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“The Witch of Black and White… Loggins, are you sure?”

Gadius asked.

“I am. That’s what she called herself.”

Everyone in the room was on high-alert.

In this room isolated from the dance hall, only Elias, Dios, Gadius, and Loggins were present right now.

A guard was stationed at the door to prevent anyone from peeping inside, and the room was barren of any outsiders, and despite this Gadius and the princes looked around after Loggins spoke.

That was because The Witch of Black and White’s presence posed a danger to the entire kingdom.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the three of them looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

“Can you confirm this, Loggins?”

Dios asked.

“At the time, I sought to slay the witch rather than restrain her. Despite this, she managed to outperform me brilliantly.”
“To think that she bested not only the kingdom’s but the continent’s best swordsman…”
“To be completely honest, I’m not sure you can win against that with a human body.” Loggins said.
“Let’s assume she really did appear. What exactly was she doing in the dance hall?” Elias asked.
“There was something she wanted.” Loggins said.
“Something she wanted?”
“She herself said that she doesn’t act unless there’s something she wants.”
“What could that thing be…” Elias pondered.
“It’s most likely, Lady Seletina.” Loggins chimed in.
“Seletina? What do you mean, Loggins?”

Elias asked, putting down his tea cup, “Why would she want her?” he questioned, his heartbeat quickening.

“I do not know the details. But, the witch claimed to be Lady Seletina’s lover.”
“Nonsense!” Gadius exclaimed,
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, please let me finish.”

Loggins said, holding his ground against Gadius. Gadius, in turn, resumed stroking his beard. He understood what Loggins was trying to say.

“Continue then.”
“I believe that Seletina ul Gold Aldelight is somehow connected to The Witch of Black and White. We must confine Lady Seletina as soon as she recovers and lay everything bare.”
“Loggins, how dare you?!” Elias exclaimed, rising from his seat.
“Before you awoke, she put her life at risk to fight! Seletina is as innocent as it gets!”
“Prince Elias, please…”
“Did you not see how beaten up Seletina was?! Did you not see the critical condition her mother was also in?! There is no way she could have done any of this.”

As Elias screamed, Dios placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Calm down, Elias. This is not like you.”
“But…”
“For starters let’s just sit down.”

Dios said, getting Elias to sit down. Despite this, Elias kept staring intently at Loggins.

“Loggins, you’re not usually this radical. There must be a meaning behind this, no?”

Gadius asked, to which Loggins nodded.

“Are you aware of the Demon known as the Defiler of Pride and Wisdom?”

Loggins spoke calmly in an effort to soothe Elias.

“Isn’t that the Upper Rank Demon that appeared this time?”
“That is right. It’s quite the annoying Demon to deal with. It’s a peculiar Demon that can regenerate and transform, and it cannot be hurt by ordinary means. Its strength is on par with the higher grade Middle Rank Demons, but its annoying abilities push it into the Upper Ranks.”
“So, what about this Demon?”
“It has the ability to peek into people’s hearts and transform into the person they cherish the most. When I first came upon it, the Defiler of Pride and Wisdom had taken on the appearance of The Witch of Black and White.”
“……”

Elias suddenly felt his throat dry up.

“There is a possibility that Lady Seletina loved, or still loves The Witch of Black and White. I’m still in disbelief that the two knew each other before this.”
“Still, I can’t imagine Lady Seletina having a hand to play in this case.”

Dios said with his hand placed on his chin.

Loggins nodded in agreement.

“I too do not believe that Lady Seletina had a huge role to play in this time’s case. But, it is also impossible to dispute that she contributed in some manner in bringing the threat known as The Witch of Black and White here. If she sincerely is interested in helping this kingdom, she must tell us everything she knows.”
“And what if she doesn’t?”
“At that point, we’ll have no choice but to resort to unpleasant ways.”

The moment he heard that, Elias shot up, his blood boiling.

Gadius quickly raised his hand in an effort to diffuse the situation.

He was gesturing his son, Elias, to sit down.

“Loggins. That is not good.”

Gadius spoke with a soft tone,

“Doing it your way will certainly get us to the heart of the matter at hand, however, forcing her to talk is a foolish act.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“The witch is always watching.”

Gadius said, picking up his tea cup.

Loggins felt goosebumps as soon as he heard that.

“Raising your hand against Seletina is the same as inciting the witch’s wrath. To harm her or restrain her without a valid reason would be unwise. It’s likely that the witch made her relationship with Seletina known as a warning.” Gadius explained.
“Then what should we do?” Loggins asked.
“There’s still time. We can just wait for Seletina to tell us all about it herself.”
“Wouldn’t that just be a waste of time?”
“Logins… I can’t help but think Seletina has a good soul. I can tell by gazing into her eyes and speaking with her that she will eventually grow into a valuable asset for this kingdom. Furthermore,” Gadius continued, “A proper gentleman should not constrain a beautiful lady.” Gadius said while winking.
“As you wish.”

Despite his reluctance, Loggins bowed.

His Majesty is too soft on people. He’s soft, kind, and seeks salvation no matter what. That’s what makes it worth following him.

Loggins pondered, while a faint smile formed underneath his helmet.

“If talking with her works and she shares everything then great. If not then we can just think about it again. What do you say? Dios, Elias?”
“I’m fine with this.” Dios said.
“I have no complaints as well.” Elias also agreed.

Gadius nodded with delight after hearing his sons’ agreement.

“Still, there’s also the witch to worry about. Beginning with the lands of the dead nobles, rebuilding the castle, and conveying a message to the people, there are a slew of other issues we must address. Dios, Elias. We’ll be quite busy from now on. I’ll be expecting a lot from you two.”

When they heard their father’s comments, Dios and Elias both straightened their backs and nodded respectfully.

Wielding a sword is only one way of fighting. The kingdom will become quite busy.

Leaning back in his chair, Gadius contemplated while fretting about the future.