Witch Troupe and the Undead

"It's more like something that has accumulated over many years; in other words, it's the scent on a person's body."

"Besides those leaf lovers (elves), who else in this world smells like this?" Even if this world doesn't have the medieval bad habit of not bathing, considering the high cost of fuel, the large amount of daily labor, and hygiene habits, most town residents don't smell very good, let alone farmers.

"No, it's different. The elves have this scent because they bathe in hot water infused with floral fragrances all year round. In fact, only elven nobles and the wealthy class have this scent. Those elves living in the human world and slums... aren't much better off than human farmers." As a learned scholar, his knowledge far surpassed that of the average scholar, and he had indeed ventured deep into the elven realm and learned about their daily lives.

"And this scent is a human body odor. If it's not from a special race, then it's because they've eaten certain foods with this scent since childhood or applied certain medicines, causing their natural body odor to be masked. This is very common among hunters in the Falling Star Mountains."

Aaron had seen the hunters who lived on the broken land of the Falling Star Mountains. In order to live on the border of civilization, which was equivalent to a dangerous place, they soaked in herbal juices from childhood and used incense to scent their clothes and ornaments.

Over time, their "human scent" almost completely disappeared, replaced by a bitter, muddy smell, the same as that of the vegetation and thorns in the Black Forest and the Broken Zone.

Only in this way can they hunt dangerous monsters and ferocious beasts, and even dragon monsters like wyverns.

"So, this note... isn't a relic from a distant era?"

"Hmm, but the scent is very faint, it's from at least a few years ago. In a few more months, I doubt even I'll be able to smell it anymore." Aaron tore off a corner of the paper and put it in his mouth. "Hmm, it's not parchment, but gold-flecked paper, very rare... Are you looking for a half-elf?"

"Why do you say that?" No one knows what race that Youthful Witch is, but there are indeed many rumors that she appears in the form of a half-elf, and even caused the living conditions of half-elves to deteriorate at one point. Of course, after it was discovered that the Youthful Witch had only tricked nobles, the discrimination against half-elves did not change, but their living conditions actually improved.

After all, ordinary people can't afford the potion of youth, let alone the potion of immortality. Moreover, ordinary people don't think there are any benefits to immortality. Immortality doesn't mean being carefree, nor does it mean living on air and dew, nor does it mean being free from worries about food and clothing. Therefore, in any era, those who seek immortality or the elixir of immortality are those who are not worried about food and clothing, or even those who do not engage in production.

For ordinary laborers who have to hand over 90% of their harvest and can't even afford an egg all year round, to be honest, all talk of becoming an immortal or living forever is nonsense. It's better to suffer in this life and be rich in the next.

And if you discuss this elixir of immortality with those farmers, their first reaction will be: What? You want me to be a beast of burden for hundreds or thousands of years? What have I ever done to you?!

"Because only elves and half-elves like Golden Flower Paper," Aaron explained. This paper has a texture similar to parchment and is actually made from the bark of a tree called the Golden Flower Tree after a complex process. This bark is not expensive and is found everywhere. Basically, in the plains of the continent, you can find several trees in any forest.

The potion used for processing isn't expensive, but the preparation process is extremely meticulous, involving many steps. Only elves and half-elves with plenty of free time have the patience to manufacture this kind of paper. The biggest difference between it and parchment is that... because it's made from tree bark, it has a distinct wood fiber texture when chewed, completely different from the sticky feel of parchment.

Besides that, the paper has a faint fragrance that only elves can smell. For humans, it's not as good for writing on as silk or hard paper, not as good for wiping, and it's even more expensive than parchment.

"It was written with dragon blood ink. The person who wrote this note was indeed a mage, and a very skilled potion master and creator."

"Why can't it be dragon blood ink bought from the market?"

“It costs 20 silver coins a bottle. I don’t know about others, but I certainly can’t afford it,” Aaron said frankly. “Besides, as far as I know, even alchemists and sorcerers who can afford it rarely buy it, because, well…”

This stuff is used in large quantities and is expensive, and there's no obvious anti-counterfeiting technology, so naturally counterfeit products are rampant. It's really unnecessary to cause an experiment that costs hundreds of gold coins just for a bottle of ink that costs 20 silver coins.

Therefore, most alchemists and occultists make their own, at least they can trust it.

"The ink also has a rose scent and a hint of milk. Did they add cinnamon powder?" Aaron carefully sniffed the ink stains. "This ink must be homemade. We can find out who wrote this note by looking for similar books or scrolls on the market, as well as the scent of magical items."

