Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 348 105 Perfect and Flawless

Under the same night sky, Tilan and a few others sat by the campfire, with Valke checking the micro warning AI arranged around the camp perimeter, Ximu cleaning gun barrels and organizing magazines, Efnie squatting beside the fire staring at the slowly boiling cans, while Tilan sat to one side writing something, occasionally looking up at the warm red flames.

"Efnie," a soft call roused the slightly dazed Goldfish Princess.

"What is it?" She stood up a bit.

"Nothing." Tilan shook her head, and then looked at this familiar yet somewhat distant comrade.

Although Efnie was a member of the club, the two had never had a one-on-one conversation. Efnie was low-key within the club, unlike her high-profile status at the Academy.

"Is there something on your mind?" She noticed that the Goldfish Princess, who should have been shining brightly, was far less active within the club than one would expect, and seemed to always have something weighing on her mind, occasionally lost in thought.

"There is... a little," the blonde girl turned her face away, slightly embarrassed, but perhaps having grown more familiar with everyone lately, Efnie no longer hid behind her past pride and ego.

"Come." Tilan patted the empty space beside her, beckoning Efnie over.

Although she wore the expression of a caring older sister, Tilan's petite frame compared to Efnie made her seem cuter.

But Efnie didn't mind that sort of thing, so she walked over and sat down beside the serene, black-haired girl.

Efnie was probably about 2cm taller than Tilan, with a slightly fuller figure due to regular dance practice, and the wide golden ponytail was more conspicuous than Tilan's long black hair, so she appeared somewhat 'larger'.

"How did Efnie come to think of joining the club? Were you seduced by Yalian?" The girl certainly didn't give the club's special adviser any face.

"Ah, no." Although she felt like smiling, Efnie shook her head and then quieted down.

"Yalian and I have known each other for a long time because of our parents' relationship; we visited each other's homes as children. It was actually me who introduced him to our club because I knew he was interested in these things," she said, unconsciously running her left hand through the strands of hair in front of her.

"But back then, I was fully focused on advancing quickly, so I didn't ask about what followed, until later when Teacher N trained us, and that's when I saw Tilan," she recalled the final days of last year.

"The first time I saw Tilan, I was curious, probably because of what you said at the freshman ceremony, and since you were so focused on by the Academy, there must be something special about you."

"Indeed, during training, you defeated several of us in a one against many, and I was even more impressed."

"Later on, Yalian asked me if I wanted to come over too, said it would be more lively, to relax, not to dwell on failure."

"So, I came."

"Actually, after experiencing quite a bit, I've been reflecting, thinking about past life and some viewpoints," she said, looking at the campfire not far away, with the reflection of the flames flickering in her eyes.

"Tilan, you must have heard about my family situation. Because my father is a high-ranking official in the Star Domain government, I have been under scrutiny since childhood. With such a background, it seems I shouldn't complain about anything, but humans aren't rational machines after all."

"When I was young, because I had shown such high talent, many people held high expectations for me. I've always ranked at the top, whether it was my grades, the speed at which I advanced beyond the ordinary, or any other aspect, and I've received much praise from adults."

"I really was addicted to that feeling, the feeling of being surrounded by praise, like a peerless genius standing alone, an ascending future star, everyone's adored Goldfish Princess."

"However, those were just illusions," she said, her head gradually bowing as she gazed at her knees. With one hand, she pinched and twisted the flesh on her leg as if trying to remind herself with that pain.

She sighed deeply, released her hand, and then looked towards the campfire not far away, "Fate has given me quite a few gifts, but not as many as I thought. That's probably the root of the psychological gap and discomfort I've felt before."

"So Efnie, what are you planning to do now?" Seeing that she seemed to have some ideas, Tilan asked.

"Although I'm still somewhat reluctant, it seems I can only accept this outcome. I'll choose a less difficult template for advancement, and give up the spotlight of being a prodigy, to be a relatively ordinary person." That's what she said, but truly accepting this result was undoubtedly painful for someone who had been held to high expectations from childhood.

"Reality may not be perfect, but that doesn't mean you have to go to the other extreme and completely give up on your previous dreams. Failure isn't defined by not being a genius, right?" Tilan shook her head at this.

"No one said you have to be a genius, the first place, the most perfect person, to be considered successful and happy. These are just subconscious stereotypes in people's minds." She slowly stood up.

"Life isn't a test; there is no standard answer. Nobody is competing with you for first place. If there's something you want to do, just do it. Rankings and such are just the blurred visions of outsiders. The reality is either you've done it or you haven't, you just need to find out the objective reasons and the difficulties that haven't been broken through."

"Fate, genius, perfection, all are but illusions fantasized by outsiders, concepts created for easy understanding and depiction. The real world doesn't have so many restrictions – as long as you've accomplished it, reached your destination, the twists and turns of the journey won't be laughed at."

"Alright, can you now talk about the problems you've encountered? Maybe I can help you take a look, discuss and solve them together." Supporting Efnie's shoulders, the black-haired Songstress leaned back against the firelight, radiating a warmth and understanding that comforted Efnie.

Though she appeared only sixteen or seventeen years old, slightly cute, there was an underlying feeling that made one want to depend on her.

"Well..." Efnie bit her lip and slowly began to talk about the issues she faced in her daily life, and as Tilan listened attentively, her fingers traced through the air, simulating the problems Efnie encountered.

Despite their similar ages, due to certain special reasons, she could perceive and manipulate magic power and Mana more delicately and keenly than others, shaping it according to her wishes.

Thus, the conversation shifted from the intangible feelings and emotions to the tangible, objective problems. Efnie, through the discussion, began to spot previous oversights. The emptiness she had felt was gradually filled again, as though she was standing firmly on the ground once more, rather than perpetually falling into anxiety and fear.

"You see, it's like this, right?"

By the campfire, the black-haired girl raised her palm, and a fireball hovered quietly above it. The flame within continuously converged and spun, fusing into tightly knit Branding patterns, like a precisely crafted instrument, until at last, a flawless fireball hung in the air, its heat contained and internal Branding stabilized.

"It's like this..."

As the problem that had blocked her for so long was solved in just over ten minutes, Efnie stared at the quietly burning fireball, with much she wanted to express and share. But in the end, there was only one thing to say.

"Thank you, Tilan."

But you know, Tilan, I don't entirely agree with what you said, because there really are such perfect geniuses in the world, and right now, she is standing before me.