Chapter 9

 

“So what are you going to do?”

 

“It’s ferocious. A cage wouldn’t be enough to lock him up. A cell would be perfect.”

 

Chera nodded with a tired face.

 

The solitary cell used to keep the difficult-kin or foreign creatures and was safely managed under the supervision of the Great Witch.

 

However, since there has not been a creature that was so troublesome in the past few hundred years, it was on the verge of being forgotten.

 

“You have to take care of him when I’m not around.”

 

Mirania, who was worried that Chera, who had been almost bitten, would starve Grecan, so she specifically requested.

 

Chera pondered, and then nodded her head in an awkward way.

 

 

✤

 

Mirania grabbed her wand and entered the forest.

 

The Witch Forest was wide, spread out in front of the witch’s castle.

 

As part of a mountain called the Mountain of Life, it was home to the great witch born in nature.

 

This was because the tree that gives birth to the great witch was in the witch forest.

 

Malandor was located in the Witch Forest, or to be more precise, in the Mountain of Life, just outside the realm of the Witch.

 

After passing through the forest on a flat land, slopes began to form. This means that it was the end of the realm of the Witch Forest.

 

‘Because of Grecan, I’m climbing up to the mountains without a plan.’

 

Now, I think I’ll be satisfied if I turn Grecan into a loyal dog who would take the test of death at my command.

 

After climbing the mountain, the white face of Mirania, far from being tired, became even paler as a smell permeated to her nose.

 

The smell of death, which was different from the simple smell of rotting, makes the witch’s stomach ache.

 

My skin started to sting.

 

This means that the air, which was opposite to Mirania, was getting closer.

 

Instinctively displeased, Mirania frowned.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

She walks slowly, feeling uncomfortable. Mirania glanced down at the ground she was stepping on.

 

‘That’s why I didn’t want to come here.’

 

There must have been piles of various rotten and mutilated corpses beneath this land.

 

Upon receiving the master’s orders, the bone-like arms…

 

It’s scary just thinking about it.

 

Whoops!

 

The ground right in front of Mirania soared. There was an arm with only bones left.

 

The rattling skeleton pointed in one direction like a milestone.

 

A sight that would make a stranger scream and run away if they see it for the first time.

 

Mirania had a sour look on her face but didn’t back down.

 

‘This stench was the same.’

 

The bone-finger pointed forward.

 

Mirania watched the bones, unable to move.

 

The finger pointed forward this time to the left.

 

As Mirania didn’t move, it pointed to the right again.

 

Clattering-

 

As if they were wondering why she didn’t move, the bones made a fuss. It seemed to be angry.

 

Malandor had a strange personality.

 

If anyone got lost and flowed into their territory, they would tease it like that

 

If I follow the milestones, I would come across a snake den with only skeletons left, and then pass a rotten pile of corpse, or it would become a toy for a monster.

 

Malandor loved to watch those who were tormented by his mischief.

 

“Tsk, You still haven’t changed that habit. What a great way to welcome someone.”

 

Mirania’s face crumpled as she became uneasy.

 

Malandor’s territory was opposite to hers, embracing the energy of nature and life.

 

Mirania flicked her fingers.

 

Hit-!

 

The bone milestone, which angered Mirania, moved quickly, and shattered.

 

Soon it turned into white powder and piled up on the black ground.

 

After a while, dust began to scatter away.

 

It was obvious what such a phenomenon meant in the windless realm of Malandor.

 

A sign that the owner has appeared.

 

“Mirania~!”

 

It was a call that sounded like cheers of joy.

 

It was a man with bright red hair who tore up the dark sky. The naked upper body was convex with bumpy muscles.

 

A man with dark skin and an objectively handsome face hugged Mirania.

 

Mirania groaned in his arms. She tried to wield her wand, but she couldn’t.

 

Malandor embracing Mirania while holding her wand with one hand.

 

Unlike the face that sparkles with joy, the hands under that face were rough and quick.

 

The Master of manipulation. I must not relax in front of Malandor.

 

This was Mirania’s advice to the young witches who had accidentally entered his territory and came out weeping.

 

“It’s been a while, but you’re still beautiful, my Mirania.”

 

The sweet chocolate-like eyes bent softly.

 

It was a face loved by many slaves. The Master of the slaves.

 

Malandor excelled in his ability to seduce women and make them his slaves, regardless of race.

 

[When his sweet eyes looked at me, I couldn’t stand it and listen to him. Mirania won’t know this heartbreak, heheh…]

 

At the request of Malandor, the little witch, who secretly tried to cut Mirania’s hair in the middle of the night, was caught by Chera and burst into tears, saying so.

 

Mirania could do nothing but pat the shoulder of the weeping witch.

 

‘If they were enchanted, what could I do…?’

