Chapter 46: Chapter 46: The Witches Gather

Golden Skull!

A Super Five-Star Legend unit!

Bronze, Silver, Gold.

Elite, Hero, Legend.

Wang Xi was inwardly shaken.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a descriptor.

The person before him was Lillian, the young girl who sold matches by the inn. But during their previous encounter, Kaos’s investigation had clearly identified her as just an ordinary person...

’Is it some kind of technique to hide her true power?’

Wang Xi guessed.

At the same time, he recalled the future he had seen in the "Retirement Preview." The great fire in Daphne on the day of Queen Xianna’s wedding was most likely Lillian’s doing.

As for the girl in the red dress from the preview...

’Flame Magic?’

Wang Xi thought to himself.

After all, if Bev could create all sorts of items with Candy Magic, there was no reason Lillian couldn’t fashion a long dress out of Flame Magic.

Having figured this out, Wang Xi also understood why the future from the "Retirement Preview" had changed. It was precisely because he had interacted with Lillian and bought her matches...

"Miss Lillian, you...?"

Wang Xi put on a perfectly timed expression of surprise.

The Fire Witch glanced at him calmly and said,

"Mr. Gai, why didn’t you return to the inn? I waited there for you all night."

As she spoke, she offered him the wooden basket she was holding.

Wang Xi was stunned.

The most powerful Witch in the Magic Forest had actually waited by a wall for him all night, just to personally deliver this basket of matches into his hands.

"Thank you." Wang Xi took the basket, which felt inexplicably hot to the touch. He coughed once and said carefully, "Didn’t I tell you it was fine to just give it to the inn’s maid..."

"I don’t know them well."

Lillian shook her head, her voice cool.

’Alright then. It seems she’s not just hopeless at math, but also socially anxious.’

Wang Xi understood.

"Lillian, you know this bastard?"

The girl with pigtails walked over, her pretty eyes wide with astonishment.

Bev, holding the hem of her skirt, also gracefully drew near. With a thoughtful expression, she said,

"So, Lillian, the man you mentioned—the handsome and kind one—is Mr. Gai?"

Hm?

Wang Xi’s ears perked up.

He keenly caught the keywords.

’Dashingly handsome and compassionate as a saint.’

’That’s me, alright!’

He looked at Lillian in surprise.

The blonde girl in the white dress lowered her head, her small hands secretly clutching the hem of her skirt. He could faintly see the tips of her ears turning red.

"I told you it was a misunderstanding."

Bev shot Sofia a sidelong glance, a half-smile on her face.

"Mr. Gai hasn’t even killed a single goblin. How could he possibly be a spy for the Kingdom?"

"..."

Wang Xi opened his mouth, then swallowed.

Er...

’Actually, I have.’

’Killed five of them, in fact.’

’But they were out-of-town goblins, the kind with really foul mouths. You local bosses wouldn’t get mad if you found out, would you?’

"Igor, give me that parchment."

Just then, Bev extended a delicate hand toward the Wolf Housekeeper.

The blond man glanced at his pigtail-wearing boss, and only after receiving a nod did he hand over the parchment with Wang Xi’s portrait on it.

The Sugar Witch opened it and took a look, her expression turning strange.

She showed the portrait to everyone, then pointed to the line of small text at the bottom and asked the Wolf Witch,

"Sofia, what does this say?"

"What is it!" The pigtails girl glanced at it, crossed her arms, and muttered with her head turned aside, "Rendezvous with this guy? Cover for him while he gathers intel? Get Bev drunk and then r..."

WHACK!

The Wolf Witch cried out in pain, clutching her forehead.

Bev clenched her fist, grinding her teeth.

"I told you to read and write more!" she said, full of exasperation. Then she turned to question the Wolf Housekeeper, "Sofia can’t read, but you can’t either?!"

"Igor, tell us what this says."

Faced with the Sugar Witch’s cold inquiry, the blond man remained expressionless and simply stated calmly,

"Gai Farrell, Randall’s Scarlet Warlock. Kill him at all costs..."

Hearing this, Sofia’s expression froze.

She immediately whipped her head around to look at her housekeeper, her eyes filled with shock.

Now everyone understood. The misunderstanding stemmed from the Wolf Housekeeper Igor’s concealment of the truth, which led the Wolf Witch to see Mr. Gai as a member of the Finger Association and a spy for the Kingdom.

"Igor! Explain yourself!"

The pigtail-wearing girl in the red hood was furious, baring her sharp, white fangs.

"The Finger Association are the Coinage Officer’s lackeys. The people they want to kill aren’t necessarily good people."

Igor said, looking directly at Wang Xi.

"As Lady Sofia’s housekeeper, I will not allow any unstable elements that could harm her or the Magic Forest to exist... especially humans."

BAM!!

Suddenly, the Red Cloak flashed, followed by a loud bang.

Igor staggered back several steps before steadying himself. He had taken a punch to the face; his body was canted to one side, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Sofia clenched her fist and roared,

"You bastard! How dare you lie to me!"

"Lady Sofia, I am your most loyal wolf, and I would never deceive you..."

Igor straightened up again. Without wiping the blood from his mouth, he simply bowed slightly, placing a hand over his chest in a salute.

"I will not make excuses for my concealment, nor do I regret it. Humans are insidious and cunning. Calvin seeks to destroy the Magic Forest; we must be on guard."

"You bastard! I’m going to beat you to death today!"

