What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

However, she couldn't see Melissa's silhouette; the blanket was vaguely open.

"Huh?" Selena reached out and touched the blankets in surprise, only to find that Melissa was indeed not in bed and the blankets were cold.

"Melissa?" Sally became a little nervous and quickly got out of bed and left the room.

If you go out into such a forest late at night, it's easy to get lost if you wander too far!

Fortunately, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Melissa sitting on a chair in the hall, looking up at the moon through the glass skylight.

"Mom?" Melissa looked up when she heard the door open, blinked, and asked, "Why are you up too?"

"You scared me to death!" Sally clutched her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, go back to bed now."

“I can’t sleep… I can’t sleep at all,” Melissa replied, lowering her eyes.

Sally blinked and sighed softly.

She knew that Melissa felt the same way; it was almost the fourth day, and there was still no news from Leon. The situation seemed to be getting more and more pessimistic.

As Leon had told them, if no one came to pick them up in five days, it meant that something had happened to Leon, and they would have to escape from the East. They had at most two days left to wait.

“Mom, it’s been four days already…” Melissa said dejectedly, “Brother Leon…”

"It's alright, child, everything will be alright." Sally stepped forward, bent down, and hugged Melissa, letting her head rest against her chest.

She knew she had to be strong as a mother; if anything happened to Leon, she had to protect Melissa with everything she had. Leon had also prepared weapons for them to defend themselves, and in addition, she now possessed the powers of a witch.

The knocking sounded out of nowhere at that moment, echoing in the empty house.

Sally and Melissa were both startled, but they both held back and didn't make a sound.

Sally hugged Melissa tighter, watching the door warily, her eyes glancing at the table next to her, where there was a gun in a drawer.

"Mrs. Hershey, Melissa?" A familiar voice sounded outside the door, followed by a louder knock, as if they thought the women might still be sleeping and wanted to wake them.

Sally and Melissa quickly recovered from their shock; it was indeed Leon's voice!

Sally breathed a sigh of relief and released Melissa. Just as she was about to open the door, Melissa jumped up and rushed over to open it first.

Holding a lantern and wrapped in a windproof military cloak, Leon stood outside the door, smiling slightly at Melissa: "I've come to pick you up..."

Before she could finish speaking, Melissa suddenly threw herself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and then immediately burst into tears.

She had been suffering in anxiety for four days, her mood growing more and more depressed each day, and now she finally found a chance to release it.

"Melissa?" Leon was caught off guard. "It's all over now, why are you crying?"

Looking at Melissa's actions and recalling how Melissa had been feeling down these past few days because she missed Leon, Selena couldn't help but sigh.

She had actually sensed her daughter's feelings a long time ago.

“Mr. Leon, you’ve finally arrived.” Sally stepped forward and asked with concern, “Is everything alright now?”

“Yes, it’s alright, at least for now,” Leon replied calmly. “I won.”

After saying this, he raised his hand and patted Melissa's head, saying with a wry smile, "Alright, let me go now, Melissa."

I don’t know if it’s because of long hours of working, but Melissa’s hands really feel much stronger than girls her age.

Melissa sniffed, finally letting go of Leon, and sobbed, "Brother Leon, why...why did it take you so long to come back? I thought, I thought..."

“It took a little time to clean up the mess, but here I am,” Leon ruffled Melissa’s hair, then turned to Sally. “Let’s hurry up and pack up, and get going while it’s still dark and there are fewer people around!”

About fifteen minutes later, Leon helped the two pack up all their belongings in the hideout. Then Melissa and Sally boarded the carriage, and Leon drove it himself, taking the two away from the cabin in the woods.

The carriage, with lanterns hanging from its sides, passed through the woods and began its journey along the moonlit country road, where all was quiet.

Leon looked around. The view was wide open, and it was moonlit night. With his night vision, he could see everything around him.

After confirming that no one else was around, he said, "When we get back, I will immediately stage a funeral. Melissa, you will have to attend. Make some preparations. After the funeral, you will still have to go back to the reformatory. Then, Miss Sally, I will use my connections to arrange a fake identity for you, as well as a place to live."

The cleanup work these past few days also included receiving people from the Archdiocese to examine the disguised corpse. A year had passed since Sally's case, and her death from illness was a predictable event, so it hadn't attracted the attention of the church. When the people from the Archdiocese discovered that the body was highly salinized, they knew they couldn't find anything, and they quickly wrote up a report and submitted it.

