Volume 3, Chapter 42 – The Inside Man and the Trap

As Fia’s group returned from the market to Friede’s stronghold, the sky had already turned to night, and an unexpected downpour had begun. A cool autumn wind swept through the streets, mixed with frantic raindrops, and the chill that seeped into the skin made one want to tighten their sleeves.

“It’s raining! It’s raining!”

“By the Goddess Yuna, it’s actually raining!”

“Ooooh!!! It tastes sweet!”

Unlike ordinary people who would immediately find a place to hide from the rain, the residents of Byrne City rushed out into the streets, tilting their heads back and opening their mouths to taste the rainwater. Not only that, but they also hurriedly brought out all the water-holding containers they could find, such as clay pots and wooden basins, and cheered in the rain.

Only in a place that lacked water would one see such a scene.

For the residents of Byrne City to have a stable water source, apart from pooling funds to hire a magic caster skilled in earth magic to dig a well, the only other option was to buy “Blue Element Stones,” which produced water through friction. The latter sounded convenient, but a palm-sized Blue Element Stone cost as much as three copper coins, and its water output was only enough for a family of three’s cooking and drinking for a day. It was not an item that ordinary families could afford.

As for rain, before the ley line had recovered, it only rained two or three times a year, and the amount of rainfall each time was terribly low. If not for the abundant groundwater resources, Byrne City would have long since become a ghost town like other places.

Liti, hiding under an oil-paper umbrella, looked around curiously. The Elf Kingdom had plenty of rain, so this was the first time she had seen people so overjoyed in it.

“Do they like the rain that much?” As she spoke, Liti even caught some raindrops in her hand and tasted them. “It doesn’t taste like anything. The people here are too short on water.”

“If the barony merges with us, we can have a priest skilled in nature magic come over to improve the environment. Although the ley line here has been revived, it will take two or three hundred years for it to return to its former lush vegetation. I wonder what decision His Majesty and the Prime Minister will make.”

Withdrawing her gaze from the cheering people around them, Anastasia, who was holding an umbrella, murmured. Because Anastasia was the only servant, she held the umbrella for Fia, while Liti and Milu shared one—there was a considerable height difference between Liti and Anastasia, making it unsuitable for them to share.

As if remembering something, Anastasia’s brows furrowed slightly, a thoughtful look on her face.

“But if the barony merges with Silvar, the witches who use this place as their base will surely be forced to move. And the Alfrieg Kingdom will also have a strong reaction. It will probably turn into a local war. I suppose it’s a matter of give and take.”

“War… it’s better not to merge.”

Fia silently nodded in her heart at Liti’s sentiment. Although the World Tree Continent was rarely truly at peace—if it wasn’t a conflict between these two countries, it was an all-out war between two or more small countries on the other side of the continent—when tragedy was about to happen close to home, anyone would pray for war not to come.

“Lady Friede, look, it’s raining! It’s raining!”

“Don’t stand outside. Go back inside and take a bath. What if you catch a cold?”

Just as the group was walking in silence, the sound of Friede’s conversation with a young girl reached their ears. Fia subconsciously looked up and realized that she had already arrived at Friede’s residence. Friede was holding an umbrella and pulling a girl who was jumping in the rain back under the eaves. Under that eave stood several other young girls in short white clothes, all looking at the sky as if they were seeing something rare.

This scene made Fia feel as if Friede were a kindergarten teacher.

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With her gentle black eyes and smooth, long hair, and because she was bending over, her long black dress outlined an astonishing curve from her waist to her hips. To be a little impolite, Friede could be classified as the childbearing type. If she weren’t a witch, she would surely be very popular with men.

But Fia’s attention was not on Friede. Her gaze soon shifted to the house behind them. Even though Fia had known that they lived in poverty, when she truly saw their residence, she couldn’t help but be moved. Unlike the common two or three-story houses on the World Tree Continent, Friede’s temporary home had only one floor. Although it was large, the walls had obvious signs of peeling, and there were cracks in some places. The roots of the walls and the tiles were covered with plants like moss and lichen, giving an impression of poverty and backwardness.

In fact, the location of the house was also far from the city center. Although it couldn’t be called a slum, the houses along the way were very low, and the people’s clothes became more and more simple. This extremely large house looked like a rented threshing workshop.

Do Friede and those apprentice witches usually live in a place like this?

“Lady Friede, look, it’s the Lady Guided One!”

“You should say Lady Fia. You already know her name.”

“No, it should be Her Highness Fia. Lady Fia is a princess of the Elf Kingdom.”

“So that’s why her skin is so fair… I’m so envious. She must be able to eat white bread every day and use a cauldron made of Crystal Gold for alchemy.”

As before, the apprentice witches were full of life, but now, this vitality made Fia feel a little embarrassed.

It was a good thing she had bought many desserts as gifts at the market before coming, otherwise, she would have no face to see these apprentice witches who always looked at her with admiration. She hadn’t done anything, yet they stubbornly believed that she would bring them a good life.

