Chapter 164

#164 Witch and the Magic Contract (6)

Just to clear up any misunderstandings, Sophia wasn’t giving Adel a precise lecture like “if you say this, they will respond like that.”

It was less of a strategy and more like riding a horse.

She simply predicted three possible scenarios, allowing them to respond no matter how the situation unfolded.

“If the Lord grants permission for the investigation of the tower without any complaints, praise him and elevate his authority. With the Lord’s favor and just cause, the investigation can proceed, and then the area becomes Dorothea’s territory.”

“If the Lord refuses the investigation, or if he intends to allow it but faces opposition from those around him, then act overtly angry. Mention that it’s a matter of ‘family honor’ that they’re ignoring. If the other party panics and accepts, great! Even if they’re still reluctant, it’s okay. You’ve already created a reason to push through.”

“Lastly, if the investigation is approved, but there are some restrictions or delays placed on it—”

***

That evening.

The Lady secretly gathered her trusted subordinates and asked,

“What about them?”

“Lady Adelheid has finished her training with the guards and is currently in discussion with the Lord. A handmaiden named Sophia is busy probing vassals and servants, asking if there are any strong grievances from the children related to the tower.”

“What a pointless task… What about the other two?”

“The female wizard has locked herself in her room after dinner. From what I can hear, it sounds like she’s chatting with a knight about something trivial.”

“Is that so?”

The Lady let out a deep sigh.

‘Why, of all times, would they come now?’

She was anxious.

Just when she thought she’d finally had a conscience-free sacrifice in her grasp, everything happening recently was primed to set her nerves on edge.

The appearance of an intruder trying to invade the tower, which was supposed to provide a pivotal sacrifice, and outsiders declaring their intent to stir things up was just icing on the cake.

She wanted nothing more than to throw them in prison or chase them off immediately, but she couldn’t just do that.

If it were an unimportant wandering adventurer, she could find some pretext to deal with them, but the other party was Lenart.

In the Empire, Lenart’s influence might not have been strong—especially since Donengarten was closer to the rural jurisdiction of the federation—but the Lord’s complete trust and favor toward them was the real issue.

As a Lady with considerable reputation and influence within the territory, that was only possible due to her title as ‘the Lord’s wife.’

The legitimacy of ruling Donengarten lay with the Lord, and though he had a boyish demeanor even as he aged, he still maintained a firm grip on the influence over knights and soldiers, unlike his other vassals.

The Lady could advise the Lord, but if he decided to push forward with something, she had no choice but to follow his wishes.

Not knowing their intentions or the extents of their abilities added to her anxiety.

What if that female wizard discovered the secrets hidden in the tower? Even if she didn’t, if her inquiry about the tower displeased the ‘wizard’ and made him uncomfortable?

Either scenario was an unacceptable outcome for the Lady.

In the end, there was only one thing she could do.

“I’m tired. I’m going to bed a little earlier tonight, so if anyone else comes, send them away.”

“Understood.”

Once her subordinates had left, the Lady opened a box hidden deep in the cupboard and retrieved its contents.

Clink.

It was an old metal rod with a dark hue.

At the end of the rod was a small bell, which would clink as she walked.

The Lady wrapped her coat around her and quietly slipped out of the room.

Clink.

Despite the bizarre sight of the Lady wandering around with a strange rod late at night, no one seemed surprised or stopped her.

The guards at the door and passing servants all brushed past her as if they didn’t recognize her.

The Lady advanced toward the tower with a face that showed she was already used to this.

Clink.

The guards at the tower were heavily fortified.

The number of soldiers had doubled, and the number of torches illuminating the area had increased significantly, making it bright as day even after sunset.

But they didn’t notice the Lady.

That wasn’t all that was surprising.

As the Lady approached the door, the securely locked door swung open.

It looked as though the tower itself was welcoming her.

“……”

The Lady’s expression faltered.

The power of the bell given to her by the wizard and the strange occurrences unfolding before her eyes.

Everything was beneficial to her at this moment. If it hadn’t been for this, she would have had to struggle immensely just to meet with the wizard every time.

However, she couldn’t simply rejoice over it.

Having a capable ‘accomplice’ could be good news, but having a powerful ‘collector’ was nothing short of a tragedy.

Nonetheless, she had no other option at this moment. The Lady stepped inside the tower.

In the desolate first floor, where only the stairs to the second floor stood out, she shook the bell in her hand and said,

“You must be watching, right? Come out.”

After a brief silence, a response came from the air.

《Foolish contractor. I can hear the impatience in your voice. What’s the rush?》

At first glance, it seemed like a considerate remark towards the Lady, but the tone hinted at an undeniable, perhaps unintentional, mocking undertone.

“Tomorrow, those who intend to investigate this tower are coming. I’ve tried to block it in every way, but given their high status, I can’t stop them.”

Having known the wizard for many years, even feeling disgusted by the unpleasantness of her personality while trying not to show it, the Lady continued.

“I came here to warn you of that and to inform you that this has nothing to do with my intention. So…”

《You want me to be careful not to cause chaos by getting discovered and not to take my frustration out on you, I presume?》

“…That’s correct.”

Laughter erupted from the air.

