Chapter 168

#168 Witch and the Magic Contract (10)

After the incident, Dorothea had to endure suspicious glances from the Donengarten side.

The lady, unable to speak through her tears. The spirits overflowing. And even being seen with Rapunzel, who was supposed to have escaped from the tower.

To those who did not know the backstory, the most suspicious figure at this point was clearly her.

Dorothea was also not oblivious to the fact that if she unleashed her powers deliberately, she’d be under suspicion.

Calling spirits into her own room and pretending there were people, or making Sophia investigate elsewhere to divert attention, were all preemptive measures.

However, plans often go awry once they hit reality.

As soon as the dwarf caught wind of their following, the chance of resolving things quietly was as good as gone, and the rest was simply a matter of momentum.

In a hurry, the Tin Knight was just as rash, truly fitting his title. He’d deny it with all his might, of course.

(From the viewpoint of Donengarten) Luckily, Dorothea was not thrown into prison, nor were the burly men interrogating her.

A mere adventurer or traveler suspected of being a necromancer and threatening the lady would usually be jailed regardless of the truth, but Dorothea was neither a simple adventurer nor traveler.

To put it in noble terms, she was “Adelheid von Lenart, a candidate for the Friedel Territory’s heir, a member of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline, the champion of the individual competition at the Trakus Martial Arts Tournament (since the real champion disqualified), the head instructor at the TikTok branch of the Lenart dojo, and a guest of the lord of Donengarten.”

No matter how suspicious she seemed, the soldiers couldn’t help but be cautious around her.

To their ‘courteous request for a situation explanation’, Dorothea simply replied…

“Ask the lady.”

And the lady, after finally stopping her tears,—

***

[Seeing that ‘Tin Knight’ spilled everything out, it seems Dorothea’s threats were effective!]

“Threats? If someone heard that, they’d think I told you to make up lies about me.”

About half a day had passed since the incident.

The atmosphere in the territory could only be described as that of a funeral.

Though no one had physically died, the ‘circumstances’ the lady herself revealed shocked and terrified everyone.

It had been revealed that the kind and wise mistress of the territory had, to protect her daughter, been sacrificing other orphans as offerings.

Adel cautiously asked, “What will happen to the lady now? Will she be chased out…?”

Sophia replied, “Well, I don’t think so. The lord has been quite protective of her.”

The lord seemed quite shocked that his wife had used a wizard’s power to win his heart, but that was about it.

「Even if the trigger was external intervention, the years we spent together can’t be false. My love remains unchanged!」

In one sense, it was a foolish statement, and in another, a manly declaration.

Those who saw it as the former grimaced, while those who saw it as the latter were misty-eyed, so the distinction was quite easy.

Most importantly, since the lord declared that he wouldn’t hold her accountable for the magic of attraction, it made the future repercussions quite ambiguous.

「Still, to have signed a contract with a seemingly unknown wizard for over a decade, secretly offering sacrifices, isn’t that too excessive?」

「Wasn’t it just to protect the lady? That needs to be taken into consideration.」

「And all the children who were sacrificed were orphans. If the lady hadn’t taken them in, they would’ve died soon anyway, so I don’t see how that’s a grave sin.」

“There are many in the vassal group who harbor goodwill towards her. Those with little connection to the lady are just the soldiers and knights, and since the lord is shielding her, it’s hard to critique.”

“Though the nobles and vassals may feel that way, I wonder if the territory’s people think differently?”

“They’ll be careful not to let that information spread from above. Otherwise, it could escalate into an incident that doesn’t just end with the lady but risks scandal for the very family itself. It would shake the legitimacy of the heir as well.”

Having said that, Sophia turned her gaze towards Dorothea.

“Of course, if Lady Dorothea says ‘tell the territory’s people everything,’ that would wrap it all up. Will you say that?”

“Why would I do that?”

Dorothea replied, seemingly uninterested.

[‘Tin Knight’ is shocked!]

[‘Tin Knight’ insists that to achieve a clear resolution, the lady must be executed and hung on a spear!]

“What kind of nonsense are you saying?”

Dorothea wasn’t keen on having a final showdown with the lady.

The lady had agreed to pay a proper ‘reward’, and if you think about it, she hadn’t really aimed a knife at them.

“Well, on the flip side, I have no plans to shield her either. So, if you happen to spread this story around town, I won’t stop you. The vassals won’t lay a finger on you while we’re here, so what will you do?”

At Dorothea’s gaze, the girl, Rapunzel, shivered slightly.

Her hair, which used to be a mangled mess in the escape drama, had grown back down to her waist.

“U-umm… it’s okay. To be honest, I don’t think the townspeople would believe me anyhow. Even if they did, I wouldn’t really have the energy for that.”

“Your heart is quite broad.”

“No, to be honest, I just don’t want to get involved with this territory again.”

“Really?”

Dorothea tilted her head as if she didn’t quite understand, but then dismissed it.

Since Rapunzel had already been branded a witch within Donengarten and was also disillusioned with this place, she planned to move on with the group.

Though she occasionally spaced out after hearing about her brother’s death, she was fundamentally a smart and quick-witted person, making her a decent temporary companion.

Now that Rapunzel had organized her stance, only the Tin Knight remained, disgruntled and ranting.

[‘Tin Knight’ insists that for the sake of justice, a fiery conclusion is necessary!]

[‘Tin Knight’ vows to sweep everything away with just one command from him!]

As the Tin Knight passionately appealed, Dorothea gazed at him intently.

“You know, this talk about justice is just an excuse.”

[‘Tin Knight’ cries out his innocence!]

