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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“A gypsy, was she?”
This wasn’t an era where one had the freedom to move about. Serfs were tied to the land, and most commoners lived hand-to-mouth. They didn’t have the luxury to travel around.
Among the lower classes, only the gypsies, a nomadic people, roamed the continent freely.
And we had met the Star Witch in Quaran, a city at the southernmost tip of the continent. This was the royal capital, located at the far western end of the central region.
For a mere street fortune teller to have traveled such a distance meant she was a gypsy.
“Heh, what does it matter if I am or not?”
Eleanor, startled, hid behind me, a complete reversal of her excited, childlike demeanor from our first encounter. Her grip on my hand tightened.
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s a gypsy! A gypsy fortune teller! She might even be a witch.”
People tended to ostracize those who were different.
The gypsies, who maintained their unique culture while wandering the continent, were considered taboo and often accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake.
“Are you really in a position to say that?” The Star Witch shook her head, as if in disbelief.
Eleanor whispered, her expression sullen,
“Don’t you know the saying, ‘Humans are more frightening than monsters’?”
“A witch is afraid of another witch?”
“I don’t know what kind of abilities she might have.”
Eleanor, with her own extraordinary abilities, knew how dangerous witches could be.
Of course, she was unaware that witches’ abilities didn’t affect each other.
“Heh, don’t worry. A witch’s powers don’t work on another witch…” The Star Witch revealed, her gaze subtly shifting towards me, a clear attempt to keep me in check.
She seemed to disapprove of my close relationship with Eleanor, just as she had before.
“A-Allen? You’re a witch too?!”
“Do I use any special abilities like a witch?”
“W-Well… you’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?”
“That’s because I’m exceptional.”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
I shrugged at Eleanor’s disgusted look.
“Our family is just… special. Anya doesn’t have any special abilities, does she?”
This was an era where myths and legends were still alive. Being a little… strong… wouldn’t get you mistaken for a witch. And Anya was simply beautiful.
“And have you ever heard of a male witch?”
“You never know. She could be a woman disguised as a man using transformation magic…”
“You, of all people, should know that’s not the case.”
I smirked, looking down at her, and her face flushed crimson.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Hmm. Then I’ll have to show you.”
“Ugh, is that all you think about?”
In any case, the Star Witch’s clumsy attempt to create a rift between us had failed. Our relationship wasn’t so shallow as to be affected by her machinations.
The Star Witch, seeing our bickering, also realized this. She bit her lip and glared at me fiercely.
“Hmph.”
She opened her clenched fist in front of her face and blew. The white powder in her hand flew towards Eleanor, as if with a will of its own.
Eleanor, who had been looking up at me with a sullen expression, realized the powder’s presence too late and collapsed.
Having anticipated this, I caught her and held her in my arms. Her steady breathing indicated that she was asleep.
“Follow me.”
I didn’t hesitate to follow the Star Witch into the tent.
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I knew that if I involved Eleanor and Anya, the Star Witch, who was deeply concerned about the well-being of the witches, would follow.
While using Eleanor to curry favor with the King, I had also planned to uncover the Star Witch’s identity.
“It’s like deja vu. Well, that’s not wrong. There’s only one reason you would seek me out.”
We sat facing each other across a round table.
“If you had kept your end of the bargain, I wouldn’t have had to.”
“Are you trying to make excuses again?” She clenched her fist on the table.
“I warned you last time. Stick to the deal and stop with the foolishness. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what I hold over you?”
The Star Witch threatened me with my reproductive ability again.
Reproduction was a primal instinct etched into human DNA, and for a nobleman in this era, it was a matter of utmost importance. That was why the Star Witch was so confident.
Of course, to me, with my modern memories, having children was a nice to have, but not a necessity. That was why I could scoff at her.
“If you continue to make excuses, I have my own plans.”
“What…!”
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs and placing my clasped hands on my lap, staring at her arrogantly.
“I’ll break the contract.” I threatened her back.
During our last meeting, the Star Witch had confessed the reason why she had to use me. She had tried to intervene directly, but the outcome had been even worse.
Whether it was regression or foresight, it meant she needed my help.
The fact that she was so eager to confront me every time we met, despite our shared goal of saving the witches, supported this hypothesis.
