Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

Although I saw Mag near the entrance hallway just now, considering that Nanoha, Miria, and my older sister should still be near the entrance, going back would be like walking into the lion's den.

The only way is to go around and climb back through the sunroom or the open-air balcony of the infirmary at the back of the castle. But even if we get back to the castle, how can we find Mag's whereabouts?

"[Coo coo coo... Oh dear, Mr. Chang Rong, are you here for a sunbath too?]"

Just as Chang Rong was pondering how to find Baosheng Mag, a familiar bird call came from the tree branches not far above. Looking up, she saw the owl, draped in a black cloak, who claimed to be able to "quickly become a mascot wherever she goes," perched on a branch, squinting and slacking off.

"Is it just my imagination? I feel like I've been seeing you, Warden, slacking off and lying down more and more often lately."

Chang Rong frowned slightly. In her memory, although the warden in the first and second playthroughs was not so busy that he was losing hair, she rarely saw him lying down. But recently, she saw him sunbathing and lounging around in various places almost every day.

"【Coo coo... Please don't say that, Mr. Chang Rong. Lady Meruru has suddenly become quite ambitious—I mean, Lady Meruru has suddenly become very hardworking. Since she's no longer indulging in cosplaying as a victim and shirking her responsibilities like before, this bird can finally finally enjoy its bird life after all the suffering, right?】"

It's clear that the warden harbors some resentment towards its master, Meluru, since in previous witch trials, Meluru was always the one responsible for playing the role of a traitorous 'player participant,' while the warden was left to handle everything, including the operation and maintenance of the entire prison island and even the manufacture, maintenance, and operation of the execution devices.

After Meruru, as the boss, was stabbed in the back by Mag, this lousy bird became more and more obvious in her shirking of responsibility, but not as blatantly as she is now.

It seems that as time goes by and spirals forward, not everyone is making progress; some birds are even becoming more and more useless.

"【Coo coo coo... Although my position and identity aren't really suitable for saying this, since Mr. Chang Rong, you are my personal birdcage climber, claw sharpener, and human comb, and we have a debt of gratitude between us, I still want to give you a little reminder—if you keep creating this harem like this, you might actually be dragged off and executed when you return to society, coo~?】"

The warden tilted his head 90 degrees and squinted at Chang Rong. Although the warden had noticed Chang Rong, the only member of the opposite sex on Witch Island, back in his senior days, that he was bound to cause a lot of trouble, even the experienced warden hadn't expected that the number of troubles caused by this white-haired boy had already exceeded double digits, and there was still no sign of it stopping.

"Ugh...please don't suddenly say such cold, hopeless, and magical things..."

Chang Rong lowered her head and covered her face. There are many ways to spread love, bonds, and beliefs, but it seems that on this witch island, in the hearts of all witches, including the real Great Witch and the prospective witch, the rolling window order is the only hard currency to express their feelings.

This is truly a case of getting away with something for a moment, only to return to the cutthroat world of society...

But speaking of returning—

Chang Rong suddenly looked up at the warden as if something had occurred to her.

"By the way, Warden, you must have been through many witch trials, right? In the past witch trials, were there any prospective witches who were unwilling to try to reintegrate into society and instead planned to stay on the island to live?"

Chang Rong recalled An An's words, and also thought of Xi Luo's guess at that time.

If Margot didn't actually want to leave the witch's island, then the possibility that the failure of the summoning ritual was something she deliberately concealed would indeed become much higher.

In response to Chang Rong's questioning, the warden—

"【Coo coo coo... I'm just a bird with a bird's head, I can't remember anything, coo... You should understand, Mr. Chang Rong, if you want it, just come over on your own, coo?"

"...tsk"

Chang Rong clicked her tongue. Normally, she was always being dragged around by the other prospective witches, but now she was being held captive by a silly bird? Could it be that she was the lowest of the food chains on the entire witch island?

Although he was annoyed, Chang Rong understood perfectly. He got up and walked from the wall to the base of the big tree, spreading his hands as if to hold it up.

The warden, who was sprawled on a tree branch, immediately understood and fluttered into Chang Rong's arms, spreading his wings so that Chang Rong could stroke and massage him.

"【Coo coo coo... Yes, Mr. Chang Rong... This is it... I was created to peck your head and enjoy a massage~~】"

"Get to the point, or I'll strip you naked, smear you with sauce, and throw you in the oven...!"

"Young people are so restless, huh... Anyway, this kind of example is not uncommon, after all, most prospective witches have various inner wounds they don't want to reveal. When the situation is temporarily stable, some prospective witches naturally want to maintain the status quo, at least on this paradise island that originally belonged to witches, their wounds will not be repeatedly torn open."

"Isn't this quite common...?"

The warden's answer was not unexpected for Chang Rong, but after hearing the definite reply, he still frowned and showed a thoughtful and solemn expression.

It seems that Marg really wants to stay on this witch's island, this 'paradise' where even the air and seasons seem to be frozen, where she can forget all her pain and past.

