Volume 3, Chapter 18 – The Guided One

“Thank you for your assistance, Lady Ash Witch.”

Sitting at the white dining table laden with delicacies, Fia thanked the black-veiled Friede with etiquette befitting a princess. Although the matter could have been resolved even without Friede’s help, the proper courtesies still had to be observed.

Furthermore, because of the arrival of Friede’s group, the original small table had become unsuitable, so Fia’s group had to move to a long table that could accommodate more people. As for that obtuse man named Dick, he had been kicked so hard by Milu that his face had turned blue, and he had fainted on the spot with a scream. He had been carried away by his subordinates earlier.

Many people in the restaurant had witnessed Dick’s humiliation, so no one dared to point fingers at Milu anymore. They also looked at Fia with curiosity. Dick was a fairly prominent alchemist in Byrne City. For even such a person to be beaten so passively, one could only imagine the strength of Friede, dressed as a noble lady, and Fia, at whom Friede was smiling.

Fia smiled at Friede across the table.

“I didn’t expect we would meet again so soon.”

To Fia’s surprise, Friede did not hide the fact that they had been watching her earlier.

“Hehe… I actually sought you out, Miss Fia. Some things are not suitable to be said at the city gate. Didn’t you say so yourself during the day? It’s a crowded place, not a place to talk. So I was thinking, perhaps you meant that we should meet again in the evening. As for that alchemist named Dick, I believe you could have handled him even without me, so there’s no need to thank me.”

As she spoke, Friede glanced at Renee, who was sitting in a lower seat, from time to time. When their eyes met, she would even give Renee a friendly smile.

“If not for Vice-Captain Renee here, I would not have been able to connect you with the nobility of the Elf Kingdom. Traveling with only one guard and in a carriage from the Milcandis Holy Kingdom, you look more like a powerful magic caster than a noble.”

“You know me? Did Baron Khesa tell you?”

“Yes.” Facing Renee’s slightly aggressive tone, Friede still admitted it generously with a smiling expression. “Baron Khesa told my people earlier that he wishes to join the Elf Kingdom with his territory, and that the kingdom would send someone to investigate the situation. You have met with the baron, so of course, I know what he knows. The reason Baron Khesa has lived this long has a lot to do with our Witch Hall.”

The Witch Hall needed Baron Khesa to provide a base, and the baron needed the power of the Witch Hall to keep his head. The two were partners.

Friede’s upfront manner gave Fia a slightly favorable impression. Although Friede only thought of her as the daughter of some great noble in Silvar, it did not matter. In fact, it was beneficial for the conversation to come. Fia could roughly guess Friede’s purpose in coming here: she wanted to ask if she was the one who had killed the Flame King.

Fia lowered her head and gently stirred the drink in her cup. Her companions did not interrupt. Apart from Renee, the other three were focused on enjoying their dinner, especially Milu. Although it was clear that Milu was trying her best not to appear uncultured, the sound of her burying her head in her food and gobbling it down had already exposed her hunger. Of course, Fia did not think this was a bad thing. Who knew how long it had been since Milu had had a proper meal? The purpose of her coming here was to let Milu eat her fill.

The table fell silent for a moment.

Until Fia suddenly asked.

Reаԁ οn KаtReаdіոɡCαfe

“Miss Friede seems to have something to say. Since you already know my identity, let’s get straight to the point. I don’t like beating around the bush.”

Receiving Fia’s approval, a look of joy appeared in Friede’s black eyes. She straightened her back and said gently.

“Then I won’t be polite. I came here mainly to talk about two things. I believe you also saw me and my compatriots returning from the desert during the day, and the scene of the soldiers at the city gate cheering for us having killed the Flame King.”

“Yes.”

Fia nodded lightly, signaling Friede to continue.