"Aron, we really owe you a lot this time." Rhine nodded in satisfaction. There were quite a few opinions within the Empire and the Imperial government about hiring this wandering scholar at a high price, especially among the people in the academy. However, it seems that the money was well spent.

"Logically speaking, your spies should have been able to easily find the traces on these, right? My skills are just the tip of the iceberg." Aaron didn't quite understand. Apart from the scent, which the Imperial spies probably couldn't guess what it was, the rest were all basic skills for those spies.

“This matter cannot be entrusted to those spies,” Rhine answered only this one question and then fell silent. Aaron also showed a knowing look; he was just a big guy, not a fool.

"So... you're looking for this person..." Aaron looked at the words and doodles on the note.

"The Witch's Hug Coupon... was written no more than two years ago. If the other party isn't some particularly childlike old witch, you should be looking for a girl between 14 and 16 years old, fluctuating by about two years. Considering that someone too young is unlikely to be of any use to you, it should be a young and beautiful female sorceress between 16 and 20 years old."

Why are you so sure she is a beautiful woman?

"Because at this age, and still a woman, who takes secret medicine year-round to give herself a natural fragrance, she is naturally a person who loves beauty. And a woman who loves beauty and has the strength to be personally entrusted by Lord Rhine, I think she has at least nine ways to make herself beautiful, otherwise those magical beauty shops in the capital would not be able to stay in business."

“Yes, that’s what I was thinking too, but recently there haven’t been any women in the Empire who meet this requirement.” The dwarf was also a little helpless. The closest one was the seaweed-haired girl he had met at the market before, but as for her… she practically had “not very smart” written all over her face, so she obviously wouldn’t be the target he needed.

And it is said that among the people who appeared with her, there was a girl who was a beast-demon, a beast-demon witch. My God, this is simply unimaginable. However, Rhine glanced at the Rock Tower Clan scholar in front of him and felt that this suspicion could not be so easily ruled out.

"Finally, there is someone I can think of." He remembered the girl with black hair and braids. Although she dressed very simply, she had a graceful figure and was obviously a beauty, and she also fit the identity of an alchemist.

“Then I’ll go ask her.” Aaron stood up.

"You're just going to come to our door like this?"

"certainly"

"Aren't you going to make some preparations?"

"What preparations are needed?" Aaron asked, looking confused. "I was just asking her about a small matter, what preparations are needed? And if I remember correctly, you're planning to ask someone for help, right?"

“That’s true, but…” “The most basic attitude for asking for help is sincerity.” Aaron pointed out incisively, “The more you think about it and the more you calculate, the less sincere you are. And asking for help without sincerity will most likely not bring any benefits, unless you are absolutely certain that the other party will compromise and make a deal with you for some benefit.”

"This……"

"Don't worry, leave this to me." Aaron stepped out of the tent and looked around. "An alchemist, huh..."

He walked directly toward the witch's hut in the distance. It was clearly a colossal construct of alchemy. The Thunderbird Knights might not understand it, but surely the scholars did. Why hadn't they warned Sir Rhine? Or... did they actually have other plans?

Aaron shook his head. It's possible that these scholars subconsciously overlooked the hut. That's not surprising. If you were to spy on a mage's tower or an alchemist's workshop for no reason, you'd eventually get blown up by a fireball. After all, you're in the same profession. Your behavior is too much like prostitution.

Considering the abnormal perception of some high-level arcane mages, many scholars would indeed instinctively try to avoid paying attention to places that are clearly mage towers and workshops.

"However, it's also possible that Sir Rhine didn't tell these people the true purpose of this mission." After all, this job doesn't seem as simple as it appears on the surface. These scholars and their apprentices, as well as those Thunderbird Knights, all seem to be too talkative and gossipy.

Almost as he approached the hut, he caught a familiar scent—very faint, but definitely present. "Blazing Burst Potion?"

"Get out of the way!"

"Boom!" A wave of fire rushed towards Aaron, and the burly scholar was completely stunned until the flames were blocked by a giant sword. "Are you stupid? Don't you know how to dodge when you're this big?" Alessina kicked the scholar aside, then checked the surroundings. Fortunately, the grass and trees hadn't been ignited.

The plants cultivated by these witches dodged the aftershocks of the explosion with astonishing agility and foresight.

“I put in too much Blazing Flame Potion…” Roach spat out the carbon dust in his mouth. Luckily, he was far away, otherwise he would have had to sew up the corpse to revive it again. “After a few more tries, I’ll be able to get the amount right.”

