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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Regina closed the book she was reading, stood up, and approached Johan. Her glasses glinted, reflecting his image.
“You said you would do anything.”
“Yes, anything.”
“You understand what that means, don’t you?”
“Anything” meant just that—even his life and soul could be forfeit. He couldn’t take those words lightly, not before a witch.
Johan nodded, showing his resolve. Regina, seeing this, pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket.
“Then let’s make a contract. Normally, a verbal agreement would suffice with a witch… but you’re human.”
“I’m fine with a contract.”
“Very well.”
Contract
Party A, Regina Star, will provide Johan with one piece of information.
Party B, Johan, will fulfill one request from Party A in return.
Regina wrote her name and handed the quill and parchment to Johan. He carefully reviewed the contract, then signed his name.
The moment both signatures were on the parchment, it burst into flames. Johan flinched, and Regina murmured,
“Proof that the contract is binding. Nothing to worry about. ─So? What information is worth risking your life for?”
“…Can you find out where the owners of these are?”
Johan handed her a strand of black fur and a lock of red hair. Regina, realizing they belonged to different individuals, looked at Johan.
“Two people. Then I should be able to make two requests…”
“Just one location is fine. They’ll be together.”
“I see…”
Regina took the black fur and used her magic. Some kind of interference prevented her from pinpointing its location.
She then understood why Johan had given her two samples. She took the red hair and tried again.
This time, she found a precise location. Though a slight distortion remained, she could extrapolate based on the black fur’s approximate position.
“I’ve found it. The coordinates are…”
“Tell me the coordinates.”
Marguerite, who had entered the library with Johan, stepped forward. Regina, knowing Marguerite’s magic, nodded and relayed the coordinates.
Marguerite, receiving the information, looked at Johan.
“…I’ll go confirm the information myself.”
“Very well. But don’t think of running. Your soul is bound by the contract. You won’t like the consequences…”
“Don’t worry. I keep my promises.”
Leaving Regina behind, Johan and Marguerite left the library. Back at the cabin, Johan and Evangeline set off to find Beatrice.
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The monster stared down at Beatrice, huddled silently on the ground. It sensed a familiar magical energy emanating from her. The unique mana of a witch.
The same energy as its creators. Having been sealed for hundreds of years, the monster couldn’t distinguish between Beatrice and the witches who had created it, and thus perceived her as its creator.
Like any creature towards its mother, the monster displayed affection towards Beatrice, nuzzling her and offering her food it had gathered from the forest.
Beatrice refused everything.
─Eat. Gurgle-.
“…No. Take it away.”
─Why not eat? Tasty.
Though monster and witch couldn’t communicate verbally, their intent was clear. The act of offering food alone conveyed the monster’s meaning.
But Beatrice had no desire to touch the unwashed forest berries and fruits offered by a monster with questionable hygiene.
Repeatedly rejected, the monster left the cave in search of food Beatrice might enjoy. It carefully cast a spell at the entrance, preventing her escape.
Outside, the monster encountered two witches.
─Mother. Mother?
“Who’s your mother?”
Evangeline frowned at the monster. As she’d seen from the traces left behind, she couldn’t clearly see its form.
Wondering how long it could maintain its concealment, Evangeline spread her hands and used her magic. The Witch of Love’s most powerful shield, capable of disintegrating anything it touched, flew forward.
Kiiiiiing—!
─Mother! Missed you!
The monster deflected Evangeline’s attack and charged toward her.
Evangeline, whose attack had never been blocked since Johan taught her about the fundamental structure of the world, smiled, intrigued.
─Nice to see you!
The monster swung both arms at Evangeline. She caught them easily and leaped into the air.
Despite the monster’s weight of several dozen tons, Evangeline carried it effortlessly several kilometers into the sky, then stripped it of gravity.
─Uncomfortable! What is this!?
“I made gravity hate you. Shall we dance for a while?”
Dozens, hundreds of mana spheres formed behind Evangeline’s back. The most basic magic common to all witches.
The mana bolts shot toward the monster. Pure energy, nearly massless, they grazed the monster’s body.
Each time they made contact, the monster felt itself spinning. And by spinning, it could move forward.
─Stooop!
The monster twisted and turned, propelling itself toward Evangeline like a fish swimming upstream.
Evangeline, caught off guard by the monster’s maneuver, was struck by a powerful kick.
“Kyaaaaaah!?”
The dissonant energy emanating from the monster pierced through Evangeline’s magical shield, striking her directly.
Evangeline plummeted to the ground, and the impact broke the love magic holding the monster aloft.
Whiiiiiish—
The monster, falling from several kilometers high, landed effortlessly and looked at Evangeline, who had crashed to the ground before it.
─Enemy, monster, kill.
“Ugh… Who are you calling a monster…?”
─By God’s blade, be judged.
“Haha, a monster invoking God’s name…”
Evangeline, suppressing the pain in her damaged abdomen, glared at the monster. The dissonance surrounding it countered most witches’ magic.
Though not quite nullification, it deflected and pierced through magical attacks, making it similar in effect.
‘This is bad…’
Despite her vow to never lose, she was in a dangerous situation. Evangeline glanced toward the cave Johan had entered, hoping he would finish quickly and return.
─Die.
But the monster attacked first.
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While Evangeline fought the monster, Johan quickly searched the cave for Beatrice.
Some kind of magic blocked the entrance, but it was meaningless against his nullification.
Inside, he spotted Beatrice huddled in a corner.
“Beatrice!”
“…Johan?”
Beatrice, realizing it was Johan, looked up, smiled, and ran towards him.
He embraced her and checked for injuries.
“Are you okay!? Are you hurt!?”
“No… Are you okay? What about the monster…?”
“Master’s handling it. Don’t worry. Master is the strongest, so she won’t lose to a monster like that.”
Johan reassured Beatrice. It wasn’t just for her benefit; he truly believed it.
Master was the strongest. There was no way she would lose to a monster. An unshakeable conviction.
Having rescued Beatrice and confirmed she was unharmed, Johan left the cave.
“Master, I got her, so let’s get out of—”
“Ugh—!”
The moment he exited the cave, he saw Evangeline bleeding profusely. Johan stared in disbelief at the stream of blood flowing from her forehead.
Evangeline, seeing Johan, shouted to Marguerite.
“Johan! Run!”
─ Motheraaaaaa!!!
Evangeline wasn’t the only one who noticed Johan. The monster, fighting Evangeline, saw Johan and Beatrice.
Seeing Johan attempting to rescue the witch it had captured, the monster abandoned Evangeline and lunged toward Johan.
“Disciple! Kyaah—!?”
The monster swatted aside Marguerite, who tried to intercept it, and reached for Johan.
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