Miss Witch’s Devotion Has Gone… Twisted

”Let’s go ashore and take a look first.”

After being at sea for so long, everyone was feeling a bit tired. Back on the treasure island, they had only set foot on land for a brief moment.

Although the ghost ship was stable, it was far less comfortable than solid ground. Loren planned to go ashore to rest for a while before setting off again, and to get a map while he was at it to determine their current location.

Loren wasn’t very clear about their bearings to begin with, and the thick fog and interference had further muddled things. A bit of rest and reorganization would be good.

Loren steered the Raging Tide to gradually approach the harbor. Before he could even disembark, a crowd of people had already gathered by the shore, watching them.

”What’s going on here?”

Anna looked at this scene, feeling curious. Usually, people only got this excited when Loren showed up.

”There probably aren’t many outsiders who come here, so that’s why they’re so stirred up.”

If this situation was occurring, it meant they hadn’t arrived on the mainland. The best-case scenario had not happened.

”Let’s go down and take a look first. Since there’s human civilization here, it means it’s not too dangerous.”The clothes on these people were all very worn and tattered, and they looked rather thin and weak. If anything, that made Loren feel more at ease.

If the people on a small island without the protection of the Orthodox Gods were living a life of ease and abundance, Loren would have to start wondering if he was under an illusion spell.

Loren was the first to step off the ship. Since the residents here would gather to watch a ship from elsewhere, it meant this place wasn’t too xenophobic and communication should be possible.

”Hello, our ship got lost. May I ask which deity is worshipped here?”

Loren found an elderly man. Asking about faith was the easiest way to judge the situation here. If he asked for the place name, Loren might not even remember it.

”We worship the Sea God here.”

”The Sea God... Then, may I ask what this place is?”

On the Endless Ocean, followers of the Sea God were the most numerous, but there wasn’t just one Sea God. The combined followers of that bunch of Sea Gods might even outnumber those of a certain Orthodox God.

So even if the old man stated their faith, Loren couldn’t accurately determine the situation here and could only continue his inquiry.

After confirming there was no danger here, the others also disembarked from the ghost ship. Just as the old man was about to continue talking with Loren, he saw the people behind Loren, and his expression rapidly changed.

”The Brave One has arrived! The Brave One has arrived!”

The old man threw away his cane. His hunched-over body suddenly straightened, and he ran into the distance, spreading this news to others.

”Alright, I know what’s going on now.”

An island that worships the Sea God, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a Brave One. Based on these two characteristics, Loren quickly deduced what this place was.

Loren had forgotten the name of this island, but he liked to call this country the ”Land of the Evil Dragon.” This country wasn’t large, consisting of only a dozen or so villages. They were also attacked by an evil dragon from time to time, so in the end, they chose the stability of offering regular tributes to the evil dragon in exchange for peace.

The Dragon race was a symbol of power. An adult Dragon possessed combat prowess not inferior to an Angel’s. But the evil dragon here was a special type of dragon: a Murmuring Dragon.

Unlike other dragon races that used brute strength and magic to crush all enemies, the Murmuring Dragon’s combat power wasn’t strong. It was at a level where a group of people could beat it to death with hoes. However, Murmuring Dragons possessed the ability to create illusions and were skilled at beguiling people’s hearts.

Thus, a prophecy also circulated here: One day, a Brave One with golden eyes would appear. The Brave One would defeat the evil dragon and save this country. The people deeply believed this.

And this prophecy was actually spread by the evil dragon itself. Because as long as you gave these people a glimmer of hope, told them that a heaven-sent hero would come to save them, they would rest easy and continue to be oppressed, never developing the will to resist.

Loren looked behind him. Naclis, being the tallest, was the most conspicuous.

Right now, Naclis was dressed in men’s clothing. Her silvery-white long hair was tied into a single ponytail. Combined with her cool and aloof features, she did indeed give off a heroic and dashing vibe.

The most crucial thing was her golden eyes. Naclis had probably been mistaken for the Brave One.

The reason the evil dragon said the Brave One had golden eyes was also simple: because golden pupils were a characteristic of the Dragon race. That evil dragon had left itself plenty of room to maneuver. Even if one day the people here couldn’t bear the oppression anymore and decided to rise up in resistance, it could impersonate the Brave One, put on a show, and continue to be venerated by the people.

”Master Mentor, what’s going on?”

Facing the excited crowd, Naclis instinctively hid behind Loren.

”It’s nothing. You’ve just been mistaken for the Brave One.”

”The Brave One?”

Naclis didn’t quite understand the current situation, so Loren had to give them a general explanation.

”Brave One...”

Just as Loren and Naclis were talking, the crowd suddenly parted, creating a path. A young girl dressed in splendid attire walked out from among the people, stepped before Loren and the others, and bowed.

”Please follow me.”

Naclis instinctively looked at Loren, awaiting his decision.

For so many years, she had always been treated as Loren’s appendage. Even she herself thought so, and Naclis felt there was nothing wrong with that.

This was the first time someone had treated her as the core of the group. Naclis felt somewhat uncomfortable and also uneasy.

”Let’s go.”

To ease the unease in Naclis’s heart, Loren took her hand and led her to follow the young girl.

Loren didn’t know much about this place. He had only come here once unintentionally and incidentally killed that dragon.

Although the Murmuring Dragon’s strength was weak, like other dragon races, its entire body was a treasure trove. Many materials for high-level magic potions were related to dragons. Hunting a dragon was too difficult, so Murmuring Dragons became the target of hunters.

Killing a Murmuring Dragon wasn’t much harder than killing a tiger, but the profits it generated were truly comparable to slaying a mighty Dragon.

Thus, Murmuring Dragons were once on the verge of extinction. The few remaining Murmuring Dragons hid in various corners of the world.

The reason Loren followed the young girl was precisely because he thought, since they were already here, they might as well kill the Murmuring Dragon while they were at it.

”I am the Princess of the Kingdom of Konia. I have been waiting here at the harbor all this time, just for the arrival of the Brave One...”

Listening to the Princess’s self-introduction, Loren yawned. He had already briefly summarized and told the kids everything she was explaining. So right now, the Princess was actually the one with the least understanding of the situation here.

The Princess also noticed Naclis’s dependence on Loren. This clearly didn’t fit the image of a Brave One. But their belief in the prophecy had become almost obsessive. Never mind if this Brave One seemed a bit childish; even if the person matching the prophecy was a child wearing diapers, they would still place that child upon a pedestal.

”This is the residence we have built for you over the years...”

She led Loren and the others to a castle. Clearly, the ordinary people here lived in dilapidated wooden huts, and even the Princess wasn’t much better off.

Yet, under such circumstances, they had built a castle for the Brave One.