Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 422 The World-Destroying Witch
Regardless of her previous attitude, the moment she revealed her identity as the Winter Witch, she successfully intimidated the other three people present.

Ilya's wariness of Ethan and Winter has always stemmed from the unknown. After leaving the Simpler family, she used all the channels at her disposal, and even sent people to Gear City, but she received only one answer—these two people seemed to have appeared out of thin air, and no information related to them could be found at all.

And now, the other side actually revealed the name of that white-haired woman.

"The Winter Witch... just who is she?"

"Ilya blurted out."

Everyone's expression turned grave. The man in the black cloak added, "What do you mean by 'extremely dangerous'? Does she pose a threat to Her Highness the Princess's safety?"

The eldest prince's concern for his sister was just a casual remark. If the third princess became an obstacle on his path to becoming king, he would kill his own sister without hesitation. Thus, the information provided by the other side became somewhat subtle.

Judging from the current situation, if the Third Princess dies at the hands of the witch, it would actually be a more favorable outcome for His Highness the Prince. He would not have to bear the infamy of killing the serum, and after the Third Princess's death, he could mobilize the Imperial Army under the pretext of eliminating the witch.

“In our area, she was once one of the most notorious fugitives.”

As the empire's knight commander, Bi'an naturally knew a lot about Winter's glorious deeds. She herself was a participant in the Fallen War several years ago. Unfortunately, when the decisive battle broke out in the capital, she was sent away by Pope Julius and missed the chance to fight Winter.

Upon closer reflection, Julius realized that he intended to use the winter to severely damage Henry VI and didn't want her to interfere.

"The witch... So, she's actually the Demon King's subordinate."

The eldest prince suddenly spoke up.

He was met with silence and the look of disbelief from the other side, as if he were a fool.

"Don't compare your demon king to her. The demon king is not even one ten-thousandth as dangerous as the Winter Witch."

This is the conclusion that Bi'an and Melia reached after spending many days together. Overall, this demon king is not dangerous at all. To the point that Bi'an wondered if the people of the Silver Empire had lost their minds and were so afraid of Melia. In her opinion, as long as you leave Melia alone and do nothing, she will not pose any danger.

The real danger lies with certain nobles in the empire who issue these orders.

Bi'an still clearly remembers the scene she saw on her first day here.

Ordering the Golden Fleet to be razed to the ground was something even Julius had never done.

"Our friendship is based on just one meal. If you don't want to disappear without a trace, don't bother her."

Bi'an continued to enjoy her meal with a clear conscience. If these three people were smart enough, her words just now would have saved their lives.

On the other hand, she felt that this so-called number one restaurant in the capital was nothing special.

The flavor, created by piling up some rare ingredients, prioritizes form over substance, which is quite in line with the obsequious atmosphere of the Silver Empire.

“Red-haired lady, I would like to know more about the Winter Witch. Please feel free to name your reward.”

Ilya asked again.

"It's no longer needed."

Bi'an shook his head casually, "There's nothing here that interests me anymore. And haven't you heard the saying, 'The less you know about some things, the better'? That witch isn't someone you can deal with just by sitting down for a few strategic meetings."

Having achieved the upscale restaurant experience means she will no longer need large amounts of money, and she no longer needs to go to the underground arena.

"What is her crime?"

Ilya was still unwilling to give up.

Murder and arson?
Manipulating the nobility?

Or perhaps, the destruction of a village?
She found it hard to imagine what kind of dangerous person would become an enemy of a country. In the history of the Silver Empire, the only ones who fit this criterion were the Demon Kings of each generation. But in reality, they all knew that they were products of ancient magic and the empire's attempt to divert conflict and hatred.

"She once destroyed an era."

The other side expressed the view of a faction among imperial historians today: although the Henry royal family still exists, the power structure in the capital has changed dramatically with the emergence of the new cabinet. The royal family no longer holds absolute power, and more often than not, the royal bloodline only serves as a symbolic figurehead. The actual legislative, law enforcement, and adjudicative work is carried out by the new cabinet.

