Witch Redemption

Gian nodded, and then, based on his memory, sold off the "Roman Hydra" he had only met a few times.

"Three summoned creatures? And you even bought that slave princess from your hands? This is indeed remarkable information!" Adrian habitually took out his notebook and wrote down all the information. "Both the witch's strength and the strength of her summoned creatures are at the level of legendary adventurers. Can they fight against abyssal monsters to some extent?"

“She’s cunning; we absolutely must not underestimate her,” Gian added.

Adrian had already seen deep apprehension in the captain's eyes, and after reading this series of descriptions, Adrian suspected that this witch named "Romon Hydra" was likely more powerful than he had imagined. Perhaps she originally had the strength to kill this elven caravan, but allowed it to leave alive afterward, maybe because she had some backup plan.

For example, this alien witch, like the three alien witches who died in the Lost Wasteland, also has the ability to fight against god-level beings.

That's why he's so arrogant!

"Lord City Lord, could you tell me why the higher-ups are so interested in this witch?"

Jian couldn't hide his curiosity. The fact that the city lord had been waiting for this meeting and "interrogation" for months suggested that this witch might not be a kind person.

“I trust Commander Gian’s word,” Adrian said with a playful smile. “Based on the current intelligence, it may be related to two weakened ancient creators, and this witch may also possess other special secrets.”

Indeed, if this witch hadn't possessed extraordinary abilities and repeatedly evaded the pursuit of numerous god-level beings, she wouldn't have garnered such attention from above.

Moreover, it is precisely because the gods of many countries find it difficult to descend to the mortal realm in person, let alone cross national borders, that the task of hunting down this witch was transferred from the United Duchy of Ries to the Elf Kingdom. It is unknown whether those gods signed some kind of agreement.

"Ancient Creator?" Gian was slightly taken aback, feeling as if he had heard the title somewhere before.

Adrian clearly didn't want to explain. "In short, it's not a big deal. Just catch that witch and kill her. We'll deal with the rest once we actually catch her."

I'm not sure about other countries, but the Elf Kingdom and the Naga Kingdom in the western continent are terrified of foreign witches. After all, the three who died on the border between the two countries are still cursing that area, making it a forbidden land that no one dares to approach.

So far, the only piece of information we have is that these foreign witches are very likely from the British Empire of the Eastern Continent.

Unfortunately, that major power has not yet acknowledged it, making it impossible to gain access to much intelligence.

...... ...... ......

On May 11, 10007 (Gregorian calendar), the western continent, nearing the beginning of summer, experienced astonishing temperatures and extremely heavy rainfall.

Li Lan felt that walking in this damp monster area was no different from walking in a tropical rainforest, the only difference being that there were no poisonous insects to bother them.

At this moment, he was holding Juliet's small hand, and taking advantage of this brief stop in this secluded place, he lowered his head and spoke in an old voice, "Juliet, do you remember everything I mentioned to you before?"

"Yes, I remember everything."

After nearly a year of recuperation, Juliet is no longer as thin and listless as before. Instead, she exudes the vitality that is typical of her age and looks especially lovely.

Unfortunately, her appearance was altered by the "extraordinary craftsmanship" of the ancient creator Leviathan, and is quite different from before, even to the point of being greatly uglified.

It can be said that "appearance cannot overshadow temperament." Although he has become less attractive, the mature behavior of this little guy, who is now cautiously looking around, still gives people an unexpected sense of security and a desire to protect him.

Li Lan was satisfied with Juliet's answer. He and the little ones lingered on the outskirts of the Elf Kingdom for nearly half a year, not only to avoid the caravan they had met once, but also to prepare for today's infiltration.

On the one hand, he was certain that the caravan would report all his information to the Elven Kingdom, and it was highly likely that it had attracted great attention.

In the six months since he arrived at the outskirts of the Elf Kingdom, several armies have been conducting a thorough search of the surrounding area, presumably trying to intercept him. On one occasion, a small squad of a hundred men even cornered him, forcing him to resort to ruthless measures and use the Book of Fate to clean up the mess.

On the other hand, what Li Lan has thought about most in the past six months is the question of infiltrating the Elf Kingdom.

Unlike other kingdoms, the Elf Kingdom places great emphasis on monitoring its citizens entering and leaving monster-infested areas. Countless spies are even planted along the border, and any elf who intends to "treason" may be executed.

The so-called "treason" can be understood as a fabricated charge, mainly used against the slave class. Otherwise, Rebecca and Susan wouldn't have risked everything to escape the country.

Since arriving at the border, Li Lan knew very well that he could no longer use the identity of "Roman Hydra". The United Duchy of Ries may have already contacted this country and sold the relevant information. Combined with the account of that elven caravan, who knows if he dared to reveal his name at the kingdom's border, he would be dead in the next second.

Therefore, he needs a new identity, not only a new identity, but even a complete change of appearance.

This is an incredibly huge problem!

Li Lan was already extremely worried and at a loss about this matter, but unexpectedly, the situation took a turn for the better two months ago.