“But the Flame King’s death was not the work of us witches. The reason we went to the great desert was to seek cooperation with him. I needed the powerful Flame King to do me a favor. In the past, the actions of some malicious witches have caused the vast majority of powers on the World Tree Continent to refuse to cooperate with us, and even to immediately gather forces to eliminate us upon discovering our tracks. And right now, we are in urgent need of strength. So, as for our attitude, not only would we not eliminate the Flame King, we would have rather he lived a while longer. Unfortunately, when we arrived in the heart of the desert, all we saw was a deep, cross-shaped canyon. The Flame King was long gone.”

Seeing Fia’s silence, Friede added.

“Since we did not find the Flame King’s remains, we initially thought he had just left the desert. But my people smelled traces of space magic in the canyon. The entire canyon was cleaved open by space magic. A battle must have taken place in the center of the desert, and it was a one-sided one. The Flame King was killed without even having a chance to fight back. As proof, the Barony of Khesa turned from a rainforest into a desert because of the Flame King. Now that the desert is once again covered in green, it is a sign that the Flame King is dead.”

Friede’s words made Fia think that she was here to cause trouble for her.

For example, “You killed the Flame King, causing us to lose our partner. Now you have to take responsibility and cooperate with us in his place.” Fia would naturally refuse such an unreasonable request without hesitation. If the Flame King were a good person, she would clean up her own mess without being asked. But from multiple perspectives and what multiple people had said, the Flame King had committed all sorts of evil and was a monster with blood on his hands who deserved to die.

Fia took another look at Friede’s eyes—she had a hesitant look on her face. Then, Fia’s gaze swept over the two young men beside Friede. Compared to Friede’s well-hidden emotions, these two had already written their intentions on their faces. Both of them exuded a sense of affinity.

So they’re not here to cause trouble for me?

On second thought, the logic itself was flawed. She had never said that she was the one who had killed the Flame King. Instead, she had spread the news of his death in the name of “Thanatos.” Even if Friede had a relationship with Baron Khesa and had confirmed the Flame King’s death from him, the person who would be sought for trouble would be Thanatos, not her.

Acting with a false identity beforehand was a good move.

Fia pretended to be ignorant and said with a smile.

“The Flame King was evil. His elimination is a cause for celebration. It has raised the value of the Barony of Khesa quite a bit.”

“That is indeed an irrefutable fact, but we have also lost our partner.”

Friede sighed deeply, a look of melancholy on her gentle and mature face. Fia couldn’t help but think that for those who enjoyed helping mature women with their troubles, this was surely a devastatingly attractive expression.

Rеaⅾ οո ΚаtReaⅾіոgСαfе

“Hmm… let me be more direct. To outsiders, our Witch Hall is a mysterious and powerful organization. But in reality, its mystery is entirely due to the fact that the witches rarely unite. The number of official witches is very small, never exceeding three digits in history. And since witches have different temperaments and most prefer to live alone, they are scattered all over the world. Only when their interests align do they stand together against a common enemy. This has led to some witches, without supervision, acting on their own whims, doing things that anger both gods and men, and tarnishing the name of witches.”

“In the past, although some peace-loving witches believed that those who tarnished their reputation should be disciplined, the original rule of the Witch Hall was only ‘to give those who desire power the strength to take revenge.’ This tradition has continued for a thousand years without change. Therefore, even if some peace-loving witches tried to change the status quo, they were unable to put their ideas into practice. It was not until the appearance of the Witch of Hope several hundred years ago, who, with her own strength, changed people’s perception of witches, that those peace-loving witches saw hope. It turned out that people’s views could be changed.”

“Once you have experienced the kindness of the world, it is difficult to go back to a life of being hunted and living in a corner. Even a witch who has been ostracized her whole life looks forward to the day she is accepted by the public. As the number of such witches grew, the Witch Hall finally split into two factions not long ago. One is the conservative faction, represented by the witch Lianne. The other is the reformist faction, centered on me.” ¹ so chatty… gosh, nearly full page of one sided chat

I see.

With Friede’s explanation, Fia immediately understood why she had been looking for the Flame King. The next part of the story was probably that the two factions were evenly matched, and Friede needed outside help to defeat the other. After all, if the power gap between two factions with completely opposing ideologies was too large, they would not have split in the first place.

