Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"That's true, but why do you say that?"

Seeing Linor's puzzled look, Ryuka nodded, confirming her suspicions. If Linor had known that Kania was also a witch, she wouldn't have asked the previous question. Witches might have a special connection, but that's limited to when they use their abilities. After all, even the witch Tipalotura sent to deliver the message last time hadn't recognized Kania's identity.

Therefore, it seems that Linor's understanding of her identity was something her mother told her before she passed away.

"It seems you are much luckier than Kania, whose mother passed away before she could remember anything."

Ryūka's words shocked Linor utterly. Her rosy lips parted, and she stared wide-eyed at him, asking:

"Miss Kania...is she a witch?"

“That’s right.” Ryuka nodded. “Her mother died prematurely from the torment of ‘demonic desire’, without having time to explain her background and bloodline to her. She could only use the witch’s power to seal the relevant memories in her mind. It wasn’t until after she married me that Kania understood her fate and identity.”

Ryuga looked at Linor. According to the intelligence gathered by the Shadow Guards, the Queen of the Bauhinia Kingdom died when Linor was five years old. Therefore, Ryuga had reason to believe that Linor's mother had told Linor about their identities beforehand.

Another pair of witches, a mother and daughter, also had a similar amount of time together. Unfortunately, it seems that Esther's mother didn't tell her about her origins before she passed away. Perhaps some people don't have the chance, while others simply don't know how to tell their descendants about such a cruel fate.

Witches are the epitome of indulgence; whether they are aware of it or not, their nature and striking beauty always lead them to bear children at a young age. But how much of their offspring retain the right to know is another matter entirely. History is replete with witch hunts, and even some apothecaries and eccentric village girls have been sent to the execution grounds. How many of these witches died without knowing their true identities, even Ryuka couldn't say.

Perhaps witches like Kania, who maintain their lineage, are a minority these days.

“Until we are united…” Linor lowered her eyes as she listened to Ryukyu’s words. “It must be very painful for an ordinary girl to suddenly learn of her heavy fate.”

“No, not at all.” Ryuka raised her eyes and thought for a moment. At that time, Kania was almost obsessed with having sex with him, but at the same time, she was making all sorts of preparations behind his back: gathering intelligence, practicing her abilities, and buying slave scrolls, preparing to steal Hetia’s territory with him…

Ryuka never knew when Kania had developed this resolve—to rebel against the witch's fate and overthrow Otus. But what was certain was that Kania had begun preparing long before she knew she possessed the power of the Leader's Certificate. Perhaps, in her own little witch's eyes, no matter what kind of person she was, the one bound to her, she would never succumb to fate.

She was lucky; she was a time traveler with special abilities.

“Is that so…” Linor was somewhat surprised by Ryusha’s answer. She looked dazed for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

"The night my mother told me my identity, I stayed up all night, curled up under the covers."

The bitterness hidden in her smile was something Liuxia could only glean from her eyes. After all, for a four or five-year-old girl, hearing words like 'witch,' 'desire,' and 'curse' from her mother was certainly not good for her mental health…

But it seems that even though Linor understood her witch identity early on, she didn't make preparations as early as Kania.

Or perhaps, she did something she simply didn't know.

Thinking of this, Ryuka said to Linor:

“Now, we’re in this together. Your Highness, shouldn’t you tell me everything? Why is the Holy See hunting you down? How did they find out you’re a witch? And what exactly happened in the Bauhinia Kingdom?”

Hearing this, Linor remained calm. She smiled at Ryusha and said, "You're really clever. Miss Kania is very lucky to have met you."

Then, she slowly began to tell the story of a foolish monarch of a small country who deeply loved his deceased queen and their daughter…

Chapter 17 The Witch and the Demon Sword

“It’s all my fault…” Linor’s expression was somewhat forlorn. “My father actually knew a long time ago that my mother and I were witches. After my mother passed away, he tried to find a way to save me. But Bauhinia is a small country, and even the king can only do so much…”

Linor recounted the story slowly. Indeed, given the size of the Bauhinia Kingdom, neither the Otus Empire nor the Papacy could shake it. To prevent his beloved daughter from following the same path as the Queen, the King of the Bauhinia Kingdom had dedicated himself to finding a way to save witches through magic.

