"The Pirate Queen of the Port of Clearwater…"
"...Her Black Sail Fleet is terrifying—it sinks any merchant ship that refuses to pay tribute!"
"And what can anyone even do about it? She is the First Princess of the Empire…"
The crowd's murmurs were growing louder, a mixture of awe and fear, but they were kept at bay by the intimidating thugs surrounding the grey-haired woman.
"Not many dare to call me Pirate Queen to my face," the woman said with a smirk, clearly enjoying the attention. "They all grovel and call me Princess with fake smiles. But you? I like your boldness. I can see what my little sister sees in you."
"I told you already, Big Sis—I don't even know him," the shorter girl repeated, irritation creeping into her voice.
The grey-haired woman stepped forward with a smirk. "So you really came all this way to attend a little auction for some worthless trinket—hiding your face and identity like a fugitive?" she asked. "You could have just told me if you wanted something from this auction. I would have gifted it to you myself."
She tilted her head, gaze sharp. "No, it's far more believable that you came to see him… or maybe there is something else going on—something you didn't want anyone to find out?"
The smaller figure said nothing at first. Then, slowly, she reached up and pulled back her hood and removed her veil.
"I am not hiding anything from you, Big Sister," she said calmly.
As the cloak was taken off, her long silver-gray hair spilled out, framing a breathtakingly beautiful face. Her fair skin and enchanting light blue eyes left me momentarily stunned.
And then she whispered quietly, but my enhanced hearing caught it—
"I haven't forgotten my promise."
The taller figure behind her, whose irritation had been steadily growing, stepped forward with a sharp glare. With a frustrated growl, she yanked off her own hood and veil.
"Why don't you just leave us alone?" she barked, voice sharp and fierce.
Her face was a stark contrast to the smaller woman's softness—more severe, more weathered. Her black hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, and a prominent vertical scar ran through her right eye. But she wasn't ugly—not even close. With her intense golden eyes, commanding height, and that proud scar, she looked every bit the battle-hardened warrior. In fact, the scar only added to her heroic presence.
"Haha, you are still so protective of Tilly, Ashes," the Pirate Queen chuckled, brushing off the taller woman's anger with a wave of her hand. "Relax. I just came to see if there was anything I needed to be worried about, that's all," she added, glancing at the smaller figure before taking a step back.
"You won't have anything to worry about from me, Big Sis Garcia," Tilly said calmly, lowering her head slightly. Her hand was already on Ashes' arm, gently holding her back.
Garcia's smile thinned, her eyes narrowing.
"I know you are the smartest of us sisters. You wouldn't do anything foolish…" she said—and then, with a sudden sharpness in her tone—"because you might regret it."
The thugs behind her laughed, clearly enjoying the veiled threat. Tilly remained composed, her head slightly bowed, while Ashes stood beside her with clenched fists, barely holding herself back.
Then Garcia turned her attention to me.
"I like you," she said with a smirk. "Come find me in the Port of Clearwater sometime. I am sure I could put a cute boy like you to good use."
I met her gaze and returned a small smile, deciding silence was the smarter move here.
"Goodbye, Tilly. Keep being the clever girl I know you are," Garcia said before turning around and walking off, the crowd parting quickly to make way for her and her entourage.
The blonde knight, Ryan, gave me a hard, lingering stare before following after her.
As they walked away, I used [Appraisal] on her once again—partly out of habit, partly to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
[Garcia Juliana n'Wimbledon
Pirate Queen Level 3
Equipment: Orichalum Rapier, Sacrificial Misanga]
Just seeing her title had told me that she was an important Noble, and hearing the crowd whisper about the "first princess" had made it clear. Her name, job and titles revealed even more—knowledge I recognized through my own meta understanding.
Still, it was strange to see a princess of the Empire hold such a criminal Job as Pirate Queen. Maybe this was what they called a rebellious phase?
"Most people would be shocked—some even terrified—in front of Garcia," Tilly said softly, her light blue eyes fixed on me. "But you stayed so calm. Who are you really?"
I couldn't exactly tell her that I wasn't shocked or scared by Garcia's sudden arrival because Appraisal had already told me who I should be really wary of. Compared to that shocking reveal, even a princess-turned-Pirate-Queen didn't rattle me much.
Of course, I had still taken precautions. I was standing near a wall for a quick escape with [Warp], and I also had been ready to activate [Overwhelming] at the first sign of real danger.
"I told you, I am Michio Kaga. Just an adventurer, that's all," I replied with a casual grin, keeping my thoughts well hidden. "And honestly, she seemed more interested in you than in me. So I didn't have much to worry about."
Tilly tilted her head slightly. "And even when I took off my veil… you didn't look that surprised. Did you know who we were from the beginning?" Her voice had a sharper edge now.
Her gaze was steady, calculating. I hadn't expected her to be paying such close attention to me during that intense standoff. But as Garcia said—her little sister was smart and apparently super observant.
"I didn't know at first," I admitted, lying smoothly. "But once she called you her sister, it all clicked. And honestly, just from your voices alone, I could tell you were both beautiful… so let's just say I was still quite pleasantly surprised." I gave a lighthearted smile, my eyes briefly glancing at Ashes as well.
Tilly chuckled quietly. "Fair enough."
Ashes, still watching the end of the hallway, gave me a quick glance and let out a noncommittal hmph.
"I believe this is yours, Princess," I said, offering the silver sword back to her.
"Just call me Tilly. I am not fond of formal titles," she said, accepting the sword with a smile.
"Sure. I am the same—feel free to call me Michio," I replied with a grin.
"We should go," Ashes said as she pulled her veil and cloak back on, casting a wary glance at the lingering crowd.
