Chapter 4129: Mana

"Very nice, isn't it?"

Their noses brushed lightly, and the blonde witch asked softly with pursed lips. Xia De took a deep breath and nodded:

"All this time, you've been the one constantly reaching out to help me, while I haven't been able to do much for you. But I don't want it to be like that. I want to do things for you too, even if it's only small things. Is there anything I can do for you?"

She didn't say "there's no need," because that would only let a relationship that was progressing smoothly stay as it was. This feeling came from something neither of them could clearly explain, and Xia De clearly didn't want to only take—he also wanted to show through action that he wasn't satisfied with the status quo.

The witch understood how he felt at that moment, and she smiled gently:

"Then, from now on, could you stop calling me 'Miss Feliana'? At least when it's just the two of us, I don't want to hear that kind of address anymore."

"Mana?"

He called out that name, then said softly:

"I'll be waiting for you on the other side of time."

This time she kissed him first, and only when a knock came at the door and Briana pushed it open, saw the two of them, and gave a soft cough did they slowly part.

Briana's hair was damp and loose down her back at that moment. She looked at her teacher with a hint of reproach, but didn't dare complain outright—after all, this time she had already taken a great advantage.

The witch in the purple gown simply smiled and wiped Xia De's lips with her hand.

Briana said:

"Teacher, Xia De, the halfling miss who came back with you is in a somewhat unstable mental state right now. I recommend letting her stay for a period of treatment."

As she spoke, she sat down on Xia De's other side. She hadn't closed the study door, and clearly someone outside was "eavesdropping." Although Xia De didn't see any heads poking out, he did see three dragon horns.

"No problem, but there's no need to worry about that child's condition. What she needs now is time to forget the things she shouldn't have known."

Miss Feliana said, then spoke toward the doorway:

"You all come in too. Xia De is about to leave—don't you want to say goodbye?"

Fiona, Gina, and Elphina only then shuffled in, pushing at each other. Although Miss Briana's condition wasn't particularly good, Gina looked as if she had already fully recovered, and had even changed into the same dragon-maid dedicated uniform as Fiona and Elphina. This kind of outfit needed to leave room for the tail and wings, and because the dragon girls had horns on their heads, their headpieces were also different from a normal maid's.

Seeing Xia De look at her current outfit, the pink dragon girl's tail swayed once behind her. Fiona, beside her, understood that meant shyness and happiness.

Time really was running short. After returning to the normal world of the Fifth Epoch, Xia De and Briana had spent most of their time expressing how much they had missed each other. Now that Miss Feliana had told Xia De the important things, and once again confirmed their relationship with that kiss, he had only the last two minutes before he had to leave.

Xia De stood up from the sofa. Miss Feliana and Briana remained seated, watching him walk toward the three dragon maids.

"Honestly, we only just reunited and now we have to part again."

Fiona, poised and generous, hugged Xia De once. Though a little displeased, she accepted reality:

"If you need anything in your era, remember to come find me! I'm a very powerful dragon witch."

She planted a fierce kiss on Xia De's cheek, then pushed him toward her companions.

"Are Amelia and Yi Lu Na doing well? Did Amelia smoothly become the Elf Queen?"

After locking eyes with Xia De, the green dragon girl's face instantly flushed red. She didn't seem to know what she was thinking of. She grabbed her right arm with her left hand and turned her face slightly to one side to avoid Xia De's gaze, but before Xia De could answer, she turned her face back:

"Honestly, you have to take good care of them. If I get the chance, I'd also like to visit the place where you all live... Remember to tell Amelia that you're already calling me by name!"

She also kissed Xia De once, then pushed him toward Gina. The pink dragon girl, taking her cue from her seniors, first gave Xia De a light kiss, then clenched her fists with great enthusiasm and promised:

"If you really have a dragon egg that needs looking after, you must remember to send it over! I'm a professional nursery dragon maid! I can take care of any kind of dragon baby!"

"Alright, you all take care too. I don't know when we'll meet again, but I promise it won't be too long."

The cat had already been tucked by Xia De into the inside pocket of his coat, and the little doll still sat on his shoulder. Xia De promised the dragon girls. When he turned back toward the sofa, the demigod witches had also already stood up.

All the witches saw white mist drift out of the void and entwine Xia De's body. Miss Feliana and Briana said no more words of farewell; they only instructed:

"Remember to rest. Even the busiest witch can always find time for afternoon tea."

"Stay safe. Although you have things you must do, don't forget there are people who miss you. Xia De, may the moon walk with you."

