---

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Balron, who had been leading us, stopped in his tracks.

Right at that moment, both Vivian and I realized what had shocked Balron.

A crowd was gathered ahead.

Initially, I thought it was just people busy making deals in front of shops, but I soon realized that wasn’t the case.

The escalating voices of the crowd were growing more animated with each step.

“Balron, go check it out.”

Vivian issued the command in a chilling tone, an unusual tension crackling in her voice.

Balron nodded and hurried towards the crowd.

As he pushed through, his large form gradually disappeared into the center of the throng.

Before long, a louder shout echoed from the heart of the crowd.

It was clear even from a distance that Balron had gotten embroiled in a fight.

However, the scuffle didn’t drag on.

Perhaps thanks to Balron’s appearance, people began to notice us approaching from behind.

They began to part, allowing us a clearer view of the unfolding situation.

In the center where people parted, there were four knights clad in black armor decorated with white triangular and circular symbols.

These knights had several citizens kneeling before them.

Fear and despair were plainly etched on the faces of the commoners, with some shaking and shedding tears.

“…The Las Sect.”

Vivian whispered, easily deducing that the knights belonged to the sect.

Balron was shouting at the knights, who were quietly scolding him in return.

Seeing this, Vivian took a sharp breath. It seemed she reached for my hand as if to dismount.

I naturally held her hand, helping her down from the horse.

Her hand was icy cold.

Even after dismounting, Vivian didn’t let go of my hand.

It appeared she wasn’t even aware of it.

It struck me as surprising to see her so rarely tense.

Guided by my hand, she moved forward.

I raised her hand slightly as we walked.

As we reached the knights, Balron immediately stifled his excitement and fell silent.

The knights, too, quieted down. It seemed the identity of the Lord of Roktana was something that could be easily recognized by a mere head of red hair.

Giving a quick glance to the kneeling citizens, Vivian coldly asked the knights, filled with animosity,

“What’s going on here?”

The four knights straightened up and saluted in the manner of the sect.

“We greet the Sun of Rondore.”

“I asked what you’re doing right now.”

The oldest among the knights stepped forward.

His voice showed no tremor or guilt.

“We are in the process of identifying witches deserving of execution.”

“Do you have evidence to hold them?”

“There were grounds for suspicion.”

“Grounds, you say?”

“…They say eating the meat purchased from this shop alleviates their pain.”

A middle-aged woman kneeling cried out in an aggrieved tone.

“But, it’s just meat…! It’s only natural for the starving to feel relief from their pains by having meat!”

The knight growled back at her,

“Be quiet, I’m not asking you.”

Sighing, Vivian looked around.

The shop was wrecked, wooden planks scattered everywhere, and various meats lay on the dirt floor.

It was unclear whether the red stains were from the meat or the blood of the commoners, but it was smeared liberally across the ground.

I could feel the grip of Vivian’s hand tightening around mine.

“If those people aren’t witches, what are you going to do to compensate for what you’ve done?”

“We took sufficient time to make our judgment. They are definitely witches—”

“-That’s a lie.”

Vivian interrupted firmly.

The knight was taken aback by the atmosphere Vivian suddenly radiated.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“…”

“The actions of the Las Sect in identifying witches are undeniably noble, but I cannot tolerate harming innocent citizens of my land in the process. The public’s discontent has already grown vast. It has been said you are causing havoc in your witch-hunting pursuits.”

The knight’s expression soured.

“Havoc? Don’t belittle our actions.”

-Thud.

The knight stepped forward as if threatening Vivian.

-Swish.

I placed my hand on the hilt of the two-handed sword strapped to my back.

The knights flinched at my stance.

Their eyes shifted to the blue sash around my neck.

They kept alternating their gaze between the sash and my face.

“…”

“…”

After a brief silence, the knight who had approached took a step back.

Only then did I release my grip on the sword.

Vivian said,

“I do not belittle anything recklessly. After all, is there anyone who is unaware that the Las Sect has been fervently hunting witches recently?”

The knight replied without stepping back.

“The curse of a witch brings extreme suffering to people. There’s nothing bad about being excessive.”

The word ‘curse’ made my heart skip a beat.

Even I, who had been standing against the knight alongside Vivian, wavered at his remarks.

