Time quietly advanced to the end of July and although it was still vacation time, Hexia felt that her time at home would not last much longer.
The situation in Four-leaf Crystal showed no signs of calming down; instead, as some scars were revealed, the hidden resentment within various social sectors began to erupt. There were mutual accusations among the top echelons, and the layoffs and closures of some companies led to widespread dissatisfaction and protests, with news of such events frequently breaking.
During this time at home, aside from following the news and receiving updates from Edith Academy, Hexia also contemplated how this great war would eventually conclude.
If she considered her position, she undoubtedly leaned toward Edith, hoping for significant changes in the overall environment of the Four-leaf Crystal, but she was not so naive as to believe that the groups on Edith Academy's side were perfect saints. Many of them had banded together merely for profit, and some of her ideas and hopes were likely seen as childishly naive by these corporate groups.
Indeed, she really did tend to agonize over such matters.
The girl sat on the sofa, stroking the Light Cotton Bird in her arms, which had grown to the size of a normal hen, with snow-white feathers but with a light grey-blue tint at the edges of its tail and wings.
Feeling slightly agitated as if she stood on the deck of a ship setting off on a long voyage. The ship's course was in rough alignment with her own destination, but she was not in control of the finer details, and some islands she hoped to dock at would not be visited.
As she carefully smoothed the Light Cotton Bird's fluffy feathers, she zoned out, letting her thoughts drift and sink in her mind.
'Indeed, humans are difficult creatures to get along with.' Lifting the bird that was sleeping on her knee, she gently rubbed its head, then tossed it into the air. Watching the tiny creature cheep and twirl before lightly landing on Hexia's head, ready to continue its nap.
Seeing their companion settle atop Hexia's head, the other Light Cotton Birds perched in the sofa's corner took flight, seemingly eager to attempt the same.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves; it was hard enough to train the big spider, and now you like doing this too, huh?" Hexia raised her hands, catching the Light Cotton Bird on her head. These creatures, while not small, were extraordinarily light, like tufts of cotton, even capable of hovering midair—a skill many birds lacked.
Caught by Hexia, the slightly overweight Light Cotton Bird struggled, but Hexia firmly grasped its wings, leaving it to flutter in vain.
Perhaps Hexia was still pondering some details and the distant future, such as how to manage the recovery of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain after Edith's victory, and how to prevent past tragedies from recurring. However, the current sentiment in the academy was far from as assured as Hexia's because some enterprises and groups began to waver and recede in the face of Saint Yingo's hardline crackdown.
As mentioned in Saint Yingo's internal meetings, even though aligning with Edith might be in the long-term interest of these companies, the immediate perilous situation meant that continued opposition to Saint Yingo would bring about substantial losses, even bankruptcy risks. Under such pressure, some companies quietly started withdrawing from the alliance affiliated with Edith Academy.
Two days later, Hexia was awakened by the ringing of her personal terminal, followed by Annelli's slightly anxious voice.
"Sister Hexia, some recent events have unfolded..."
After a 20-minute explanation, Hexia slowly emerged from the grogginess of sleep.
"Hmm, I understand. Wait a moment; I should be able to make it back to the academy by noon. Also, notify the student council members to return to school as soon as they can."
It seemed her vacation could no longer continue. After getting up, Hexia stepped barefoot onto the floor and headed straight to the bathroom to take a shower, then get dressed and set out.
Two hours later, a military flying vessel landed at the airport on the surface of Payin City; it released a vortex of blue air streams before slowly ascending.
Sitting by the window on the side of the cabin, Hexia watched the ground and the giant square wells of Payin City slowly recede below. She knew she might not return here for quite some time to enjoy her leisure days.
As the news reported, the war had already begun, and neither side would back down. Years of accumulated influence, connections, and resources were now on the gambling table for both parties, and any withdrawal would mean all prior investments were sunk, and there was no win-win outcome between the two sides; one must fall for the other to stand.
She had been too idealistic in her thoughts, and reality couldn't accommodate so many considerations—it was probably only after achieving victory that there would be the leeway to perfect subsequent matters.
Her fingers tied up the hair at the back of her head, a white ribbon with a blue rose butterfly knot fastened at her collarbone, framing her modest chest, followed by a form-fitting black cincher and a skirt of interchanging shades of dailan and black. Hexia was dressed more formally today, lending her appearance a sense of solemnity unusual from other days.
The flying vessel sped up, heading straight southward, reaching the open sea in half an hour, and gradually approaching the location of the South First District after another hour.
Breaking through the thick clouds, raindrops exploded into mist as they struck the wings and, accompanied by a loud roar, the flycraft gently landed in South First District.