Grocery shopping

Valerie took the other ring and said, "Alright then, I need to go."

"Where are you going?" Noah asked.

"Grocery shopping."

"Grocery…?" It was not a word he would imagine to come out of a witch's mouth.

Valerie said, "Yes, I didn't expect that there will be a stray invading my house and eating my food. It should last a bit later but now I need to resupply."

Noah couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going to buy the grocery?" Who would dare to accept a witch as a customer?

"Why are you so curious? Do you want to go too? You do seem to be better than yesterday. Werewolf's regenerative ability is not a mere boasting then."

"Of course not my kind will never-"

Valerie ignored his rant and walked out of the house.

"Hey wait!" Noah followed her out but a hand was shoved to his face, stopping him on his track.

"If you want to follow, you should wear a cloak. Take one in my wardrobe."

Noah somehow found himself being bundled in a thick black cloak and riding on a flying chariot pulled by spirit horses.

'What just happened?' Noah asked himself as he gazed at the small city far away on the ground. He then looked at the sky where the moon was much closer than he had ever seen. It felt as if he could pluck it off the sky. He then turned his gaze to the witch in front of him. She didn't wear a cloak and merely covering her face with a hat and tying her hair into a bun. Her black dress didn't look like it could give much protection against the frigid wind yet Valerie didn't show any discomfort. Even he who was used to cold and was covered with a thick cloak still shivered sometimes when the wind got too strong. 'As expected of the Witch of Frost. A mere cold will never bother her. She probably eats a chunk of ice as a snack. Take a bath in the northern pole's sea. She can probably sleep outside in the middle of a snowstorm. She-'

"What are you thinking?" Valerie glanced at him.

"Nothing."

"Hmm."

With the horrifyingly fast speed of the chariot, they soon arrive at their destination Thesiah, the city of mages. Instead of landing in the city, they stopped quite far away.

"We will walk," Valerie said after dismissing her chariot.

Noah followed several steps behind her. He felt rather ridiculous wearing this massive dark coat while the weather is only slightly cold on the ground. It was as if he was announcing himself to be a bad guy with suspicious intention. Unfortunately, he couldn't shed it off either because he was still wearing his bloody clothes underneath. So his options were suspicious black cloak or suspicious bloody clothes. Both were horrible. Noah groaned. It really was a bad idea to cooperate with a witch.

Valerie showed her identity card to the gate guards. Noah assumed she must have a fake identity, no way anyone would let a witch enter a city freely. The guards looked at Noah with distrust.

"He's shy," Valerie said. "This is his first time out in years. He can't part with his comfort blanket."

'Bastard! Who's shy! Let me tell you I don't even mind running naked in the city. What comfort blanket? This is clearly a cloak!' Noah ranted in his mind.

"I see." The guard nodded. "Considering his temperament, please keep an eye on him. There are important guests in the city currently."

"Guests?" Valerie asked.

"Lord Aaron is here." The guard beamed.

"Oh," Valerie said.

They continued their way into the city. Although most markets opened in the morning, the market and the Thesiah city itself never seemed to sleep. Some shops only opened during the day but there were no fewer shops which opened when the sunset. Although Thesiah was called the city of mages, there were also other races living in the city. The city accepted those without a homeland. The witch hunt was not the only kind of discrimination in this world but it was indeed the most prominent. Thesiah provided a haven to those people.

Valerie visited the shops she regularly visited. Since she had a helper now, she dropped all of her purchases to Noah. Noah could only grit his teeth and suffered silently. The pile kept getting higher and higher until Noah struggled to see the path in front of him.

"How did you manage this when you are alone?" Noah asked.

"I don't usually buy this much but I heard that werewolves' appetites are massive."

"Is that an insult?!"

"If you take it as such."

"You-"

A booming laugh interrupted Noah's retort. Two men somehow came near them without Noah noticing. They wore the white uniform of the Order. A man with short golden hair shot a smile that rivaled the sun. While his companion coldly observed them. His expression was similar to Valerie's stuck-up face. He was like the male dark-haired version of Valerie.

