A Tavern’s Truths and a Witch’s Schemes

“Oh, the poor Baron Hillburg… did he leave any heirs?”

Westir’s expression tightened, as if he hadn’t expected the young woman before him to be married, much less widowed at such a tender age.

“No, of both families, I am the only one left…”

Kaelan lifted her gaze, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression betraying boundless grief.

Her pitiful demeanor would have melted even a heart of stone.

“Oh, what a pity, alas…”

Having finished speaking, Westir muttered something under his breath, a phrase likely akin to a benediction.

Saranya sighed inwardly.

‘It’s truly pitiful; the Hillburg family is so wretched!’

‘Her previous suspicions had been correct: Kaelan was purely preying on the orphaned and widowed (TL Note: A derogatory term referring to someone who marries into a family with no male heirs or that has died out, with the intention of seizing their property.), yet still claimed not to be a bandit!’

‘Oh my, why are all witches so wicked!’

“Well, madam,” Paresha interjected, “you said you were here to help. So tell me, what is the caliber of your bodyguard?”

Seeing Paresha take the bait, Kaelan’s lips curved subtly upward, and she nodded in agreement.

“I am very satisfied with my Miss Haia; I believe there is no danger she cannot handle.”

“Oh?!”

Paresha’s interest was instantly piqued, and she snatched the dagger from her waist.

“Then let me test her mettle!”

Witnessing his sister’s impulsiveness, Westir hastily restrained her.

“Hey! Are you mad? This is a tavern!”

“Isn’t a tavern meant for brawling?!”

“A tavern is a place to eat!”

“Nonsense!”

The surrounding patrons, never ones to shy away from a spectacle, erupted into a chorus of cheers the moment they heard someone wanted to fight.

“Right! The little beauty is right! This place is exactly for fighting!”

“No, there’s also bathing and card games!”

“And prostitution, too!”

“Exactly!”

His sister’s outrageous behavior had even exasperated her usually soft-spoken brother.

“Don’t you believe I’ll… I’ll hit you with a book?!”

“Hmph, is that your threat, coward? Don’t you believe I’ll kill you!”

Westir’s eyes widened; it was clear the brother had absolutely no leverage over his sister.

“You! What did you say?! If you keep this up, I’ll tell Father!”

“Go ahead! I’ll just slaughter that stinky old man Doron as well!”

The crowd burst into thunderous laughter.

Seeing his sister’s filial piety, Westir nearly passed out, bending over and coughing heavily.

“You, Haia, draw your sword!”

Paresha was eager for a fight, but Saranya remained unmoved.

‘This girl is too crazy; she’s far beyond the level of a ‘little imp’ now,’ Saranya mused.

‘She’s a lunatic! Saranya dared not act rashly.’

“Why are you ignoring me? I’m a deacon of the Moonscar Sanctuary; that should be enough to qualify me to fight a mere bodyguard like you, shouldn’t it?”

‘Enough for a ghost, you mean!’ Saranya fumed.

‘I am the Grand Commander of the Imperial Night Lily Knights, the Commander of the Imperial Twelfth Legion, “The Song of the Sunken Blade,” a baroness personally conferred by Emperor Olav VI, the record holder for the longsword championship at the Yellowbell Kingdom’s arena, a renowned witch hunter in the surrounding ten li and eight villages, and the only undergraduate student to be listed in Olav’s registry of legendary figures!’

‘Little girl, do you even know how high the sky is?!’

Saranya gritted her teeth in anger, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she still had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.

“My apologies, this madam is my true master; I only obey her commands.”

Saranya shifted her gaze, meeting Kaelan’s eyes directly.

Kaelan’s eyes flickered as she looked back, her expression subtly changing.

‘What does my Master mean by this? Being stared at like this is a bit frightening.’

“Is that so?”

Paresha looked back and forth between Saranya and Kaelan, as if she had suddenly discovered something.

She approached Saranya, pulled back the hood over Saranya’s head, and meticulously examined her face up close.

“!?”

Paresha’s action cast a terrifying pall over Kaelan’s face.

The siblings, however, did not notice Kaelan’s unease.

Paresha even clapped Saranya on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.

“Alright, you two, let’s team up, a temporary adventure squad!”

Watching the enthusiastic and unrestrained Paresha, Saranya broke into a sweat, an ominous premonition stirring within her.

‘Could Paresha have recognized me?’

‘Thinking about it again, if I truly was recognized, should I be happy? After all, this might be an opportunity to escape Kaelan.’

‘Paresha, the sister who holds the promise of becoming a priestess, Westir, the brother who will become a bishop in the future, their father, the current Bishop Doron, and the Moonscar Church of Viro City, to which they are deeply tied…’

‘If I want to regain my freedom, can I rely on them?’

‘The Church has its own armed forces in the city, an elite squad of divine guards. They are stationed in the central district alongside Viro City’s garrison. If I can successfully reach the central district, I will certainly receive sanctuary.’

“You’re called Haia? Have we met somewhere before?”

‘Now is the moment! Seize this opportunity, reveal my identity, and secretly request Paresha’s help. I can surely be saved!’

Hope ignited in Saranya’s heart, invigorating her spirit, and her eyes involuntarily lit up as she smiled warmly at Paresha.

“I—”

A sudden, sharp pain twisted in her lower abdomen, and Saranya’s breath hitched, her face instantly turning ghastly pale.

‘It’s Kaelan, damn it, I forgot this one was still charging up her big move.’

Saranya panicked, turning to look at Kaelan, desperately contorting her features into a submissive, fawning expression.

It was too late.

Kaelan seemed to have decided that Saranya was trying to betray her, and she was now gazing back with a peculiar, eerie smile.

‘I’m done for, done for, done for, done for…’

“Eh, Haia, are you feeling unwell?”

The witch blinked her ruby-like eyes, her expression warm, yet her pupils held a deep, malicious resentment.

She took Saranya’s arm, leading the despairing Saranya away from Paresha.

“She has an upset stomach, and it’s too crowded and chaotic here. How about this: Haia and I will rent a room to settle down for now, and you two siblings should also go back and rest for the night. Tomorrow, we can discuss the details of the bounty in the carriage.”

Saranya was utterly desperate; she knew that, in such a situation, getting a room meant Kaelan would likely unleash her sadistic tendencies, and there was no telling what methods she would use to torment her.

****

As it turned out, Kaelan was quite magnanimous.

Upon entering the room, she simply leaned against the edge of the bed, lost in thought, seemingly with no intention of doing anything terrifying to Saranya.

“Saranya.”

“Master?”

“If there’s a battle tomorrow, can you protect me?”

If Kaelan’s tone had been a little more demure, rather than so formal, Saranya might have felt more enthusiastic.

“Of course, Master. Your wish is my command.”

“I don’t want to use overly conspicuous magic. If my identity as a witch were exposed, the risk would be too great.”

Truth be told, Saranya had barely seen Kaelan use magic.

In her memories of their encounter, she recalled Kaelan emerging from the shadows, after which her comrades had inexplicably shattered into pieces.

Following that, Kaelan had seemingly relied purely on her martial arts to brutally beat Saranya to the ground.

‘This one is, without a doubt, a pure monster.’