Chapter 50: The Dream Ends

Leah had a short dream, one that took her back to a long time ago.

In the dream, snow and wind howled outside the window, echoing in her ears.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the small cabin in the forest. The brown wooden floor and table filled her vision.

Dreams were often blurry, and in this hazy scene, Leah saw something on the table—Warmth Amidst the Elements.

“Mom… Mom?”

She called out, just like she did when she was a child.

But…

The Warmth Amidst the Elements sitting on the table wasn’t the same as it had been back then. It was now held in a delicate beaker, the deep blue liquid visible through the glass, with the coin burning inside.

It lacked the gentle warmth of the one her mother had casually created back then.

She lifted her head, wanting to see her mother, whom she hadn’t seen in so long.

But…

Just as her gaze began to rise, catching a glimpse of her mother’s smooth neck, it was interrupted—

“Leah, it’s not time yet.”

“Mother. I want to know what you think now. Back then… when you sat in front of it and told me those things, how do you see them now?”

“Me? Ah, Leah, do you know? Witches may seem to have long lifespans, but even after living through a century of youth like you, it’s merely the growth of an ordinary person in their twenties.”

She turned her head to look out the window, resting her chin on her hand.

“If you don’t meet people, don’t weather storms, don’t experience farewells, and don’t walk through the world, you won’t grow.”

Leah followed her mother’s gaze to the window.

The howling wind stopped, replaced by a gentle spring breeze. Outside the low window, flowers bloomed, and birds chirped.

The candlelight inside the cabin extinguished, but the room didn’t plunge into darkness.

In the naturally lit cabin, her mother’s figure was gone. Only the Warmth Amidst the Elements remained, glowing with a red light…

A red…

A red light…

Leah’s consciousness slowly returned, as if being pulled from deep water. The wind in her ears turned into the noisy chatter of people.

The red light before her eyes…

Was a red-covered notebook.

There were even a few words written on it…

“Uh… Task System?”

“You’re awake.”

Snap.

Before Leah could get a good look at the book, the person holding it quickly closed it.

“Will? I… what happened to me?”

“Teacher~ you just said you wanted to make me your student, then fainted. You really worried me~”

Will pouted and spoke in a high-pitched, teasing tone.

“Ugh, act normal.”

“Haha, you overexerted yourself running over here, and the Blood-Red Mint drained a lot of your magic. It’s basically your brain’s defense mechanism, forcing you into sleep. Luckily, we were on the training field, so the healers gave you a few buffs. You should be fine now.”

“A few… what?”

“Oh.” Will scratched his head, realizing he had let some gaming terminology slip. “Let me think. There was a half-hour stamina recovery buff, a half-hour blood regeneration boost, and a ten-minute magic circuit rest—”

“N-No need to list them all. So…”

Leah sat up, rubbing her head. She glanced down and saw that her clothes were untouched. Whoever had brought her here clearly didn’t think she’d be asleep for long.

“Did you carry me here?”

“Of course… not. Miss Leah, as slim and petite as you are, do I look like someone who could carry anyone? The healers used a stretcher to bring you here.”

“I see.”

Leah wasn’t sure if she felt more relieved or disappointed.

“So, Miss Leah, were you fully conscious when you spoke earlier? Do you remember what you said?”

“W-What are you talking about…”

“You know, when you draped that robe over me and said those words? Wow, that was the best direct confession ever. Please, you must remember—”

“I remember. So, will you be my student?”

Leah crossed her arms, cutting off Will’s teasing with a bold and unapologetic statement.

“Uh… uh?”

What had he done?

How had he turned a tsundere into a straight-shooter in just one week?

This felt like his most successful “character development” project yet, like editing a character’s attributes directly as an admin.

“So, hurry up and answer me. A teacher’s time is very precious.”

“Why the sudden change of heart?”

“N-No reason… I just… still have a lot of years left to teach, so… so I want a capable student.”

Leah clutched her blanket tightly.

She admitted to herself that she had backtracked a little with that statement.

“If you’re willing to take in a talentless student like me, I’d be honored. Besides… you just won an award. Becoming your student won’t be easy.”

“Huh? What award?”

As Leah pondered his words, Will stood up and opened the door.

“She’s awake? Leah, are you alright—”

The first to enter was Mary, leaning on her cane, looking genuinely concerned.

“J-Just a minor issue…”

Leah waved her hand, then realized something—when she woke up, the first person she saw was Will, not Mary, and certainly not a doctor… could it be?!

“Wait, Mary, you left him here alone to watch over me, didn’t you?!”

“Hehe~”

The little old lady’s face lit up with a mischievous smile.

And then…

As the door opened wider, a crowd of people rushed in.

“Professor Leah, what’s the funding limit for Warmth Amidst the Elements?”

“Professor Leah, what do you think of the newly acquired Frozen Ice Array? What insights does it offer?”

“We’re short on collaborators for our project! Would you consider joining us?”

“There’s a dungeon project involving mass-production heating tools. Would you like to take a look?”

“Wow! Professor Leah, are you accepting students?”

“How did you go from an unknown professor with no major national projects to this level of success?”

…

And so, a swarm of people who had been following the research competition flooded the room.

For someone like Leah, who hadn’t engaged in proper social or academic life in ages, this was overwhelming.

“Wait, I… I’ll respond to each of you later… or you can talk to him—that’s my student!”

“Hey, you brought me here just for this?!”

…

About half an hour later, the two of them finally escaped the chaos and stepped out of the school infirmary.

“So… so exhausting. This feels harder than creating Warmth Amidst the Elements.”

“You’ll have to get used to it.”

“Why do you look so relaxed? And so experienced? I guess it’s true—being from the Hysterm merchant family makes you different.”

Will thought back to the chaotic meetings he had witnessed during game development, where the art, combat, and systems teams clashed. This was nothing in comparison.

“Well… oh, by the way, I’ve got a turkey dinner booked for tomorrow. Want to come to my place for lunch?”

“!!!”

Leah’s eyes lit up, as if she hadn’t eaten in two hundred years.