What Witch? This Alc Chapter 78: Fenrir and the Earl

The next day, at a mountain villa in Helenburg, Leon sat at a square table and turned his head to gaze out the window.

He saw a broad river.

In the distance, the estuary was faintly visible.

One sailboat after another traveled back and forth across the river surface reflecting the setting sun.

The Holden River was one of the busiest waterways for imperial shipping.

River Valley County and South Harbor County lay on the river’s southern and northern banks respectively, both having built prosperous port cities along its course.

Bishop Becket had arranged for him to et with the Earl, with the location set in Helenburg of River Valley County.

The journey had lasted a full six hours.

He had gone from carriage to ferry, then back to carriage.

For the final stretch, he had been blindfolded until he was delivered to the foot of the mountain.

After that, he had been led up the mountain and brought to this villa.

The person he was about to et was a major figure with enormous influence in both the underworld and the legitimate world.

Yet even Leon himself found it surprising that his mind was very calm.

He had already struggled through desperate situations.

Now that the other party had proposed a eting, it ant there was room for negotiation.

No matter how bad things beca, they could not be worse than when he had previously been forced into a dead end by this very person.

Suddenly, he heard movent at the doorway and withdrew his gaze, turning to look.

A middle-aged gentleman stood alone at the entrance, smiling at him.

“This is my favorite spot in the whole house. The view is excellent—especially at dusk, when the entire river turns a beautiful orange.”

In that instant, Leon was basically certain who the visitor was.

From the man’s speech and bearing, it was naturally evident that he was the unquestionable master of this place.

Leon was just about to stand and offer a greeting when the man smiled and raised a hand.

“You’re the guest. Just stay seated.”

After that, the Earl sat down across from Leon and then suddenly asked, “Any dietary restrictions?”

Leon froze for a mont, then shook his head.

The Earl snapped his fingers toward the doorway.

Soone imdiately entered the room, spread a tablecloth, and set the tableware for both of them.

Next, a bowl of red soup and a dish of coarse oat flour were served to each of them, and honey-colored lemon wine was poured into their glasses.

“They probably didn’t have ti to prepare food for you along the way. Let’s eat first and talk afterward. Foyle’s local cuisine—I hope it suits your taste.”

As he spoke, the Earl was the first to raise his glass in a toast.

Leon also raised his glass in return, and both took a sip.

Then the Earl poured the coarse oat flour into the soup, stirred it with a spoon, and began to eat.

Leon followed the Earl’s example in preparing the dish.

He scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth.

The lamb soup, mixed with oat flour and flavored with the sour and spicy taste of onions and tomatoes, had a thick texture.

The aroma of spices lay sowhere between mint and lemongrass, refreshing and invigorating.

The mutton’s gay flavor was very light, sliced thin, and lted in the mouth.

After this soup ca deep-fried cheese balls coated in breadcrumbs, then pan-grilled sea eel fillets, and finally apple-and-honey pie cut into pieces.

The dishes could not be called extravagant—by the standards of entertaining guests, they were even sowhat plain—but every dish was executed flawlessly.

The Earl did not say a single word while eating, focusing solely on the al.

Leon also refrained from starting any conversation.

At first, he ate a little stiffly, but later he relaxed.

After all the travel by boat and carriage, he truly was hungry.

Only after they were fully fed and all the bowls and plates had been cleared away did the Earl wipe his mouth with a napkin and finally raise the main topic.

“Mr. Fenrir, you should have considered the purpose of my asking to et you, correct?”

“Do you want

to work for you?” Leon looked at the Earl and asked.

The Earl had guessed his true identity but had not touched him.

Instead, he had invited him to et.

Naturally, Leon would think the Earl intended to recruit him.

“In present-day South Harbor County, Mr. Griffin, who controlled the mana business, is dead. In Hal Town, Caron Eso is dead. There is now a vacancy in the position of Director of the Inquisition. If there were soone who could conveniently fill both of these vacancies at once, business throughout this region would flow without obstruction.” The Earl stared straight at Leon as he spoke.