‘You will fall in love with someone you shouldn’t.’

I glanced at Vivian for a moment.

Then I secretly closed my eyes and shook off my thoughts.

No, my feelings for Vivian were not love.

They were likely more akin to guilt or a sense of obligation.

However, it was clear that the intense feeling that made me think of Vivian had not faded like a curse.

“Whatever you say, I no longer wish to see the Las Sect torment my people.”

The citizens gathered nearby cheered quietly at Vivian’s declaration, hidden in the crowd.

The knight maintained an unyielding expression, repeating the same words.

“This is the will of the sect. No matter how noble you may be, you cannot go against the will of the sect.”

“There’s still a line to be drawn. You cannot come into our land and completely disregard our rules.”

In the midst of this frustrating back-and-forth, I stole a glance at Vivian.

I could see her anger gradually building.

I took a deep breath and steadied my mind.

Then I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Vivian, can’t we just kill them all?”

I wasn’t really thinking of doing that and didn’t want to escalate things, but I knew there was a bit of leverage in threats.

The knights looked alarmed and uneasy.

“They’re the ones acting recklessly in our land. If they’re unwilling to listen, we should either exile or kill them. They’re clearly enemies.”

I continued.

“They are four, and we are fifty. Let’s just kill them. The crowd gathered around will likely side with us and stay quiet even if we dispose of them.”

Whispers of “Kyle Allen…” “the Northerner,” and “barbarian” floated through the throng, but even while tossing around those insults, everyone seemed to share my sentiment.

The oppressive atmosphere began to intensify.

People who had been watching from afar started edging closer, applying more pressure on the knights.

“…Ma’am, please stand up. It’s time.”

“…Balron… You’ve grown so much.”

Perhaps trying to assert himself further, Balron helped the kneeling individuals back to their feet.

It was evident that Balron seemed familiar with the middle-aged woman.

“…”

The knights hesitated to command them to kneel again.

The knight representing them glared at me, seemingly desperate to turn the situation around.

“…Who are you? Do you think just because you’re a lowly knight, you can touch us and escape?”

I laughed at his intimidation.

“Don’t you recognize me?”

Vivian looked up at me.

“…What?”

“I’m not one of your people. I’m not under your influence. Even if you are the sect, you can’t just kill me without consequence. My life has a different value than that of your lowly existence.”

“…Who are you?”

“If I die, there will be war on this land. Do you think the Las Sect will decide that?”

Willas and Martin snickered from somewhere in the back.

It seemed whispers of “he’s insane” floated around.

I briefly glanced at Vivian.

Her eyes seemed to express gratitude toward me, unlike earlier tension-filled moments.

Just from that expression, I felt assured that this intimidation was worth it.

Still, Vivian didn’t continue to pressure the knights.

It seemed our roles of ‘good guy’ and ‘bad guy’ were being defined between us now.

“I apologize, but I’m unsure if you’re aware, but… This is Kyle Allen. He’s the eldest son of the Allen Family, who is staying here in our land as a hostage… I mean, guest.”

The knight, realizing too late, muttered with a troubled expression.

“…I’ve heard of him. If he took off his helmet, I would’ve recognized him by his black hair.”

“I’ll apologize on his behalf for his rough demeanor. Please disregard the earlier threats.”

The knight nodded reluctantly as if reluctantly succumbing after stretching his neck.

Vivian seized the moment, leveraging the changed atmosphere to gain a solid advantage.

“However, I genuinely cannot stand to see such things continue. The reason I came to town today was to discuss this very matter. Is there a bishop present in the Las Sect temple?”

“…There is.”

“Please guide us. I wish to discuss.”

The knight surveyed his surroundings briefly.

Though my intimidation had been soothed by Vivian, the citizens eyed the knights with unkind gazes.

Unbeknownst to me, the sect seemed to have incurred substantial resentment among them.

Those who had once feared them were now expressing their anger, boosted by Vivian.

Understanding that atmosphere, the knights ultimately lowered their heads.

“…Understood. Follow me.”

…

While Vivian was engaged in a lengthy conversation with the bishop of the Las Sect, a few of my comrades, along with that knight from earlier, guarded the entrance.

An unspoken tension rippled between us.

Willas kept glancing at the knights with a sly demeanor, while Martin continued to toss quiet jests around.

