Release that Witch

Deep inside the burrow, the crowd knelt down, worshiping a woman dressed in luxurious finery. Countless candles were silently burning, faintly glowing stars covering the ground.

”Is this the new kid? Lift your head and let me see your face.”

Iffy lifted her head timidly, but could only see a mask reflecting cold light. She was almost screaming out loud at that moment.

”I’m Heidi Morgan. Don’t be afraid, the mask was just to protect my identity.” The woman’s voice was softer than Iffy imagined. ”You’re a member of the Bloodfang Association from today onwards.”

”Why... can’t you accept Annie?” Iffy summoned up her courage to ask.

”Presumptuous!” The red-haired woman shouted.

The other witches were chuckling as if sneering at her stupidity.

”It’s okay,” Heidi said, waving her hand. She walked down from the stage to approach Iffy and said, ”Because there’s no way for me to support so many witches.”

”She, she can find her own food.”

”To live like a rat? Hide in the gutter all day and eat others’ leftovers? Living that way will gradually make you more like a savage by the day,” Heidi shook her head and said, ”The Bloodfang Association needs beasts, not rats waiting to be slaughtered by others.”

”B-beast?” Iffy could not help but repeat after her.

”Yes. Have you ever seen a cliff wolf?”

Iffy shook her head.

”They’re the symbol of the Kingdom of Wolfheart and master of the mountains. They can give birth to three or four cubs every time, but not all the cubs can survive. Do you know why?” Heidi slowly explained. ”Because the mother wolf will kill some cubs that she can’t find enough food to support to make sure the rest of the cubs are well-fed. The future generation that was grown up in such circumstances could continue to live within the tough environment.”

Iffy opened her mouth, but she did not know what to say.

”Cutting down the amount of feeding to each cub can also keep all the cubs alive. However, it’s simply being alive—the young wolves without sufficient nutrition will not able to hunt for themselves when they grow up. They would not be able to step out of the nest, neither would they have a chance to reproduce. The cliff wolf clan would completely vanish in the long run. What do you think of that?”

”I...”

Heidi lifted Iffy’s chin up with her finger. ”My child, this is the inspiration the God sends to us: Witches must act like the beasts in order to survive in the oppression. And strong combat witches will naturally become the symbol of the entire race, for example... who you are now!”

The candlelight started to flicker. Iffy did not hear any cheering but she could feel their emotions. The combination of the emotions of excitement, inspiration, and joy was like the unspoken volcano.

After a while, she hesitantly asked, ”What, what if there is sufficient food for every single wolf?”

”In that case, they’re no longer the wolves,” Heidi laughed and said, ”but dogs”.

...

The whip slashed on Iffy’s back, making a crisp noise.

”Idiot, you can’t even complete such a little practice, wasting all the food that was fed to you. Tell me, how many whips is this?”

”24” Iffy clenched her teeth and said.

She was responded to by continuous whips. Blood and sweat were flowing down from her back, drenching her pants.

”That’s all for today. You’ll get double flogging if the same happens for tomorrow’s training.” The red-haired woman threw a huge piece of rib into the middle of the four witches who were punished. ”The dinner time is over. This is the extra food I asked Lord Heidi for. You divide it amongst yourselves. Remember, no magic power allowed.”

The amount of the rib was enough to fill up four of their stomachs.

However, the fight training consumed a great amount of energy. The possibility to complete it would increase if they had extra food supply as supplement in between meals.

Like a beast...

Only strong witches can survive.

Iffy stared at the meat in front of her and pounced onto the witch nearest to her.

...

”The Secret Association was destroyed by the church. I heard that none of them escaped.”

”Even the leader of the witches.”

”The church is camping by the eastern coast!”

”The damned nobles.” Heidi did not look well. ”I’m going to tear them into pieces sooner or later!”

The influence of witches within the Kingdom of Wolfheart was eliminated one by one, leaving only the Bloodfang Association to barely support itself. Although Iffy did not quite understand why it was related to the nobles on the island, she could sense that the situation was getting critical.

”In this case, send Shaji and me to get rid of them.” Iffy suggested.

”It’s too late! The church has noticed the Archduke Island. We can no longer stay here,” Heidi clenched her teeth and said. ”Let’s go to Sleeping Island.”

”You’re talking about... the witch association which sent the pigeon to deliver the letter last time?” Iffy asked.

”Exactly. We can draw some manpower from there to strengthen ourselves. It’s only temporary; I’ll be back here sooner or later! The Kingdom of Wolfheart is mine!”

...

”Damn. Why are these people willing to listen to the orders from a little girl?” Heidi angrily threw the glass onto the ground.

Iffy was speechless. The witches on Sleeping Island were like sheep in her eyes, as they did not have much power of resistance when they were facing enemies, including the so-called leader, Tilly Wimbledon. Without the Extraordinary beside her, she would not be able to hold the position.

”It’s probably because she’s preaching the equal importance of non-combat witches?” Shaji interrupted. ”No one wants to be excluded.”

”Ridiculous! She didn’t even think about who defeated the church in Fjords! Who’ll believe such a nonsense?”

”Tilly’s elder brother, Lord of the Western Region seems to agree with that.”

”That was all made up by them! No one knows what a lord really wants better than I do!” Heidi angrily said. ”You thought that I built the Bloodfang Association for...” she suddenly stopped for a while and then continued, ”No, I can’t allow them to continue talking nonsense. You have to go to the Western Region and expose Tilly’s lies! Bring my words to the lord. I can offer double for what Tilly Wimbledon has to offer!”

Somehow, Iffy felt that Lord Heidi at the moment was nowhere like a beast but an exasperated lamb.

”That’s why you abandoned me?”

Annie’s figure suddenly appeared in front of her. ”You left me for this kind of master and such a ridiculous life, betraying my trust towards you?”

”No, Annie...”

Iffy was horrified to notice the blank space on Annie’s face.

”Do you... forget about me?”

She quickly opened her eyes and everything that had been in front of her eyes just now suddenly disappeared, leaving the gray-white colored ceiling of the room and the hanging light.

Is this a dream?

She quickly closed her eyes again to recall Annie’s face. Fortunately, Iffy still clearly remembered her look.

Iffy turned around and sat up on her bed, feeling slightly relieved. However, she saw a little girl curiously looking at her by the bed.

Iffy could tell from her eyes that she must be someone who had not experienced any suffers and struggles... someone who was also called the sheep.

”Who’re you?”

”Nana,” the little girl tilted her head and said. ”Did you have a nightmare?”

Iffy could feel that her back was drenched in her sweat at that moment. ”Did I... say anything?”

”Oh, yes. You kept mumbling that ’I’m a beast... I’m a beast...’,” the little girl said with her arms open, ”Why did you say that? You’re not a beast.”

She bit her lips and said, ”You... have no idea.”

”I have,” Nana said, while covering her grin with her hand. ”You’re just like me. Aren’t we both human beings?”