"Welcome to the Witch Alliance!" In the hall, a diverse group of witches of all ages raised their glasses in cheerful laughter.
"Thank you, thank you." Lucia felt her eyes well up again. She sniffed her nose, held back the urge to cry, and raised her glass to drink the ale in one gulp—unlike the bitter taste she remembered, it carried a hint of sweetness in its aroma.
After meeting Lord, Lucia, with Nightingale's help, took a hot bath for herself and Ling and changed into clean clothes. After settling her sister, Lucia followed Nightingale back to the castle hall, where the witches hosted a welcome banquet for her.
When Lucia first saw so many of her kind, the last vestiges of doubt in her heart dissolved. If the Witch had been imprisoned here or forced to serve the Lord, she could never have shown such a cheerful and radiant smile.
Recalling the nightingale's words,' This is the Witch's home,' she suddenly felt a profound sense of empathy. Compared to the Witches who had been exposed, hunted down, and executed by the Church, having a safe and comfortable sanctuary was a rare privilege. Since the rioters attacked Jin Sui City, she had endured months of constant wandering. The warm welcome from the Witch Alliance finally allowed her to relax a little.
At the same time, she witnessed how utterly bizarre a banquet could become when entirely initiated and participated in by witches.
The black flames instantly charred the meat chops, leaving the wooden bowl holding them completely unscathed.
A little girl with short golden hair flew around in the air, carrying a wine jug to fill everyone's cup.
The Witch, who looks like an alien, mimics a variety of musical instruments, ultimately weaving them into a beautiful melody.
...
With Nightingale's patient guidance, she swiftly memorized everyone's names and seamlessly blended into the group, her sorrow gradually fading away.
The Witch League included seasoned scholars like Wen Di, elder sisters such as Ye Zi and Hui Yin, and peers Anna and Suo Luo Ya. None of them treated her as an outsider. Lucia was deeply grateful for this.
After the banquet, she and the witches exchanged goodnight wishes before returning to their new residence. Your Royal Highness had assigned the last guest room on the second floor of the castle to her and Ling, though Ling wasn't a witch, and she hadn't ordered her sister to leave.
"Sister?" Hearing the noise, Ling opened her eyes.
"You're awake!?" Lucia's heart leapt with joy as she dashed to the bedside. "How are you feeling?" Ling appeared to have slept soundly, the plague's torment leaving no trace on her. Her eyes were slightly dazed, but she muttered, "I'm starving." "Wait..." Lucia swiftly pulled a cloth bag from her pocket. The aroma of roasted fish wafted through the air—these were the dried fish slices Nightingale had given her. "Here's something to eat." Seeing Ling nibbling on the fish by the bedside, Lucia patted the little one's head with satisfaction. Her sister was only ten, now without parents, and could only rely on herself.
After swallowing two fish fillets, Ling regained her composure. She glanced around. "Where are we? There aren't any beds this big on the ship." "Border Town in the Western Frontier. We've reached our destination." "Already there?" She touched her cheek. "But I'm not... sick. Would they allow plague patients to enter the town?" "Exactly, they wouldn't," Lucia chuckled at her sister's bewildered expression. "But the Witch under Lord's command healed you." She recounted the events at the dock. "We're staying in his castle now." "Witch?" Ling tilted her head. "Like your sister?" "Yes, everyone treats me well, especially a witch named Nightingale," Lucia gently stroked her hair. "She even helped you bathe." "But you always say Nobles hate witches. Why would Lord accept them?" The question made Lucia pause. She cleared her throat. "Well... there are occasionally a couple of decent people among Nobles." Ling picked up the last piece of dried fish from her bag. "So you'll work for him? Like a housemaid sweeping floors, cooking, and attending to him?" "You're talking nonsense," Lucia pulled at her sister's face. "I'm a witch! Of course I serve Lord with my abilities! Who told you about the housemaid duties?" "Mom..." she said with a pout, "that's why she never lets Dad hire a pretty maid." When the topic turned to her family, Lucia's face darkened. Instead of scolding Ling, she pulled her sister into a tight embrace and let out a soft sigh.
Her concern wasn't about her sister's claims, as evident from her conversation with Lord. Beyond a brief inquiry into her background, he focused entirely on her abilities, clearly prioritizing whether the Witch could serve him.
But the thought of her own abilities made Lucia feel anxious.
She wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the Witch world. Jin Sui City had seen many Witches before, but six months ago, they began leaving the city in droves, apparently heading to the fjords to find new homes. Unwilling to leave her parents, Lucia refused to join them. Yet through their interactions, she had learned that Witches typically categorized their abilities into combat and non-combat types.
Restoring the object proved utterly useless—its combat potential was nonexistent, and even daily use caused uncontrollable chaos. Her father, a merchant running a paper mill, kept the living room piled high with finished paper. On the day she became a Witch, she accidentally cast her power while unaware, turning the paper into a cloud of flying grass fragments. Though her parents scolded her harshly afterward, they didn't hand her over to the Church. Instead, they instructed her to hide herself carefully and, if necessary, wear the God's Stone to disguise herself as a devout follower.
At first, Lucia was fascinated by her ability to restore objects, often sneaking into her bedroom to test it. But she soon realized the power was uncontrollable. Even with the same scrap of paper, she could leave either shredded grass or black particles. When she repeatedly used the ability on the same object, it kept diminishing until it became either powder or gravel—meaning the restoration couldn't fix damaged items. Instead, she would completely destroy others' painstakingly crafted creations.
Other witches deemed Lucia's abilities of little practical use—her combat range was too close, and she was ineffective against living creatures. Even a skilled knight would find her challenging, let alone an ordinary farmer. Not fit for combat, and her non-combat applications were equally limited, making her a rather basic ability.
She was gloomy for a long time.
But now... Lucia is more concerned about whether Her Highness will expel her from the castle if she deems her useless.
With a mix of anxiety and contentment, she blew out the candle, held her sister who had just finished her fish, and closed her eyes slowly, awaiting the dawn of a new day.