Witch Troupe and the Undead

Back then, most mages used hardwood staffs with iron at both ends during their apprenticeship. Only older mages, due to declining physical strength, switched to ordinary wooden staffs. The difference between the younger mages' staffs and maces was that they were inlaid with magical gems instead of metal spikes.

Even battle mages developed unique "sword staves," one end of which was a sword blade forged from mithril alloy and about half a meter long, inlaid with buff gems and enhancement runes—allowing them to both attack and cast spells, and in close combat, it had the power of a normal two-handed greatsword.

The underground palace hall. Desiccated corpses and the souls trapped within trembled before the ever-approaching storm of silent magic. They realized they had made a grave mistake; their knowledge and understanding of the ancient witch came entirely from their ancestor's notes, which now seemed rather unreliable.

"Tap~tap~" The sound of the metal staff touching the cold bricks came from the passageway. "Serion Frost, the most useless of all the apprentices, but also the most loyal. So, I asked him to keep some of my teaching and research notes. I am often immersed in experiments, and it is thanks to his help that everything is not in a mess."

The ancestors of the Serian Frost family, who were also the founders of this alchemical family, established the first castle and territory in County Catherfield, which was then a Black Forest plain, during the pioneering era, relying on their unique alchemical skills and a large number of unique achievements. They then established a firm foothold through countless upheavals.

"The origin of the surname 'Floso' comes from wisteria, a type of wood. His work in the laboratory mainly involved processing this material, which is the primary ingredient for creating 'soul apoptosis.' In that era, the chaotic magic in the wild was enough to corrode any unprotected soul. Even though the servants of the gods did their utmost to deliver and separate every unfortunate soul, preventing them from being captured by the chaotic magic, it was still not enough..."

"The forest is teeming with evil spirits, the swamps are haunted by malevolent creatures, and even the village cemeteries can be corrupted by magic, giving rise to vengeful spirits and ghosts, and other undead creatures. This potion is a magical potion that cleanses those corrupted souls and allows all spirits to rest in peace without the need for a priest."

It will cause the soul to quickly collapse into fragments and return to nature, instead of losing its last bit of sanity in the chaotic magical tide and becoming a threat to the living.

The witch's shadow gradually approached in the deep shadows of the passageway. Each withered body trembled slightly. In their perception, the entire world seemed to consist only of this tiny underground palace. They were trapped here, or rather, surrounded by one person.

Beyond this narrow safe haven, countless streams of magic, like venomous snakes with their heads raised high, flowed. The witch could weave a cage with her meager power.

"So, his descendants actually chose this ugly way to prolong their pathetic souls and lives—how disappointing!" The witch appeared in the hall, her small, youthful figure seemingly giving the undead a sense of confidence. However, just as they tried to resist with their last ounce of strength, they heard an utterly cold voice: "Magic Explosion."

The magic of annihilation bloomed in the center of the underground palace. The magic of everything was drawn in by the magic of annihilation, surging in like a tide and then receding like a tide. In an instant, the magic released from within destroyed all magical artifacts.

Magic circles, runes, enchanted carvings, and ancient ritual implements exploded like fireworks. Finally, a torrent of magic expanded and rose towards the ground, transforming into dazzling starlight soaring into the sky. Everything in the entire underground palace turned into gray and worthless powder. Without magic, the material foundation of this world, all matter could not maintain its original properties and form.

The underground palace and castle collapsed downwards in a spiral, centered on the magic explosion, as if a huge black hole had appeared below. The castle, which had stood on this land for hundreds or thousands of years, collapsed entirely downwards.

"Phew~ It's over~" Grand Duke Frost looked at the artificial soldiers on the city wall who had lost control and become motionless targets one after another, as well as the imperial soldiers who shouted and stormed the walls after discovering the castle had collapsed, and let out a long breath.

"Not yet. Your subordinates and ministers won't submit so easily. This war may seem to be over, but it will actually last a long time. Besides, I don't think you are a loyal subject to the country..." The witch appeared beside him.

