Chapter 116: The Witch’s Hut Part 6

Should I be honest with Khalid about everything?

"…"

The answer is "no".

Even though I made a deal with Khalid, receiving his help, and risking my life climbing the Silver Mountains with him…

These secrets are too big and dangerous to reveal.

Who knows how the characters in this game will react if they find out another "reality" exists?

Especially with someone as sharp as Khalid, his reaction would be even harder to predict.

"Ugh…"

Just then, a painful groan came from beside me at the perfect time. When I turned my head to check, I met the eyes of the "witch".

"…"

"…"

The witch's eyes were as cold and blue as glaciers; they were so transparent that they seemed devoid of pupils. With those beautiful eyes, the witch glared at us as if she wanted to kill us.

"You're awake, Didier."

"Khalid."

"It's been a while."

"I doubt you came all this way just for a greeting."

The atmosphere was tense.

Even Lloyd, and now this witch. Did Khalid have no allies at all?

Is it just me?

For now, I silently watched the conversation between the two.

"We came to see Tondra. We had no intention of setting foot in this collapsing hut. Think about it, who in their right mind would want to step into this crazy place? Other than some foolish nobles… Oh, has it been decades since even the nobles stopped coming?"

"Your mouth is still as big as ever, Khalid. If I had just a bit more time, I would have torn it apart. Then you wouldn't dare speak Tondra's name."

"Hahaha! You're still bitter that you're not the only one with permission to use Tondra's name. Get a grip, Didier. You're no different from a house cat, a crazy witch Tondra keeps in the Silver Mountains."

Before Khalid finished speaking, Didier, the witch of the Silver Mountains, sprang up with astonishing agility and lunged at him. Instinctively, I intercepted her and caught her as she was about to fall. Didier screamed and thrashed like a madwoman. Khalid was smiling as if he was listening to pleasant music as he watched her. Then, he leisurely looked around and started rummaging through an old drawer. Didier's frenzy intensified, and I struggled to hold her down.

"Calm down, please! Calm down!"

If she fell, she would crack her head and definitely get a concussion! I held her and glanced at Khalid. He paid us no mind and just continued to search the drawer while picking out new magic stones and materials.

"Hold her for a moment, Theodore. I need materials to fix my golem."

Was that it? I sighed as I looked at the shattered golem in the corner. By the way, this witch really lived up to her reputation. To think she could break Khalid's golem into pieces… Moreover, that golem was one I had reinforced with snow lotus stem.

-Clatter, clatter!

-Snap! Crack!

-Rumble!

"Oh, no!"

The chains binding Didier's body rattled. It seemed she was trying to break free from the chains by brute-forcing her magical power.

That wouldn't do.

I quickly used [Plant Binding]. With my increased level, much thicker weeds and vines grew and swiftly wrapped around the witch's body.

-Crunch!

The chains snapped, but fortunately, the weeds and vines held her tightly. The vines that were imbued with Lynshaka's divine power endured her magical power better than expected.

"Damn it!"

Having already exhausted a considerable amount of magical power forming the dark space, facing Khalid, and breaking the chains, Didier slumped down. I carefully set her down and checked for injuries since the broken chains were quite sharp.

"What are you?"

Didier glared at me and asked. Of course, I gave the same answer I always did.

"I am a druid."

Of course, she didn't believe me. She looked at me with even more hostility and then scoffed.

"What kind of druid could have 'that kind of dream'?"

"…"

"Answer me, druid."

"I come from an unusual place."

"Are you saying that your hometown is a place where the roads are all covered with gray stones, filled with tall and angular temples, with iron carriages faster than dozens of horses, and cryptic symbols no one can read? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"Ha! Are you saying you're from the East or something?"

Well, South Korea is in the East, right? Asia. She's not wrong.

"That could be it."

"What?"

"I said that could be it. I can't say for sure. Do you know South Korea? Korea."

"South what?"

"See? That's why I didn't bother mentioning it. The problem with mages is that they think there's nothing in the world they don't know. Isn't that a bit arrogant?"

"I have received the wisdom of Tondra…"

"Even Tondra probably wouldn't know where South Korea is."

