What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Chapter 719 Division of Labor and Cooperation

"Leon, you can already..." Lamia looked at Leon with a hint of expectation in her eyes.

Dorothy also seemed quite interested. Leon's words seemed to be an admission that he could remotely control the maze like Queen Alice and create his own clones within it.

“When I fused with the blood of Moirai, I found that I could sense the existence of other labyrinths, but only those I controlled. I think it’s worth a try,” Leon replied.

After immersing in the Fountain of Youth and merging with the blood of Moirai, his consciousness extended outwards, sensing the existence of other labyrinths.

But unlike when he was guided by Queen Alice, he did not sense the spiderweb-like labyrinths that were distributed throughout the continent or even beyond. Instead, he only sensed three labyrinths outside the Great Labyrinth of Elland.

A magically powerful and relatively close-range maze, clearly the one Lamia had in Redwood County.

The other one, located further to the east, has a very weak magical reaction; it is the labyrinth of Arend Island.

In addition, there is an even fainter one, like a candle that could be extinguished at any moment, located near Arend Island, probably the labyrinth of Hamel Town.

It's likely that Leon established a connection with this labyrinth quite early on, but his own blessing power was relatively weak at the time, and the labyrinth had been sealed for many years, resulting in him having no connection to it.

Queen Alice can sense the location of almost all the mazes not occupied by the Maze Master and remotely manipulate them with the authority of the Maze Master.

Leon currently seems to be able to operate only the maze where he has already secured the position of maze master, but for now, it is enough for him to operate the maze on Arend Island.

The magic source of the Arend Island labyrinth was damaged by the flames of the red mercury, but Leon did not further infuse or seal it with sacred objects, and the labyrinth's magic source has been slowly recovering.

In theory, as long as a large amount of high-purity magic essence is used, like unsealing the Great Labyrinth of Elland, the supply of magic power can be activated like an igniter, allowing the magic power source to slightly restore its supply efficiency.

Leon planned to practice in Lamia's labyrinth beforehand. If things went well, he would be able to use the labyrinth on Arend Island to confront the approaching Church of War.

“Next, we’ll assign tasks like this: First, we need to deal with the church’s questioning and stabilize the forces supporting us. I only trust the two of you with public relations,” Leon said to Frey and Alicia.

“It’s manageable with Pope Zehn, but the other churches and cardinals…” Alicia pouted, “It won’t be easy to clean up this mess.”

“But it has to be done eventually, otherwise Aaron and Pope Reginald won’t let this opportunity pass by to win over other forces to deal with us. Once they sign the contract, we will soon be surrounded by knights sent by all sides,” Fred said.

Freyde and Alicia are primarily responsible for stabilizing the Church of the Mystic Gods, which is now allied with Leon, and the western noble groups, and for maintaining good public relations to prevent Leon's apostasy from being quickly confirmed by the Cardinals.

This would buy Leon time to deal with the first wave of punitive forces coming for his territory.

"Then there are many remains of high-level monsters in the Fountain of Youth, including level five monsters. I'll trouble you to use those to refine pure magic essence." Leon's gaze continued to shift to Dolucy and Lamia.

As a third-tier great witch with top-notch refining skills, and with the remains of a high-level monster left behind by Queen Alice during her half-summoning in the Fountain of Youth, there should be no need to worry about the supply of pure magic essence in the short term.

"Okay, I understand." Lamia immediately agreed.

Leon has already proven through his actions that he is capable of counterbalancing Queen Alice and protecting her, so she should fully support Leon's strategy.

“I will faithfully carry out your orders.” Dorothy also bowed her head to Leon.

“Next is the most crucial part: Red Mercury. Considering the time it takes for the enemy to occupy Arend Island and then advance here, we only have five days at most. We need to produce as much Red Mercury as possible within this parish, at least enough for a demonstration.” Leon looked at Weiss first, then at Johnny.

Johnny was in charge of refining the red mercury, and Weiss was in charge of configuring it. They didn't need to make another red mercury bomb; they just needed to make it destructive enough for actual combat.

The ability to precisely control the explosive yield of mercury is far more deterrent than simply leveling several kilometers of land.

Weiss nodded silently, and Johnny shrugged: "There's no way to be picky about this job. I'll try my best to get you on schedule."