Unlike Livia, who was still immature and even deliberately suppressed her ability growth and utilization under the instruction of her mentor, she was a truly battle-hardened and experienced "old witch". This level of rapid movement was not a difficult thing for her at all.

“Then I can only say that you have a keen eye for people!” The Grand Duke shook his head, reached up and touched his neck. The runic halo had dimmed and shattered into pieces with just a little force. “I have already moved the last bit of wealth of the family to a place that only I know. And now, the era of the Floros family has ended, and my era has just begun.”

The Grand Duke dropped a crystal, instantly activating the alchemical bombs buried throughout the city walls and fortresses. He then quickly left the tower, leaving the ancient structure to slowly collapse amidst the explosions and flames.

Soon, reports about "Grand Duke Fross's defeat and suicide" and "Fross Wisteria Castle being completely destroyed and collapsed, and it is estimated that it will take several years to clean up" appeared on Sir Rhine's desk. After seeing the results, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now it seemed that the Empire would at least not have to fight two civil wars at the same time.

However, the Grand Duke had prematurely dismissed many knights and loyal nobles, who were still scattered throughout Catherfield County. The war was won, but it was not over yet; even more severe tests lay ahead.

Therefore, faced with ruins that would require several years of excavation, neither the frontline commander nor Sir Rhine had any interest in searching for the Grand Duke's body inside—even if they found it, they wouldn't be sure if it was him. According to reports from the front, the entire area had collapsed and turned into a small hill of rubble, and any remaining bodies would be almost turned into mincemeat.

Chapter 248 Personal Experience is the Most Convincing

Wildfires are still burning, but the capital city has basically returned to calm, as if the previous turmoil had never happened. For people living in the capital city, apart from the high-ranking nobles and the wealthy, no matter which god you believe in, once the emotions and excitement have passed, you will eventually have to succumb to the harsh reality.

The fanatical believers and priests were taken away by the princess, and the Redemptionists also turned their public activities into clandestine ones. As for the Church of Spiritual Response, they finally breathed a sigh of relief after the heretical trial had passed.

After all, the Redemptionists are merely labeled as "heretics" by the Church, while they themselves are truly cultists! Holy Light spells have no special effect on the Redemptionists, but against them, they are a perfect counterattack!

"Miss Livia, here is your package." The Imperial Post Office mailman placed a rather large package on the ground, with more mailbags on his horse's back. With the help of trains, caravans, and swift hawks, the Empire had a postal network covering only a few major central cities.

For Roach, this kind of mail delivery was far from ideal in terms of efficiency, scale, and cost. However, for the people of the Empire in this world, it was already a remarkable achievement. After all, neighboring countries still relied on caravans to carry letters, which had a very high loss rate. The city-states of the Northern Continent even had to hire adventurers to deliver letters.

"Hey~" The blonde little witch tugged hard at the package, but it didn't budge. It was hard to imagine how the horse could carry such a heavy load.

Alessina easily lifted the package with one hand. "What's inside?" "Books!" Livia said earnestly, tilting her little face up. "Books I ordered from the bookstore!"

"Is this the next set of teaching materials?"

"No~" Back in her warm office, she had her own office as a witch. It was more like a large lounge than an office, with a bed, bookshelves, fireplace, balcony, and even a small dining room. For someone who didn't like going out much, it was a perfect place to stay at home for long periods of time.

The package was wrapped in several layers of waterproof leather and required a knife to open. Inside were volumes of not-too-thick printed materials.

“Storybooks and various travelogues and miscellaneous books…” Alessina glanced at the covers of these books. The storybooks seemed a bit childish for a child like Livia’s age. Of course, she was just reading them for entertainment, since this was the only form of entertainment she could find in the Living Forest.

Travelogues and various miscellaneous books are similar; she is not picky about the texts she reads, except for magic books, and she can enjoy even difficult and dry imperial histories.

“It’s research material~” Livia sat down in a chair and rummaged through the pile of books, finding one titled “Silver Maple County Gourmet”.

"Are you researching desserts?"

