Chapter 65: Summoning the Familiar

When Theresea appeared in front of Bayonetta, the witch suddenly recalled something. It was a soft melody, lightly hummed, that felt incredibly familiar to Bayonetta, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember any more details.

She couldn't be certain if the scenes flashing in her mind were real memories or just illusions conjured by Badr's magic, similar to the visions she had before seeing Theresea. Because of this uncertainty, the witch didn't mention any of this to Solomon.

However, Bayonetta did tell Solomon about the woman with short white hair dressed in red. The important detail was that this woman had the exact same abilities and combat style as Bayonetta herself. This led Bayonetta to question the accuracy of some of the information Solomon had provided.

"You mean, another witch?" Solomon asked. "Since the current Lumen Sage is your father from five hundred years ago, it's not entirely surprising that there could be a witch who's also lived for five hundred years. This likely points to gaps in the records, as Kamar-Taj wasn't observing that battle the entire time. Even the venerable one might not have known where you were buried. Luca's father probably released you by accident; if the angels knew your location, they would've gone straight there to reclaim the 'Left Eye.'"

"As for this so-called 'Left Eye,'" Solomon shook the pocket watch in his hand. The watch belonged to Theresea. "I don't think it has much to do with your watch."

His curiosity led him to carefully inspect Theresea's pocket watch, but it didn't have the "Left Eye" power as Bayonetta had suggested. It was just an ordinary pocket watch, though the inscriptions and the ruby set in the center were somewhat unusual. At best, it was protected by a magic stone that kept the watch operational, but there was nothing particularly extraordinary about it.

Solomon spent the night on Bayonetta's sofa, while Bayonetta had to cradle the little girl. Theresea woke up startled after turning over in her sleep, and when she realized Bayonetta wasn't nearby, she turned into a tearful child. Had Bayonetta not held her again, Theresea could have cried all day long.

Theresea also slowed Bayonetta's exploration of Vigrid, as the girl couldn't bear being away from her for long. Even when Solomon took her shopping, the clingy little girl constantly asked about Bayonetta—whether she was hungry, cold, or when she'd come back home.

Faced with Theresea's childish questions, Solomon had to muster all his energy to placate her, all while tightly holding her hand, afraid she'd run off to find Bayonetta.

In short, Solomon got a crash course in fatherhood—something he had never experienced. His spells were no longer fearsome necromancy or destructive evocation magic, but dazzling illusions. At Theresea's request, he even used illusion magic to turn the sofa into a rabbit hole. Perhaps the witch had sensed how troublesome the little girl might be, which is why she so readily left Theresea in Solomon's care. Though Theresea was adorable, Solomon was already fed up with babysitting. He had his own magic to study and couldn't constantly watch over the little girl.

Then, he came up with a solution—summon a familiar to handle the task.

Familiars, the caster's prized companions, are truly lifelong partners. Unlike marriages, which can end in divorce, a familiar is loyal and stays with the caster until the end of their life—unless, of course, one summons a creature from the lower planes. The evil nature of such creatures might lead them to plot their master's demise, and sometimes they succeed, while other times they don't.

If Solomon were alone, it wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't trust such a creature around Theresea.

Celestial creatures were also out of the question; Bayonetta would likely crush them underfoot the moment she returned. So, fae familiars became his only option. The great magic of finding a familiar was being cast for the first time in this world, all for the purpose of babysitting. One wonders if the enchanter who invented this spell would be disappointed.

Theresea, her eyes wide with curiosity, watched as Solomon placed a brass basin on the living room floor. He gathered oak branches, fine charcoal, and various herbs, placing them into the basin before lighting a fire. Thick smoke rose from the brass basin, making Theresea cough, but she still clutched her stuffed toy tightly to her chest.

"Sweetie, I think you should step back a little," Solomon said, carrying Theresea out of the living room. "Do you prefer cats or mice, or maybe frogs?"

"Cheshire!"

"Alright, a cat then. But I doubt I can find one that smiles like that."

The ritual took Solomon a full hour, during which he continually recited incantations to locate the familiar he needed. He was even worried that this world might not have any fae planes. Fortunately, not long after, a green glowing orb appeared before him. As Solomon continued his chant, the glow slowly formed a complete shape. When the light faded, a round tabby cat stood before Solomon and the quietly sneaking Theresea.