That's why she concealed all the requirements of the witch's resurrection ritual, making it impossible for the ritual to continue.

But if that's really the case, what should I do? Should I let Mag help carry out the ceremony first, and then let her stay on the island if she wants to after everything is settled, so that we don't interfere with each other?

Putting aside whether Mag would accept such uncertain conditions, from Chang Rong's own perspective, he wouldn't accept leaving Mag alone on the island. Moreover, who knows if the island could even continue to exist after Xiao Xue successfully returns and recovers all the witch factors?

Should Chang Rong encourage Marge to try to leave Witch Island and return to society like everyone else? But she had no right to interfere with other people's choices, and Chang Rong didn't think she held any importance in Marge's heart that could change her original decision.

Chang Rong couldn't even use the excuse that "Witch Island is not safe" to fool Bao Sheng Mag, after all, she, Nanoha Kaori, and everyone else had already dismantled almost all the old and mysterious little traps on the island, and even the landmines buried at the door were dug out by Nanoha Kaori in the middle of the night.

Moreover, with everyone's witch genes calmed down and the vengeful spirits of the veterans from previous generations having been physically exorcised by Rhea-sama's concert, Chang Rong didn't think there was anything on this witch island that could threaten their lives.

At most, he's some white-haired boy who can walk; his very existence is enough to threaten my sister's life...

"【Coo coo coo... Although this bird doesn't know what Mr. Chang Rong is thinking about, could you please not stop working? Coo!】"

"...You stinky bird, you're getting more and more demanding!"

The warden's voice came from his arms, interrupting Chang Rong's thoughts. His veins bulged, and he could only continue kneading the magic owl's wings and belly.

To be honest, I don't really understand human emotions, and I always feel wronged when everyone takes their anger out on me. After all, whether it's bringing you all here or the witch's trial, it has nothing to do with me... However, seeing Lady Meruru's change and Mr. Chang Rong's actions all along, I've vaguely come to understand.

The warden flapped his wings and flew up from Chang Rong's arms, landing steadily on the white-haired boy's head. He then settled down in a position like incubating an egg, and said lazily.

"Humans are extremely fickle beings; a mere difference in a gesture, or even the mere presence of a person, can have a profound impact on others."

"【So, Mr. Chang Rong, you could try to be a little more confident. After all, your very existence has already changed the fate of countless aspiring witches. This isn't an exaggeration; it's a conclusion I've reached after observing it time and time again.】"

"Time and time again—wait, could it be that Warden, you..."

Hearing the warden's words, Chang Rong suddenly realized something. He tried to look up at the owl on his head, but was immediately interrupted by a sharp peck.

"【Gurgle... Miss Hiro's deduction is correct. If time reversal magic is observed by other observers, it will fail and branch out in different ways. If there is no 'observer who exists objectively forever,' then time magic will cause almost everyone to be unable to welcome a new day, but instead be trapped in a cycle forever.】"

The warden's words left Chang Rong somewhat bewildered, but after thinking for a while, he finally understood their meaning.

Before the Silver Party (?) at the end of the 'second timeline', Chang Rong and Hiro Emma talked about this matter once, and the conclusion they reached was that 'when all observers with the ability to observe across time stop observing (Coco's death), time will rewind along with the magic of the one who possesses the death reversal magic'.

The Great Witch may have also considered this problem. If a witch who has obtained the Death Reversal Magic uses magic recklessly, and the observer with the clairvoyance magic is already dead, then the entire timeline will be manipulated and altered at will based on the personal will of the magic user.

The solution is quite simple: create an observer that can continue indefinitely to maintain the timeline. Because there is always an observer, time cannot be arbitrarily reversed.

And the identity of this permanent observer is, of course, the silly bird on his own head.

It is not only the warden in charge of managing all the big and small things on Witch Island, but also an anchor point for dealing with the dangers of the abuse of time travel magic, given its ability to observe and its near immortality.

"【Coo coo coo... I thought being forcibly shut down by the Witch Slayer's magic the first time was a very low probability event, but I didn't expect... In order for the death reversal magic to function properly, this bird will have to accompany the self-immolation to heaven in what you call the 'second playthrough' timeline... But on the bright side, at least I don't have to deal with that hellish sex scene—】"

"Okay, okay, stop talking!!"

"【Gug!?】"

Chang Rong blushed and grabbed the warden to physically silence him.

The silver party to bid farewell to Hiro was already a dark chapter in history, but unexpectedly there was a follow-up from the perspective of the cleaning worker who suffered the consequences. Just thinking about it makes Chang Rong want to crawl into a hole in the nut grease.

"Wait a minute, so you mean, Warden, you chose to... commit suicide last time? Why?"

After the initial panic subsided, Chang Rong asked the warden with some curiosity.

It seems that in the first playthrough's timeline, Emma wasn't ultimately killed by Meruru, but instead awakened her Demon Slayer Magic and instantly killed the Warden, causing all the Observers to log off. This successfully triggered Heero's death rewind, opening the second playthrough's timeline.

