Miss Witch, It's Time to Clean the Entries

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: We Are a Match Made in Heaven

"But... if you live with me, you’ll suffer misfortune."

Catherine said, her head lowered.

Dora laughed. "You were abandoned by the gods, and I was chosen by them. We’re a match made in heaven."

Lian watched the two girls exchange intense glances, and just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, the scene changed again.

A magnificent castle appeared before his eyes.

A flag bearing a blue moon flew above the castle—the sigil of the Blue Moon Territory.

Cheers filled the castle as everyone reveled in the joyous atmosphere.

The beautiful Lady of the Manor had given birth to a lovely baby girl.

The Lord held the baby girl and exclaimed excitedly,

"She is my only daughter! I will give her every honor. I will bestow upon her the names of my grandmother, my mother, and my sister, and add your name as well. Her name shall be Catherine Rochelle Hernandez Mehelban Jackson."

"She must be the luckiest child in the world."

The Lady of the Manor said with a smile.

"Father Solas, please test my lovely Catherine’s talent for Entries."

The Lord looked excitedly at the Priest holding the Black Stone.

This Black Stone was no ordinary rock. It was a Term Detection Device, covered in precise clockwork and fitted with a display. Though entirely black, it looked like a piece of high-tech gadgetry that didn’t belong in this era. Almost every Cathedral had a Term Detection Device.

The Royal Palace and Lord’s Mansions naturally had their own Term Detection Devices as well. Only a member of the Clergy could operate it to detect another’s Entries, and even then, it wasn’t one hundred percent accurate—the success rate was eighty percent.

The Priest placed the Term Detection Device before the infant and set her tiny hand upon it.

"Well?"

The Lord asked expectantly.

The Priest’s brow slowly furrowed. He looked at the Lord, his expression grave. "Lord, she is cursed by the gods. She will bring disaster to the Blue Moon Territory. You must send her away at once."

Lian thought that this was where the Illusion Realm would fade. He expected his consciousness to return to his body, where he would begin to bear the same pain Catherine was currently suffering.

But to his surprise, his consciousness remained within the Illusion Realm.

A dazzling white light washed away the scene.

Within the light, a phantasmal eye opened. The eye was covered in complex, ancient Spells, and its pupil seemed to contain the Abyss itself.

It saw Lian.

Lian’s scalp instantly went numb with terror.

The sheer pressure emanating from the eye surpassed anything he had ever feared.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably. His brain felt as if it were being churned by steel needles, his very soul seemed about to be torn asunder, and the pain contorted his face.

Just as the mysterious eye drew near, he released his hold on the red entry for [Misfortune Physique], and his consciousness instantly withdrew from the Illusion Realm.

Lian gasped for breath, his legs giving out as he collapsed to his knees by the bed. His forehead and back were completely drenched in cold sweat.

’It seems clearing a Misfortune Entry is no simple task.’

Unable to sleep, Catherine watched Lian with concern.

"Lord Lian, are you alright?"

"It’s nothing, Miss Catherine. As we agreed, I’ve cured your itching rash. Now it’s time you fulfilled your promise. Tell me what I want to know."

Lian decided to temporarily abandon the idea of clearing Miss Catherine’s red [Misfortune Physique] entry. As a mere Two-star Assassin Knight, he lacked the power to face a god. And even if that being wasn’t a god, it was far beyond what he could confront directly at his current level.

Right now, he just wanted to get the information and have Miss Catherine and her Knight leave Green Shade Territory as soon as possible, lest they bring a new crisis down upon it.

"It was Mary Frank, the Lord of Rose Territory. She coveted our Blue Moon Ore and sent many of the Heartless to the Blue Moon Territory. They forced Dora to overuse her Magic Power, causing her to lose control and ultimately destroy our home."

Catherine’s eyes were bloodshot. The seeds of hatred had been sown in her heart, steeling her resolve.

"I’m not interested in that. What the Knight promised me was Sequence Five, Ripper."

Lian cut Catherine off, speaking bluntly.

"I’m sorry. We don’t have Sequence Five, but I have a clue my brother left me."

Catherine sat up and took a small wooden box from a chest on the nightstand.

She opened the box and handed Lian the map inside.

"This is a layout of Mary Frank’s castle. Sequence Five is hidden here. My brother marked the spot."

Afraid Lian wouldn’t believe her, Catherine quickly explained, "My brother, Lorne Jackson, was Mary Frank’s third husband. If you want to get Sequence Five, you’ll need the help my brother provided."

"Yes, I understand now."

Lian folded the map. "The transaction is complete, Miss Catherine. You can get dressed now."

Catherine’s cheeks flushed. She nervously grabbed her clothes and hastily pulled them on.

"Am I... am I really okay now?"

"No. Your problems are very serious. You have a terminal illness, and on top of that, the Misfortune Physique. All I did was cure you of the Plague. If I were you, I wouldn’t be thinking about revenge. I’d take what little time you have left and enjoy life. After all, you were locked up in the High Tower for so long, weren’t you?"

Lian said coolly.

Catherine froze. "How did you know about that?"

"Miss Catherine, I’ll give you three days to recuperate. Once you’ve recovered your strength, please leave this place as soon as you can."

Lian didn’t answer her question, instead tactfully showing her the door.

"Lord Lian, if you’ll help me get my revenge, I’m willing... I’m willing to be your woman."

Catherine said, biting her lip.

’She remembered Lian saying she was beautiful.’

’She didn’t have many bargaining chips left. She was willing to give up everything, as long as she could kill her enemy with her own hands.’

"I’m sorry. While I admit I’m the kind of man who dreams of having a few wives and concubines, I don’t have the power to help you get revenge right now."

Lian rejected Catherine’s new offer and stood up to leave.

"Lord Lian, I can wait! I’ll wait until you’re powerful enough. I won’t cause you any trouble. I can help you. Does your Green Shade Territory need Blue Moon Ore for its development?"

Catherine asked.

Blue Moon Ore was a mineral that could be refined into Magic Stones, and Magic Stones were a hard currency outside the standard Gold Coin system.

Magic Stones were needed to build not only the High Walls but also Witch Towers, and they could also be used to create all sorts of Magic Tools.

A single Magic Stone was worth over one hundred Gold Coins on the open market.

So it was no surprise that the Blue Moon Territory was a coveted prize.

After all, they were sitting on the Blue Moon Mine without a Gift of their own to protect it.

Relying solely on the protection of the Witch assigned by the Empire was completely inadequate.

"The Blue Moon Territory is destroyed. How can you give me ore?"

"The sickness only affects people, not the ore. We just have to wait three months for Dora’s residual contamination to fade. Then, we can bring people from the Church with Holy Water to perform a Purification on the land. We’ll be able to rebuild the Blue Moon Territory. When that time comes, I, as the new Lord, will ship Blue Moon Ore to Green Shade Territory, free of charge."

Catherine said, her face pale.

"You want me to back your claim as the new Lord of the Blue Moon Territory?"

Lian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. And as the new Lord, I will marry you and become your wife. That way, the Blue Moon Ore of the Blue Moon Territory will be yours. And I won’t take up much of your time. As you know, I have a terminal illness and won’t live long. After I die, you can marry someone else."

Catherine said earnestly, "And after you help me get my revenge, Sequence Five will be yours as well. I won’t fight you for it."

"What makes you think I’ll agree to this deal?"

"I was abandoned by the gods, and you were chosen by them. We’re a match made in heaven."