The Curious Case of the Benevolent Witch

As Iordera made her way through the bustling marketplace, the “hooligan harassment” she had anticipated never materialized.

She had meticulously planned her response, deeming it overkill to involve Hecate for a few lecherous hooligans.

She was confident that a single elbow strike, followed by a punch and a combo, would be enough to wipe them out entirely.

Alas, these men possessed lustful hearts but lacked the courage to act, merely standing by and staring.

None dared to approach.

“Well, well, where did this little beauty come from?” a leering, scrawny hooligan sidled closer.

“A newcomer here needs to register with me, hehehehe.”

Just as she expected, the inevitable had arrived.

Far from panicking, Iordera actually felt a sense of relief.

She was fully prepared, waiting for the wretch to extend his hand just a little further, ready to deliver a forceful elbow strike.

“Hehehehe… mm?”

The scrawny hooligan, thin as a monkey, found his hand unable to reach her.

It was ensnared by gelatinous air, rendered immobile.

The viscous air tightened, and his hand bones groaned audibly under the immense pressure.

“What have you done? Let go… Ow, ow, ow, help me!”

Iordera paused, momentarily stunned, before Hecate tugged at her sleeve.

“Keep moving,” Hecate instructed. “Don’t just stand there gaping.”

“Oh.”

The scrawny hooligan’s hand twisted more grotesquely with each passing second, forcing agonizing screams from his throat.

Several men nearby approached, yet offered no assistance; instead, they chuckled mockingly.

“That’s what you get for being so lustful. You hit a steel plate, didn’t you?”

“What were you thinking? Someone arriving for the first time, yet daring to forgo a guide—what does that tell you? Did you truly believe a pretty face meant a foolish mind?”

“To provoke someone without knowing their background—you’ve wasted all this time idling about.”

“Brainless.”

The crowd reveled in the spectacle, pointing fingers at him from their self-righteous perch and delighting in kicking a man while he was down.

In their leisure, they revisited the images of the two girls they had just seen.

To be fair, they truly were quite lovely.

Hecate led Iordera to their destination.

It was a place resembling a mercenary guild, yet unlike a formal one, there was no reception desk.

Instead, several boards hung on the walls, displaying various commissions.

Those interested simply took a task they fancied.

The atmosphere inside was notably relaxed, with only a few individuals drinking and chatting, making it appear more like a tavern than anything else.

The one in charge here was referred to by others as “The Middleman.”

“There are many middlemen in the Eastern District, but the one here is called Owl Head (TL Note: A nickname for the middleman, implying that one needs to be as resilient as a cat with nine lives to take on the dangerous commissions he offers.),” Hecate explained.

“He handles commissions with a higher degree of danger.”

“Owl Head?”

Iordera glanced towards the far end of the room, where a man with a heavy gold chain sat atop the bar, casually drinking and conversing with a few others.

She was utterly perplexed.

He didn’t seem to have any connection to an owl’s head.

“To take on work from here, you need to have nine lives, just like a cat,” Hecate clarified.

Iordera perused the surrounding mission boards.

[At the United Academy’s matriculation ceremony, publicly beat the most prominent student. Reward: 100 gold.]

[Steal the Academy Headmaster’s monocle and leave a note in his room saying “Was here.” Reward: 10 gold.]

[Break into the Academy’s girls’ dormitory at night and record the events with a crystal, with payment based on the level of excitement captured.]

Iordera’s mouth twitched uncontrollably as she read.

“Are these missions… just pranks?”

So, all the “dangerous” missions in the entire Eastern District are merely for amusement, then?

“Naturally, what’s displayed are mere pranks; commissions of a serious nature are, in theory, confidential,” Hecate said, her gaze drifting to the man with the heavy gold chain at the bar.

“Legitimate tasks are always verbally communicated by the middleman.”

Iordera conceded the point.

If the danger level were truly high, simply posting them on a public board would compromise both the agent and the client.

Even so, these “amusement” tasks on the board seemed rather perilous themselves.

“So, what kind of mission are you planning to take from him?” Iordera inquired.

Hecate shrugged her slender shoulders.

“Me? I’ve been handsomely hired by the Academy, with a bright future and promising prospects ahead. Why would I come here for missions?”

“Then why are you here…?”

“I brought you here because I thought you might find it useful,” Hecate replied with a faint smile.

“In Juneburg, you dared to take on such commissions, not once, but twice. You must be in dire need of money, wouldn’t you say?”

Iordera was speechless for a moment.

Hecate’s words struck a raw nerve; Iordera truly was short on funds.

Though she had risked her life to earn money in Juneburg, a sudden surge in teleportation gate fees had quickly depleted a significant portion of her earnings.

The money she had left was barely enough to get by, let alone afford luxurious maid outfits for her two young maids.

“I can find respectable work,” Iordera stated, her small mouth firm.

“There’s no need for me to engage in shady dealings.”

Hecate chuckled playfully.

“Don’t make me laugh, dear. A thankless, low-paying job like a library security guard? You wouldn’t have even gotten it without my help.”

Iordera remained silent.

While not pleasant to hear, it was undeniably the truth.

Still, Iordera had no intention of taking on a commission, at least not yet.

She was unfamiliar with this place; what if she were scammed or stirred up trouble?

“Very well, if you ever find yourself in need, you can always come to the market,” Hecate said, rising and patting the hem of her Western-style dress.

“For now, let’s head back.”

Iordera also stood up.

“Also, you don’t need to come to the Academy tomorrow. Just return the day after, when classes officially begin.”

Upon hearing this, Iordera beamed with delight.

“Excellent, excellent! No problem at all.”

She had just been contemplating asking for a late arrival tomorrow, citing insufficient sleep, only to find she had been granted a day off instead.

The hardworking soul felt a warmth spread through her heart.

Leaving the market, they departed by railcar.

Iordera and Hecate lived in different directions and boarded separate vehicles.

The maids at home were already asleep, so Iordera quietly slipped into bed and changed into her nightclothes.

Thankfully, it had been a peaceful night, and Hecate hadn’t done anything untoward to her.

Reflecting on it, despite Hecate being known as a witch, she seemed rather kind to Iordera.

To ensure Iordera’s smooth entry into the Academy, Hecate had traveled a great distance to personally secure her position as a favored applicant.

Furthermore, sensing Iordera’s potential financial straits, she had specifically introduced her to places in Saroyan where money could be easily acquired.

What exactly was her motive?

Pondering this question, Iordera slowly drifted into slumber.

Zzz

The following day, as Iordera awoke for lunch, her two maids inquired about her evening.

“Nothing noteworthy,” Iordera replied casually.

“I returned before midnight.”

Nina and Yuna exchanged a worried glance, their expressions instantly clouding with concern.

“Miss, isn’t it rather… improper to return so early?”

“Could it be that Miss Witch was too quick? While it’s certainly not your fault, Miss, you…”

“I believe, Miss, you shouldn’t have rushed back so soon. It doesn’t matter if Miss Witch was quick; perhaps her frequency is high. You should have waited a bit longer.”

“You have a point.”

Iordera listened, utterly bewildered.

“What on earth are you two talking about? She merely took me to the night market and introduced me to some avenues for finding work.”

Nina and Yuna were equally taken aback.

“That’s all?”

“Yes, what else?” Iordera replied, shaking her small head.

“Still, I find myself wondering why she’s helped me so much. What exactly is she after?”