Chapter 9 : The Tyrant’s Tranquilizer
Translated by Tam
Edited by Kio
Renee glanced at Alie’s face happily and handed her a sandwich. Alie ate the sandwich without hesitation.
The sandwich tasted different from the appetizer. ‘Huh?’ A mont of confusion ca to Alie’s mind, as the taste of the roasted pork with the sauce softened in her mouth. Vegetables, including onions, were catching the greasy part of the sandwich.
Alie shuddered. Delicious food is the best.
“Phew.”
After eating all the sandwiches and satiating her appetite, it was ti to dig into the scones and fruits.
“You must have been very hungry?”, asked Renee with a smile. Renee felt content because Alie ate so deliciously.
“Of course! The number of clothes I changed into, were more than any amount of clothes I had ever worn in my life.”
Alie took a bite of scone with cream and marmalade. It was more delicious because it tasted familiar. She finished eating the scones and sipped the fruit tea.
Renee looked carefully at Alie, confird that her al was over, and opened her mouth.
“The trip. Are you still planning to go?”
It was an extension of yesterday’s conversation. Alie nodded her head.
“If you’re going to leave because of His Majesty, I don’t think you have to do that?”, said Renee.
Alie’s eyes widened. The apple that she had just been bitten fell to the ground with a thud.
“How did you know I was running away from the Emperor?”
Renee frowned, “I know everything when I see you do it. Everyti you talk about His Majesty, you react oddly.”
“I-is that so?”
“Why don’t we just avoid running into him like we do now? His Majesty won’t be able to empty the Palace for long, so he’ll be back soon.”
“Well wouldn’t it be a good idea for to search for other witches?”
Renee’s face darkened.
“Father and I are worried. It’s tough and scary out there.”
“It’s okay. I know how to use magic. I can protect myself.”
“That’s why you can’t.”
Alie tilted her head. Renee explained with a serious face,,
“You know there was a witch hunt over 20 years ago, right? At a ti when power was transferred from King Regent to the present His Majesty.”
“Ah… I think I heard it from grandmother.”
Actually, she knew it because it was in the novel, but the details were still vague to Alie.
More than 20 years ago, before and after the birth of Alie and Renee, the continent was engulfed by a wave of witch hunts.
At that ti, the continent was harder to live in than it was now. Infectious diseases frequently occured, and farming was difficult to maintain due to insect damage.
Things were better in rural areas further from the Capital. Because there was sothing to eat, and there was a connection to the community. However, there were many people who starved to death in the City’s Capital.
People blad it all on the witches. Although the witches treated the disease with magic, people went on witch hunts. As if they had forgotten the efforts the witches had made to diminish the amount of those affected. In the process, countless won were tortured and burned to death.
The surviving witches gradually hid in the forest and in the absence of people. Because of that, there is little contact between witches and humans now.
The witch hunts, which stained the continent with blood, disappeared when the regent King died and Serwin took power. It was thanks to the Emperor’s order to ban punishnt.
(Editor note: Idk what punishnt it is so wait until later chapters for an explanation.)
“In Dellaheim, there are several people who have been indebted to her, but those people are far from the Capital. But in other areas, especially, as we move closer to the Capital, there are still many people who are against witches.”
“But people need witches. Especially the common people!”
“They’re blinded because they can’t be treated by a doctor, but what do you think about the Nobles? Do powerful and rich people need witches?”
“Why don’t we just avoid the Nobles?”
“It’s not like things willgo your way.”
“That’s true, but….”
Alie frowned.
She had inherited all of the original Alie’s mories before she had possessed this body. And combined with those mories of the information she gained from reading the novel, in her past life, she thought that she could naturally blend into this world.
‘Is the situation worse than I thought?’
Alie’s knowledge was heavily biased, as she had lived in the forest for the majority of her life. The situation was the sa as it was in the novel. Though, the tiline and course of the novel would be different from this point on. Alie pondered the possibility of events not going her way.
“So I’m telling you. Why don’t you take your ti?”
“Take my ti?”
“Studying the world here. If you think the sa way later on, you can leave then. You ran into His Majesty anyway, so you don’t have to run away.”
Renee’s suggestions were reasonable. It would be safer to learn and gain a variety of knowledge than to leave without knowing anything. Especially if people have a strong antipathy toward witches.
“That’s true…”
But Alie had difficulty agreeing. It was because of a sudden feeling she had that was hard to explain.
“This is strange…”
Alie folded her arms and focused on her inner self.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, that’s… Uh….”
The ominous feeling beca stronger. Alie decided to trust her gut feeling.