"Alright," Tilly replied, mirroring the motion, her expression once again hidden beneath the layer of cloth.
"So… if I wanted to see you both again, should I visit the Silver City?" I asked, already knowing roughly where it was.
Tilly paused for a breath. "I don't think you will find me there."
Her voice was soft, but her next words came with weight.
"And I would advise you to stay away from me… and especially from Garcia. It's for your own good. She is far more cunning—and far more dangerous—than any demon you will face on your adventures."
Before I could respond, she turned and began walking off beside Ashes. The tall woman's intimidating presence cleared a path through the remaining onlookers without a word.
"I still think we will meet again," I whispered under my breath.
Because… I had seen something. Something I couldn't ignore, no matter how much I wanted to.
[Tilly Octavia n'Wimbledon
Wizard Level 5
Bonus Job: Witch Level 15
Equipment: Sacrificial Misanga]
[Ashes
Warrior Level 55
Bonus Job: Witch Level 40
Equipment: Sacrificial Misanga]
And then, the third appraisal result—this one shockingly was from the Silver Sword.
[Broken Sword
Villager Level 5
Bonus Job: Witch Level 2]
Three witches.
And the last appraisal… showed her to be a 15 year old female, even though it clearly was a sword.
This was, without a doubt, the most shocking set of appraisals I had ever seen.
Seeing them walk away—and noticing how the crowd's attention was beginning to shift toward me—I quickly slipped into the waiting room and entered the Auction Hall through the side.
Inside, the auction was still in full swing. A beautifully decorated mirror was currently being displayed on stage, and Rosten was enthusiastically announcing that it hailed all the way from Palmasque.
As I made my way up the stairs, I passed by Eula and Amber. Eula sat upright, proper and composed, her eyes fixed on the stage, while Amber lounged beside her, looking utterly bored.
I climbed up to the last row where Anastasia was waiting.
"Master," she said, visibly relieved to see me, a soft smile blooming across her face.
"Sorry, I took longer than expected," I said, settling beside her with a tired sigh and wrapping an arm around her. "Did you bid on many items?" I whispered close to her ear.
"Yes, Master," she replied sweetly, giving me the winning slips, then quickly relayed the auction's progress through the party chat.
I was surprised by how many items had already been sold. Most of them, however, were purely luxury goods—vases, carpets, soaps, perfumes.
I had already made it very clear to Anastasia not to bid on any unnecessary trinkets. Even this mirror from Palmasque was the kind of item we could acquire at a far lower price straight from the source. She also agreed with me: informing me how the auction prices were mostly overblown and inflated by the Merchant Guild's hype.
Just as we were finishing our quiet exchange, the mirror was sold off. The next item—a beautiful amber necklace—was brought forward by a Catkin merchant.
I caught the glimmer of excitement in Anastasia's eyes.
"Buy it," I said with a smile.
"Really?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes," I replied, "as long as the price isn't too ridiculous. But just to be clear, that doesn't mean I am buying it for you."
I knew Roxanne would be immensely disappointed if I broke the order she set by gifting jewellery to Anastasia first.
"Yes, Master," she said with a small nod, not showing any dissatisfaction.
As Anastasia began bidding again, my mind drifted back to the earlier encounter.
Bonus Job.
Witch.
Those two terms had rattled me the moment I saw them. I had already mulled them over several times, even crafting several workable theories regarding them.
And yet, they weren't the most shocking part.
What hit me first—what truly stunned me—were their names: Tilly and Ashes. Especially Tilly's last name, as listed by Appraisal: Wimbledon.
At first, I wanted to chalk it up to coincidence. They were in disguise, after all, so I couldn't see how they looked.
But then I used [Appraisal] on the silver sword—and discovered it wasn't a sword at all. It was a living person.
A Witch, just like Tilly and Ashes.
That's when my doubt turned into certainty.
These weren't just random names or faces.
I had seen them before. I had read about them. The familiar witch system, the abilities, Tilly Wimbledon being a princess and a Witch, even Garcia Wimbledon being both a princess and a Pirate Queen…
It all lined up perfectly.
Straight out of the fictional story Release That Witch.
I was a huge fan of that story, both the original novel and the manhua adaptation. Another Isekai tale, yes, but one that blended kingdom-building with a fascinating magic system, where certain women awakened as witches, each possessing a unique magical ability.
Take Broken Sword, for instance. In the story, her gift allowed her to literally transform into a sword.
And now… I had already held her in my own hands and ascertained her identity as a living girl instead of a sword.
I had even theorized that by keeping my first job as Wizard, maybe I would be able to talk to her or interact with her through my thoughts, when I hold her.
But that part obviously didn't work out.
Anyway, it was not all sunshine and roses. Release That Witch wasn't exactly the kind of world you would want to find yourself in.
Up until now—mainly today—whenever I came across someone familiar, I was momentarily concerned, but I could quickly brush it off. I kept telling myself it was just a small difference that made this an alternate universe version of the story.
As usually, they weren't fully aligned with their fictional counterparts—different personalities, different jobs, different settings. It was easy enough to write them off as coincidences.
But this time… this was different.
These were four characters—Tilly, Ashes, Garcia, and Broken Sword—and they matched the narrative, the relationships, and even the setting almost perfectly. There was no mistaking it anymore.
At the very least, I was now sure of one thing:
Release That Witch's world was intricately woven into the fabric of this one—into the world of Harem in a Labyrinth.
And being a male in the world of Release That Witch was like getting isekai'd into the Harry Potter universe…
but as a Muggle.
Sigh.
I felt just like that meme:
"I wish I were a girl…"
Not because I would have tits or anything—
But because then I would have magic!