She Is Not a Witch

It took a while for Rachel to finally stop crying. After wiping away her tears, she suddenly became a bit shy. Feeling embarrassed for losing composure in front of her friend, she asked Loranhil not to tell anyone about today’s events. Loranhil smiled and agreed.

Everyone has their own embarrassing moments. When young, people often have extraordinary ideas and impulses, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, some people give up on their former dreams, conforming to society’s expectations, and then mock those who still pursue their dreams, thinking themselves wise for having “seen through” society’s true nature.

Whether in her past life or present, Loranhil despised such people.

“Il n’y a qu’un héroïsme au monde: c’est de voir le monde tel qu’il est et de l’aimer.” – Romain Rolland.

There is only one true heroism in the world: to see life as it is and still love it.
[TN: This line is attributed to Romain Rolland, a French writer and Nobel laureate in literature. It conveys a profound and idealistic philosophy: true heroism lies in accepting the world with all its flaws, hardships, and imperfections, yet still finding the strength to embrace it with love and understanding. It encourages realism paired with compassion, suggesting that facing reality without cynicism is a noble act.]

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Two days later, in front of the mansion in Kempe City.

“Won’t you stay for a few more days, Lacy?” Rachel watched as the Carithes Merchant Association’s caravan methodically loaded goods and luggage, preparing to depart. She felt reluctant to part, gazing longingly at her friend. Although they had only known each other for a few days, it felt as if she had met a kindred spirit.

Among her peers, her brothers were often away, busy with business or other matters. The other girls in Kempe City’s social circles mostly cared about fashion, perfume, and clothes. If a few of them could play an instrument, it was considered extraordinary.

After all, this was the atmosphere of the Vegar Commercial Alliance. The entire country focused on making money, and cultural and entertainment industries were only found in a few coastal cities, often more for show and status than genuine appreciation.

For true literature and drama, the Verdant Empire was the most prosperous, followed by the Holy Domain, famous for its religious operas across the continent.

“I’m sorry, Rachel. I need to go to Hopland this time. There’s a lot to do. Let’s get together again when we have time. This is for you.” Loranhil handed Rachel a velvet box, telling her to open it after she returned home.

“Well then, see you next time.”

Loranhil stood in front of the carriage, wearing a light-colored dress. Sunlight filtered through the dense tree shadows, sparsely illuminating her hair. As summer breezes blew along the street, she held her sunhat to keep it from flying away. Her long hair fluttered in the wind as she waved goodbye to her friend.

After two days of rest and resupply, the members of the Carithes Merchant Association were well-rested and ready to set out again today.

With the crack of whips, the caravan slowly began to move, gradually disappearing beyond the city gates.

Rachel stood in front of the mansion, watching Loranhil’s carriage until it was far away before turning back.

Jelinc observed his daughter’s reluctant demeanor, his feelings complex. Would the next generation of Carithes and Agdelin continue their former friendship? Was this new friend his daughter had made good or bad?

It all depended on how this Miss Lacy would perform in Hopland.

In the carriage, Loranhil gazed at the passing scenery outside the window and asked, “How much merchandise did we acquire from the Agdelin family this time?”

“According to your previous instructions, Miss, we mainly purchased easily transportable pearls and jewelry. Other than that, we only have food and supplies needed for the journey,” Chelsea began reporting the quantity of goods they were carrying.

“Good, travel as light as possible. If they dared to attack Angus at the border, we can’t rule out the possibility of them attacking us within the country.”

“Although I don’t know what they’re after, we’ll do exactly what they don’t want us to do. If they want Carithes to fall, we’ll make sure it doesn’t. If they stop us this time, they’ll try again. Given enough time, we’ll naturally understand what they’re after.”

And so, the Carithes Merchant Association’s caravan passed several days safely, drawing ever closer to Hopland.

More than a dozen carriages traveled along a road on the mountainside. The mountain winds carried rustling sounds, and some leaves were swept up by the wind, flying over the road.

Loranhil looked at the sky thick with clouds, sensing that it might rain heavily tonight. When no one was paying attention, a faint light passed through her pupils, and her supernatural sequence changed from Demon Sequence to Nature Sequence. She then closed her eyes and began to listen to the information from the surrounding nature.

After a moment, she opened her eyes, revealing a slightly worried expression. She thought for a bit, then knocked on the partition in front of her.

“Do you need something, young miss?” Butler Ceres’s voice came from the front.

“Have the caravan stop at the turn ahead. That area is relatively flat. We’ll set up camp there and spend the night.”

