Miss Witch, it's time to clean up the entries

Chapter 337 The Lost Witch
"choose?"

The witches stared blankly at Li En.

"Yes, tell me what you really want? Freedom, dignity, fame, life, or death."

Li En looked at all the witches, including the revolutionary leader Miriam.

"Can even death be chosen by oneself?"

"A witch asked."

Everyone looked at her, and she dodged and retreated behind Cameron.

She is Khaki, a witch who is very good at emotional resonance and can sensitively perceive anyone's emotions.

That's why, ever since the witch's betrayal, she was forced into exile while being protected in the tower, receiving too much negative emotion and remaining immersed in pain for a long time without finding relief.

She tried her best to hide it from her companions, afraid that her loss of control would affect everyone. She even lied and said that she was about to lose control as well and wanted to die with her companions who were on the verge of losing control, but she dared not tell Ophelia her true thoughts.

She worried that Ophelia would blame herself and be sad.

What she didn't know was that this negative thinking had subtly influenced many people.

Before their defection, although the witches were enlightened and manipulated by the Ear of Fools, making them loyal to the Empire and become guardians of the high walls, they at least had faith and goals. To some extent, they still earned people's respect, even though ordinary people still feared them. But they never felt betrayed.

After their defection, the witches learned the truth that they were experimental subjects. Their faith collapsed, and they realized that they were nothing more than tools created by the wise men. Their memories, beliefs, names, and even personalities were all fake. Even though they still followed Ophelia, who always wanted to protect them, they were still extremely confused. During their escape, they tried their best not to hurt others, but they were always hurt and betrayed by others.

Therefore, when they realized they were on the verge of losing control, not many of them showed despair.

This world, which is too cruel and alien to them, has little to offer them for staying.

They were simply thinking about how to make Ophelia less sad and how to get her to understand them.

If one dies at sea and causes no trouble to humans, Ophelia, being human, would surely understand, right?

If she were to follow Miriam's advice and die in the capital, it would cause trouble for humans and even Ophelia's family. Wouldn't she be heartbroken?

Lee Eun-jei noticed their negative emotions, which is why he said that.

He can clean up their entries and resolve the temporary crisis, but he cannot eradicate their negative thoughts from their hearts. Only by actively inspiring them and making them want to live can he truly redeem them.

Cameron, Ellie, and Fula were different from them. They had already begun to believe in Li En before their defection, so their faith remained firm and their spiritual world was strong enough that they were not defeated by the various things that happened in exile. They still longed for a better life and believed that all suffering would pass.

This idea became even more firmly established after they reconnected with Li En and Dorothy.

Although Ophelia is under great psychological pressure, she will not fall as long as the witches are still around and need her protection; her belief is firm enough.

Miriam was driven by hatred; her purpose in life was to take revenge on humanity and overthrow the dynasty's rule, and her faith was unwavering.

The only ones who truly need saving are these lost witches.

Since Li En is going to save them, he must do it thoroughly, not only physically but also spiritually.

Only in this way can they truly believe in themselves.

"Yes, death is a choice, if that's what you want."

Li En looked at Kachi, whose expression was blank.

"You could have saved them, so why did you choose death?"

Ophelia asked nervously. She thought that with Li En's arrival, the witches would have hope of being saved, just like Ellie and Fura before, when they were on the verge of losing control and were eventually saved by Li En.

Unexpectedly, Li En would say something like that: choose death? Who would choose death when they could live?

At least Ophelia didn't think the witches wanted to die.

“Ophelia, you are not a fish, how can you know the joy of fish? You are not them, how would you know what they are thinking? Why don’t you sit down and listen to their voices?”

Li En said in a calm tone.

Ophelia froze again. Her gaze swept across the witches' faces. Their eyes were clear, dull, sharp, or innocent, and their expressions varied as they seemed to be seriously considering Li En's words.

No one was talking about it. They didn't think this was something that could be discussed, because Li En was asking them what they truly wanted, and only they themselves knew.

"Children, tell me what you really want."

Ophelia asked.

Li En glanced at Cameron, who nodded slightly and took the lead in speaking.
"I want to have a home, with a mother and brothers and sisters, so that even if we encounter difficulties, we can work together to live. I want to live an ordinary life and live with everyone."

“I want to...follow Lord Li En.”

Ellie said.

"If I had a choice, I would still want to be a guardian."

"That's what the witch Fura said."

"I want to overthrow the imperial rule, I want to send the emperor, the pope, and everyone in the House of Wise Men to the guillotine, I want them to taste the bitterness of death."

Miriam said.

With a few people taking the lead, more and more witches chose to speak up, and Kaki also mustered up her courage and spoke her mind.

"Are you really letting me choose for myself?"

"Yes, no one is interfering with you."

Lee En replied.

"Then... I think, I want to choose death."

Kachi, who is only 14 years old, said.

She was the same age as Parker and Diane.

But she never felt the beauty of life, and had even lost her purpose.

"How could this be? Why would you want to die? Kachi, Lee En has the ability to save you. You don't need to die. You don't need to say that."

Ophelia said incredulously, trying to comfort Kaki, only to find that Kaki had hidden behind Cameron again.

Like a child who said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry, Ophelia."

Khaki said, feeling wronged.

"It's okay, Khaki, tell me what you really think."

Li En encouraged.

This was both a conference and a group therapy session.

Nancy and Inna exchanged a glance, both sensing Lee En's unusual intentions.

Ophelia sat down silently, no longer interrupting the witches.

“I…don’t want to be saved, I want to choose death.”

Kachi was initially somewhat timid, but became unusually resolute when talking about death.

The witches stared at her in astonishment. While some shared her thoughts, they didn't believe it was something that could be spoken aloud. Ophelia, Nancy, and Inna couldn't understand why she would choose death.

