Chapter 1020 – Mo Lan’s Laid-Back Daily Life 4

Shana gently swirled her wine glass, a helpless smile lingering in her eyes.

“Every time you go to the Well of the Sky and complete a few tasks, you come back and insist on planting a Witch’s tree. Then once the child heads off to school, you go right back to the Well of the Sky to do more tasks and save up Mana.

“And look — you just got back from the Well of the Sky, had enough resources, and planted another Witch’s tree. Little Leila is already three years old.

“Over the years, quite a few Witches have come to ask me — they say that with such an outstanding daughter like you, any child I nurture would surely turn out well too. So why don’t I plant another Witch’s tree?”

She took a sip of wine, her expression becoming somewhat caught between laughter and tears.

“But every time the thought crosses my mind, I go spend half a day at your Grandmother Dayla’s place, and the notion is thoroughly extinguished.”

Mo Lan tilted her head curiously. “Why?”

“Young Witches may be adorable, but other young Witches aren’t nearly as easy to raise as you were!”

Shana sighed, her memories drifting back to those dozen-odd years on the Emerald Creek Plains.

“I remember back then, I was terribly poor — surviving entirely on the Witch Council’s subsidies to raise you. When I was expecting you, I was a nervous wreck.

“But then you were born, and I discovered you were a Soul from Another World, and I happened to be a Mind Witch. I was overjoyed — I thought, finally, there’s no chance I’ll accidentally raise you wrong.

“You never cried or fussed from the time you were little, always had your own mind about things. The only thing I had to watch out for was your insatiable curiosity — I had to keep the Magic books in the house well hidden.

“But at your Grandmother Dayla’s place… every time I visit and watch her looking after a little baby…”

Shana shook her head, a hint of relief in her smile. “I just know — I couldn’t handle it!”

Mo Lan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Mom! You’re selling yourself way too short!”

But Shana was absolutely resolute about never raising another young Witch. “Go visit your Grandmother Dayla and experience firsthand what it’s like to look after a child — then you’ll understand. Little Leila may be three years old already, but she’s quite the little troublemaker! You’ll know what a headache means soon enough!”

A spark of anticipation rose unbidden in Mo Lan’s heart.

Thinking it over carefully, the only preschool-age young Witches she had ever really spent time with were Sylph’s two daughters — Flora and Tiana.

And even then, most of their time together had been before they were born, when they were still in their egg forms.

Not long after the two little ones had hatched, she had left.

By the time she returned, Flora and Tiana had already grown up and set out on their respective journeys. Now they had even ventured to the Well of the Sky to forge their own paths, and she hadn’t heard news of them in quite some time.

In truth, the thought of planting a Witch’s tree and nurturing a young Witch of her own had quietly taken root in Mo Lan’s mind as well.

This might be the perfect opportunity — she could visit Grandmother Dayla and properly learn about childcare.

After all, raising a child was far more involved than simply growing a Witch’s tree.

After Shana told her the coordinates of Grandmother Dayla’s new address, Mo Lan exclaimed in surprise, “It’s really not far from my place — ten minutes at most by broom!”

“That’s wonderful!” Shana said. “I’ll let Mama Dayla know the good news right away.”

After leaving the tavern, Mo Lan returned to her Witch’s home and turned the magical clock’s hand by the door to the tree icon.

When she twisted the doorknob, the scene before her eyes transformed entirely. A rich fragrance of flowers and the fresh scent of greenery rushed to greet her.

The mutant hollow tree she had planted stood not far from the spot Lilith had originally chosen — less than five hundred meters away.

It was similarly situated at the border between the Sunset Forest and the Sea of Roses, with the verdant forest at its back and roses stretching across the hills before it. Only it was positioned closer to the sea, where one could faintly hear the gentle sound of distant tides.

By now, the mutant hollow tree had grown nearly to its full size. Its trunk was thick and sturdy, its branches spreading wide — it needed only a bit more Hybrid Mana to reach complete maturity.

Mo Lan stepped inside the mutant hollow tree and pushed open the root-woven door to the basement. An emerald-like tree heart hovered at the very center of the underground chamber, radiating dense forces of nature.

Mo Lan gently placed her palm over the tree heart and slowly channeled disposable Mana into it. Before long, the tree heart had matured.

With that, the entire mutant hollow tree was now fully bonded to this tree heart. It could be absorbed into the heart at any time, ready to be carried on distant journeys.

But Mo Lan had no intention of moving it.

Dawn was approaching, and the sunrises and sunsets here were sights she was most reluctant to miss.

She cast the Weather-Reading Spell to check the local forecast — the next month would be nothing but fair skies.

“Zhizhi, Clack, Sentai,” she called over her shoulder, “come on up — let’s go watch the sunrise!”

They climbed the spiral staircase upward, passing through the spacious living quarters inside the hollow tree, until they finally reached the treetop platform.

The platform was naturally woven from interlacing branches, bordered by railings half a person’s height. From up here, the view was breathtakingly vast.

To the east, the Sea of Roses emerged in the brightening light in layered shades of pink and purple, meeting the deep blue horizon of the distant sea. To the west, the canopy of the Sunset Forest swayed gently in the morning breeze, as though still slumbering.

Sentai coiled herself into a vine-woven hanging chair at the platform’s best vantage point. Mo Lan climbed in and sat down. Zhizhi curled up on her lap, while Clack stood quietly to one side.

At the edge of the sky, the first ray of golden light pierced through the deep blue curtain of night.

Immediately after, the dawn light spilled like an overturned palette — tangerine, gold-pink, soft lavender — spreading layer upon layer, dyeing the clouds into magnificent brocade.

The sun rose slowly, first as a golden arc along the horizon, then half, then whole, leaping free of the sea in a blaze of radiant light.

Golden sunlight cascaded over the Sea of Roses, and a hundred million roses seemed to awaken in the same instant. Dewdrops on their petals refracted dazzling brilliance.

Where the wind passed, waves of flowers rolled and surged, their fragrance carried by the morning breeze up to the treetop platform.

Mo Lan drew a deep breath. The air was saturated with the scent of flowers, sea mist, and the crisp freshness of a forest morning. She leaned back in the hanging chair and closed her eyes, feeling the warm sunlight settle on her face. Her entire being seemed enveloped by this tranquil, abundant moment.

She stayed there until the sunlight began to grow too bright, then lazily opened her eyes.

“Alright,” she said, standing up and stretching luxuriously. She transformed her broomstick into a flying carpet. “Let’s go! We’ll bring gifts and head into the forest to visit Grandmother Dayla and see little Leila!”

Zhizhi perked up at once, leaping from Mo Lan’s lap onto the flying carpet. Clack loosened up his bones, grabbed the edge of the carpet, and clambered aboard.

Sentai simply wound herself around the carpet’s edges, coiling round and round until the flying carpet looked like a great basket.

Mo Lan let the carpet drift slowly toward the forest while she opened the Card Shop.

“What should we bring for Grandmother Dayla and little Leila? Zhizhi, Clack, Sentai — quick, help me think!”

Three heads and one vine huddled together before the Card Shop interface, tapping and scrolling away.

Before long, they had bought a huge pile of cards.

Food, practical items, toys — they had everything covered.

Mo Lan’s enthusiasm got the better of her, and she even crafted several toy cards herself. (End of Chapter)