On the day she ca to the Mansion, she ignored the sinister feeling and t Serwin.
“Renee, we need to clean up.”
“Why so suddenly?”
“The witch said you should never ignore your gut feeling.”
As Alie said, Renee put the dishes in the basket and stood up. As Alie tried to get up from her seat following Renee, she got goosebumps all over her back.
Sothing is coming!
Alie quickly transford. With the sound of a pop, a fist-sized bird erged.
“Alie? What’s wrong?”
Renee looked at Alie as if she was confused. But her confusion didn’t last long.
“Is the bird nad Alie?”
Serwin looked at them as he rode a horse along the road.
“Pyii…”
That was close. If she had hesitated she would’ve revealed her true self to Serwin.
Alie breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yes, Your Majesty, but what’s going on here?”, asked Renee feigning normalcy, hiding her surprise.
“I was on my way back to the Mansion. This road is connected to a deep forest. And then the sll…”
Serwin suddenly began to look around Renee.
‘What are you looking for?’
Alie felt anxious. She didn’t think he saw herself in person.
Serwin, who was looking around, strode toward Alie and stuck out his finger. As if to ask her to co to him.
“Pyaa?”
He had a more dreadful face than the last ti she saw it. His face was stiff, and he had harsh eyes that seed to kill everyone around him. Alie looked away and made a fuss.
He had an even more dreadful face than the last ti she saw him. His face was stiff, with a harsh expression and eyes that seed to kill anyone he even looked at.
“Alie, co here.”
He clenched his teeth and she was so frightened that even her feathers stood up. Alie was forced to flap her wings and sit on Serwin’s finger.
Serwin put his nose on Alie’s back and began to sll it. Renee stared at Serwin’s with a nervous look. If Alie looked like she was having a hard ti, Renee was willing to take her back from Serwin without hesitation.
Alie shook her wings and reassured Renee.
‘If it’s special, he will try to sll it.’
‘This is bad.’
In fact, Alie had no idea what she slled like, but she waited until Serwin cald down.
How long has it been since she last saw Serwin?
“Pya?”
“I’m sure the scent ca from you. Last ti and this ti, too. But once I get my hands on you, the scent is gone.”
He spoke with a face that was hard to express.
What’s the significance of slling behavior?’
Alie looked at his face blankly. Serwin stroked Alie’s head with his index finger. As she watched, his hardened expression began to crack, she held her body still. He looked so exhausted and tired that she felt sorry for him even though she was scared.
“You seem to be doing well. You’ve beco healthier.”
It was a lonely tone. He took out a small pouch from his jacket and offered a large piece of walnut to Alie’s mouth.
‘Serwin doesn’t eat snacks. Are you carrying it around for ?’
Alie was full, but she took it gently.
He watched Alie until she pecked all of the walnut, then went back to his horse.
“What….”
Renee looked at Serwin’s back with annoyance. She didn’t like it very much to touch other people’s precious sister and feed her freely. In addition, his attitude was strange, why was the crazy Emperor so caring towards Alie?
Renee looked at Serwin’s retreating figure, with annoyance. She didn’t like it when people just carelessly touched her precious sister and fed her freely.
“Why does he treat you like his pet?”
“Pya?”
She didn’t notice.
Alie felt strange. For a few days together, she recalled how well Serwin treated her. Perhaps Serwin intended to take her back to the Palace, since so part of him cared for her.
‘Pets would be better off than the Emperor’s lover right….?’
But unfortunately, Alie was not a pet, but a person.
“You’re going to have to travel ho as a bird. Since the Emperor is back. What a waste of a trip!”
As Renee vented out her frustration, she didn’t notice Serwin approaching. Although it was impossible for her to notice his presence, as he was a swordmaster, she was still angry.
“I’m sorry Alie…”
“Pyaak pyaak.”
Alie consoled Renee.
‘By the way, why did I feel that way?’
She felt a similar ominous feeling on the day she ca to the Mansion. But it never beca so intense or unpleasant. Is it because he is more on-guard than before?
(Editor note: “on-guard” was actually conscious and uh I have no idea how to fix that.)
Alie tilted her head.
‘Whatever, it’s okay.’
She brushed off her unanswered question, and landed on Renee’s shoulder.
******
After the last eting of the day, Serwin suddenly shut himself in. He didn’t co out and nobody entered. It was because he wasn’t feeling well. The Count, worried, went to Serwin with a doctor, but Serwin did not et him.
All the Emperor’s Knights disappeared sowhere and did not return at night. Only a few of them stayed on guard in front of Serwin’s room.
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