That night, when Li Lan was resting with his four little ones at the ruins of a temple on the outskirts, a group of adventurers who appeared to be traveling with their families got greedy and attacked him. The outcome was predictable.

Having exposed her identity, Li Lan went all out and that very night killed all fifteen people, including the elderly and children.

In his frustration, he unexpectedly obtained two extremely useful pieces of identification from the adventurers' belongings.

One was a nine-year-old elf girl named Juliet, just with a different surname. After all, it wasn't unusual for such a common name to be shared in this other world. At first, he was worried because Juliet was clearly a beauty, a far cry from the poor wretch he had killed. But Leviathan, unusually, told Li Lan that she could help.

Indeed, Leviathan can use "physical modification," comparable to the "Four Great Evil Arts of Asia" that Li Lan possessed during her lifetime, to change a person's appearance over a long period of time, and only she herself can remove the "disguise."

The other document was about an old woman named "Caitlin Nasa," with white hair, a somewhat ugly face, and who was blind. Li Lan originally thought that this identity document might not be usable for him, but the black-haired Yu Hui excitedly persuaded him, and after a long conversation, Li Lan suddenly realized the truth and reluctantly accepted Leviathan's "physical modification."

Unlike Juliet, Li Lan is now completely "aged" and can indeed use this identity document to sneak into the kingdom's borders. However, in order to make it look convincing, he can only cover his eyes with a black cloth. In the past two months, he has chosen to do a lot of training in order to get used to the life of a blind person.

“Servant, you may enter the kingdom’s borders if you wish, we will not stop you. However, there is one thing you need to be aware of: after recalling Yu Hui and Leviathan, do not let us out unless absolutely necessary, if you do not wish to die even faster.”

This was the common advice of the ancient wills when Li Lan chose to recall Leviathan and the two Feathered Radiances. In other words, for a long time to come, Li Lan could only rely on herself and this little elven princess to make a living, or at least pretend to be something she was not.

Li Lan sensed that these two ancient wills seemed to be wary of something after entering the outer borders of the kingdom, and were clearly weakened compared to their previous indulgence.

This surprised him greatly. Could there really be something in this world that could subdue these two ancient creators who were high above?

As her thoughts returned to normal, and she began to perceive the many subtle sounds around her, Li Lan, guided by Juliet, moved with ease, truly embodying the spirit of a "grumpy old blind man."

"Let's go, follow the plan."

After reassuring the anxious Juliet once again, Li Lan began to step onto the main road leading to the safe zone.

...... ...... ......

Skandar, on the border of the Elf Kingdom.

This vast city boasts towering stone walls and a bottomless moat. Overall, this large city, with its conservative character, is far more oppressive than other countries.

In addition, a large number of elven troops were stationed on the border, and all intelligent races entering and leaving would be questioned to some extent. Occasionally, if they did not give some "benefits", they would even be subjected to terrible difficulties.

In the eyes of most elves in this kingdom, such unreasonable and lawless behavior is probably already commonplace. After all, it's not the people of the kingdom who are being harassed, but the slaves. Slaves have no human rights whatsoever; they are nothing more than the lowest scum of this country.

"Wait!"

The hundred or so elven soldiers guarding the city gates were conducting entry and exit checks at one of the gates. One of the younger noblemen, Kowell, stopped the old elven woman who was trying to enter the city. He felt that the old woman's behavior was a bit strange.

"Show me your identification."

Kewell made a somewhat impatient and rude sound.

The old woman initially seemed frightened, her face grim as she covered her eyes. However, her actions were decisive and skillful; she took out a magic crystal card from her pouch.

These cards are special identity cards made by the Elf Kingdom for each elf. They contain most of the information about the elf. It can be said that in the Elf Kingdom, there are many things that cannot be done without such an identity document, such as staying at a tavern, or engaging in prostitution and gambling.

To use an analogy from the other side of the world, it's like the unique ID card of China, except that this kind of "ID card" is actually a bit more basic.

"Caitlin Nasa, 75 years old, a slave, originally from Skandar on the border of the kingdom. Her husband, Garle Nasa, died five years ago. Afterwards, she formed a small, low-to-mid-level monster hunting team with her three sons, active in the monster-infested areas outside the border. Two months ago, her team was attacked by monsters. Except for her and her youngest grandson Juliet, whose bodies were never found, all the other members were killed. This has been verified by the Dark Side, and there is indeed no possibility of homicide."

Kowell simply infused the magic crystal card with his own magic power, and quickly learned all the identities of the old woman in front of him.

"Strange, given the circumstances, it shouldn't have been possible for the old woman and her granddaughter to escape. Could this be a trap?"

On the surface, he remained calm, but in reality, he harbored many suspicions. After thinking for a moment, Kewell still asked, "What happened before? Why were only you and your granddaughter the ones who survived?"

“We were attacked by the giant beast Lachu. I saw no hope of escape, and my granddaughter Juliet and I failed to attract its attention, so…”

"So you just let your three sons and all your other relatives die? You truly are a despicable slave class!"

