บท 54: Fear No Evil
Greta's shocking revelation only made Ethan more intrigued by Beatrix. Her cute appearance and listless attitude showed her as a vain vagabond. However, there was more to the little witch.
'She witch wants to fuck a man to death?' the boy thought in disbelief, exploring his mind's closet for suppressed fetishes. 'Hmm. That sounds fatally tempting.'
Was the chibi beauty really that wild? Or was she actually innocent but falsely implicated as a deviant?
Regardless, Beatrix clearly harbored a lot of secrets. Writing a grimoire was only the tip of the iceberg, and Ethan intended to deep-dive into her insanity.
The boy tried to make eye contact with the witch, but she looked away, embarrassed. Even the typically enthusiastic Athena was silent and distant. Ethan figured it was a touchy subject for them both.
Greta put on a sincere face but celebrated on the inside. That was because she was a planted agent. A certain member of the council of nobles had promised a promotion and gold for achieving a specific result.
The Elf Commander had been tasked with sowing discord between the Cromwell heir and his tutors. It appeared like a cakewalk since Beatrix's past was already controversial.
"So do you see now, Young Count?" Greta concluded. "The Galore witch is a danger to herself and others. In fact, she shouldn't be allowed near a fertile male royal like you. Let's remove the lewd creature from our party!"
The other Elf and human guards voiced their support aloud. "What kind of female would even imagine contracting the Devil's curse?"
"Why does the witch want to live forever, anyway?"
"A pretty girl like her could make a fortune in a brothel…"
"Imagine being the runt of the litter of a mythical bloodline…"
"Cassandra would die of shame if she were alive…"
Beatrix heard all the insults but offered no response. She recoiled and shrunk on the horse as if trying to roll her tiny body into a ball.
The witch figured it would be wise to leave the group herself. She turned her head towards the Cromwell heir to request a peaceful exit. That was definitely better than getting fired with humiliation.
To her surprise, Beatrix felt a reassuring hand on her head. "It's okay," Ethan whispered. "The cutest witch in the world is allowed to have a few faults…"
Beatrix's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Initially, she resisted the hand patting her head. It was mortifying to be treated like a child. However, in this case, the touch was surprisingly caring and comforting.
Ethan eventually removed his hand and turned towards Greta. "Commander. Is writing a grimoire illegal? I just want to know the legalese for knowledge's sake."
"Err… I don't think the writing part is criminal since many people write in personal journals. The dark path actually begins when you enchant the grimoire and connect it with your soul. The Crown and all major guilds have declared it illegal."
The Cromwell heir nodded patiently. "I see. So, was it confirmed that Beatrix enchanted her journal?"
Greta shrugged. "Not that I know of. But she was caught writing a grimoire, that much I am sure of. The suspicion is enough for a witch to be fined, dismissed, and denounced."
"In other words, my potential tutor has done nothing illegal yet. Your allegations have no basis?"
"She has done nothing criminal yet, but she intends to—"
"Commander!" Ethan cut her words short rudely. "Beatrix Galore and Athena Latina Ravina are guests of the Cromwell family! What gave you the audacity to insult them? How dare you cast aspersions on the intentions of bodyguards chosen by the Countess herself!"
Greta was taken aback by Ethan's sudden outburst. She was under the wrong impression that her manipulation had worked. "I… I apologize, Young Count… I didn't realize I was crossing a line…"
The boy dismissed the Elf to her escort position and turned to Beatrix. "I'm sorry for my subject's behavior. She can get very protective and dramatic."
"No apology is needed," the witch replied hurriedly, shaking her silver head. "The Elf Commander was only doing her job. It is wise to be wary of my past. However, I assure you neither I nor Athena would dream of hurting the Cromwell family. We swore an oath to Lady Velma."
"We did," her friend chimed in from the neighboring horse.
"Alright, everyone!" Ethan declared jubilantly to the group. "The issue is resolved! We will continue our journey in livelier spirits! No more insults! Does everyone agree?"
The rescue team unanimously agreed, and the tension dissipated. Everything returned to normal. Beatrix was silent, but a bitter, natural smile lingered on her lips.
Nobody other than Athena had ever defended the witch in public. What did the Cromwell heir gain from being on her side? Regardless, she started feeling at home with her generous host.
On his end, Ethan sighed and watched the unpaved road listlessly. The rescue team had taken a sharp turn from the County mainroad onto a hunters' trail. It was a detour from civilization to reach their destination faster.
The path was narrow, with dense vegetation bordering on either side. Soon, they would reach a ridge and climb the Southern Hills towards Gulchtown.
Ethan cared little for Beatrix's sex journal. He was more concerned about the information he learned on grimoires. The boy was the fortunate or unfortunate owner of a mysterious book called The Grimorium Lustra, written by Cassandra.
