Chapter 254 – Mom’s Letters

After single-handedly turning the tables on all the young witches in that training session, Mo Lan took on the role of training instructor during every Friday practice.

She sparred with the young witches, taught them combat techniques, or restricted her own abilities before fighting them again.

The rest of the time, Mo Lan threw herself wholeheartedly into studying.

Every day, aside from practicing magic, she spent all her time reading.

Books from the Second-Year Reading Room, Mo-Pic books from the library—she read everything, prioritizing magic-related texts.

She was even busier than the other young witches, who were preparing for their theory course final exams while still attending hunting technique classes.

Only on the Sunday of every other week would Mo Lan spend some time waiting outside for the golden birds to arrive.

Shana’s mother had mentioned in her last letter that she had already set out for the Witch Council.

Since then, no more letters had come.

By her calculations, she should have arrived at the Witch Council by now.

Thinking this, Mo Lan temporarily set aside her Grimoire, used the Mailbox Technique to open her Contract Mailbox, and checked the recent contracts.

“Willing to pay 3 Mana in permanent Mana… —Shana.”

“She really made it!” Mo Lan found Shana’s mother’s contract.

The contract had been signed five days ago.

That meant Shana’s mother had been at the Witch Council for at least five days.

“I’m so curious what Mom’s reaction was when she found out I’m a Sorceress!”

Mo Lan felt it was a shame she couldn’t tell Shana’s mother in person.

“Tomorrow is another biweekly Sunday. Surely I’ll get a letter this time!”

The next day at noon, when Mo Lan waited for the golden birds to arrive, she felt more certain than usual.

Sure enough, the moment golden light appeared in the sky, one flew straight toward her.

Wait—no! Not just one!

Five golden birds landed before her. Mo Lan was stunned. “Who else is writing to me?”

She didn’t know anyone besides Shana’s mother!

“Chirp chirp!” The golden birds flapped their wings, urging her to take the letters quickly.

Mo Lan reached out her hand, and the golden birds lined up to deliver their letters.

The first one was a thick paper scroll—at least three pages.

The second was much thinner. Mo Lan pinched it—only one sheet.

The remaining three—good grief—one was only half a page, and two were mere slips of paper.

Mo Lan gave them a quick glance. “They’re all from Shana’s mother?”

She was so surprised she forgot to stop the golden birds and just sat right there on the rooftop to read.

The first letter:

“AHHH! My Sorceress! I actually gave birth to a Sorceress daughter—this is unbelievable!

The fourth Sorceress of Valen!

When I saw your name in the editor’s column of 《Card Magic》, I nearly got thrown out of the library for screaming.

Even now as I write this letter, I’m still trying to figure out which ex-boyfriend got me pregnant back then.

It’s all because I was too young at the time. I overused mind-reading magic to make money doing psychological counseling, and the mental toll was so severe that I lost all desire to understand men. Most of my encounters were one-night stands, and now I can’t remember which one it was at all.

I’m so excited! My daughter! Is! A Sorceress! A Card Sorceress!

But little Moira, your Card Magic is way too cheap!

The Book Witch’s Apprentice-level Grimoire sells for 5 Mana! Your Card Magic only has one tier—I’ve heard Sorceresses are supposed to rapidly raise their rank by selling magic. Are you sure you won’t lose money…”

Throughout the entire letter, Shana’s mother’s tone and handwriting alike radiated sheer excitement.

Reading it, Mo Lan could practically see Shana’s mother’s shocked and delighted expression, and couldn’t help but smile.

Then she moved on to the second letter, and her smile froze.

“I take back everything I said yesterday. How could you possibly lose money!

Although I’m your mother, I must say—the most black-hearted goblin merchant doesn’t hold a candle to even one ten-thousandth of you.

I’ve never seen anyone sell things like this!

This magic is only cheap to buy. Actually using it has nothing to do with ‘cheap’ whatsoever.

It reminds me of certain people who seem gentle on the surface but are ruthless inside.

What kind of magic requires you to keep spending money after purchase just to use it properly?

Cards cost money, storage slots cost money, Gem Coins cost money, drawing cards costs money—I’m completely at ease about you now.

With your talent for amassing wealth, given enough time, your Mana rank will surely skyrocket!

Thank goodness the ‘money’ being spent isn’t real gold coins but Gem Coins charged with magical power, otherwise I’d seriously be considering a refund—I’m too broke for this, can’t support it at all!

Oh? There’s actually one free card draw included.

AHHH! I drew a Food Card—Cat Carrying Wine!

Is this wine from Earth? Listed at 40 Gem Coins! Doesn’t that mean I earned 40 Gem Coins for free?

Little Moira, I take back what I said earlier. You’re slightly more conscientious than a goblin—at least goblins never give anything away for free…”

It seemed this letter was sent the day after Shana’s mother bought Card Magic. The shift in tone was nothing short of dramatic.

Mo Lan didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt uneasy—until she finished reading the remaining letters, and that unease solidified into something very real.

The third letter:

“Goblin Sorceress! Goblin Sorceress! Everyone’s right—you’re absolutely the Goblin Sorceress!

I’ve never even dated a goblin boyfriend! Sure, they’re rich, but they’re stingy to the bone, and they don’t exactly meet witch beauty standards. You shouldn’t have any goblin blood in you!

Three whole days—more losses than gains, and never again the luck of that first draw!

Tell me, are you running some kind of rigged operation behind the scenes!

Is the card-drawing system a scam? As expected, what’s free is always the most expensive! I, Shana, have actually been done in by my own daughter!”

The fourth letter:

“AH! Someone drew a Blank Energy Storage Card worth 1,000 Gem Coins with 100 Mana! They sold it on the spot for 1 Purple Gold Coin and 12 Magic Gold Coins!

Why wasn’t I the one who drew the Energy Storage Card!”

The fifth letter:

“MO! LAN! YOU! ARE! SOMETHING! ELSE!

Don’t tell anyone you’re my daughter when you go out—I’m afraid of getting beaten up!”

Mo Lan started to panic. She rifled through her memories of Earth, trying to figure out what you were supposed to do if your family opened a lottery shop but had a parent with terrible luck who was addicted to playing.

The result… either you go broke yourself, or you get scolded to death by your parents.

There was no third option.

Between going broke and getting scolded to death, she’d choose getting scolded to death.

Mo Lan thought firmly: “Being scolded is acceptable, but being poor is not! And being weak is even less acceptable!”

However, there was one thing she slightly regretted.

She had accidentally given out too many magical seals back then.

Now, the young witches in her year, her senior classmates, and even the Headmistress all had her magical seal.

The Headmistress was well-off in Mana, and the others couldn’t buy much for now.

But once they graduated and the card pool and card shop fully opened up, the desire and ability to spend would be vastly different.

Mo Lan was genuinely worried that some young witch would write to scold her after losing out on card draws.

Unfortunately, it was too late to ask for the seals back now.

One careless step leads to eternal regret!

If only she had made fewer seals back then!

No, wait! Isn’t it perfectly normal not to win the big prize from card draws?

The draw rates were written out plain as day!

You might lose a little, but you’d absolutely never lose big!