Saria/Saintess POV
The Saintess's palm smoothed over the wooden bench, nature's call grounding her senses as she glanced at the frowning Saria. Even with the blindfold, she could sense the discomfort, anxiety, and frustration from the Radiant Knight.
"It has only been 10 years since the Witch of Pride's unceremonious defeat."
Unceremonious defeat my ass. The Radiant Knight's nail dug into her palm. When 'Pride' and her familiar armies first emerged 15 years ago, no one was prepared except the Knights on the Western border, Saria included.
It was a desperate struggle. Saria's hand trembled at how she used to be afraid of her grip slipping on her sword out of fear. If not for an Archon-ranked mage punching her in the face, she would have perished by now.
"Someone who could annihilate a city of demons with a wave of a hand should sympathise more with the weak." Saria sighed deeply. "Your words are too careless, Saintess."
"Perhaps so. Yet I thought you preferred me more... honest." The Saintess tilted her head, her brows raising as if amused. Once, she snuck out into the battlefield and one-shot the Ice Dragon Familiar from the Witch of Pride, only to be annoyingly scolded in the end.
The inexperienced her couldn't physically recognize the severity of 'the lacking discussions' with her superiors. She naively thought it over-complicated when she could merely 'go in,
"I would have appreciated your so-called 'honesty' if not for my hometown spawning a Witch out of nowhere." The Knight groaned in exasperation. "You better give me a damn good reason for that, Saintess Maria."
The Saintess blinked. In truth, she barely felt the need to explain. A graver matter awaited, and while the Knight deserved an explanation, she had no time to spare.
She was scolded as inhumane once. She would plan to carry that moniker gladly if it could create the peace the 'old her' once envisioned.
"That would be for later." The Saintess yawned, a 'pretentious' gesture for she did not need any sleep. "Let us get straight to the heart of the matter. I didn't use
If only the World knew there was more than one Witch, Knight Saria. The truth almost slipped from the Saintess's mouth.
She glanced at the statue behind her, frowning. She had hidden many truths, too many truths to protect the World.
This time, it would be the same as always. She would tell the Knight the task, but not the truth.
To prevent the events that led to { Ragnorok } in her 'visions'.
She must first prevent the Descent of the {Witch of Wrath}, the strongest Witch amongst the seven.
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Mel POV
After getting a glimpse on each of the Witch's situation, she went back to the camp for a nightly embrace with Lila in the same sleeping bag, only to be yelled at and purged outwards when her hand nearly slithered up to Lila's boob. Unfortunately, she would have to wait for another chance.
The next morning, Mel and Lila headed off to the capital in Emilia's carriage. Lila tried to ask what Mel was doing alone back then, but her hair was ruffled to the point that she was blushing too hard to ask.
After enjoying more grumblings from Lila as a journey OST, they have finally arrived at the capital gate. The stone gate was carved with smoothness and steadiness, as the last bastion of defense against the Witch of Pride. The number of guards, however, relaxed, for the wall would not serve its purposes in the peaceful era for a long while.
When the carriage was in the long inspection queue, Mel suddenly received a System message.
[ Host, I detected a meeting between the Saintess Maria and the Radiant Knight Saria last night! ]
Mel widened her eyes as she leaned back on the wooden seat, glancing at the sleeping Lila on her shoulder. She smelled a faint scent of ice from her friend's hair, refreshing like mints she used to eat back in her old life.
Mel muttered, finding her senses clearer with her 'waifie' cheek settling comfortably. "Not afraid of her gaze this time?"
[ The Saintess's gaze has shifted, Host! Her
Mel's eyes curved playfully at the liar-kidnapper, a particular suspicion about the System growing immensely.
"Well." Despite that, Mel didn't pursue but instead asked casually. "I trust you, my informant. Go ahead and report."
[ Thank you, Host! ]
[ Stay tune for the report! One minute! ]
As the carriage rattled and moved to the front of the queue, Mel shrugged and read the messages, petting her dear Lila's head idly.
[ Knight Saria visited the Saintess to inquire why they must hide a Witch's existence from the Church! ]
[ The Saintess insisted that a Witch would cause mass panic, and the Church's incompetence could not handle such a grave matter! ]
"Oh, I agree." Mel nodded with smiling eyes. "Everyone knows those oddies were too slow in reacting to such a crisis. I bet the decision to keep sending money to Sis Saria was not made by the Church but the Saintess herself, don't you think so too, System?"
[ ...I agree with everything the Host stated! ]
"Right?" Mel nodded again, this time with a slightly exaggerated strength as if bantering with an old friend. "So what else has the Saintess and Sis Saria conversed about?"
[ Saria scolded the Saintess for being selfishly distrustful! ]
[ The Saintess diverted the topic by exposing the Cult's presence in an ancient Ruin near the capital! ]
"Oh?" Mel held her chin. "How smart of her. Plus points! So, what ruins? Names? Types? Divines that they belong to?"
[ The Ruins were an unnamed cave, something the Host should not recognise! ]
"Well, that I admit." Mel sighed, feeling the limit of knowledge for the OG-canon apocalypse timeline. It allowed her to guess the locations of some artifacts, but it remained incomplete information. Dungeons and ruins, in particular, were rarely described in detail in the Gacha game.
It must have something to do with the Witch of Greed destroying and conquering everyone in boredom. Mel chuckled tiredly to herself.
"Any details after that?"
[ The Saintess has sent the Knight Saria to investigate! ]
[ No more conversations afterwards. This System cannot detect the Cult's movements! ]
"Well, guess both of us need our trusty informant to know more." Mel closed her eyes in focus, the magic
My Pet, are you back in the capital?
