The same night of the day of the tests at the Drachennest, Ryckna invited Orchid and Victoria to dinner as a reward for passing the test.

Dabisu: Here is it our best steak, without veggies.

Orchid: Thank you.

The tavern is almost empty just Bors team and us, and Katrine.

Katrine: I am glad that you passed Orchid.

According to my contract with her, I should help her to research alraunes.

Katrine: About that, I have to make a small trip to another country, so Ryckna will share her notes with me.

Ryckna: By the way.

She interrupted and asked Bors to hear her.

Ryckna: Tomorrow we have to go to Verol town, so I want Bors to escort us there.

Bors: Does it have something to do with the incoming “Raid”?

Raid an event where the Adventurers guild and the Scholars guild gather a vast numbers of their members in order to subjugate a powerful threat. From a Royal class monster to an invasion of them.

Ryckna: Yes, I was appointed to assist as a backup.

Bors: I’m in.

He accepted without giving it much thought. This also allows Bors team to be able to participate in the raid even if they weren’t called for it.

Ryckna: Also, Orchid, Victoria tomorrow you will meet with your other two comrades.

Victoria: That means you’re having four apprentices. I thought the maximum was two.

Ryckna: I know, but old man Merlin just thrown them on me. They are regulars, a dark elf and a null.

Regular apprentices that’s how they call those who take and pass the test without magic.

They have to learn magic by themselves reading the books provide by the guild, but it can take them longer than those who has a recommendation.

Mirna: Witch Katrine, I would like to ask you if you could change my “Flair”.

Flair an especial trait we born with as part of our magic affinity, easily called passive skill, you can see it with the help of a magic tool located at any guild. Normally you could not change it but if you can convince a witch, she can alter it for something more fitting.

Katrine: If you have an expensive drink from Psion.

Mirna takes a bottle of what seems to be a very expensive wine out of her bag.

Mirna: This should do, right?

Katrine gives a big smile and ask her want kind of flair she want, Mirna ask for one that can increase the strength of her arrows.

Katrine: The “Piercer” flair infuse a small amount of ether into arrows to sharpen the edge but it only work for 50 arrows a day.

Mirna accepted and she was given a gum-sized crystal with some instructions, she is supposed to eat it before sleeping so the magic can re-write the flair.

After a brief, we left the tavern leaving just Dabisu and Katrine in there.

Dabisu: So, where are heading now?

Katrine: To Xochitl.

She is holding a glass of wine, steering it slowly while answering the question.

Dabisu: That’s a full continent away. Are you meeting with the "Flower Princess"?

Katrine: Yes, at last she started to make a move.

Dabisu: Does it have something to do with Alice recent movement?

Katrine I don’t think so, but I am interested in Alice reasons for making a reincarnated alraune.

???: I’m back.

A tall woman entered the tavern holding some barrels and a full backpack.

Dabisu: Welcome back mom.

She is Dabisu’s mom, Ruh Fiore a Dragon hybrid. She is tall and slender, has red long hair and eyes, scales in her cheeks that goes all way to her torso and can be seen in her arms, a long tail with spikes in the tip her scales are green colored.

Along with her, a small slime like being enters the tavern.

???: Dabisu I am back.

The slime like being jumps straight to Dabisu arms.

Katrine: Calm yourself a bit Lilian.

Lilian despite looking as a slime she is from the squirrel race, they don’t look humanoid as others but instead looks like a fur ball slime.

She in particular has sand color fur, black eyes, pink color strands that goes from her fringe to her tail ending in a heart pattern, and wears a blue witch hat.

Lilian: Jealous.

As Ruh puts the barrels and the backpack in the storage, she giggles and ask her son and Katrine.

Ruh: Anyway, you two noticed that Ballis is now in the west at two days from Staida.

Katrine: Wasn’t it there from the beginning?

Ruh: You still need to grow as a witch to protect completely yourself from Alice magic.

Katrine: As expected from a “Prima Witch” Alice magic have little effect on you.

