Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

In late October, the temperature gradually rose. The afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, and the shadows of trees outside swayed gently.

Hestia sat in her room reading a book. After a long while, she began to feel drowsy and eventually set the book aside, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes for a brief rest. Her indigo dress draped over the chair, adorned with white lace edges. Her delicate, fair wrists emerged from her floral-patterned sleeves, resting loosely by her side.

The seasons in Southern District were opposite to those in the north. As the year drew to a close, the temperature steadily climbed.

Recently, Hestia had been studying economics, but she couldn’t deny how complex this field was. Even with AI to assist with data analysis and calculations, understanding the principles remained a tedious and intricate endeavor—at times even bewildering in its chaos.

Economics appeared to be a single discipline but was, in fact, influenced by countless others. Technological upgrades, regional habits, shifting societal norms, prevailing trends of the times, policy changes—all of these played a role in shaping the economy. It was difficult to encapsulate it with a simple model or explanation.

There were far too many uncontrollable factors in this field. Even predictions made by so-called “experts” often proved wrong, leading to fewer bold statements. Instead, people spoke cautiously of “trends” or “possible impacts,” carefully hedging their words.

Despite its complexity, some basic principles remained, and the health of an economy was crucial for organizations, businesses, conglomerates, and even nations. Edess Academy, being an elite institution, naturally prioritized economics courses in its curriculum.

Overall, the Rose Federation’s economy was currently in a low ebb. Technological progress across industries had stagnated, failing to produce groundbreaking changes or open new market frontiers.

However, things weren’t dire. Thanks to advanced theoretical and AI technologies, the nation could monitor industry and market data in real-time, making timely adjustments and optimizations. While this didn’t make the economy particularly dynamic, it at least ensured stability, preventing abrupt crises or market collapses.

With fast and efficient AI support, economic regulation had become much simpler. Even someone with no financial expertise could deliver a passable performance as a finance minister with AI guidance.

Moreover, AI advancements had brought greater transparency to economic activities. Ordinary people, without delving into financial studies, could now understand through AI’s reports and alerts who benefited from certain policies or what consequences might ensue.

Injustice often arose from information gaps and lack of transparency. When policies and economic activities became clear to all, manipulation and deceit became much harder to execute.

Civilizational progress and scientific development always complemented each other.

That said, even with increased policy transparency, wealth inequality continued to widen—a nearly inescapable Möbius loop. Even if global wealth were redistributed equally, disparity would soon reemerge, followed by stratification of classes.

Should wealth be distributed equally, by effort, or by need? The answer varied depending on the circumstances and environment.

“So frustrating…” Hestia murmured, covering her forehead with her arm as she leaned back in exhaustion.

Having experienced hardship herself, she harbored a simple wish—to improve the lives of those in similar situations. Yet, after delving into economic studies, she realized how complex her wish truly was. Economic development, social distribution, national systems—each issue was deeply intertwined and far from simple.

“That’s enough for today,” she thought, sitting up to close the book in front of her. She stood and decided to take a walk in the garden.

Edess Academy spanned an area akin to a small city, with only a few thousand students. Most of the space was occupied by affiliated research institutions and expansive, picturesque natural landscapes.

Walking in the garden, Hestia watched bees flit among the flowerbeds. She extended her finger toward a bee that had just finished collecting nectar.

As her fingertip brushed the tiny creature, its wings quivered with a hum. Under Hestia’s soft blue gaze, she noticed the small pollen sacs on its hind legs.

The bee, laden with pollen, buzzed upward and flew away. Only then did Hestia retract her gaze.

She couldn’t help but feel a hint of envy toward these simple creatures, living lives free from society’s complexities. Such thoughts occasionally crossed her mind.

As she continued her walk, she let her hands graze the blades of grass. Some were coarse with fine serrations, while others were tender and soft. Sunlight filtered through the grass, releasing a distinct floral scent, though she wasn’t sure which flower it came from.

The increasingly uneven terrain forced her to tread more carefully. She leapt lightly between patches of ground, her movements agile. The wind brushed her cheeks and hair, lifting the hem of her skirt. Her slender legs occasionally peeked through the grass, adding a touch of elegance and charm.

After tiring from her walk, Hestia found a large tree. Clearing a clean spot beneath it, she rested against the trunk, gazing at the cloudless blue sky and listening to the distant chirping of birds.

Time flowed gently with the sunlight and breeze. In this serene, natural setting, Hestia slowly drifted to sleep, her breathing growing steady.

…

Her nap was dreamless—a rarity. When she awoke, she felt as though she had slept for ages, but the clock revealed it had only been 20 minutes.

Rising to her feet, she dusted off her indigo dress and stretched her ankles before heading back to her cottage.

By the time she returned, it was past 3 PM. Her two maids, who had stayed behind, brought out freshly sliced honeydew melon. The sweet, fragrant fruit was an irresistible temptation for the slightly parched Hestia.

“These maids really know how to anticipate my needs,” she thought, smiling inwardly. She sat in a rosewood chair and quietly ate, savoring the melon.

After finishing three slices, Hestia checked her personal terminal and found an unread message.

It was from Ranbell—the girl who had invited her to visit her home during the academy’s evening party. A month had passed since, and Hestia had nearly forgotten about it. Yet Ranbell had remembered and reached out again, asking if she was available.

“Well, why not?” Hestia thought. She had been meaning to explore new places anyway.