Regarding the reputation of witches, on the lands ruled by the Western Holy See, the mere mention of their name sends the common folk into a panic.
In the hearts of many, witches are directly associated with words like “disaster,” “death,” and “plague.”
But the world would never have guessed that after a boy accidentally wandered into a witch’s domain, he managed to settle there peacefully.
On this particular morning, the dawn light gently dispersed the thick mist in the forest, and bright rays slipped in through the wooden cottage window.
The Ashen Snow Witch was lying amidst a pile of books, her serene, sleeping face like a living Sleeping Beauty Scroll.
The light fell upon her beautiful features, waking her from her light slumber as she slowly opened her eyes.
The Sleeping Beauty Scroll came to life.
The Ashen Snow Witch gazed blankly at the sky, but the commotion outside broke the stillness.
“Spider Sis, I stepped in poop!”
Chu Yin’s miserable cry, as if he were about to cry.
Ever since his arrival, the witch’s little cottage in the woods had been filled, from time to time, with chicken-flying, dog-leaping chaos.
The Ashen Snow Witch had gotten used to it. She never blamed Chu Yin; when this kid’s luck turned bad, anything could happen.
It was as if he were constantly challenging bizarre ways to die.
The giant spider sensed her mistress’s awakening and nimbly stepped along her webs to the window to greet her:
“Good morning, Mistress.”
The Ashen Snow Witch nodded gently and asked, “How did that child end up stepping in filth here?”
Birds, wild beasts, and insects all avoided this place, let alone dared cross the wooden fence outside—how could Chu Yin possibly step in poop? Unless it was from himself.
Spider Sis revealed an apologetic look and bowed in self-reproach:
“I caught two wild beasts for Mistress to test medicines on, but who would’ve thought they accidentally ate Purgative Grass? Just now… Please rest assured, Mistress, I’ve already cleaned it up.”
Such a situation had never occurred before. If the other witches found out, they would definitely come running just to laugh their heads off.
No need to say it—this accident was certainly thanks to Chu Yin’s misfortune.
The Ashen Snow Witch rubbed her forehead and shook her head, but she didn’t mean to blame anyone. She softly asked,
“Has that child ever said he wanted to leave here?”
“No, while Mistress is reading, the little unlucky egg spends every day fixing up the yard.”
“If he wants to leave, he can just tell me. I’ll escort him out of the forest.”
The Demon Tribe’s Forest was vast and filled with dangers, and the witches’ dwelling was deep within, a place even the Holy Light Grand Knight from the Holy See could not easily reach.
If, one day, the Holy See ever formed an expedition to crusade against the witches, chances were, the whole group would perish before even laying eyes on her.
Chu Yin was just an ordinary child. He could never leave the forest on his own. But one day, he’d want to.
A child’s curiosity is like an untamed bird, longing for the sky’s freedom.
If she woke one day to hear he had died by accident, sneaking out of the forest, that would still dampen her mood—better to just send him out herself.
Spider Sis hesitated for a moment and replied:
“Mistress, actually, I asked his opinion a few days ago.”
“Oh? What did he say?”
“He said he was fine staying here. With a witch worried about his bad luck, if he were to leave—even if he stayed in the safest Human Kingdom’s Capital—he would still run into all sorts of mishaps.”
Upon hearing this, the Ashen Snow Witch nodded, quite agreeing with Chu Yin’s judgment.
It was something she had just neglected to consider—would Chu Yin really be safe if he left the Demon Tribe’s Forest? Hardly.
Even when there’s no apparent danger nearby, he could still find the strangest ways to show just how unlucky a person can be.
Just now, for example—he actually managed to step in poop within a witch’s domain!
“Looks like I’ll have to brew some physique-strengthening potions for him, make him as resilient as possible, so even if he leaves, he’ll survive.”
The giant spider, watching the witch’s concern for Chu Yin, curled her Rose Lips into a smile and said:
“Mistress seems cold, but inside you’re truly gentle, to care so much for a human boy.”
A hint of displeasure appeared on the Ashen Snow Witch’s cool, elegant face. She would not punish her servant for such wild speculation, but still needed to correct this misunderstanding:
“Words like gentle and kind are weak and only used to mock witches. This is not to be repeated.”
“Yes, Mistress!”
“And rather than say I’m concerned for the child, it’s more that I wish, through him, to defy fate’s malice—this is a most rare experiment.”
“Understood~”
The witch, in her tight long dress, saw the spider servant’s gentle smile and sensed yet another misunderstanding, but was too lazy to correct it.
Spider Sis could be said to be the Butler here, knowing all about the stock of medicinal ingredients. She remembered now that the storeroom was running low.
She reminded, “Mistress, if you want to make a physique potion for the little unlucky egg, you’ll need to go to Border City for supplies.”
“Alright, get ready. We’ll set off soon.” The Ashen Snow Witch stood, donned her cloak, and hid her tall, shapely figure.
Border City was the largest city-state near the Demon Tribe’s Forest, as well as the first line of defense against wild beasts and demon incursions.
Because of the bustling Adventurer activity, it was not as magnificent as the Human Kingdom’s Capital, but its prosperity was no less.
Many fugitives and Evil Mages on the run often appeared here, but the Border Guard usually turned a blind eye.
After all, to do the job, one had to stay alive to earn wages—don’t be so uptight! Everyone’s a buddy here, just do each other a favor!
In front of the Merchant Guild’s doors, two tall women appeared with a boy.
They were none other than Chu Yin and the Ashen Snow Witch, along with their companion.
Chu Yin looked in shock at the two big sisters by his side, completely caught off guard by two things.
The first was teleportation. He’d thought the Ashen Snow Witch could only teleport short distances, but she just crushed a Teleportation Stone and sent them straight from their doorstep to right in front of the Border Guard’s face, then swaggered right in.
And the guard pretended to be asleep the whole time, swallowing nervously and not daring to move.
So much for the “wanted witch,” right?
The second was Spider Sis—before they left, she’d turned into a beautiful maid over 1.8 meters tall. Her red hair was elegantly coiled, she wore a maid’s headband, and her smooth, black-stockinged long legs were longer than his whole body, exuding the alluring aura of a married-woman maid.
“Spider Sis, so your lower half can become human-shaped too…”
He’d taken a long time to get used to her spider lower half.
Spider Sis found his mixed feelings amusing and replied with a gentle smile:
“Any Demon Tribe member with enough skill should be able to take human form, right? What’s so strange about that~”
A heavy coin pouch appeared out of thin air in the Ashen Snow Witch’s palm. She handed it to Chu Yin and said coolly:
“Buy whatever you want. If you wish to purchase a house in Border City and settle among the Human Kingdom’s city-states, that’s fine too—no need to ask my opinion.”
That icy, lady-boss tone really was just like Aunt Dongnuan.
Chu Yin thought for a moment, then said:
“No need to ask… Then let me help you both pay when we check out!”
Spider Sis’s thoughtfulness immediately came into play. She knew her Mistress would want to ask why, but, since she’d said “no need to ask me,” it was awkward to ask directly.
So she took the initiative: “Little unlucky egg, don’t you have anything you want to buy? Why do you want to pay for us?”
Chu Yin explained,
“I’ve never handled this much money before, so just getting to pay is exciting. If the Witch gets what she wants, she’s happy, and I get to pay—everyone’s happy.”