Chapter 46: Gathering of Witches

Golden Skull!
Ultra-five-star legendary entity!
Bronze, Silver, Gold.
Elite, Hero, Legend.
Wang Xi was shocked to his core.
This was the very first time he had encountered such a descriptor.
The person right before him was none other than Lillian, the young girl selling matches by the tavern. Yet during their previous encounter, the result of Chaos's probing had clearly shown her to be an ordinary person...
'Is it some kind of method to conceal one's strength?'
Wang Xi guessed.
At the same time, he associated this with the future he had seen earlier in the "Seclusion Preview". On the day of Queen Siana's grand wedding, the massive fire that broke out in Daevineel was most likely caused by Lillian.
As for the young girl wearing a red dress in the preview...
'Flame magic?'
Wang Xi thought to himself.
After all, Bev could use candy magic to create all sorts of items; there was no reason Lillian couldn't use flame magic to transform into a long dress.
Having figured this out, Wang Xi also understood why the future in the "Seclusion Preview" had changed—it was precisely because he had interacted with Lillian and bought her matches...
"Miss Lillian, you?"
Wang Xi displayed an appropriate look of surprise.
The Fire Witch gave him a calm glance and said:
"Mr. Gai, why didn't you return to the inn? I waited for you there the entire night."
As she spoke, she held out the wooden basket cradled in her arms.
Wang Xi was stunned.
This most powerful witch of the Magic Forest had actually waited for him in a corner all night, just to personally deliver this basket of matches into his hands.
"Thank you." Wang Xi took the basket, inexplicably feeling as though it burned his hands. He gave a cough and cautiously said, "I didn't mean for you to just give it to the inn maid..."
"I'm not close with them."
Lillian shook her head, her voice cold and clear.
Well.
It seemed she was not only bad at math, but also socially anxious.
Wang Xi understood in his heart.
"Lillian, you know this bastard?"
The twin-tailed girl walked over, her pretty eyes wide with astonishment.
Bev lifted the hem of her dress and gracefully stepped closer, a pensive look on her face as she said:
"So, the person Lillian mentioned—the handsome and kind-hearted man—is Mr. Gai?"
Hm?
Wang Xi pricked up his ears.
He sharply captured the keywords.
Outstanding in appearance, possessing the heart of a saintly Buddha.
That's definitely me!
He looked at Lillian in surprise.
The blonde girl in the white dress lowered her head, her small hands quietly clutching the hem of her skirt. Faintly, one could even see her blushing earlobes.
"I told you it was a misunderstanding."
Bev cast a smile-that-wasn't-a-smile at Sophia.
"Mr. Gai hasn't even killed a single goblin; how could he possibly be a spy for the kingdom?"
"..."
Wang Xi opened his mouth and swallowed hard.
Uh.
He actually had killed them.
Five of them, in fact.
Though they were out-of-town goblins with really foul mouths. You local bigwigs wouldn't get angry if you found out, right?
"Igor, give me that parchment."
At that moment, Bev extended her slender, delicate hand and spoke to the wolf butler.
The blonde man glanced at his twin-tailed boss, and only after receiving a look of confirmation did he hand over the parchment bearing Wang Xi's portrait.
The Sugar Witch opened it and took a look, her expression turning peculiar.
She displayed the portrait to everyone, pointed to a line of small print at the bottom, and asked the Wolf Witch:
"Sophia, what does this say?"
"What does it matter!" The twin-tailed girl glanced at it, crossed her arms, turned her head away, and muttered, "Meet up with this guy? Cover him while he gathers intelligence? Get Bev drunk and ravish—"
Bang!
The Wolf Witch let out a cry of pain, clutching her forehead.
Bev clenched her fists, grinding her teeth.
"I keep telling you to read and write more!" she said, looking utterly disappointed, before turning her head to interrogate the wolf butler: "Sophia can't read, but surely you can?!"
"Igor, tell us what this says."
Faced with the Sugar Witch's cold inquiry, the blonde man remained expressionless, simply saying calmly:
"Gai Farrell, the Crimson Wizard of Randal, kill him at all costs..."
Hearing this, Sophia's expression froze.
She immediately turned her head to look at the butler, shock in her eyes.
Now everyone understood that the misunderstanding stemmed from the wolf butler Igor concealing the truth, which had led the Wolf Witch to regard Mr. Gai as a member of the Finger Society and a spy of the kingdom.
"Igor! Explain this to me right now!"
The red-hooded, twin-tailed young girl was full of rage, baring her teeth to reveal sharp, pearly fangs.
"The Finger Society are the master's running dogs; those they wish to kill are not necessarily good people."
Igor looked straight at Wang Xi and said:
"As Lady Sophia's butler, I cannot allow any unstable elements that pose a threat to her or the Magic Forest to appear... especially humans."
Boom!!
Suddenly, a red cloak flashed, followed by a loud crash.
Igor staggered back several steps before managing to steady himself. He had taken a punch to the face, his body listing to one side, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Sophia clenched her fists and scolded:
"Bastard! How dare you lie to me!"
"Lady Sophia, I am your most loyal wolf, and I would never deceive you..."
Igor straightened back up, not even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and simply bowed slightly, pressing a hand to his chest in a salute.
"I offer no explanation for my concealment, nor do I regret it. Humans are treacherous and cunning, and Calvin intends to annihilate the Magic Forest; one cannot afford to let down their guard."
"You bastard! I'm going to beat you to death today!"
Sophia grew even more furious, her eyes turning red.