“Really? I’m not trying to escape in a crumbling tower or create a ruckus against a super dwarf fused with a tower just because I’m disappointed I can’t fight? I’m not trying to stir up any other battles!”

[‘Tin Knight’ contemplates that even sinners should have a chance to repent, acknowledging the witch’s judgment!]

The Tin Knight quickly flipped his hand over.

His true intentions were as transparent as glass.

Dorothea thought about firing a few more remarks at him but decided against it.

After all, she believed the lady’s future didn’t look bright.

Certainly, the incident had blown up so much that while she wouldn’t be branded a witch and burned at the stake, the vassals would definitely feel uneasy about her, and while the lord shielded her now, there was no telling how long that would last.

Little by little, like a tree being gnawed away by insects, the lady’s power and influence would inevitably decline.

No, even before that, she might crack under the whispers of the ‘daughters’ who came to her every night.

Out of the more than a dozen brides chosen by the dwarf, Dorothea found three.

All of them had tragically taken their lives, bemoaning their fate.

She didn’t even know what had happened to the other surviving daughters, but the weight of the three lingering souls was undoubtedly a massive stress for the lady.

Perhaps it would be merciful to end it quickly, but as she herself had just stated, Dorothea had neither the obligation nor the interest to go that far.

She had a lot on her plate at the moment.

‘…Dark lands, bright lands, kings and chancellors, a conquest war aimed at the territory?’

Dorothea was an intellectual.

This wasn’t merely a self-praise; it was objectively true as well.

Magic itself required a degree of culture and knowledge to wield properly.

It wasn’t for nothing that terms like ‘academic’ or ‘school’ were used.

Yet even someone like Dorothea found the information that lurked in the ‘dwarf’s’ memory to be extraordinarily alien.

Had it not been for the direct experience with Tuberosum’s Chalice, she might not have believed such things even existed.

‘No, perhaps it hasn’t been established as a reality? After all, even the dwarf hadn’t lived through the war; he just heard it from the adults. But setting aside the war, just the existence of another land is troubling.’

It wasn’t just any land or country, but a ‘bright land’. Meaning there were those somewhere longing for the place where Dorothea lived.

‘How troublesome.’

Dorothea frowned.

The scale of information alone was a headache, but dismissing it as unrelated felt too unsatisfactory.

At least she had a lead to obtain some additional information.

‘Holy Kingdom. And the 4th Grade Witches.’

There was a high possibility that the Holy Kingdom, which was hiding information about the ‘dark lands’, and the 4th Grade Witches, who hesitated to provoke even that Holy Kingdom, knew some related details.

Dorothea pondered for a moment before entering her room to start writing a letter.

It seemed it was time to check in with her master after a long while.

***

On the day of departure from Donengarten.

There was no grand welcoming procession of people lamenting their goodbyes.

The lord made an appearance briefly, and a number of attendants gathered so it wouldn’t be deemed rude for a departing guest, but that was about all.

People’s faces bore subtle fears and a strong desire for them to leave quickly, and the group didn’t take offense at this.

For the victims, whatever transpired, to those unrelated to the tower, all they had done was ruffle the territory’s feathers while leaving.

Since it was all anticipated, there was nothing surprising about it.

However, one thing did occur that nobody expected.

“I’m truly sorry for the trouble I caused. Thank you for stopping my mother from committing further sins.”

The lord’s daughter.

The heir of Donengarten, the key figure in this incident who had remained on the outskirts, approached to greet Dorothea’s group.

And she did so not accompanied by others, but alone as they reached the fringes of the territory.

“This is just a small token of my gratitude. It pales in comparison to the wrongs committed, but I hope you will accept it.”

“Hmm.”

“Ah, yes.”

Dorothea, with a slightly doubtful expression, and Rapunzel, still dumbfounded, each accepted one of the two jewelry boxes the girl offered.

Since Dorothea had absorbed the west witch’s fortunes, it was hardly surprising when Rapunzel gave a sharp intake of breath after sneaking a glance at the contents, noting how valuable they were.

Considering the not-so-large scale of Donengarten and the girl being only a mere heir, it was clear she had brought her entire fortune.

Dorothea asked back, seemingly puzzled, “Isn’t there really nothing you need to apologize for? Similarly, there’s no reason for gratitude. The price for dealing with the wizard has already been settled in other ways, and if I’m your enemy, it doesn’t seem fitting to show gratitude.”

The girl, whose name she didn’t even know, shook her head.

“My mother committed those evil deeds for my sake. So I hold responsibility as well. I haven’t yet convinced my father and the vassals, but I will reveal the truth later. And I’ll raise a monument for the victims who were sacrificed.”

“…You sure know how to dig your own grave.”

“If you happen to return here someday, would it be alright if I ask you to console the spirits?”

Dorothea couldn’t believe her ears and replied, “You must have heard my story, right? Asking a necromancer to perform a memorial service?”

“Aren’t you an expert on souls?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to force it.”

Dorothea contemplated as she brushed her hair over her shoulder.

Then, with a light shrug, she replied, “Well, if the opportunity arises.”

“Thank you.”

The girl deeply bowed her head, and after repeatedly apologizing to Rapunzel as well, she finally let them go.

Inside the departing cart, the Tin Knight turned to Dorothea.

[‘Tin Knight’ asks how she feels about having a new job in the future!]

“Are you serious?”

[‘Tin Knight’ states that securing a stable job for a cozy retirement isn’t a bad idea!]

With trivial chit-chat and an extra temporary companion added to the load, the cart moved on.

Once again, heading towards a new travel destination.

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