For this reason, they believe that from the perspective of power, the current empire has already ended, and people have unknowingly transitioned to the seventh era, which emphasizes peaceful development and economic trade and diplomacy.

The only difference is that this time the end of the century will not end in disaster and war.

The meal ended in a suffocating silence, with only the other person fully enjoying the dinner, while the other three were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

It destroyed an era.

Such evaluations resonated deep within them, unlike any trouble they had ever faced, as they touched upon a completely unknown territory.

"Your Highness."

Under the cover of night, in the magnificent palace, the man in the black cloak once again entered the palace that belonged exclusively to the eldest prince. Tonight, he was not surrounded by beauties, and the palace was no longer filled with a decadent atmosphere. The prince sat alone at his desk, lost in thought.

"Perhaps that red-haired woman is bluffing."

He thought and thought, and realized that they actually knew nothing about the origin and identity of the other side, and only guessed that she was also a survivor of that extinct race based on her hair color and her interaction with Cedric Thorne. So, how credible was the words of this wild woman who appeared out of nowhere?

At least from the etiquette she displayed at the dinner table and her attitude towards the Crown Prince, she exuded the aura of a commoner from the lowest rungs of the empire.

In the eyes of the nobles, the common people at the bottom of the empire have always been ignorant and foolish.

Their narrow vision limited their thinking; otherwise, the empire would not have been able to influence people's hearts through a game of hunting down nobles.

Ignorance and fear prevented the common people from rebelling against the nobles, because the game instilled in everyone the concept that the empire and the nobles protected them from the invasion of the demon king and his minions. Once the empire was gone, those evil beings could break into their homes at any time and tear them to pieces.

The privileges enjoyed are the rights that royalty and nobility are entitled to.

The man in the black cloak highly doubted the credibility of Bi'an's judgment if she had grown up in such an environment.

The claim of destroying an entire era sounds more like some kind of exaggerated propaganda by the Empire.

"Perhaps things aren't as bad as we think."

"Whether her words are credible or not, this is a good thing, isn't it?"

The eldest prince, who had been in seclusion all night, once again showed his usual smile. Of course, he did not completely believe the nonsense of the woman of unknown origin, but this threatening advice suddenly gave him another brilliant idea.

This could be his opportunity to get in touch with the "spark".

This is also the destiny bestowed upon the Henry VIII royal family as the "fire"—when Doomsday arrives, only this "fire" can bring them hope.

"A new Demon King has appeared."

……

Meanwhile, Ilya embarked on a journey completely opposite to that of the Crown Prince.

Although the secret revealed by the other side seemed like a fantasy, she completely believed the other side's warning. So she knocked on the door of the Great Sage Sera's mansion that very night. There was a commotion inside the door, and then Sera, disheveled and looking impatient, opened the door.

"It's you again, Ilya."

“Sera, I need you to use a divination spell once.”

"Why are you so crazy?"

Sera blurted it out.

"I've found out the identity of that white-haired woman. The Winter Witch, a sinner who destroyed an era!" This time, she had ample reason, sufficient enough for the Great Sage Sera to cast a prophetic spell that would damage lifespan and soul.

Because compared to the destruction of the Silver Empire, these lost souls and lifespans are insignificant.

"The Winter Witch? The sinner who destroyed an era? Where did you hear all this from?"

"The survivor of that destroyed race."

This is the art of speaking.

If Ilya were to directly say "Redhead" or "a wild woman whose real name I don't even know," then Sera would most likely just close the door and shut her out.

"Cedric Thorne?"

Sera was taken aback.

After all, this was the name that the Empire first thought of.

The words of the Imperial Army Commander are naturally highly credible.

Ilya neither confirmed nor denied it. She emphasized her purpose, "A divination, Sera. This concerns the future of the empire. I first need to know what conspiracy the Winter Witch is currently plotting!"

Considering the identity of the Winter Witch, Ilya suspects that she may now have control over the entire palace.

At this very moment, the Winter Witch must be hiding somewhere in the palace, plotting to destroy the capital.