"Meow~"

"Cheshire!" Theresea shouted excitedly. The plump cat had short gray fur with glowing blue-green stripes, looking quite like the Cheshire Cat from the story. This was one of the small quirks of fae creatures. After its initial meow, the cat remained silent, lifting its head and gazing at Solomon with its wide, round eyes. Thanks to the ritual, it already knew that Solomon was its master.

"First command," Solomon said, "Your name is Cheshire."

"Meow~"

"Looks like you like the name." Solomon pointed to Theresea, who was standing beside him, her eyes sparkling. "Take care of her until the witch comes back. Don't let her touch anything dangerous, like sockets or the gas. Snacks are in the drawer, but don't let her eat too much. There's no litter box, so use the toilet. If you need to… relieve yourself, make sure to flush."

"Meow~" Before Solomon could finish speaking, the plump cat strolled over to Theresea and rubbed against her leg, making her squeal with delight.

Hopefully, this chaotic familiar would properly follow orders.

The arcanist watched as Theresea chased the familiar out of the living room. He placed his magic ring on his left hand and cast a spell etched into the ring. He needed to check on Vigrid to ensure the witch wouldn't fall into Badr's trap. The forces involved were beyond what Solomon could handle at the moment, but his ultimate goal was to kill Badr.

Right now, only the witch had the ability to kill Badr, and the best way to do that was to use Bayonetta's mother Rosa's lipstick. In other words, Solomon needed to ensure Bayonetta faced no obstacles on her path to patricide.

Naturally, Solomon felt no guilt about pushing Bayonetta into committing this crime. In fact, he didn't think he was doing anything wrong at all. If Badr succeeded, humanity was doomed, and the Supreme Sorcerer would have to use the Eye of Agamotto to reverse time.

But even with the Eye of Agamotto, it would just start all over again.

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To uncover a five-hundred-year-old secret, one must go to a building at least five hundred years old. The good news was that Vigrid had many ancient buildings. In addition, there were also some extremely modern structures. The clues Bayonetta sought wouldn't be found in the futuristic buildings with cutting-edge technology. The bad news was that there were quite a few old buildings.

By the time Bayonetta arrived in Vigrid after passing through the Sunrise and Crescent Valleys, the sky had already darkened. In the ancient town, she once again encountered Jeanne, the white-haired woman in red.

Jeanne, riding a motorcycle, descended from the sky, accompanied by a group of Affinity Angels. Although they were on the same side, Jeanne showed no mercy to the angels. She used the wheels of her motorcycle as a weapon, mowing down the angels. As the throttle revved, blood and flesh splattered beneath the tires.

Bayonetta also temporarily relaxed her stance. The woman before her was undoubtedly a witch, but Solomon hadn't been able to trace her origins. This woman was even more mysterious than Bayonetta herself. Sure enough, as Jeanne brushed past on her motorcycle, she ruthlessly killed all the angels in her path.

Jeanne's motorcycle zoomed across the walls, colliding here and there, until there were no other creatures present besides her and Bayonetta. Then she came to a halt, though she remained perched on the wall.

"You came here after all," Jeanne said. "You're looking for secrets of the past, aren't you?"

"Your face looks familiar, and you use the same abilities as I do," Bayonetta said, crossing her arms. Their previous battle had already triggered some flashbacks for her, but she still couldn't fully piece together what had happened. She asked, "Sorry, do we know each other?"

Jeanne chuckled a few times, throwing her long legs over the front of her bike. "Same abilities? Don't be ridiculous. You must've rusted over after soaking in the lake too long."

"I haven't touched water in twenty years since waking up," Bayonetta walked a few steps, placing her hands on her hips. For some reason, seeing

 this woman in front of her made her angry. In a disdainful tone, she said, "The only part of me that's rusted is because I haven't faced a real challenge yet. Maybe you're that challenge?"

"You're such a disappointment," Jeanne replied, pulling out a brass pocket watch. That's when Bayonetta realized that her pocket watch pendant had disappeared. Jeanne had swiped it in the moment they brushed past each other, using Witch Time, a technique witches often used. But clearly, Bayonetta's speed hadn't matched Jeanne's.

"Tch!" Bayonetta leaped up, reaching for the watch in Jeanne's hand. But Jeanne tossed it into the air and said, "It's not that easy, dear."

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