Chapter 630: Alice (3)

Looking at her distressed expression, Amon sighed inwardly.

This situation was becoming more complicated than he had anticipated. There were still too many unanswered questions.

For now, however, he needed to calm the girl down. She was frightened enough already, and pressing her for more answers wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Amon stepped closer. “Listen, Alice.”

He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Alice flinched at the unexpected contact, her body tensing as she instinctively looked up at him.

Amon noticed her reaction but didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he gave her a reassuring look, doing his best to appear less frightening despite the strange black substance still covering his face.

“We’ll help you. Just because you’ve awakened a class related to witches doesn’t mean you’re some kind of monster.”

He looked directly into her brown eyes, which had begun to glisten with unshed tears.

“Your class doesn’t determine what kind of person you are. What matters is what you choose to do with it.”

His voice softened, carrying a warmth that reminded Alice of the reassurance an older brother might offer his frightened little sister.

“So don’t worry too much. No matter what it takes, we won’t let anyone harm you.”

He paused dramatically before adding in a confident tone, “After all, this handsome and charming big brother has already promised to protect you. And a handsome, charming big brother never breaks his promises!”

Alice blinked.

For a moment, she simply stared at him, as if seemingly confused by his sudden declaration as who was handsome and charming.

Nevertheless, she decided not to question him.

“…Thank you,” she whispered.

Her shoulders trembled as she lowered her head. Tears finally slipped down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand.

“Thank you… really.”

Some of the tension seemed to leave her body.

She still didn’t know whether she could trust them completely. She didn’t know what would happen to her next, either.

But at least, for the first time in a long while, she no longer felt as though she had to face everything alone.

Amon observed her and smile again. “For now go back to your home, it’s getting late, you mother might get worried for you.”

She nodded. “Yes… I will go…” She turned to leave but paused. “Ho-how can I contact you two?”

At her question Arnold spoke. “Don’t worry, we two will be looking after you from afar and if you need to meet us urgently just come to this same place again. One of us will be here in woods.”

“Okay, thank you!” She bowed to them and turned around. And ran away.

—

In Eldermere City, tucked away in one of its narrow alleyways, stood an old, two-story building that had long since been abandoned. Its weathered walls and dusty windows gave the impression that no one had set foot inside for years.

Yet, beneath the building, hidden in a corner of the basement, was something that would have gone unnoticed by anyone who didn’t know where to look.

A steel hatch concealed in the floor.

With a faint metallic creak, the hatch suddenly shifted before slowly swinging open.

Two figures emerged from the darkness below, both dressed in black cloaks that concealed their appearances. They climbed out of the hidden passage one after another before closing the hatch behind them.

After ensuring that everything was in place, they made their way through the deserted building and toward the alleyway outside.

A man was waiting there, leaning casually against the wall.

When the two cloaked figures emerged, he glanced at them. They exchanged a brief look and gave him a slight nod before continuing on their way, behaving as though they were complete strangers.

The man didn’t attempt to stop them. He simply remained where he was, watching them leave.

The two figures soon emerged from the alleyway and blended into the crowds of Eldermere’s night market.

Despite the late hour, the market remained lively. Vendors continued to call out to passing customers, the streets were illuminated by rows of lanterns, and people moved between the stalls in search of food, goods, and entertainment.

Amid the bustling crowd, the two cloaked figures attracted little attention.

They eventually arrived at an inn and entered without hesitation. After confirming their reservation, they made their way upstairs to the room they had booked.

Only after closing the door securely behind them did the two figures finally remove their cloaks.

Beneath them were two women.

Adelia Evangeline and Stella.

Both had changed into practical outfits consisting of tunics, trousers, and sturdy leather boots. Their clothing was far more suitable for moving around discreetly than their usual attire.

With their disguises no longer necessary, the two women crossed the room and sat down on separate beds.

Stella let out a long sigh and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

“To think something like this was happening, and we’re only finding out about it now…”

Her voice carried a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

Adelia sat quietly for a moment before responding.

“Perhaps even the Silent Veil failed to notice what was happening. Leonera is a remote village, after all. It’s possible that whatever has been going on there never attracted enough attention to warrant an investigation.”

“Even so…” Stella rubbed her forehead with a weary expression. “They burned a woman at the stake just a month and a half ago because they believed she was an evil witch.”

She shook her head in dismay. “How can something like that still be happening in this day and age?”

Adelia’s expression grew solemn.

Neither of them had expected to uncover something like this during their investigation. The thought that an innocent woman might have been condemned to such a cruel death simply because of the villagers’ suspicions was deeply unsettling.

Stella leaned back and released another sigh. “We need to visit Leonera as soon as possible and investigate the situation ourselves.”

“Tomorrow?” Adelia asked, turning toward her.

Stella immediately shook her head. “No, not tomorrow. We still need to gather more information and make the necessary preparations. If there’s any danger waiting for us in that village, I don’t want us walking straight into it unprepared.”

She paused briefly before adding, “Let’s find out as much as we can first. Then we’ll decide when to leave.”

“All right.”

Adelia nodded in agreement.

For a while, neither woman spoke.

Adelia’s gaze drifted toward the window. Beyond the glass, the moon hung high in the night sky, casting its pale light over the rooftops of Eldermere City.

The city remained alive with activity, seemingly undisturbed by whatever dark secrets lay hidden in a distant village.