Volume 3, Chapter 57 – The Future of the Witch Hall

“I will find a place for you to live in the royal capital of Silvar and ensure that you will not be troubled by the elf army. But let me be clear, I will not always have time, and I will most likely leave Silvar in the future.”

“And I must emphasize, I am not sure if I am the ‘Guided One’ you speak of, Friede. Therefore, I will not directly command you by giving orders. It would be best for you to treat my suggestions merely as suggestions. As for what to do specifically, it is still up to you and your people.”

As Fia said, she could not provide guidance for the Witch Sanctuary at all times. At the same time, she was not a god who could guide believers to always walk the right path. What she could do was to provide them with shelter and, at the right time, give them the opportunity to accumulate prestige.

Compared to those organizations with grand goals, taking over the Witch Sanctuary led by Friede could be said to be very easy. All they wanted was a normal reputation, to no longer be discriminated against everywhere as they had been in the past. Therefore, as long as they slowly did good deeds, they could completely turn their reputation around in twenty to thirty years at most, the time of a single generation.

As for providing them with a sanctuary, as the First Princess of the Elf Kingdom, although she had not yet been to the royal capital, from the surprised and respectful reactions of those around her after learning her identity, the authority this status held was definitely not low. It would not be difficult to provide housing for two or three hundred people.

Seeing the simple environment in which Friede and the others lived, and the happy reaction of the apprentice witches after receiving the desserts, it would be strange if she could resist giving them what help she could. Those apprentice witches were simply angels who had fallen to the mortal world.

“Y-you will provide us with a place to live?”

Friede’s eyes widened in surprise, her face filled with disbelief. Perhaps due to her emotional state, Fia saw her shoulders trembling slightly.

“It’s just a place to live, nothing major.”

“But there are two or three hundred of us, and we are witches. As Miss Anastasia said, we will bring you a negative reputation…”

“Is two or three hundred people difficult for me? Just the magic cores that have fallen into my hands are enough for them to spend for the rest of their lives. Even if there is a negative reputation, it will only be for a while. Your character is there for all to see.

People’s colored glasses will be taken off sooner or later through your efforts. As for when, it is only a matter of time. Or are you saying that you are not confident that you can change people’s perception of you without having to worry about food, clothing, and shelter?”

“I… I’m not confident…”

“Shouldn’t you be answering ‘I will work hard’ at a time like this?”

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Liti muttered softly.

Friede’s lack of confidence made Fia smile helplessly. She wanted to pat her on the shoulder to cheer her up, but she would have to stand on her tiptoes to do so, and Friede was also older than her, so the gesture would be a bit rude. She had no choice but to change her words.

“You have to be confident in your abilities, Friede. You are a Sixth Rank magic caster. People will notice you soon. Didn’t you do a great job defending the city this time? You don’t have to fight the Darkborn to gain people’s recognition. Doing more ordinary things can also work.”

“But your reputation…”

“Hoho, Princess Fia has already said so much. You witches are really indecisive.”

“Although these words are from a Darkborn, they are pertinent. You clearly see Her Highness as a saint, yet you are so timid after she has given you a choice. What is this?”

The Knowledge-seeking Demon General and Anastasia said one after another.

The hesitation in her expression grew. Friede pursed her lips, then took a deep breath. She stopped and stood still, her face gradually showing an unprecedented determination.

“Thank you, Lady Fia. We will not let you down.”

As long as you’ve accepted.

Fia sighed in relief in her heart. She said with a wry smile.

“Now that the contract on Milu has been transferred, and there are urgent matters waiting for me in the Elf Kingdom, I will be setting off soon. You all should need some time to prepare, right? There’s no need to rush back with me. It’s fine to take some more time to prepare.”

“Yes, we will first choose suitable magic weapons in Byrne City before setting off for Silvar. Our preparations were insufficient this time. If not for you, Your Highness Fia, the situation would have been terrible.”

“Buying magic weapons? Do you have money?”

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Hey, Liti, that question is too rude.

Fia quickly pressed down on Liti’s head. However, Friede did not find Liti rude. Instead, she answered with a very mature smile.