However, in the second timeline, Meruru was already dead at the beginning, Emma's demonic killing was not detected, and the warden chose to die together to rewind time entirely based on his own will, which clearly violated his role as an observer created by the Great Witch.

It can't be that the warden, seeing everyone's state after the silver party, despaired and chose to hang himself to escape reality...

"【Coo coo... Why? Didn't I just say that humans are very fickle beings?】"

The warden tilted his head and looked at Chang Rong. He couldn't read any expression from his beak, but Chang Rong thought the warden was probably smiling at that moment.

"Although I have seen many works created by humans through media and audio-visual materials, what intrigues me most is, of course, the real, living humans who truly exist here—I am curious about the changes that occur to you after each cycle, curious about what kind of destiny you will ultimately reach, and curious about whether this story, which you, Mr. Chang Rong, personally initiated, will ultimately bring an ending that makes everyone smile."

The warden looked at the boy in front of him. At first, he just thought the white-haired boy who had voluntarily stayed behind for his 'girlfriend' was a bit strange. But unknowingly, in the process of rewinding time and time again and moving forward time and time again, this boy had become the 'drama' that the warden cared about the most.

If it were him, perhaps he could truly bring this century-long tragedy, which began because of humanity, to a complete end.

"【Also... coo coo coo, this bird is really curious, Mr. Chang Rong, will you be electrocuted, shot, or injected intravenously?】"

"Can't you wish me something good?! If you say those things again, believe me, I'll rape you, the warden, too!!"

Chang Rong, who was initially moved by the warden's transformation from a 'familiar' into a 'living being' with his own will, making choices based on his own beliefs, and willingly defying his mission, was suddenly exposed by the warden's most vulnerable part (referring to the criminal law). He instantly became furious and decided to develop a new Fiji Cup on the spot to silence him.

-

Thanks again to Chenguang for the treat! I'm having sugar-free Sprite today!

271. Heartbeat points are still accumulating.

"A day's bird climbing rights"

"【You've really been underestimated... Miracles and magic don't come for free, Mr. Chang Rong—it'll take at least three days, you know?】"

"Tsk... Two days, that's my limit, anything more is out of the question!"

"【Coo coo coo... Free hair treatment every two days】"

"--make a deal!"

Outside the castle, Chang Rong is engaged in a clandestine and nefarious deal with the warden, the embodiment of darkness. The man and the bird haggle over the terms, eventually reaching a mutually agreeable compromise after a heated exchange.

After the transaction was completed, the warden pounced on Chang Rong's head, lounging in a victorious pose, while issuing commands to make the mass-produced owls, which lacked intelligence, take off and transform into drones to patrol the castle.

That's right, Chang Rong used this method of selling her body and methods to obtain the warden's authority to 'investigate the movements of Baosheng Mag within the castle'.

Although the official explanation was to 'inspect the castle for any potential dangers caused by years of disrepair,' the real reason for such a large-scale operation was to help Chang Rong find traces of 'Baosheng Mag.'

Thanks to the previous virtual battle royale, the group did not show any resistance to the presence of these mass-produced wardens. They simply remarked that even this old castle needed maintenance and repair before turning their attention back to their work.

"[Coo coo coo... Hmm, that's strange. Could it be that Miss Margot has a hidden second ability? We haven't seen any trace of her inside the castle.]"

"Are you even capable, you idiot? If the service quality isn't good, I won't honor the contract—oohhhhh!!?"

Chang Rong's questioning was immediately interrupted by the warden pecking at his scalp with a bird's beak.

"【You've really been underestimated... I've been in charge of the maintenance, management, and operation of this prison island for a hundred years, how could I not find a prospective witch? The only explanation for this is that Miss Mag isn't even inside the castle."

"Hmm... no, if it's Marg, then this is more like the kind of behavior she would do."

Chang Rong was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in agreement. If it were that con artist, she would definitely create the illusion of returning to the inner part of the castle to lure them in, and then do the opposite.

Taking advantage of the commotion caused by her older sister, she really managed to sneak out this time, so she could avoid being hunted down in the castle afterwards... Heh, what a clever plan!

"Then please help me thoroughly investigate the area around the flower field and the warehouse behind the castle, Warden—Warden?"

Chang Rong ordered the owl that was building a nest on its head to change its patrol location, but his order was ignored.

"【Gurgle... Oh dear, Mr. Chang Rong, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? Our deal is to 'investigate Miss Marg's whereabouts inside the castle.' Helping you investigate outside the castle isn't out of the question, but... that would cost extra! Gurgle!"

"You're so heartless!!"

"【Goo-ga?!】"

Chang Rong instantly and gracefully dodged the warden, sending him flying. Then, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to search for Mag's whereabouts in the flower field and behind the castle.

What a joke! If this continues, won't we be stuck using this stinky bird as a birdcage and climbing frame even after we leave Witch Island?