"Then Lena, I'm entrusting you with the task of retrieving the monster army from the labyrinth base and delivering it to Arend Island." Leon looked at Lena.

To manage a ship full of high-level monsters, one can only rely on Reina's Blood Oath Blessing.

They have three Tier 4 sea beasts that can pull the warship at high speed. Besides Leon himself, Dolucy, and Lamia, only Lena can barely control Tier 4 monsters by using her blessing.

If Dorothy and Lamia refine a certain amount of magic essence, they can take three warships and quickly deploy a large army of monsters in the labyrinth before the Church of War arrives.

"Hmm," Lena simply replied.

"That's roughly the division of labor. Now, let's discuss the details and potential problems in order. Let's start with the most important public relations issues..."

Leon continued to chair the meeting for a while, and after about two hours, when most of the issues had been discussed, Leon finally adjourned the meeting.

After the meeting, everyone went about their own business, while Leon left Lamia and Dorothy behind, preparing to take them deep into the Great Labyrinth to salvage usable monster remains.

“Mr. Fenrir, don’t forget our agreement.” Dorothy put a finger to her lips, speaking suggestively to Leon, “Leave us some time alone!”

"What exactly did you agree to?" Lamia couldn't help but ask.

“Your Highness, if you are also ready to step onto the steps of adulthood, I would welcome you to join me anytime,” Dorothy said with a smile, covering her mouth.

"What...what exactly happened?" Lamia looked at the silent Leon and the enigmatic Dorothy, feeling increasingly uncertain, yet also filled with an irrepressible curiosity.

“You’ll have the chance to find out soon after you agree to join, won’t you, Mr. Fenrir?” Dorothy continued to tease Lamia.

However, before Leon could express his opinion, Lena interrupted, "Leon, could you give me a little time alone?"

Chapter 720 The Ritual of the Earth Mother Cult

A few minutes later, deep inside the ossuary beneath the monastery, Leon led Rena to the entrance of the ruins, then turned to Lamia and Dorothy and said, "Excuse me, I'll have to trouble you to wait here for a moment."

“Leon, I don’t quite understand.” Lamia stopped Leon first. “Even if she’s about to break through and wants to try using the magic power of the core of this labyrinth, is it necessary for me to leave?”

Lena offered to let Leon take her on a private "tour" of the core of the Great Labyrinth, explaining that her Blessing Power was nearing a breakthrough and she hoped to use the Fountain of Youth in the core of the Great Labyrinth of Elland to complete the final stage of magic absorption.

Leon agreed without hesitation and apologized to Lamia and Dorothy, asking them to wait a moment.

Lamia had a slight reservation about this. The ancient city ruins held a place in the hearts of these great witches of Moyland as sacred sites as recorded in history. She had actually mentioned to Leon a long time ago that she should take the opportunity to visit the ruins more often, and she imagined that Dolucie felt the same way.

If Leon hadn't planned to detonate the red water incendiary bomb in the labyrinth, Lamia would have liked to visit this holy site as soon as possible. Dorothy must have been eager to do so as well, not only to visit the holy site but also to gather intelligence.

However, Lena, a young witch whom Lamia knew nothing about and had only heard about from others, cut in line for Leon with just a few words.

“I’m sorry, Lamia. There are some special circumstances, or rather, some rather personal reasons,” Leon replied apologetically. “I’m asking you to leave so as not to offend you in any way.”

If Lena can really break through to the third tier at this time, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost to their combat strength.

Lena's blessing can control a large number of monsters at once, and even command an army of high-level monsters. Its combat power is comparable to a knightly order composed of multiple superhumans, which has great strategic significance.

But mainly, when Lena mentioned spending time alone, Leon immediately understood that she meant that when necessary, a "ritual" should be used to accelerate the absorption of magic.

This great labyrinth is indeed unparalleled by any other labyrinth. The Moirai magic in the Fountain of Youth seems to be even purer, and perhaps it can truly help Lena break through this final hurdle.

However, it was inconvenient for outsiders to be present during the ceremony, so Leon could only ask the two of them to wait for him, their "guide," at the entrance of the ruins.

"This is all rather disjointed, I don't quite understand it," Lamia said, her brows furrowed.

After being released from Santa Rosalia Prison, she was busy and worried, and she basically didn't get a good night's sleep. Perhaps for this reason, she had a strange sense of unease that was constantly stirring within her.