Lilian: Not only that, but there was a time alteration at the same area.

Dabisu: *puts Lilian in the counter* So Oracle is also involve in whatever Alice is plotting.

Katrine: Well is not as we can do anything but being curious about what they are doing.

Dabisu: Katrine, what is Orchid flair?

Katrine looks at the contract she make with Orchid so she can look at her flair.

Katrine: The normal “Venomous Master”, uh?

Lilian: What?

Katrine: She has two more, “Ethereal Devourer” and “Heir of Nature”.

Venomous Master makes the user immune to any kind of toxin and allows the enhancement of toxins into magic and physical weapons.

Ethereal Devourer between alraunes is a rare flair that allows them to eat the magic heart and acquire the knowledge for the magic the victim had, works in both humankind and monsters.

Heir of Nature a proof that the possessor has the capacity to become a “Kaiser”.

Ruh: A Kaiser, whatever they are doing it must be related to Marcelle.

Alice: That’s right.

Without anyone, noticing Alice appeared in the tavern sitting in front of Dabisu eating a cotton candy.

Alice: Is better for you to interfere no more than that.

Everyone stared at her and nodded while feeling the pressure of her threat.

Alice: That’s good, so now Ruh give me something nice to eat, charge free.

Ruh: Y-yes.

The next day, Orchid and the others are getting ready to depart to Verol town.

Ryckna: These are you other companions, (Dark Elf) Gustav Efron and (Null) Ranmaru Kori.

The dark elf is the same that sit in front of Orchid at the test.

A person with silver silk hair and dark skin, blue eyes and a fierce look.

The null have features as a Japanese person, black short hair, white skin and black eyes, with a gentle look in his eyes.

They both young, around Victoria age (17) but are a bit taller than she is.

Victoria: Are you perhaps from Sinto?

Sinto a small kingdom located in the Far East beyond Psion because of this is hard for them to reach the main land and affiliate with the adventurers’ guild.

Kori: No really, my parents are from there, but I born in this city.

Victoria: How did the make it to the main land?

Ryckna: Victoria! Don’t ask unnecessary question.

She is piss by that question even Bors and his team looked at her as she raise her voice.

I can give myself an idea of how they reach this place, in one of the books the guild gave us there was a term that gave me creeps, “Leftover” it refers to the guinea pigs of witches that were lucky for not being used in theirs experiments.

Society looks down on them thinking that the witch could return for him at any moment and that she will take those around them. The only option to them is to join either the adventurers or the scholars’ guild.

As Victoria was curious in those two asking whatever she could to befriend them, I was curious in Kori, he gave me an estrange sensation, something familiar.

???: So you notice.

Orchid: A voice, but is not Alice it’s the witch that likes to narrate things.

After I hear the voice I notice something strange, everything around has stopped.

Orchid: Do you stop the time?

Oracle: I am The Time Witch Oracle; it is easy for me to do so.

Orchid: What do you want?

Oracle: Warn you.

Oracle explained that Kori is a reincarnated person as me, nut he was bring to this world by the gods who along with many other in order to create a perfect Hero that will end this world Witch Era.

In other words, I that seek to free an ancient and powerful witch will eventually become an enemy of the gods.

As a woman who was raised to fulfill her promises, I will still seek to free Marcelle mostly because that is what prevents Alice from killing me.

Bors: Everyone were off.

Mirna: Little flower why you bring a hunting spear with you.

Orchid: Just in case.

I would wish I could have more time to investigate in the guild about Marcelle, but for now, I need to be ready for whatever come at me.

I need experience in combat as a showdown with the “good guys’ is inevitable I just need to survive until I free Marcelle.

Moreover, I need to remember that I might have the full world against me, or maybe not, maybe Marcelle is a real good witch and I end saving the world, who knowns.

At that time in the forest near Verol, a group of scouts was tracking the raid objective, they walk deep within the forest and reached an open space within the trees.

By the time they notice they went too far it was already late, a quick dart piercer their necks knocking them down pulled towards the center to meet an inevitable end.