“No…” She opened the book, thought for a moment, and then decided that she could explain this to Alessina: “Many edible materials can also be used as substitutes for potion ingredients and ritual materials…”

Because esoteric rituals originated from ancient religious and mystical ceremonies, and various incense and spices are conventional symbolic materials, many of these materials have become part of the cooking spices commonly used by humans after a long period of change and development of cooking.

The same applies to potions. Many ingredients and spices are derived from medicinal herbs. Therefore, masters of potion-making are usually also masters of cooking and seasoning. They know more spices than many court chefs.

"Are you researching new potions?"

"Yes!" Livia nodded vigorously. To be precise, she was researching how to improve the flavor of potions. Multi-purpose potions probably wouldn't work, but single-effect potions were worth a try.

Potions masters are usually culinary masters, but this doesn't apply to Livia. In the Living Forest, frankly, there's not much to eat. High-grade potion ingredients may be everywhere, but common spices and seasonings are probably nowhere to be found.

This is also why most of the potions concocted by the little witch have a smell like a nuclear explosion, which can transport people to a dark and mysterious world. Of course, we can't rule out the reason for Niel Riley's "life-sustaining meals." She herself has only eaten things that look like soap, as well as nutritional supplements with an even more explosive taste. It's really unlikely that she has any culinary skills.

Before she tasted proper food for the first time, she thought all food in the world was so hard to swallow, and the first proper food she ever ate was the culinary disaster created by Roach.

Inside the room were a portable arcane furnace and a small cauldron. Alessina saw the witch mix celery seeds, fennel, juice from some vegetable, a handful of mixed spices, and a bunch of sauces into a potion. Her expression changed immediately, and she quietly left the room.

"What is it? What is it?" Leslie was pushed into the room, and then she saw Livia looking at her curiously as she poured the colorful liquid from the pot into a glass bottle. She immediately understood what was going on, and then the door behind her was closed and blocked.

A day at the academy begins with the screams of the talented individuals. The mermaid, suffering from the poison of the "Five-Spice Intelligence Tonic," seems to see her deceased great-grandmother waving to her from across a great river.

However, he had only taken one step when a poisonous mushroom taller than a person shouted, "This road is blocked!" and smashed him back into the world with a headbutt. When he came to, he found a new potion bottle stuffed in his mouth.

"Is it good?" The little witch looked at her expectantly, and the latter, in a rare moment of clear thinking, moved her lips and finally became serious. She clearly said, "It's very delicious!" Such a hopeful taste, I really hope every student can experience it!

"Oh~" Livia put away the potion bottle and began to dispense the liquid that had settled from its vibrant colors to a deep green.

"Livia, are you free to go out?" Roach pushed open the door and came in, only to see a fish lying on the floor, nearly dead. "What happened to her?"

"Hmm~~~" Livia tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Because the potion tasted so good, I happily fainted~"

"...What kind of potion tastes so good?" Roach picked up the empty bottle from the table, but before he even brought it to his eyes, he smelled a strange aroma, and the roaring waves of the River Styx seemed to echo in his ears. He immediately put the bottle back on the table. "I think there's room for improvement; at the very least, it shouldn't be addictive to the students."

"Oh~" Livia nodded to indicate that she remembered, although she didn't quite understand what addiction meant.

"By the way, are you free to go out?"

“Go out…” The witch looked out the window. The spring sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze stirred up the snowflakes that remained on the eaves. Several colorful birds perched on the windowsill, chirping about which flower bed had particularly delicious grass seeds and where healthy and strong female birds gathered (most of the beautiful birds are male).

"Hmm~" She thought it would be nice to go for a walk occasionally, and the capital city did have many novel places, or rather, for a witch living in the forest, everything in this prosperous metropolis was full of novelty.

"That's perfect. I'm going to the chapel district anyway; I've heard their desserts are famous."

"Desserts?" Livia's interest grew slightly.

"It's just hearsay, but considering that's an affluent area, the food should be pretty good," Roach said after thinking for a moment.

"Research work? Is it finished?" Livia asked softly.

"Oh, that's basically done. I'll organize the data and see if there's anything I can improve."