This anxiety intensified when Dorothy repeatedly brought up "being alone" and "making a promise" with Leon. Lamia wasn't surprised by this, as she was already wary of Dorothy.

But Lamia felt a similar sense of unease when Lena suddenly intervened, even though she clearly didn't know Lena very well.

"Alright, alright, I think it's best if we avoid this for a while, but please do it as soon as possible." Dorothy quickly understood the situation and urged Leon and the others to go inside with a meaningful smile.

“We’ll be right back,” Leon nodded.

"I apologize for taking up your time." Lena bowed to Lamia and Dorothy before following Leon into the depths of the ruins.

Lamia sensed that Leon and Rena had gone far away before turning to Dorothy and asking in confusion, "Do you know something? What happened? What were they doing inside?"

“Oh dear, Your Highness, you shouldn’t be so slow on this matter.” Dorothy shook her head at Lamia, feigning surprise. “Have you forgotten? You already heard the answer from your disciple who is a saint in the church.”

"This..." Lamia blinked, then suddenly her eyes widened.

Weiss had told her about her life as a couple with Leon, and how Weiss gradually regained her sight in her eyes, which were damaged at the cost of the blessing.

So, Leon's entry into the labyrinth with this young witch was also for...

"It seems that the ancient Earth Mother religion has always had the tradition of seeking blessings from Moirai through fertility rituals. I thought it had been lost, but I didn't expect it to be passed down here." Dorothy laughed after saying this.

“No, you and I both know that’s just a tradition, it’s useless,” Lamia corrected.

“But it’s different with Mr. Fenrir. Since he can gain Moirai’s favor as a man, it’s not surprising that there’s something else unusual about him,” Dorothy said with a smile.

"No, that's not necessarily confirmed yet. Leon, he..." Lamia always seemed a little uneasy when talking about this topic, her thoughts drifting back to the books she had read.

Having this kind of interest, she would naturally be curious.

Moreover, with Leon as the subject of discussion, she naturally couldn't help but imagine, and as soon as she imagined, she felt her face getting a little hot.

“It’s already been proven by that saintess, hasn’t it? And they’ve probably already researched it themselves. Do you know that Miss Lena who went in was only in her early twenties? She’s already close to breaking through to the third level. How could that be possible without other factors interfering?” Dorothy said, spreading her hands.

"This..." Lamia had no way to refute it, and then she realized that the topic had turned to Lena, so she asked, "Dolucy, how much do you know about that little girl?"

“Rena Lothark was Mr. Fenrir’s first business partner in the potions trade. She was already working with Mr. Fenrir before he even discovered his own Blessing ability. She was also Mr. Fenrir’s first love. Haven’t you heard of her?” Dorothy introduced Rena’s information.

“I’ve heard of that before.” Lamia nodded. She had heard Melissa and Leon talk about many things and knew that there was such a “Red Witch” in Leon’s story. However, she had only recently met her in person, so she didn’t have a very deep impression of her.

Now she suddenly realized that her relationship with Leon seemed very close; they were lovers, partners, and a community of shared destiny—a relationship that seemed far more complex and solid than that between a princess and a knight.

No, do I really need to make this comparison?

Lamia suddenly realized that something was wrong with her thinking.

At this moment, Dorothy's next words brought Lamia back to her senses: "Your Highness, you must be thinking the same thing as me now. Don't you think this is worth a try for us?"

Chapter 721 The Person Favored by the Great Witch

"Who's thinking the same way as you? You lewd bitch!" Lamia reacted immediately upon hearing this, blushing slightly as she glared at Dorothy.

Dorothy wasn't annoyed when Lamia insulted her like that; instead, she laughed even harder: "Oh, Your Highness, I didn't even say what I meant before you insulted me like that. May I ask what you were thinking?"

Lamia was momentarily speechless when asked the question.

"If you're wrong, then this is just baseless slander against me. But if you are right, doesn't that mean you're actually thinking the same thing as me?" Dorothy pressed her advantage.

Lamia was rendered speechless by this logic, but she didn't back down. Instead, she braced herself and continued, "Fine, then tell me, what exactly do you mean?"

"I think I mean exactly what you're thinking," Dorothy said, maintaining her mysterious demeanor.

