What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

A new voice suddenly rang out at the door.

The noise in the hall gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes turned one after another to the person who had spoken at the door.

Leon also looked surprised and turned to look at the door.

At the main entrance of the Inquisition stood a woman in her thirties, dressed in a black evening gown with a greyish-white knitted shawl draped over her shoulders. This was a common attire for women of this age on formal occasions, elegant yet dignified, and also frequently seen at funerals, except without a hat.

The woman carefully styled her hair and wore light makeup. Her features showed a fairly good foundation, but her haggard appearance and dry, yellow hair, clearly caused by a long illness, still detracted from her beauty.

That sentence just now came from her mouth.

The inquisitors in the hall, some on duty and others preparing to go out on missions, looked somewhat surprised. Some people heard the seemingly frail woman say, "I want to turn myself in," but for a moment they were still a little confused.

Just as someone was about to step forward to ask a question, Leon spoke first in a shocked tone: "Mrs. Hershey?"

The person who appeared at the door was none other than Selena Hershey, who had arrived in full regalia.

“Hello, Mr. Leon.” Sally smiled back at Leon.

The other judges, realizing that it was someone Leon knew, began to observe.

“Mrs. Hershey, why…” Leon stared at Selene in disbelief.

“I’ve come to turn myself in,” Sally replied calmly, taking out a test tube filled with a dark red liquid that appeared to be blood. She announced to the crowd, “I am the witch you’ve been searching for, the one who concocted magic essence for Mr. Griffin, Henry Potter!”

Upon hearing this, the inquisitors present exchanged bewildered glances.

In the case of Mr. Griffin, the witch who is a suspect is currently locked up in the detention room of this court. How could another witch suddenly appear and turn herself in?

But the fact that this woman knew that Mr. Griffin was Henry Porter clearly meant she was involved!

Some people focused their attention on the test tube in Sally's hand, not understanding what the woman wanted to do with it, and instinctively became wary.

Then, in the next moment, the blood in the test tube suddenly turned purplish-red and began to boil in full view of everyone!

In an instant, the instinctive sense of danger entered everyone's consciousness, and everyone clearly felt that the purplish-red liquid possessed a kind of danger that was beyond common sense!

Most of the Inquisitors gasped and reflexively moved away from Sally at the door, drawing their guns, including Leon's teammates.

The moment she saw the gun barrel, Sally tensed up, but she held on.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down!!" Leon raised his hand and shouted.

The others, guns in hand, retreated, not daring to make a move. If they fired their guns here, who knew what the consequences would be if the liquid in the test tubes spilled onto the ground!

“I’m sorry I lied to you, Mr. Leon. Could I see the person in charge here? I’ve come to turn myself in,” Sally said, looking at Leon.

Leon seemed to have just recovered from his shock, and turned to his teammate beside him: "Go and call the director!"

Less than twenty seconds after his teammates ran into the corridor, alarm bells rang in the Inquisition, and Aaron and Bishop Beckett led a group of people out of the corridor.

Upon seeing the vial of purplish-red liquid in Sally's hand, Bishop Beckett's expression changed instantly: "The Blood of the Curse?"

He clearly recognized the object and immediately stepped in front of Aaron, drawing the church's silver dagger as if preparing to unleash some power.

“Stop right now, ma’am! I’m only warning you this once!” he shouted at Sally.

Seeing so many people appear, Sally became visibly nervous, but she managed to maintain her composure and said, suppressing the tremor in her voice, "Please rest assured, my lord, I have come to surrender. I will control my power properly."

As soon as she finished speaking, the purplish-red liquid in her hand suddenly stopped boiling and turned back to dark red, and the terrifying sense of intimidation disappeared.

“Witch…” Aaron murmured to himself in surprise.

Those present shared the same thought: seeing how easily Selene controlled the blood in the test tube, this ominous power was clearly not a blessing from the Four Gods!

Aside from Leon, he was the one who controlled the blood in the test tube; the test tube contained his blood.

"What do you want to confess?" Bishop Beckett looked at the "witch" in front of him in disbelief.

"I am the witch who created the magic essence for Henry Potter, I am Fenrir, the one you are looking for!"

Sally mustered her courage and spoke loudly, scanning everyone present and exchanging one last glance with Leon.

Three days ago, at the Hershey family's dining table.

"So, you want me... to take her place? And then you'll pay off our debts?" Sally stared blankly at Leon.

“Yes, I’ve checked your debts. This money is enough to pay them off. Then, I’ll leave the rest to Melissa.” Leon stared at Sally and said slowly, “That’s the deal.”

Sally processed all the information with lingering fear, thinking carefully.

