CH 30

Lulurun is a little confused by the sudden news.

“Is it really going to be a Witch Subjugation?” Lulurun asked.

“It may be true, meow,” Miris said.

“The Witch of the North? Not some other Witch?” Lulurun said.

“No, can’t be anyone else,” Syll said.

“Finally, the Grand Church got up off their butts and decided to subdue her, meow,” Miris said.

“But why?” Lulurun asked.

Yes, why with this timing, isn’t there a massive risk? All manner of thoughts come to Lulurun’s brain, but it’s all conjecture. She asks Miris for a clear answer.

“Do you know about Charm Magic, meow?” Miris said.

“Charm Magic?” Lulurun asked.

Obviously, Lulurun knows what it is, but with a guilty expression on Lulurun’s face, Miris continues.

“Charm Magic is a terrifying spell that turns human beings into something like puppets, meow,” Miris said.

“Ah, I see, is it that sort of terrifying magic?” Lulurun asked.

“To be manipulated like that, meow… it’s too scary, meow!” Miris yelled.

Spells that manipulate the targets’ minds are powerful, but in Lulurun’s world, countless countermeasures have been invented and made Charm Magic and the like obsolete, but since this world doesn’t have any of those, she could imagine it remained a tremendous threat.

“So, what happened with that Charm Magic?” Lulurun asked.

“Recently, a man in the city was found under its effects, meow,” Miris said.

“In this city?” Lulurun asked.

Although it’s of a lower rank, it’s not a simple spell, and Lulurun is surprised at the fact that it is used in this city.

“Yes, and it doesn’t seem like he’s an isolated case, meow,” Miris said.

So according to her, several men were under the effect of Charm Magic.

“Were they hurt?” Lulurun asked.

“There wasn’t much damage, but it seems that the affected humans have lost their memories before and after, meow,” Miris said.

“Isn’t it witch kindred using a magical machine?”

Lulurun discusses the possibilities.

“Hmm, well, there haven’t been any reports of witch kindred using charm magic so far, and spells cast with a magical machine always leave a trace of the machine itself, meow,” Miris said.

Magical machines can’t be used indefinitely, but they can be used by consuming their stores of fuel made of magical material called “nuclei.” The consumption of nuclei will leave traces as byproducts, and there being none supports the hypothesis that there was no magical machine involved.

“Hence, it’s pretty unlikely it’s witch kindred, meow,” Miris said.

So, in other words:

“It is the work of a witch?” Lulurun asked.

There was only one answer you could get from Miris’ information.

“That’s right, meow, there’s a strong possibility that a Witch is involved in this case, meow,” Miris said.

“A Witch is…” Lulurun muttered.

“It will be a problem if a Witch invades the city with a church and First Order of Knights where I am, Lady Rhynes was quite angry, meow,” Miris said.

“I haven’t heard a single word about that,” Lulurun said.

“It’s a confidential matter, so would we say anything about it, it’s stupid, you know, meow?” Miris said.

What exactly was the confidential matter Miris was talking about…? Lulurun kept asking questions, and though she was getting bored, Miris responded obediently.

“Have you ever seen a Witch in a city with a church?” Lulurun asked.

“Those stupid witch kindred who get ahead of themselves are the only ones so far, meow, but the Witch herself rarely comes, meow,” Miris said.

“But I heard they burned down a city a long time ago,” Lulurun said.

“That’s the biggest confirmed damage by a Witch, meow, and since then Witches have rarely appeared in public, meow,” Miris said.

“So why is there such a fuss?” Lulurun asked.

“Because, meow, the damage of witch kindred and monsters have been increasing everywhere, it’s a crisis, meow, which is why you’ve been recruited to help at the outposts, meow,” Miris said.

“I see, so that’s why there was a shortage of manpower?” Lulurun asked.

“Didn’t you notice it, meow?” Miris asked, sighing in dismay.

“I’m sorry,” Lulurun said. “By the way, when did this trouble start?”

“Mmm, that would be when you and I met, meow,”

Since then?

Lulurun thinks about it for a moment, she doesn’t think the timing being after her reincarnation was a coincidence. She did make a huge fuss in the city with Rhynes, did that agitate the witches? Or maybe there are other reasons, or maybe there is a problem because she reincarnated in this world…

In any case, she couldn’t help thinking that her presence could not be dismissed.

“Hence, the prime suspect is the Witch of the North, whose whereabouts are unknown, so we’re going there to subdue here, meow,” Miris said.

“Why are you deciding that it’s Witch of the North?” Lulurun said.

“We have no definite evidence, meow, maybe we chose the Witch of the North just because she’s the closest witch.”

“That can’t be right…” Lulurun said, amazed at how sketchy the reason was. “What if you were wrong?”

“What would be wrong?” Miris said.

“What would you do if the criminal wasn’t the Witch of the North?” Lulurun asked.

“What are you talking about?” Miris said.

“Huh?” Lulurun asked.

Miris’ expression changes, instead of the usual laid-back atmosphere, her face chills the surrounding air, you could even say it’s murderous.

“The Witches deserve to die… that’s just the way it is, meow,” Miris said.

It reminds Lulurun that the Witches are the unquestionable “enemies of the world.”

“Subjugation…” Lulurun muttered.

She thinks about the unexpected development.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Lulurun?” Syll calls out.

But, Lulurun is silent, she doesn’t answer and thinks with her head down.

Lulurun had some concerns about the Witches.

Or rather, if the Witches of this world,

Are reincarnated people just like her…?

There is no certainty, but the magic of this world is the same as the magic of Lulurun’s previous world, the human beings who can use magic are unusual in this world, and above all, Lulurun exists.

It’s far from likely, but the chances aren’t zero.

If so, she would like to talk once before colliding with the Knights of the Holy Empire, Lulurun thought.

If they can coexist with Lulurun, they may be able to coexist, and if she can persuade the Witches, she may be able to change the thinking about the magic in this world.

Lulurun was planning to secretly carry out this plan, which would be difficult to relay to Rhynes. At that point, the Knights of the Holy Empire have decided to subdue the witches…

It was no time to be taking it easy.

“Do you know when the subjugation will take place?” Lulurun asked.

“Mm, if it’s as usual, it will be the day after the Captains’ Meeting, meow,” Miris said.

“Isn’t that tomorrow!?”

“Don’t say that, why’d I give you confidential information, meow?!” Miris said. “This isn’t supposed to be a guided interrogation with you, Lululurn, meow!!”

“I don’t think it was a guided interrogation,” Syll said, putting in some soothing for Miris but Lulurun didn’t think it was far from the mark.

“If I don’t hurry…”

Lulurun decides to face the Witch and begins to move.