Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 70: Chapter 36: Zhen Mountain Affairs Office

"One at a time, don't bump into others, okay~"

As school was about to let out, the campus was bustling with life, including teachers dressed in mascot costumes, balloons fluttering in the air, various toy cars moving around, and little animated puppets dancing to music that was playing out loud.

"Grandma, I'm here~" A little girl waved excitedly from afar, standing beside a flower bed with a few other children her age, her face painted in bright colors, and holding a colorful spinning paper windmill in her hand.

Today was Children's Day, and Hexia accompanied Grandma He to school to visit Lisha and observe the activities taking place there.

Even though it was an Underground City, the environment at the elementary school and kindergarten was still filled with "sunshine." There were rare artificial skies, and the grass in the campus was real, with automatic robots programmed to water it daily.

Thanks to the reform 400 years ago, federal regulations required kindergartens and elementary schools to ensure sufficient lighting and an environment close to nature, with reduced tuition fees, and teachers' salaries supported by the government. All this was an effort to give federal residents a more beautiful childhood, as this is a crucial period for personality development.

Initially, some questioned the considerable expense, but it was eventually endorsed by the vast majority of federal citizens, and later the society did stabilize considerably. As a result, it slowly became a long-term national policy, with no further opposition.

Because children are immature and physically fragile, and many lack sufficient knowledge, they don't start training in the Transcendent Sequence. They're only in the stage of accumulating theoretical knowledge, and teaching them ahead of time is illegal.

History has seen those who tried to rush their children's development. There were several internal debates within the federation, but eventually, a vast amount of data showed that practicing the Transcendent Sequence too early in life caused more harm than the slight advantage of starting early. Thus, with a final decision, this rule was established.

This rule also brought another benefit, as none of the children had begun practicing the Transcendent Sequence; the gap between them wasn't apparent, which was more beneficial for healthy physical and mental growth.

Otherwise, starting from elementary school, they would face brutal in-fighting and competitive pressure, and it's hard to say whether those growing up in such an environment could maintain cheerfulness and avoid depression.

"Oh, my dear great-granddaughter." Grandma He walked over with a chuckle, feeling much better these past few days.

"Come, tell Grandma, what performance did you put on today?"

"Today we acted out the story of four cotton ducks battling the dark fire Great Demon King. In the end, the Great Demon King was defeated by our super love-hearted candy bullets; he even said that it was the flavor he misses and loves the most..."

Hexia bent down and looked at the kids chattering around Grandma He, amused and feeling a simple joy.

"This is for you, Hexia sis, here~" Lisha's tiny hands held out three lollipops to the young girl.

"They're really tasty candies, prizes we got from our performance competition. The teacher gave us each a box; it'll last a long time."

"Thank you, Lisha." Hexia received the candies, examining the label to see they were locally produced in Payin City, with a variety of flavors.

"Have one, Hexia sis, they're delicious."

A few children surrounded Hexia, and although some didn't know her, because Lisha was their good friend, they naturally assumed Hexia was close to them as well.

"Okay, I'll try this lime flavor."

The girl unwrapped the candy to reveal a light green lollipop, which she popped into her mouth, the taste of mixed fruit sweetness spreading on her tongue.

The flavor was indeed delightful, even better than the ones she'd had as a child—perhaps the manufacturer had improved them.

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While Grandma He, Hexia, and a few children were talking, a group of kids from a distance also ran over.

Their families mostly lived nearby, and these kids had also been tutored by Grandma He, so they naturally remembered Hexia, who had once been their teacher.

"That's Hexia sis, she's really awesome, can take down out-of-control baddies, and knows so much, even more than our teachers!"

"Better than the teachers, you're bragging again~"

"It's not just me, Sandi said so too." Sandi was the kid who wore glasses during the lessons at Grandma He's place and was always among the top three in class, so everyone knew him.

"Sandi really said that? Doesn't sound like him, he's too proud, hardly speaks to us normally."

"Hmph, always acting like an adult, I hate playing with him, he's always spouting all kinds of principles, so annoying."

"I'm not talking to you guys, my brother's here to pick me up, he said he'll take me out for a big meal today, bye~" With that, the child ran toward the school gates where a teenager in a high school uniform was smiling and waving at him.

"Wow, that guy's cutting out early again."

The campus was noisy and lively, with adults and children weaving through the stalls and play areas. At the edge of the artificial sky, a layer of faint golden sunset clouds appeared, casting a purple and reddish glow across the sky.

As dusk approached, Grandma He and Hexia didn't leave with Lisha until the sky grew dark, walking away from the radiant campus and slowly entering the familiar stairwell and elevator of their apartment building.

Along the way, they met plenty of neighbors returning from work; this was the busiest time in the residential area, with many people shopping for groceries or going for a walk. The small parks within the community were filled with adults and children alike.

Though the underground parks lacked an artificial sky, they were illuminated with bright night lamps, making them the brightest spots in the otherwise dim residential area.