Sofia grew even more furious, her eyes turning red.

Igor just stood there quietly, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his gaze lowered. It was as if he wouldn’t move a muscle even if the Wolf Witch were to kill him.

"That’s enough, Sofia."

Bev spoke up, frowning.

She looked at Igor and said coldly,

"Regardless of your reasons, you should never deceive your queen."

"..."

The blond man remained silent.

Sofia’s flat chest heaved violently. She retracted her fangs and took a deep breath.

"If there’s a next time, I’ll definitely kill you!"

Igor silently bowed his head in submission.

Just then, Lillian walked up to Sofia’s side and said in her cool, calm tone,

"Sofia, apologize to Mr. Gai."

"No!" Sofia was vehemently opposed, shaking her head. "Don’t even think about it! I’m not apologizing to a human!"

Lillian’s pretty, bluish-white eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She was just about to say something.

"Miss Lillian, it’s alright."

Wang Xi glanced at the group and smiled.

"As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, it’s fine. Perhaps I should even thank Mr. Igor for his vigilance. After all, for a powerful individual like him to be so wary of me is a form of acknowledgment in itself."

His tone was gentle, his smile elegant.

"It is already my honor to have met the three of you Misses Witch; I dare not ask for an apology. And Miss Sofia’s reaction has shown me her determination to protect the Magic Forest, which I greatly admire."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere instantly relaxed.

Lillian tilted her head slightly, looking at the black-haired young man with some surprise. Bev beamed, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

Even Igor couldn’t help but take another look at this young human. It seemed he never expected the man to be not the least bit angry, and even speak up for Lady Sofia.

Pinocchio’s big, dark eyes shone.

Gai...

’He’s still so gentle.’

’I have to learn from him! To be a noble person!’

"H-Hey! Who... Who asked you to speak up for me?!"

Sofia turned her head and shouted.

Her voice was still as crisp as ever, but her tone was clearly not as sharp as before.

"I only let you off the hook for Bev and Lillian’s sake! Otherwise, I’d have bitten you and that stinking tin man to death!"

"To be personally bitten to death by the Wolf Witch would probably be an Adventurer’s highest honor."

Wang Xi chuckled softly.

He paused briefly, then glanced at Bev.

"However, if Miss Sofia really does wish to bite me to death, please let me know in advance so we can choose a more remote location... After all, if blood gets everywhere in the Candy House, it would be a real headache for Miss Bev to clean up."

Hearing this, Sofia felt as if she had punched a wad of cotton; her cute, round face flushed red instantly.

In her agitation, the Magic Power in her body surged, and her golden pigtails actually poofed out into two balls of fluff.

"Who cares about you! You bastard!"

Sofia stomped her foot forcefully, and the strawberry-roll carpet and cookie floor immediately cracked, with spiderweb-like fissures spreading out.

WHACK!

The girl with the fluffy pigtails yelped in pain again, clutching her head.

A vein popped on Bev’s forehead as she clenched her fist.

"You broke my beloved carpet again! Sofia!"

"I... I’m sorry! I’ll have Igor get you some wild boar hides!"

WHACK!!

Sofia shrieked in response.

...

...

「The night had deepened.」

Candlelight shone through the rock-candy windows of the Candy House in the forest.

Five people sat around a large, white-chocolate table: Wang Xi, Pinocchio, and the three Witches. As for the Wolf Housekeeper, Igor, he stood behind Sofia like a statue.

Under the warm candlelight,

the five of them ate and chatted, the once-chilly atmosphere gradually warming up. From time to time, Bev’s laughter and Pinocchio’s worldly-unwise gasps of surprise could be heard.

The knee-high Sugar Mushroom Girls bustled about, some serving dishes, some whispering quietly, and others cleaning and repairing the broken carpet and floor.

"...Miss Lillian, so why did you go to Daphne to sell matches?"

Wang Xi asked after putting down his utensils and wiping his mouth.

The girl in the white dress was placid as she replied coolly,

"I was burying matches." She corrected him, then glanced at the black-haired young man. "The matches were only sold to you."

Lillian was taciturn, her speech disjointed.

"Burying matches?" Wang Xi asked.

The girl nodded with a hum, saying nonchalantly,

"Observing the environment, secretly burying matches in every corner..."

Hearing this, Wang Xi had a bad feeling.

He hesitated, then asked,

"You... why would you do that?"

"BOOM—"

Lillian’s ethereal voice rang out.

"And then our home will be safe."

"?!"

Wang Xi was aghast.

If Lillian were just an ordinary girl, Wang Xi would have taken it as a joke. But she was the most powerful Witch, a terrifying existence at the Golden Skull Level.

Recalling the great fire from the "Retirement Preview," Wang Xi felt a chill run down his spine.

Seeing his expression change slightly, Lillian tilted her head and said softly,

"Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you... The ones I sold you were just ordinary matches."

Wang Xi fell silent.

He knew very well that on the day of the Queen’s wedding, Lillian would start a great fire, burning the city of Daphne and all its people to ashes.

Although he was only a projection and had no connection to the residents of the Royal Capital, he still didn’t want to see so many innocent people perish in a sea of flames.

"I know you hate humans, but not all of them deserve to die..."

Wang Xi looked at the Witches and asked carefully,

"Is there another way to solve this?"

"..."

The Witches fell silent.

After a long moment, Bev’s eyes flickered, and she said,

"There is."

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