"Valerie! I didn't expect you to visit me so soon," the golden-haired man said.

"I'm here to buy groceries," Valerie said. "And you're making too much ruckus, Aaron."

"I agree," the black-haired man said. "We should change location."

And so the three people walked side by side while Noah followed behind them with his baggage. 'Will this be my fate?' Noah lamented. 'To be a witch's servant until I die?' Unfortunately, his memory was still fresh and he didn't dare to protest. Not to mention, those men were also strong. Even Noah with his sharp hearing didn't notice their presence until Aaron laughed.

'Aaron… Is he the Lord Aaron the guard mentioned before?' Those men belonged to the Order which was an organization born after the fall of the Witch Hunters. There were many twists and turns that Noah didn't pay attention to when his father explained to him but basically the Witch Hunters sucked and the top dogs there also even more of an ass. So there was some rebellion and the Witch Hunters were disbanded. He had heard that the Order was now trying to establish a better relationship with the mages. He even heard that they offer sanctuary to witches. Which was ridiculous. Why would those witches need protection? He needed protection from one of those witches. Noah grumbled over his fate.

They found a place in a restaurant in a small alley. The owner merely looked at them and offered a private room. Noah gleefully put down his burden.

"Is he your friend?" Aaron asked. "You didn't tell me you made one. You should introduce us!"

Valerie said, "Aaron, this is the stray I took in yesterday. Noah, this is an annoying man that will never shut up."

Aaron laughed, seemingly used to Valerie's insult. "Nice to meet you. My name is Aaron. Any friend of Valerie is a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you too but I'm not her friend."

"No?"

Valerie said, "We're allies but he is also my servant."

Noah protested. "Oi! You dare calling this honorable one a servant?!" He could accept being ordered around like a servant but to be called one was too much.

"You're the crown prince of Alesia," the black-haired man said.

"Ooh." Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Sharp as always, Leif. And since when you expand your social circle to nobles, Valerie?"

"I don't. Like I said, this one strayed into my house."

"You make it sound as if entering a witch's territory is a hobby of mine." Noah glanced at Aaron's ever-smiling face. "Anyway it's none of your business"

"He wants me to help him kill a person," Valerie said.

"Isn't this stuff supposed to be private?!" Noah protested.

"Kill a man?" Aaron frowned. With his sunny smile gone, the room seemed much colder.

'Uh-oh is he a witch too?' Noah thought. "Wait no listen to me. The one I want to kill is a rebel. He killed my father, took the throne, and imprisoned me. I managed to escape but lost my consciousness in Valerie's territory."

Aaron glanced at Leif. Leif touched his chin. "I was informed that there was a trouble brewing in Alesia however I didn't expect it to be a regicide."

Noah said, "He didn't only kill my father but he also killed my family. Don't tell me I can't have my revenge."

Aaron sighed and shook his head. "You should have told me this earlier."

"I only just know too. Don't stop me, Aaron. I made a pact with him."

Aaron gaped. "A pact?"

"What did he offer?" Leif asked. "The kingdom?"

"His servitude," Valerie answered.

"So that's why you call him a servant."

"I'm not her servant!" Noah protested.

"This is a bad idea," Aaron admonished Valerie.

Valerie crossed her arms. "It never stops me from doing them."

"That's not something to be proud of." Aaron looked exasperated.

"Don't worry. I won't kill innocents."

"But you will still kill."

Valerie narrowed her eyes and said, "He won't be the first that I kill and he won't be the last."

Aaron breathed out a deep sigh. "Just keep me updated, okay?"

"Hmm."

"I'm serious. If you forget to send me an update I will march there will the Order."

"Don't be stupid."

"Which one of us is being stupid first?"

"Not me." Valerie raised her chin daring Aaron to argue.

Aaron could only shake his head. He turned to Noah and put a hand on his shoulder. "Keep an eye on her. She tends to cause trouble whenever she goes."

'You think I can reign her in? Don't you see how she boss me around?' Noah felt his eye twitched.