If I knew, I would burn my hands. Didier looked at me with a stunned expression, as if he had never expected such an answer.

"I've answered your question. Now it's your turn, Didier."

"…"

"You said you show illusions so blissful that one can't wake up from them, right? But what I saw was a bit different. It was happy, but…"

Why did the "crows" appear?

Could it be that this witch is in league with the crows?

If so, no matter how much Tondra favors her, I'll have to deal with her.

"Why did 'they' attack me in the 'dream'?"

At my words, Didier's pale face started to flush with anger.

"Are you playing games with me?"

"…What?"

"It was you who summoned the crows into the 'dream'!"

For a moment, I was at a loss for words and just stared at Didier. She didn't seem to be lying. Seeing the pure rage burning in her eyes, that was clear.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I never summoned the crows…"

"My dark space is perfect! But in your dream, those filthy things started crawling out. What the hell are you? Hey, Khalid! Are you in cahoots with the crows too? You dirty bastard! Tondra won't forgive you…"

"Didier."

I called her name in a low voice.

"To be clear, I am not on the crows' side. Quite the opposite. You saw it too, didn't you? In the 'dream', how they attacked me."

"…"

"You must have also seen how I took down those unholy creatures, right?"

Didier could only open and close her mouth without saying a word. So, she had seen it.

Anyway, the recent conversation made one thing certain. Didier hated the crows. I took out the dagger from my waist and began cutting the vines that bound her.

"The point is, you don't really know what kind of interference occurred in your dark space, do you?"

"My dark space is perfect…"

"If your dark space were perfect, the crows wouldn't have been able to infiltrate it."

"…"

"Let's start by figuring out why this happened."

As I completely cut the vines, Didier who had looked so fierce a moment ago now stared at me with a softened, confused expression.

"You…"

"Yes."

"What are you exactly?"

"I told you, I'm a druid."

I answered indifferently as I stood up and helped her. Khalid who was repairing the golem from behind us clicked his tongue.

"It seems it will take some time for my companions to wake up."

"…"

"Shall we have a chat until then?"

I dragged an old chair and table from the corner, sat down, and took out a simple snack from the space ring. Cookies topped with lingonberry jam. These are delicious. Warm milk would be nice too, but it's not the right atmosphere to prepare that now. Let's make do with just the cookies. After placing a cookie in front of Didier, I smiled. Even during interrogations at the police station, they always served black bean noodles. You have to fill your stomach first to get people to talk.

"Why did you do this?"

Didier bit into the cookie with a bewildered expression on her face.

-Crunch.

"Tell me what you know about the crows."

-Crackle.

And so, a long conversation began.

For a long time, suspicious people had been coming and going in the Silver Mountains. They climbed the mountains without Sherpas. At first, Didier said she just watched them in silence.

However, the story changed after they got caught in the witch's hut. The "dreams" Didier confirmed from those guys were filled only with a corroded mind and darkness whose depth could not be fathomed.

From that time on, Didier began luring suspicious people climbing the Silver Mountains into the hut. She meticulously delved into their minds and read their souls. Most of them were tainted by darkness and it was nearly impossible to see anything….

"So, that's how you learned about the 'crows'."

"Yes. There is 'something' here that they want."

"…"

I silently rubbed my chin for a moment. That "something" is probably…

"A fragment of Earte."

Because Didier captured every crow that climbed the Silver Mountains, they still hadn't found the fragment of Earte.

If that's the case, we need to find the fragment of Earte before they do…

"Didier, do you want to drive them out of the Silver Mountains?"

"Of course."

"Then, how about joining forces with us?"

"What?"

"I too am being chased by crows, although I don't know why. I must have done something to get on their nerves."

"So, because of you…"

"No, that can't be. I decided to come here just a few days ago. I'm not the one who lured the crows to the Silver Mountain Range."

"…"

"I have dealt with the crows several times. If you want to drive the crows out of the Silver Mountains …"

"Then?"

"There is no better choice than to join forces with me."

Crunch. I said this while putting the last lingonberry jam cookie into my mouth.