Chapter 258 – The Punishment Mechanism

Compared to this year’s courses, this year’s reading list was much longer.

There weren’t many required texts—just four in total.

They were the textbook for the Continental Travel Guidance course, 《Valen Continent Travel Guide》; the textbooks for Basic Mathematics, 《Basic Mathematics 3》 and 《Basic Mathematics 4》; and the Wilderness Survival course textbook, 《Common Wilderness Terrain Survival Guide》.

The elective reading list, however, was far more extensive: “《Book of Runes》, 《Forest Gathering》, 《Treasures of the Swamp》, 《Book of Beasts》, 《Book of Magical Beasts》, 《Guide to Finding Common Magical Plants》, 《Magic and Weaving》, 《Crafting Quill Pens》, 《Preparation of Tree Sap Ink》, 《How to Quickly Build a Simple Shelter》, 《The Witch’s Home》…”

From alchemy to magic, from common knowledge to life skills—it covered everything.

Early the next morning, Mo Lan hopped on her broomstick and headed out, planning to go to the Castle and transcribe all the books in the Third-Year Reading Room, and copy the teaching videos for the third-year theory courses while she was at it.

If she could watch the teaching videos on her own, she’d watch the teaching videos whenever possible.

Watching videos at double speed was far more efficient than sitting in a classroom listening to lectures.

Today was Sunday, and classes would officially begin in one day. Quite a few young witches shared her thinking.

Everyone chose to head out in the morning, and by unspoken agreement, they all hovered briefly above the new students’ dormitory and the Ancient Elixir Well, enthusiastically greeting and offering words of encouragement to the junior students who were huffing and puffing as they hauled water.

This year’s new students were housed between the second-year and third-year areas, in the dormitories that Lilith and the other seniors had just vacated.

Not only had they been warmly welcomed by Mo Lan and her classmates, they’d also been surrounded by Bertha, Anna, and the others, enjoying the double attention of seniors from both years.

“Looking at those poor juniors, my heart feels a little better after being devastated by the 《Academic Year Plan》.”

Even after flying away from the dormitories, Iris still seemed reluctant to leave.

Speaking of this year’s academic year plan, not a single third-year witch could manage a smile.

“Before reading the academic year plan, I thought if we all worked hard this year, we could definitely make the astromancy ritual disappear for our class…”

Before Cheryl could finish, Alba seamlessly picked up: “After reading the academic year plan, I think we should get ourselves a tent, so we can make do in the square.”

The two glanced at each other, worry about the future written all over their faces.

“My school robe has gotten too small again. If I’d known, I would’ve made a few new sets during the break. Now it’s too late—we have to figure out fabric and thread on our own. There isn’t even a single weaving class.”

“I need to review how to make parchment, otherwise when Mom writes me a letter next week, I won’t even have golden bird stationery to write her back!”

“By the way… when are you all planning to explore the Inner Region? The notice said it’s been opened up for us!”

“Definitely not now. I’ve stockpiled several hundred jin of flour in my dormitory! That’s enough to last me until graduation. If I rashly go in and something happens, it’ll all be gone!”

“Better to wait until we’ve finished the Wilderness Survival course before exploring. I noticed the class location is in the Inner Region anyway—we should get a proper understanding first before doing anything.”

…

The young witches were all quite conservative about exploring the Inner Region.

After all, they’d only begun studying magic from their specialized factions in depth during the break. Although each of them had learned at least one offensive and one defensive spell, their magic levels weren’t high, they were far from proficient, and the results were mediocre at best.

Going into the Inner Region now would be too dangerous.

If there were no punishment mechanism, they’d be perfectly willing to charge in and explore—with the Guardian Headmistress watching over them, they wouldn’t die, at least.

But with the punishment mechanism in place, they had no choice but to be cautious.

If their supplies were gone, even eating and clothing themselves would become a problem, and things would only get worse.

Even Sylph and Vasida weren’t planning to rush in recklessly.

However, they all knew that Mo Lan was different from them—her magic level was already far beyond theirs.

Seeing that she hadn’t offered her opinion, Vasida couldn’t help but ask, “Moira, when are you planning to explore the Inner Region?”

“Probably after I finish the Continental Travel Guidance course and read through the Wilderness Survival textbook—only then will I have time,” Mo Lan said.

This year, she only needed to take three courses in total.

And only Continental Travel Guidance was a theory course with teaching videos she could use for rapid self-study.

By the time she finished self-studying that course, the Wilderness Survival course should have covered a few lessons as well. Combined with the knowledge from the Wilderness Survival textbook, it would give her a better chance at exploring the Inner Region.

“Then we’re counting on you!” Vasida said.

“If your supplies run out, I still have food in my greenhouse,” Sylph added.

Mo Lan shook her head. “Have you all forgotten? I have cards! Ordinary living supplies are just a matter of making one card for me!”

The young witches: “★★”

“Cards, cards! Put them on sale!”

“I want a Fabric Card!”

“I want a Pen and Ink Card!”

“If there aren’t any finished Food Cards, do you have Ingredient Cards?”

…

“Ahem, the Headmistress issued a ban—I’m not allowed to sell to you all,” Mo Lan said.

The young witches’ hopes shattered: “⊙10⊙4”

That wretched Headmistress!

Seeing their dejected expressions, Mo Lan encouraged them:

“Sewing Magic can also weave cloth and spin thread. Or you could use animal hides to make clothes. Quill pens are easy to make—this year’s elective reading list even includes a book on making quill pens. Everyone already knows how to make paper too. Paper and ink for classes and transcribing books can be collected from the Castle Warehouse. The remaining needs aren’t that large, and making things yourself isn’t difficult either.

Just make a little at a time—only as much as you need. That way, even if your supplies get confiscated as punishment, it won’t hurt, and you can just make more when you need them.

As for food, there’s even less to worry about. Even if your stored grain is gone, the Breadfruit Grove is still there! At worst, you just eat Breadfruit Cake to fill your stomachs. It’s really not that bad.”

After hearing this, the young witches weren’t nearly as afraid of the punishment mechanism anymore: “That’s right! At worst, we just eat Breadfruit Cake!”

They’d all eaten breadfruit raw so many times before.

As long as they wouldn’t starve, nothing was that big a deal.

“It’s just exploring the Inner Region. As long as we don’t rush to build new homes or stockpile supplies, so what if we get punished? It’s no big deal,” Mo Lan said. “The whole idea is: if I don’t have any supplies, there’s nothing to be punished with.”

Vasida was suddenly struck with inspiration. “Do farmlands count as supplies?”

“No, they don’t.” Mo Lan had asked Lady Amisha about this the night before.

“Then I’ll also go explore early after finishing the theory course and reading through the Wilderness Survival textbook—find a spot with fertile soil and clear the farmland in advance! After all, farmland isn’t supplies, so it can’t be taken away!” Vasida’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Me too!” Sylph wanted to scout ahead and find a place to relocate her mutant plants.

The ones currently in the greenhouse obviously couldn’t all be brought along.

But the mutant plants that hadn’t been fully cultivated and researched yet, along with the ones that would be useful for wilderness survival later—she needed to find a place to settle them in advance.