When Leon solemnly told her that "there is something I must tell her," she was met with a series of shocking truths: Mr. Leon was involved in the magic element trade, Bishop Leona was actually a witch, the special medicine they used was actually a magic potion, the witch had been captured and only had three months' worth of magic potion left, and so on.

Before Sally could fully recover from the shock, Leon suddenly produced a stack of gold certificates and placed them on the table, saying, "Mrs. Hershey, I'd like to discuss a deal with you..."

Leon's proposed deal was for Selena to confess as a witch, thereby clearing Lena of suspicion.

Sally not only had to strictly follow Leon's script and play the role of the witch who supplied Mr. Griffin Potter, but she also had to die in the Inquisition after confessing her crimes.

Once the remaining potions are used up, Selene will soon revert to her old state. Even with expensive potions to prolong her life, she won't live more than two years. And the debt left to Melissa will only increase, not decrease.

The house had already been mortgaged according to the contract to pay off debts, and it would be taken away when the deadline arrived. Melissa was not only homeless, but also had to continue to bear huge debts, making it almost impossible for her to live a decent life again.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Leon decided to use all the money he had in this deal. If Sally was willing to make a sacrifice, then he and Lena would have a slight chance of surviving together.

He himself was unsure of how likely the chances were, but if Mrs. Hershey disagreed with the deal, or the plan was exposed, the only remaining option for him would be to take all the blame upon himself.

He has nothing left to lose, so even if the chances are slim, why not take the risk?

After much deliberation, Sally finally spoke: "If I admit to being a witch, won't Melissa be implicated?"

“According to church regulations, she was unaware of the situation and is underage, so she won’t be implicated. She will simply be sent to a reformatory for one to three years,” Leon replied.

"Won't the church take back the money used to pay off the debt?" Sally pressed.

“I will use money laundering channels. The person handling it is an expert. So far, the black money he has dealt with has not been problematic and has not been investigated by the church.” Leon did not dare to say that the expert was Father Auden, whom Sally deeply hated.

“…” Sally fell into silent contemplation once again.

Leon broke the silence softly: "I know you don't necessarily completely believe me..."

“No, I believe you.” Sally suddenly interrupted Leon. “It’s because it’s you, Mr. Leon. I’ve seen everything you’ve done for me and Melissa, so I believe everything you’ve said, and I believe you will keep your promise… although I think you’re probably not sure if all this will go smoothly.”

"..." Leon had no rebuttal.

Sally and Leon stared at each other for a long time, then suddenly revealed a somewhat melancholic smile: "They really look alike."

Leon was taken aback by what he heard, not understanding who Sally said he resembled.

“You look exactly like him back then…” Sally said nostalgically, her eyes filled with sadness.

Leon finally realized that Sally was referring to Mr. Hershey from back then.

Mr. Hershey, who was powerless to save his wife and daughter back then, was also in a desperate situation and once showed Selena such a desperate look.

“…I accept your deal, Mr. Leon,” Sally said softly after a long silence.

Chapter 72 I Want to Die with Dignity

Upon hearing Sally's response, Leon voiced another concern: "But I think Melissa probably won't agree."

If it weren't for Melissa's persistent efforts, Sally wouldn't have held on until now. Knowing Melissa as Leon does, she certainly wouldn't have agreed to such a deal.

Leon couldn't even imagine how Melissa would view him after learning his true colors and intentions.

But this matter ultimately cannot be separated from Melissa, who knows about Lena providing medical treatment to Selene.

This could not have been done without Melissa's consent and cooperation.

“I will persuade the child.” Sally had anticipated that Leon would bring this up.

Leon wanted to say something more, but Sally added, "I will definitely convince her!"

Leon was somewhat surprised; Sally seemed more determined to accept the deal than he had imagined.

As if sensing his surprise, Selena chuckled softly.

“I’m not afraid of death, Mr. Leon. In fact, I’ve long since given up on living. Every day since I got sick has been torture for me. If it weren’t for that child’s insistence, I would have been gone long ago. I’ve indulged her for too long…”

As she spoke, Sally turned to look out the window. "I've actually considered many ways to pay off my debts, even selling my body and dignity. Unfortunately, my illness didn't give me that opportunity. Now I can finally die with dignity. This time, I won't back down."

For Sally, being a burden on her daughter was worse than death, and the biggest reason she had persevered until now was that she wanted to find another way to help Melissa.

The deal Leon is offering her now is her last chance, a chance to preserve her dignity as a mother as she leaves, and she will not let it go.

“Thank you, Mrs. Hershey,” Leon said softly.

“You don’t owe me anything.” Sally shook her head and looked at Leon, saying, “Mr. Leon, if I may ask you something, if I disagree, are you planning to turn yourself in?”

Seeing Leon's current state, Selena could see the shadow of her former husband, and she could vaguely guess what Leon would choose to do.

