Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Angelica came to the windowsill and looked at the stone statue of Manuel in the square through the glass.

"He was not a strong man. At that time, the war was going on and Manuel's family situation was just enough to keep him from starving. But later people liked to portray him as a perfect man who was both civil and military."

"What kind of person is Emperor Manuel the Great in your opinion?"

Abigail asked with great interest. The witch of immortality and aging had experienced it personally, and the history she narrated was definitely more real than the written records.

Miss Witch smiled.

"do not know."

"Eh... Angelica-sister, you don't want to tell me..."

"No, I really don't know."

"But Sister Angelica just said that she had met Emperor Manuel himself."

"It's true that I met him, but I only spent a short six months with him."

Half a year...is it short?

Abigail came up with this idea naturally, but to the witch of immortality and immortality, half a year was just a blink of an eye.

"So Sister Angelica can't remember?"

"I guess so. I still remember some things. Abigail, do you know a creature called the dodo bird?"

"No...what a cute name."

“She’s also very cute.”

Angelica searched the bookshelf. The library was said to be the richest in Radebeul, so there must be records about animals in it.

Soon Angelica found a complete catalog of Radbeul's animals, which detailed all the animals that had appeared in Radbeul. According to the index in the catalog, she immediately found the dodo among the extinct creatures.

Abigail was instantly attracted by the lifelike picture of the Dodo bird in the animal collection. The Dodo bird depicted in the picture album had a simple and honest appearance. As the name suggests, the bird was plump. Although it had wings, its fat body was not enough to support it to fly.

"Such a lovely animal...it no longer exists..."

Seeing the extinct mark on it, Abigail felt very sad. Angelica didn't need to explain, the illustrations explained in detail the results of the zoologists' research. The toot bird was fat and could not migrate on a large scale. It had high requirements for the living environment. A slightly harsh environment could easily lead to the death of the toot bird.

Four hundred years ago, the kingdom of Radebeul was incompetent, which led to the division of the kingdom into different vassal states. In addition, there was a drought in the south of the kingdom and the invasion of the nomadic Grossenhain people in the north. The living environment of the Dudu bird deteriorated sharply. However, everyone was in danger at that time. No place was safe. How could anyone care about the safety of the Dudu bird? It was not until the war subsided that zoologists finally had a safe environment to conduct research. Only then did they sadly discover that this lovable little animal may have died in the war for a hundred years.

"The opportunity for me to meet Manuel was when I accepted his commission to find the Dudu bird."

52 Miss Witch and Swan Lake

——This happened four hundred years ago.

There are many different opinions on the life of Emperor Manuel in many biographies of later generations. Some say that Manuel is a descendant of the brave family of "Shu", some say that Manuel is an apostle of Yum Kax, the god worshipped by the people of Radboy, and some say that Manuel pulled out the holy sword that was destined to be pulled out by only the king, and was born with noble blood.

But from Angelica's perspective, without so much complicated background, Manuel is a very mediocre person, at least that's the first impression.

"You said you were going north?"

"Well, so I need to hire a bodyguard. You are a magician, right? I hope you can protect me as I reach Lake Muses in the north."

"Lake Musais?"

The witch tilted her head and examined the slightly thin boy in front of her.

"That's still within Radeboyle, and it's not safe. I thought you wanted to hire me to escort you to a safe place."

The boy's name is Manuel. He said that Radebeul is now in a time of chaos. Compared with the locals who take advantage of the chaos to do evil, outsiders who risk war to come here are more trustworthy, so he chose to hire a witch who is obviously an outsider.

The witch and Manuel concluded a short contract, but the journey to Lake Muses in the north was not peaceful. There were bandits blocking the road, exiled mobs, and zombies left over from magic.

Manuel's magical talent was not particularly outstanding, at a level of about 60 points, which was barely acceptable, so the witch was very curious about what Manuel was going to do in the north. According to the witch's understanding, there were no powerful people near Lake Muses, so Manuel could not be going to seek refuge with his relatives.

"My family has made a living by studying the animals of Radebeul for generations. We can be considered a family of animal research and record keeping. In these chaotic times, no grand duke's court is willing to employ zoologists. When I was a child, my father told me that there was an animal called the Dudu bird in Radebeul."

"Pfft...what a silly name."

"Really? I think it's cute, just like Miss Witch."