Now Leon can officially arrange a fake funeral for Selene. Fortunately, the witch must be buried in a catacombs designated by the church, so Leon doesn't have to do the difficult thing of having the fake corpse buried in the same cemetery as Mr. Hershey.

After the funeral, Selene Hershey officially disappeared from the world. Through Father Auden's connections, Leon prepared a false identity for Selene. However, since her appearance could not be changed and Leon's current situation was not very safe, Selene and Melissa were both likely to be targeted. Therefore, he still had to let Selene live under his protection for a while to avoid being noticed.

As for Melissa, she must first complete the rest of her studies at the reformatory. The reformatory is a church regulatory body with basic guards, so ordinary underworld forces would not dare to easily attack church institutions.

However, just to be on the safe side, Leon would still organize people to keep watch and patrol near the reformatory to ensure Melissa's safety.

Upon hearing this, Sally thought for a moment, then leaned towards the window at the front of the carriage and asked, "Where will I be staying from now on? Will it be very far?"

“No, I’ll definitely make sure you stay on my turf. I have plenty of hiding places. We’ll just wait for Melissa to get out of the reformatory, which is less than two months away. After that, we’ll make our plans,” Leon said.

"Well..." Sally pondered for a long time before trying to speak, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Sally doesn't like being indebted to people all the time. She and Melissa already owe Leon too much, and she feels she should try to repay him in some way.

“If possible, as always, I might need to collect some of your blood, but of course, that will depend on your physical condition,” Leon replied.

Seri's Blessing of Rebirth, combined with the growth-accelerating potion cultivated by Weiss, can play a significant role in the cultivation of monsters.

He has suffered significant losses of monsters used in combat within the dungeon and needs to quickly train a new monster army.

Sally thought about it seriously again, and after a while, she made up her mind.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better if… I just worked for you?” Sally suggested to Leon.

"Mom?" Melissa looked at her mother with some surprise.

Leon was also surprised by Selena's suggestion.

Transforming Selene into a witch was actually just to cure her illness. It was unexpected that Selene possessed the useful Blessing of Rebirth, but Leon had not seriously considered recruiting Selene. After all, working in this world was a completely different concept, and would directly expose him to many of the darker aspects of this profession.

“Mrs. Hersh, this is the underworld, it’s very dangerous. It’s not a clean job. You only know that I sell magic essence, but you don’t know what I’ve actually done. This year, I’ve actually done a lot of terrible things, killed a lot of people, but you don’t know that you and Melissa don’t need to get involved…” Leon said.

Sally and Melissa probably couldn't have imagined that he would kidnap someone else's daughter and set a trap to kill the father and daughter one by one.

“But we’ve already been involved for a long time, haven’t we? I owe you a debt of gratitude I can never repay, and you always say that someone will target us to get revenge on you. How can we not get involved?” Sally retorted.

Leon was speechless. Indeed, as long as he was being targeted, Sally and Melissa would not be safe. In fact, the mother and daughter had already been involved with him for a long time.

He embarked on a path of no return, not only for himself but also for those around him.

“I should have died once, but you gave me a chance to live. I even traded my life for you, so I’m not afraid of any danger now. I’ve become a witch. If we need to live under your protection for a long time, let me do something for you. Surely there’s something I can do?” Sally suggested softly.

She realized that she and Melissa were likely destined to receive Leon's protection for a long time to come, so whether it was to maintain a good relationship or to repay this favor, she should create some useful value for Leon.

"Then I want to work for Brother Leon too!!" Melissa finally couldn't hold back anymore and shouted from the window.

“Melissa, you don’t need to…” Sally wanted to persuade Melissa, because although she herself was not afraid, she was still worried that her daughter would get too involved and get into trouble.

But Melissa ignored her mother's advice and continued, "I'm going to get into the parish college! My nanny said I have a good chance with my grades. Once I graduate from the parish college, I'll have a chance to join the church, and then I can help Brother Leon!"

When Sally heard Melissa say this, she hesitated for a moment. She could hear the determination in Melissa's tone. Once Melissa made up her mind, it was hard to change it. She knew her daughter's temperament very well.

It would be slightly more acceptable if he joined the church instead of becoming a witch like her.

After listening to their conversation, Leon remained silent for a long while. In the end, unable to make a decision hastily, he sighed and said, "This is a serious matter. You shouldn't make a decision too quickly. It's best to take some time and reconsider."