Balron and I merely kept our serious expressions as we faced ahead.

How long had passed in that manner?

The middle-aged knight eventually let out a long sigh.

He turned to look at me and said,

“Getting older and doing this with kids is quite foolish. Let’s stop this silly standoff.”

Balron and I looked at the middle-aged knight.

He extended a hand and said,

“I’m called Leopold.”

“…”

I shrugged and ignored his hand.

Leopold grimaced at my action and demanded,

“Is there really a need for all this?”

Balron answered for me.

“An outsider came into our land and struck our neighbors. You think we’d want to be friendly with you? The woman you were rough with earlier is a good person who once shared food with my brothers.”

Martin chimed in,

“Besides, since Vivian is against you, we can’t possibly get along with you.”

Seemingly exasperated, Leopold shook his head, clicking his tongue.

He gazed into the distant mountains and said,

“Your lord is yet unaware. If he knew how heinous a witch is, he wouldn’t act like this.”

Willas challenged him.

“Is anyone saying witch hunting is wrong? As Vivian pointed out, it’s because innocent people are being harmed that we’re acting this way.”

The knight remained unfazed. His inner conviction was clearly visible in his unwavering gaze.

“Even if innocent people are harmed, it must be done.”

Balron asked, bewildered,

“…What?”

Leopold, still watching me, continued,

“The existence of a witch… It’s just that way. Such an alien being cannot be allowed to live.”

“…”

His words continuously rattled me.

Memories of that old crone resurfaced.

That old hag who labeled herself a witch and promised to curse me.

That crone I had executed myself.

Leopold spoke up.

“Kyle Allen, our beginning may not have been great… but I hold no grudge against you. In fact, I’d rather be grateful.”

“…?”

“You’ve certainly beheaded some of the witches sent by our sect, as I heard. Were you not the Executioner of Rondore?”

“…You know a lot about us?”

“We have many ways to gather information beyond what you might expect. Naturally, when it comes to identifying witches.”

“…”

“However, among those you executed, there may have been an innocent person, but surely there were also some witches. For that, I am grateful.”

Leopold was speaking earnestly.

His feelings stirred something within me, leaving me speechless.

My mind was already tangled as it was.

That crone’s words echoed in my mind.

And the impulsive feelings I had recently developed toward Vivian gnawed at me.

So instead, I quietly said,

“…I really detest witches.”

“Do you like them?”

I thought of the crone and answered.

“…Who likes witches? Those filthy creatures. But I wouldn’t say I’m intense about it like you are.”

“You’d be just like me if you experienced a curse.”

“…Have you been cursed?”

“Of course. That’s why I’m in this situation.”

I asked, feeling a strange tension.

“…What curse?”

The knight, appearing to have had many experiences, stared at me for a while, then shut his eyes tight and shook his head.

“…I don’t want to talk about it.”

****

Vivian spoke with the bishop of the Las Sect for a long time.

The bishop, a balding man in his forties with a bit of weight, listened attentively to her.

However, between his squinted eyes, Vivian could sense a flicker of madness.

Every time the word witch was mentioned, the madness she felt from the bishop became a cause for concern.

The thought that if her identity as a witch were discovered, the madness would turn toward her made her shudder.

It felt like stepping into the jaws of a predator that could tear her apart.

Maximizing her composure, Vivian continued her narrative.

Had it not been for her growth in the past two years, she might not have been able to do so.

Initially, the bishop held firm to his stance, but as Vivian spoke longer, he slowly began to consider her proposal.

“…I understand. We might have escalated our fears too much.”

“People are more afraid of what you might take away than the fear of witches being nearby.”

“Hmm, I wonder why that is? We only capture witches. If you’re not a witch, there’s no reason to be afraid.”

“Ultimately, unless you witness someone casting a spell directly, you cannot be certain that a person is a witch.”

“Vivian, you must be cautious with your words. Such statements could seem like a defense of the unholy witches.”

“I won’t sit back and watch my people suffer out of fear of receiving such baseless accusations.”

“…Hmm.”

Vivian continued to take deep breaths whenever there was a chance. And during those moments, the bishop’s sharp gaze continued to fixate on her.

She repeated to herself that she wasn’t caught.

She must not give away her identity as a witch.

