Chapter 31: My Eternal Home

Lord Green, the lord of Fallen Leaves Town, had gone mad.

This news spread like wildfire, quickly sweeping across the nearby territories.

“Hey, did you hear? Lord Green actually killed the Priest for a witch?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down. Don’t you know how crazy our lord is? He even brought in a huge number of Refugees from other lands just to help build that witch’s Irrigation System!”

“Aiya, it looks like things are going to get tough for us. I heard from The Estate Master that the lord even sent people to supervise us planting that demon’s fruit…”

The townsfolk gossiped restlessly about the lord of Fallen Leaves Town, their words filled with confusion and resentment.

“Is it worth it, doing all this?”

A carriage slowly rolled by.

Inside the carriage, Sophie happened to overhear the chatter outside.

She raised her brows, her pretty face clouded with confusion.

“What’s worth it and what isn’t?” Green yawned indifferently. “I’m not doing all this for them, anyway.”

Not for them?

Sophie raised her head in puzzlement, just in time to meet Green’s clear gaze.

There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Green seemed completely unbothered by the insults hurled at him just now.

No, perhaps they couldn’t even be called insults.

After all, he really did kill the Priest for me.

Even if Green himself was unwilling to admit it.

And it was precisely because of his protection of a witch that Green had fallen from a once-admired lord to the subject of street-corner gossip.

Was he trying to keep me from feeling guilty?

Sophie turned her head away, her thoughts complicated.

“How’s the Irrigation System coming along?”

Just as her mind churned, Green spoke up. “It took a lot of effort to recruit him to help the Refugees, you know.”

Refugees.

A scene flashed through Sophie’s mind—hundreds of shivering figures in the icy wind, each welcomed by Green with open arms, led into the camp to share in the meat soup he’d paid for himself.

“The project is going smoothly. Those people are… very obedient.”

Even though she was the notorious witch, under Lord Green’s “prestige,” those Refugees still obediently followed her designs and instructions, and the work progressed without a hitch.

“At this rate, the initial phase should be done in a few weeks.”

When it came to inventions, Sophie could always talk at length.

That was the confidence of a genius.

“By my estimates, once the initial project is complete, the potato yield across the territory will double.”

Flipping through her Notebook, Sophie summarized the overall situation for Green.

“Double?”

Green nodded with satisfaction. “Good, looks like our territory should be able to survive this Long Winter.”

Long Winter.

Sophie silently watched the snowflakes drifting outside and the gusts of north wind.

Long Winter was almost here.

People always said that the reason this world had a Long Winter, Drought Storms, and all kinds of natural disasters was because of the existence of witches.

The Church of Light claimed that as long as all heresies were purged—be it non-human races or witches with filthy blood—the world would return to a bright and beautiful tomorrow.

Was our existence a mistake from the very beginning?

Sophie had wondered this, too.

She knew full well that her companions did carry special bloodlines. Whenever night fell and Nightmare descended, it was always a time of torment and trial for witches.

Some, if lucky, would simply never wake again, free of all burdens.

But the unlucky ones…

Sophie shuddered.

She didn’t know if the Cursed Blood in her veins was truly the cause of Long Winter, of flood storms, and all manner of catastrophes.

But Sophie knew all too well how much pressure her presence brought to Green.

She couldn’t drag this out any longer.

Feeling that power surging restlessly inside her, Sophie made up her mind.

To explore knowledge and research the truth—this was how witches increased their power.

But unlike ordinary spellcasters, their explorations and experiments were, in fact, a process of awakening the heritage from the deepest roots, from the Origin Ancestor of their bloodline.

And with every success, they drew closer to losing control and falling to ruin.

Sophie didn’t care about her own soul, but…

Looking at the town transformed under Green’s guidance, Sophie didn’t hesitate for a second.

“Seriously, if you stay by a fool’s side long enough, do you start to catch it too?”

She muttered quietly.

“Lord Green.” Sophie suddenly looked up. “After this Irrigation System is finished, please allow me to leave.”

This time, Sophie did not intend to leave quietly.

She was determined to say a proper goodbye to this foolish lord.

“Why?”

Green asked curiously.

In fact, he’d sensed on a certain night that this young witch intended to leave.