Chapter 190 Preparations to Become a Noble

Some time later, in a private room at the Grey Wolf Tavern.

"...This is the situation we've gathered from various channels in other counties. Overall, there hasn't been any major commotion immediately after the Earl's death. The things we were worried about haven't happened, at least not immediately. No one has attacked our distribution points, and no goods have been stolen."

The priest compiled the recent reports and gave them to Leon for summarization.

In order to devise a plan to deal with the Count, Leon used almost all the resources at his disposal, including Father Auden.

The "church navy" that was used to intimidate the officials was actually a fake armed merchant ship that the priest had obtained from the merchant corps through his connections. Leon then sent an official to oversee the execution of the plan.

Leon only found the priest and told him that he had fallen out with the count after he had moved Hershey and her daughter away.

The priest didn't seem very excited at the time, as if this was expected. He said something like "Good luck" and then prepared to pack his things.

Leon later learned that the priest had actually been preparing for a transfer to another place and was ready to leave immediately after terminating his contract.

However, Leon managed to persuade Father Auden to stay, appealing to his emotions, such as, "If you don't help us with our relationship, it will not only hurt our relationship but also endanger your safety." He also reasoned with him, for example, "I have kept some letters related to you. If I die, the Earl will find out and think that you advised me to take action."

His enthusiastic persuasion was very effective and deeply moved the priest. It was the first time in Leon's life that he had seen the usually calm Father Auden react so emotionally, and even express deep concern for Leon's deceased family members.

Throughout the entire process, Father Auden remained pessimistic about Leon's chances of winning. Even after he learned that Leon had won in the end, he did not show much surprise or joy, and still seriously stated that there were still many problems.

Leon was quite pleased that someone could calmly discuss the future issues with him, and Father Auden did not propose terminating the contract with him. After all, as a participant in Leon's project, terminating the contract would not necessarily sever ties, and on the contrary, severing ties with Leon would mean losing a lot of protection.

Finally, he renewed his contract with Leon, which not only allowed him to handle more money, but also required Leon to pay a sum of money for the priest to hire more bodyguards to work as janitors in his church.

“It’s not surprising. Almost all of them want to kill me, but they might not dare to provoke me right now. After all, I killed the Earl. Without the Earl’s protection, everyone has to be more cautious in their actions,” Leon replied.

In the month following the Earl's death, the Eastern Potions Sales Network, which the Earl had built, did not immediately fall apart. Instead, it entered a state of fragmentation, with officials in various regions continuing to maintain their businesses.

Some of the officers who had come with the Earl managed to escape, and news of Leon's betrayal of the Earl spread quickly. Leon, or rather Fenrir, a former officer under the Earl, was notorious in the underworld. Under such circumstances, it was quite normal for someone to suddenly attack his territory, rob his goods, kill his men, and burn his stronghold.

But from his perspective, the past month has been peaceful; no one has invaded his territory, and he hasn't even received a challenge.

But this is not surprising. Killing the count in full view of everyone not only made him infamous but also, to some extent, established his reputation and authority. The count tried to kill him but was killed instead. Why would those officials think they had the ability to provoke him directly?

But this also means that the cadres will see him as the biggest threat and may form an alliance to confront him.

Even so, the other side probably wouldn't dare to start a war rashly, not only because of the issue of strength, but also because of external forces.

As cadres, they have lost their protective umbrella. If the church finds out their true colors now, without the count's connections within the church, they will truly be uprooted by the church. At this time, whoever starts a war or makes a big move is more likely to attract investigation.

“Just because things are peaceful now doesn’t mean it will stay this way. As you told me before, these officials don’t have their own sources of supply. They’ve been relying on the Earl to import raw materials from Moilland. And now, three counties are still receiving supplies from you. Now that the Earl is dead, your supply has been cut off, and they will soon run out of supplies,” Father Auden said.

"They'll try to steal our raw materials, or even our production facilities?" Leon said.

“It’s possible, but not necessarily. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for us; you have an independent source of goods, which is your biggest advantage. No matter how well these cadres unite, they’re not of one mind, and not everyone is thinking of fighting you to the death,” Father Auden said.

“Some of them will still want to re-establish a supply and demand relationship with me. Actually, that’s what I’m thinking too. I’m just wondering who I should extend an olive branch to first?” Leon nodded slightly.

