Chapter 16: Glory of the Past

…

"... Pretty." Cindy's eyes seemed to grow stars as she looked at the majestic yet natural castle in the distance.

A week has passed, and Rion, Leona, and Cindy are being guided by Francia to the main palace of the Witching Well.

The group went up early before the scheduled time indicated in the invitation as per the request of Francia.

They could've teleported near the palace but… Where's the fun in that? Francia said.

So along the way, they went to Enchanted City, the main and royal capital where the Queen of the Witch lives.

Along with Lance and Daniel, the group explored different entertaining establishments and interesting spots.

The group once again enjoyed the elegant city and its sceneries that seemed to only exist in fantasy stories.

Despite the current situation regarding the void invasion, the city seems to be unbothered and unaffected by the chaos happening outside.

The country has a population ratio of 8:2, with women being more dominant. At least this is what Rion thought after his observation.

Well, it's understandable, after all, despite being open this is the home of witches. It is normal to see more females, and as a man, he wouldn't complain about that.

Soon, Francia gestured to Leona, Cindy, and Rion that it was about time for them to meet the queen, while Daniel and Lance went off still exploring the city.

"Is that so? Well… I did get that feeling when I was young." Francia smiled seeing the little girl's astonishment. She remembered the first time she went to the palace.

At that time, she was brought here because of her extraordinary talent when it comes to fire and air elements.

She remembered that it was the turning point of their lives, where she was destined for something greater in the field of magic while the person who served as her mother and her big sister was destined for the end path of magic.

A truth that broke the heart and hope of someone dear to her… And the reason why she chose the path of alchemy in the first place.

"Angeleen…" The witch's eyes glowed in soft emotions, as she muttered her sister's name.

Rion, who looked at Francia, somehow knew what she was thinking.

And it only drove him further to promise himself that someday he would repay the witch in return.

"….haah." An exhale caught the attention of Rion.

"Nervous?" Rion asked, glancing at the mother.

"Is it that obvious…?" Leona was trying her best to calm herself down.

After all… they're meeting the queen!

The queen!

Although she doesn't have any idea about politics and the topics related to it, at the very least she knew what a queen was!

A person ruling a country of females who can decimate those monsters into pieces is no joke.

And the fact that she's about to meet one…

"Ugh…" Leona felt a bit dizzy.

She has never met someone so important in her whole life.

Not even a rich person, let alone a queen that might have a greater power than their own president at this very moment…

"You don't have to be so anxious, our queen may look very cold on the outside, but she's very reasonable, and kind to those who are deserving." Francia chuckled as they continued walking.

"Really…? How would you describe the queen?" Leona was a bit curious about the Queen of the Witches.

"If I were to describe her, I would say she's a very independent and distant person." Francia replied after being silent for a while, and then she continued:

"Her majesty, Selene Moriethy, is the biological daughter of her father, Heinran Moriethy… A legendary warlock."

'So that's the warlock who became a king…' Rion thought. It appears the current queen is actually the daughter of that king.

"The King of Magic, Heinran Moriethy is also known as the forefather of magic, his strength, and mastery in magic surpasses even the strongest human… The Hero King, Arthur Pendragon."

"Heinran is said to be a dominator, one who cares for his subordinates but seeks for a conquest and unification of the human race with the power of magic."

"He is praised by the humans, along with the witches."

"While some said he is arrogant, they can never deny that he has the power to imprison a god with his magic."

"But despite his arrogance, he has made countless achievements."

"The warlock was able to bring his kingdom to its peak, and despite being a warrior he is also a top figure alchemist, enchanter, runemaster, and magister… In fact, it is because of him that they were founded and popularized."

'Damn… Talk about being talented.' Rion secretly remarked.

Leona was amazed too. A man so talented, that despite being a king he has time to be an overall achiever in multiple fields of magic.

"King Heinran brought many life-changing things into his kingdom. Although many people thought he was a weird king."

"Why do you say so?"

"It is because, despite his power, authority, and popularity among women, he has only chosen to marry one woman." Francia replied instantly to Leona's question.

"..." Leona as an uncultured woman, seems to be in thought.

"Let me guess, it is common for a king to have harems." Rion suddenly interjected, knowing where this was going.

"That's right." Francia affirmed. It appears the warlock king of the past has fallen in love.

"What's weirder to the public was that King Heinran chose to marry a normal witch, and of course, this caused a ruckus and jealousy over others who thought they were more deserving of the position."

"Figures…" Rion nodded. There are just some people out there who think of themselves as supreme over others, when in fact they often fall shorter than the person they look down on.

These kinds of people are everywhere no matter the time, place, or even race.

Leona sighed, it seems she has a similar opinion on this topic.

Without minding their reaction, the Alchemical Witch continued:

"But of course, being a domineering man. King Heinran gave them a finger as he resolved all of these problems and those who thought this was the chance to usurp and gain easy power by rooting them out one by one."

"Time passed and soon their only offspring was born… Her Majesty, Selene Moriethy."

"Like her father, Her Majesty is an extreme prodigy in magic. Possessing the biggest potential in the history of female witches."

"Although I don't know the specifics, it is rumored that the cold and indifferent face of the Witch Queen today isn't what it used to be before."

"What exactly happened?" Leona seemed to be fully absorbed with the story, which made Rion almost laugh looking at that curious doggy face that she was making.

"In the middle of the conquest of King Heinran, he was ambushed by multiple beings who have a deep hatred for him."

"But it appears, a trap has been set up not only for him but also those who are close to him and his whole kingdom." At this point, Francia's gaze and tone seemed to grow colder which caught the attention of the two who were listening.