Now that she had eliminated the Flame King, Friede’s hope of seeking outside help had been shattered.

The reasoning was clear, but why had Friede come to her?

Fia quietly waited for Friede’s conclusion.

As Fia had thought, Friede soon said that she had sought cooperation with the Flame King to use his power to suppress Lianne and turn the Witch Hall into an organization that walked the righteous path. By fighting against the Darkborn alongside beings like the Saints, they could gain people’s trust and no longer be hunted like rats. It was both a change in their living conditions and a form of self-realization.

“Since you want to get rid of the name ‘witch,’ wouldn’t it be better for your faction to just break away from the Witch Hall and form a new organization?”

It would also save them the trouble of washing away the past.

Friede’s expression turned bitter.

“You may not know this, Miss Fia, but to become a witch, one must place a part of one’s soul in a container called the ‘Witch’s Heart Core.’ This container is fixed deep underground. If we do not gain control of the Witch’s Heart Core, firstly, we cannot create new witches, and secondly, our faction will one day be in opposition to Lianne. If she were to tamper with the Witch’s Heart Core, we would be killed instantly. Therefore, we must obtain it at all costs.”

The same logic applied to the conservative faction. If the reformist faction represented by Friede got the Witch’s Heart Core, the conservatives would be at a disadvantage, and could even be threatened by Friede and ordered to fight to the death. The two sides could not coexist peacefully.

Reading from Fia’s thoughtful expression that she had understood the conflict, Friede clasped her hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and said with great sincerity.

“So I wanted to ask you, Miss Fia, was the Flame King in the great desert killed by you? Your route to Byrne City was from the direction of the desert, and the timing also matches the time of the Flame King’s death. You are also accompanied by a Fifth Rank elf guard. Even when I tried to observe your rank, all I could see was a blurry shadow. So, besides you, I can’t think of anyone else who could have defeated the Flame King so quietly.”

So she deduced from the time and route that the Flame King was killed by me.

Reαⅾ οո ΚatRеаԁіոɡСаfе

Fia didn’t know whether to call Friede foolish or smart.

As for why Friede saw her as a blurry shadow, it was related to the [Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea]. Even if she didn’t actively use it, it would block prying magic as a passive effect.

If she agreed here, Friede would surely ask her to help deal with Lianne. Although killing was not a problem for her, who knew if Lianne was a good person or a bad person? The identity of the leader of the conservative faction did not mean that the witch named Lianne was evil. And her principles did not include having to fulfill a request just because Friede asked. After all, she and Friede were not even acquaintances.

The silver spoon in her hand gently stirred her drink. Fia shook her head.

“I admit I have some strength, but if you are asking me to help you deal with that witch named Lianne, please forgive me for refusing.”

“We can offer a reward that you cannot refuse, Miss Fia.”

“Oh,” Fia put her drink aside and rested her chin on her crossed hands. “Let’s hear it.”

Friede paused for a moment, then said with a confident expression.

“After the matter is settled, all the witches of our Witch Hall will be willing to follow your command, Miss Fia. You will become a leader of the Witch Hall, with a status equal to that of the Miracle Witch. Although the Witch Hall is weak now, it still possesses the power to sweep away a small country.”

“…?”

Fia had imagined countless possibilities, such as Friede offering her priceless treasures or helping her seek a higher position in the Elf Kingdom. But she had never imagined that Friede would make her their leader just because she had done them a favor.

She quickly uncrossed her hands and cleared her throat.

“Why is that? We’ve only known each other for less than half a day. Don’t you think you’re being too rash, Miss Friede? Besides, if I were to agree, how can you guarantee that you will keep your promise?”

Fia’s surprised expression was clearly within Friede’s expectations. The latter half-covered her mouth and smiled like a lady.