Now, he had reason to believe the author was the most powerful witch Promiscua had ever seen. Was it a good idea to keep the journal in his inventory?
Why did it appear to him in the library? Was Cassandra trying to revive herself through the Cromwell heir? His disruptive thoughts were rudely interrupted by a system prompt.
[Warning! Impending attack!]
Everything happened so fast that the rescue team could not react in time. It began with a frightening war cry from the right. A seven-foot-tall figure burst out of the forest shadows. It had a large, ugly face, sharp, slanted ears, and pale green skin.
"Watch out!" Athena hollered from Ethan's left. "Orc attack!"
The Orc was heavily muscled and carried a crude, rusted ax in each hand. He was surprisingly agile for his size and raced towards Ethan at frightening speed. The latter tugged at his horse's reins so suddenly that the animal precariously stood on its hind legs and toppled to the left.
Ethan crashed to the ground with Beatrix, the fall knocking the air out of his lungs. The menacing Orc was upon them in an instant. His heavy weapon came crashing down on their bodies.
Beatrix, not tethered to the horse stirrups, was already on her feet. Flutter! Her hand shot up, splintering the weapon into flower petals. The Orc was momentarily shocked, but he instinctively swung down the other ax without a pause.
Beatrix stepped forward defiantly, intending to deliver the same magical conclusion to the crude weapon. Unluckily, she tripped on the collapsed horse's leg and fell flat on her belly.
"Nooo!" Athena called out, jumping down from her horse and lunging forward with her broadsword. However, she was still yards away. Greta and her followers were not close by, but their quick arrows landed on the creature.
The Orc's skin was so thick he barely felt the pricks. He cackled viciously, knowing his ax was about to hack the witch's body into two pieces.
Whump! The blade landed in thin air and got stuck for a second. Ethan's ghost hands were in action already. However, the attack was so powerful it disintegrated the phantom arms almost instantly.
The Orc bounced back, raising his arms to land a double-handed ax attack. Splurge! Athena's broadsword cleaved into his chest and came out the other way. She removed her weapon with a clean draw.
As the Orc fell to his knees, the female warrior swung again, this time chopping off the creature's head. A fountain of green blood erupted from his disgusting torso, making a mess in the middle of the path.
"Are you okay, Young Count?" Greta asked, trying to raise the Cromwell heir to his feet.
Ethan refused the support and got up himself. "I'm fine. Check whether the horse has fractured its leg."
He turned and walked over to Beatrix, offering her a hand. "Thanks for saving my life," he said warmly.
The little witch took his hand and rose to her feet slowly. She cast him a mystified look. "Who stopped the second attack? It wasn't me."
Ethan shrugged nonchalantly. "I think the Orc's joints got stuck or something. Lucky for us!"
Beatrix wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she nodded anyway. The girl was too dazed to talk at the moment. Orc attacks never happened on hunters' trails, so the rescue team was taken by surprise.
Ethan noticed a trickle of crimson running down Beatrix's hand. He grabbed her wrist and found a bleeding wound on her finger. She probably cut herself on a sharp stone when she tripped.
Instinctively, the boy put her finger between his lips and sucked on the wound. Beatrix gasped, suddenly realizing her hand was in the Cromwell heir's mouth. The latter did not hold back, boldly sucking on her fingers and licking them with his warm tongue.
The witch retrieved her hand after a few moments. "Thanks," she said, blushing deeply.
Ethan nodded. "Do you need a bandage for the injury? Greta can provide you with one."
Beatrix shook her head and held up her hand. The cut was already healed! "What kind of witch would I be if I couldn't fix a scratch like that?"
Ethan chuckled and turned towards his horse. The rescue team took another five minutes to get their rides ready and continue the journey. This time, they formed a closer-knit, defensive arc around Ethan so that further attacks could be easily handled.
Ethan watched Beatrix sitting before him on the horse. She appeared less tense than earlier and more alert to forest sounds. The boy leaned forward and took a whiff of her silver hair. The witch's rare fragrance strangely reminded him of something from his past. A repressed memory? This time, Beatrix did not resist, cringe, or complain about his creepy sniffa.
The Cromwell heir considered it progress. He had just begun daydreaming lewd things about the witch when his system flashed again.
[Warning! System emergency!]
[Witch blood detected in user's body]
[Attempting to purge…]
[Failed!]
'Witch blood?' Ethan thought in confusion. 'I did ingest a few drops of Beatrix's blood while sucking on her injured finger. But why is that a problem?'
[Warning!] [System emergency!]
[Witch blood is hacking into Inventory!]
[Resisting…]
'What the hell is going on?'
[Failed!]
[Inventory hacked!]
[Grimorium Lustra has absorbed witch blood!]
[Grimorium Lustra's limitations are unlocked!]
[System is under attack!] [User's life is in danger!]
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