The next morning they were all up bright and early, with the promise of an included breakfast with their stay to get them motivated.
Of course, they had forgotten that it would be a mundane breakfast for humans and, therefore, very low energy, but the hopes for good food while travelling were enough to make them forget that fact.
So, the witches changed into their new clothes after Wolfe cast a layer of invisible [Air Armour] over their skin, and everyone headed downstairs to see what was on the nu.
It slled delicious, which was a good start. Pancakes and eggs and fresh sliced fruit. The breakfast crowd wasn't as large as the pub crowd last night, with only a few soldiers sitting in the dining room this morning, so Wolfe decided to fish for so information.
"I take it there aren't many travellers this spring?" He asked the man sitting a few tables down.
The soldier shook his head as he sipped his coffee. "There's plenty of travellers, more than usual with the villages that were destroyed up north. But nobody trusts us enough to co in. They just assu that we're part of the Grand Dutchy Army and that we're planning to Kidnap everyone that we can get our hands on."
"They've been a real nace." Wolfe agreed.
"Watch out for them when you go further west too. There are still a lot of them floating around, and we've got both Grand Dutchies embargoed right now, with our warships off their coasts. They're getting desperate, but they won't cave while they still hope to enslave Witches to keep their economy afloat."
Wolfe nodded as if he understood. "You should watch out going North as well. They don't know that there are multiple groups; they just think that all the humans are here to kill children and take slaves.
We passed through a few Sylvan villages, and it's not looking good for any human's reputation. Heck, the soldiers almost shot on sight a few tis."
That caught the attention of a younger Witch drinking coffee at the side of the room, and she ca over to sit with the soldier at the table next to Wolfe.
"What is this about killing children and taking slaves?" She asked.
"You must have been down here the whole ti, right?" Wolfe asked, and she nodded.
"They used nerve gas that cripples witches' auras. Then they artillery bombed the villages that fought back. They only wanted capable witches, and the armies just killed everyone else who couldn't flee fast enough.
There are no younger generations left in the Sylvan villages. They were either killed or fled to the city. Now if you are wearing or using anything resembling human military equipnt, it will get you attacked.
That's why I don't carry a large rifle anymore. If they see it, they will think you're a soldier of the Grand Dutchies, and then it's spells flying your way before they even see that you're travelling with a Witch and a Goblin. They probably think they're doing her a favour, and you've got her imprisoned with null stone."
The witch looked shocked while the human soldier facepald, then quickly sent a ssage from his phone.
"There's cell service out here?" Wolfe asked, surprised to see a working phone outside the city.
"We put up towers in all the villages that we made a deal with. It's not great coverage, but we can at least make phone calls around town and send texts.
The boss will want to know what you've seen up north. It sounds way worse than what we were told, but we were never part of the Grand Dutchies army. We ca to work out a deal here in Morgana to ensure that they stayed blockaded."
The witch nodded in agreent and added, "But then we lost the Fortress City to the mixed bloods, and the Coven Council doesn't give a damn about the humans or working with them.
That's not really too shocking, though. The ones in the city were all idiots, to begin with. Too many generations were cut off from nature and forgot what it was to be a Witch and not a Politician. If they'd left that nonsense to the Families, to begin with, we wouldn't be in this ss."
She nearly whispered that part, as it was clearly against policy for the Rebels, who wanted control of everything, but it gave Wolfe valuable insight into the differences in opinion between the villages of Morgana Coven and the leadership of the rebellion.
"Well, I can agree with you there. But it's probably best if none of the higher-ups hear that thought. The ones we've run into seem to want everything, especially the city." Ella whispered back.
The witch snorted but kept her voice low. "Bah, they've forgotten what it ans to be Witches. Even now, they're happier hiding in so tal ship or a cave along the coast than in the Forests we ca from.
Now, since you lot all abandoned the city, you probably don't know, but this swamp was one of the Primordial Forests. Witches have lived here in peace since before the war. We traded with our neighbours, grew our gardens and lived our lives.
Anyone who wants to ss up that plan is on the wrong path. That's why I'm glad our Elders are all locals. They understand what being a Witch is all about."
The human soldier nodded in agreent, and Wolfe smiled at the pair. Maybe dealing with the rebellion and the slavers was going to be easier than expected.
They didn't need to weed out every village working with the humans, only the ones who were taking prisoners, and from the looks of it, most of the rebel villagers were just Witches wanting to be Witches without interference from the Coven.
That might suck for Reiko, but Wolfe didn't owe her anything. He had given her enough power to take the City, ten simping noblen as Pets, and the help of his Family. That was already way more than needed.
If she held the city and the imdiate area around it to keep everyone fed, it was enough. But he would send a ssage to the Noxus Family, informing them that working with Gormana to keep the Grand Dutchies embargoed was in their best interests, and that there was a profitable opportunity once the rebels from the city were gone.
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