“As for the guarantee, we can make a contract. As for the reason, this is actually the second point I wanted to talk to you about, Miss Fia. I’m sure you also heard the apprentice witches mention during the day that you are the ‘Guided One’.”

“In fact, our faction has been searching for the Guided One for a hundred years, since the disappearance of the Lady Witch of Hope. Until we saw her relic today, we have been searching for the person guided by her all these years. Just as the gods guide the Saints from an unknown world, the Lady Witch of Hope, in her search for a way to change, left a last message to her successors, that she would bring a power of change that would change the entire world.”

Hmm…

Rеαd оn KаtRеαԁіոɡСafe

It sounded impressive, but it was too unbelievable.

The gods at least had the word “god” in their name, so even if they pulled some reincarnated people to be Saints, Fia could understand it. But to say that she was also pulled over to be a “Guided One” was too fantastic.

First, the elf princess was not born in the desert called the Dry Desert, but in the Elf Kingdom of Silvar. Second, she had obtained the demon sword Laevateinn completely by chance, and she had never met the Witch of Hope. In fact, when she did, the Witch of Hope had already turned into a pile of dry bones. Lastly, her power had nothing to do with the Witch of Hope; it was all from the Human Alliance. Even the characters used to write the spells like [Orbital Beacon Bombardment] were from the Human Alliance language, not to mention that the Witch of Hope was only at the Ninth Rank. If her power had been bestowed by the Witch of Hope, it would not be like now, where she couldn’t see how much mana she had at all.

For Friede to take her, who had chanced upon the dagger, as the person guided by the Witch of Hope because of her last words, was a truly amusing coincidence.

No wonder Friede had said during the day that “no one is more qualified to own this dagger than Miss Fia.” She had clearly believed the Witch of Hope’s words. Unfortunately, in reality, the Witch of Hope’s “guidance” had failed. She had not succeeded in summoning the person she wanted, and because of her failure, she had died in the desert, only to be discovered decades later.

Friede’s words attracted the attention of Anastasia’s group. Except for Milu, who was concentrating on her dinner, everyone else looked at Fia. The witches were a force not to be underestimated on the World Tree Continent. To lead the Witch Hall was to have great power. No normal person could resist such a temptation. Friede even had a look of confidence on her face.

However, Fia was different from ordinary people. She sighed lightly.

“I cannot accept this reward. First, I was not born in the desert where the Witch of Hope died. When I saw her remains, she had been dead for who knows how long. Obtaining this dagger was purely a coincidence. I am not the Guided One you speak of. Second, I do not need the power of the Witch Hall to enhance my own. Your reward does not move me.”

Although she saw the look of disbelief on Friede’s face at her refusal, Fia still smiled and made a “please” gesture.

“The food will get cold if we don’t eat soon. Let’s have dinner together first.”

“Y-you… you really won’t reconsider? The words left by the Lady Witch of Hope may be few, but she did say that she would bring a power of change. Now that she has passed away, and you hold her relic, if you are not the Guided One, who else could be?!”

“But this is all your wishful thinking, Friede. The Witch of Hope’s attempt undoubtedly failed. She never brought the ‘Guided One’ you speak of from beginning to end. Even the term ‘Guided One’ was not said by her personally. She only said she would bring a power of change, not that she would summon a Saint.”

“You—”

Friede opened her mouth but said nothing. The Witch of Hope had indeed said she would bring a power of change, but she had never explicitly said she would summon a being like a Saint. The idea that the Witch of Hope would bring a Guided One was a speculation made by the Darkborn based on her past actions.

Friede’s throat moved. She was silent for a moment, then stood up and pushed a piece of paper to Fia.

“In any case, please reconsider. This is my address. You can find me there. The doors of the Witch Hall are always open to you. We believe that the Lady Witch of Hope will not deceive us. That great lady will surely bring hope and find the right direction for us. And that direction is you, Miss Fia.”

After doing this, Friede bowed deeply to Fia. The two young men beside her also bowed. Then, under the curious gazes of the onlookers, the three of them left the restaurant with heavy steps.