Chapter 369: The Witch's Dwelling
"You're so annoying! Are you out of your mind?!"
Shaula crouched sullenly by the fire, picking up a stick and tossing it into the flames as if imagining it was Reid.
She was covered in dirt after being chased and slashed at by Reid earlier. To dodge his attacks, she had rolled around on the ground several times like a lazy donkey. With no place nearby to wash up, she had no choice but to spend the night covered in mud.
Meanwhile, Reid leisurely sheathed his sword, looking refreshed as he said, "...Ah, that felt good. Got my confidence back in no time."
"You're just bullying the weak!" Shaula shouted indignantly.
"Did you misunderstand something, Shaula? Bullying the weak is my motto!" Reid laughed heartily. This 'Sword Saint' was quite the character.
"In the past, I've lost fights too. Every time I lost, I'd find someone weaker to beat up—instant confidence booster~!"
Reid had clearly chosen Shaula as his personal confidence-restoring target.
"There are so many people here, why did you have to pick on me?!" Shaula sobbed.
"I can't beat Roy, that guy Flugel is too exhausting to fight—no quick victory there. Satella doesn't know magic or swordsmanship. After thinking it over, you're the perfect choice—somewhat capable but not too strong. Just right."
Reid spoke without hesitation, openly admitting his bullying tendencies.
"Master, help me out here!"
Flugel, who had regained his composure by now, rubbed his head helplessly. "...Shaula, I can't beat this guy either. You're on your own."
Roy watched Reid and Shaula's bickering with amusement before finally interrupting, "...It's getting late. Everyone should rest. We should reach the witch's dwelling by tomorrow."
At Roy's words, the two fell silent and began packing up the campsite.
"Satella, sleep near me tonight. I don't think there's any danger, but it's best if you stay close."
"Understood, Lord Roy."
Satella replied softly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Once everyone had settled in for the night, Roy, who didn't need sleep, volunteered to keep watch. Satella curled up under thick blankets beside him and soon drifted off.
Sitting by the fire, Roy watched the flickering flames, their glow casting shadows across his face. Occasionally, he glanced at Satella, who lay on her side nearby. Her silver hair was slightly disheveled, strands falling across her cheeks, her face bathed in the fire's warm light.
Then, a thought crossed his mind—
What exactly was the relationship between Emilia and Satella?
They looked exactly alike!
...
The night passed without incident. With Roy standing guard, the only danger that could have possibly arisen would have been the literal end of the world.
The next day, everyone rose early and set off after breakfast.
Today, they would traverse this dense forest and reach the other side—an endless expanse of grasslands.
Reid abandoned his dilapidated dragon carriage and tethered the ground dragon pulling it to Roy's luxurious one. Ground dragons were simply too important to the people of this world—even in terrain like forests, they could pull carriages with remarkable speed.
"Not a single magical beast attack? I remember survivors who made it back said this forest was teeming with dangerous magical creatures, which is why both the Vollachian Empire and the Lugunica Kingdom abandoned it, preferring longer detours over crossing here."
Reid, who was driving the carriage alongside Flugel, remained vigilant, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. He had prepared himself for a bloody journey, only to be surprised by the forest's eerie silence. Not only were there no magical beasts, even ordinary wildlife was scarce.
"Rather than us not encountering them, it's more like the magical beasts are actively avoiding us. I sensed their presence earlier, but they didn't attack," Roy remarked as he stepped out of the carriage compartment to join Reid and Flugel.
He looked up at the sky. The dense canopy, thick with branches, cast a gloomy pall even in daylight, making the journey through it unnerving.
"So, you're saying these beasts must have been ordered not to attack us?" Flugel asked gravely.
The only ones capable of commanding magical beasts were their creators—the Witches!
"Given the circumstances, that seems likely. The beasts roaming this forest probably exist solely to guard the Witch. It's just as well they're avoiding us—running into something like the White Whale would be a nuisance," Roy shrugged with a laugh.
Magical beasts had existed for centuries, and no one knew which Witch first created them. However, three infamous beasts stood out in this era: the White Whale, the Great Rabbit, and the Black Serpent—all creations of the current "Witch of Gluttony."
...
The group fell silent as the carriage carried them forward. With no beasts obstructing their path, they soon emerged into a vast, grassy plain stretching endlessly before them, evoking a sense of poetic wanderlust.
...
In the Witch's castle, the "Witch of Greed," Echidna, was flipping through the "Book of Wisdom." Her face was flushed, her eyes alight with excitement as her slender fingers traced the pages. Upon reading a particular passage, she sprang to her feet and began pacing restlessly.
.....
"Dona Dona, what's wrong?" The youngest of the Witches, the "Witch of Pride," came trotting over, curious at Echidna's barely contained agitation.
"I'm fine, Typhon!" Echidna forced a faint smile.
Hold it in—don't laugh, don't laugh out loud!
The Witch of Greed repeated the admonition to herself.
"You're lying, Dona Dona must be hiding something from me!"
Typhon pouted, puffing up her cheeks as she glared at Echidna.
"Ah, children are such a handful... Carmilla!"
Echidna grumbled, her peripheral vision catching the 'Witch of Lust' sneaking by, and immediately called out to her.
"Y-yes? What is it, Dona...?"
The 'Witch of Lust,' Carmilla, froze in place like a startled hamster at Echidna's call. She lowered her head and spoke in a trembling, tearful voice.
"Take Typhon away, quickly!"
Echidna grabbed the Witch of Pride by the back of her collar and handed her over to the 'Witch of Lust,' the expert in childcare among the witches.
"O-okay... Typhon, c-come with me..."
The Witch of Lust seemed afraid of everyone, her words always stuttering and meek.
"Dona... w-what are you going to do?"
Seeing Echidna head into the castle after tossing Typhon to her, Carmilla couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, I'm going to put on some makeup!"
Echidna pursed her lips and replied elegantly.
"M-makeup?"
Carmilla didn't understand.