Chapter 13 - The Reincarnated Eldest Witch Sister Embraces Self-Sacrifice

Chapter 14: Beacon of Fires "It's been a while, Ulgir. I never expected we would meet in such a place." "I concur. While I was aware you continued your activities, this is indeed unexpected." Addressed by Bronte, I replied with a hint of wariness seeping into my voice. More than a year had passed since the day I met her, and as it was obvious, Bronte had not been captured. Rather, I frequently heard rumors of her freely continuing her vigilantism. Since that day, the so-called Thunder Witch, Bronte, had been crushing prominent criminal organizations and cults one after another, leaving a trail of death in her wake. While it is true that public safety had improved, her extremely radical methods split public opinion in two. Some hailed Bronte as an enforcer of justice, while others condemned her as a dangerous entity brandishing her self-righteousness. A portion of the population, blind to the imminent danger, never dreamed Bronte would turn her spearhead their way. Even though a rebellion sparked by her could inevitably involve them. "What brings you here today? What are you planning to do?" "What else would it be? I'm here to save an innocent witch." "Do you have any evidence that the witch is innocent?" "None. However, there's also no evidence proving her guilt. You know as well as I do that she was only passing through a farming village, yet because she could concoct poisons, she's been conveniently framed for cattle murder. It’s an absurd notion. Rather, do you actually believe she has committed a crime?" Faced with that question, I had no choice but to fall silent. As I had explained earlier, I too considered it unlikely that the witch was guilty. "…If you forcibly rescue that witch here, you will lose all support from the people. As an accomplice to a death row inmate who tormented peasants, you too will become an enemy of the people." "I’m prepared for that. I've given up on becoming a noble through legitimate means." "It's not just you—there's also a chance all witches will be perceived as evil." "…I understand. But I am not patient enough to stand idly by as an innocent witch faces execution. If you wish to stop me, you will have to by force." While saying this, Bronte strapped on iron gauntlets and walked towards the scaffold. I had been too engrossed in our conversation to notice, but at some point, the witch on death row had been bound to the guillotine. And the next moment, just as the guillotine's blade was about to fall, an incredibly loud clap of thunderous electricity resounded. Simultaneously, Bronte, clad in lightning, burst through the soldiers' guard with her lightning-fast speed and shattered the central plaza's guillotine with her fists. "What!? Impossible, how did she—" "I'm just here to take her back. Don’t worry, I don't intend to harm anyone." "And you expect us to let her go quietly?" "Hah, as if your cumbersome equipment could ever catch me." As she spoke, Bronte hoisted the released death row witch onto her back, intending to make her escape. I attempted to launch a magical attack at Bronte in response… but ultimately, I could not bring myself to cast the spell. The witch's face, shrouded in despair, came to mind, and I could not bring myself to send her back to the guillotine. Bronte ran like lightning, slipping through the gaps in the soldiers' defenses and darting through the gathered crowd, quickly leaving the central plaza behind. All I could do was silently watch as she disappeared into the distance with the condemned witch on her back. My steps were heavy like lead as I returned home from the royal capital, and my heart was heavily burdened. ++++++ …A week had passed since that incident. Things were progressing in the direction I had feared. The story of the Thunder Witch saving the witch on death row had quickly spread throughout the kingdom, and the public's view of witches was growing colder. The fact that the crime she was accused of was cattle murder, something related to their food supply, worsened the matter. Some started claiming that "witches are trying to starve us" due to the drought. Walking in the city, I clearly felt a rise in piercing cold stares. Fortunately, most of those I regularly did business with acted as usual, but I encountered more complications than before. For instance, Hecate's familiars used for delivery services had to be suspended. Demeter's trade and Istos's career as an adventurer were still manageable for now, but their sustainability was uncertain. If Bronte's actions became even more radical, hostility towards witches would only increase. It was now impossible to deflect the hostility of the people. So, the only remaining course of action was to alleviate their suffering and discontent, the roots of their hostility, even if just a little. That's why I continued to release grain into the market to relieve the food shortage… but recently, I noticed something odd. Grain I had supposedly sold was not being presented for sale at the Defelos Trading Company's food store. Confronting Mr. Synaragi from the Defelos Trading Company about the matter today, I discovered a shocking truth. "You've just been stockpiling the grain? What's your intention?" "It's an order from the chairman. He wishes to begin selling once the price rises a bit more…" "So, profiting now is more important than the lives of people dying from hunger this very moment or our trust? We had an agreement to sell at the standard price, didn't we?" "I understand how you feel. But, the chairman's orders are absolute." "…I will cease selling grain to you. I'll need some time to think about future transactions." Leaving those words behind, I exited the headquarters of the Defelos Trading Company. As I walked home, the autumn's cold winds cooled my heated thoughts. Looking back, I had been naive about this matter. With the social credit of witches deteriorating, the Defelos Trading Company no longer had to concern itself greatly with trust from our side. Hypothetically, if I were to terminate dealings with Defelos from this moment on, as a witch, I would struggle tremendously to find another large business partner. They likely anticipated this and thus betrayed me. I had erred in thinking we had built a trust over this decade of business relations. Now, I couldn't abruptly end our dealings due to my emotions; the situation was extremely frustrating. Feeling pressured from all sides, I was gradually losing my composure. The perfect image of a sister protecting her siblings was beginning to crumble away.