"..." Leon remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded without saying a word. He had promised Lena that he would take responsibility for this matter if absolutely necessary.

"So you're actually going to leave that money to us?" Sally continued to ask.

Leon remained silent this time.

If he surrenders, he will surely die. Even if Lena, as a witch, survives, she will not gain her freedom, his money will become meaningless, and it may even be confiscated by the church.

In reality, no matter what, the money would ultimately be used to pay off their debts, which was the most meaningful use for Leon, who was already mentally prepared to give up everything. As for the rest, he didn't really care anymore.

Leon didn't tell Selene this in order to close the deal, but Selene could still sense something was amiss.

"Don't worry, no matter what, I will still do as you say. I don't want Melissa and I to live on other people's charity. That way, we won't owe each other anything, and neither will I owe that witch, okay?" Sally said earnestly.

For Sally, her dignity meant not only fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother, but also repaying the kindness of others. Now she no longer had to live off the goodwill of others and could leave without owing anyone anything.

For the first time, Leon felt such profound respect for this frail woman, and he nodded solemnly: "I will take good care of Melissa."

Upon hearing this, Sally hesitated for a moment before speaking with some reluctance: "Mr. Leon, I didn't mean anything by it... but if you really have any consideration for what I've done, besides leaving the money to Melissa, could you please try to avoid having any further contact with her? Please."

Leon was stunned and speechless.

He couldn't refute Celie's concerns. Even if Celie believed he would take good care of Melissa, he was still a criminal, and getting involved with anyone was risky.

Taking Leon's reaction as an admission, Sally continued, "Tell me what to do."

As a former pillar of the troupe, the witch in this script will be the last role she plays.

……

In the interrogation room, Sally was handcuffed to an iron chair fixed against the wall. Aaron and Bishop Beckett stood side by side opposite her, some distance away.

Having witnessed the power of the "witch's" cursed blood, they naturally became wary.

Leon stood blankly to the side, seemingly as a guard. People who were originally related to Selene were not suitable to be in such an interrogation setting, but Selene requested that Leon be present before she would give a full confession.

Aaron and Bishop Beckett finally agreed. After discussing it for a while and questioning Leon alone, they began to listen to Sally's testimony.

"...So, you mean that you became a witch because Henry Potter chose you, used your family's debts to force you to undergo the witch-making ritual, and then made magic essence for him?" Bishop Beckett asked Selene for confirmation.

“Yes,” Sally replied.

“According to the timeline of your confession, you already had salination disease at that time, so why would he choose a woman who was about to die?” Bishop Beckett questioned.

"I don't know. Maybe he just wanted to try it out, or maybe he tried other people but failed, or maybe only someone like me who is about to die would agree to something that could result in being burned to death."

Besides repaying the money, they gave me some potion recipes, saying they might be useful for treating salt disease, and told me to research them myself. Later, they realized I had value and began helping me research effective medicines, hoping to extend my lifespan.

"In short, I participated in the ritual last year as they instructed, became a witch, and have been producing magic essence for them ever since. I heard them say that, as a cover, they use the name Fenrir to refer to me, their supplier," Sally said.

“According to Judge Seth’s testimony, he rented a room in your house, and you have a daughter who has been taking care of you. How are you going to work?” Bishop Beckett continued to ask.

"The house next to mine was taken over by Potter a long time ago because of debt. They set up a workshop for me in the cellar of that house, which is only separated from our cellar by a wall. They dug a lockable secret door and covered it with clutter. Every now and then, they would deliver potions made from monsters to the workshop. All I had to do was go there at that time to complete the work of refining magic elements."

"At home, I always pretend to be bedridden. Mr. Leon works almost from morning till night every day and doesn't come into my room casually. My daughter has a part-time job every day, so I just need to choose the right time to work," Sally replied.

Leon made many preparations over the past three days.

Given Serie's condition, it's impossible for her to complete too many processes.

Having worked with Lena on the farm, Leon knew that monster breeding, slaughtering, and potion extraction didn't necessarily have to be done by witches; it was just that it would be more convenient for witches to do it.

The only indispensable step in a witch's power is the final step of obtaining magic essence.

"So, the tools you used, including the altar, are all in the cellar of the empty house next to yours?" Aaron caught the key information.

“Yes, you can find the evidence now, as well as the medicine I developed to treat salination disease.” Sally nodded.

Bishop Beckett immediately left the interrogation room and ordered his men to search for evidence. Once the altar archives of Moirai were found, the case would have crucial evidence to close!

Aaron stood there, looking at Leon and asking, "Judge Seth, you really... didn't notice anything at all?"

Before Leon could answer, Sally spoke first: "Sir, I heard from my daughter that you visited my house, right? Did you have any doubts at that time?"