If that was the case, why should I be led by the nose?
“Hmph. You want to go back to that hopeless hospital, do you?”
The Star Witch seemed to think I was bluffing. To me, it was she who was bluffing.
“Try me. But can you save the witches on your own?”
A heavy silence descended. The Star Witch bit her lip, glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me.
I maintained a calm demeanor, as if the choice were hers. She was the first to wave the white flag.
“So you intend to take the reward without fulfilling your end of the bargain?”
“I am fulfilling my end of the bargain. Our methods are just different. On the contrary, you’re the one who broke the contract. Our agreement was a deal between equals, not one where you could command me with this body as a leash.”
“I can’t return your reproductive ability until the contract is fulfilled. It’s my only insurance.”
As expected, it wouldn’t be easy to regain my reproductive ability. I wasn’t too disappointed. My attempts to get it back were just an act anyway.
‘All I know about the Star Witch is her disguise magic.’ Disguise magic was a rather insignificant ability for a witch. She must have other abilities I didn’t know about.
That was the problem. I couldn’t counter an unknown ability.
Therefore, I had to let her believe that the leash she held was still effective.
“I’m the only one you can trust, and yet you refuse to trust me?”
“I apologize for my previous attitude. But I won’t give up my insurance.”
Her sharp demeanor softened. Seeing that her threats weren’t working, she had adopted a more conciliatory tone.
I decided to be satisfied with re-establishing an equal relationship with her.
There was still plenty of time.
Of course, to deceive her, I had to continue acting as if I were still on her leash.
“Tsk, then let’s get back to the point. What are you so dissatisfied with?”
“Conquering Count Bruah’s territory had nothing to do with our contract. On the contrary, if you had failed, Anya and Eleanor would have been in danger.”
“Witches, by their beauty alone, incite human greed. And they possess special abilities. To protect them from greedy humans, one needs power. Taking control of Count Bruah’s territory was part of that.”
Even now, I could save two more witches if I wanted to. The problem was that if I didn’t have the power to protect them, they would be taken away from me.
Not only that,
“And the more witches gather, the more attention they’ll attract from those in power. It will become increasingly difficult to protect them. In this godforsaken, barbaric era, it’s only natural for people to take what they want if they have the power to do so.”
I deliberately used a modern term, denigrating the era. I still had a gut feeling that I shouldn’t let her know that my modern self was in control.
“But if you don’t save them in time, isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? I can hear the cries of my sisters, suffering even as we speak.”
“Acting rashly will only increase their suffering.”
“You’re so cold.”
“Isn’t that why you made a deal with me?”
The Star Witch had admitted it herself. She had tried to intervene and failed.
In other words, if I followed her lead, I would only be met with failure.
The Star Witch couldn’t deny it. She could only sigh in frustration.
“I hope you don’t just spend all your time preparing. You’ll lose everything if you do.”
Was that another bluff? Her tone was too matter-of-fact to be a bluff.
It seemed she had another card up her sleeve. Indeed, antagonizing the Star Witch was a terrible idea. For now.
“The preparations are almost complete. I’ll be heading to the Northern Continent before the end of summer.”
There was another witch in the Northern Continent. A witch I couldn’t afford to lose.
That was why I had agreed to join Dressten’s expedition to the Northern Continent, even though it meant endangering my people left on this continent.
“The Northern Continent…?!”
The Star Witch couldn’t hide her surprise. She must have assumed I would save the remaining witches on this continent first.
In fact, if Count Bruah hadn’t been so greedy, I would have done just that.
It would have been more efficient.
“I’ll say it again. I haven’t forgotten our deal. Our goal is the same. Our methods are just different.”
“I’ll be watching.”
The Star Witch, after a final warning, turned to leave. Just before she left the tent, I asked casually,
“How old are you?”
The Star Witch flinched and turned slowly. Her lower face, the only part visible, was covered in wrinkles, befitting an old woman.
“Why do you ask?”
“Rushing headlong into things is a privilege of the young.” Despite our need to cooperate, she had tried to keep me in check. She had shown that her emotions often took precedence over reason.
She was impatient, constantly prodding, and her vision was narrow.
“You talk like an old man. Even though you’re much younger than me.”
The Star Witch, instead of answering, scoffed and left.