The officials wanted to get rid of him, but it wasn't so easy. When the supply shortage crisis was imminent, some people would probably still bow to their interests and try to establish connections with him.

“No matter what you think, my advice is to absorb the power left by the Earl as soon as possible. You have to do everything you can to take over the Earl’s position in terms of both business and power, or you will die a very bad death. I’m not joking with you!” Father Auden said, staring into Leon’s eyes.

Leon did not refute this. He killed the count, but he did not actually gain any resources. On the contrary, he lost the count as his patron.

He merely stirred up the underworld in the East, and the priest advised him to rise as quickly as possible amidst this turmoil.

"You surely understand, the biggest threat isn't these officials, but the Church. Earl Frey has been missing for so long, and his territory is temporarily managed by his wife, but the impact has already spread to the east. He is a key figure among the eastern lords, and the eastern noble group is extremely anxious. Without Earl Frey, it will be very difficult for the eastern group to compete with the old-school nobles in the west."

"The powerful and influential people in the East are all trying to find the Count's whereabouts, including those in the Church who have connections with the Eastern powers. Moreover, since the Count was able to build such a large business empire, he must have his own interest groups within the Church. If you kill the Count, they will definitely investigate thoroughly!" Father Auden said solemnly.

"However, so far there has been no news in that regard," Leon said.

“This time, the Earl is cleaning house, so he definitely won’t leak any information to the Church. Apart from the people he brought, no one knows his whereabouts, and those people are mostly from the organization. They won’t easily report you to the Church. Without the Earl, if you are arrested, they will suffer as well. No one is unaware of this, so you could say you’re very lucky,” Father Auden said.

Without the Earl's protection, the other officers and Leon are essentially all in the same boat, having once been part of the same organization and easily traced back to each other. Leon had already planned that if he were arrested, he would expose the entire Earl's faction, dragging everyone down with him!

"And I have some good news about this matter, which I heard from some old friends in the church. The church didn't investigate you immediately, probably because there are other more prominent suspects," the priest said.

"Who?"

“The Duke of Gran,” the priest replied.

Leon frowned slightly upon hearing this. The name sounded unfamiliar at first, but he felt like he recognized it.

He immediately used the Blessed Replay Memory Search and quickly remembered when he had heard this name before—it was when he was chatting with Enrique and Bena, who were also candidates, before he participated in the church's official selection examination, and Bena had mentioned this person.

Duke Gran, one of the three most illustrious dukes among the royal nobles, is the strongest supporter of Princess Fred, and is also her maternal grandfather. In other words, he should be the princess's father and a relative of the royal family by marriage.

“There are rumors that the Eastern nobles, led by the Earl, are secretly supporting His Majesty the Emperor’s illegitimate son in an attempt to rival the Western nobles who support the Princess. If these rumors are true, then it’s not surprising that the old-timers in the West have been looking for an opportunity to get rid of Earl Fry,” Father Auden said.

“The rumors are very likely true,” Leon remarked.

“Yes, if the Holy Orders are actually discussing this, then it’s probably true,” Father Auden agreed.

“What I mean is, there are other clues besides this. The Count’s illegitimate son of the Emperor, whom I may have met,” Leon said.

"What are you talking about?" The priest frowned at first, then his eyes widened. "Aaron Diaz?"

When Father Auden first learned of Aaron Diaz, he suspected that Aaron's surname was fake and that he might be the illegitimate son of some powerful figure.

Considering that his arrival in Hamel was arranged by the Earl, and combined with the rumors, Aaron Diaz seems to fit the rumored identity of the Emperor's illegitimate son.

But this is ultimately just speculation.

“Well, it’s possible, very likely. But it doesn’t really mean much to us. Even if the eastern forces within the church focus on this power struggle that may or may not even exist and suspect the western nobles, it’s too big a deal. We can’t easily launch an investigation, and even if we do, we won’t find anything wrong, because you’re the real culprit. Sooner or later, they’ll notice the activity on Arend Island, and you’ll be on the church’s radar eventually. You just have a little time right now.” The priest brought the topic back.

“I have also been doing a lot of preparation work to deal with the investigation,” Leon said.

“Superficial cover-ups are meaningless. Once your suspicion is confirmed, you can’t escape your maze. Even if you give up everything on Arendt Island and destroy all the evidence, without those resources, you still have nowhere to stand,” Father Auden said.