"Hmm~" Livia seemed quite interested in this matter as well, and she had already sent a message to her own cottage. Although the transmission through the flow of natural magic would be slow, it wouldn't be severely distorted, and the range was far enough. For a witch, it seemed that living in her own cottage was still more reassuring.

Meanwhile, in Silver Maple County, some distance from the capital, a train with a new locomotive roared along the tracks, carrying loads of military supplies and newly arrived reinforcements.

The number of people in the Holy City was being further reduced. The emperor was calculating how much usable power the Pope still had: manpower, material resources, and high-end combat capabilities. He adopted a tacit and permissive attitude towards this behavior, which was almost a provocation against the security boundaries that royal power and divine power had explored each other over the past hundred years.

Such a large-scale use of the church's private armed forces to launch armed actions against noble territories without the arbitration of the emperor or royal authority is, strictly speaking, a serious transgression. However, if the imperial princess were to lead the charge, the situation would become much more complicated.

It's easy to imagine that the Church is preparing to install a more controllable and closer-to-the-Church empress, but this action did not provoke an overreaction from the royal family. Many people lamented that the old emperor was truly getting old and that his control over the empire had become so loose.

“Relaxation…” Grand Duke Floss, oh, now Baron Arian from County Catherfield, looked at the comments in the newspaper and a sneer appeared on his face. That old fellow may indeed be suffering from illness, which has led to his lack of energy and his control over the empire is indeed gradually loosening, but it is definitely not like this now. This looks more like he is training the next generation.

If it is confirmed that he is nurturing the next generation, then it is clear that given the old man's personality, he would never easily allow the church to spread its faith. Either the princess was just putting on an act and had not actually converted to the church, or there is a bigger conspiracy behind this.

“To feign weakness to the enemy…then who is the enemy?” Arian Frost closed the newspaper. Not all nobles with the surname Frost were included in the purge, such as this baron who, apart from being proven to be a branch of the Frost family in the genealogy of the Senate.

He never participated in political struggles, and his territory was only a small piece of land between County Catherfield and the Southern Great Swamp Territory, not barren, but not particularly wealthy either.

His blood ties with the Frost family go back at least five or six generations. In other words, even if the empire were to carry out a purge with the severity of "exterminating nine generations of relatives," it wouldn't reach him. This baron was almost invisible; even the tax collectors in his territory had rarely seen him in person.

As a backup plan prepared for himself, Grand Duke Freud naturally left no loopholes. After dealing with the stagnant alchemical doll, he reappeared openly under the name Arian Freud.

"My lord, are you really going to invest in the Union Railway Company? I don't think this is a reliable idea. The royal family will not allow nobles to get involved in the railway."

“We will not allow nobles to get involved in the railway,” Erian said with a smile, reassuring the servant beside him. “In fact, the Union Railway Company would love for nobles like me to invest in them.” This would save them a lot of official trouble. “Besides, don’t you think there should be a railway on my territory as well?”

"I can't see why this is necessary." The young master, who was said to have returned from studying in the capital, was a complete stranger to the butler. He felt like he had encountered a spendthrift, especially now that the clan leader's family was finished. Shouldn't the family be more careful with its words and actions?

“It is very necessary. It’s not that the Great Swamp Territory doesn’t have special products, but that it simply cannot be transported outside the swamp. Once the railway is laid to the Erien Woodland, we can purchase these special products from the swamp and transport them to the capital and major cities in the north for sale. Just imagine how much profit that would generate.”

"Specialties of Ouma..." The butler racked his brains for a long time, but couldn't think of any specialties other than "mud," "poisonous insects," and "thorns."

"Even highly poisonous thorns and ferocious venomous insects have value." Although he had said he no longer wanted to get involved in alchemy and mysticism, knowledge that one is forced to learn is still knowledge.

Red thorns from the Great Swamp can replace expensive "bloodthorn leaves" as a material for "healing potions," and may even be more effective. However, unlike bloodthorn leaves, which can grow in most places, red thorns only grow in the Great Swamp region.