Kowell clicked his tongue. As a member of the noble class of the Elf Kingdom, he considered women to be the lowest of the low. In this situation, the old woman should take her granddaughter up to sell herself to attract the attention of the monsters and secure a way out for her sons.

Seeing that the old woman's face genuinely showed shame, and that it didn't seem like she was faking it, Kewell felt relieved, though he himself found it somewhat inexplicable.

"Fine, just pay the city entrance fee. I don't want to waste too much time arguing with an rude guy like you. There are still people in line behind us."

Having openly accepted the low-level magical core from the old woman, Kowell quickly allowed the slow-moving fellow to lead her granddaughter through the city gates and gradually disappear into the city.

Unbeknownst to them, several wanted posters were piled up on the desk beside them. Two were from a pair of twin witches from many years ago, two were from two elves who had "betrayed" their country, and five more were newly added, which were for an alien witch, three summoned creatures, and the little princess of the former regent of the elven kingdom.

"Strange, we've been keeping an eye on these five new wanted posters for half a year now, and we still haven't seen any similar figures. Could it be that they went to other countries?"

"Who knows? We'll just do whatever the higher-ups say, so we won't be gossiped about later."

"Hey, Kewell, what just happened?"

Seeing the somewhat strange expression on the young nobleman's face, his whispered companions couldn't help but ask in hushed tones.

“It’s nothing. There’s an old woman I find strange, a girl named Caitlin Nassa.”

"Oh, this..."

"You know her?" Kewell asked, surprised.

"Yes, she was a celebrity among the slave class. After her husband died, her decisiveness and protectiveness surprised many people. She not only took control of the entire family, but also led all her family members to travel in the monster area. She was really going all out. It's just a pity that they encountered an accident in the monster area two months ago. I thought that this old woman might have been eaten by monsters. I didn't expect that she could come back alive."

Kowell shook his head. "No, it might not be her who comes back; it could be something else—by the way, which area does she live in?"

"Where else could the slave class go? The slums... uh, Kewell, you wouldn't...?"

"Report it up and monitor them for a while before making a decision."

Kowell trusted his instincts, even though his associates thought he was just stirring up trouble.

Chapter 12 Scandal Slums

The border of the entire Elf Kingdom is similar to that of the British Empire, with an unimaginably long and towering city wall separating the monster-infested areas from the safe residential areas. Furthermore, the Elf Kingdom has employed a unique "magic array" to arm the border wall to a certain extent.

Upon entering the border, there are two more towering defensive walls. The second wall separates the slave quarters from the outermost wall. The second and third walls form a safe zone to protect against the "Crimson Night Flood." Beyond the third wall lies the true interior of the Elf Kingdom.

One major difference between the Elven Kingdom and the British Empire is that the Elven Kingdom is significantly more backward, with its slave territories covering a vast area.

Take Skandar, a typical slave city, for example; its area is probably more than ten times that of Mori, the city of the British Empire.

Furthermore, regardless of the class, there are bound to be different levels within each class.

The more privileged slaves lived in the most prosperous areas, serving the upper and middle classes of the elven kingdom, and their treatment wasn't bad. Meanwhile, the lower-class slaves, who were only fit to be the lowest of the low, lived in slums, spending their days in a daze.

Another point to note is that these cities, which were primarily populated by slaves, were in unimaginably chaotic and unsafe. Living in this area meant not only having to constantly guard against potential arson, murder, and looting, and doing everything possible to protect oneself, but also having to be wary of surveillance from certain clandestine forces.

Therefore, after Li Lan and Juliet sneaked into the city, they dared not show any abnormality. They simply led the little girl to the slums without making a sound.

Caitlin Natha, an old woman, and her family lived on 57th Street in the north of the slums. There was a dilapidated courtyard that belonged to the old woman and her family, which was their best place to stay.

With the assistance of the two ancient creators, Hei Fa Yu Hui and Leviathan, Li Lan was able to initially analyze the old woman's memories. She not only learned about most of the old woman's fierce past, but also devised numerous countermeasures to deal with many possible unexpected situations.

It has to be said that Li Lan had made thorough preparations for today.

At least, Li Lan still remembers everything those two muscular, beautiful women once said to him.

"All the elves in the Elf Kingdom live under strict surveillance. The powerful beings responsible for monitoring the slave class are called the 'Dark Guard.' The Dark Guard is not used to uphold justice, but to prevent rebellions by the slave class. There was a time when the Dark Guard was lax because it happened during the chaos of a coup. Perhaps that's why Susan and I were able to successfully rescue those two witches."

"Be careful, living in the Elf Kingdom, never trust anyone. Those who aren't cunning enough will basically never see the sun rise again. They'll either be killed by the same slave class, or they'll be dealt with by the Dark Guard for some kind of escape attempt."

"In short, if possible, I don't want you to enter the Elf Kingdom, even as an adventurer. It's a terrible prison, absolutely not a place for a human to stay."

When Rebecca said those words, her expression was extremely terrifying. At that time, Li Lan did not understand why the beautiful, kind, and peace-loving elves in many literary works could be as sinister and terrifying as Rebecca described. However, he finally understood today.