"That was during my grandfather's time."
Baron Gledin hunched over, resting his chin on his hands, his eyes fixed on the coffee table as if his thoughts had drifted back to a long-ago. "He was a knight of the Kingdom Army, ordered to the border to eradicate a group of followers worshiping the Evil God Bajatos."
Ethan had read this story; there was a book documenting this tale in the public library of Ximu Town, full of fairy tale-style writing, depicting three brave Kingdom Knights and an evil witch who sacrificed the small town's residents to the Evil God.
This was one of the first books Ethan had read to understand where he had crossed over to.
Just like countless fairy tales, the three brave knights went through numerous hardships and eventually defeated the evil witch, bringing peace to the town. To commend the knights, the King bestowed titles upon them. Two decided to stay locally, one of whom was Baron Gledin's grandfather, while the other remained in Riverside Town, contributing to its development and construction.
The close interaction between the two towns was partly due to the old friendship between the two barons.
"I've read that book."
Ave spoke, not wanting to waste time on a story she had heard before, given the urgency of the moment. "Are there any details not mentioned in the book? Like whether the witch left behind descendants or apprentices?"
"All followers related to the witch were executed. However, when they killed the witch, something strange happened... My grandfather revealed a secret in his twilight years. At that time, he was already somewhat incoherent, waking up from nightmares every day."
Gledin's face turned pale. He hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "After they defeated the witch, they beheaded her, but even headless, the witch lived for quite some time. She cursed the town, saying that someday she would return and kill everyone."
"Nobody was braver than my grandfather. He dared to venture into the forest alone and face all the beasts."
Gledin emphasized, seemingly defending the family's honor, but soon his clenched fists loosened in defeat. "But he was scared out of his wits by the nightmares, screaming and rolling out of bed, brandishing his sword at the air, shouting 'She's back.' A few times, he even injured the servants who rushed in upon hearing the commotion. Before sleep, he had to place his sword by the bedside, yet despite this, he couldn't endure long."
His father locked away the news, and very few knew that the hero of Ximu Town died in fear and confusion in his later years.
Baron Gledin lowered his head in despair. "But the witch's curse continued. A few months later, my father was found drowned in the pond by the guards."
This time, it was the entire Riverside Town's turn.
He couldn't help but recall his grandfather's cloudy eyes, the town's hero losing courage, left only with fear and despair, muttering, "She's back, we will all die."
A bolt of lightning cut across the sky; dark clouds obscured the light, shrouding the town in gloom.
This storm was truly fitting.
Ethan's spine tingled as the sudden lightning startled him.
A resurrected witch and the mysterious demise of a town painted everything he saw with a sinister hue.
"Do you think the witch did it?"
Ave pondered for a moment, then turned to Ethan, "Ethan, what kind of witchcraft did she use?"
"How would I know?"
Ethan stared blankly, puzzled.
The baron painted the witch like a ghost, which was quite scary.
"Huh? Aren't you an expert? There are even things in mystical knowledge you don't know."
"I'm just a scribe who's read some books on the occult, I've never dealt directly with a witch... However, resurrection isn't entirely impossible. In 'Understanding 100 Dark Creatures,' it mentions that the Evil God Bajatos worshiped by witches symbolizes death and that His followers have profound research and understanding of death. The book also says that high-level witches can summon creatures from the Netherworld through contracts."
Ethan glanced at Baron Gledin's dejected state, reluctant to continue speaking.
The book also mentions that the sacrifice ritual is a kind of contract, and Bajatos' followers traded souls to Him for power. Thus, the worst-case scenario is that the witch has sacrificed all the Riverside Town residents to the Evil God.
With such a large number of souls, she may be unbeatable now, right?
Compared to a returning witch, Ethan would rather meet a ghost, as the book says ghosts only appear frightening but aren't actually very dangerous.
"It's over; we're doomed..."
Baron Gledin trembled continuously, and Ethan felt that he was about to turn into a mushroom like the traveling merchant.