“I know you’re making some kind of magic furnace, but to people who don’t know, it looks more like a weapon,” Vivi complained. Roach was trying to replicate the Secret Source Ether Annihilation Furnace that he had dismantled earlier, and this is what we see now.

When elements clash and annihilate, the fundamental adjustment of the magnitude is not good. Either there is too much water element, causing the entire hut to be washed by cold water mist, or there is too much fire element, directly resulting in the explosion just now. The worst case is that there is too much of both, so it is washed by high-temperature steam.

However, this also means that the little witch no longer needs to summon those animated tools to paint the walls and wash the floors.

Roach was even considering whether to make use of waste materials and create a magical automatic cleaning tool. It would first use high-temperature steam to kill mosquitoes and insects and soften grease residue, then use high-pressure water mist to rinse it, and finally bake it clean. As long as you don't worry about wall deformation and paint damage, it would be very useful.

"You are……"

"My name is Aaron, a traveling scholar," Aaron introduced himself earnestly. These people did not seem to be ordinary individuals.

"I've come here mainly to ask you a question."

"What questions?"

"How do I use this?" Aaron pulled out a slip of paper with a familiar handwriting: "Witch's Hug Coupon"

"Ah, this..." Roach scratched his head. Wasn't this the batch of hug coupons that Livia made before? You can exchange a coupon for a hug. The little witch used them as rewards. The one with the most of these was Alessina, after all, she was the cook, while the one who used them the most was Leslie, who had already asked for several hugs.

“But…” Roach and Alessina looked the burly man up and down. They couldn’t believe that someone as tall and strong as him would have such thoughts. “Let’s just let the person involved handle this matter.”

Anyway, it's just a hug, nothing else. After all, if you really have other ideas... did you see the black horse peeking out from the stable? And that cow grazing with a sad expression? Those two could take on a thousand of you!

"Livia, someone here wants to redeem a hug voucher for you!"

"Hmm?" The little witch was a little confused. Did anyone else want to redeem her hug voucher? After thinking for a moment, she ran down from the second floor.

"Wow, so tall..." The blonde witch pressed her hat with one hand, looked up, and stared blankly at the burly giant in front of her, her small face full of daze.

"Um, this hug coupon..." Aaron looked at the chibi-style drawing of a witch wearing a tricorn hat on the coupon in his hand, then looked at the little girl in front of him who wasn't even as tall as his waist. It was indeed a very lifelike drawing, but...

"Sniff sniff~" Aaron smelled that unique, sweet, rose-like scent. That's it, that's the scent. His action made Alessina's expression even uglier, and she even gripped the hilt of her sword.

"I apologize, I came here simply to confirm if this is indeed the person who wrote this note. Now that it has been confirmed, it will be returned to its rightful owner."

Aaron handed the hug voucher back. Anyway, it was useless; at most, it would let the short girl in front of him hug him. His real purpose was to find this person. As for what would happen after finding him... that would be a headache for Sir Rhine and the others.

Chapter 175 Waking Up to a Sky-Covered Imperial Finance

"The witch...does that mean Miss Livia?" Rhine fell into deep thought. Had those astrologers caused another problem? Could such a young girl really be of any use?

However, since the clues have pointed to a specific person, let's go and ask her. At the very least, Miss Livia has already demonstrated the skill of a high-level arcane mage in the previous camp defense battle, and also has considerable expertise in potion-making.

The Witch's Hut. Luo Qiping held the "Fragment of Night" sword. The smoky-colored blade seemed to absorb all the light, without the slightest reflection. Although it was not pure black, it still gave people a feeling of being without light and dim.

A string of stones was hung on the blade. Normally, this wouldn't be done during sword practice, as it would cause the blade to bend. But... firstly, this was a genuine divine weapon. Secondly, a normal sword was too heavy for Roach, and he hadn't had any room to improve his arm strength. So, he could only use this crude method of hanging stones to increase the load.

“The basic physical requirements of swordsmanship are very difficult for you to achieve, whether it’s strength, agility, or reaction. There’s only one thing you can train,” Alessina said, standing beside him with a branch in her hand. “And it’s also very meaningful training for Master Roach’s ranged weapons.” That is stability. Having great strength doesn’t mean you can hold a sword steadily, but of course, having little strength will definitely make it difficult to hold a weapon steadily.

"The Fragment of Night is a very light sword for you, so the difficulty of training its stability is relatively... well, much lower. The characteristics of this sword determine that you don't need to compete with others in strength or speed. As long as you hit the target, you've already won half the battle."