“Aren’t we going to continue? After three more hills, we’ll reach Yellow Leaf Town. It’s safer there, and the accommodations are much better.”

“No, we’ll stop here.” Loranhil’s tone was firm.

“Very well, as you wish.” Ceres then called over a few riders, instructing them to inform the lead carriages to stop here.

Several armored riders moved out, trotting their horses along the mountain road. As the front of the caravan received the order, the entire convoy slowly came to a stop and began pulling the carriages to the roadside to set up camp.

Some people went to the nearby forest to gather firewood, while others started setting up tents.

Loranhil also got down from her carriage and observed the surroundings. This was a relatively flat area on the mountainside, with the main road on one side and the mountain base on the other.

After surveying the area, she had her subordinates pull the carriages onto this open space, arranging them in two rows to separate the road from the open area. She then had people prepare some thick logs, tying them together to make wooden barricades, which were placed at both ends of the road, blocking off the passage.

“Young miss, what are you doing?” Chelsea looked on, puzzled. With all these layers of defense, were they preparing for an enemy attack? But how did Miss Lacy know enemies might come?

“Well, I don’t know if they’ll make a move tonight, but it’s better to be prepared.” Loranhil looked up at the darkening sky. A cool, damp breeze carried the scent of impending rain.

She then called over the squad leaders of the merchant association’s riders, dividing them into two groups to take turns resting tonight. She instructed them to sleep in their armor with weapons at hand.

Still feeling uneasy, she took out two boxes of [Blood Activation Potion] from her personal belongings, giving each squad leader three vials. She told them to be extra careful tonight, and if any team member was injured, they should drink one vial. As long as the injury wasn’t fatal, it would generally save their life.

“Thank you, Miss Lacy!”

The squad leaders loudly expressed their gratitude after receiving the potions, carefully putting them away in pouches close to their bodies. Having traveled extensively, they naturally understood the value of supernatural potions. In this era without hospitals and with poor medical conditions, one vial could potentially represent a life saved. This was no joke, but valuable experience gained from the edge of death.

Although they were all mercenaries working for pay, the young miss’s gesture felt like a warm current flowing through their hearts. The concern revealed in those clear eyes moved these riders. In this money-oriented country where human relationships were often cold, such genuine care was particularly precious.

After giving all the instructions, night had fully fallen. Large bonfires were lit, and people began cooking food. A thick soup of dried meat and potatoes was prepared, with dry flatbread to dip in the soup or tear and soften in it – this was the riders’ dinner. As the firewood crackled, the aroma of food began to spread around the fires.

“Young miss, your dinner is ready.”

Just as Loranhil was still pondering what else could be prepared or planned in advance, Chelsea’s voice came from beside her, informing her that dinner had been prepared and placed in the carriage.

“No need for such trouble, just bring it over here.”

“But that’s not appropriate, there are too many people here…”

Although Chelsea wasn’t from a noble family, she understood many rules and etiquette. It wasn’t suitable for an unmarried noble lady to dine in front of a large group of men.

Loranhil, sitting by the bonfire, raised her head and looked at the scene before her. Riders in small groups were cooking soup in iron pots, squatting on the ground eating with flatbread, reminiscent of a construction site from her past life.

“How about this: leave the bread for me, and give the rest of the fruit and roasted meat to everyone else.”

Chelsea was still reluctant, as this seemed to violate her principles as a maid.

“Don’t worry about it so much, Sister Chelsea. Just do as I say.”

“Alright…”

Then Chelsea distributed the fruit and roasted meat from Loranhil’s plate to the riders camping out. The young woman sat by the fire, slowly eating the bread that was left. In truth, she could go without food for days without issue. The endurance and stamina of supernatural beings were incomparable to ordinary people, especially given her unique nature.

After dinner, nothing unusual happened. The mountain road remained quiet, with no travelers passing by. Perhaps everyone had stopped due to the impending rain. The riders followed the previous arrangement, resting in two shifts.

In the deep of night, seven or eight guards kept watch by the bonfire. Snoring sounds came from nearby tents. At this time, large raindrops began to fall from the sky. Soon, a torrential downpour cascaded from above.

The bonfire was quickly extinguished, plunging everything into darkness. Only the sound of rain striking leaves could be heard.

At this moment, Loranhil suddenly opened her eyes in her tent. “They’ve finally come?”

A series of urgent hoof beats approached from the distant mountain road, but they were muffled and eerie under the cover of the mountain rain.