Erin the Lone Witch had set foot onto Snowfell. She went inside Santa Roberto and couldn’t help but marvel at the scene all around her.
People were busy all the ti. They all had sothing they needed to do. The Quest Office was the busiest place with people going in and out constantly.
Santa Roberto had opened a small pub inside to let the subjects unwind. Guards were everywhere, disciplined and running in line. They imdiately went to any suspicious person in the castle.
"Crazy..." Erin couldn’t help but say. She didn’t visit Santa Roberto before but she knew that this place was a monastery once. It had completely transford into a small little town.
A soldier greeted Erin and led her into the inner courtyard of Siderius. He was already there waiting for her.
"Welco to Santa Roberto, Erin." Siderius smiled gently.
"I am very happy that you reached out to ." Erin smiled back. Her wholehearted smile was completely different from the refrained smile of Siderius.
"Co, walk with ." Siderius reached his hand out and helped Erin down the carriage. He turned to the soldiers. "Do not let anyone touch the carriage."
"Yes, my lord." They touched their chest with their arms and bowed.
"Wow. They are extrely respectful to you." Erin couldn’t help but say. "Not just in front of you but also when you aren’t there. I saw the soldiers at the gate. They are very serious about their job."
"When you pay them well and give them a purpose, this is the result. However, it wouldn’t be possible with one important thing."
"What is that?"
"Freedom of choice."
Siderius and Erin stood on a high platform of the inner courtyard, looking down to the view around the castle.
The hunter pointed at the tall Quest Office building. "Sotis when you tell soone to do sothing, they might agree to do it. But they will only do it halfheartedly. But if they were the one who decided to do it.
They would do it with all their abilities. That is the power of freedom."
"But I saw a lot of people beco lazy even when they had a choice." Erin tilted her head slightly.
"That’s because they haven’t got the right... Push." Siderius responded.
"So. Why do you need to see so bad that you have to send your n to the North and get ?"
Siderius caught Erin’s gaze. He could see hope in her eyes. A hope that finally she had soone to fall into. Siderius understood that. And just this ti, he would satisfy her.
"Because you are my friend." Siderius lied.
Erin sobbed. She only did it once and quickly returned to her usual cheerful self. She knew that Siderius knew. She knew that he had lied. But she didn’t care. Even as a lie, it was what she all wanted. A person to rember her.
"Do you know why I am called Erin the Lone Witch?"
"Many reasons. And there are many answers. Which one do you want?" Siderius said.
"The one that you want to say."
"It’s because you are destined to be alone, Erin. That is what Lone Witch is like you are. You destroyed everything you co close with. Anything. Even the ones you hold most dear.
That will create the utter despair of loneliness that makes you the most powerful witch of them."
"Please. You flatter . Other than collecting Extracts and a few tricks here and there. I am nothing."
"Really?" Siderius’ eyes flashed light as he looked into Erin. He was using his Mana Detection Ability. "I saw that you have stabilized your Mana Core. You are completely in tune with your Lesser Witch power. Now only the Major Witch is left, huh?"
"You?!" Erin gasped. He covered her chest, where her Mana Core was supposed to be. "I didn’t want this..."
"And yet you are still Erin the Lone Witch. Fate is a fickle thing. But it can also be very persistent. Sotis, the more you avoid your fate, the more you will lean into it."
"Isn’t there any other way? I don’t want to be... Alone for eternity."
Siderius stayed silent. He looked far, observing his domain. There was no amount of arrogance from him. Even this, Santa Roberto, was only a temporary thing. It would soon be scattered in the river of ti.
"If one day. You wish to be released of your tornt. You can co to . I will give you peace."
Erin clenched her hands tighter.
"I will keep that in mind."
They stood in silence for a while before Erin spoke up again.
"You can tell why you actually want here now."
"I want your Heart Rose Extracts."
"How many?"
"Anything that 100 gold coins can buy."
Erin gulped involuntarily. Even for her, 100 gold was a lot and a lot of coins. Snow that she knew really had changed. He was no longer the helpless boy. He was a capable witch with a godly amount of wealth.
"With 100 gold coins, you can buy the carriage, everything inside it, and ." Erin chuckled.
Siderius raised his eyebrows. He was really bothered inside. Since the day he got this body, won just kept throwing themselves at him. Both subtly and not so subtly.
’Curse this face. I miss my old unnoticeable appearance.’
Afterward, they talked more seriously about the business. Obviously, Erin wasn’t selling her body to Siderius. He only wanted her Extracts.
She only had twenty bottles of Heart Rose left. He took them all. He also took anything that was unique that he thought that there might be uses for it later.
They also established a trade. As long as Erin could provide Siderius with what he needed, she would receive adequate compensation. It was a win-win for both of them.
"Right. Did you find any One-Eyed Green on your way back?" Erin said.
Siderius shook his head. "I checked the Foglight Forest and anything in between. Not much luck. I tried to use the Extract to artificially create one as well. Also not much luck.
I gave it to my herbalists, Tanya and Anna, and allowed them to do whatever they want with it."
"You have herbalists?! Can I talk with them?"
"Be my guess."
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