She is not an investigator.

Igris didn't ask any further questions, but simply walked with her into the only forest on the island.

The Thorn Forest lives up to its name, as it is almost entirely covered in thorns.

Besides the thorns, what's most noteworthy are probably the red petals blooming on those thorns.

This place is beautiful; compared to other places, it's so beautiful it's as if nothing has changed.

Until Igris's boots stepped on the thorns.

Suddenly, the surrounding thorns seemed to come alive, quickly enveloping Igris's body. The "petals" on the thorns opened their mouths, revealing sharp teeth and claws, attempting to devour Igris's flesh and blood.

Those "flowers" weren't real flowers; they were more like organs disguised as flowers, belonging to the thorns.

When they do not show any malice, they look no different from real flowers, just as beautiful and charming.

But at this moment, they will spare no effort to turn those who have stumbled into the trap into nourishment.

"—"

Before the princess could even cry out in alarm, the sword fell first, slicing down the thorns and flowers.

This is a forest, and if she could, Igris wouldn't want to start a fire, but that doesn't mean she won't get angry.

Especially since her current goal is simply to return to reality.

"Don't get angry! Don't get angry! Oh, darling..."

Amidst the layers of thorns, a figure emerged in a panic, even carrying a water bottle in his hand.

Did they hurt you? I'm so sorry! They didn't mean to, they're just timid, please don't hurt them anymore...

He was a gardener, seemingly the owner of these thorns.

Seeing this, Igris simply put away her weapon, since she had no interest in harming these small plants.

“Your plants are blocking my way, we have to get through, maybe you can help.”

Igris said bluntly, implying that if she was unwilling to help, Igris would not hesitate to do it herself.

"Of course, of course."

The gardener hurriedly raised her hand, dropping the watering can to the ground; it was unclear whether it was accidental or intentional.

But this also made the contents of the kettle visible to the two of them.

is blood.

It was obvious that she used blood as fertilizer to water these plants, and she made no attempt to hide this from the two men.

"You've been tricked!"

Because she had already regarded Igris and her companion as prey.

boom--

What awaited her was Igris's unwavering bullet.

The gardener in front of him collapsed to the ground instantly, before he could even utter another word. He lost his life and was surrounded by thorns, which devoured his flesh.

“In the past, I might have hesitated, but now I completely understand what kind of people everyone in this world is.”

Igris put the pistol back on her waist and sighed silently.

The princess pondered for a moment, then spoke softly.

"The Thorn Forest is a place where roses are abundant. There are the most responsible gardeners here to take care of those roses, so it is also the most beautiful place. I always like to invite my friends here to have tea parties, but the roses here seem to have disappeared."

The thorns no longer bear roses, but rather the malice of thorns disguised as roses.

"The world has changed, and everything in the world has changed."

Watching the gardener being devoured by the thorns in no time, and the dark purple sphere left on the ground, Igris silently picked it up and put it in her pocket.

"envy."

All that's left is the treasure of arrogance.

It's amazing enough that three secret treasures could be found inside what is clearly just a dream made up of fairy tales.

But more important than that is how I can get out of here.

Where do we go next?

Igris looked at the princess, and the princess pointed behind the thorns.

"Behind us, we can see a tightly closed wooden door. Once we open it, we can return to the real world."

It's very simple, and there aren't any complicated prerequisites. After all, it's often better to set up export conditions simply.

Igris nodded, casually cut down all the thorns in front of her, and continued walking forward.

After about half a minute's walk, the road ahead disappeared, replaced by a huge open space, a large table, and countless pieces of food placed beside the table.

The food was still fresh, but it didn't look appetizing. Instead, the princess's eyes lit up, and she seemed very excited.

"Look! Look! These are the things I left behind here. I still remember the tea parties I had with my friends here..."

Where are your friends?

Igris looked at the strangely presented food and wondered what was going on in her mind.

“Friend…my friend…”

The princess opened her mouth, her gaze lingering on the food on the table and the decorative platter, and slowly opened her mouth wide.

"...Here."

Her friends were here, and although there was no one else around, she was certain that her friends were there.

Right in front of her.

"It's a pleasure to have you here."

Just as the princess instinctively covered her mouth, feeling nauseous and about to vomit, a figure slowly descended from mid-air.

A pale purple robe, an enormous hat, a wooden staff he always carried, and those incredibly familiar eyes.

"Krentia."

"Or you can call me, the witch."

Krendia sat upright on the wooden staff, watching the princess with interest, and then looked at Igris.

“This dream has come to an end, Igris… We should go back. You’ve found what you were looking for, haven’t you?”

"and many more!"

At this moment, the princess spoke up. She immediately went to the witch and shouted through clenched teeth.

"Did you do all of this? This world, those people, and my friends..."

The witch lowered her eyes, looking at the princess in front of her with an indifferent expression, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.

"Since you already know the answer, don't ask me again, unless you want to taste those foods. By the way, I'm quite a good cook."

"you!"

The witch suddenly waved her hand, flew to Igris's side on her own, and patted her wooden staff.

"There's nothing fun left here, Igris, shall we go back?"

Igris thought for a while, but ultimately shook her head.

"We have to take her with us."

The bizarre stage play – The Arrogant Witch and the Wonderland: Chapter Twenty-Three. See you in the next story!

"Bring her along? Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean."

The witch crossed her legs and lazily and comfortably rested her chin on her hand.

She scrutinized Igris, just as Igris had looked at her.

"She is merely an appendage in this dream, and will eventually perish along with the dream. We cannot save her, nor is there any need to."

"I'm not..."

Puff-!

Countless black thorns suddenly emerged, choking the princess's unfinished words in her throat.

Her limbs were pierced, as if she were being executed, and she was hung in mid-air along with the thorns.

The pure white princess dress was now stained with layer upon layer of red, and even the princess's screams were slowly muffled by the witch's hand.

Then, she looked at Igris again and blinked gently.

“I can speed up this process. This place will be destroyed sooner or later, including her… So can we go now? You said you would stay with me until I find the love I truly need.”

Igris stood still, not answering, but simply taking out a few hidden treasures.

"I want to know the truth."

These hidden truths, the truth here, and the truth about Krentia.

"What's wrong with a princess who can never wake up and is forever immersed in her own dream?"

The witch snapped her fingers, and the treasures flew towards her, landing steadily in her hand.

“These things contain immense power, so powerful that they can alter the witch’s own dreams. The greedy little princess did not want her dreams to perish, nor did she want to look directly at anything that belonged to reality. So I was born, and she will forever slumber in the waterscape coffin forged from hope and dreams.”

Snapped.

Applause erupted, a sound that signaled the end of the performance amidst the thorny forest.

"Therefore, there is no difference between a witch and a princess."

Igris looked at the princess, her body covered in blood, and at the arrogant witch.

"Klendia represents both of you: a coward who refuses to wake up, and an incomplete doll."

The power of the hidden treasure not only forged this world, but also forged another Krentia.

A purer, completely opposite version of Clendia, that is, the witch.

The witch became the princess's representative in reality, but the witch had no heart.

Even witches don't understand love.