A slight pause, then an indifferent voice immediately responded. Yes, my Lord.
Fantastic. Now, investigate the Cult's presence in a nearby ruin. See what they found from there.
Understood. I will look into the rumours and black market infrormants.
"Now then." She stared at the System panel. "We should wait now for our most trusty maid, right, partner?"
[ ... This system is helplessly jealous of the Junior Nyxie's capability. ]
"Oh, please," Mel smirked, tilting her head to snuggle into Lila's head. "We co-conspirators should all get along."
Now, all it took was paying a visit to confirm my speculation. The Witch thought silently in her heart, as she sank her cheek further into Lila's silky hair.
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Once entered through the gates, Mel admired the sight of the capital with nostalgia. The Victorian-style stone buildings with bricks as rooftops, bustling stalls with civilians swarming for good selections, and ornate shops that painted the image of elegance and nobility.
This is the capital of the Kingdom of Veneralis, Titania, where Mel once snuck in and lived with the System's guidance.
"Lila." Mel lightly squeezed her Lila's cheek. "Wakey wakey."
"Hm..." Lila rubbed herself on Mel's shoulder, unable to shake off the exhaustion from the long journey. "One more minute..."
The Witch of Lust chuckled before allowing her fellow Witch to settle herself comfortably. Even a sleepy Lila looked cute in her eyes.
They soon stopped before a two-storey inn, with a steep tiled rooftop and white marble walls framed by dark wooden beams. Mel observed from the window the cleanliness and hugeness of the building, how even the window shimmered without a hint of dust sparkling.
"Heh..." Mel smiled at Emilia, who was sitting on the rider seat. "Saria booked this place for us, didn't she?"
Emilia's hand stretched for a 'v' pose. "It's a surprise. The place was expensive, but not extravagant enough. So no annoying nobles, but cozy enough for your three-day stay until the Entrance Exam."
Lila shook a little, her sleepiness gone in the face of her need for manners. "Th-thank you, Miss Emilia. And also, Miss Saria, thank you for arranging the place for us!"
"No issue! I'll make sure to relay to that duncehead." Emlia grinned. "Then, I'll be off! Don't forget the luggage!"
Lila took the bags and stepped out the door, before seeing off the carriage at a distance.
Mel eyed the packed satchel Lila was carrying. She demonstrated to Lila about her System's
However, she will make an exception now. "So, need me to store those for you?"
Lila blinked before nodding. "Mm. Sure."
That was quick. Mel dragged the satchel into the System's inventory, chuckling. "Not being independent now, aren't we? My offer for the
"I don't want to receive your help for free all the time, Mel." Lila pouted. "Even my sister told me to train hard and repay you. I don't want to betray her expectations, nor... yours."
"Aw, Lila..." Her lover(?)'s kind words hit her right in the heart. "Don't pressure yourself too much. Besides, the ring is not for free anyway!"
"Oh?" Lila's brows raised. "Anything I can help with?"
"It's simple. Bathe with me, just once!"
"..."
Lila's eyes squinted in disgust. "Trash. Garbage with only lewd thoughts."
[ Favourability: 65 - > 65.5 ]
[ The Witch of Envy entertained the idea for a moment! You're close there, Host! ]
Admiring the reddened ears and the fidgety body of her girlfriend(?), Mel was going to push her further, before the corner of her eye caught a golden strand of hair.
Hm? Mel's inner thought secretly turmoiled, the words for teasing remaining in her throat as she looked over Lila's shoulder, scanning the beauty behind her girlfriend(?) like a playgirl would back in her University life.
Golden straight hair cloaked the tall woman's back, as her draconic red eyes darted up and down at the inn's building. She wore a dark-red dress traced with delicate, blackened patterns of vines. The black gloves she wore, in particular, protruded a little at the tips, hiding something sharp beneath the thin fabric.
"Heh..." She watched the woman enter the building before petting Lila's confused head. "That's awkward."
[ You have encountered the Witch of Greed! ]
[ Proceed for the favourability, Host? ]
"Nah. I'd wait." Mel shrugged and mumbled, her hand stretching as she ruffled Lila's hair again.
As her ear absorbed the soothing music that was Lila's cute grumbles, Mel recalled the deathly, bored gazes of CG from the Witch of Greed, originally the Half-Dragon Heiress of the Northern Duckdom, Rosana Winterscourge, as she mulled down the cities one by one with a swing of her 'weapons'.
"If I approach her first," Mel squeezed Lila's moaning cheek casually. "The seduction would have already been lost."
[ Favourability: 65.5 - > 66 ]
The Heiress was a natural narcissist, obsessed with 'obtaining' everything with her own hands. A jewelry that grew legs and walked to her would be no jewelry, something Mel would keenly avoid.
"System. You told me long ago that because of a new Head Teacher, the original two-stage entrance exam turned into three stages, right?"
[ Exactly! You can safely fail the first two stages if you succeed at the third! ]
"Hm... I'd consider it." Mel chuckled as Lila fisted angrily with strength that reminded her of a cat's paw. "For now, let's plan how to attract the Heiress's attention in the Third Stage."
The Protagonist is guaranteed to win at the first two stages, no questions asked. But Mel would take the third smoothly no matter the cause.
The Witch of Lust licked her lips as she anticipated herself against Lila and Rosana. The audacity would have maddened the already grumpy Lila, but unfortunately, the poor Witch of Envy was unaware yet of how many more there would be to come.