Hearing her tearful words, many passersby gathered around her, displaying expressions of confusion and pity.
Those with a strong sense of justice even showed direct anger.
Unless someone was a fool, they could tell exactly what was happening from her words.
The Inquisitors from the Inquisition, to satisfy their own selfish desires, were snatching common women in broad daylight.
If the victims didn’t comply, they used their families as leverage.
The girl before them was a blatant victim.
Celeste wasn’t afraid that they wouldn’t believe her.
The Inquisition’s actions over the years had long abandoned any pretense of integrity, and the city’s residents had accumulated much resentment.
The truth of the matter didn’t actually matter to them; they just wanted to pull the Inquisition off its pedestal.
‘What? What did I just hear?’
‘Slaves? Hmph, this Inquisition really is corrupt!’
‘I knew the Inquisition was a den of filth, but I didn’t think they’d stop acting!’
Just thinking about it, Celeste knew exactly what these passersby would say.
To this, Mephia had no way to explain!
Could she publicly state she was on a mission and that the girl was a Witch who stole the Heart Gem?
‘Hmph, she’s under your control. Whatever the truth is, isn’t it just whatever you, Lord Inquisitor, say? We wouldn’t dare disbelieve you.’
Could she show her wanted poster?
‘To force her into submission, the Inquisition really is united.’
These people only wanted to believe their own judgment.
No matter what Mephia produced or explained, they wouldn’t believe her.
The Inquisition dared to frame her for murder?
Hmph, she would frame them for kidnapping!
This time, Celeste had won!
However, to her surprise, before the passersby could step forward to accuse Mephia, a strange white mist began to spread through the street.
“Where did this fog come from?”
“What’s happening? I’m suddenly… so sleepy…”
“Oh no! It’s, it’s magic!”
By the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late.
Like falling dominoes, they collapsed onto the ground one by one, losing consciousness in an instant.
Mephia, who was still pinning the girl down, snorted.
“Witch! To escape, you actually dared to release toxic fog in public, hypnotizing, and attacking civilians! Unpardonable!”
At the same time, her terrifying Magic Power spread like dark clouds over the street.
The passersby who weren’t yet enveloped by the white mist felt their hearts race, and they subconsciously fled into the distance.
“Ha?! It wasn’t me! I didn’t… mmmph!”
“Spewing lies. Come with me to the Inquisition!”
Until her small mouth was sealed by magic, Celeste only then realized what Mephia had done.
Mephia hadn’t bothered explaining to them at all.
Instead, she had knocked these people out, scared off the other onlookers, and then pinned the blame on Celeste, making her the scapegoat for attacking civilians!
Wanted to condemn them for kidnapping?
Believe the Witch’s nonsense?
Stand against them?
Look, you were attacked by the Witch!
That was the logic behind Mephia’s move!
Celeste gritted her teeth.
‘Dammit! Is she really an Inquisitor?!’
‘How can her methods be so dirty!’
Using shackles to bind the girl’s hands, Mephia pulled her up from the ground.
However, at that moment, her eyes narrowed as she noticed the girl’s body beginning to flicker and distort.
The silencing magic lost its effect, and Celeste’s mocking laughter rang out.
“Heh. Mephia, did you think you won?”
“…This isn’t your real body?”
Mephia’s fingertips moved slightly.
Silver Magic Power, like threads, passed through Celeste’s body without any feedback.
This meant the girl before her was merely an Avatar condensed from a bit of Magic Power.
“Since you know Witches are all devious and cunning,” Celeste blinked, mimicking an innocent tone, “why didn’t you think of this? Is the Lady Inquisitor really this… naive?”
Mephia didn’t respond to her teasing.
She suddenly remembered the holes in the walls of the Auction House that had been smashed by Monsters.
One of those holes had a very strong residue of Magic Power, which had immediately convinced her of the Witch’s escape route.
Thinking back, that was nothing more than bait.
Since the Witch dared to lure her here, it meant it was impossible for her to be caught.
Thus, from the very beginning, her real body wasn’t here.
Truly cunning.
“Are all Witches as hard to catch as you?”
“Who knows?”
Celeste shrugged, her smile growing more radiant.
“I only know that this time, I won.”
“Not necessarily next time.”
Celeste immediately made an exaggeratedly shocked expression while clutching her chest.
Her voice was sickeningly sweet, filled with the joy of a successful prank.
“Oh? Is that the loser’s self-consolation? Or is it a Spiritual Victory Method? Now, don’t be angry. If you ruin your health from anger, you’ll be even less likely to catch me — “
Under the moonlight, the corner of Mephia’s mouth seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly.
She looked at the girl before her, who practically had the words ‘villainous joy’ written all over her face, and slowly uttered three words:
“You mesugaki?”
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
The smiling girl suddenly stiffened.
A crack appeared in her playful grin, and her beautiful red eyes widened instantly.
Even the Magic Power swirling around her body became chaotic for a second.
“Who are you calling a mesugaki? Who are you calling…”
Before she could finish, the Magic Power composing the Avatar shook violently due to this sudden emotional fluctuation.
Her already flickering body now glitched and distorted.
Finally, accompanied by a cool evening breeze, she transformed into a cluster of white motes of light and dissipated under the starry sky.
Only those exasperated words seemed to still echo through the street.
—
On the other side, inside the mansion of Earl Harris, within Celestia’s bedroom.
*Pop!*
The Magical Crystal Ball used to control the Avatar cracked in front of Celeste.
She stared at the indifferent face of Mephia in the center of the sphere and snorted twice for no reason.
‘What are you acting for? Didn’t I win this time anyway?!’
Ever since she found out the Heart Gem was going to be auctioned, this plan had already been born in her mind.
Reality had played out just as she expected; she had executed the plan perfectly, eventually leading the Auction House and the Inquisition around by their noses.
‘…It should be considered perfect, right? I don’t think I left any clues.’
“Hmm…”
Thinking carefully, she really couldn’t find any flaws in her plan, nor any clues that might have been left behind.
So… what Silver-level Inquisitor?
What arrival from the Imperial Capital?
Hadn’t they all been played like fiddles in the palm of her hand?
‘Mesugaki?’
‘Hmph, losers can only resort to verbal jabs.’
Next, she only needed to bury the Heart Gem under the third tree in front of the Hela City North Black Market, and the Formal Cadre of the Witch Council, Grey Cat, would retrieve it.
Once that was done, her mission would be complete, and she would become a Formal Cadre of the Witch Council herself.
The future was bright!
Stroking her smooth chin, Celeste smiled like a blooming flower.