In the evening, a dust-covered Yvette returned to the estate with Rosalyn in tow.

Today’s adventure had not gone as planned; Yvette never expected that within the seemingly peaceful factory area, a gigantic mechanical aberration was lying in ambush.

As she and Rosalyn swept past the remnants of a certain factory on the edge, a massive mechanical tortoise covered with patches of red flesh suddenly lunged out from the ruins, kicking up clouds of dust that reached for the sky, nearly swallowing the two of them whole.

Fortunately, Yvette had excellent skateboarding skills; with a sharp tail slide, she narrowly escaped by the tortoise’s edge and used Wind Control to accelerate her getaway. Otherwise, she would likely have been reborn to witness a different ceiling by now.

Afterward, she had Rosalyn go take a bath first. Yvette summoned a simple Water Magic to wash her face clean while silently recalling the form of that mechanical giant tortoise, piecing together some guesses.

It must have been a mechanical beast from some circus or theater several hundred years ago, which would pull a stage during parades for festivals and, when not in use, was stored in a suburban warehouse. When the apocalypse hit, it had suddenly turned into a local boss…

What a stroke of bad luck; not only was it fraught with danger, but it also caused her to lose face in front of the little golden-haired girl and damaged her reputation as a skilled mage… Ah, it must have been because she wanted to show off too much in front of a child, and after leading a relatively calm life recently, she had lost the cautiousness she once had… This can’t happen again; I’m still far from strong enough. I must maintain a sense of respect for this world…

After a deep moment of reflection, once Rosalyn emerged from the bathroom, Yvette also sank into the warm water of the bathtub. By the time her snow-white skin blushed a rosy hue, she had changed into a comfortable white robe and stepped out.

Upon opening the door, she saw Rosalyn standing at the foot of the stairs, her little face tight and her eyes very serious as she looked at her.

“Lady Witch!” she said earnestly.

“What… what is it…” Yvette instinctively connected this to what had happened today, and felt somewhat guilty, suspecting that the little girl had come to lecture her on not being so reckless in the future.

But as it turned out, she was overthinking it. Rosalyn took a deep breath and spoke the words she had been harboring for a while: “Can I… learn magic from you?”

“You want to learn magic?” Yvette asked, not surprised.

She had already sensed this request coming; after all, many times while she was dealing with the aberrations, Rosalyn would watch intently, showing a deep fascination with magic.

However, since the little girl had never actively brought it up before, Yvette pretended not to notice.

“Yes, I want to learn… but I can’t offer anything in return. Will you teach me?” Rosalyn shyly lowered her head, looking at her slippers.

Yvette said nothing, silently observing her. She didn’t immediately agree, but she didn’t refuse either.

She had already thought a lot about this matter, with one major key point being—why should she take on a disciple? What benefit would it bring her?

In terms of kindness, by taking in this little golden-haired girl, providing her with food and shelter, and protecting her from the threat of aberrations, she had already demonstrated a significant measure of kindness.

But taking on a disciple was another matter entirely. It involved the vast treasure of knowledge that came from the original civilization, an invaluable asset—could she just hand that over to a stranger from another world?

The kind of mentor-student relationship that ancient people had was often seen as an investment for one’s old age, but Yvette didn’t need anyone to take care of her in her later years. Moreover, if the aurora reappeared, this little girl would return home, and all her investments would be for nothing, possibly benefiting others in this strange world… And due to safety concerns, she wouldn’t plan any trips to other worlds for at least a few hundred years…

Looking at it this way, it seemed she couldn’t find a reason to offer the runic knowledge she possessed for free.

Just like she had never considered teaching Rosalyn Blacktide Language.

As a long silence stretched on, Rosalyn, with her head lowered, felt her heart sank deeper into the water.

Being a noble girl with good upbringing, she understood one thing very well—that gaining something required giving something in return; there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Court mages in the kingdom occasionally took on noble disciples but usually charged exorbitant tuition fees. The church provided free opportunities, but the price was a lifetime commitment to the church, pledging loyalty unto death.

And her, a girl with nothing, what could she possibly offer for a powerful witch who didn’t know how many years she had lived, to take her as a disciple?

How presumptuous, Rosalyn, what are you saying? You should be grateful for the protection of the witch sister; how could you have such the audacity to make a further request… Gradually, feelings of regret surfaced in her heart.

But just as she was about to retract this request, Yvette suddenly said, “…It’s not impossible.”

Not impossible? That means it is possible?

Rosalyn looked up in surprise, then heard Yvette continue, “…But you will need to go through a little test.”

“A test?”

“Yes, a small test,” Yvette confirmed. “Do you know the Meditation Method?”

“I don’t know…” Rosalyn shook her head. As the daughter of a count, she had once had the opportunity to study with a court mage, but unfortunately, there was only one slot, and her father had decided to give it to her older brother after much consideration.

She bore no resentment since she wouldn’t be going to battle, while her brother was the one truly going to face the demons.

“The Meditation Method is the foundation of magic training and the primary way to obtain magic power,” Yvette instructed. “You’ll first follow me in practicing meditation for three years. If, after three years, your total magic capacity satisfies me, I will officially take you as my disciple.”

As a person of mediocre talent, when she had begun meditating, Yvette’s growth was around 2 points per year, an exceedingly slow pace.

If Rosalyn truly possessed exceptional talent, she could grow quickly, enabling her to become Yvette’s right-hand companion in this dangerous world and enhance their resistance to survival risks.

This was the reason she had to persuade herself to take on a disciple.

Of course, the character of a disciple was also very important… But the little girl was performing well so far: obedient, sensible, and well-educated—she was only just ten years old, and her worldview had yet to solidify. If any issues with her character were to arise in the future, the one who would be held accountable would be her, the teacher…

Three years? Rosalyn’s heart skipped a beat, but she didn’t hesitate for even a moment. “Okay, Lady Witch!” she nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with determination.

…

After receiving the instruction on the Meditation Method, in the following days, Rosalyn’s enthusiasm for “adventures” visibly cooled. Most of the time, she dutifully stayed in her room on the second floor, diligently meditating.

Yvette’s life thus became more tranquil.

In the mornings, she finally finished the book “Basics of Magitek Machinery.” In the afternoons, she leisurely did some gardening around the estate, trimming the flowers and plants. Just before evening, she wandered several kilometers away to another city park to clear land, contemplating planting some wheat seeds there when spring arrived next year.

Then, the next morning, looking at the flowerbed she had neatly trimmed the day before, now a chaotic mess, Yvette’s expression darkened. It seemed the threat posed by wild animals to her farming efforts was much greater than that of the aberrations.

Perhaps she should unlock the “electrical grid” technology tree first? That would not only protect her harvest but also significantly enhance the security of the estate.

However, to unlock the electrical grid, she would need to access even more powerful energy storage devices, prompting Yvette to go out frequently to excavate ruins and seek out professional books in the field of energy storage…

And so, in this serene process of wasteland cultivation, an entire year quietly slipped by unnoticed.

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