The learned Ethan analyzed the predicament facing the town and made a difficult decision.
Two years have passed; it's time to leave the town and embark on a new adventure!
From his observations, Miss Keroy possesses flying abilities, and with her strength, carrying him on the journey shouldn't be a problem.
As for Ximu Town, he wished the people here all the best.
Ave suddenly spoke, "I know about your grandfather. He was an Empire-certified Tier Two Knight. After receiving the order, they went to the Empire's border without hesitation."
Ethan guessed that Ave was trying to inspire Baron Gledin, but unfortunately, her overly calm tone came off as sarcastic, making the baron even more depressed. The baron painfully covered his face and murmured, "Yes, if only I could be as brave and strong as my grandfather... He taught me swordsmanship and left the knight's manual, but no matter what, I can't become someone like him."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
The sudden question left the baron stunned. He stammered for a long time but could not utter a complete sentence.
"You are the descendant of the town's hero. The witch will not spare you no matter what. If you intend to do nothing and sit here waiting for her to kill you, I won't waste any more time on you."
Saying this, Ave turned to Ethan and said seriously, "Three Tier Two Knights accomplished it; why can't we? Prepare in advance, set up traps, mobilize the hunters from the guild, and Miss Keroy can also help a lot... Ethan, you go and bring her back to the town."
Ethan noticed Ave's gaze passing over him, drifting towards the storm outside the window, as if she had already begun considering the town's defenses.
At least Ximu Town had a trustworthy sheriff. In this way, he could embark on his adventure with peace of mind.
Moreover, just now, Ave had created the perfect opportunity for him.
He would encounter a witch attack on his way to fetch Miss Keroy and meet misfortune. Even if he never returned to the town, he wouldn't have to bear a bad reputation.
Thinking of this, Ethan turned around.
"Wait a minute."
Ave suddenly called out to him, which made Ethan anxious. She was a clever person; could she have seen through his escape plan?
He began introspecting, thinking he had agreed too hastily before. Faced with such a life-and-death crisis, he should show deep internal conflict, demonstrating great courage and determination to gain trust more easily.
Amidst his thoughts, Ave had already come in front of him, unbuckling the revolver from her waist and placing it in his hands.
"Don't die on the road."
The heavy weight left him somewhat dazed. It was his first time closely observing Ave's revolver.
Exquisite craftsmanship, with a family crest he had never seen before carved into the grip.
Ethan did not expect to be in such a difficult position. He was going to flee, but if he took away Ave's only possible weapon to turn the tide before leaving, it would be too inhumane.
He didn't want to get caught up in others' disputes, nor did he want to cause harm, so he declined, "There's no need for this."
Ave was firm in her stance, urging with a frown, "Stop dawdling, hurry up and return quickly."
In theory, Ave was a smart person.
Just joining the Enlightenment Society was recognition of her intelligence, but Ethan had recently discovered that in some respects, this girl was bafflingly naive, easily handing her weapon over to an outsider.
He believed there were many in the guild who could walk away with this gun without a second thought, sell it for a fortune on the black market, and live a life of leisure under a new identity.
He could only guess that Ave hadn't dealt much with real bad people growing up, which was somewhat unbelievable in this era.
The same opportunity was right before Ethan.
On the eve of departure, Ave even generously provided him with startup funds for his adventure.
"Aren't you afraid I'll run off with your gun?"
When he asked this, Ethan immediately regretted it. He wondered if Ave inadvertently pulled him down to her level.
Upon receiving the hint, Ave suddenly understood, "Oh, right, there's also that possibility."
"I was just joking..."
"If you're going to run, then run far away, head to a big city. When you get there, find an officer, show him this gun, and tell him Ave-Margaret sent you. Tell him about Riverside Town and Ximu Town so he can dispatch the Kingdom Army to exterminate the witch."
Ethan could hardly believe his ears.
"And one more thing."
Ave once again shot him a disdainful glance, "Don't tell others the next time you plan to run, or you'll get tied up."