Back then, Green hadn’t intervened, simply watching to see what she’d do. Unexpectedly, Miss Sophie had hidden herself in his study for no apparent reason, and after listening to him and Brown discuss how to survive the Long Winter, she suddenly changed her mind.

Are all witches this fickle?

“My existence is only a burden to you, after all.” Sophie spoke with unusual composure. “You already saved me from the pyre and killed the Priest for me, but… but I have reasons I must leave.”

Sophie looked at Green with genuine sincerity.

By now, after these days together, Sophie had come to understand what kind of person this lord truly was.

A fool.

And for a fool, Sophie simply couldn’t give some ordinary reason like “I’m doing it for your sake.”

So she said nothing more.

A moment of silence.

“All right, Miss Sophie, but the deal you made with me before…” Green’s gaze shifted to the Refugees busily working on the Irrigation System outside the window. “How will you fulfill it?”

“I’ll hand over all my research notes to you.”

Sophie had already thought out her answer.

“It’s a shame I can’t finish everything myself, but Lord Green…”

The witch raised the corners of her lips, her pretty face showing a hint of pride. “With your erudition, I’m sure you’ll be able to understand, right?”

Though this lord always claimed to know nothing, Sophie, with her unique knack for reading people, had quickly seen through his clumsy lies.

What nonsense about not understanding witch research, about his ideas being just sudden bursts of inspiration?

Clearly, this lord had been quietly guiding her in the right direction.

Sensing Sophie’s odd gaze, Green slowly turned his head away.

Did this witch misunderstand something?

Those inventions and experiments all depended on Sophie’s own hands.

Even with extensive knowledge, Green wasn’t a real mage in this world. For many problems, he only knew the “what,” not the “why.”

What he could offer was only a certain way of thinking about things.

But for some reason, the more he tried to explain this to Sophie, the deeper her misunderstanding seemed to grow.

Pa.

The carriage jolted.

“My lord, we’ve arrived at the refugee camp.”

Knight Brown, who was driving, stuck his head in.

“Well then, Miss Sophie.”

Looking at the witch whose eyes seemed to hold a trace of sorrow, Green courteously extended his hand. “Before you depart, may I ask you to honor me by witnessing your invention put into practice?”

Today was the momentous day when the first stage of the Irrigation System was completed.

Even if Sophie had already resolved to leave, Green still hoped that as the true inventor, she would have at least one chance to receive everyone’s applause.

“I’d rather not.”

Sophie’s eyes dimmed. She remembered how excited she’d once been about her inventions, only for the people of Fallen Leaves Town to grow disgusted the moment they learned a witch was involved.

“No, Miss Sophie. I’m sorry, but I must insist.”

Green took hold of Sophie’s hand.

The two walked down from the carriage, shoulder to shoulder.

“Everyone.”

Green called out loudly, “This lady here is your benefactor.”

“Her name is Sophie.”

Hua.

Green’s arrival sent a stir through the refugee camp.

Those emaciated residents all looked up, gazing at the person who had taken them in during the bitter cold and even distributed food for free—a great benefactor.

Benefactor?

That lady?

The Refugees had long heard Lord Green say that the reason there was surplus food for them was because of one person.

By that logic, this lady truly was their benefactor.

Hua hua hua!

The once-quiet scene immediately became lively.

“Beautiful lady, thank you for your invention. My child can make it through this winter because of you.”

A woman, her patched clothes full of holes, looked up with reddened eyes, hugging her child who was eagerly eating potatoes.

“I thought I’d never survive this Long Winter. Miss Sophie, thanks to you, I can see the stars tomorrow.”

Another old man, weather-beaten and rough-faced, bowed deeply from the heart.

In an instant, thanks kept echoing in Sophie’s ears.

A feeling she had never experienced before took root and began to grow in her heart.

Hoo~~

The frigid north wind howled by, yet for some reason, Sophie’s heart was burning hot.

“Miss Sophie.”

Green glanced at the Refugees behind, faces beaming, and solemnly bowed to Sophie. “Though I regret that we can’t continue working together, I want you to know—no matter where you go or what you do in the future, Fallen Leaves Town will always be your warm home.”

Sophie blinked.

Her eyes stung a little.