"What if it encounters something that isn't countered by the special attack?" Leslie, sitting by the door, tuning her instruments while watching Roach make a call, asked curiously. The strength of this artifact is greatly influenced by whether it is countered or not. If it is used against normal human enemies, then the sword's destructive power is no different from that of an ordinary steel hand-and-a-half-sword.

“Okay, take the medicine.” Livia, who was standing next to Leslie, patted her head and then waved her hand. A very thick magic book with a chilling cover flew out of the window.

The book was wrapped in bone-like edges on all four sides, and the cover was made of a slightly unpleasant, slippery, grayish-white leather with a slight yellow tinge. The leather was inlaid with bone-carved skulls and blood-red crystals.

Bridge to the Styx

This is the title of the book. The River Styx originally had no bridges and relied on ferrymen to cross it. So the question arises: what is the significance of building a bridge across the River Styx? It is self-evident.

Poisons, toxicants, enchanted dust, and other magical potions and alchemical recipes used to enhance the lethality and effectiveness of weapons can all be found in this book. Although alchemists often make these things, the difference is that this book comes from the secret teachings of the Church of the Underworld.

As a branch of the Grim Reaper cult, they are passionate about guiding life to rest and death. This does not mean they are pure butchers. On the contrary, their main job on the road is to liberate certain beings who have been tormented by long lives and have not been able to die for a long time.

Simply put, this is an elven sect that is a complete cult among humans and other short-lived species, but among long-lived species like elves, it is a sect similar to euthanasia, especially among half-elves.

Half-elves have a lifespan nearly as long as elves and an aging cycle nearly as long as humans, which means that they suffer greatly in the latter half of their lives, with endless aging and a death that is long overdue. For elves and other races alike, suicide is a very serious matter in terms of faith and society.

Therefore, the Yellow Springs Cult is a cult that provides liberation to half-elves and even elves who have lived long enough or simply do not want to endure the torment of aging for decades or centuries.

"Fast, lethal, quiet, and not evil..." Livia flipped through the book page by page, searching for the formula and knowledge she needed based on these keywords. After all, if she threw an evil potion at it, it might just break the sword.

"Well, it can't be the hallucinogenic type either..." Almost half of the formulas had to be removed with regret. Although the Underworld Cult is a heretical sect in other countries, it is a legitimate sect among the elves. Most of the poisons they use have severe hallucinogenic effects, so as to minimize the pain and struggle of the drug recipients.

However, the fragments of the Nightlight possess a powerful ability to dispel illusions and hallucinations, which is quite awkward. While it doesn't affect the drug's effectiveness, the opponent will have their illusions and hallucinations dispelled after being struck a second time. Livia felt that with Roach's swordsmanship, killing him with a single blow would be a bit too much for him.

When Rhine arrived at the hut, he saw a young man practicing basic skills by holding a sword horizontally under the guidance of a beastman warrior. "Hanging a stone on the sword..." Rhine glanced at the stone hanging on the blade and the curved blade, silently complaining in his heart: How much tuition fee does this guy owe? He's being messed with like this. Then he labeled the expressionless fox girl as "deeply scheming and extremely vengeful".

After all, the sword in Roach's hand, whether it was the material, the hilt with its intertwined laurel and night-blooming jasmine after being reforged by the gods, or the pure silver runes, was clearly not some cheap, low-quality iron sword that could be bought for a single gold coin. And if such a sword were bent, it wouldn't just be a matter of straightening it by stepping on it and continuing to use it.

Then there was a young woman with seaweed-colored hair, squatting in front of the hut, chewing on a blade of grass, and holding a lute. Hmm, not the target. Then Rhine saw someone sitting in a wooden rocking chair, with a blanket draped over her shoulders and a book on her lap... Hmm? Isn't that the emblem of the Underworld Cult? Rhine felt a chill run down her spine.

This sect is known for its poisons. Various poisons that kill without drawing blood and are highly efficient are the first choice for assassinations by nobles. Of course, their doctrine that life is so painful that you should be sent to your death sooner is also one of the reasons why they are defined as a cult.

Although the blonde girl in front of him had a serene expression, her fair skin was almost transparent in the sunlight, revealing tiny pale blue veins, and her light gold eyelashes and long hair were the color of the sun, Rhine still felt that one should not judge a book by its cover. She was probably just an old witch pretending to be young, and one who was also an expert in poisons and all sorts of vicious alchemical potions.

“Miss Livia…” The little witch raised her eyes and quietly gazed at the newcomer. Her emerald green eyes were like a pair of clear and transparent top-quality jade. Even by the standards of the dwarves’ unique aesthetic sense, Rhine had to admit that she was an exceptionally beautiful girl with an almost bewitching charm.