Igor stood there quietly, his hands naturally lowered and his eyelids drooping, looking as though he wouldn't budge an inch even if the Wolf Witch were to kill him.
"Enough, Sophia."
Bev frowned and spoke up.
She looked at Igor and said coldly:
"Regardless of your reasons, you should never deceive your ruler."
"..."
The blonde man remained silent.
Sophia's flat chest heaved violently. She put away her fangs and took a deep breath.
"If there is a next time, I really will beat you to death!"
Igor silently lowered his head and bowed in submission.
At that moment, Lillian walked to Sophia's side and said in a cool, calm tone:
"Sophia, apologize to Mr. Gai."
"No way!" Sophia looked extremely resistant, tossing her head. "Don't even think about it! I will never apologize to a human!"
Lillian's pretty blue-and-white brows furrowed slightly.
She was just about to say something.
"Miss Lillian, leave it be."
Wang Xi glanced at the group and smiled.
"As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, that's enough. Perhaps I should even thank Mr. Igor for his vigilance, because being regarded with such wariness by someone as strong as him is also a form of recognition for me."
His tone was gentle, and his smile elegant.
"It is already my honor to make the acquaintance of the three witch ladies, and I dare not ask for an apology. Moreover, Miss Sophia's reaction has allowed me to see her determination to protect the Magic Forest, which I deeply admire."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere eased considerably.
Lillian tilted her head slightly, looking rather surprised as she gazed at the dark-haired youth. Bev smiled warmly, her beautiful eyes shifting.
Even Igor couldn't help taking another glance at this young human. It seemed he hadn't expected this fellow not to be angry at all, but instead to speak up on behalf of Lady Sophia.
Pinocchio's dark, glossy eyes lit up.
Gai...
He is still as gentle as ever.
I must learn from him! I must be a noble person!
"Hey, hey, hey! Who... who asked you to put in a good word for me?!"
Sophia turned her head and shouted loudly.
Her voice was as crisp as ever, but her tone was clearly not as sharp as before.
"I'm only letting you off for Bev and Lillian's sake, otherwise I'd bite you and that stinky iron man to death!"
"To be bitten to death by the Wolf Witch in person is probably the highest honor an adventurer could hope for."
Wang Xi chuckled softly.
He paused for a moment and glanced at Bev.
"However, if Miss Sophia truly wishes to bite me to death, please give advance notice so we can choose a remote location... After all, if blood gets spilled in the candy house, Miss Bev would find it very troublesome to clean up."
Hearing this, Sophia felt as though she had thrown a punch at a ball of cotton, and her cute, round face rapidly flushed red.
Under the agitation of her emotions, the magic power within her grew restless, and her golden twin tails actually puffed up into two furry balls.
"Nobody cares about you, you jerk!"
Sophia stamped her foot hard, and the strawberry-roll carpet and biscuit floor instantly shattered, spreading spiderweb-like cracks.
Bang!
The puffed-up twin tails let out another cry of pain as she clutched her head and groaned.
Veins bulged on Bev's forehead, and she clenched her fists.
"You ruined my beloved carpet again, Sophia!"
"S... sorry about that! I'll have Igor bring you a few wild boar pelts!"
Bang!!
Sophia shrieked in response.
...
...
The night was already deep.
Candlelight shone through the crystal-sugar windows of the candy house in the forest.
Around a large white-chocolate round table sat five people: Wang Xi, Pinocchio, and the three witches. As for the wolf butler Igor, he stood rigidly like a statue behind Sophia.
Beneath the warm candlelight,
the five of them ate and chatted, and the initially somewhat chilly atmosphere gradually warmed up. From time to time, Bev's laughter could be heard, along with Pinocchio's unworldly gasps of awe.
The knee-high sugar maidens were busy at work, either serving dishes, whispering softly, or cleaning and repairing the trampled carpet and floor.
"...Miss Lillian, why did you go all the way to Daevineel to sell matches?"
Wang Xi put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth, and asked.
The white-dressed girl maintained a calm expression and said coldly:
"To plant matches," she corrected, before glancing at the dark-haired youth. "The matches were only sold to you."
Lillian was taciturn, her speech disjointed.
"Plant matches?" Wang Xi asked.
The girl nodded and said with casual nonchalance:
"Observing the environment, quietly planting matches in every corner..."
Hearing this, Wang Xi had a bad premonition.
He hesitated and asked again:
"You... why would you do such a thing?"
"BOOM—"
Lillian's ethereal voice sounded.
"And then our home will be safe."
"?! "
Wang Xi was stunned.
If Lillian were merely an ordinary girl, Wang Xi would have taken it as a joke. But the other party was the strongest witch, a terrifying entity of the Golden Skull level.
Recalling the great fire from the "Seclusion Preview", Wang Xi felt a chill run down his spine.
Seeing his expression shift slightly, Lillian tilted her head and said softly:
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you... and the matches I sold you were just ordinary ones."
Wang Xi fell silent.
He knew very well that on the day of the Queen's wedding, Lillian would trigger a massive fire, burning Daevineel, its city, and its people entirely to ashes.
Although he was merely a projection and had no relation to the citizens of the capital, he still wasn't willing to see so many innocent lives perish in a sea of fire.
"I know you hate humans, but not all of them deserve to die..."
Wang Xi looked at the witches and asked cautiously:
"Is there any other solution?"
"..."
The witches fell silent.
After a long while.
Bev's eyes flickered slightly, and she said:
"There is."