"You have a natural talent for smooth talk, although you could also be calling me stupid."

"I definitely didn't mean that. I just wanted to use something more specific to describe the cuteness of the bird, but after thinking for a while, I realized that the cutest thing I have ever seen is Miss Witch."

The witch thought for a moment and nodded seriously.

"If you're like me, it's certainly a cute creature. I've become interested in creatures called doo-doos, but I've been in Radebeul for a while and I've never seen any doo-doos."

"The elders all said that before the war, the dodo was a very common animal, but in our generation, almost no one has seen a real dodo. It is said that the dodo has very strict requirements for its living environment and it does not have the ability to migrate on a large scale. The outbreak of the war dealt a devastating blow to the dodo's living environment... The drought in the south was only overcome not long ago, so the dodo no longer exists in the south."

"You think the Toot-Toot will be in Lake Muses in the north?"

"I calculated that it was the last suitable place for the dodo birds to survive."

The witch and the boy continued to move north. The witch did not tell Manuel that she possessed a magic called space folding, which could allow her to reach Lake Muses in an instant.

In times of war, it was a foolish reason to travel far away to confirm whether an animal that he had never seen before was extinct. Manuel's willpower was much stronger than the witch imagined. He was once infected with the plague during the journey, and the witch thought that Manuel should give up.

Even Manuel himself felt that he would not live long. Lying on the hospital bed, he was surprised that the witch never left his side.

"If you don't stay away from me, you might get infected."

"I am a witch. I will not age or die. It may be a bit cruel to say this, but the plague you contracted has no effect on me. I haven't completed the commission I accepted, so I won't leave yet."

"... What a surprise! You came across some delicious food on the road, but you refused to leave unless I paid for it."

"Don't you always get your share?"

I paid for my share myself.

Manuel, lying on the hospital bed, smiled bitterly. He couldn't help but feel that Angelica was particularly good at commanding people. Rather than saying she was a bodyguard, it would be better to say that she was a young lady from somewhere, although in terms of strength the witch was indeed stronger.

"If I can't hold on any longer... can I ask you for a favor?"

"You have to pay more."

"Haha, you really are... Just listen to me finish. I don't think I can hold on any longer. If I die here, I hope you can go to Lake Muses in my place."

"You're still thinking about Toot-Toot."

"I always believe that there is no difference between Dudu Bird and us civilians. No one has done anything wrong. The war broke out and we were deprived of our living soil. The difference is that Dudu Bird can't even protect itself. Now no one cares even if it is on the verge of extinction. And I promised that Dudu Bird is as cute as Miss Witch. At least Miss Witch should witness it."

"I reject."

"what……"

"It would be better if you take me to witness it. Either you recover and take me there, or I bury you and leave the country."

I am not very interested in the dodo bird, the witch explained.

Many years later, Manuel wondered if the witch had done anything. Although the witch claimed that magic was powerless to cure diseases, after a long period of recuperation, Manuel miraculously recovered from the plague under the witch's care.

As a result, all their savings were spent and they were still some distance away from Lake Muses.

The witch said she had a way. In the dead of night, the witch drew a magic circle on the grass and whispered the coordinates of Lake Muses.

"Projection sequence two, space jump."

The space in front of Manuel's eyes was flowing, and in an instant, a clear lake under the moonlight appeared in front of him.

Lake Muses is like a fairyland on earth. The lake reflects the moon and stars. On the lake surface stained with a layer of silver gauze, there are a few strange and honest birds, creating ripples with their claws.

Manuel knew that those were the last few Tutu birds left in the world.

They used to be everywhere in Radebeul, but now the flames of war have consumed everything. Good people are hiding in dilapidated houses and struggling to survive, while the harmless little animals are driven to a corner of the border.

If there were no war, would things be different? People could live a normal life, the doo-doo birds could once again be seen in every corner of Radebeul, and Manuel and the witch would not have to travel far to the north to see these small, fragile creatures that were once everywhere.

【Witch TIPS】

Although witches do not age or die, their memory is not much better than that of humans.

53 Miss Witch's Passing Time

Soon after arriving safely at Lake Muses, the witch decided to part with Manuel.

Now that they have successfully arrived at Lake Muses, Manuel's commission has been successfully completed. The demise of the Tutu bird may be a foregone conclusion, but that is no longer within the scope of the witch's commission.

