Taken by the Mob

Outside?! Viola went outside?!

And there are so many people gathered out there… what exactly is happening?!

Pat pat pat pat…

After Daisy woke up and saw the noisy crowd gathered outside Baron Bolus’s mansion from the window, Viola had only left behind one sentence:

“I’m going out to make them quiet down.”

Then she immediately headed for the exit.

Daisy had barely processed what was happening.

A moment later, she finally reacted and hurried after Viola without even putting on shoes, running barefoot through the halls.

But she couldn’t catch up at all.

By the time she came stumbling down the last few steps of the first-floor staircase, she happened to run into Pelinda, who was standing there with over a dozen trembling servants, watching anxiously.

“L-Little Da— no, Miss Daisy, you’re down too?”

Even amid the panic, Pelinda still instinctively tried to maintain her proper noble-lady image.

She looked nervously toward the mansion entrance.

“Father and Vio— no, the Lady in Black are outside too… I don’t know what’s happening either…”

“Those people… why are they…”

Daisy hurried down the remaining steps and leapt over beside Pelinda.

Together they stared toward the entrance doors that concealed the chaos outside, listening to the endless clamor beyond.

Viola…

Outside Baron Bolus’s mansion, the courtyard had become completely packed with religious fanatics.

Beside Baron Bolus, whose forehead was still bleeding where a stone had struck him earlier, Viola calmly stepped forward and stood before the middle-aged priest leading the crowd.

“So you’re the witch who secretly murdered Viscount Clyde?”

The priest narrowed his murky eyes as he looked Viola up and down.

He clearly didn’t think she possessed any power beyond human understanding.

Still, he had no intention of stopping.

Even if a thousand innocents were dragged into it, all the better.

“I’m not a witch.”

Viola answered coldly.

She wasn’t lying.

“She’s definitely a witch!”

“Look at her clothes!”

“She’s dressed in black!”

“She isn’t scared of us either!”

“She’s definitely suspicious!”

“She’s prettier than my wife!”

“Drag her away and strip her for interrogation!”

The crowd shouted one thing after another.

Their bloodlust was already boiling over.

Viola’s gaze only grew colder.

If she wanted to kill all thousand people here…

A few seconds would be enough.

Not even corpses would remain.

But there was a problem.

Many of these people weren’t evil.

Some were simply ordinary, decent people misled by faith.

People who normally worked honestly and harmed nobody.

Yet the banner of righteousness could easily twist such people into monsters.

It could make them throw stones at women and children.

Break innocent people’s bones.

And feel no guilt while doing it.

Because they believed they were righteous.

Because they believed they were acting for God.

Killing them all wasn’t justice.

And it would only create endless trouble for Baron Bolus’s family.

So despite possessing overwhelming strength—

Viola couldn’t simply solve this with force.

This had to be handled differently.

“There are no witches who admit they’re witches!”

The priest suddenly took out a golden crystal pendant.

“This is a sacred crystal bestowed by God!”

“It reacts to evil magic!”

“Every major city uses these to inspect suspicious individuals!”

“It never makes mistakes!”

In reality, it was a cheap imitation.

And a faulty one at that.

It even reacted to ordinary people’s natural magical energy.

The priest himself wore leather gloves specifically so he wouldn’t accidentally trigger it.

“Witch!”

“If you’re innocent, touch it!”

“If it doesn’t react, you’ll prove your innocence!”

His smile twisted maliciously.

“Or are you too afraid?”

Without saying a word, Viola reached out.

Then grabbed the pendant.

Crack.

Before it could react—

The entire crystal shattered into powder.

She’d crushed it.

“…W-WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

The priest nearly screamed.

“WITCH!”

“SHE’S DEFINITELY A WITCH!”

“SHE DESTROYED THE HOLY CRYSTAL!”

“SEIZE HER!”

“INTERROGATE HER!”

“BURN HER!”

The crowd immediately exploded.