Xia De took a deep breath. Although he was facing another parting, this time he felt no melancholy at all—he knew very well that the next reunion wouldn't be far off:

"You too. The academy is just starting out and there's still a lot to do, but occasionally you should look up at the moon."

He spread his arms and embraced both demigods at once, then vanished from the study, as if this spacetime had never held any trace of him.

The dragon girls lowered the hands they had been waving in farewell, and their tails all drooped to the floor.

Briana sighed, and Miss Feliana glanced at her:

"What, you're still not satisfied?"

"Teacher, you of all people wouldn't understand right now. But thank you for giving me most of the time."

The violet-beautiful witch shook her head:

"After all, I need time to deal with that doll. There will definitely be chances to meet again in the future."

She looked at the place where Xia De had disappeared, then spoke toward the doorway again:

"Come in. He's already gone."

The "black dragon" girl, who had been hiding herself, only then walked in. Although she also had draconic features, her tail wasn't very obvious, and her wings weren't pure black either. The color was like a deep night sky lit with starlight—enchanting and mysterious:

"Principal Feliana."

The violet-beautiful witch nodded, without saying more to her:

"In the name of Principal Mana Feliana, the Saint Byron's Witch Academy 3030 Autumn Full-School Practical Activity officially begins next week."

"Then what is the theme this time?"

Fiona asked.

"Searching, 【The Leather Goods Hall】."

(Xia Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya running)

"Meow~"

The cat's voice remained unusually clear within the thick white mist. That cry wasn't Xia Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya expressing the pleasure of finally being able to return to the Sixth Epoch—it was that, after being placed on Xia De's left shoulder, it was now threatening the doll on Xia De's right shoulder.

But at this moment the doll seemed to have become an empty shell, making no movements and showing no intention of speaking. Xia De thought this attempt had failed, but when he touched the doll with his hand, he clearly felt that the spirituality and power Miss Feliana had bestowed upon it had not disappeared.

A translucent towering tree that seemed to connect heaven and earth had already appeared before Xia De. In the windless space, the canopy of the great tree rustled softly.

"Her" voice was very gentle:

【Warning from the "Father of the Infinite Tree": Rule violations are permitted only once. After the doll returns to the Sixth Epoch, it can only remain active for half an hour. The doll casting spells will shorten the available active time.】

"This is fine."

Xia De was not surprised by the result; in fact, he was already astonished to have half an hour. Although this was not carrying a true Witch of the Fifth Epoch back to the Sixth Epoch, he understood to himself that this was, after all, an action probing the edge of the rules:

"Thank you, Father Tree. I will not attempt something like this again in the future."

The Young Lady doll clearly could not be active in the 【Time Corridor】, and on this point she was very different from little Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya. But before Xia De could ponder why the cat was permitted to wander about looking around here, two leaves drifted down from the swaying canopy.

Xia De quickly raised both hands high, letting the two leaves overlap and fall into his palms.

One leaf contained a wondrous art called "Veil of the Night," and the other held a divine contract. Xia De had originally expected the latter to appear in the form of tree bark, but to his surprise it was still a 【Evergreen Ye Zi】.

He actually wanted to investigate right now what exactly the so-called "Divine Contract · Dragon Maid Contract" was, but Xia De still remembered what he had been doing before entering the past this time:

"The lingering echo left by Breenith in the 【Leather Hall】 said that to completely annihilate the Hall, their power is still needed. So, Miss Feliana and Breenith—did they anticipate that this experiment would succeed?"

Xia De turned his head slightly to look at the doll Young Lady on his shoulder. After delving into the 【Leather Hall】 to investigate and confirming that this relic did not possess the kind of power that 【House of the False】 had, the relic no longer seemed to him a particularly great obstacle.

Previously he could only confirm that it could be driven out this time, and was still uncertain whether it could be fully contained or annihilated. But now, with Miss Feliana's help, the fate of the 【Leather Hall】 was already sealed.

"It's just that there are other forces still operating within the Hall... If the matter of the Hall can be resolved swiftly, I could have Miss Feliana and Dac Dac Nisi discuss the matter of the Moon Egg. Although I cannot persuade her, perhaps Miss Feliana can."

Xia De carefully tucked away the two leaves, looked up once more at the towering great tree, recalled little Leaving Xiao Leaving Xiao Miya—who was not suited to appear in the 【Leather Hall】—and then turned and walked toward the depths of the thick fog.

【Outsider, you have returned to the present.】

【Message from the ancient god "Father of the Infinite Tree":】

【Infinite Time shelters you.】