tilan?"

"Me?" Tilan thought for a moment.

"I'd like to travel first, do some social research, then return to the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, and prepare to unite with the Southern Star Domain for some level of economic reform."

"That's really grand," Prin thought for a moment and shook her head, feeling it would be difficult to achieve.

"I'll give it a try first," Tilan also knew it wasn't a simple task.

"What about Blanchi?" Someone asked the relatively ordinary songstress girl beside them at this time.

"Oh, me?"

"I'll probably be like Tilan and first return to my hometown, because I've received so much care from everyone, so I want to work hard to give back to everyone," Blanchi said with a genuine wish.

"I see."

"Since we're about to part ways, why don't we gather during this holiday and tour the tourist attractions of the Harp Crown together?" Prin suggested.

"You talk as if we won't see each other for many years," Audrey covered her mouth with a light laugh.

"Alright, I don't have any issues," she then agreed.

Upon seeing this, the others also smiled and agreed one after another.

"Indeed, it will be hard to gather like this in the future, as we will probably be busy with our respective careers."

"Suddenly, I feel a bit reluctant."

"This is growing up. Sooner or later, we have to leave school and fly to our own skies."

"Next time we meet, we must celebrate properly."

"It's a promise."

"Mm, it's a promise." Six hands stacked on top of one another.