The Duke, who had been silently observing the exchange, glanced at the Head Butler. The Head Butler, ever so discreet, responded with a slight nod of his own.
The Head Butler moved his hands behind his back. Slowly, a faint shimmer of magic began to manifest, a magic circle materializing just behind him.
It glowed faintly, as if it were barely there at all, a testament to the Butler’s skill. The mana was controlled to such a degree that it left no trace in the room, no sign that anything unnatural was happening.
Outside the room, hidden from the maid, a shimmering cube began to form, delicate tendrils of magic weaving together.
Once the shimmering cube was fully formed, the space inside was sealed.
The Head Butler subtly tapped the Duke’s shoulder, a quiet signal that the moment had arrived.
With the silent communication passed between them, the Duke’s cold voice broke the conversation between the maid and Leon in the room. "Hero, it’s about time we call the next servant."
The maid, who had been so absorbed in the rapid-fire questioning, suddenly snapped out of the trance-like stupor she had been in. For a brief moment, a wave of confusion washed over her. ’What was wrong with me?’ she thought, her mind struggling to piece together the strange fog that had clouded her thoughts.
But before she could dwell on it further, her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Leon’s voice.
"Haha! I nearly got too engrossed talking with this beautiful miss over here," Leon said, his voice light and teasing. He gave the maid a charming smile, one that had the intended effect—her face flushed immediately, and any lingering thoughts she had were erased, replaced by a rush of flustered embarrassment.
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"Just Few more questions." Said Leon and the Duke nodded.
Leon’s silver eyes locked on the maid, his voice smooth and calm as he asked, "Miss, have you ever felt some kind of discomfort in this mansion like someone is watching you? Or have you ever felt a threat to your life while walking around or outside the mansion?"
"No. Sir Hero," she replied quickly, the words tumbling out, almost too fast to consider.
Yet, as soon as the response left her lips, she fidgeted nervously, her fingers twisting together in her lap as her brow furrowed. "But… why such a question, Sir Hero?"
Leon’s face shifted, a solemn expression settling over his features. He gave a brief, almost imperceptible glance toward the Duke before pausing as if weighing the situation carefully.
He let out a soft sigh and then, with a quiet but deliberate movement, bowed his head slightly. "I am not allowed to reveal that," he began, his voice lower than before, laced with a sense of gravity. "But after listening to you, miss, I have a feeling I can trust you. Miss, the Church has gotten information that a witch is hiding around the Southern Duchy."
The Duke and the Head Butler clenched their fists tightly as they observed the maid’s reaction upon hearing the word ’witch’. Her eyes went red in an instant, and she looked down at Leon with a murderous intent.
But just as quickly as the anger had surfaced, it vanished, as though it had never been there at all. The maid’s expression shifted in the blink of an eye, her face softening and returning to its previous state of nervousness, though there was now an undeniable tremor in her voice.
"W-What do you mean, Sir Hero? A witch?" she asked, her tone shaky and uncertain, her words almost spilling out in a rushed breath.
Leon looked up, his eyes filled with anger, and said, "Yes, those disgusting women who are the enemy of all races."
The maid’s fists clenched on her dress upon hearing ’disgusting women’. Her face twitched, and she asked with her voice slightly rising, "Are you sure, Sir Hero?"
"Yes, but don’t fear," Leon added quickly, his tone shifting slightly to reassure her. "The information also states that the witch who is hiding is determined to be a disciple."
’Where is this bastard getting information from? I have to connect to Master, she must listen to this,’ thought the maid and the color of her right eye slightly changed.
Though the maid did not notice it, her focus on Ashok was far too intense right now, causing her to ignore her surroundings to the extent that she did not once glance at the Duke or the Head Butler.
Leon said, "Miss, you don’t need to worry. That witch will be killed soon enough. Not only that witch but also the great witch who taught her. No one will be spared.
The Church and the Union will make sure that the foolish witch hiding here reveals the location of the other witches. We will hunt down all those disgusting women and hang their heads in front of—"
The maid’s hands shot forward toward Ashok’s head. Her voice, barely above a whisper, carried killing intent as she said, "Try to protect your head first."
