The streets bustled with life, a dense crowd flowing like a stream. Merchants shouted out their wares, and the clamor of passersby filled the air, making the street feel especially lively.
And amidst this noisy “stream,” a large witch’s black hat brushed through the crowd, a streak of silver moving along with it.
“Hold my hand tightly.”
Beatrice held Aurora’s hand as they made their way down the street.
She glanced back from time to time to check that Aurora was okay—making sure the crowd wasn’t making her dizzy—before continuing forward.
Aurora, being led from behind, kept her eyes lowered the entire time, not daring to look at the throng of people around her.
But with her striking height—over 180 centimeters—and her breathtaking looks, she inevitably drew the gazes of everyone nearby.
Even without looking, Aurora could feel countless eyes boring into her.
It was as if her whole body were wrapped in a net of searing threads, making every movement feel uncomfortable. Instinctively, she gripped Beatrice’s hand a little tighter.
“Whoa there, young lady…”
Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed her wrist. Aurora flinched violently in shock.
She hurriedly turned her head toward the person who had seized her.
It was a man with dark, sun-weathered skin, wearing a puffy blue coat and a mushroom-shaped hat. His face was covered in a scraggly black beard, and he reeked of fish—like he’d just crawled out of the sea.
On his coarse fingers were rings with colored gemstones, and even his large earlobes were studded with diamonds. He clearly had money.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth—with fish bones stuck between them.
“What’s your name, gorgeous? Fancy spending a night with me? I’ve got plenty of cash!”
“I-I’d rather not…”
Caught off guard by the sudden proposition, Aurora panicked, stumbling over her words. She didn’t know how to respond. She could feel his rough fingers rubbing up and down her wrist.
Smack!
The coarse sensation disappeared in an instant—Beatrice had struck the man’s hand away with a sharp slap.
“Ow! You bitch! Who the hell do you think you are?!”
Beatrice ignored him entirely. She pulled Aurora behind her protectively and took hold of the wrist that had just been touched, chanting a purification spell without hesitation.
“Are you deaf?! I’m talking to you—”
The man reached out with his filthy paw, aiming to grab Beatrice’s witch robes.
The moment his fingertips touched the fabric, a splash of violet liquid suddenly coated them.
“W-What the hell is this?!”
The man yanked his hand back and tried frantically to shake off the purple liquid, but it clung to him as if it were alive.
Not only did it refuse to come off, it also began to creep further up his arm.
A sharp, searing pain spread rapidly from the area touched by the purple substance, radiating through his limbs and deep into his bones.
His agonized screams quickly drew a crowd. Onlookers instinctively formed a circle around the three of them, creating a tense spectacle.
“Beatrice, that’s enough.”
The chant came to an abrupt halt. Beatrice glanced down at Aurora’s pale hand, gently cupping it in both of hers before bringing it to her lips and softly rubbing against it.
Only after thoroughly leaving her scent on it did she finally stop.
The man’s screams had not ceased.
He writhed on the ground in agony, rolling back and forth—but the more he struggled, the more the purple liquid multiplied, and the greater the pain grew.
Beatrice turned to face him, her eyes icy.
A chilling aura of killing intent radiated from her, and a purple magic circle began to glow faintly in her right hand.
The circle grew clearer and more menacing by the second.
The magic emanating from it felt like it would swallow the man’s sanity whole. It looked as though she was about to blast this noisy man into oblivion.
Suddenly, a warm sensation touched her hand. The one she was about to cast the spell with was gently held by slender, soft fingers.
The comforting warmth calmed her instincts, and without thinking, Beatrice allowed the magic to dissipate.
“Beatrice, let him go. He didn’t really do anything to me yet.”
Aurora looked at her anxiously.
She knew Beatrice’s temper—if she didn’t intervene, Beatrice might actually kill the man. And that would surely get them hunted down by the city guards.
Whenever things reached this point, Aurora was the only one who could truly calm her down.
Without her, Beatrice would’ve been a wanted criminal more times than she could count.
“If he doesn’t get taught a lesson, he’ll never learn.”
Still, Beatrice extended her hand toward the man writhing in pain, whose mind had already begun to fade from the torment.
In an instant, all the purple liquid on the man’s body slithered away, crawling toward Beatrice. It climbed up her clothes and disappeared into her sleeve.
“The city guard is here! Everyone make way!”
A voice rang out from within the crowd—no one knew who shouted it, but the packed mass of people instinctively parted, clearing a path. At the far end stood several guards clad in heavy armor.
They stormed into the circle and surrounded the trio.
“We received a report—who started the disturbance?”
One of the guards stepped forward. His armor was different from the others’, and the silver helmet he wore was adorned with two embroidered blue flowers—he was clearly the captain.
He glanced at the man writhing on the ground, barely conscious, then gave a quick order to the guard beside him. “Take him to the apothecary.”
After that, his eyes turned to Beatrice and Aurora.
“Young lady witch, I’m afraid we’ll need the two of you to come to the interrogation room. Please come with us.”
As he spoke, two guards stepped forward to approach them.
“Don’t touch me.”
A cold voice echoed out. In the next instant, a three-meter radius magic circle flared into life beneath Beatrice’s feet.
From it oozed purple liquid that quickly gathered and solidified into multiple statue-like figures—humanoid constructs with weapons drawn, standing guard protectively around the two girls.
Shing, shing…
The surrounding guards reacted immediately, unsheathing their weapons as they instinctively took a step back, bracing for combat.
“W-wait! Please, calm down! That man was the one who harassed us first!”
“Beatrice, calm down too!”
Aurora, flustered by the escalating tension, struggled to get her words out. This really hadn’t been that big of a deal, yet Beatrice had already turned it into a full-blown crisis.
And it wasn’t even the first time she’d done something like this.
The captain of the guard also reached for his sword, but the moment his eyes fell on the insignia pinned to Beatrice’s chest, his hand froze in midair.
“Put your weapons away, now!” he barked at the other guards.
Without hesitation, every guard immediately re-sheathed their swords.
“I deeply apologize, Miss Witch!”
The captain quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply to the two girls.
“I had no idea you were a high-ranking witch. Please forgive our earlier offense.”
“Hmph.”
Beatrice let out a cold snort, and the purple statues surrounding them instantly melted away, seeping back into the magic circle at her feet.
Aurora let out a sigh. It had been a situation that could have been solved with a few calm words and a little explanation.
But Beatrice had no interest in such things—she always did as she pleased. Aurora didn’t know when, or if, Beatrice would ever change that part of herself.