“Miss Fia, why have you come?” Seeing Fia’s group of four arrive, Friede’s black eyes widened slightly in surprise. “And even Milu is here.”

Walking under the eaves, Fia gave a wry smile.

“Can’t I come if I have no business? Lianne took an imprint of the slave brand during the day and said she could start analyzing it with that, so I had Milu come back.”

Fia tilted her head to look inside the door behind Friede and said teasingly.

“Aren’t you going to invite us in?”

“Ah, please come in, Miss Fia. You all, go and prepare some refreshments.”

At Friede’s command, the apprentice witches ran into the courtyard one after another. It was worth mentioning that almost all of them would turn around to sneak a peek at Fia before leaving, their clear and innocent eyes full of curiosity.

“I can’t imagine this is a place where witches live…”

In a voice that Friede couldn’t hear, Anastasia, who was walking beside Fia, murmured softly. Just as Fia had thought, Friede’s temporary home was a place similar to a workshop. First, they had to cross an open-air courtyard with a well and a large stone mill, and then they entered an extremely spacious open hall that should have been a warehouse. Now, it was filled with tools, tables, and chairs for making magic potions, and in the corner were a few beds made of wooden planks. A dozen or so apprentice witches were busy inside.

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Friede did not stop here. She turned a corner and led Fia’s group to a private room. Compared to the grand decor of the Witch Hall, this place was like a country farmhouse. There were only a few simple chairs in the room, and even the floor was dark earth.

“I’m so sorry to have you all sit in such a simple place.”

As if feeling ashamed, Friede, who had lit the magic lamp on the table, her face flushed red, and her voice was very soft.

She was just like a young girl.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. You have your own difficulties, Friede.”

Seeing that the topic was about to get serious, Liti quietly whispered in Fia’s ear.

“Then little Milu and I will go out first?”

“You too, Anastasia. Don’t forget the things we just bought.”

“Yes.”

After the three of them left the room, the sounds of the apprentice witches in chaos, as well as cheers like “Her Highness Fia is so nice,” soon came from outside.

Friede couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and asked curiously.

“What did you do, Miss Fia?”

“Just some small pastries. I happened to hear an apprentice witch say she wanted to eat something sweet, so I bought some on my way here. Oh, and here’s one for you, Friede.”

Fia handed the cream pastry, which was wrapped in a paper bag, to Friede. The desserts in this world were not very rich in flavor, just a simple combination of cream and bread. But even so, it was a luxury that most people could only eat once a year.

It should be said that before coming here, Fia had thought that such a cake was too simple, so she had bought some fruits that looked like strawberries, cut them up, and decorated the cream with them. The sweet and sour taste of the fruit mixed with the cream instantly enriched the flavor by several levels.

“This is… a dessert I’ve never seen before. It must be very expensive, right?”

Friede had a look on her face as if she would refuse it if it were expensive.

“I just added a little something myself. It’s not that expensive. Don’t worry, Friede.”

To prevent Friede from asking further, Fia directly changed the subject.

“I came here to ask if you have thought of a name for the new organization, Friede. From the looks of it, your separation from the Witch Hall is a done deal. Thinking of a name in advance will help you adapt to your new role faster. In addition, you need to formulate a future course of action, whether to tell outsiders from the beginning that you were once witches, or to completely hide your identity, and which direction to start from to let the world know you faster. These are all things to consider.”

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“Have you accepted us, Miss Fia?”

Her eyes filled with expectation, Friede was about to get up from the table. Compared to the policy Fia had asked about, she was more concerned about whether Fia was willing to accept them.

“No, I haven’t decided yet.”

Looking back into Friede’s eyes, Fia answered truthfully.

She really hadn’t decided whether to accept the witches represented by Friede. However, it was no longer out of the thought of it being troublesome, but rather, she was thinking about whether she could really help them. They saw her as the Guided One, but could she really show them a bright path and let them stand in the sun with a clear conscience? That was a question.

In the past, she had only thought about living a peaceful life with Claire and had never thought about making an organization accepted by people. Without any preparation and without a reliable plan, Fia lacked the one hundred percent confidence to say “yes” to Friede.

“But I have seriously considered what you all should do in the future to change your reputation. What you said before about dealing with the Darkborn is certainly feasible, but ordinary people will never see a Darkborn in their lifetime. That is too far from the public. Even if you really repel the Darkborn, only the nobles will thank you. Ordinary people won’t have a real sense of it.”

“So I think you all can start by clearing out the bandits around Byrne City. The people here often come into contact with them and know what kind of characters they are. And Baron Khesa is powerless against them. If you all clear out the surrounding bandits and leave your name after each operation, slowly, your reputation among the people will change for the better. In addition, surrounding and suppressing bandits can also bring in a considerable income, which is good for the entire organization.”

“It’s just that there’s a problem before that. Do you want to reveal from the very beginning that you were once witches? To reveal your identity from the start will undoubtedly make people biased. But if you don’t and are accidentally exposed in the future, the shock to the people will be even greater. By then, some people with ill intentions might incite the crowd, saying that your encirclement of the bandits has an ulterior motive. Then the result will become unpredictable. This is a choice that must be weighed.”

