Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

As Lyle stepped through the portal at the center of the Cup of Extravagance, he took one last look at the gentleman.

"A little suggestion from your friend, sir. The tunes of your hometown don't suit you, and the fine members of the literary society don't wallow in self-pity like that. My friend, try playing some cheerful tunes instead."

Even if it sounds bad at first, it's still a new beginning.

Chapter 230 The Witch Hunt

Deep in the valley, a thick fog hangs over the endless forest. Nature here seems to dislike light, keeping the sun out of its reach. Damp soil is covered with green moss, and cool, moist air envelops the trees. Walking through this dense forest, you might have the illusion that snow is kissing your ankles.

The mist spread deep into the dense forest, gradually taking on colors that seemed otherworldly. From the distant mountains came the cries of wild beasts, singing praises to the tranquility of nature. The trees swayed their tender branches in the wind, playing a green organ.

Soon, irregular noises appeared in the symphony.

The sound of fabric rubbing against dry branches is like the buzzing of insects flapping their wings, turning back time to that sweltering summer dominated by cicadas.

From the depths of the leaves, from the shadowy bushes, the little rascals revealed themselves. Two button-shaped eyes of different sizes on their coarsely sewn heads surveyed their surroundings, following the large heads of the dolls. After glancing left and right for a while, they shrank back into the bushes like shy children, then hopped and skipped quickly back to their owner's side, climbing onto that pale arm.

The rag doll perched on its owner's shoulder, its two tiny, fingerless hands covering its mouth, which was represented by thin strings, as it whispered in its owner's ear in a language that was not human.

Its owner was no different from it, wearing a tattered, dusty long dress, the faded color mirroring her skin. Her emaciated body was like a hemp stalk, and her face wore a pale mask. Her hair, like dry, tangled straw, peeked out from her pointed little hat.

She nodded repeatedly, listening to the puppet's whispers. She walked forward like a doll, her bare, pale feet stained with mud, like a ghost from the forest. The mask was removed, revealing a girl with a deathly pallor on her face; her once beautiful eyes now had pupils shrunk to pinpoints. She was very beautiful, but her flat, featureless face was more like a mask than the pale mask itself.

The doll turned her head and looked at the bushes she had emerged from.

"There's no danger, sisters."

One by one, girls her size emerged from the bushes, removing their masks and disguises, becoming indistinguishable from dolls. It was a group, a band of witches. They looked at each other, then around, their eyes darting about, silent, yet a relaxed atmosphere pervaded the air.

Soon, more witches emerged from the bushes. The leader of the second group was a little taller than the others, and she floated. She approached the doll lady, her cool voice carrying a hint of reproach.

“Fegney, you should be more careful. Reconnaissance missions are the most dangerous jobs. You...you also need to be responsible for your own safety.”

Figny tilted her head, and the rag doll perched on her shoulder did the same thing as its master.

“I understand, Ms. Wenli, I just don’t want to miss the gathering.”

Wenli knew this girl didn't understand her words because she had never included herself in her list of protected individuals. Since Figney's death, she had lost sight of herself. Wenli slowed her speech, trying to soften her cold voice as much as possible.

“We’ve arrived quite early, Figny. We went straight to the gathering after leaving Andrei, and we certainly won’t be late. We haven’t wasted much time on the way.”

"Because we're already dead, right?"

"Death cannot separate us; death is merely the beginning of our journey."

The Death Witch and the Lich are not entirely the same. Even though their bodies have become corpses or puppets, they can still feel and possess emotions. After a relentless trek, they finally entered a safe place, where everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief and ease their tense nerves.

Upon receiving Ms. Wenli's instruction to take a short break, all the witches cheered expressionlessly. They gathered in twos and threes, but in reality, there was nothing to do; death had robbed them of most of their enjoyment, and they could only chat with their sisters.

“My sister, may I trade the hem of my dress for your gauze? I love the color of your gauze, and I want to use it to cover my wound.” A witch tore off the hem of her pale blue dress before the color faded. A bloody gash stretched across her neck, now magically held together, though its surface bore the marks of corrosion.

"Of course, darling, I just need some fabric. But how did you get this wound?"

“It was a skilled paladin who cut off my head. I didn’t suffer much when I died. I’m very fortunate that the cut on my neck was small, and your gauntlet was just the right size.”

“Perfect exchange, my sister.” The witch who had lost her wristband praised her companion’s new collar, which had a gruesome rip in her chest that revealed her back from the front. “I want to make a corsage to wear in front of me so that people won’t call me ‘Riley the See-Through.’”

“I can help you. My mother taught me some tips on aristocratic dresses before she passed away.”

They began their discussion as if it were a tea party they had experienced in their previous lives. Their soft voices infused the dense forest with a touch of vitality.

"Murray, where are you going? Ms. Wenli told us not to leave the camp."

Murray looked at his friend and stomped his foot in annoyance.

"Lola! You're such a boring jerk!" Murray, who had been driven to a state of agitation by the discipline, simply gave up and declared, "I'm going hunting! I'm going to get my spoils!"

Lola called out Murray's name as she followed closely behind her.

They climbed over the tangled vines under the banyan tree, stepped on the smooth pebbles by the stream, and searched for any animals that might be there.

The two lay side by side on the ground, their heads resting on a bed woven from moss.

"Damn it, there isn't even a rabbit here."

"There is no best. We can't even eat meat, so why should we hurt them just to play around?"

"Lola, you idiot! It's because I'm stronger now! It's normal for the strong to kill the weak!"

“Mother Safiyo said that it is wrong for the strong to bully the weak.”

"She's lying, then why would a man who glows be bullying us?"

"……I have no idea."

After waiting for an hour, Murray couldn't wait any longer.

"What a waste of time, let's go back, Lola."