“We were saving up in various ways because we needed to gather enough funds to fight the fallen witches. In reality, we are not as short of money as you imagine, Princess Liti. Although we cannot buy very high-grade magic weapons, it is not a problem to equip each apprentice witch with an ordinary-level one.”

After all, Friede herself could earn a lot of money by taking on monster-hunting commissions, not to mention that the apprentice witches could also exchange magic potions for gold coins. Friede had said long ago that their money was just being saved up, not that they really had no money. Therefore, Fia was not too surprised by her answer.

“But then again, I have to teach the apprentice witches basic noble etiquette first, so that at least they won’t embarrass themselves in front of other nobles and tarnish Lady Fia’s name. Counting the time for everyone to get used to their magic weapons, it will probably take us a month or two to set off. Fortunately, we don’t have many large belongings, so we don’t have to worry about transportation. Otherwise, if we had to drag it out for half a year before we could leave, we would be letting down Lady Fia’s kindness.”

Although she said so, her brows were filled with an irrepressible smile. Now that she had been accepted by Fia, the stone in her heart could finally be put down. Although the future was full of uncertainty, and she did not know what the Elf Kingdom would be like, with the Guided One, a person who was completely fine after using a forbidden spell, everything would surely not be so difficult that one would feel unable to go on. At the very least, they would no longer be homeless, living in a house that leaked in the summer and was drafty in the winter.

“How nice. Not only have you established your own organization, but you have also gained the protection of Lady Fia. Now your Witch Sanctuary belongs to the power of the Elf Kingdom. You’ve finally found a good place.”

With great emotion, Lianne let out a long sigh. She looked at Fia, her heart hesitating.

“Lady Fia, I have a request.”

“What is it?” Fia tilted her head. “Let’s hear it.”

“May I take the Witch’s Heart Core with me and go to the Elf Kingdom with Friede and the others?”

“Huh?”

A huge question mark appeared over Fia’s head. She had had a premonition that Friede would follow her to Silvar, but Lianne’s request was completely unexpected.

But Fia did not know that since the execution of the fallen witches at dawn, Lianne had been thinking about the feasibility of going to Silvar with Friede. The reason she had been silent just now was to see how Fia would treat Friede. If she had only used them as a convenient tool to be discarded after use, she would have remained silent. But if she had promised to give them a barren piece of land and allow them to live there, Lianne would have requested to go along.

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And now, Fia’s attitude towards Friede had greatly exceeded her expectations. Not only was she willing to let her reputation be tarnished to let them live in the royal capital, but she would also cover their expenses for food, clothing, and shelter. This was simply a pie falling from the sky. Lianne had never imagined that Fia would be so good to them. Friede and the others had transformed into the First Princess’s exclusive force in an instant. If Lianne had to describe it, she would surely use the phrase “reaching the heavens in a single step.” She was already regretting not having made the request with Friede earlier.

Perhaps it is precisely because she has no prejudice against witches that she could become the Guided One. Lianne couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. She had originally only thought that Fia was powerful and of high status, but now, she had added another label to her. The Witch of Hope had not been wrong. This was indeed a saint who distinguished between good and evil.

“If you are willing, Lianne, I don’t mind a few more people. But why? Is Byrne City not good? You have been operating here for two hundred years. Wouldn’t it be a pity to just move?”

The underground of Byrne City was densely covered with wards set up by the witches. The amount of magic ore used alone was a terrifyingly large number. Together, they were a huge fortune. Besides, to just move to a strange, uninspected place was not in line with Lianne’s cautious personality. Fia could not understand why she would say this.

In response to Fia’s question, Lianne lowered her head guiltily—although because her body was a cloud of black mist, Fia could not see her expression, feeling ashamed was another matter.

“This… I’m ashamed to say, I was actually observing your attitude just now, Lady Fia. I was thinking that if you were to just treat Friede and the others as tools, I would remain in Byrne City. But if you could give them a piece of land, even a barren one, I would bring the Heart Core with me.”

“As for the reason, after this incident, the number of witches living in the Witch Hall is less than half of what it used to be. Not only is the underground empty, but morale is also on the verge of collapse. If nothing is done, even those who want to live a peaceful life will choose to leave and live in anonymity. After all, no one wants to live in a place where they were once betrayed and had countless companions executed.”

