Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

Stepping out of the massive dome-shaped admissions hall, the sky outside was overcast. Sparse raindrops fell continuously from the dark clouds, striking the black plaza below and splashing into tiny droplets.

Whoosh—

A cold wind blew by, scattering a few raindrops onto Hestia. The icy sensation seeped into her skin, sending a chill through her body.

“This weather…”

Hestia gazed at the rainy world outside, standing alongside several other students who had also just left the hall.

If it were ordinary rain, the technology and tools of the present day would make it nothing to worry about. However, the rain on Verdant Veil, this planet, was far from ordinary—especially in the 26 districts of the northern region, where the corrosive nature of the rainfall was well-known.

The admissions hall’s crystalline, polygonal dome was specifically designed to resist this corrosive rain. Were the structure made of metal or conventional concrete, it would likely deteriorate within a few years, rendering it unsafe.

Each year, during the rainy season from April to May, the toxicity of the planet’s rainfall reached its peak. From June to August, the toxicity gradually diminished, and the corrosiveness weakened significantly. During that time, it was possible to walk in the rain without protective equipment.

What should I do? Should I call for a rental car? Hestia hesitated, knowing it would be expensive but also realizing there wasn’t much of an alternative.

Though her living expenses were minimal, she barely had any income. As a result, she had to save every penny. Thankfully, now that she had graduated from middle school and was entering high school, she could take on some simple part-time jobs to earn money.

After a brief internal debate, Hestia followed the example of other students and used her personal terminal to book a hover taxi, waiting patiently for it to arrive.

The gray rain curtain enveloped the world before her, falling on the ground, the dome, and the steel structures, producing splashes of varying intensity. The water vapor and cold breeze mingled and swept past her. Despite knowing the rain was slightly toxic, the tranquil atmosphere amidst the din brought Hestia a faint sense of happiness.

Soon, I’ll be an adult. There’s so much I can do in the future.

“Hey, Hestia!”

A familiar voice called out from behind her just as the gray-haired girl stood quietly in the rain, waiting.

Who is it?

Hestia turned around to see three girls walking toward her. They were wearing the same school uniform as she was—her classmates from middle school.

“Did you come alone, Hestia?” one of the girls, an outgoing short-haired one, approached her and patted her shoulder.

“Uh, yes,” Hestia replied, shrinking slightly and looking nervous, like a timid bird.

Shy, introverted, and socially awkward—these were probably the labels most commonly associated with her.

“Haha, brave of you to come alone,” the short-haired girl said with a laugh.

The four of them stood together, chatting about their experiences at the admissions assessments.

“Clara, Millie, how did your assessments go?” the short-haired girl asked the others.

“I think I did well. I performed a dance, and the teacher was stunned,” said a girl dressed in a trendy crop top, making a playful gesture.

“Are you planning to debut as an idol?”

“Of course! Being an idol is the way to make big money. Plus, I’ll have countless men throwing gold coins at me. That’s the kind of life I want. I wouldn’t settle for some boring job.”

“Wow, amazing! When you become a superstar, don’t forget about us. We’ll come to rely on you,” the short-haired girl teased.

“And you, Millie?”

“I applied to Sreb Academy. I think I’ll pass,” Millie said. Sreb Academy was a school specializing in medical professions, particularly focused on the Tide Sequence.

“Millie, you’re being modest. A lot of your relatives work in pharmaceutical companies. Your future path is already paved for you,” the short-haired girl remarked.

“Not really,” Millie replied, though the pride in her smile was impossible to hide.

As the short-haired girl chatted fluently with the others, her social ease made the gray-haired Hestia feel a pang of envy.

“What about you, Lina?” Hestia eventually mustered the courage to ask in a soft voice. She had once shared a desk with Lina and was more familiar with her, making her less intimidating than the others.

“Me? I’ll tell you in a bit. But first, what about you, Hestia?” Lina teased.

“I… I applied to Erin Academy. I’ve been preparing for a long time, so I might make it this time.” Hestia hesitated but decided not to mention her application to Adess Academy. That would seem far too ambitious.