"why?"

Cameron asked, puzzled, "In Cameron's view, living means hope. If there is hope, why don't you want to live?"

Even if we all go into exile together, isn't it good that we're all together?
"I'm sorry, Sister Cameron, I'm sorry, Mother Ophelia, I just want to choose death."

Khaki lowered his head and spoke slowly.

“I just don’t think there’s anything wrong with death. Maybe I shouldn’t have lived in this world. If I can’t be a protector of humanity, at least I shouldn’t be a persecutor of humanity. My existence has caused a lot of trouble for others. I can’t have an ordinary life, and I don’t want to become ordinary, but at least I can choose to walk towards death.”

Ophelia froze again, remembering the teachings she had given to the witches.

From a young age, witches are taught to become guardians of humanity, never to harm humans, to bravely face death, and never to linger on a life that does not belong to them.

Therefore, they only feel that death is a good option after they lose their goal of becoming guardians.

Kachi's ability to have such thoughts is 80% his own fault.

"Are there any other people like Khaki?"

Li En looked at the other witches.

Surprisingly, more than half of the witches, including the witch who was on the verge of losing control, thought that Kaki was right.

"If I could, I would also choose death. I don't want to die out of control, as that would cause trouble for Ophelia's mother. Could you kill me beforehand?"

"I've seen this world, and it doesn't seem to welcome me. I want to leave. Could you give me a ride?"

"I also choose death. I don't want to keep running away anymore, and I don't want to cause trouble for everyone because of my uncontrolled magic."

"I want to be with everyone..."

Upon hearing the witches' answers, Ophelia could no longer control her emotions and burst into tears.

The witches gathered around her, offering soft words of comfort.

Why is Ophelia's mother crying?

"I'm sorry, is it our fault?"

"Mom, what did we do wrong again?"

Hearing their words, Ophelia cried even harder.

They were so considerate of themselves, yet they never listened to what the women truly wanted.

"You are not wrong, I am wrong."

Ophelia cried as she said that, just as Miriam had said, she had always been indecisive, from the beginning until now. She could never stand alone on either side, and witches and humans had always been opposing forces.

Humans created witches for a simple purpose, just like puppets today: to use them as tools.

Therefore, everything bestowed upon the witch is false.

However, he himself was lost in the illusion, believing that he could be their salvation and lead them out of suffering.

But she simply didn't have that power. Even though she once possessed power and status, once she left the Empire and the Frank family, she was merely a six-star knight.

Li En didn't stop Ophelia from crying; he knew she should have released her emotions like this a long time ago.

In reality, neither Ophelia nor the witches were wrong; they were simply protecting each other in ways they each believed were right.

What Li En needs to do now is to liberate them all, untie their bonds, and prevent the witches from placing all their hopes and emotions on Ophelia, so that they can completely break away from the past, face death and live, and embrace their own true lives.

Ophelia understood what Li En wanted.

If the price for Li En saving the witches was simply letting go of them, then Ophelia was willing to let go.

Kaki made her realize that her leadership was no longer suitable for the witches. She could not love and tolerate them at the cost of standing against humanity, nor could she completely stand on the side of humanity, treating them as tools and weapons, and regarding them as monsters.

Indecisiveness is the main reason for the witches' predicament.

The witches who originally followed her certainly didn't want this ending.

They can live for hatred like Miriam, or they can live for hope like Cameron.

But if you only follow yourself, you can only live a repressed and awkward life.

I'm such a failure.

Ophelia stood up and addressed everyone.

"From now on, I will not interfere with your choices. I am tired of continuing to be your director, and don't call me Ophelia's mother anymore. I have never treated you as my own children. No mother would stand by and watch you become tools of the empire, send you one by one to the guillotine, or know that you are in a difficult situation but not let you resist."

"From now on, I am no longer the director of the Guardian Bureau, nor am I the protector and supporter of the witches."

“I have betrayed my own surname and my own beliefs, and I am a sinner. I am not qualified to lead you. Your following only makes me feel pain, reminds me of my sin, and makes me live in pain.”

"I am not the one who can save you, so please stop bothering me. I'm really tired."

"From now on, I have nothing to do with you."

Everyone looked at Ophelia, never expecting her to say such resolute words.

Many witches cried, while others chose to accept the reality.

It wasn't just because they could sense that Ophelia was under undue pressure, but also because they felt that even if they died, Ophelia wouldn't be too sad.

The revolutionary leader, Miriam, stood frozen in place. She had tried many methods to get Ophelia to leave the witches, to make her give up guiding them, or to get the witches to abandon Ophelia, but she always failed and never succeeded.

Unexpectedly, Li En changed the outcome with just a few words.

This led Ophelia to voluntarily give up guiding the witches and abandon her bond with them.

From this point of view alone, Li En is more suitable to lead the witches than herself.

Ophelia lost, but so did I.
Ophelia refused everyone's attempts to persuade her to stay and left the secret chamber.

She arrived at the monastery's small chapel, looked at Tiger's fictional idol, and tears slowly slid down her cheeks. It felt as if a piece of her heart was missing, yet she also felt a long-lost sense of ease and freedom.

It's like finally letting go of everything.

Finally, I can pray in peace and enjoy my solitude.

"Now, I'm giving you a new option: trade with me. The trade involves you getting the outcome you choose, and me getting what I want. Of course, you can also refuse to trade with me; that's your prerogative."

Li En looked at the witches.

They had ended this only bond in their lives, severing ties with Ophelia.

They can make choices that come from the heart and are most in line with their own beliefs.

"what do you want?"

Kachi looked up and stared intently at Li En, who was the first person not to stop her from choosing death.

She wanted to know what Li En really wanted.

(End of this chapter)