"Stop playing these tricks, okay?" Lamia was already annoyed, and being teased by Dolucy only made her more impatient. "Answer me honestly, what exactly is your purpose? You could never betray your sister, so why are you getting so close to Leon? What are you thinking?"

"I regret that you are still so wary of me. You should know that I have never hidden my purpose from you or Mr. Fenrir."

"Mr. Fenrir and I cooperate on the basis of mutual understanding. I am temporarily assisting him, and he relies on me but will not completely trust me, which I am well aware of. There is no deception between us; it is fair and just," Dorothy said.

"If you're not planning to lie to him, is it necessary to throw yourself into his arms?" Lamia was still skeptical.

“If throwing yourself into someone’s arms means you have ulterior motives, does that mean everyone in the world is deceiving their lover? I’m a woman too, can’t I have my own feelings and my own favorite man?” Dorothy retorted.

Lamia felt a little guilty, but she was still unwilling to let her guard down: "How many people have you deceived so far? Now you want people to believe you're sincere?"

“Yes, I know very well. Given my job and my consistent style, it’s inevitable that the more someone knows me, the less they can trust me. That’s fine, and I don’t need to, because I can’t trust anyone anyway. This kind of relationship is just right for me. But I do like Mr. Fenrir, that’s the truth. His Highness clearly shares my thoughts, so why can’t he understand me?” Dorothy said.

"I didn't! Stop talking nonsense, okay?" Lamia replied impatiently.

“Your Highness, I actually envy you. If you openly express your feelings to him, he will definitely believe you. But even if I did, he would have difficulty distinguishing between truth and falsehood. So I don’t really like you deceiving yourself like this.”

"If you really don't care about this, then as long as I don't interfere with your contract, everything else should be irrelevant to you, and our conversation should end here." Dorothy's tone suddenly became firmer, and the smile in her eyes faded considerably.

Lamia was taken aback. She stared at Dorothy for a while, then suppressed her agitation and calmly asked, "So what exactly do you see in him? What was the reason?"

“There was no particular reason, I was just gradually drawn to him because he was different from others.” When talking about this topic, the smile returned to Dorothy’s face. “He was born in the Empire, but he was very objective in his views on various issues. He had no prejudice against witches or the faith in the Four Gods. It was as if even the gods could see the uniqueness of his inner world and gave him the talent to be able to accept all blessings.”

“There are many people without prejudice, right? I think his specialness is caused by some objective factors,” Lamia analyzed calmly.

“Yes! When we were dealing with the Alekne plague, I noticed that he seemed to possess knowledge and technology that did not belong to the Empire or Moiland. His vision and his way of thinking were different from ours. Sometimes I even felt that he was from a different world! The more I investigated him, the more mysterious he seemed. There must be some huge secret behind him!” Dorothy’s eyes lit up as she said this.

"Leon's secret..." Lamia repeated the sentence. She had actually noticed it and was a little curious about it, but she hadn't thought about it in depth. She was more concerned about whether Leon was trustworthy.

“I think at least your saintly disciple should know. Her thirst for knowledge is so strong that she’s willing to pay the price to become a witch. But with Fenrir, she doesn’t seem to have taken any steps to investigate the secrets behind him. Mr. Fenrir trusts her a lot, so I think… he probably told her the truth. Based on that, Miss Lena should know as well,” Dorothy said.

Lamia felt a little uneasy after hearing this. They all knew, but she was completely unaware of it.

"Don't rush, if you get closer to him, maybe he'll tell you one day," Dorothy said with a smile.

"You approached him, perhaps for this reason?" Lamia became a little wary again.

“He won’t trust me, so even if I become his woman, he won’t tell me. I’m aware of that.” Dorothy raised an eyebrow and added, “But you have a chance.”

“But that doesn’t mean you won’t have a chance to spy once you get close,” Lamia retorted.

It's not uncommon for people to gather intelligence by listening to whispers in someone's sleep.

"Trying to understand someone of the opposite sex that you're interested in shouldn't be anything shameful, Your Highness," Dorothy admitted quite frankly.

"So in the end, it all comes down to having a purpose!" Lamia muttered.

"Your Highness, the goals we place on him are actually the same. I've always felt that he might become someone who changes the world, changes the times, and can also change His Majesty and our country. Fortunately, he is at least a humane person, and it can't hurt to have a good relationship with him. You think so too, don't you?"