Just then, a gentle knocking sound interrupted the girl's thoughts, pulling her out of the ocean of magic.
As a witch living in seclusion, she rarely received any visitors, so she couldn't help but feel curious about the identity of the person at her door.
Nevertheless, that didn't stop her from getting up to open it.
Standing outside were Eriri and the other three, quietly waiting at the entrance. None of them seemed inclined to knock again, as if certain someone would soon come to answer.
After more than ten seconds, the handle finally turned. The plain wooden door opened, revealing a delicate, beautiful face that immediately entered the sight of Eriri and her companions.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
The silver-haired girl who peeked out from behind the door tilted her head slightly, looking at Eriri—the most eye-catching of the four—with a puzzled expression. Her innocent, slightly dazed look instantly stirred a sense of affection in Eriri's heart.
Instead of answering Satella's question, Eriri smiled softly and said,
"Before anything else, Satella, shouldn't you invite us in first?"
Hearing her name, the silver-haired girl—none other than the Witch of Jealousy, Satella—was briefly taken aback. However, being pure-hearted by nature, she didn't question how Eriri knew her name. Instead, upon hearing the latter half of Eriri's words, she immediately stepped aside and opened the door fully.
"Ah... of course, please come in!"
Satella's willingness to invite them in so readily wasn't just because of Eriri's naturally high charm. More importantly, it stemmed from Satella's absolute confidence in her own strength.
After all, she was a witch who had fused with the Witch Factor—a being who stood at the very pinnacle of this world's power hierarchy.
Even if her visitors were fellow witches, she had no reason to fear.
Eriri didn't bother with further pleasantries. With calm grace, she led Echidna and the other two inside as though she were entering her own home.
When they reached the wooden table where Satella had been sitting moments earlier, Eriri directly sat down in Satella's previous seat, casually picking up the still-open magic tome on the table without asking permission.
Beatrice and Puck stood on either side of Eriri, their curious gazes falling upon the pages of the book as well.
It was, without question, an extremely rude act—to handle another's belongings without consent. Yet Satella didn't seem even slightly displeased.
"Um... can you tell me why you've come to see me?"
After glancing at Eriri, who was flipping through her book without a care, Satella took a deep breath to steady herself and repeated her question.
Hearing that, Eriri lifted her gaze from the tome and turned toward Satella, who stood hesitantly a few steps away.
"As for that, I'll let Echidna explain. After all, she's the one who came to find you—I'm just here to accompany her."
With that, Eriri glanced at Echidna, who had seated herself opposite her, then smiled sweetly before returning her focus to the tome.
The sight of that beautiful, dazzling smile made Satella's cheeks flush involuntarily. But following Eriri's cue, her gaze soon shifted to Echidna.
Sensing Satella's attention, Echidna didn't hesitate. Without preamble, she spoke directly and clearly.
"Satella, like you, I am also a witch. The reason I came here today is to invite you to join me in founding a nation—a nation where no one will ever again suffer from war."
Echidna folded her hands under her chin, her face calm yet serious. Her sharp, intelligent eyes locked onto Satella's as she continued.
"I wish to know—would you be willing to join us in saving this chaotic world?"
"This..."
Satella fell silent after hearing Echidna's words.
To be honest, she had never paid much attention to the affairs of the outside world. Her life had been one of quiet isolation, rarely involving herself with others. She had never seen the world's disorder firsthand.
Because of that, she had never felt the same deep desire to save the world that Echidna did.
Though Satella didn't care much for the affairs of the outside world, deep down, she still longed to make friends. Years of solitude had left her with a faint sense of loneliness, and the arrival of Eriri and the others had genuinely brought her joy.
Even if they hadn't come to visit, she might soon have left her home to travel and see the outside world for herself.
And since she was inherently kind-hearted, once she learned that Echidna's goal was to save the world, she made her decision immediately.
With a serious expression, Satella nodded to Echidna.
"I'll join you!"
...
After successfully recruiting Satella into their group, Eriri and the others didn't rush to find the next witch. Instead, they stayed for lunch at Satella's home before continuing their journey.
As for the time before lunch, they spent it chatting casually.
After a few hours together, Satella had already grown quite comfortable around Eriri's group, and the loneliness she had carried in her heart completely vanished.
Lunch wasn't prepared by Satella. Just like breakfast, it consisted of the pre-prepared dishes stored within Eriri's storage system.
The moment Satella tasted Aoi Kujou's cooking for the first time, she couldn't help but feel from the bottom of her heart that joining Echidna's team had been the best decision she had ever made. Otherwise, she would never have had the chance to experience food of such exquisite flavor.
Once they finished lunch, the group once again boarded the dragon carriage and set off for their next destination.
...
"Wait, I won! Tanyao, 1,000 points!"
"Not bad, Satella. Looks like you've completely learned how to play mahjong now~"
"Ugh, I lost again! And it's another cheap hand too! If I had known, I wouldn't have gone for a big hand!"
"It's fine, Betty. Don't give up on going for big hands so easily. Even if small hands win more often, they don't earn many points. Once you win a big one, the score can flip instantly!"
"Mm, you're right, Sister! Next round, Betty's going for a yakuman!"
"Mm-hm, good luck! I believe in you~ hehe~"
"..."
Inside the dragon carriage, Eriri, Echidna, Beatrice, and their new companion Satella were having a lively mahjong match. As for Puck, she had transformed into her pink cat form and was perched comfortably on Eriri's lap, acting as her assistant during the game.