’IT’S A TRAP! USE YOUR POWER, ESCAPE RIGHT NOW,’ the witch heard her master shout in her head, but it was all too late.
Just as her fingers were mere inches from Ashok’s head, a deafening sound of thunder shattered the stillness of the room.
Raijin’s Draw First Form: One Flash
SLICE!
She saw a man wearing a bamboo hat appear right beside Ashok, electric currents swirling all around him.
CLINK!
The sharp, metallic sound of a sword guard tapping against its sheath rang through the air. The witch suddenly felt a numbing pain from both her arms and legs. Her extended arm toward Ashok’s head was slowly sliding downwards from the elbow.
Her sense of balance started to distort as both her knees began to slide away from her legs.
’RUN NOW, I-’ her master’s voice was suddenly cut off when she felt a sense of heaviness surrounding her neck.
CLANG!
The sound of cold metal striking through the air rang through the room. Before she could even react, she felt a sudden weight around her neck—something cold and unyielding.
The Head Butler, ever silent and precise, had appeared behind her and in a single motion, he had placed a suppression collar around her neck, the metal clicking shut.
The witch felt her connection to the mana within her body disappearing the moment the collar was tightened.
’You fools! It doesn’t matter if my connection to mana fades away; I can simply return to my original body by using the life force of this vessel.’ The witch tried to connect to her original body, but she was unable to sense its location.
’Why? Why can’t I feel the connection to my real body?’ Her face suddenly morphed in confusion, and the confidence started evaporating with each passing second.
Leon got up and straightway kicked the witch right in the stomach. He didn’t have any technique behind his kick but because of his Sole Survivor trait, his strength stat was that of a D Ranker.
The maid was not strong like Cassius or the Head Butler, the body was that of an E Ranker, and without the power of the witch, it was nothing.
BOOM!
SWOOSH!
The witch’s body flew through the air and crashed beside the fireplace. Her body landed heavily, much like Karzan’s had before.
Blood sprayed from her severed hand and legs, painting the floor in crimson streaks. Her body slammed into the wall, while her detached hands and legs lay on the floor nearby, still standing, each leaking a steady stream of blood.
"AAAAAAAH!" The witch’s scream of pain ripped through the air. The lingering numbness from the thunder attribute had briefly dulled her senses, but now every ounce of pain hit her like a tidal wave.
The brutal sensation of losing her hands and legs in an instant overwhelmed her, the agony searing through her body.
As if that wasn’t enough, the blow to her stomach from Leon intensified the suffering, a deep, pulsing pain radiating outward from her core. Blood began to pour from her mouth as she gasped for breath.
"You must be quite confused as to why you can’t connect to your real body, Witch of Rogues," Leon said, his voice calm and steady as he stood over her, a kind smile curling at the corner of his lips.
But to the witch, that smile no longer seemed kind or beautiful, as it once had. Now, it felt mocking, cold—like a cruel reminder of her defeat.
"HAH! HAH!" The witch gasped for breath, her chest heaving as she fought through the overwhelming pain. Despite the agony, she dragged her broken body upward, leaning weakly against the stone wall for support.
Her eyes, wide with disbelief, flickered with a mix of fury and confusion. "How do you know?" she hissed, her voice trembling.
"Does this not give a feeling of déjà vu?" Leon asked, his eyes flicking toward the Duke, who stood silently nearby, glaring at the witch with an intensity that seemed to burn through her very soul.
Leon slowly stepped forward, his voice calm and deliberate, each word carrying a weight of authority. "Considering your position, I’m sure you won’t be giving your introduction, so let me do the honors.
The one who serves as the eyes and ears of the Witches throughout the entire empire goes by your alias: the Witch of Rogues. And the reason behind that alias is as fascinating as it is terrifying.
You possess a supernatural ability, one that allows you to infiltrate any place with ease. The power to insert your soul into another’s body after you kill them, all while keeping your original body intact."