Several burly men wearing hooded sacks over their heads rushed forward.

One swung a heavy wooden club directly at the back of Viola’s head.

BANG.

Viola didn’t dodge.

The club shattered.

Viola remained completely unharmed.

The man stared stupidly at the broken stick in his hand.

Before he recovered, more men rushed over.

One looped a cruel iron collar around Viola’s neck.

Others wrapped heavy chains around her body.

Magical restraints.

Iron shackles.

Layer after layer.

Preparing to drag her away.

“W-Wait!”

Baron Bolus finally couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Priest, please—”

But the priest immediately turned toward him.

“Baron Bolus.”

“We found a witch in your home.”

“So tell us.”

“Are you an innocent victim?”

“Or a witch’s accomplice?”

He picked up a large stone from the ground.

Then smiling kindly, handed it over.

“God is merciful.”

“Here’s your chance.”

“Throw this stone at the witch.”

“Strike her head.”

“If you refuse…”

“Your whole family dies with her.”

Bolus stared at the stone.

His face turned pale.

Viola had saved his entire family.

To hurt her…

To betray her…

To him, it was worse than smashing his own head.

“I… I…”

His hand trembled.

Then Viola suddenly spoke.

“Baron.”

Her silver-gray eyes stared at him coldly.

“I already taught you how to survive in this world.”

“Did you forget the promise you made?”

Bolus froze.

Then remembered.

The chapel.

His tears.

His vow.

To protect his family no matter what.

Then his expression changed.

And suddenly—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

He roared.

The stone flew from his hand and smashed directly into Viola’s head.

Naturally—

It did absolutely nothing.

The priest stared blankly.

He’d wanted to drag Bolus down with her.

Instead, before everyone, Bolus had publicly proven his distance from the witch.

Viola smiled slightly.

“Good.”

“Even against your benefactor, you managed to do it.”

“Become colder.”

“Become calmer.”

“Think further ahead.”

“You’ll become a lord capable of protecting your family.”

“Good luck, human Baron.”

Pat pat pat pat!

Daisy kept running.

Up the stairs.

Past the second floor.

Straight to the third.

She burst into a room overlooking the outside and threw herself against the window.

Outside—

The crowd was retreating like migrating ants.

Taking their “captured witch” away.

Excitedly preparing for interrogation.

For torture.

For execution.

All under the name of justice.

“VIOLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Daisy shoved the window open and screamed with all her strength.

She wanted Viola to come back.

She wanted to jump down and chase after her.

“Little Daisy!”

Pelinda rushed in and grabbed her.

“No!”

“If you call them back, everything will be over!”

“Let go of me!”

“I’m going after Viola!”

“Miss Viola must’ve gone with them to protect us!”

“She definitely has a way out!”

“We have to stay calm!”

Eventually Daisy stopped struggling.

She understood.

She knew that.

Even if—

Far away, one of the interrogators struck Viola with another club.

BANG.

The club broke again.

Viola remained perfectly fine.

Then suddenly—

Her voice thundered across the distance.

“WAIT FOR ME LIKE A GOOD GIRL!!!!!!!!”

“I’LL COME BACK SOON!!!!!!!!”

Still wrapped in chains and restraints…

Still being struck and pelted with stones…

Viola turned and grinned mischievously toward Daisy.

As if she were simply leaving briefly before returning.

Daisy stood there silently by the open window.

The fear inside her eased a little.

After all—

That was Viola.

The strongest person she knew.

The person who had never once seemed troubled by anything.

She’d be fine.

Right?

Of course—

A mob of religious fanatics couldn’t kill a dragon.

But dragon slayers could.

Viola allowing herself to be taken away wasn’t the real danger.

The problem was—

With all this chaos…

The dragon hunters nearby would no longer have any difficulty finding their target.

And Viola knew that.

By willingly going with them, she wasn’t just protecting Baron Bolus’s family.

She was also drawing danger away from Daisy.

Even if that meant bearing far greater risks herself.