《Contractor, cunning yet foolish woman, you are truly consistent. Selfish and greedy enough to sacrifice unrelated children for your purposes, yet diligent and skillful enough not to become complacent despite your elevated status. Your competence has been the reason you’ve maintained your position all this time.》

But then, the wizard added,

《At least it seems you’ve met someone of a higher caliber this time.》

Not understanding the meaning behind the wizard’s words, the Lady inquired.

“What do you mean by that?”

The wizard replied.

《It means you foolishly walked into a trap. You shouldn’t have come looking for me.》

BANG!

With a tremendous sound, the door that had been closed slammed open as soon as the Lady entered.

With a heavy clanking of footsteps, a knight forced his way into the tower.

The Lady swallowed hard.

The presence of the knight, clad in ominous metallic hues, was truly frightening.

The green light shining through the gaps in the helmet seemed like will-o’-the-wisps, making her shrink just by looking at it.

And behind him, the sharp sound of hooves echoed.

“—Tch. I was going to wait until you spilled a bit more, but oh well.”

His black attire, which blended into the night, contrasted starkly with his pale skin.

Holding a massive staff, the witch made her way forward with a twisted expression, as if she was disappointed.

“You all…?”

The Lady widened her eyes.

For a moment shocked by the sudden turn of events, she quickly grasped the situation.

“Could it be, you knew it would come to this from the start!”

“Who knows? I’m not so kind as to explain everything to you. Think of it as you will.”

Her tone was rather brazen for speaking to the Lady of a territory.

Yet it didn’t feel rude. Trying to enforce the world’s manners upon a witch would be a pointless endeavor.

While the stunned Lady remained speechless, the black witch, Dorothea, glared at the ceiling.

In response, a shape resembling a human face bulged out from the ceiling.

《You have quite the knack for fishing. Are you pleased with catching such a big catch?》

“Sounds like you’re more than qualified to be a criminal. It doesn’t look like it’s your first time—what are you doing with those girls?”

《I’ve already paid my due, and I intend to get return value from it. This is that sort of contract.》

The ‘wizard’s’ face bore a semblance of a smile.

《Since you’re a surface-dwelling magician, why are you trying to meddle in a contract?》

“Surface-dweller?”

Dorothea raised an eyebrow briefly before shifting the conversation later, as though she’d deal with that later.

“I don’t really care who you are or what this contract is about. But I need to speak to the girl you have locked up. It would be easier if you just hand her over now.”

《Hahaha! Are you threatening me?》

“Does it look that way?”

At Dorothea’s words, the wizard twisted his lips.

His gaze shifted towards the Tin Knight.

《Not quite. Since you’re traveling with something so terrifying, if it turns into a fight, I probably won’t last. What a difficult situation indeed. But no one said they’d fight for you.》

“What?”

《Either way, I intend to hold out until the deadline and take my compensation. Go ahead, give it a try.》

It was then.

—DING DONG! DING DONG! DING DONG!

An immense ringing echoed from the tower.

It wasn’t so much that a bell somewhere in the tower was ringing, but rather that the tower itself sounded like a gigantic bell.

With such a tremendous sound echoing in the middle of the night, it was only natural for attention to be drawn from the surroundings.

Soon, murmurs and shouts began to rise from the area.

“Ah, is that how you’re going to play it?”

Dorothea realized the wizard’s intentions.

It seemed he didn’t want a direct fight with them and intended to drag in others to ensure that a fight wouldn’t even occur.

If people gathered and witnessed this situation, convincing them without misunderstandings would be incredibly troublesome.

She might have to fight the soldiers of Donengarten directly.

Certainly, it was a nuisance.

She had secretly followed hoping this wouldn’t happen, but the wizard’s perception and detection abilities were sharper than she’d anticipated.

Dorothea turned to the Lady.

“Seems like you’ve been abandoned?”

“……”

However, this was only favorable for the wizard.

The safety of the Lady left here was not guaranteed at all.

The Lady wasn’t slow enough not to recognize this fact, and the color drained from her face.

“Are you going to betray me?”

“If necessary.”

Dorothea didn’t deny it.

“When the soldiers arrive, they won’t side with us, right? Since they’re your enemies, it’s one way to cut them down.”

“If you do that, it won’t end well for you either.”

“If I was worried about taking risks, I wouldn’t have done this in the first place.”

The Lady slumped down as if she were going to faint.

After casting her gaze away from the Lady, Dorothea placed a skull necklace around the Tin Knight’s neck.

“Tin can. Wait on the stairs between the first and second floors. Signal with that skull, and move as per the signal.”

Dorothea then created a shallow bowl of bones filled with water on the ground.

Beyond the watery mirror, a blonde girl watched them with a tense expression.

“Do you remember what I told you? When I signal, cut your hair and leave a handful at the designated spot.”

『-Yes, yes!』

[‘Tin Knight’ asks what to do about the soldiers!]

“Well, just holding the walls should keep them out pretty well, but it’ll be distracting.”

Dorothea spun her left wrist counterclockwise.

Soon after, a birdcage grasped in her hand.

“Let’s just put everyone to sleep for a bit. A nightmare is still a dream, right?”

One by one, the souls from the Underworld crawled out into the surface world.

They revealed their ghostly bodies and attached themselves to the living, pulling them into sleep.

Thus began an endless night of nightmares, which wouldn’t end until the witch was satisfied.

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