The Witch’s Escape and Iordera’s New Path

A disciplined routine ensured Iordera awoke with the first hint of dawn.

The vast, flourishing city of Saroyan was slowly stirring from its slumber.

Iordera stepped onto the balcony, where the fresh breeze kissed her cheeks, filling her loli heart with an irrepressible sense of exhilaration, compelling her to—

“Hooaah—!”

She vented some pent-up energy.

Within the bustling airport inn, where countless guests resided, that single loli roar violently jolted them awake from their tranquil morning dreams.

Instantly, the entire building buzzed with murmurs of discontent and rustling complaints, and some of the more irascible guests flung open their windows to shout curses upwards:

“Why are you yelling so loudly?!”

Iordera awkwardly rubbed her hands. “Just letting off some steam, that’s all.”

“But did you *have* to scream? AAAAAAAH!”

Iordera hastily retreated into the living room, sealing the balcony windows tightly shut.

‘Perhaps next time, I should find a less populated place to vent,’ she mused.

****

Stepping out of her room, Iordera purchased a city map from the inn, which turned out to be a collection of several intricate sheets, appearing remarkably complex.

Her first task was to locate a nearby mercenary guild to acquire proof of her identity and rank.

In essence, this document served as the equivalent of an academic transcript in this otherworld.

While mercenary guilds were ubiquitous, found in every city, in a metropolis like Saroyan, branches dotted the streets every few blocks, countless in number.

The receptionist wasn’t some idle young man, but rather a young woman in professional attire, her face adorned with a flawless smile.

“Welcome, how may I assist you today?”

“Uh, yes, I’d like to register my credentials.”

Encountering such professional service for the first time, Iordera felt a flicker of awkwardness.

‘This must be what a big city is like,’ she thought.

The young woman at the counter produced an energy scanner. “Please insert your finger.”

Iordera complied, and moments later, precisely three large beams of light illuminated.

She had originally cultivated to level 28, but after defeating the combat puppet, she had ascended to level 30.

While the puppet’s destruction was primarily due to graphite powder, or rather, its self-detonation, Iordera had only inflicted a minuscule amount of damage.

Thus, the grand experience ‘booster’ from a Level 60 boss monster had yielded only this paltry amount of experience.

“Iordera, registered at Juneburg as Level 17, is now Level 30,” the young woman announced, retrieving an exquisite card from beneath the counter. “I wish you a splendid future.”

‘Well, I’ll be,’ Iordera thought. ‘So the mercenary guilds are connected, universally recognized everywhere.’

She examined the small card in her hand; it was remarkably delicate, bearing her name and rank as if embossed in gold.

Iordera couldn’t help but marvel at the stark contrast between a major city and a smaller one; even the mercenary guilds operated differently.

Just look at their service, their comprehensive facilities…

“The service fee is one gold coin,” the receptionist said, her smile unwavering. “Thank you for your patronage.”

“…”

‘No wonder the service is so impeccable,’ she mused. ‘A thousand coins for a few words and a card.’

Leaving the mercenary guild, and after a stop at a nearby bookstore for a few tomes, Iordera returned home.

By now, it was almost noon, and the two maids had also awoken, bustling about to prepare lunch.

Yuna sat leisurely on the sofa, engrossed in a newspaper.

Upon seeing Iordera return, she quickly called out, “Miss, come look at this!”

Iordera set down her belongings and walked over to peer at it. “What is it?”

“The newspaper, big news.”

Taking the newspaper, she saw a striking line of bold, black text emblazoned directly across the top of the page.

[Calamity Approaches! The Witch Hecate Confirmed Escaped!]

Iordera’s eyelids twitched, and she continued reading.

[We have received confirmation from the Imperial family that the former site of the Witch’s (Confidential) imprisonment has suffered a severe attack, with an explosion leveling almost everything.

The Witch’s whereabouts remain unknown, her destination a mystery.

However, we can confirm that, with the Guardian Sheila missing, the Witch will become the world’s greatest threat.

A spokesperson for the Imperial family stated that we must prepare for the direst circumstances to combat the disaster brought forth by the Witch.

Concurrently, we cannot help but speculate as to who caused that massive explosion, and who freed the Witch.

Who, indeed, committed such an atrocity, unleashing this calamity upon the world?]

Iordera’s temples throbbed as she read, and as she lowered the newspaper, she suddenly noticed both maids circling her, their gazes peculiar.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Nothing, just reading the paper,” Nina replied, pointing to the text. “Who committed such a cruel act? Who unleashed an unparalleled disaster? Who brought calamity upon humanity? Who delivered endless threats?”

Yuna swayed her head playfully. “It’s our Miss, our beautiful and captivating Miss, our adorable and charming Miss~”

Iordera’s youthful face flushed, and she stammered, “How can you blame me for something like this? I merely did what was right, who would have known…”

‘Who would have known that the cunning Hecate would actually take advantage of me? What a truly wicked woman!’

Nina mused aloud, “Others have their say too.

You saved dozens, hundreds, at most a few thousand people in Juneburg, yet indirectly caused the Witch’s escape, potentially harming tens or even hundreds of thousands.”

“What does that have to do with me? I couldn’t simply ignore the City Lord’s crimes just because it *might* indirectly harm more people,” Iordera declared, slamming the newspaper onto the table. “I don’t care, I know I did nothing wrong.”

‘My body and mind are as clear as a mirror; every action I take—is unequivocally just!’

That newspaper ultimately served as a placemat for the dining table, clearly illustrating Iordera’s disdain for it.

“What kind of media, what kind of newspaper? It’s all just false, unreliable nonsense,” Iordera scoffed, pulling out the books she had bought. “It’s better to read these; these are what’s truly useful.”

“What are those?”

“An introduction to the Continental United Academy.”

‘If I’m to apply for a job, I should learn more about the institution,’ she reasoned, ‘such as its corporate culture and atmosphere, the nature of my potential superiors, and what demeanor I should adopt.’

“What’s so interesting about that?” Yuna said lazily. “It’s surely just a load of boasting, claiming the academy has a long history, a great cultural atmosphere, that it’s centered on knowledge and ability, emphasizing cultivation and a rich heritage.”

Iordera had intended to scold her, but after flipping through the book for a while, she discovered… Yuna was entirely correct.

“Well, it’s not entirely useless; at least I now understand their corporate culture and atmosphere, right?” Iordera said. “During my job interview tomorrow, I’ll appear a bit more intellectual; that earns high impression points.”

“Good luck, Miss.” Yuna replied, then focused on eating her lunch.

Nina, meanwhile, picked up another book and glanced through it. “Miss, I hear this principal is quite famous, but she might not be very generous.”

[Continental United Academy, 101st Principal: Louisa]

“A seeker of truth, whose sole purpose in this life is the pursuit of knowledge, and who harbors a devout reverence for the Guardian Sheila,” Nina read from the book. “It lists only virtues, but unfortunately, no one has ever written that she’s a bit stingy, and her employees’ salaries are probably not very high.”

“How do you know that?” Iordera asked.

“Because the caravan used to do business with her.”

‘Well, it doesn’t matter, I suppose,’ she thought. ‘After all, my main purpose in becoming a librarian is to uncover the truth of my own origins.’