Chapter 49 - 45: Refusal

"So you are Miss Linda."

Avril smiled, shaking her head in refusal. "Nice to meet you, a fellow witch, but I can’t go with you."

"Why not?"

Linda looked at Avril in surprise, full of confusion.

Avril, equally puzzled, retorted, "Why should I go with you?"

"Because we’re all witches, and only by gathering together can we stop others from persecuting us!" Linda said passionately.

Avril calmly refuted, "But I haven’t been persecuted for being a witch~"

"That’s because they don’t know you’re a witch yet!"

Linda blurted out without thinking, "Once they find out, they’ll treat you as an alien, bully you, and even capture and torture you!"

Avril, confused, turned to Alya and asked, "Would you?"

Alya warily stared at Linda and casually replied, "I don’t care about any witch, we’re friends."

"Hmm~"

Avril shrugged, indicating Alya clearly didn’t care.

"Just because she thinks so doesn’t mean the Noble Baron does!"

Linda frowned, trying hard to persuade, "Once he knows you’re a witch, he’ll surely fear your power, worry you threaten his rule, and then capture and torture you, maybe even kill you!"

Avril sighed lightly, suddenly feeling a bit annoyed at Linda.

Being a noble herself, she didn’t appreciate Linda’s opinion on nobility.

More importantly, she knew Luo De wasn’t like that; Linda’s random judgment was quite rude.

"Are all you witches this stupid?"

Just as Avril was about to retort, a slightly sharp query echoed.

Both looked up to see Luo De entering the cabin.

Following him were Durant, Rein, and two Guards.

As for Linda’s companion, Lusen, he was securely bound and escorted by the Guards, a sword held to his neck.

Durant pulled out a chair, Luo De slowly sat down, and smirked at Linda, "Is your head filled with candles?"

"If I didn’t know Avril was a witch, would I let my female hunter wait here with you?"

When the Guard monitoring Linda reported her and Lusen wandering around the town and eventually stopping below the manor’s hill, Luo De had a hunch.

If Linda was indeed a Spellcaster, she was likely searching for something.

What in the manor would interest a Spellcaster?

A Two-legged Flying Dragon Egg, an Extraordinary Gem, and the witch Avril.

Realizing this, Luo De instructed the Guards to protect the Dragon Egg and had Alya, the girl, personally guard Avril.

When they appeared in front of Avril’s cabin, Luo De had already noticed.

"You knew all along?"

Linda was shocked, momentarily at a loss for words, "You don’t hate witches? Not afraid? Don’t think they’re devils?"

"If witches were devils, then Frost Leaf Town would already be hell."

Recalling Avril’s ordeal, Luo De couldn’t help but chuckle.

The infamous "Devil Witch" was chased out of her territory by a group, almost losing her life in the process.

Luo De’s words made Linda clench her fists, her fingers turning white from the pressure.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Don’t you?"

Luo De chuckled softly, "A witch’s ability is just a talent. If you see someone more talented and deem them as devils, then I think such narrow-minded thinkers are the real devils."

"But the Church thinks witches are devils, calamities!"

Linda’s voice trembled, growing agitated again, "What if the Church discovers her and wants to capture her?"

"Huh, my territory is my decision. The Church?"

Luo De’s smile suddenly vanished, his voice icy, "If they dare extend their hands into my territory, I’ll chop them off."

The highest rulers of the Broken Rock Empire don’t even meddle in this, what is the Church?

Luo De wouldn’t provoke them nor publicly declare "there’s a witch here" to challenge the Church.

But if the Church dared to capture people in his territory, they’d have to fight!

"Then, then, then, waah!"

Suddenly, Linda collapsed onto the bed, crying loudly!

Everyone else was stunned, glancing at each other in bewilderment.

For a moment, Linda seemed overwhelmingly wronged, her cries echoing!

Luo De looked baffled, unsure what to do.

He hadn’t even done anything; why was she crying?

He was planning to negotiate!

Luo De turned to Lusen, "What’s happening?"

"Mmm!"

Lusen made muffled sounds, indicating he had something to say.

Luo De gestured, and the Guards removed the cloth from Lusen’s mouth.

Lusen spat out some scraps and sighed, "When she awakened at age ten, she burned down her house and her younger brother, earning the name Daughter of Calamity.

"Linda’s parents resented her, handing her to the Lord, who sold her to the Church and tried to violate her before they arrived."

"In desperation, Linda set fire to the manor and used the chance to escape."

"The Lord, in anger, lashed her parents to death. Since then, Linda became known as a calamity, a homeless wanderer, drifting until found by a witch from the Dawn Society."

So it was childhood trauma, psychological scars.

Luo De felt a bit helpless, while others in the room sighed softly.

Avril sat on the bed, gently comforting the sobbing Linda, whispering reassurances.

After a moment of silence, Luo De lamented, "When a sharp tool is in a child’s hands, especially when the child can’t control it, it truly is a disaster."

"But I don’t believe it was her intention, nor should all witches be judged as calamities because of it."

"You are wise, Lord Baron."

Hearing Luo De’s words, Lusen solemnly bowed, explaining, "The Dawn Society aims to discover witches early, as in the Ancient Era, protect them, and guide them properly to prevent unnecessary disasters."

"Lord Baron, we mean no harm and don’t wish to antagonize you. We earnestly ask you to let us go."

"No matter the reason, it doesn’t justify your illegal intrusion into Winter Manor."

Luo De sympathized with Linda’s past but made no comment on Lusen’s account of the Dawn Society.

Regardless of their intentions, Winter Manor wasn’t a place to come and go as they pleased.

That would trample on Luo De’s dignity as a Lord.

Lusen’s expression froze, then he smiled wryly, "Lord Baron, if you don’t hate witches, there’s no need to oppose the Dawn Society."

"You two likely can’t represent the Dawn Society."

Luo De confidently stared at Lusen, "If you cause trouble in my land, even if I execute you, it wouldn’t break Imperial law.

If the Dawn Society acts against an imperial noble, it insults the Empire’s honor. I believe your leader wouldn’t be so foolish."

Lusen fell silent.

He knew at least half of Luo De’s words were true.

The Dawn Society needed the support of the Broken Rock Empire and couldn’t arbitrarily make enemies with nobles.

Moreover, the Northern Territory wasn’t originally part of their itinerary, and the Dawn Society wasn’t aware of his and Linda’s presence here.

After pondering for a long time, Lusen finally said, "If you let us go, we’ll convey your goodwill to the Dawn Society and provide you with ample compensation."