Bauhinia is a kingdom that reveres magic, but as Linor grows into adulthood, her father becomes increasingly anxious. The kingdom's treasury is being heavily spent hiring various court advisors who are not recognized by mainstream magicians, which naturally arouses the dissatisfaction of the high-ranking magical nobles. Not to mention, the king has begun sending people to collect information on ancient heretical magic, attempting to find a way to break the witch's curse.

And this finally made those with ulterior motives unable to resist...

Hearing this, Ryūka showed a look of sudden realization. Combined with Linor's mention of having a half-brother, the crown prince, he tentatively asked:

"After your mother passed away, your father had no choice but to remarry a high-ranking nobleman in the country. After all, as king, he needed an heir to the throne, and that was probably the trigger for this coup, wasn't it?"

Linor nodded, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Tillio is a good boy, but as the crown prince, he'll inevitably have many people with differing stances and interests behind him. And in recent years, Father has focused his attention on me, which has finally aroused the dissatisfaction of Tyrio's mother, my stepmother's family..."

It was another classic political power struggle; after all, royalty is supposed to be devoid of familial affection. Ryuu's lips curled into a cold smile: "So, they're the ones who revealed to the Papacy that you're a witch?"

"They don't have any solid evidence, only speculation. What drove them to this point is that my father wanted to use the Bauhinia Kingdom's national treasure—the Bauhinia Tear—for my sake..."

Linor once again took out the purple gem with golden patterns. This gem was obtained by chance by the first king of the Bauhinia Kingdom two hundred years ago, and the powerful energy it contained helped him establish the kingdom. Linor's father, however, had somehow found a method in some ancient book to further activate its inner power, hoping it could save his daughter.

This national treasure is a symbol of the king and should, in principle, be kept by the highest-ranking woman in the royal family—the queen or the queen mother. However, after Linor's mother passed away, it never fell into the hands of Linor's stepmother; instead, it was given to Linor by her father. Perhaps the second queen could tolerate this for another decade or so, since her son would eventually ascend the throne.

However… upon learning that the King planned to use an unorthodox magic technique to completely transfer the power of the Bauhinia Tears to Linor, the stepmother finally could not bear it any longer. She began to plot to stop it all. At first, she only wanted to reveal the matter to the Papacy, trying to use the Papacy's power to force the King to abandon this crazy idea.

But to everyone's surprise, the seemingly unassuming king had prior knowledge of her plan and attempted to forcibly stop it. This ultimately led to the power struggle ending in a violent coup…

Then, just as Ryuka had read in the intelligence report, the rebels, allied with the Holy See's Inquisition Knights, stormed the royal city. The kingdom, a high-ranking mage, fought to the death, ultimately allowing Linor to escape with the Tears of the Bauhinia...

"If this stone were here, and with the power activated by my blood, my father could have briefly gained the combat strength of a Heavenly Rank mage. But he didn't do that... And I, at that moment, my mind went blank, and I just left him like that..."

Linor smiled, a bitter smile tinged with self-reproach. She glanced behind Ryūka, her eyes filled with envy.

"If only I were as strong as Miss Kania. I always felt that no one could bear the fate of a witch, but she knew it later than me, yet she was more decisive and stronger than me..."

Behind Ryūka, Kania, who had just finished her interrogation, approached quietly. She hadn't heard Linor's entire story, but the look Linor gave her told the little witch what she was saying. Kania didn't immediately speak to Linor, but instead reported to Ryūka first:

"The interrogation is over, and the information we obtained was somewhat unexpected—one good news and one bad news. But before that, I'd like to hear what Linor has to say."

Ryūka nodded and briefly recounted Linor's story. This made Kana look thoughtful. She glanced at Ryūka, and the unspoken understanding between them made Ryūka realize that the information Kana had obtained from interrogating the Judgment Knight might be different from what Linor had told her.

"Tell me about the method your father found, Princess Linor. As a fellow witch, I'm also curious about what methods can lift a witch's curse."

Ryūka acknowledged Kania's question and also looked at Linor. The current situation left Linor no longer room to hide anything from Ryūka and Kania. She glanced at the Bauhinia Tears in her hand, then looked at Ryūka and Kania with a solemn expression:

"Gentlemen, do you really have to listen? Unlike the witch, this gem holds the secrets of other heretical powers. If they find out, the Vatican will likely also target you."

“Oh, my princess.” Kania smiled. “We both have far too many secrets that the Holy See forbids, one more won’t make a difference.”