"They took advantage of him when he was out for a mission and ambushed him by setting a trap… Normally, this would not be enough to take him down, however…"

"The kingdom was captured, along with Her Majesty and his wife at that time." Francia's voice is so cold right now, that the two actually felt chills, they didn't even bother to disturb her.

"M-mom…"

"Ms. Francia." Rion tapped Francia's shoulder, which made the witch quickly apologize to the group, looking at the terrified gaze of the little girl.

The area around them seemed to rise a few degrees making it hot in contrast to the witch's cold tone.

'Really, I'm too emotional…' Francia sighed. As a master and someone who's experienced, she needs to have better control of her emotions.

"Then, assuming that they got caught, the king went nuts right?" Rion continued to ask, seeing that everything is fine now.

"Yes. But in a battle, having rationality is a crucial trait, and normally as an experienced king he wouldn't lose that rationality."

"But as a person who's more on the emotional side, seeing his wife and daughter hurt by his hated enemies made him completely lose his mind, as he just slaughtered all of his enemies… But like I said, rationality is a must and the king who's taken over by his rage was… "

Rion and Leona stayed silent. They knew what happened next.

The enemies took advantage of the raging state of the king.

Assuming that the king has offended many powerhouses, it is most likely that the enemies are not simple beings, for them to take down the strong king, let alone a king who's a master of magic.

In fact, gods and enemies with weird abilities are probably the downfalls of the past warlock.

When used correctly, even a stone can kill a giant.

"After that… The queen found an opportunity while she sacrificed herself, taking the chance to let her daughter escape."

"The kingdom was burned down and destroyed … while the witches were driven away from their kingdom."

"The popes of the past then conspired with those who sought revenge and power from King Heinran, spreading the 'evil' deeds of the witches and why they're so powerful." A hint of disdain can be felt in her voice.

"The humans who were easy to fool and those who envy the power of those who are innately awakened and loved by mana took this chance and excuse to take revenge and vent out."

"The once mighty witches who built their prestigious reputation for several millennia… were brought down as evil and detestable creatures in months through."

"Thus… the dreadful witch-hunt started…" Francia was unable to continue, her words seemed to be so heavy that even Rion and Leona didn't dare to comment about it.

The rest can be left to their imagination. Just from her words, the once-hailed and looked-up witches were framed by their own kind.

Those who looked up to them turned out to be the people who would bring them down at the end.

Although, he is aware and the witches were also aware that it is not the complete fault of the humans but the popes of that time.

The blood is still tainted on their hands. They still accomplished the unjust 'deed'.

'No wonder some look at us with a cold gaze.' Rion remembered the times their group would get a cold gaze from random women they don't even know of.

Rion sighed. The past of these witches is just… tragic.

Still, what he's the most curious about now is the daughter of this warlock king. Selene Moriethy.

Experiencing all those things at such a young age, and becoming a leader with no support or parental love… It's understandable why she became so cold and independent.

If it's a normal child, she would probably break down. No normal child would be able to carry that much burden. But her being able to handle it, proved just how extraordinary she was.

"I want to ask… how many years are we talking about?" Rion broke the long silence.

"That happened almost 600 years ago." The witch replied casually.

"600 years… Wait, then how old is the queen…?" Rion felt his brain stuck in the gutter imagining what the queen looked like right now and how she is even alive.

"Hahaha~, no need to worry. The lifespan of an awakened human is about 200 to 700 years, it can extend or shorten depending on multiple factors." The witch smiled a bit.

"Not to mention, Her Majesty was rumored that she was bathed in the Spring of Immortality when she was just born, making her immortal in age."

'Oh, it's just like mine…' He inwardly muttered as he remembered his status.

…

Arriving in front of the castle, the group was greeted by a loli witch.

"Big sis Francia!" The loli witch hugged with a bit of a force causing Francia to stumble back a bit.

"Jeez! You surprised me, Nina. You don't need to do that every time." Francia reprimanded the loli witch.

"Ah~ My bad, teehee~!"

'Did she just say teehee…?' Rion gave a deadpan look, feeling a bit speechless.

Damn, this loli acts her role perfectly.

"Oh~ are these the special guests?" The little loli instantly went to Leona and Cindy.

"And this must be… Mr. Warlock?" Nina looked at Rion with a scrutinizing gaze.

'Oi. What's up with the question mark at the end?' The man thoughtfully retorted at her reaction.

"Yes, I'm that warlock. My name is Kurogane Rion." The man introduced himself as he offered his hand for a handshake.

"Eh? You're actually that warlock?" The girl seemed disappointed but still took the handshake, she even forgot to introduce herself…

Realizing she said something rude she quickly added… another gas to the fire:

"Ah! It's not that I'm expecting you to be handsome, muscular, and hot alright!? You're… decent you know… and cute."

"..." Was that a compliment or an insult? Rion didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

It's not that he minds anyway.

"Ehem. I think we should go now. Your queen must be waiting." Leona interrupted, she on the other hand was a bit offended that someone would say that to her benefactor.

"... Al-alright." The loli witch was a bit confused why the sudden change of mood, but nonetheless she still complied. After all, she was tasked to guide them and inform the queen when they arrived.

"..." Rion and Francia smiled wryly, sensing Leona's mood.

"Follow me, dear guests." The loli witch soon assumed a professional and humble tone as she went inside.

Looking at the majestic door, Rion took a deep breath and he soon breathed out.

'Well then, it's about time to meet the Queen of the Witches.' Rion walked forward while Leona, Francia, and Cindy followed.

…

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