Surviving as the Mad Son of the Ducal House

Chapter 113 : Chapter 113

Chapter 113

As I hurried to the entrance at the magic power felt from outside, I glimpsed a huge hat beyond the blue flames.

"Ha..."

There is only one character with a hat huge enough to cover the entire body with its brim.

'Witch.'

The Witch was a character people liked because of her unique outfit and cute dialogue, but meeting the Witch was one of the events I hated the most.

Because her existence itself, being a neutral character who becomes an enemy or an ally depending on the situation, hindered the playthrough.

Moreover, when she appeared as an enemy, she casually destroyed three or four kingdoms, but when she helped, she only gave one item or skill; it was truly the worst event.

'The conditions shouldn't have been met?'

I tried dozens of times to recruit her as a companion, but it was impossible to conquer her 'alignment'.

Even in exactly the same situation, the Witch had a fifty-fifty chance of having hostility or giving small help.

Instead, I succeeded in analyzing the conditions and actions to meet the Witch.

There are a total of 5 conditions to meet her.

Staying in the same place for 5 days.

At least one of the team members must be a human female.

There must be a wizard among the team members.

There must be no Elf or Cleric in the team.

If all those conditions are not met, the Witch does not appear.

'The problem is that they are easier conditions than I thought...'

Elves are a race difficult to recruit from the beginning, and unless you were overflowing with money, it was difficult to recruit a Cleric in the game.

It was common to have mixed genders in a team or include a wizard.

In fact, the only real condition was 'Do not stay in the same place for more than 5 days.'

That's why I left Reina behind when planning this training.

Because if she were here, all those conditions would be met.

'But why did she appear?'

Instead of revealing myself, I recovered my body and pondered while eavesdropping on the conversation between Garius and the Witch.

'Can I catch the Witch?'

I never tried in the game.

Because the moment she appeared, all characters became incapacitated.

'I think I can move.'

I wondered if I could attack using stealth, but gave up.

Because among the kingdoms she destroyed in the game was the kingdom where the Ghost King, an S-rank hero, lived.

If she were an existence vulnerable to ambush, the Ghost King in the game would have killed her.

'It can't be helped.'

I have no choice but to treat her as politely and kindly as possible while testing the waters.

Just as I decided that and used the Fire Resistance Potion and Scroll I had saved, and walked toward the blue flames.

I heard a voice as sweet as whispering love to a lover.

"I wanted to see the human inside too... but it can't be helped. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with just you."

...Is she crazy?

At the voice coveting my first, unique, and only hero, the plan in my head turned blank, and a new plan emerged.

Named Plan F.

"Who are you flirting with, an A-rank?"

I absolutely cannot give my hero.

* * *

"...Uh?"

The Witch opened her eyes round and looked at me.

Her face, beautiful enough to make one wonder if she was really human under the hat, was colored with embarrassment and surprise.

'Even when I saw the illustration, I really wondered if she was human.'

It's natural. Because the Witch is not human.

"Did you speak to me just now?"

When she opened her mouth, dense mana was felt.

If it were in the game, the moment I touched that mana, I would have turned incapacitated and fallen under charm.

But having two mental defense traits, I only felt a little stuffy in my breath.

"Who else is here besides you?"

As if she didn't expect me to react like that, the Witch looked alternately at Garius and me.

"……?"

As if she couldn't believe I was fine, she moved more and more mana, but nothing changed.

"Hey."

"...Strange?"

The Witch, frowning deeply, approached me and tilted her head.

"...Are you human too?"

"Of course I'm human."

She shook her head saying absolutely impossible, then suddenly raised her head and shouted.

"Ah! Dragon! The dragon smell coming from the forest was you! I came to find you!"

"...You came to find a dragon?"

"Yeah! Because I've never seen a dragon! You're healthier than I thought?"

For a moment, the black lizard in the fortress came to mind.

The Witch came to find a dragon; was there such a story in the original game too?

Then why did Calua die in the game?

Thinking for a moment, the answer came to mind in the mana dense enough to be suffocating.

'The Witch's way of thinking cannot be the same as a human's.'

She literally just came to 'find' the dragon.

I don't know what the Witch who met Calua did, but it was certain she didn't help.

"...Why did you look for the dragon?"

"I told you, I've never seen a dragon!"

She spoke casually, but I didn't miss the sense of incongruity felt in that answer.

'Seeing her say he's healthier than she thought, does it mean she knew Calua was suffering?'

And when the suffering Calua left the place, she revealed herself to check on the dragon.

'No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem like good intentions...'

Although the Witch's eyes were full of curiosity and joy, I intuitively realized.

That if she knew I had Calua, she wouldn't like it.

"Ah, that person's name is Garius. What's your name?"

Seeing her asking with sparkling transparent eyes, a chuckle burst out.

"Hey."

"……?"

"I have no intention of giving my wizard or lizard, so get lost."

At the same time, pretending to grab my sword, I dropped the ring on my pinky finger.

"Ahahaha! What?"

The mana around the Witch boiled up.

The eyes that feigned harmless innocence until just a moment ago were now blazing with anger.

"I said I can absolutely never give up what's mine, so get lost."

"You... do you know who I am?"

Of course I know, but instead of saying it, I asked back.

"Do you know who I am?"

I know but you don't.

Because just preempting information can confuse the opponent.

"Witch of the Forest, poor doll bound by oaths and contracts, do you know who I am?"