Under Fia’s patient explanation, the look of disappointment on Friede’s face gradually turned to one of contemplation. The latter moved her lips and said.

“It’s better to reveal our witch identity from the very beginning. One, we have flaws that are difficult to hide and are easily exposed. Two, I never expected people to accept us from the start. Compared to playing a role, it’s more reassuring to be oneself step by step. That way, when we look back, we can have a clear conscience and move forward with composure.”

Friede looked down at her hands, a wry smile on her gentle face.

“I was still thinking about how to get back the Heart Core, and you’ve already thought so far ahead, Miss Fia… Should I say that the vision of the Lady Guided One is indeed different from us witches?”

Fia shook her head gently.

“No, what I just said is nothing remarkable. You would have thought of it too if you had calmed down. The Heart Core is indeed a problem that needs to be solved. If Lianne can protect it as she said, then there’s no need to worry. But yesterday’s attack can explain a lot. The Heart Core is not safe with her. If you ask me, the safest way is to keep it with me, but Lianne would never entrust the lives of all the witches to me.”

“Yes… she would never agree.” Pursing her lips, Friede lowered her head and asked, “Do you know who those Darkborn were yesterday, Miss Fia?”

Fia spread her hands.

“I don’t know. I’m just certain that one Seventh Rank and one Sixth Rank Darkborn, plus countless Chaos, is not something one Lianne can handle. The top priority is to find out the purpose of the Darkborn’s attack on the Witch Hall, and how they knew the Heart Core was in that location. The entire underground has a barrier that interferes with detection magic. It’s impossible for them to know.”

“Are you suggesting that there is an inside man in the Witch Hall colluding with the Darkborn?”

“It’s very likely. Didn’t Lianne say on the day of the attack that the group of evil witches who wanted to unite with her against you were conveniently out? That’s too much of a coincidence. If it was their doing, their motive is also very simple. For example, they were worried that a direct conflict with you would result in great losses for them, so they wanted to ask the Darkborn for help. As long as they get the Witch’s Heart Core, they can gain the right to speak, command the entire Witch Hall, and at the same time, ensure that you wouldn’t dare to touch them.”

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“Tsk. Do they know what they’re doing? The price of colluding with the Darkborn!”

Friede frowned. If she hadn’t lost the emotion of “anger,” she might have slammed her hand on the table at this moment, Fia thought. She put on a serious expression and said,

“This is just a guess, after all. Before we have conclusive evidence, don’t go looking for those witches, to avoid alerting the enemy.”

“But with the location of the Heart Core and the distribution of power in the Witch Hall exposed, that group of Darkborn will surely not give up so easily. The strength they displayed was very strong, and there’s also that unpredictable ‘Chaos.’ We must immediately tell Lianne and have her move the Heart Core.”

“Wait, Friede, calm down.”

Fia clasped her fingers together, a cunning glint in her ruby-like eyes.

“This is the other reason I came here. As long as the escaped Darkborn have not given up, the witches who want to put you to death will surely provide more information and urge them to act again. In that case, wouldn’t it be better for us to remain still, set a trap, and then, when they take the bait, eliminate all the witches who have ill intentions towards you in one fell swoop?

To have made a move on the Heart Core is already enough for Lianne and the neutral witches to stand on your side. By then, you will have an overwhelming advantage and a just cause.”

Fia’s words made Friede’s eyes light up, but she quickly frowned again and said hesitantly.

“But the Darkborn from that day fled as soon as he saw you. That means he knows there is a considerable gap between him and you. I don’t think that even if that group of troublemakers urges him to act again, he will.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it. I’ll go to Lianne later and have her pay attention to the whereabouts of those fallen witches, and let them see me ‘leaving Byrne City with my family’ with their own eyes.

Also, didn’t that Seventh Rank Darkborn fall into our hands? We can get something out of him. He should be waking up soon. It’s very important to know whether he is a companion or an enemy of the escaped Darkborn. If it’s the former, we can get a lot of useful information.”

Friede looked up, her black eyes full of shock.

“Are you suggesting that you will create the illusion of you leaving Byrne City to deliberately lure the Darkborn and those fallen witches into a trap?”

Because Friede’s voice had become louder, Fia quickly raised her index finger in a hushing gesture. ¹ stupid.

“Shh, although I checked that there were no noteworthy people around before I came, this is a secret. Don’t show it. In the end, we have no conclusive evidence that those fallen witches are the inside man. It would be very embarrassing if we ended up busy for nothing. We have to find a way to confirm the real situation over there first.”

“Y-yes… but how do we confirm the situation? If we’re discovered, all our efforts will be in vain.”

“Leave that to me. You don’t have to worry about this matter, Friede. As for now, let’s finish these desserts first. To leave just after arriving would be too improper.”

Smiling, Fia took out a dessert identical to Friede’s from her spatial backpack and was the first to start enjoying it with a fork.