Chapter 194 – Oh, Boy!
Dorneth said he had co to the forest by invitation.
Since it was impossible to pass through the Ghostly Forest without a guide, that ant soone had led him here.
However, the timing of his arrival didn't add up.
As we talked, I realized sothing was off.
He claid to have arrived around the sa ti as , yet he spoke as if he had been in Beneta just the day before.
But traveling from Beneta to here should take at least ten days.
"How else? I used a spatial portal."
"...A spatial portal?"
"Oh, you might not know about them. The forest has errand runners. Witches rely on them for information, supplies, and deliveries. Beneta has been trading with the witches for quite a while, and this ti, we delivered a huge amount of goods. The festival was suddenly canceled, so we had a ton of surplus stock. Ugh, just thinking about it pisses off again. That bastard Kal..."
Dorneth paused, seemingly expecting to join in his rant against Kal.
But this ti, I couldn't.
Because the mont I heard spatial portal, one particular individual ca to mind.
No—there was only one person in the world who could summon spatial portals.
The owner of a divine na—the ultimate errand runner.
"Samuel Barber—the errand runner who brought here."
The mustached gentleman I had briefly encountered at Wailing Hill was now in Ordor Forest.
"How much did you bring from Beneta?"
"About thirty wagonloads?"
"That much?"
"Enough food and supplies to last hundreds of people for six months, plus smithing equipnt for the witches’ forge. And that’s just the portion we brought by portal. If you count what the knights carried overland, it’s even more."
"Wait, knights ca with you?"
"Have you ever seen a lord travel alone? I only look like I’m alone because this is the VIP suite."
VIP suite, my ass.
This place looked like a Stone Age hut.
However, since it was close to deia’s and Lily’s huts, it seed like an important guest lodge.
Suddenly, I felt an urgent sense of ti pressing down on .
"Where is Samuel now?"
"How should I know? Ask the witches."
"He hasn’t left yet, has he?"
"He should still be here. I heard him complaining that it takes three days to process his delivery fee."
"Thanks for the information."
I had just found the perfect person to solve my biggest problem.
I needed to find Samuel before he left.
Before heading out, I left so final instructions with Dorneth.
"We have permission to use the witches’ forge. Tomorrow, we’ll be refining the Damascus steel, so please be ready."
"Tomorrow? Who does the tal belong to?"
"The witches will tell you tomorrow."
"If it’s gonna be a staff, that’s a problem. It'll co out like a club instead."
"That won’t be an issue."
I had already decided that the owner of the Damascus steel would be Lochter.
A sword that never breaks.
It suited Lochter’s unwavering conviction perfectly.
That said, I needed to talk to him first. Right now, Dorneth assud the Damascus steel belonged to the witches.
If Lochter wanted such a legendary blade, he might have to bend his beliefs just a little.
"Alright! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to work!"
"This is the first step of our alliance. We can’t afford to disappoint the witches."
"Don’t worry. I’ll pour my heart and soul into forging it properly."
Despite being a ruler, Dorneth was still a dwarf at heart.
Even for a Grandmaster Blacksmith, the witches’ forge was a fascinating and rare opportunity.
I watched him hum a cheerful tune as he unpacked his supplies.
For so reason, I felt a strange sense of guilt.
Am I taking too much from him?
But then, I reassured myself.
"Once I hand over Tobaron to him, he won’t be able to complain."
In fact, considering the scale of the reward, I could probably take even more from him.
Leaving him to his work, I stepped out of the hut.
I had to find Samuel before he left.
But where would he be?
I wandered around the long rows of huts, looking for any witches who could help.
"Not a single one in sight..."
They were probably all at the garden.
It would take more than just a handful of witches to maintain the dream spell for all ten thousand humans currently asleep.
At that mont—
"Ah, excuse !"
I spotted a witch walking through the trees.
It was Cordy, one of the Dorta witches.
She was the smallest of them all, wearing round glasses that gave her a cute appearance.
But underestimating her based on looks alone?
That was a quick way to die.
Seeing her made feel like I had found the right person.
"Do you know what my ability is?"
I flinched internally, but I kept my expression neutral.
At least in Ordor Forest, I had a trump card that let get away with anything.
"I heard from Lily."
"Hmm... You also seem to know what Samuel received as paynt."
"I have no idea. I only wish to follow your advice."
Of course, I knew.
Why else would soone with a divine na tied to spatial manipulation be running deliveries?
There had to be sothing in this forest that he couldn’t obtain anywhere else.
"Since you’re Lily’s guest, I’ll grant your request. But first, may I ask you sothing? And I want an honest answer."
"Uh… What is it?"
I watched Cordy closely as she hesitated before finally speaking.
"...What did Lily say about ?"
"Huh?"
"You said she ntioned . I’d like to know how she sees ."
It was a surprisingly personal question.
For a brief mont, I was caught off guard—
But then a certain scene ca to mind.
The Great Witch Lily, gazing at the moon alone, reminiscing about the fallen Dorta witches.
Cordy, in particular...
"She said you were like a mother."
"...A mother?"
"Ever since she was little, she could never hide her lies from you. It reminded her of how a mother always sees through her child’s tricks."
I continued, watching her reaction.
"She also said she was grateful for you. That whenever she really wanted sothing, you would pretend not to notice. She appreciated your understanding nature, Cordy."
As I spoke seriously, Cordy adjusted her glasses and lowered her head slightly.
For a brief mont, I caught a glimpse of a small smile hidden behind her hand.
After clearing her throat, she waved a hand dismissively.
With just that gesture, my request was granted.