“…Regardless, I understand.”

The bishop remarked.

“Let’s defer witch hunting until more certain evidence emerges. We will try to lessen actions that instill fear among the citizens of Roktana.”

Vivian felt her burdens lift.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“However, we will still be on patrol. We cannot halt our work to monitor suspected beings and root out witches.”

“I understand.”

Elena would likely find this sufficient.

Vivian also had no more thoughts of playing with fire.

In the end, she had wrapped it all up in pleasantries, but she understood the significance of her actions.

By Elena’s request, she would be protecting the infiltrating witch.

Suddenly, Vivian couldn’t help but wonder how many more witches there might be in this city.

She was curious how many lives her actions might have saved.

With the negotiation concluded, just as Vivian was about to stand up…

“Vivian!”

“…Yes?”

The bishop called for her again.

Vivian felt her heart drop for a moment.

The bishop maintained an uncomfortable silence before smiling.

“…As we’ve fulfilled one of your requests, we would appreciate your consideration for one request from us.”

A vibe of refusal felt impossible to muster.

Vivian nodded, knowing she needed to uphold her promise to Elena.

“…What would that be?”

“In the past, there were devotees of our sect at the Castle of Rondore. You’re probably aware. Lords Roderick, Rosmael, Grindell, Maesna… all met their end in war.”

“…?”

“Is that why, perhaps? These days, incredibly few that hold our beliefs can be found at Rondore Castle. I find that to be truly…”

The bishop stammered, searching for the right words.

“…Pitiful.”

That was undeniably the case.

The war had taken countless lives.

Just as it had swept away the family of executioners of Rondore, it had claimed the lives of the few knights who believed in the Las Sect.

“I fear, Vivian. What if a witch is indeed residing in the castle, and you are unable to notice? I’m concerned about the influence that may have arisen from that. You may not realize it, but if a witch were to hide among the elite, it could lead to the suffering of countless.”

“…”

Vivian resisted the urge to swallow. She suppressed her emotions with all her might, fearing she might appear tense.

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

“It’s difficult to ask you to propagate our beliefs. I have no intention of forcing our beliefs on the unbeliever. However, it would not be hard to find someone who despises witches. For that reason, we would like to appoint an important figure in the castle as a watcher.”

“…A watcher?”

The bishop nodded. Leaning in, he continued.

“A watcher tasked with identifying witches. Calling them a Witch Hunter wouldn’t be inappropriate. Consider this a security measure. It is our job.”

Witch Hunter.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel fear at that title.

Witches are executed the very moment they are discovered.

The weight of that truth pressed heavily upon her.

The bishop continued without acknowledging Vivian’s feelings,

“Surely, that would be acceptable, right? Surely, you too would feel uncomfortable with a witch roaming within the castle?”

It was the reverse.

As a witch herself, Vivian felt even more uneasy about the existence of a Witch Hunter.

Vivian hesitated a moment, squeezing out an excuse.

“I’d like to accept that proposal, but…”

“…But?”

The bishop’s expression darkened.

Vivian finally swallowed hard and said,

“…But as you know, I am in an unstable position even in Rondore. Many rivals are out to get me. I fear that any competitor may label me or my people as witches. The sect must not be used for political reasons, should it?”

The bishop nodded vigorously as if he understood.

“It certainly does seem so. I hadn’t thought of that. Of course, we do take precautions to root out witches… but in the end, what we seek is a watcher. It would be asking too much to hope that a being appointed to the role of watcher could act ethically if they might not believe in our doctrine.”

“Yes, so…”

But the bishop seemed unwilling to abandon his suggestion.

“-Then how about appointing someone who stands a step away from this entire political situation?”

“…Pardon?”

“Though known as an enemy, the very one who has often saved your life would be ideal. As mentioned, they need not get involved in this political situation. Upon reflection, it seems perfect.”

Vivian discerned even before the bishop described his thoughts who he referred to.

Vivian’s expression turned frighteningly rigid. Instead of fear, a slight anger began to rise within her.

Her heart raced faster and faster.

But once again, the bishop didn’t remain silent. It seemed a believer had nothing to fear.

“Kyle Allen.”

The bishop smiled.

“If you appoint him as a Witch Hunter, wouldn’t that resolve everything?”

 

---