Not long after they left the town, the group had resumed their mahjong match aboard the carriage.
At Eriri's invitation, Satella—who was quite curious about the game—had joined in as well.
With Eriri's patient guidance, Satella quickly learned all the rules of mahjong.
Judging from the bright, unending smile on her face, it was clear she enjoyed the game immensely. Perhaps, in the future, she would become a great regular playing partner.
The match continued until the end of the first hanchan. Unfortunately, Beatrice, who had been dreaming of winning with a big hand, failed to realize her goal and ended up in last place—almost getting wiped out completely.
As for the winner, it was naturally Eriri.
Even though she hadn't used any special powers throughout the game, with her incredible luck, her victory was practically inevitable.
"Hahaha, Betty, that's what happens when you only aim for big hands~"
Sitting on Eriri's lap, Puck let out a teasing laugh. Hearing her laughter, Beatrice puffed up her cheeks angrily.
"Hmph! Sister, you tricked Betty! I don't like you anymore!"
At this point, Beatrice had finally realized that Puck's earlier encouragement had been nothing but misdirection. Otherwise, even if she had lost, it wouldn't have been this badly.
But Puck just kept smiling, showing no intention of comforting her.
After all, this wasn't the first time such playful bickering had happened between them.
Feeling unwilling to accept defeat, Beatrice immediately looked up at Eriri and proposed:
"Mother, let's play another round! Betty will definitely win this time!"
"Next time, Betty. We're about to reach our destination," Eriri said with a gentle smile, reaching out to pinch Beatrice's cheek affectionately.
"Alright then..."
Beatrice nodded obediently, her little pout still visible as she leaned back in her seat.
Although Beatrice really wanted to win a round, Eriri's words mattered far more to her. Besides, she knew this wasn't the right time to keep playing.
"Eriri, which witch are we looking for this time?"
Knowing the purpose of their journey, Satella couldn't help but ask curiously. Since neither Eriri nor Echidna had mentioned the order in which they were finding the witches, only the two of them knew who the next one would be.
Hearing Satella's question, Eriri smiled faintly and softly spoke a single name.
...
Less than a kilometer ahead of Eriri and her group's dragon carriage lay an open plain where thousands of soldiers had gathered—a battlefield in the midst of fierce combat.
Limbs and bodies flew across the blood-soaked earth as crimson waves drenched the ground. Every passing moment claimed more lives.
The dragon carriage carrying Eriri and the others did not advance toward the battlefield. Instead, it came to a stop, allowing them to observe the carnage from afar.
Witnessing such a horrific scene for the first time, Satella instinctively tried to rush forward to stop the fighting, but before she could move, Eriri grabbed her arm to stop her.
Echidna, though she also couldn't bear to watch the slaughter, remained silent and made no move to intervene.
As for Beatrice and Puck, they simply watched the battle with wide-eyed curiosity. Having been born so recently, they lacked any real sense of morality or concept of good and evil, so they regarded the war with detached indifference—much like Eriri herself.
"Eriri, Echidna, aren't we supposed to be saving the world? Those soldiers down there need our help right now!"
Satella's voice trembled as she looked anxiously at Eriri and Echidna, struggling against Eriri's grip.
But Eriri didn't let go. Instead, she smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Satella. Someone will be saving them very soon."
"Huh?"
"Look—she's already here."
Following Eriri's words, Satella turned her gaze back toward the battlefield.
There, a blonde girl with sky-blue eyes and a side ponytail appeared out of nowhere. She wore a short skirt, and her voluptuous figure stood out even from a distance.
Upon witnessing the bloody devastation before her, anger surged across her delicate features. Without hesitation, the girl's figure began to dart across the battlefield at impossible speed.
Everywhere she passed, wounded soldiers filled the ground—yet something miraculous occurred.
"You stupid idiots! Go home safely! Live happily with your lovers, you hear me?!"
Her furious voice boomed across the entire battlefield as she swung her small fists at the injured soldiers, striking them again and again.
However, instead of harming them, each punch miraculously healed their injuries. Wounds vanished, bones mended, and even those who had lost limbs found themselves whole again, as if time itself had reversed.
Though the girl moved with incredible speed, treating every wounded soldier on the battlefield still took a considerable amount of time.
When her divine work was finally complete, the soldiers—once consumed by hatred and bloodlust—stood frozen, awestruck by the miracle they had just witnessed.
The fighting ceased entirely, as if someone had pressed the pause button on war itself. Moments later, both sides began a calm and orderly retreat from the battlefield.
Yet, despite their gratitude, when some soldiers tried to approach the girl to thank her, they found she had already vanished.
...
"Who are you people? And why am I here?"
The blonde girl who had disappeared from the battlefield now stood before a massive dragon carriage, staring blankly at the beautiful girls standing nearby.
Her eyes lingered on the one at the front—the golden-haired beauty whose presence instantly captured her heart.
Originally, she had intended to leave the battlefield quietly after healing everyone. She hadn't done it for recognition or thanks. But before she could go, her surroundings had suddenly changed in a flash of light.
Now, before her stood several unfamiliar faces—and among them, the golden-haired girl whose beauty made her chest tighten.
Noticing her gaze, Eriri stepped forward with calm poise and a radiant smile.
"Nice to meet you, Witch of Wrath—Minerva."
—
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