"I didn't lie to you, did I? The Dodo bird is a cute little animal just like Miss Witch."

"You don't look like me at all. How can I be that fat?"

The witch glared at Manuel unhappily.

"The commission has been completed, I think it's time for me to leave here."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. When I get bored, I like to travel around like I am doing now, and then go home when I want to rest."

"Then could you please come to Radebeul later?"

"why?"

The witch was confused. There was nothing about Radboyle that particularly attracted her. Although some areas had almost turned into a living hell due to the war, fortunately the witch had seen even more terrible hells, so she did not feel disgusted.

Manuel stared at the witch very seriously.

"When you come again, there will be no more war in Radeboyle. The people will live and work in peace, and the Tutu birds will no longer hide in Lake Musses. They will frolic freely in the square of the capital of Radeboyle. If possible, I hope you can witness all this with me."

"..."

The witch burst out laughing.

It seems that the situation of the Toot Bird made Manuel determined to participate in the protracted war in Radebeul. He longed for a peaceful order that would allow the humans on the land of Radebeul to live a good life again. At that time, the Toot Bird would also be able to be reborn on this land.

"Okay, I'll look forward to it for a while."

After saying this, the witch and Manuel parted ways.

People say that Manuel the Great brought the princes together in order to unify the Kingdom of Radebeul. Manuel used his outstanding abilities to revive Radebeul and is regarded as a great hero of the Radebeul nation.

Under the leadership of Emperor Manuel, the Kingdom of Radebeul once recovered four-fifths of its land during its heyday. But Manuel was only a mortal after all, and the internal friction of the kingdom seriously slowed down Manuel's pace of unification. Although Manuel reintegrated the people of Radebeul, a considerable number of them did not disobey him because of his personal reputation.

Manuel's descendants were not able to lead these old ministers like he had, so Manuel spent almost all of his later years reorganizing the kingdom's internal affairs.

Manuel's focus on domestic affairs led to his fame reaching its peak. Bards and opera writers were all generous in praising Manuel. People believed that Manuel had reunited the Radebeul people. No one knew what Manuel really wanted, he just wanted to restore peace to this land.

But the witch never came back.

In his later years, Manuel often stood in the palace and looked out over the entire capital, waiting for the witch to visit again. Five years passed, ten years passed, fifty years passed...the witch never appeared.

Maybe it’s because I failed to keep my promise.

Manuel believed this from the bottom of his heart.

He said Radebeul would be at peace again.

He said that the Dudu bird would never become extinct and he would let the Dudu bird appear in the square of the royal capital.

Manuel overestimated himself after all. The internal conflicts in Radboyl no longer supported him to launch another attack. He rebuilt a new order, but still failed to get the lovely creature back to the square of the royal capital.

After Manuel was crowned king, he sent his men to look for the Tutu bird. Every time he brought back news, Manuel lamented.

Manuel vaguely realized that he and the witch might be the last people to see the living Tutu birds. The fat birds fluttering on the sparkling water were the last memory of their existence in the world.

Having failed to bring peace or save the bird, Manuel believes that he is being punished by the witch.

But the truth is even more ironic than Manuel imagined.

The witch had no intention of punishing Manuel, nor did she feel that he had broken his promise.

——She simply forgot her experience with Manuel.

Manuel kept in mind the promise he made to the witch before leaving, but after the witch left Radeboyle, she forgot about it in a blink of an eye.

She didn't think Manuel would succeed from the beginning.

Manuel's magic talent is average, and he doesn't have a strong background to support him. He has good wishes, but the most important thing in wartime is the hope that the war will end. The witch played a few games casually and embarked on a new journey.

The war in Radeboyle was limited to the people of Radeboyle and Grossenhain. The news of the war could not be delivered to the witch across the ocean. Just like the ancient world where the witch lived in the past, when technology was not yet developed, no one knew what was happening on the other side of the earth.

The witch and Manuel spent only a short six months together. During that six months, whether it was when Manuel insisted on going to Lake Muses in the turbulent war, or when the witch stayed by Manuel's side when he was infected with the plague, and finally when he and the witch witnessed the last dodo bird in the world at Lake Muses... the witch left an indelible memory in Manuel's heart.

In a daze, Manuel would recall the six months he spent with the witch, which was far more interesting than the luxurious time he spent in the palace.