Transportation costs make it completely uncompetitive, but if a railway is built, the Red Thorn, worth 2 copper coins, can wipe out the entire Bloodthorn Leaf industry chain, which costs 1 silver coin, with an absolute price advantage.

Healing potions are alchemical elixirs that enhance the body's ability to produce blood. In this increasingly turbulent world, they are almost essential supplies. Healing spells can cure diseases, holy spells can stimulate vitality, and healing and recovery potions can deal with most external injuries. However, the blood lost and weakness caused by these injuries can only be healed by time.

Therefore, medicines that can enhance hematopoietic ability and accelerate recovery after injury will definitely see a significant price increase in the future, because both the church and the imperial army have a large number of wounded soldiers who need such medicines to quickly restore their combat effectiveness.

“Even that mud isn’t entirely worthless; you just need an eye to spot the treasure,” Erian said with a smile. “However, even without considering that, investing in the Union Railroad is profitable.”

"Hello, Sir Eleanor. I am a representative of the United Railway Merchants' Guild. I hope I have not disturbed you." A young man with a gentle smile sat down in front of him. He seemed polite, but he looked at the nobleman in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze. Although he did not say it, the adjective "Southern country bumpkin" was written all over his eyes.

"Regarding your investment request, the Chamber of Commerce..." "I would like to have a more professional person handle this." Arian waved his hand with a smile. Even if he was a puppet, he was once the uncrowned king of Catherfield County. Of course, he would not be intimidated by this show of force.

"You have a problem with my professional competence?" The other person was also a little taken aback.

"Of course, from the very first moment you saw me and made a purely subjective judgment that I was just an ordinary nobleman who was there to join the fun and knew nothing, I began to doubt your professional competence and was worried about the huge investment I was about to entrust to you."

"Sorry~" The other person also promptly lowered his head, realizing that he might have made a mistake, and only then did he notice the newspaper on the table and the contents of the pages he had turned.

“I’m not completely ignorant about railway investment. I studied in the capital for a long time, and I even saw the latest armored vehicles drive out of the garage with my own eyes,” Erian added silently to himself. “I saw those things drive out of the Imperial Army’s barracks garage and put the folding iron bridge on the wall of their outer fortress!”

"My understanding of railways, trains, and modern magical machinery is beyond what ordinary nobles can match." That's right, ordinary nobles have never been beaten up by such things, nor have they experienced having hundreds of exploding fireballs thrown at their heads. Not to mention other nobles, even the inventors and operators probably don't have as deep an understanding as him—after all, he has actually been bombarded by these things!

"Therefore, I can confirm that these advanced machines cannot be transported by normal dirt roads. The future will belong to these magical puppets and magical machines, so the only way to transport these heavy devices is by rail."

The young commissioner in front of him looked extremely surprised. Such things were only circulating among some people within the Chamber of Commerce, who believed that railway transportation would become the most mainstream and important mode of transportation in the empire in the future, but not everyone was so optimistic.

“However, the enormous costs and investments of the railway, as well as the exorbitant price of the new locomotives, are a huge burden for your United Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, your prejudice is not without merit. Most nobles do not have this kind of long-term vision, and even some merchants may not.” Arian crossed his hands in front of him, smiling as he looked at the commissioner in front of him who was beginning to feel helpless.

"So, as an investment, I've identified a few key pieces of information. Should I go over them one by one?" "No, I understand what you mean."

The railway has a bright future, and heavy magical machinery has huge applications not only in the military, but also in various aspects of people's livelihood and the economy. Trains, which are the only ones that can transport them in a cheap and convenient way, will inevitably be a hot business in the future.

At the same time, due to the huge expenditure on infrastructure construction and the enormous cost of purchasing locomotives, the Chamber of Commerce's cash flow will inevitably be under strain. However, they cannot give up this business. Not to mention the huge profits that are clearly visible, the sunk costs alone are a problem.

The prospect of making a fortune in the future and the current lack of funds are not contradictory. In this situation, what they need most is external investment to share some of the risks and pressures.

