Hecate’s Intervention and Iordera’s Dilemma

The sisters exchanged a glance, then a sudden tremor ran through their bodies as understanding dawned upon them, revealing their immediate course of action.Nina fetched three sticks of incense, which Yuna lit, before bowing reverently towards the letter.’Oh, esteemed Witch, we entrust our eldest young lady to your care. Never mind just one night; she can stay for several more, if you wish.”Indeed, we hope you enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”Any position will do; it’s quite alright. Our eldest young lady can certainly handle it.”Even if she can’t, she must endure. After all, pressure is a powerful motivator.’****Upon Hecate’s arrival, she brazenly requested a room and summoned Iordera for a chat.Iordera’s emotions were a tangled knot; upon seeing Hecate, she was inexplicably overcome with a sense of relief, as if the matter had already been resolved.Yet, Hecate, having called her in, remained silent, merely sitting and brewing tea.Iordera gritted her teeth. “They were after me. The girl outside had nothing to do with it; she merely intervened out of a sense of justice.”Truth be told, had Iordera handled them herself, their injuries might have been less severe.Regardless, the other girl’s assistance had been well-intentioned.Hecate set down her teacup and spoke softly, “My dear, I recall a time when you were but a struggling citizen in a small town, covered in dust and grime.”Iordera paused, bewildered. ‘What exactly did she mean by that?’“Yet now, you’ve firmly established yourself in Saroyan,” Hecate continued, deliberately lowering her voice and casting a grave expression. “I know you’re doing well at the academy, you have good relationships with your colleagues, and you’ve even made many new friends. Why, you even have beauties rescuing you on the streets.”Iordera’s mouth twitched.“But my dear, what could I possibly have done to make you disrespect me so profoundly?” Hecate asked, her face contorted in an expression of profound sorrow. “You won’t even call me ‘hubby’.”“Huh?”“Or even ‘Professor’,” Hecate corrected, her expression swiftly returning to normal. “A slight slip of the tongue, pay it no mind.”“…”Iordera found Hecate rather peculiar; beyond her usual sarcastic remarks, there seemed to be a hint of jealousy in her words.Taking a sip of her tea, Hecate lowered her head before speaking again. “That girl outside, she’s quite capable, isn’t she? I hear she’s the top student among the freshmen, and quite popular?”She didn’t inquire about what had transpired; rather, Hecate seemed more concerned with Iordera’s social connections.“Perhaps,” Iordera replied casually. “I’m not entirely sure myself.”In truth, Iordera had learned much about “C Language” (TL Note: A nickname for the girl, referencing the programming language.) during the tea party, but having just been helped by her, Iordera would never betray her.“Not from the Imperial Capital, yet impersonating someone who is, concealing her true origins,” Hecate mused, stretching her neck. “Is that right?”Iordera froze. “How did you know?”She certainly hadn’t betrayed C Language.“Why, wasn’t the tea party held in the library?” Hecate asked, as if stating the obvious. “You were allowed to listen, but I wasn’t?”Of course, Hecate resided in the library after all.“Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t really matter, does it?” Iordera mused. “It’s nothing important.”“Hm, that’s not necessarily true,” Hecate countered with a smile. “Concealing one’s origins might indicate she hails from a place not easily spoken of, a place where something significant once occurred.”Like Rockflower Town, for instance.“Telling me this is pointless; I know nothing,” Iordera said, shrugging her small shoulders. “Aside from Saroyan, I’ve only ever been to Juneburg.”“Quite so.”Hecate set down her teacup, rose, and walked to the doorway. “Rest now. The matter will be resolved by tomorrow.”“…Oh.”Frankly, a warmth spread through Iordera’s heart upon hearing those words.Though she still couldn’t fathom Hecate’s true motives for helping her.After sitting on the bed for a while, Iordera rose and pushed open the door, intending to share the news with C Language and reassure her.Since being brought here, C Language had remained silent, appearing utterly dejected.Iordera hadn’t even found an opportunity to ask her name.However, upon stepping out, she discovered that the other girl had also found a room to rest in.Never mind, she decided. She would tell her tomorrow.Lying back in bed, Iordera found sleep eluding her for a long time.The incident she had faced today left her feeling utterly helpless.The most ideal solution would have been to don her athletic wear, sprint far ahead of those men, and then simply go to work as usual the next day, pretending nothing had occurred.Alas, it was her professional attire that had led to such a perilous situation, compounded by her encounter with C Language…After much deliberation, Iordera reached a final conclusion.“Bare legs are still the best, after all.”While Hecate had rescued her this time, she couldn’t rely on her assistance every single time.Hmm, come to think of it, she *did* seem to rely on Hecate’s help every time…No, no, she mustn’t think that way. The witch’s intentions remained unclear; she couldn’t allow herself to become dependent. What if Hecate had dug a pit, simply waiting for her to fall in?Iordera was caught in a dilemma, unable to sleep for a long time.When she finally drifted off in the latter half of the night, her waking thoughts seeped into her slumber, conjuring a strange dream.In her dream, Hecate forcefully gripped Iordera’s slender neck, questioning her in a heavily accented ‘Chuanpu’ (TL Note: A humorous portmanteau of ‘Sichuan’ and ‘Putonghua’ (Mandarin), implying a strong, often comical, regional accent from Sichuan province, China) voice:“Have I ever harmed you? Have I ever harmed you?!”Iordera, dazed from being choked, couldn’t discern whether Hecate was asking if she had “harmed” her or “loved” her.The second morning arrived as expected, ushering in another day of school life.But this day was exceptionally unusual.At the temporary residence beside the teaching building, a considerable number of people had gathered.Among them were the boy from yesterday, the teacher, the Little Prince Augustus, and even Principal Louisa herself stood prominently present.“Last night, three students were attacked. According to the infirmary’s report,” the teacher informed Louisa, “one student suffered a concussion and remains largely unconscious. The other two sustained more serious injuries, not only limb damage but also a degree of skin burns. Had treatment not been prompt, their lives might have been in peril.”Sophia sat on the other side, her head still bowed low.Like Iordera, she hadn’t anticipated them being so fragile; a single sword strike, and they were…Augustus wore an expression of shock. “What? Such a thing happened? Was it Sophia who did it?”“Not just her,” the Crossbowman said. “There was also a security guard. Where is she?”The guards pondered for a moment, then concluded, as no one had left last night and she hadn’t emerged yet, “She’s still sleeping.”“Still sleeping?” the teacher who had arrived first shrieked. “Even Principal Louisa is standing here, and she’s still asleep? Do you expect us to drag her out?”Louisa frowned, remaining silent, unsure how to respond to such a question.Though ostensibly a mere security guard, in reality, she was still a…“If she hasn’t woken up, just wait a moment; there’s no need to rush,” Hecate remarked, walking in with a slight smile. “Who among us hasn’t enjoyed a lie-in?”