Leon revealed a look of surprise.

“You want

to do it?”

In his expectations, the Earl probably wanted him to supply goods for them, just as he had previously produced mana in the labyrinth for Mr. Griffin.

But the mont the Earl opened his mouth, he painted a picture so grand that Leon had never even imagined it.

Leaving aside replacing Mr. Griffin in controlling the underground market, becoming the Director of the Inquisition in Hal Town in place of Caron Eso? This pie was drawn far too big.

“Imagine such a scene. You beco the Director of the Inquisition in Hal Town. You know the Church’s movents like the back of your hand, and at the sa ti you firmly control the entire underground market of South Harbor County. You can use your authority to shelter tens of millions in business every year. And moreover, you have a way to protect the woman currently detained in the Inquisition.”

The Earl smiled faintly.

“Sacrificing a woman who won’t live much longer is indeed the most rational choice. But I’ve heard that you seem to be trying to treat her illness. If there’s a chance, you would still want to save her, wouldn’t you?”

Leon’s heart stirred slightly.

If he controlled the entire Inquisition, then after Sairi was sentenced, he would have the opportunity to apply for her to serve her term under local detention.

He could then ensure that Sairi received treatnt with magical potions at any ti.

Her lifespan could be extended by at least five years.

During those five years, it might even be possible to find a cure for Saltification Disease.

He had even previously considered a plan to rescue her by swapping her out through feigned death.

With the authority of a Director, that plan was no longer completely impossible.

And with both the power once held by Caron Eso and the wealth controlled by Henry Potter being gathered into his hands at the sa ti, it was impossible for him not to be tempted.

“From your expression, I can tell you’re interested.” The smile on the Earl’s face grew even broader.

“But why ?” Leon quickly cald down and raised the question.

The Earl certainly had many people under him.

Why would such a good opportunity fall to an outsider like him?

“Because there is truly no one more suitable than you. You have cooperated with Mr. Griffin and have a certain understanding of the local underground market. At the sa ti, you are an Inquisitor in Hal Town and et the basic conditions to rise to that position. Moreover, Aaron seems to appreciate you. If you have the chance to interact with him again in the future, that connection alone is worth my investnt in you.” The Earl explained.

“Who exactly is Director Aaron?” Leon asked tentatively.

The Priest had once analyzed that Aaron’s background must be formidable.

From the looks of it, the Earl knew the inside story.

“In the future, you’ll have the chance to know. What you need to know now is that he doesn’t know the true situation on my side, nor does he know yours. In front of him, keep your mouth shut.” The Earl replied.

Leon nodded.

It seed that Bishop Becket was soone the Earl had deliberately placed by Aaron’s side.

He appeared to be helping Aaron accumulate achievents, but had no intention of letting Aaron know that he controlled underground businesses forbidden by the Church.

“However, the most critical reason I chose you is your thods.” At this point, the Earl smiled with nostalgia.

“I never expected that besides myself, there would actually be soone else who cooperated with a Witch and raised Magical Beasts in a labyrinth!”

“You also once…?” Leon was sowhat surprised.

“Twenty-five years ago, when I was still an Apprentice Knight, I once encountered a Witch during a labyrinth exploration. I didn’t capture her. Instead, I chose to cooperate with her, letting her raise Magical Beasts in the labyrinth and extract mana for . That was the first fortune I dug up in this business. Later, we lived together. Although for various reasons I couldn’t marry her, she was the only woman I ever truly loved in my life…”

As he spoke to this point, the Earl’s expression shifted from nostalgia to desolation.

“Unfortunately, because of my negligence, she was captured by the Church.”

“Then she…” Leon recalled that Bishop Becket had once ntioned that over twenty years ago, soone had faced the sa choice as him, but with a different ending.

“She died.” The Earl’s voice was very soft.

“At the ti, the Inquisition had evidence against her and other accomplices. To protect , she chose to take her own life.”