Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 155 (Part 2)

Rodin and his party, after traveling for another day, stopped their carriage in front of a large forest. Though summer had yet to arrive, the forest still held onto its lush greenery.

Rodin surveyed the forest and soon looked up at the sky.

“Master, is something the matter?”

“It seems they failed to catch it.”

Rodin’s gaze remained fixed on the sky. At that, Larry and Bianca stepped out of the carriage as well.

“Brother, is something wrong?”

“The giant wyvern is still alive.”

“Huh? Don’t tell me those people couldn’t catch it?”

“It seems that way.”

With his eyes, Jito thoroughly examined the creature.

Its mouth was smeared with blood. Judging by the fact that it had yet to dry, it hadn’t been long since the creature had devoured something.

Its body was covered in wounds. Among them were a few sword slashes, but most of the injuries appeared to be the result of burns or flesh being torn apart by some sort of explosion.

“Then, could the people we saw yesterday all be dead?”

“I don’t think so. Hmm… That thing is rather peculiar.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems like it fled after fighting. It’s more cunning than I expected. It doesn’t seem like one of those creatures that go berserk after swallowing a Magic Stone.”

Up until now, every creature that had swallowed a Magic Stone had charged recklessly without fear. The Giant Minotaur, trolls, orcs—they never gave the impression of fighting with composure.

But this giant wyvern was different.

Even when it had a brief clash with Rodin, it had twisted its body with astonishing agility to avoid colliding with the ice. Moreover, rather than forcing itself to continue attacking, it had swiftly taken to the skies.

“Ah! You’re right. How’s its condition now?”

“It’s injured quite a bit. Looks like it got caught in some kind of trap, but it managed to escape.”

“Brother, are we going to stay here until that thing disappears?”

“No. We didn’t stop because of that creature.”

Rodin lowered his gaze from the sky. His head now faced forward.

“Why here?”

“This is the Cedra Forest.”

“Ah! So this is the Cedra Forest!”

The one who exclaimed was Jena. Larry and Bianca, on the other hand, seemed puzzled, as if thinking, “What’s so special about Sedra Forest?”

Larry and Bianca hadn’t heard about the legacy of the Bolas Kingdom. Thus, they had no idea that Rodin had previously mentioned this place to Marquis Richmond’s party.

However, Karis and Jena remembered that Rodin had brought up Cedra Forest when speaking to the marquis’s group.

Topographically, it resembled the map inside the pendant, but Rodin had said the chances of the Bolas Kingdom’s legacy being hidden here were low.

“This place has another name.”

“Another name?”

“The Witch’s Forest. Until just a hundred years ago, a witch lived in this forest. That’s why it’s called the Witch’s Forest.”

It wasn’t just a rumor—there truly had been a witch residing in this forest. She had lived here for about fifty years before vanishing without a trace.

“Big Brother Rodin, what’s a witch?”

“Brother, are witches real?”

“It depends on how you define ‘witch.’ The Four Great Magic Towers refer to those who can use magic without incantations or formulaic calculations as witches. Such people do exist.”

Throughout the ages, witches had experienced many hardships.

In some eras, they were regarded as the very embodiment of evil and persecuted wherever they went. There were even times when burning witches at the stake was considered the norm.

However, in the present age, they were simply classified as individuals who used a different type of power. Rather than being oppressed, they were now viewed as subjects to be managed and studied.

“Are there many witches?”

“Even the Kingdom of Lennox probably has a few. They’re usually affiliated with the royal palace or specific institutions, carrying out various tasks.”

“Really? Are they strong?”

“It varies from one individual to another. Most of them don’t possess particularly great power. For example, a witch who controls fire can typically only produce flames about this size.”

Rodin conjured a small flame in his hand. It was roughly the size of a thumb—far too weak to be of any use in combat.

“That’s pretty weak.”

“The witch who lived here in Cedra Forest was different. It’s said she could use magic with power comparable to a 5th-circle mage. And since she could unleash magic without casting spells, you could say she was actually stronger than a 5th-circle mage.”

Even now, the witch’s house still stood at the center of Cedra Forest. It was said that a nearby territory had invested money to maintain the site.

In effect, it had become something of a tourist attraction.

“There are witches that powerful? Wow!”

“She was born with extraordinary talent, you could say.”

“Big BrotherRodin, but why would the royal palace hire people with such dangerous powers? Wouldn’t they be scary?”

“Witches are all highly intelligent. They may not be outright geniuses, but compared to ordinary people, they stand out considerably. That’s why they often work in fields that require brainpower—administration, law, strategy, and tactics. In such roles, they’re considered the best talents available.”

It hadn’t been long since witches were no longer seen as threats.

A mere two hundred years ago, witches had been targets to be hunted and killed on sight.

“Witches don’t have to study math like me, right? Or memorize runes?”

“They don’t need to study. But if they did, they’d be good at it. They’re naturally gifted that way.”

Witches didn’t know how to practice mana cultivation techniques, nor could they even if they were taught.

Yet, they naturally absorbed the surrounding mana, storing it as magical power within their bodies. The amount of mana they could store determined whether they were strong or weak witches.

But whether strong or weak, all witches shared one trait—they were intelligent. The artifacts and policies they created still appeared in history books to this day.

“Then, Big Brother Rodin, does that mean we won’t get to see any witches?”

“There are no witches here anymore. Let’s rest here for the night and depart tomorrow.”

“Why are we resting so early? The sun is still high in the sky.”

“Camping inside Cedra Forest isn’t a good idea.”

Tonight, they decided not to set up tents. Instead, they gathered dry branches to light a campfire and took out their food to eat.

“Brother, are you not going inside because you’re scared of witches?”

“I told you, there are no witches here anymore. They disappeared long ago.”

“Then why are we stopping so early?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow. Anyway, our food supplies are running low. Once we reach Aramia, we need to restock first.”

Perhaps because of the witch story, Larry couldn’t shake off an eerie feeling. He woke up several times during the night.

When he glanced to the side, he saw Bianca tossing and turning as well. She groaned faintly as if tormented by nightmares.

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