Ryuka laughed too; Kania was right. Whether it was her own leader's certificate, Kania's witch identity, the half-dark elves in their territory, Atina waiting for their help, or even the existence of Chloe, each of these was, in the eyes of the Holy See, an act of blasphemous heresy.

"Ok."

Linor took a breath. She realized that the boy and girl before her were far beyond her comprehension and understanding, so she held up the Bauhinia Tears and asked them:

"You two, do you know about the 'Demon Sword'?"

A demonic sword? Ryuu's eyes lit up. There were many legends and stories about 'demonic swords,' and it was a very common image in stories. But for them, there was a real example right under their noses.

Atina.

Ryūka and Kania exchanged a glance, then Rinnegan said:

"I know a little, please continue."

If the other party has some understanding, then you shouldn't have to explain it from the beginning. Linor nodded, holding the Bauhinia Tear to Ryukyu, and said:

"This is a 'demon sword'."

Is this a 'magic sword'? Ryuga looked at the gem. Well, that's acceptable; after all, magical girls' transformation devices can be all sorts of bizarre. It's quite reasonable for a 'magic sword' to be a gem.

Ryuu's knowledge of the Demon Sword was quite limited. He was even unaware that a Demon Sword resided within Atina, who was always by his side. Therefore, Linor's news excited him; perhaps he could obtain information about the Demon Sword within Atina from Linor.

"To be precise, the gem is the container that seals the demon sword; the golden patterns inside are the true form of the demon sword..." Linor said seriously.

In ancient heretical wars, there are many records of demonic swords. Unlike heretical beliefs and magic, these demonic swords, once acquired, grant their wielder immense power. Even an ordinary person can instantly become an unparalleled powerhouse, but the price is that if one cannot control the power of the demonic sword, their mind will be controlled by this dangerous weapon…

"There are various theories about the origin of the demonic swords, and even the Vatican has not reached a definitive conclusion. Some say they were once the weapons of heretical demons, while others believe they are the embodiment of heretical demons themselves. Some clergy also believe that the demonic swords are another heretical power besides heretical demons and witches..."

The 'heretic demons' that Linor speaks of are the Church's term, but Ryuka knows their true identity is heretical deities, just like Chloe. Those not recognized by the Church are demons.

"According to information my father gathered from ancient texts, the Demon Sword appeared during the middle of the Heretical War, later than the witches, the goddesses of the Church, and other heretical demons. There are seven such weapons in total, each with its own consciousness and unique abilities. The one sealed within the Tears of the Bauhinia Flower is most likely one of the seven Demon Swords, named 'Isolde'..."

Seven? Ryusha hurriedly asked Linor, "Among these seven magic swords, is any one silver and related to flower petals and vines?"

Linor was taken aback. Did Ryusha and the others also have information related to the Demon Sword?

No wonder, Kania just said that the two of them had too many secrets that were not allowed by the Church... and Linor felt a little embarrassed thinking that she had just thought the Demon Sword was a very mysterious and shocking secret.

But then Linor thought about it again, and realized that this meant she should stick with Ryukyu and the others for mutual support. The more she learned about Ryukyu and the stronger they became, the more at ease Linor felt.

"Yes, it is a demonic sword called 'Idunir.' According to records, even among demonic swords, 'Idunir' is an extremely special one..."

It seems the ancient records found by King Linor are quite credible. Ryūka glanced at Kania, then continued, "..."

"Then what is the connection between the demonic sword and the witch's curse? Is there some connection between their powers?"

“No, that’s not it.” Linor shook her head. “Quite the opposite. The power of the Demon Sword and the Witch counteract each other. It’s not actually what the Church claims, that all heretical powers are evil forces from hell and demons, and only the blessings of the Goddess, that is, holy energy, can counteract them. Different heretical powers can also counteract each other, and my father believes that this is the key to breaking the witch’s curse on me…”

Indeed, Ryūka nodded. Whether it was the conflict between the power of the Leader's Token within him and the power of the witch, or the fact that his own abilities had improved and he could slightly alleviate the connection between Kania and the Witch Bell, it was all just as Linor had said.

And Ryūka understood. It turned out that Linor's father wanted to release the demonic sword from the Tears of the Bauhinia Flower, so that it would reside in Linor and suppress the witch's power and curse in her bloodline.

Although it sounds very risky, being possessed by the demonic sword offers a gamble on whether Linor's will will be corrupted by it. But there's really no way to counter the witch's curse of lust…

But this would mean destroying the Bauhinia Kingdom's national treasure and symbol of the king's status, concentrating its power in Linor's hands. And this was something Linor's stepmother would not allow.