Lola grabbed Murray's arm, preventing her from getting up. She pointed to a rock not far away, her eyes fixed on Murray, her voice filled with surprise.

"Murray, did you see that?"

"cat."

Chapter 231 Meow

It was a black Ankara cat resting on a raised rock, the stream flowing beneath it. The cat crouched on the slab, basking in the sparse sunlight illuminating its small patch of land. Its long, fine black fur resembled a beautiful shawl, adding a touch of nobility to this adorable creature. Its pale yellow, glass-bead-like eyes gazed at the water, its tail tapping rhythmically on the slab with the murmur of the stream.

Apart from the flowing stream, nothing seemed to disturb the cat. A single cat had instilled a sense of unapproachability in the two little witches. Murray rubbed her eyes; she felt the black cat had become one with the forest.

“That cat, Murray, is so cute,” Lola whispered in Murray’s ear, her eyes already filled with the black cat.

“Let’s take it back, Lola.”

Lola, who had been complaining about the hunt, was nodding frantically; no one could resist this adorable creature.

So, the two of them stuck out their buttocks and crawled forward slowly on their hands and feet like cats.

"Morley, will this really catch the cat?"

"Don't doubt me! I'm a hunter. Cats are timid creatures. If a large animal approaches, they will be alert and run away. So, crawling is necessary. We will appear smaller and less threatening to the cat. It might even mistake us for its own kind because of our clever camouflage."

"really?"

"Stop talking, it's looking this way."

The stream was surrounded by flat pebbles and moss, with no obstructions, and the two girls were clearly visible from the cat's perspective.

The black Ankara cat licked its fur, its gaze fixed on the two crawling girls. It propped itself up on its forelegs, looking down at the two girls who were looking up at it, like a queen inspecting her subjects.

The simple-minded subjects finally climbed to the foot of their king's throne.

"Morry, it seems to be working. What's the next step?"

"Take advantage of its inattention and pounce on it to grab it."

"No, that would scare her."

"We'll scare her sooner or later, the only difference is whether it's in our arms or not."

"Murray, give me a chance. I want to do it peacefully," Lola pleaded softly with her companion, but from the way she gripped her wrist, it was clear that if she didn't agree, Lola would definitely hinder the cat-catching operation.

"Just one chance!"

Lola slowly stood up and stretched out her palm toward the cat above her head; her bare finger bones were worn smooth.

"Kitty, don't be afraid. Come into Lola's arms. Lola will protect you. Be a good girl."

Murray stared at the cat, which stood motionless like a statue. Its black fur made its expression indistinct, but for a moment, Murray thought he saw the cat roll its eyes in a human-like manner.

It moved, flicking its forepaws, ignoring Lola's outstretched hand, and with a light leap, gracefully landed on Lola's head, crouching in her beige, straw-like hair.

The slight shock and the unexpected joy made Lola a little unsteady on her feet. She swayed a few steps like a drunkard, her arms tightly clutching the tuft of downy hair on the top of her head.

"I caught it, Murray!" The two girls screamed excitedly as they hugged the cat and returned to camp like conjoined twins connected by the cat.

Back at camp, the two hid behind a large tent. Witches don't need tents, but they erect such a symbolic target to show respect to their guests. No one would disturb them here, and the tent's soundproofing magic would keep them out of sight.

The two girls hid in a secret base made of haystacks. They placed the cat on a folded blanket, which Murray had begged an older sister for. The two girls, squatting on the hay, stroked the cat's fine, smooth fur, their laughter carrying a sweetness that softened the sunlight.

“You’ve broken the rules, Murray, Lola, you’ve left the camp.” Forgny, like a puppet, stood in front of the two, blocking the only light in the area.

"Go away, go away, you annoying Fagin, go back to playing with your dolls and go tell Ms. Wenli on you, you nasty brat."

Figny didn't leave. She grabbed a handful of straw and squatted down, the three of them surrounding the cat. The plush toy on Figny's shoulder slid down her shoulder and came to the big cat's side, curiously poking the cat's tail. The cat angrily meowed at it, and the plush toy hid back on its owner's shoulder, looking at the big creature with its cotton wool sticking out of its shell with fear.

"I didn't betray you..."

"You're lying! You were just jealous that I visited the scholar, so you tattled on me to Ms. Wenli, and that's why my mission was canceled!"

Fegney turned his head calmly. "That was your own mistake. If Ms. Wenli had asked me to persuade the scholar, he would be with us at the witches' gathering now."

"I was so close to succeeding, I was just a hair's breadth away!"

Figny ignored Murray's excuses; failure was failure. Her gaze shifted to the Ankara cat, her cool fingers stroking its fur, the skillful touch eliciting a contented purr from the cat.

"You brought back a cat."

"We plan to keep it; it's very cute."

"Release it. You can't keep a cat. We don't have food or a place for it to survive. Are you planning to let it be dismembered by Andrei's lich?"

“We can keep it in the witch’s quarters and let the elemental witches’ sisters take care of it.”

Fegney shook his head again. "The floating castle in the Witch Quarter is more dangerous than Andrei. As for the elemental witches, in my opinion, they're just magic research societies that only know how to explode." Fegney's eyes were filled with longing as he stroked the cat's soft body. "If you really like it, then you should let it live in its own world."

After a brief pause, the kind-hearted girls made their own decision.

"Figney, can you teach us how to pet a cat better?"

"Of course, Lola, just like this, stroke in this direction, gently."

Lola smiled as she watched the cat purr in her hands.

Watching her best friend clapping happily as Figny demonstrated, Murray felt a pang of resentment, a sense of grievance that her best friend had been taken away. This feeling of irritation compelled her to take action.

"Lola, I know how to talk to cats!"

"Really? Murray is amazing!" Lola's eyes sparkled as she looked at Murray with admiration.