 

She, who had lived for many years but didn’t know what love was, and didn’t know how to console the witch who was grieving at the sorrow of her unrequited love.

 

“My beautiful Mirania.”

 

Mirania naturally blocked Malandor’s mouth as he was about to kiss her.

 

Malandor, whose mouth was blocked in the palm of her hand, grumbled.

 

“It’s been 300 years since I’ve seen you.”

 

“Has it been that long already?” Mirania nodded and replied coldly.

 

“Every time I touched your witch, you were chasing after me angrily, Mirania.”

 

After a witch tried to cut her hair, Mirania thoroughly ignored whatever Malandor was doing.

 

It’s the same this time.

 

If it weren’t for the night of obedience, I wouldn’t have met Malandor.

 

‘If it’s the last time we’re seeing each other before I rest.’

 

(N: Mirania’s term here was sleep, she didn’t want to do anything with the world anymore and wanted to sleep/rest.)

 

“Listen, Malandor. I came here because…”

 

“Wa-wait! There’s nothing urgent. So let’s go inside and talk. This place was full of corpses, so it’s not good for Mirania.”

 

Malandor grabbed Mirania’s hand and took a step forward.

 

The place moved into his house in an instant.

 

The interior of the mansion was quite intact, unlike Malandor’s bizarre yard.

 

“Has it changed a lot?”

 

“…”

 

“The human nobleman’s house I’ve seen before was fine. The old-fashioned thing doesn’t look good on me, don’t it?”

 

Mirania glanced around, listening to Malandor, who boasted about the changed interior.

 

‘Where’s the night of obedience?’

 

It was 300 years ago that Mirania first learned of the precious night of obedience.

 

It was when I went to his mansion to warn him, when Malandor repeatedly lured the witches to make them cry.

 

Then I first got to know the slaves of Malandor.

 

Perhaps he didn’t expect Mirania to come, he was lying on his bed with slaves, including a thousand-year-old little dragon.

 

Baby dragon. They were called hatchlings.

 

‘No matter how young the dragon, I was surprised at how much he treated it as a slave.’

 

A night of obedience hung around Hatchling’s neck.

 

A treasure that would never be found anywhere again in the world, making it absolutely obey the caster’s command.

 

Sadly, none of the slaves could be seen now.

 

Malandor flopped down on the sofa in the living room and wink at Mirania.

 

“Sit down. What are you looking for?”

 

In fear of being caught, Mirania sat down in a chair, expressionless.

 

“I couldn’t see any slaves.”

 

“I couldn’t lay out the mess when Mirania’s coming.”

 

“Where’s that… Hatchling?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The young dragon you were collecting as a slave.”

 

Malandor stared at Mirania without answering.

 

His red eyes were sharp as if they could pierce her inside, but Mirania’s reflection on his eyes was calm.

 

Feeling satisfied with her calm face, Mirania clicked her tongue.

 

“Don’t look at me like that. I was just worried that the dragon might be angry. You don’t know how precious the babies are to the dragons.”

 

“Are you worried about me? ‘Cause they’re gonna hurt me?’

 

Mirania nodded to the Malandor, who was smiling mischievously.

 

It’s better to let him think so than to be suspected.

 

“It’s not here right now.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“A dragon called a relative came to me a few days ago and bargained. I sent them back to give me what I needed.”

 

“Dragon… a dragon came? Who came?”

 

Unexpectedly, Mirania lost their composure.

 

“It was a creature of the deep sea.”

 

It means the sea clan. Mirania couldn’t hide her disappointment.

 

“Why? Are there any dragons you’re looking for?”

 

There was no response to Malandor’s question.

 

A dragon she was looking for.

 

A wise gold dragon that no one could follow, and thus acts as a substitute for the Creator.

 

‘A dragon of wisdom would be able to explain what was happening to me.’

 

Malandor was looking at her, interestingly. Mirania quickly changed the subject because it was unnecessary to say anything to Malandor.

 

“I came here for a bargain too.”

 

“…my Mirania seems to be hiding a lot of things.”

 

Malandor smiled meaningfully, noticing Mirania’s unwillingness to talk more about the dragon.

 

“What kind of bargain do you want to make? Was there anything that Mirania needed here?”

 

“Night of obedience. Could you lend me that precious thing?”

 

“You’re saying something unexpected.”

 

Mirania pretended to be indifferent, saying, “I said it, but it’s not that important.”

 

“I have a use for it, I couldn’t do it without that.”

 

“Now that I think about it, I guess the reason you brought up the baby dragon was related to the Night of Obedience?”

 

‘Such a quick-witted little man.’

 

(N: Mirania refers to him as a little man/kid because she’s about a hundred/thousand years old.)

 

Mirania was irritated, but she could only frown at Malandor.