At this point, Linor suddenly looked at Ryūsha and Kania, as if she had made up her mind. She handed the Bauhinia Tear to Ryūsha and pleaded in a firm tone:

"Your Excellency, Miss Kania, if you can help me take revenge, I am willing to give you the Bauhinia Tears and the method to use them, so that the witch's curse on Miss Kania can be lifted!"

A priceless gem, a powerful magical crystal, a magic sword… this treasure, a fusion of the three, lay before them. But Ryuka and Kania merely smiled.

Not only that, Linor mustered her courage and said to Ryukyu:

"Of course, I can belong to you too."

This statement implies that Linor is even willing to offer her body to Ryūka. No, not just her body; the witch's curse will bind her to Ryūka for life. And she is also willing to give up the only thing that can suppress the curse—the Tear of the Bauhinia Flower—to Kania.

She herself willingly became another witch of Ryūka, beautiful and charming, but died young after accompanying Ryūka for several years...

But apart from Ryusha, Linor couldn't think of anyone more suitable than him at this moment.

Ryuga gazed at Linor's breathtaking beauty and her bright, emerald eyes, at her delicate body draped in an exquisitely fitted dress. No man could resist such allure, especially considering that the very word 'witch' implied the ultimate in sensual pleasure. Although Linor was currently a dignified princess, once Ryuga had taken her virginity, her awakened witch blood would transform her into the perfect companion in bed…

Faced with such conditions, Ryuka simply smiled and shook her head.

"Help you get revenge? You mean send troops to the Bauhinia Kingdom to defeat the Papacy's forces there, as well as your stepmother and your brother?"

Linor shook her head: "Tilio has nothing to do with this. He's a good boy and will be a good king. But his mother and family are not. The Bauhinia cannot fall into their and the Papacy's control, and I will never forgive the murderer of my father!"

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This was a practice that Ryūka greatly admired, but he still asked, "And then what? Even if you say it has nothing to do with your brother, if I help you take revenge and kill his mother, will he be able to accept it?"

"This……"

Linor was stumped, and her expression darkened. But Ryūka's questioning continued:

"Sochi is quite a distance from the Bauhinia, your idea is too naive. Although your conditions are very tempting, of course, not this magic sword stone, but you—but to send my soldiers to fight for your revenge is a strategic and politically unsound approach. Do you think I would accept that?"

"I understand……"

Linor's expression darkened. She looked at Ryūka and asked in a submissive tone:

“Then, Your Excellency, will you grant me an audience with His Highness Tipalotura and allow me to use these terms to find someone within Otus willing to help me?”

By asking this question, she was implicitly admitting that she was completely under Ryūka's control. After all, it would be difficult for her to escape his control if he didn't allow it.

A witch and a magic sword—who would let these two things, which have fallen into their hands, fall into the arms of another?

Despite asking the question with a stubborn mindset, Ryuka's answer surprised Linor.

"what ever."

Ryuka spoke quite frankly and casually.

"That's your business, but I don't recommend you do it."

"Why?" Linor asked, puzzled.

“You were just saying you envied Kania…” Ryuka laughed, “Then why can’t you be like her and take revenge on your own? The witch and the magic sword, those two powers are enough to achieve your goal. You just need to find a man who will support you in doing so.”

"Isn't that still you?" Kania teased Ryuka. "I bet you still want Linor, don't you? Why make it sound so high and mighty!"

Kania's explicit words made Linor blush instantly, but she couldn't help but savor Ryuka's words...

That's right, I never thought of using these two powers to take revenge for myself, but rather I thought of relying on the power of others.

"You mean, if I were willing to... unite with you... would you support me in doing my own thing after I awaken my powers?"

The mere mention of 'combination' made Linor's face appear even more radiant.

Before Ryukiya could respond, Kania jumped in and answered first:

"That's right~ That's what Ryuka meant! Congratulations~ My little Ryuka~ You'll soon have three witches by your side~"

"Three witches?" Ryuga frowned as she looked at Kania, who was cheering excitedly beside her.

"You're not including Esther in your list, are you? We're not at that stage yet."

Of course not~

Kania said with a knowing smile:

"This is related to the information I received from the Judgment Knight."

Chapter 18 Three Witches

A third witch? And not Esther?

Ryūka was somewhat surprised. He looked at Kania, who was smiling playfully at Linor, and said: