Chapter 36: Sophie’s New Home

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, Sophie had already lived in Fallen Leaves Town for an entire year.

A year is a long time—after all, a person’s life rarely lasts a hundred years.

But a year is also short; to the world, it passes in an instant.

For Sophie, the witch who possessed an almost eternal lifespan, a year was not long. Yet, the significance of this year outweighed all the days she’d ever lived.

“No, if I use that fool of a lord’s words…”

Looking out at the snow that still blanketed the endless winter, a gentle, happy smile curled at Sophie’s lips. In this moment, the once-lost witch who had survived years of pursuit by the Church now had not a trace of confusion left in her eyes.

“Humans cannot exist alone.”

Sophie repeated to herself the curious words that often popped out of Green’s mouth. “Witches are people too. No matter how powerful they are, no matter how long their lives, if they’re all alone, they can’t be said to have truly lived.”

But now…

She opened the door and slowly walked onto the street.

Openly, and without hiding.

“I already have a home.”

No more sneaking around, no more concealing her identity. Sophie now breathed in the air greedily, as if there were some precious treasure hidden in the swirling snow.

“Come on, come on! Fresh fruits and vegetables!”

On both sides of the street, a forest of vendors called out energetically, attracting customers.

“Line up, the reserve rations from the Lord’s Manor are all here. Representatives from each estate, please sign.”

Outside the Lord’s Manor, orderly officials recorded the distribution of supplies.

“Refugees, please gather here. In a moment, we’ll escort you to the Refugee Camp.”

Well-equipped, well-trained guards soothed the refugees who had been displaced by the long winter.

Sophie watched the coming and going of people, crowds who continued bustling even in the biting wind, and found herself deep in thought.

Vitality.

Yes, this was the treasure coursing through every alley and street of Fallen Leaves Town—something not even the solemn and glorious City of Radiance could claim.

Vigorous, abundant, born from the daily lives of the common folk.

Sophie had lived a long time, drifting from place to place, seeing towns and cities of all shapes and sizes.

But nowhere was like Fallen Leaves Town.

“This is all thanks to you, Sophie.”

A hand landed on her shoulder.

It was the Lord.

“Your inventions, Sophie.” Green leaned in closer.

Sophie instinctively lowered her head.

“I—I was just doing my job.” She hesitated, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Blame that Green—standing so close, she could even smell his scent.

“Speaking of…” Seeing that Green had no intention of backing off, Sophie quickly changed the topic, “I heard from Mr. Brown that the neighboring lords have joined forces to boycott Fallen Leaves Town?”

Once, Sophie never cared for such worldly troubles.

What did the power struggles of mortals have to do with her, a witch?

Perhaps she looked exactly like a human, but her blood, her soul, meant she was always an outsider to the human world.

Their grudges, their love and hate—all of it had nothing to do with her as a witch.

But now, everything was different.

This town—Fallen Leaves Town—was…her home.

Home.

For the first time, Sophie felt a sense of belonging to a place.

It was a curious feeling.

Every blade of grass, every tree—on the surface, not so different from elsewhere. Yet, because they belonged to Fallen Leaves Town, they now took on a new hue in Sophie’s eyes.

“The other lords?”

The concern in Sophie’s voice was caught by Green. He gave a faint smile, and gently brushed aside her dark hair.

“Let them boycott if they wish. The wheels of history don’t turn for any one person’s will.”

He glanced at the bustling, well-stocked Market and snorted. “Besides, given the situation, who needs whose supplies during this long winter—them, or us? That’s still up for debate.”

That was true.

Sophie nodded in agreement.

Green really was…special.

He seemed frivolous at first glance, always speaking lightly and coming up with ideas on a whim, but he had a knack for turning the impossible into reality, defying all expectations time and again.

Take this free trade Market, for example.

While other lords issued decree after decree to squeeze every coin out of the Merchant taxes, never letting a drop slip by, Green grandly raised the banner of “free” for all to see.

And not just for the local Merchants—even those from other regions were treated the same.

When she asked Green if there was a deeper reason, he only muttered, “What do you know? You have to cast a long line to catch a big fish.”

Sophie had thought this lord was just a softie with a sharp tongue, unwilling to admit how much he cared for his people.

But who could have guessed? When Merchants from all over heard that Fallen Leaves Town’s spendthrift young master was offering such generous terms, they flooded in by the dozens.