But then, she looked at and spoke again.
"I do not trust humans."
"...Oh, uh, okay."
"But... I am understanding. So this ti, I will pretend not to notice."
"...Excuse ? Notice what?"
"The Elf Stones, the Golden Chest... and the Damascus Steel."
Cordy lowered her head slightly before disappearing into the forest.
I stared at the trees and let out a dry laugh.
So they already knew.
Even before the alliance negotiations, the witches and Dorneth were aware of the items I had taken.
Then why did they say nothing during the talks?
Were they planning to hold it over later and make things difficult?
Cordy definitely seed like the calculating type—not soone who moved easily, but when she did, she was terrifying.
A dangerous type.
"Scary b—"
I stopped myself before finishing that thought and swiftly changed my approach.
"I thought she was scary… but actually, she isn’t. Among the witches, she’s second only to Lily in beauty."
It was finally sinking in—I was truly in the Witches’ Forest.
eting Cordy here was a stroke of luck.
Even though I had used my knowledge from the novel, a single well-placed complint had won her over.
I had also confird how deeply the Dorta witches cared for Lily.
A valuable encounter, despite how brief it was.
With so ti left before sunset, I headed straight for the dining hall.
Finding it was easy—a large building with a towering chimney, billowing smoke carrying a delicious aroma.
"Excuse ."
"Hm?"
"I'm a visitor. May I use the kitchen for a while?"
Inside, a few witches—ones I hadn’t t before—were preparing a al.
However, it seed word had already spread about .
They silently offered a seat without any complaints.
As I received ingredients from them to cook my own al, I overheard whispers behind .
"Lily’s boyfriend?"
"No, just her friend."
"He’s a guy and her friend. That makes him her boyfriend, doesn’t it?"
"Boyfriends kiss, right?"
…
They were having an entirely pointless conversation, yet they were treating it so seriously.
I wanted to interject—"We’re just friends!"—but I knew that would only make things worse.
So I kept quiet and focused on my cooking.
Witch gossip was terrifying.
They kept throwing verbal jabs that hit right in the chest.
Hoo—
I let out a long sigh and flipped the at.
With so ti left before sunset, I figured I’d check on Lily.
In this forest, she was practically my guardian deity, so it was only right to look after her.
"Looks decent enough."
I packed a steak-like dish into a small container and made my way to Lily’s hut.
I had only stopped by earlier to leave sothing with Keros before the alliance eting.
Since Keros had been standing guard at the entrance, I knew Lily was inside.
"Keros! This is a symbol of our friendship!"
"Kraang!"
I tossed the steak, and Keros went wild.
And this wasn’t just any steak—it was seasoned with various spices and even infused with sacred power.
Keros bit into the at, thrashing around as if he were tearing into live prey.
…I had a feeling he’d bite if I got too close.
It reminded of a stray mutt I once saw at a camping site.
The owner’s mixed-breed guard dog used to act exactly like this—ready to bite its own master over a piece of pork belly.
at truly is the ultimate temptation.
"Can I go inside?"
"Kuang!"
I tossed another piece of at far off into the distance.
Keros vanished instantly.
Even a loyal guardian would abandon their post for a piece of sacred-infused at.
I suddenly beca curious.
What kind of effect did sacred power have on Keros?
Since he could talk, I’d have to ask him later.
I glanced at the sign hanging by the door.
[Please prepare food before knocking.]
"She really is sothing else."
Shaking my head, I picked up the food container and entered the hut.
Inside was a lavishly decorated room.
So that’s why they called her Princess Lily.
The room was as extravagant as one would expect from royalty.
There was a large mirror, and beyond it, a massive bed.
But no sign of Lily.
"Wait—there she is."
She had rolled off the bed and was sprawled on the floor in a starfish position, snoring away.
I picked her up and gently laid her back on the bed before looking down at her.
"Sleep well."
deia’s sorcery was still in effect, so she must have been enjoying a pleasant dream.
Her face was peaceful—completely devoid of worry.
It was hard to imagine her as the sa person who had once lost everything and cried out in despair.
"What will happen this ti?"
As long as I was here, I wouldn’t let the witches fall to ruin.
But that was precisely the problem.
Without their deaths, Lily wouldn’t have the catalyst she needed to awaken.
[The Great Witch’s Seed (Calamity)]
Her divine na surfaced in my mind.
If she didn’t awaken, the seed wouldn’t sprout.
And the destiny of the Great Witch—who was ant to bring calamity—would disappear.
From then on…
"Her fate will flow in a new direction."
In other words, she would never beco the Great Witch.
Whether that was for the best or the worst, only ti would tell.
I placed the food container on the table and stepped outside.
"Keep an eye on her."
"Woof!"
With Keros, now more loyal than ever, at my back, I took a long detour around the Millennium Tree.
Soon, I arrived at a section of the forest with several small buildings clustered together.
A temporary lodging area for visitors.
The larger group lodgings likely housed Dorneth’s people, but I headed toward a quiet, solitary cabin.
A warm light glowed from the window—he was inside.
Knock. Knock.
"Yes?"
A deep, middle-aged voice responded.
A good voice.
I had heard it once before—at Wailing Hill.
Samuel Barber.
The mustached gentleman sat inside, dressed sharply as always, enjoying a cup of tea.
When he saw , his eyebrows furrowed slightly—then, as if suddenly recalling our previous encounter, he let out a pleased exclamation and stood up.
"Oh, boy!"
...Boy?
Fucking hell.
Would I be able to endure the sheer cringe that was surely coming?
This mustached gentleman had a very peculiar way of speaking.
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