"How do you know that...!"

At the same time, as I trampled on the ring dropped on the floor, a strong mana storm burst out from the ring with the sound of it breaking.

Magic hidden in the ring 'gifted' by the Vice-tower lord, Coercere.

Calua said Coercere is magic that forces the opponent to follow a contract.

Garius said it was dark magic of unknown origin.

'I was thinking of researching it before using it...'

A black sphere that popped out from where the ring broke wrapped around the Witch.

"Wait, wait!"

As expected, just as I thought, she urgently called me.

"You, you are not that dragon, right?!"

"I told you from the beginning, I am human."

"Don't lie!"

The more she shouted, the more Coercere began to swallow her mana. With her skill, resisting wouldn't be difficult, but the cost wouldn't be negligible.

"What on earth are you? You, don't tell me you are a new 'Administrator'?"

She thought for a moment, then shook her head and shouted.

"That can't be! You, tell me! What oath did I break!"

Of course I don't know.

I just guessed she must have broken at least one thing.

The most likely one is...

"Why are you here?"

That she appeared violating the appearance conditions.

"That's, that's...!"

Looking fiercely at the black sphere, she spoke with a blank face.

"...You mean there isn't a single woman among over a hundred humans?"

Yes.

I thought that might happen, so I told her not to come this time.

Thinking we might unluckily encounter her, I plan to bring a Cleric and an Elf next time too.

"This is foul play!"

She shouted like that, hesitated, and then raised both hands.

"Fine! Breaking the contract is my fault! But I assure you, I avoided 'Her' eyes. If you are also one of the Administrators, you would know."

Simultaneously with those words, Coercere, which was swallowing her mana, stopped.

That means those words are truth according to the contract.

'Administrator? Her?'

The Witch mistakes me for an Administrator.

At the same time, it seems the Administrator is active avoiding 'Her' eyes.

As if to solidify my thought, I opened my mouth again.

"Aren't the others just conditions to avoid her eyes? Since I avoided her eyes, strictly speaking, I didn't break the contract."

It is not desirable for her to be released in this situation. If we talk a little more, she might notice I am not an 'Administrator'.

"...Do you really think so?"

As I looked at Garius pondering how to deceive the Witch, she shouted abruptly.

"You were an Administrator! You, you look like a complete rookie, can you treat a senior like this?!"

Seeing the Witch with tears in her eyes, I got a strong feeling that there are no seniors and juniors among Administrators.

"...For someone who came to take my wizard as she pleases."

"What?! I didn't even know there was an Administrator here! The dragon's smell led to the cave, so I just came to check! Right, where on earth did that dragon disappear to?!"

The moment she spoke about the dragon, at the sharpened voice, a suspicion arose just in case.

The Witch called 'Administrator' came out to this place to find the dragon, and wanted to find the dragon enough to mistake me for one.

And there is an oath broken enough to be half-swallowed by Coercere.

Perhaps, the role of the Administrator might be literally just that.

"...Managing that would have been your job."

When I threw a gamble, she distorted her face and shouted.

"Ah damn it! You knew even that? Okay, okay! I lost!"

As she moved her hand, Coercere's movement slowed down.

"This is yours, so I'll grant your request. You grant my request too."

Hmm...

There are many things I want to ask the Witch, but.

"How can I trust you?"

"Oh my god, how can you be so twisted? Is it because you're human?"

"Witch, you tried to steal my wizard."

"No, I mean, I didn't know he had an owner! Fine, good for me. Let's have a 'Conversation'. Since you and I can only speak the truth."

Before I could say anything, the mana extending from her body wrapped around her and me simultaneously.

"There, done now right? Since you know anyway, I'll go first. My request is simple. Find that dragon."

Cold sweat ran down my back at the sudden situation.

"Dead or alive?"

"Of course alive!"

When I asked just in case, she shouted angrily.

'Alive? Does that mean she didn't intend to kill him from the beginning? Then why did she leave Calua alone?'

Leaving the complicated thoughts behind, I said in a calm voice.

"No, finding a dragon hiding its presence is difficult. Instead, if it's just finding out whether it's dead or alive, it's not difficult."

At my words, the Witch, bowing her head with a thud, asked in a gloomy voice.

"Hing... Then can't you check if he is in a safe place?"

'Is she acting?'

"That..."

I tried to say that dragon is in a dangerous place, but my mouth didn't move.

As long as this magic exists, it was clear that we could only tell each other the truth.

"That is not difficult."

"Really? Really?! I got caught by 'Her' last time and suffered badly, will it still be okay?"

For a moment, I had more things to ask, but I shook my head calmly.

For now, it seemed her goal was to save Calua. And for some reason, it's certain she failed.

What is most important is that I have what she wants.

Before I could organize my thoughts, the scoundrel inside me smacked his lips.

"But I don't know what to ask of you."

"Uh...?"

"I can check both the life and safety of that dragon. If I use a little more power, I could find him too."

The 'Administrator' is clearly a being as strong as her. The reason she called me 'rookie' or thought it couldn't be me is probably because I am weak.

Now, I need to show off my ability, so I finished speaking while bluffing that I can find the dragon even she can't find.

"But, what can you do?"

A secret technique obtained while dealing with countless merchants and heroes in the game.

The Scoundrel Art Second Form Make the First Offer .

The flustered Witch's trembling gaze turned to me.