Even though Green didn’t collect taxes, those Merchants who could transport goods and gather supplies in the icy cold were already resourceful. More importantly…they brought business opportunities.

Once, Fallen Leaves Town was packed with disaster victims who waited only for Green’s charity.

But now, as Merchants from all regions flocked here for a Market stall, these people found work at last.

The Merchants gained a stable, low-cost Market, the refugees found employment, and the whole town prospered. It seemed, in fact, that no one’s interests were harmed?

Oh, actually, there were some.

Those lords who had been waiting to see Green make a fool of himself.

“And even if those lords really do unite to blockade me, I have preparations.”

Green said mysteriously, “So Miss Sophie, please focus on your research. Leave the rest to me.”

Preparations?

Sophie recalled something from not long ago.

“You mean the Elven Court?”

Not long ago, a messenger had come from a foreign land.

Elves.

With her long life, Sophie had naturally interacted with those long-eared folk.

Not always pleasantly.

Though the Elves were more tolerant of witches than humans—unlike humans, who avoided witches like the plague—they still considered witches just another type of human.

And as for that proud race’s view of humanity… Well, Sophie was glad she’d met them only a few times.

“They’re very interested in your Alchemical Inventions.” Green’s eyes brimmed with pride as he looked at Sophie. “You really are a genius.”

A genius…

Recalling her experiences of late, Sophie couldn’t help but doubt herself.

It’s true—her research had been progressing too smoothly, so much so that it felt unreal.

In the past, Sophie was already a rare genius among witches, but no matter how gifted, when facing the risks of bloodline regression, it was difficult to solve problem after problem without pause.

But for some reason, ever since Green took her in at Fallen Leaves Town, Sophie hadn’t felt that restlessness deep in her soul for a long, long time.

Strange.

Still…that was a good thing, right?

“Well, I’ll head to the lab then.” Shaking her head, Sophie decided not to dwell on it.

She loved research; exploring magical mysteries had once been her only joy.

But now, for Sophie, it wasn’t just about growing stronger—something much more important had taken root.

Fallen Leaves Town, and…Green.

“Wait.”

Just as Sophie was about to leave, Green called out to her.

“Um, um.” He scratched his chin, a bit embarrassed. “Say, it’s been almost a year since you came to Fallen Leaves Town, hasn’t it?”

“Hm?” Sophie raised her brow, puzzled.

“This—this is for you. Think of it as an anniversary gift.”

Green pulled a Doll from his belt.

Uh, a Doll?

Sophie picked up the Doll curiously and examined it.

The workmanship wasn’t particularly exquisite, but it was full of creativity and care. The round, chubby face beamed with a broad smile, every stitch and seam showing the maker’s effort.

“Thank you.” It was just a Doll, but for some reason, Sophie found it hard to look away. “By the way, what made you think of giving me a gift like this?”

She looked up, her face curious.

“Uh, I heard from Mary that you like dolls.”

Mary?

Oh, Sophie remembered now.

She was the Cook’s daughter at the Lord’s Manor. A lovely girl, and like the other people who came from refugee backgrounds, didn’t harbor much hostility toward Sophie, a “witch.”

Really now—of all people to ask about gifts for a woman, he had to go to a little girl for advice?

She didn’t know whether to praise the lord for his unique taste or call him naive.

“Ahem, so…do you like it?” Green coughed, a little awkward. “I spent months learning from the tailor to make it. If you don’t, I can just—”

“No, I like it very much.” Sophie hugged the Doll tightly and quickened her pace to leave.

She didn’t dare stay in front of Green any longer.

Not even the witch knew why.

Perhaps she didn’t want Green to see her eyes turning red?

How embarrassing.

Watching the witch’s retreating figure, Green blinked in confusion.

“So…she likes it, right?”

Green muttered to himself.

“How much longer are you going to hide it from her?”

As Green pondered, a voice rang in his ear.

A girl with a gloomy expression stared at him with complicated eyes.

Jessica.

Green’s captive.

“What do you mean?” Green narrowed his eyes, his voice low.

“Hmph.” Jessica snorted, “The secret arts of the Elves are strong, but not limitless. With your current mage level, even if you sacrifice your lifespan, you can’t stabilize that witch’s state for long.”

“I do need more time.”

Green nodded. “I hope that Elven ambassador will give me a reward worth the trouble.”

Elven ambassador…

Jessica’s expression grew even more conflicted.