“Erin Academy is great! I remember back in eighth grade, you were already studying medical-related materials. You’ve been preparing for this for years. Good for you, Hestia,” Lina said.

Erin Academy was a mid-tier high school in the Northern 7th District, primarily training students for careers as doctors and nurses. However, to become a doctor, one would need to attend university. High school graduates could only qualify as nurses.

“Erin Academy, huh? Not bad,” Millie muttered, her tone tinged with a mix of disdain and jealousy.

The four of them came from Arpeggio City, a relatively small town with poor middle school education standards. Even for the best students in their class, getting into a mid-tier high school in the district was considered an impressive achievement.

“By the way, have you heard about Tiffan?” Clara suddenly asked.

“No, what happened to her?”

“She got a boyfriend!” Clara said in an exaggerated tone.

“That’s not really surprising,” Lina replied, brushing back her hair.

In this era of advanced information networks, people matured quickly. Middle school relationships were hardly unusual.

“The thing is, her boyfriend has elf blood. He’s super handsome—I’m so jealous,” Clara gushed.

“Elf blood? That’s rare. Most elves on this planet have migrated away,” Lina remarked.

In the beginning, this planet was developed by an Elven consortium within the Federation, which is why its name, “Verdant Veil,” carries an Elven cultural touch. However, with industrial development and environmental degradation over time, many Elves gradually left this planet for other regions of the Federation.

“Exactly, which is why I’m so envious. Her boyfriend even bought her the latest personal terminal from ‘Ink Melody Workshop.’ I saw online that it costs at least 30,000 Federal Credits.”

“Wow, that’s so much money,” the others exclaimed in amazement.

Income disparity among the constellations within the Federation is immense. In the Four-Leaf Crystal constellation, the median annual income is 32,400 Federal Credits. In other words, the terminal costs as much as an average person’s yearly salary.

“Tiffan sure knows how to play her cards. Back at the Winter Festival, she was already trying to seduce boys by wearing skirts in such cold weather. Now, who knows what tricks she’s using,” one of them commented with a scoff.

“Why don’t you try it too, Millie?” Lina teased casually, as if used to such conversations.

“Me? Maybe in my second year of high school, if my grades are good enough. Then I might ask my aunt for some money to get plastic surgeries. I know all about that; a lot of my relatives are in that business,” Millie replied with a hint of ambition.

“Ugh, you’re so timid. Just go for it! Boys are easy to fool. But finding one who’s rich, handsome, and single is the real challenge,” Clara interjected bluntly, her words tinged with mockery.

“You—” Millie tried to retort but hesitated as she glanced at Clara’s superior figure and flawless skin, her confidence faltering.

Turning her head, Millie spotted the gray-haired Hestia standing quietly in the corner and suddenly felt better.

“What about you, Hestia? You’re so pretty. Surely you’ve got a few boyfriends spoiling you with gifts?”

“I… I’ve never dated anyone,” Hestia answered timidly, startled by the sudden attention.

“Really? I don’t believe it. Nowadays, everyone’s looking for a guy to spend money on them. With your looks, if you’re not using them, you must have overread and become a fool,” Millie said, smirking and casting a sly glance at Hestia.

“Hahaha,” the others laughed, making Hestia feel a wave of shame and discomfort. She didn’t know how to respond.

In their class, the popular students were usually those who were outgoing, athletic, or good at battles. Quiet, introverted students like Hestia—focused on studying and rarely socializing—were often sidelined and overlooked.

“Do you think you’ll get anywhere with just studying? What a fool!” someone in their class had once mocked the introverted students, drawing laughter from the rest.

Though Hestia understood that academic success wasn’t everything, such remarks still hurt her deeply. Standing there in that moment felt like an ordeal.

Fortunately, Lina stepped in to ease the tension.

“Alright, enough. Stop teasing. Hestia is aiming to get into Erin Academy. If she becomes a doctor, you might all need her help someday,” she said, putting an end to the ridicule.

“Speaking of which, it’s my turn, isn’t it?” Lina adjusted her short hair, revealing large, round golden earrings inlaid with rubies.

