A Warning from the Wrath Witch

“Reyn Rheinhebo, now eighteen, had adopted an abused girl from an orphanage when he was ten…”

Louise Christian gazed quietly at the document in her hands, her index finger tapping thoughtfully against the desk.

Judging from the files, the newly appointed Count Rheinhebo was truly a benevolent soul, at least until the death of the old Count Rheinhebo.

Within three months, his three elder brothers had successively perished, ultimately leaving the earldom to him, an illegitimate son. He possessed ample motive for their deaths, yet Louise lacked sufficient evidence to prove it.

However, not everything required proof.

Louise’s gaze, cold and sharp, fell upon Reyn Rheinhebo’s black-and-white photograph. Enforcers were sworn to the Holy Church, and even a noble, once entangled with heresy, would face a grim end. Reyn Rheinhebo, it seemed, fit this very description.

The mana-devouring magic known as “Gluttony” was the innate talent wielded by the Gluttony Witch of the Witch’s Assembly—an organization that had repeatedly defied the Holy Church in recent years.

Yet, Reyn Rheinhebo’s disguise had been remarkably thorough. Louise had never imagined that a bullied illegitimate son could be connected to the Gluttony Witch. If he hadn’t been the last one remaining, she would never have suspected him.

The reason she hadn’t arrested Reyn Rheinhebo on the spot was to ascertain the true nature of his relationship with the Gluttony Witch, and even the Witch’s Assembly, hoping to use him to reel in a larger catch.

Although the Witch’s Assembly comprised only seven individuals, two of its Witches possessed power comparable to the Pope himself. There were even rumors that another entity led the Assembly.

“So, you’re the one investigating Young Master, are you?”

An unexpected voice suddenly broke the silence. Louise’s body jolted, and she whipped her head around, only to see a woman cloaked in a pitch-black robe and wearing a phoenix mask, who had appeared by the window at some unknown moment.

Louise’s pupils contracted sharply, then she swiftly regained her composure. She stared intently at the newcomer.

“Why would the renowned Wrath Witch seek out a humble Enforcer such as myself?” she challenged.

The Wrath Witch’s exposed cerulean eyes calmly met Louise’s gaze. “We have no immediate intention of antagonizing the Holy Church,” she stated slowly. “But if you vex the Young Master, we will not hesitate to destroy you.”

Louise’s eyes, cold as ice, locked with the Wrath Witch’s. “The Holy Church fears no enemy!” she retorted, her voice frigid.

The Wrath Witch scoffed. “You see us as enemies, but we have never considered you as such. Your very existence is merely a testament to the Young Master’s benevolence.”

Louise’s eyes flickered. “The ‘Young Master’ you speak of, is that Reyn Rheinhebo? Is he the true leader of the Witch’s Assembly?”

The Wrath Witch remained silent, her gaze drifting towards a photo frame on the table. In the picture, Louise held a boy of about three years old in her arms.

Sensing the Wrath Witch’s stare, Louise instinctively shifted to block her view.

The Wrath Witch’s gaze slowly settled on Louise’s icy face. “I once had parents too,” she said faintly. “So I know what becomes of children who lose them.”

“The Holy Church would never abandon its believers,” Louise stated coldly.

The Wrath Witch’s expression turned derisive once more. “My father was once an Enforcer, so I understand better than you what believers truly mean to the Holy Church.”

Louise’s resolve wavered for a moment, then quickly solidified. “Heretic, do not try to corrupt me!”

The disdain in the Wrath Witch’s eyes deepened. “Consider this merely a warning. You know what you must do. Otherwise, you can only pray your child won’t be auctioned off for guardianship, forced to live in starvation, and then cast out to be a child laborer once he’s slightly older. Heh, you should be thankful he’s a boy.”

Flames began to spontaneously ignite around her, violently tearing at the space itself, and she vanished into the spatial rift.

Louise’s expression changed dramatically. She stared fixedly at the lingering flames and the spatial rift, which the world’s immense power was already mending.

Flames capable of incinerating space itself? Was this how she had appeared in the room so silently?

A thought suddenly struck her: the Holy Church’s understanding of the Witch’s Assembly was likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Besides the Pride Witch and the Envy Witch, the Wrath Witch also possessed power comparable to the Pope!

And today, she had learned from the Wrath Witch that the leader of the Witch’s Assembly was indeed someone else entirely. What kind of power must this individual wield, to command the obedience of these seven Witches?

She sank back into her chair with a sudden sense of exhaustion, staring blankly at the framed photo.

After a long while, Louise rose from the chair, her eyes resolute. She strode purposefully, put on her rain slicker, and ventured out into the heavy rain, heading towards the Count’s manor.

By the time she reached the manor gates, the rain had lessened. Seeing the night watchman approach, Louise displayed her Enforcer’s uniform.

“Inform Count Reyn Rheinhebo that an Enforcer of the Holy Church wishes to see him,” she stated gravely.

The guard looked troubled. Unable to make the decision himself, he could only report to Ark Ham, Reyn’s attendant. After a moment, Ark Ham arrived at the gate, his sole remaining eye fixed on Louise outside the door. He bowed.

“The master invites you in.”

Led by Ark, Louise entered the house. A roaring fire blazed in the hearth, and Reyn, clad in loose pajamas, sat beside the fireplace. Two steaming cups of coffee rested on the table.

Louise sat opposite Reyn, her gaze scrutinizing his face for a moment before she spoke slowly.

“Count Reyn Rheinhebo, regarding the deaths of your three brothers, I still need to conduct some investigations with you.”

Reyn showed no surprise; only the deaths of his three brothers could prompt an Enforcer to call upon him in the middle of the night.

He nervously gripped the cup handle. “Enforcer, have you found a suspect?”

Louise’s eyes remained cold as she looked at Reyn. Though she longed to arrest him directly, that was not her purpose tonight.

She took a deep, deliberate breath. “Count Reyn Rheinhebo, are you familiar with the Witch’s Assembly? I suspect that the murderer of your three brothers is the Gluttony Witch from their ranks.”

The moment the words left her lips, she fixed her gaze on Reyn, unwilling to miss even the slightest change in his expression.

Reyn’s face contorted, and he stammered, “The Witch’s Assembly? Are you saying my three brothers were killed by them? And that I’m their next target?”

Louise’s gaze grew even colder. This young Count’s acting was truly superb; if she hadn’t already gathered substantial evidence, she might well have been deceived by him.

Just as Louise prepared to speak, Reyn suddenly looked at her as if she were a lifeline. “Enforcer, I need to request the Holy Church’s protection!”

Louise’s pupils constricted sharply. A heretic noble, suspected of leading the Witch’s Assembly, was actively seeking the Holy Church’s protection? What sinister plot was he hatching?

This was an excellent opportunity to infiltrate the Witch’s Assembly, and she had no reason to refuse. Yet, precisely because of this, she did not rashly agree. For the man suspected of leading such a formidable heretical organization, this request was undoubtedly poison coated in candy!

Louise’s eyes flickered, and she said in a low voice, “I will help you apply, but whether it’s approved is not up to me.”