I chuckled to myself.
“Only the young are sensitive about their age.”
While the Star Witch had implied she was old, I believed the opposite. She had pretended to be old because she was young.
It wasn’t long before my suspicion was confirmed.
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That night, the moon was hidden behind clouds. The window of the guest room on the third floor of the detached palace opened silently.
A shadow, carried on the wind, entered the room and settled on the bed.
I opened my eyes at the sensation of breath on my skin. A pair of dark eyes, glowing faintly blue, were inches from my face.
A figure, clad in black, was on top of me.
The tips of his fingers touched my throat, the atmosphere menacing, as if he were about to strangle me.
“If you don’t keep your promise, I won’t let you go.”
I sighed and pushed his hand away.
“Aren’t you tired of this? Every time you come to report, you have to get on top of me and threaten me? I might really get the wrong idea. That you just want to be on top of me.”
“Isn’t it a free country?”
The shadow smirked and retreated to the window. Just then, the clouds parted, and the moonlight illuminated her.
What I had thought was black clothing was her skin. On the contrary, she was wearing revealing, loose-fitting clothes.
Her skin, darker than the night sky, was more suitable for stealth than black clothing.
Her name was Jin, the matriarch of Quaran’s underworld. At my request, she had become Eleanor’s secret bodyguard while we were in the capital.
I sat on the edge of the bed and faced her.
“Report.”
Having anticipated the Star Witch’s arrival, I had asked Jin to follow her from a distance.
Having learned that she disappeared as soon as she was approached, I had changed my method.
“As you said, she was a young woman.”
“Did you see her face?”
Jin shook her head.
“All I saw was a glimpse of her bright blonde hair, like yours. And even that was quickly hidden under her robe. When I tried to get closer, she disappeared, just like last time.”
It seemed that even a named character couldn’t defeat a mastermind.
At least I had learned that she was young, and that was thanks to Jin, a named character specializing in stealth.
Well… it wasn’t bad. It meant I was one step closer to uncovering the Star Witch’s identity.
If I continued like this, I would eventually learn who she was.
All I needed was time.
“I’ll try again.” She, who had once thought my promise to help her with her revenge was just empty words, now clung to me, seeing my rise to power.
“She’ll be more cautious now that she’s been alerted.”
“So will I.” I shook my head. While her enthusiasm was commendable, the chances were slim.
“There’s something more productive. You’ve heard about the mock battle, haven’t you? Your role is to assess the strength of the participating families.”
There was a hero in my modern memories, a hero greater than any in myths and legends. He had adapted an ancient art of war and used it as the key to victory.
Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.
If I combined my memories of my previous life with Jin’s information, it would be like starting the mock battle with a half-victory.
“And you’ll have to take control of the underworld in the capital.”
“Assessing each family is a difficult task in itself, and now you want me to take control of the underworld? They’re surely backed by the King or his high-ranking officials.”
“If you think it’s more difficult than helping you with your revenge, you don’t have to do it.”
“I’d like to know the reason.”
I didn’t hide my reasons. She would be more motivated if she understood my intentions.
“A great war might break out.”
According to the original timeline, Dressten should have fallen due to Eleanor’s ability. The sudden disappearance of a powerful great lord would have upset the delicate balance of power, plunging the continent into chaos.
The outbreak of a great war.
‘My intervention has altered history.’ Dressten was not only intact, but was also preparing for an expedition to the Northern Continent.
Therefore, I had assumed that a great war wouldn’t happen, or if it did, it would be in the distant future.
Until a thought suddenly occurred to me.
If Dressten left for the Northern Continent, wouldn’t that create a power vacuum?
“A war, you say?”
“I’m not certain yet. But… it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”
While I thought the chances were slim, if a great war did break out, my people would be in danger. The King’s protection wouldn’t last forever.
Humans, after all, always put themselves first. And helping others was only possible when one had the means to do so.
“War is both a crisis and an opportunity.”
It felt as if the wheels of fate, perfectly aligned, were beginning to turn.
Even after Jin left to carry out my orders, I couldn’t sleep. My heart pounded with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
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At the banquet I attended two weeks later, I confirmed that my worries weren’t unfounded.
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Thanks Teot!
ay welcome sirrr!!