novelraw Chapter 35 : Chapter 35
Chapter 35 : Chapter 35
Volume 2, Chapter 4. The Witch’s Advice
“Sigh...”
Sitting under the shade of a tree, Leticia looked at the fenced-in fields not far away, and the scattered little wooden houses in the distance. She sighed again for the umpteenth time.
This was the outskirts of a town, bordering a small village. The atmosphere and environment were completely different from her birthplace, Innsmouth Village.
The land here was fertile, vegetation lush. No dry, cracked ground, no dead trees with crows perched. People passed by with faint or broad smiles, nodding, greeting one another—basic human warmth.
Even the ground beneath her, though not farmland, carried a soft comfort and a fresh, natural fragrance, perfectly suited for nurturing life.
“Ah...”
Leaning against the tree trunk, Leticia let out another moan. “My head’s so dizzy...”
Lady Yemi Ai had generously given her a little freedom: she could wander anywhere she liked, so long as she returned to their lodging at night.
They had come to this small town named Wolkin. Yemi Ai seemed to have quite a few matters here. They had already lingered two days, with no sign of leaving.
Her head felt stuffed full, swollen and uncomfortable. Leticia knew that as soon as she exerted herself or let strong emotions quicken her heartbeat and blood flow, fainting and shock would follow.
This was too tragic!!!
“Basically a cripple now. Can only walk slowly, can’t even afford strong emotions...”
Her complaints already counted as strong emotional expressions. “What am I supposed to do...”
When she’d gone to Yemi Ai for help, the Witch had indeed offered her guidance—three possible solutions.
The first: seek salvation from the Church, let them redeem her “lost and fragile” soul.
Denied!
Never mind that her identity was already stamped as a Heretic. Going to the Church was suicide, let alone hoping to survive through it. What a joke...
Even if she weren’t some Demon Maid nonsense but an ordinary commoner—hoping a priest would mercifully expend one of those miracles of massive cost to save her? Impossible.
Children who entered the Church through the Path of Sanctity didn’t even have that qualification. Better not to think about it. At most, she could dream about it sometimes.
The second: follow the instinct of a Heretic. As a maid, actively absorb others’ life force to make up for her own loss.
That sounded metaphysical enough. But Leticia couldn’t do it.
When she asked Yemi Ai about this, the Lady in Black gave her two examples.
The first was killing. Taking life in the simplest, crudest way, and then instinct would teach her how to absorb it.
Clearly impossible. With her thin arms and legs, and now disabled from exertion, how could she fight someone one-on-one?
She’d just be giving herself up.
The second example...
At the thought, Leticia couldn’t stop blushing with shame. Because Yemi Ai’s second example was—to do that with a man...
“Don’t you understand such a simple principle? Just sleep with them. Men are brimming with vigor and life force. Is it hard? Find some simple-minded man, take off your clothes, cast a glance, say ‘I want to do it with you.’ How many men would refuse? You can even draw life force from a man’s fluids. He only loses a trivial bit of vitality, while you both enjoy supreme pleasure. Why not?”
That was Yemi Ai’s original phrasing.
“Ugh...”
The girl covered her face, wailing. “There’s no way I could do that...”
Just imagining rolling in bed with some unknown man made Leticia feel like she’d faint—really faint.
“Looks like I’ll have to think about the third option...”
This world contained things outside the normal realm.
Whether the sacred rituals and miracles mastered only by Church members, or the sorceries and magic hidden in the dark world, unknown to the masses.
Ordinary people didn’t even know magic existed, because only Heretics could use it.
Magic was the miracle of demons.
This concept wasn’t the same as the novels Leticia had read before, but there were similarities.
If magic existed, then objects capable of channeling magic must exist too.
Yemi Ai’s third suggestion was to search for special items infused with so-called magical power, things that could relieve or treat the symptoms of her life-force loss.
But that could only stave off death. The damage already done could not be reversed. Because this was magic, not a miracle.
In other words, she’d also need to seek items that could stabilize her mental state—effects akin to tranquilizers.
If only she’d studied pharmaceuticals in her past life... she could’ve made her own (laugh).
“But that’s so difficult too...”
She sighed again. “I can’t even read properly. Where would I find such mystical items?”
Any way she thought of it, it was a dead end. Dead, utterly dead.
Yet she had to find a way to break out of this deadlock.
Someone save her!!!
“Ugh...”
Damn, she’d gotten emotional again and her head spun.
“Looks like I’ll have to ask Lady again... see if there’s any way...”
Suddenly, Leticia noticed someone beside her.
But there was no one around. Only her shadow under the tree’s shade. Shade... shade...
Snapping her head up, Leticia’s gaze met directly with a pair of blue eyes.
“Who?!”
“Wah!”
It was the other who was startled by her shout, almost tumbling out of the tree—only barely catching a branch to hold on.
But then came the inevitable sound of wood snapping.
“Waaaah!!!”
Thud. Leticia didn’t even have the heart to watch the poor guy’s landing.
“Oww! That hurts!”
Clutching his backside, the boy cried out, face twisted.
“Uh... and you are?”
Leticia forced down her laughter to ask. The dizziness in her head was at least enough to smother her urge to laugh aloud.
“Ugh... I-I’m Joey...”
Quickly changing into a less awkward pose, the brown-haired boy with freckles on his face forced a stiff expression. “Ow ow ow ow...”