After washing up, Paper wrung the towel dry and hung it on the snow-covered balcony.
The towel would be completely frozen in a day, and when she used it the next day, all she had to do was rub and pat it repeatedly to remove the ice. Of course, she could also use her ability to quickly evaporate the water in a warm room, but that would reduce the number of times she practiced every day.
Paper knew that the amount of magic power in her body was among the lowest among the witches, so she had to use it precisely.
After she finished cleaning, there was a knock on the door. Almost every day at this time, Sister Vendy would bring her to the castle hall for breakfast.
"Coming right away!"
Paper happily opened the door, and as expected, it was Vendy standing outside. She hugged her affectionately and sniffed her cheek. "Hmm, not bad. You're clean."
"Hehe." Paper grinned and pulled Wendy's hand as they walked towards the hall.
She had been in Border Town for almost half a month, and had basically gotten used to the lifestyle in the castle.
She didn't have to leave the shack early to look for food, and she didn't have to worry about the firewood being stolen. All the time she spent on filling her stomach and keeping warm was freed up. Instead, she used it to practice magic power and study. She had only fantasized about such a life when she was chatting with her companions. The only people who didn't have to worry about survival were the sons and daughters of the great noble families.
Paper had never thought that she would have such a day.
Vendy's palm was soft and warm, a feeling she had never experienced in the slums. It was as if someone was constantly thinking about and caring for her... She wished she could stay in this warm place forever.
If this was a dream, she would rather never wake up.
Walking into the hall, Paper saw that the witches weren't eating at the long table as usual. Instead, they were huddled around a wall, chattering non-stop.
She blinked curiously, but was too embarrassed to ask Vendy what they were doing.
The latter seemed to see through her thoughts and laughed. "The sisters are all testing their combat effectiveness."
"Combat effectiveness?" Paper was slightly startled. "What... is that?
"You don't need to pay attention to the strange words coming out of His Highness' mouth," Vendy bent down, lifted the little girl up and placed her on her shoulder, "Do you see that silver piece of metal? It was said to be a relic of the Witch Kingdom more than 400 years ago. It was also a weapon used by Extraordinaires in battle. Only those with strong magic power could activate its power. That's why His Highness placed it in the hall so that everyone can test their magic power level, or in other words … to satisfy the curiosity of our sisters. Being able to light up four magic stones in one go is equivalent to having the power of a Divine Will. "
"..." Paper was extremely confused. The Witch Kingdom? Superhuman? Magic Stones? She was momentarily at a loss for words she had never heard before, but this did not affect the shock brought by the scene in front of her. She saw the witches taking turns to place their hands on the metal pieces, causing the inlaid gems to emit bright rays of light, like colorful stars, it looked extremely incredible.
"I can light up two," shouted Lightning, who was about her age. On her shoulder was a plump pigeon. Paper remembered that it was also a witch called Maggie.
"Two and a half, coo!" The pigeon chirped proudly.
"Hey, you're taller than me? That's impossible! "
"You want to try too?" Vendy laughed. "I don't think you can do it now. You haven't learned how to infuse magic power into magic stones, let alone activate the sigil. But His Highness has stipulated that this is a compulsory course for witches, so you'll soon have a Stone of Light for practice. "
A crystal clear gemstone that can even emit light? Paper suddenly became excited and nodded at Vendy. "I'll practice hard!"
"Good girl." Vendy smiled and rubbed her cheek. "Eat first. Only when you're full will you have the strength to practice."
…
After finishing her oatmeal, Paper returned to the Witch House and began her daily practice.
Vendy told her that everything in this world was made up of invisible little balls. Material changes were also the separation and joining of the little balls. Her ability was to accelerate this process, not simply melt ice and snow or cool hot water.
Although she didn't quite understand the meaning of Vendy's words, she still followed Vendy's instructions meticulously. She felt the magic power contained in her body and released it evenly. Her early life in the slums had taught her that the reason she could live such a good life with everyone was because His Highness needed the power of witches. This was also her only value. If she didn't want to be abandoned, she had to do her best.
Suddenly, Paper felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. The magic power in her body trembled as if it was about to break out. She couldn't help but groan.
"What's wrong?" asked Vendy, who was beside her.
"No, nothing." She shook her head. "My magic power seemed to be out of control."
"Out of control …" Wendy pondered for a moment. "Do you remember when you became a witch?"
"It was probably winter," Paper said in a low voice. "I don't remember the exact date."
"It's already the end of autumn, and winter is only a few days away." Vendy stopped smiling. "As the Day of Awakening approaches, the magic power in your body becomes more active. This is also a sign of a backlash. You should rest first. I'll call Nightingale over. She can see the changes in your body. " She walked to the door, then turned around and added, "Don't worry. For the witches of Border Town, this is no longer a matter of life and death."
…
Vendy's guess was confirmed.
Three days later, Paper welcomed her second Day of Awakening.
Lying on the big bed, she looked around at the circle of witches who came to visit her. Listening to their words of comfort, she suddenly had the urge to cry.
In her memory, the pain of being burned by magic power during her first awakening seemed to be less unbearable.
"Since you've only practiced for a short period of time, I can't guarantee that the pain of the backlash will be completely eliminated." Vendy sat on the bed and stroked her hair. "But compared to the torment of the Day of Adulthood, this pain is nothing. You should be able to endure it. Remember, don't ever think of giving up, and don't let yourself lose consciousness. "
Paper nodded.
She didn't dare to answer, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would cry uncontrollably.
She didn't want everyone to see her humiliated appearance.
Living in the slums, crying was the weakest expression. Only those who had given up struggling would do such a thing.
Paper closed her eyes and waited for that moment to come.
…
When she opened her eyes, it was already white outside the window.
The backlash was much weaker than she had imagined, so much so that the various rescue methods that everyone had prepared could not be used. When she woke up, she felt that her body was full of magic power. Subtle changes seemed to have taken place throughout her body. Her eyes could see further, and her hands and feet were stronger.
After washing her cheeks, Vendy's knock on the door came right on time.
"I'm here." Paper happily opened the door and took her hand. This time, however, Vendy did not lead her to the castle hall. Instead, they went to the third floor, where the lord's office was.
The grey-haired lord smiled and handed her a piece of parchment.
"From today onwards, you are an official member of the Witch Union."
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