Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Edith Academy, underground training facility.

Valke held his personal terminal, listening quietly to the voice coming from the other end, telling him about Gleid's situation.

"He disappeared at the entrance of Alley 142 in the Water Rat District last night and has not been seen since. The place is now vacant, with no body or trace to be found."

That was followed by other related information and speculations. Discover exclusive content at empire

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"Understood, thank you." Valke hung up his personal terminal and silently watched the mirror in the training room.

Compared to other students within the school, Valke's physique was exceptionally robust, with well-defined muscles and solid finger bones, radiating a faint sense of authority; something many students growing up in the Ivory Tower campus did not possess.

It was no wonder that despite his low origins, he attracted quite a bit of attention at Edith Academy, even receiving adoration from some young ladies of prestigious families.

However, Valke did not indulge in these romantic encounters. He knew all too well that his position was not yet secure; it was merely others having high hopes for his future. Should his performance one day fail to meet the expectations of those influential figures, then all he had gained could be taken away.

He was no longer the naive child who would entertain such fantastical dreams.

"Gleid…" he muttered the name that was at once familiar yet gradually becoming estranged.

After sitting quietly in the rest area for half an hour, he stood up, walked into the adjacent shower, washed up, changed into his neat uniform, and left the underground training facility.

Upon leaving, he went directly to the familiar office of his teacher and found the teacher who was in charge of him.

After listening to Valke's request, the teacher shook his head, "Valke, although Edith Academy has a great reputation, it's not omnipotent—or rather, your current strength isn't sufficient to make such demands."

"Helping you is one thing, but helping a friend of yours is quite another. We cannot possibly help every friend of a student. To offer support to the cadets is already a significant kindness."

"I don't want to judge your friend, but as a teacher and a senior, such a person will only keep holding you back. Sooner or later, because of him, you'll find yourself in greater peril."

"I know this is hard for you to hear, but that's the reality. The Academy is not a charity and cannot endlessly satisfy your ideas and requests."

"Sigh, how about this... I will have the information department pay attention to your friend's whereabouts within the limits of my authority. If there is still no news, then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do." Finally, driven by the desire to cultivate and invest in this potential rising star, the teacher agreed to help.

"I am very grateful, teacher." Valke stood straight with his legs together, bowing deeply in gratitude.

"Don't thank me, but you must find a way to prevent such incidents from happening again," the teacher reminded Valke with profound implications.

"I understand, teacher," Valke responded and then took his leave.

He was aware of the kind warning hidden in the teacher's words. Although not particularly articulate, he was far from foolish; otherwise, he wouldn't have been recruited by Edith Academy.

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It was just... if he was to completely abandon Gleid, it would be very difficult for him to do so.

Many years ago, on a snowy night, if they hadn't supported each other, they might have frozen to death in the wild. That memory, along with the scars lingering on his body, always reminded him.

Although talent doesn't depend on one's birth, geniuses born in destitution oftentimes face greater trials. These trials come from discordant families, ignorant parents, traumas experienced in childhood, pulls from past intimacies, and the malice, both overt and covert, of those around them.

It's not that the poor are naturally bad, but restraining oneself in the face of scarcity and shortage while risking not surviving at all is an exceedingly difficult thing to do.

Many people teach children to be generous, to give away their toys and snacks, but for the child, giving away a toy might mean never seeing that beloved thing again, and sharing their tasty snack might mean not knowing when they will have such a treat next.

To adults, these toys and snacks are a drop in the bucket against their income; they can be repurchased at any time and thus are easily parted with.

However, for a child with no income, that might be their only possession, a treasure obtained with great difficulty. If shared, it's highly likely they'll never see it again, so they are reluctant.

Teaching a child to share can be easy; if you give him a room full of identical toys, sharing one with a friend comes naturally. If he has more snacks than he can eat every day, he probably wouldn't mind sharing a bag.

Learning kindness in affluence is relatively easy, but it becomes difficult in poverty.

Valke's childhood was far from happy; he almost crawled out from the edge of death. And Gleid, his friend, although seen as unsavory and not upright in others' eyes, was understood by him. For people struggling on the fringes of the lower class, there often isn't much leeway to be good. And even though such a friend might be a drag, or even end up dragging him down too, he couldn't just watch him die outside like a stray dog while he himself sat in a warm, comfortable house basking in praise.

————

The waiting was always so long and torturous. By the time Valke received the news again, it was the afternoon of the next day.

"It's said that he was caught by an underworld mercenary, someone quite famous in the Underworld."

"The capture was ordered by a concealed major corporation, and the 'Three Finger Workshop' also said they'd send someone to deal with it. If we insist on getting involved, we will face significant resistance." The message was clear; Valke understood Edith Academy couldn't afford to get deeply involved in a patent war between two corporations for his sake.

"I understand. Can you tell me the approximate address and direction?" Valke asked again.

Although the person on the other end repeatedly denied and refused, under Valke's insistent demand, they still revealed the address.

"Number 5, North Leaf Street, Soma Tree Module. This information comes from the 'Three Finger Workshop'; they are also on the trail of Gleid's whereabouts."

"Alright, thank you." After hanging up, Valke searched his room and pulled out his protective gear used during regular combat practice and began to put it on.

Even though it was practice armor, thanks to Edith Academy's deep pockets, its protective capability was no less than that of standard exoskeleton armor. After he finished dressing, Valke's dark eyes were the only things visible, while his entire body was covered in dark gray steel armor.

After checking himself out in the mirror, Valke found a large overcoat to cover up the snug armor. As for the head, he pulled the wide hood of the coat over it.

Once he was fully prepared, he picked up the emergency lightsaber hilt and tucked it behind his waist, and then left his residence.

Shortly after, a hover car sped up from within Edith Academy and headed toward the Soma Tree Module in the southwest direction.

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