“Moreover… you have already completed the construction of a line and the purchase of locomotives. Next, you need to complete the construction along the line so that this line can be put to use. Let me be frank…” Arian leaned forward slightly, putting immense pressure on the young man in front of him.

“You have completed the most crucial and largest part, but you are stuck on insufficient funds when it comes to breaking even. If the construction along the route cannot keep up, everything you have invested will be wasted. As an investor, I believe this is the best opportunity for me to get involved and the best opportunity for you to get out of this predicament.”

“Now it’s you who need the money more, not me… I may miss a great opportunity, but frankly, you will lose more than I do, because you didn’t just miss an opportunity, you completely ruined one.”

"this……."

“So, I hope you go back and have your chamber of commerce send someone more professional, someone who understands the current situation better, to talk to me.” Ariane gestured for him to leave.

“Master, you…” the butler hesitated.

"The collapse of Grand Duke Fross's castle made me realize that this is the real future, so what's wrong with me standing on the side of the inevitable winner in advance? Besides, everyone knows who is behind the United Chamber of Commerce. For those of us who still bear the name Fross, this is also an opportunity we can't miss."

The butler shut up. Although he didn't understand the investment logic, he did understand the political logic. For the remaining people who still bore the name Frost, not wanting to be associated with that rebellious ducal family, this was indeed a wonderful opportunity that they couldn't miss.

Chapter 249 A Place You Must Visit at Least Once in Your Lifetime

The chapel district is located in the Dongcheng District. Unlike the Sky Plaza and Cathedral in the Xicheng District, this area serves the aristocracy and the wealthy, emphasizing privacy over grandeur.

In the tradition of imperial politics, the chapel district was also a place for various nobles to plot and meet in secret. Compared with other environments, going to the church for confession or worship was less conspicuous, and the confessionals and private meditation rooms inside the church were more suitable for discussing intrigues than any secret room.

This was true even in the ancient kingdoms. The prayer rooms and confessionals of the Church of the Night were places where nobles discussed and planned conspiracies or passed on messages. They were perhaps even more suitable than the Church of the Holy Lord, because the Night God had the power to keep secrets and be all-encompassing.

This also means that no matter how great the secret is, her priest must remain silent. Keeping the secret of the client is a basic requirement for her priest. As long as the priest of the Holy Lord does not seduce the devil or pose a threat to civilization, he will not lose his divine grace. However, if the keeper of the secret leaks the secret, he will really be stripped of his divine grace and even suffer divine punishment.

In a sense, the current Holy City Church has not actually violated the original doctrines, at least not to the point of depriving people of their divine grace. Only those who succumb to evil, worship evil spirits, threaten civilization and development, apostasy, or extinguish the light of civilization (such as destroying cities and order, burning books and knowledge) would be stripped of their divine grace. As for personal morality, it does not actually affect it, or rather, it has not reached the level that requires the stripping of divine grace.

As for matters of personal morality and illegal and criminal acts, these are the responsibility of the Church of the Night God and the Church of Judgment. Therefore, as long as the church continues to develop, spread the faith, and cleanse demons and evil spirits, the pastors will receive divine grace as a reward.

The chapel area is right next to the river, with tall, neatly planted deciduous trees inside and outside the wrought iron fence, shrouding the church's spire in a verdant haze. The black wrought iron fence divides the chapel area into several functional zones, which are connected by garden arches with climbing shrubs and vines or ancient white stone doorways. Every brick seems to be imbued with an ancient and tranquil atmosphere.

Roach and Livia walked along the path paved with colorful pebbles through the entrance gate of the chapel area. The fully armed church knight glanced at the insignia on Roach and Livia's robes before making way for them.

"..." The little witch stared intently at the pavement beneath her feet, seemingly studying the mosaic pattern made of colorful pebbles. Every now and then, she would take a small leap, jumping over the parts painted with religious symbols. Her light golden hair shone brightly in the spring sunlight.

“Very interesting…” After working up a sweat, the witch stopped her somewhat childish behavior, turned to look at Roach, and repeated softly as if to defend herself, “Yes, very interesting.”