“The Darkborn’s attack also caused cracks in the underground wards. Just that vertical shaft alone will take a year or two to repair, not to mention that the entire underground needs to be repaired. With the current shortage of manpower, it’s impossible to fix it without spending eight or ten years.

In addition, I don’t know if any Darkborn escaped in this incident. If he remembers the weakness of the underground wards, even if I repair them, they can break in again. Balor made me see clearly that I am not capable of protecting the Witch’s Heart Core alone. Even as the administrator of the Witch Hall, I must move it to a safe place. This is my duty.”

As if feeling ashamed and at the same time observing Fia’s expression, Lianne stopped after saying these words, until Fia took the initiative to speak.

“So you think it’s safer to place the Heart Core in the elf royal capital than in Byrne City, Miss Lianne?”

“At least the power of the elves is stronger than mine alone. And with Friede, I can be much more at ease. I remember the last demon general who caused trouble for the elves, his corpse was hung on the walls of the royal capital for over a decade. If I can get your permission, Miss Fia, the elf race is definitely the safest place around here. And…”

A hint of embarrassment appeared in Lianne’s voice.

“And I also think it would be more interesting to live with Friede and the others. It’s not just me who is leaving. The apprentice witches of the entire Witch Hall are also coming. If possible, I will persuade the Blind Woman and the other official witches to come along. The order in the elf race is much better than in Byrne City, and the royal capital is also larger and more prosperous. We remaining witches don’t dislike lively places; we just don’t have the opportunity to live in them. If we can go to the Elf Kingdom, few would refuse.”

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“Friede has shown me that the old rules of the Witch Hall are no longer in keeping with the times. To take this opportunity to make a change, or even to merge with Friede’s Witch Sanctuary, is not a bad thing. The Witch Hall cannot be ruined in my generation. Uh, what I mean is, we are not just a few more people, but nearly a hundred more…”

As if afraid Fia would go back on her word, Lianne hastily added.

“You don’t have to worry about our living expenses, Miss Fia. The treasures the Witch Hall has accumulated over thousands of years are enough for us to squander, and we can also earn gold coins in our own way. W-we only hope that you will allow us to stay in the royal capital and live with Friede and the others. If we need to pay for accommodation, we can…”

“There’s no need to be such a stranger. What Friede and the others can enjoy, you can enjoy as well.”

“Wait, Lady Fia, we are still the Witch Hall, not the Witch Sanctuary…”

Lianne’s voice was full of apprehension and worry.

She’s worried that I’ve misunderstood her words as “from now on, you will belong to me like Friede,” right? Fia waved her hand and explained.

“I don’t mean for you to merge with the Witch Sanctuary just like that. It’s purely out of the consideration that having the Witch Hall stay in Silvar would be beneficial to the Witch Sanctuary. First, placing the Heart Core with Friede will put her at ease. Second, now that the fallen witches in the Witch Hall have been cleared out, I don’t have to worry about them harming the elves.”

Fia paused, her expression becoming sincere and serious.

“Just as you used to cooperate with the Darkborn, after you move to the royal capital, we elves will also have opportunities to cooperate with you. The strength of the Witch Hall is not to be underestimated. If the elves in the capital are short on manpower, they can cooperate with you in the form of commissions. More hands are always a good thing.”

What Fia didn’t say was that many of the remaining official witches in the Witch Hall were, like the Blind Woman, capable of providing education and medical care to ordinary people. Placing these witches, who only wanted to live a peaceful life, in the royal capital would be beneficial to Silvar.

In addition, for the apprentice witches who had lived in the Witch Hall for a long time, letting them live with the apprentices under Friede could change their gloomy and self-deprecating personalities. Most of them were still in the stage of character formation, and Fia hoped they could become cheerful and optimistic little witches.

Not at all expecting Fia to give such generous treatment, Lianne even began to stammer, her words full of disbelief.

“A-are you serious?! Not only are you allowing us, witches who are not under your command, to enjoy the treatment of living in the royal capital, but you are also giving us the opportunity to cooperate with you?”