She believed it firmly.

But she still needs the great sage Sera to prove her judgment, because the visions perceived by the prophecy are established facts, and no one can question the authenticity of the prophecy, which will be the beginning of her campaign against the witch.

She certainly couldn't confront the Winter Witch head-on, but her titles of Holy Mage and Great Sage were enough to subtly persuade many people, including Cedric Thorne, the commander of the Imperial Army, who would become her trump card in the fight against the Winter Witch.

"...Let's go inside."

Despite her reluctance, Sera had no choice but to compromise in the face of such a serious problem.

There were divination arrays set up in the mansion, and a special prayer room was set up downstairs. However, since the journey to defeat the Demon King ended, her prayer room has never been used for prayer. Instead, it has been used to tutor many fair-skinned little boys in private.

The lights in the prayer room were still on, but had been changed to an ambiguous color.

"You go out first."

Sera gave the instructions with a cold face, and a little boy who was also disheveled immediately wrapped himself in a cloth, lowered his head and ran upstairs.

With the spell materials arranged, Sera arrived at the center of the magic circle. She cut her wrist with a ritual dagger, letting her blood flow into the ritual bowl. Accompanied by obscure incantations, the scene unfolding in the palace was reflected on the bronze mirror.

Ilya held her breath.

Evil winter witch, let me expose your true colors!

"what--!"

The image reflected in the mirror once again chilled her to the bone, leaving her frozen in place.

The white-haired girl sat on Ethan's lap in an ambiguous posture, holding a plate with delicate pastries in her left hand. She squinted her eyes, her face full of a happy smile.

“I found some ingredients in the kitchen. Here, this is your favorite fruit jelly.”

The crystal-clear fruit jelly is just as appealing as the ones from the Eternal Crown Restaurant, and it contains strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and a red fruit that is less than the size of a fingernail.

The tempting fruit jelly was brought to Ethan's lips, but Ethan looked hesitant.

Ethan's expression became Ilya's last hope.

Maybe……

Ethan was also bewitched and coerced by the witch; this seemingly ordinary fruit jelly actually contained some kind of terrible ingredient.

"Sera, that red fruit! The witch mixed it with the other fruits; it must be some kind of bewitching agent..."

"That's goji berries!"

Sera was so angry her lips were trembling; she was about to unleash a torrent of abuse.

She exhausted her soul and her life force, only to be rewarded with this scene of others showing off their love.

She had even foreseen what was going to happen next.

"Here, all of these are yours."

The white-haired girl in the mirror fed Ethan the fruit jelly, watching with a smile as she finished the whole plate of fruit jelly.

Does this have even the slightest connection to the witch of the Destruction Era?
"Don't rush, the witch is definitely going to use her spells on him next! Look..."

Ilya's words came to an abrupt halt once again.

The Winter Witch was indeed moved. In the mirror, their faces were pressed together, their lips drawing ever closer. The white-haired girl's eyes welled up with tears, and then she closed them expectantly...

The image in the mirror was cut off.

She looked at Sera tremblingly and saw that the other woman was pale and clutching the wound on her wrist, her face so frightening that she looked like a spineless dragon that might suddenly attack at any moment.

Sera was all too familiar with this scene, including the uses of the goji berries.

“Sera, actually…”

"Ilia!"

Sera suppressed her anger and permanently blacklisted Ilya. "Get out of my house now, immediately!"

……

Meanwhile, on the other side.

"Actually, I suddenly remembered that I have something urgent to attend to."

Ethan swallowed nervously, as Winter clung to her like a large cat.

As a magic-based professional, he had been running around non-stop since he woke up this morning for the celebration. At this moment, his back ached, his legs were cramping, and his physical strength had reached its limit.

"What's the emergency?"

"Actually, the hero has already arrived in the capital. I need to make contact with him."

"Weren't you already too tired to walk?"

"But this matter..."

"It's not like you have to come in person."

Winter's mind was made up. "Go inside and lie down. I'll go see him for you in a bit."

(End of this chapter)