However, the moment he glanced at the book on the other person's lap, he decisively severed any lingering feelings of closeness and goodwill that had just formed, and inwardly exclaimed, "What a shrewd tactic! I almost fell for it!"

He attributed this charm and intimacy to the influence of some kind of spiritual magic or the effect of some kind of potion. After all, what is the key to using poison? It's not about creating a highly toxic drug, nor about making the poison incurable, but about how to make someone ingest the poison without any suspicion, leading to death.

This strange allure would obviously facilitate poisoning.

"I apologize for my intrusion. I have a very important matter that I need your help with. Please rest assured, the reward is negotiable." Although the emperor is not a particularly suicidal person, his situation is tied to the stability of the empire's regime. Therefore, whether driven by a personal desire to avoid death or by a desire to maintain the stability of the empire's government, he will never be stingy with the treasures in the national treasury and vaults.

"A request?" Livia tilted her head. Why would someone specifically request her? She glanced around fearfully, then, realizing that everyone around her was "one of our own (pets)," she suddenly mustered some courage and looked at Rhine. "A request... what kind of request?"

"To lift a curse that... well, causes a person to weaken continuously and suffer a severe loss of life force."

"A curse?" Livia was a little confused. She was not good at breaking curses, nor was she good at casting curses. Like poison and other techniques, this was something she rarely used and was very unfamiliar with. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken out this magic book from the bottom of the bookshelf to review it.

“Yes, only a master like you could possibly lift this curse.” Rhine glanced at the magic book again and sighed silently, “Those fortune tellers really do their jobs for money.”

Never mind what this Yellow Springs Cult is. The fact that they managed to get their secret scriptures from these ruthless people means they must have extraordinary skills in curses and poisons. Otherwise, someone this awesome would have been cursed to death by the Yellow Springs Cult members with the Gift of Death long ago.

If even the Gift of Death cannot kill an existence, then removing the curse from the emperor is, if not a sure thing, at least a perfect match!

However, what he had no idea was that the little witch had only read some of the introductory parts of the book, mainly learning how to process those highly poisonous potion ingredients. She had only glanced at the later parts about curses, poisons, and decay, and now she had to take it out here to study it on her own.

Upon hearing the compliment of being called a "master," the witch proudly puffed out her chest, only to hunch back down a few seconds later. She was genuinely bad at cursing; of course, she could perform the kind of "curse" that miraculously worked, but breaking a curse and casting one were two different things.

"What curse?" Livia asked, puzzled. She actually wanted to say that she was not good at breaking curses and did not want to take on this request, but the other party had come to visit and make such a sincere request, and she was too embarrassed to refuse. After all, she was actually quite soft-hearted, and it was hard for her to refuse if someone shamelessly asked her.

"Well... I'm not too sure either. It manifests as a loss of life force and a continuous weakening of the body." Rhine could only offer the information that everyone already knew; as for the specifics, he wasn't entirely clear on them.

"Hmm..." There are many curses that fit this description. Almost all high-level curses have this function, and it is even one of the basic functions of a curse.

"Nothing else?"

“No, at least not from the information I have,” Rhine said. This gave the witch a little bit of confidence. At least if the only function of the curse was to cause life to decline, then she was somewhat confident in breaking it. However, the capital city… there were just too many people there. She was a little reluctant to go.

"Regarding compensation, you can name your price. Any compensation that the Empire can offer is negotiable."

"..." She wanted to say that this wasn't about payment, but looking at Sir Rhine who was practically bowing to the ground, she hesitated for a long time before nodding very reluctantly, "Hmm~" indicating that she would go to the capital to take a look, but she couldn't guarantee that she could be cured.

"That's so kind of you! We'll prepare the best carriage for you..."

"No~" Livia shook her head. She had her own carriage, and this little house was much more comfortable than the carriage.

"So you're planning to... Oh, I almost forgot, you also have mobile homes like this, but I'm afraid it's not very suitable..." It's not very suitable for use outside the eastern provinces, because the further west you go, the more densely populated the area becomes, and there's a mountain range and dense forest that separate the east and west along the way.

"Well, we'll see when the time comes." At worst, they can go back to the living forest to drop off the cabin and then take a car to continue, or they can find a forest along the way to drop off the cabin. As for whether it will create a new living forest, that's not Livia's concern, and she doesn't think there's anything dangerous or bad about that kind of forest.

When do you plan to depart?

"Hmm~~~~" Livia thought seriously, rubbing her hair with a little trouble in her little hands. "A week" would be about a week to deal with the aftermath and to create a strong seal to protect the holy remains.