“I took the entrance assessment for Gale Stream High School. You probably haven’t heard of it since it’s in the Southern District,” she explained. The southern hemisphere of the Verdant Veil planet had a better environment and was significantly more prosperous than the northern hemisphere.

“It’s a subsidiary school of the Black Spiral Corporation. Graduating from there makes it easy to join the company.”

“Black Spiral? The company that manufactures waterproof materials?”

“Exactly, and it’s doing quite well,” Lina replied nonchalantly, though the envy from the others was palpable.

For a moment, the conversation centered on Lina, and the gray-haired Hestia quietly faded back into the background—a state she actually preferred, as the lack of attention gave her a sense of relief.

Time passed, and the hovercar Hestia had called finally arrived.

“Wait, you ordered your own car? You should have told us! We could’ve carpooled and saved money,” Lina said, surprised.

“Ah, um…” Hestia stammered, unsure how to respond. She nodded quickly and hurried into the vehicle. The doors closed behind her.

Once inside the gray hovercar, the sound of rain and the chatter outside faded, replaced by the soft hum of the vehicle’s systems.

The automated AI’s voice spoke clearly and calmly.

[Welcome aboard. Your destination is: Northern 7th Disctrict, Arpeggio City, 653 Spiral Stone Street, Atrium.]

[Please confirm: Yes/No.]

“Yes,” Hestia replied.

[Confirmed. Plotting route. Please wait…]

[Route complete. Beginning journey…]

The AI’s steady tone eased Hestia’s restless thoughts.

Automated systems were nice, she mused. At least they didn’t say hurtful things.

As the car glided smoothly through the rain, Hestia leaned against the window, clutching her folder of documents. She stared at the gray world outside. Raindrops streaked down the glass, forming rivulets that merged and slid away. Absentmindedly, she traced patterns on the window with her finger before catching herself.

In her class, she wasn’t particularly noteworthy. While her academic scores were decent, few people besides the teachers paid much attention to her. At a poorly ranked school like hers, the focus was often on who was the most entertaining or athletic, not the brightest student.

And that wasn’t unusual. The Four-Leaf Crystal constellation had a struggling economy, with many companies downsizing. Even good grades didn’t guarantee a decent job anymore.

“Who does the job doesn’t really matter,” people often said. With advancements in technology, most work had been standardized and simplified. Competence mattered less than connections and resources.

This disparity concentrated wealth at the top while the lower classes immersed themselves in entertainment and materialism. Confronting the harsh reality of their stagnant lives was simply too painful.

This was an era of extraordinary technological and cultural development, yet also a time when lofty ideals were crushed under the weight of reality. Humanity had transcended natural limits through knowledge and experience, only to find these tools forged new chains of inequity.

“So this is truly a sorrowful world,” Hestia thought.

Her classmates’ ridicule saddened her, but she understood that their actions were part of a broader problem. Everyone was searching for a way out of this cycle, though few found clear answers.

Of course, there was one well-known path: the practice of Transcendent Sequences.

These sequences ranged from levels 1 to 9, with each advancement requiring increasingly complex structures within the Transcendent Core. These cores granted individuals incredible, unique powers. However, crafting these structures was highly challenging, making transcendent abilities one of the few ways to escape one’s social class.

The allure of Edess Academy lay in its five “perfect” methods for advancing to Sequence 5, providing a robust foundation for future progress. By contrast, those relying on crude methods often found Sequence 2 to be their limit. Their fragile cores couldn’t handle the immense power required for higher sequences, leading to collapse or corruption.

Pondering these thoughts, Hestia gradually fell asleep in the car, holding her documents close. An hour later, the synthesized AI voice woke her.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

“Already?” she murmured, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. She stepped out of the car and found herself in front of a massive square atrium.

The sharp, crimson edges of steel surrounded the central pit, shielding it and separating it from the outside world. From above, she could see ships and hovercars moving in and out of the enormous chasm. Surrounding the atrium were terraced stairways illuminated by countless lights. Shops and residences were nestled within the steel jungle, and thin streams of white mist rose from the depths like a ghostly veil.

This was Arpeggio City, her home—a sprawling, underground industrial metropolis.