Sherry Flenst was in her room, pacing restlessly.
She tried to pour herself a cup of black tea, but the moment she touched the teapot, she found it cold.
“Sigh…”
She set the teapot down and walked to the window.
After their late-night operation the previous evening, that old geezer had once again tightened the mansion’s security. Two guards had even been stationed at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor where she lived. They claimed it was for the mansion’s safety, but in reality, they were eyes watching her, just as they did with Enise.
“Why didn’t that old man have people watching me when Cybelle was around?”
“The answer is obvious now, but he failed because he had no idea Cybelle was also part of the Princess Faction.”
Sherry let out a cold laugh. She knew very well that she no longer had any room to remain neutral.
After Baron Fronst officially announced that Enise would be placed under even stricter control, Sherry remained the nominal mediator between Enise and the Head of the Florenst Family. However, within the internal noble system, that status had begun to grow tenuous.
She could still inquire about family matters, but she no longer had a voice, and she certainly wasn’t allowed to offer suggestions. This wasn’t a punishment; it was a preemptive detachment. It was a slow, legal, and non-confrontational form of marginalization.
It was as if he were telling her: “You can continue to stand on this side, but you can no longer change anything here.”
‘How ridiculous. Since when was I ever on your side?’
Sherry sat in her study with three documents spread across the desk.
The first was a list she had written herself: the members of the Princess Faction. Of course, there were only three names: Sherry, Enise, and Cybelle.
The second was the set of management regulations for the imprisoned Witch, written personally by that old geezer, the Head of the Florenst Family. It contained extremely strict rules regarding what time the lights had to be out, what time she had to be woken up for breakfast, and even what she was allowed to do.
“It’s practically like guarding a prisoner. Who do you think you are? Hmph.”
Sherry crumpled it into a ball and tossed it aside.
The third was a simplified diagram of the mansion’s underground structure, which she had drawn by hand. This was her backup plan, and she hoped she would never have to use it. But looking at the current situation, it seemed that wouldn’t be the case.
She picked up the Princess Faction roster and drew a line under Rubia’s name. It wasn’t because she was the Princess, but because—
She was the only exception who had survived outside the system.
The Old Order of the Kingdom had no place for her. Neither did the order belonging to the First Prince.
The First Prince was combative by nature. Once he took power and started a war, this small country with its weak foundation would never be able to hold out. Sherry knew this. She also knew that Enise’s research and the Princess’s illness were essentially on the same path.
Next, she smoothed out the crumpled ball of paper and began to process the second document: the management regulations.
She read them line by line, not as an enforcer, but as a saboteur. Behind every regulation was a single logic: Witches cannot be allowed to act freely because they are unstable factors for this country—no, for this entire world.
*Society needs order, and order takes priority over the individual.*
That was a line written on the document by the Head of the Florenst Family. Along with it: *Individuals can be replaced.*
Sherry stared at that line for a long time. She suddenly realized it wasn’t just targeted at Enise. It was targeted at all “exceptions.” That included Her Highness, the Second Princess, Rubia.
‘Do you really expect me to kill Rubia?’
She clenched her fists, leaving more indentations on the scrap paper.
Those people of the Old Order wanted to control the future. Not only that, they wanted to control every powerful Witch who might appear in that future! She realized clearly that her conflict with the old geezer was never about just one person. It was about whether “living answers” were allowed to exist outside the rules.
This time, she didn’t crumple the paper. She folded it and placed it in a drawer. It was like locking the Old Order of the past into a space that was about to reach its end.
‘It seems this struggle won’t end just by dealing with that old man.’
Finally, she looked at the underground structure diagram. She had spent a considerable amount of time cross-referencing and confirming different maps from the library back when she still had access privileges.
Abandoned tunnels, century-old facilities, and countless secret passages. This was a map for escape. If the conflict escalated into a full-scale confrontation, this would be her trump card.
Sherry began re-marking the points on the map, confirming the escape route. This wasn’t a path leading to the Snowy Mountain, so she had to be meticulous.
Late at night, she stood by the window. The mansion had fallen into silence, looking like a fortress that would never collapse. She suddenly remembered that first day, the moment she and Enise had locked eyes when Enise learned she was about to face a life of imprisonment.
That look didn’t contain a plea for help or any resentment. It was merely as if she were confirming: *Will you remember that I am here?*
Sherry paused that scene in her mind. After watching it for a long time, she decided to do something she had never done before.
She drafted a personal letter and took out a mana seal. It wasn’t the external business seal of the Flenst Family, but one that bore only her name: Sherry.
On a fresh sheet of stationery, she wrote a single line.
“The day Enise breaks her limits is the moment we strike.”
That was right. She had already planned everything, including where the administrative center should be once the Princess recovered and what the future of the Flenst Family would look like. This was also clear evidence of her political stance, the first time she had left a written record.
She wrote slowly, but her handwriting was steady. She knew that once this letter was sent, she would no longer be just a “bystander” within the Old Order. She would begin paving the way for a result that wasn’t allowed to happen.
After sealing the letter, Sherry snapped her fingers. A lifelike Snow Spirit condensed from ice mana appeared before her eyes.
“Deliver this to the Northern Snow Mountain. You know the rest of the route.”
*Wooo…*
The Snow Spirit let out two soft whimpers, twisted its body, and instantly vanished.
The room became quiet once more. Sherry sat back at her desk and suddenly realized one thing: she hadn’t told Enise yet. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to, but because she couldn’t establish contact. Furthermore, once she told her, it would no longer be just her choice; it would be their collective gamble on the future.
She whispered softly, “Wait for me a little longer.”
Having finished everything, she leaned back in her chair for a short nap. By the time she woke up, the sky was starting to turn pale.
She looked out the window. The number of guards was double the usual amount, yet the mansion hadn’t suffered an external invasion. Wasn’t that strange? Within the rules, a tiny line was being redrawn.
“I have to find a way to contact Enise,” Sherry murmured to herself. “This place is no longer safe.”
This wasn’t a rescue. This was a defection. Once it started, there would be no turning back.
***
“Magic Creatures have appeared again in the Northern Snow Mountain. we need to go and subjugate them.”
Baron Fronst sat at his desk, looking at Sherry with a serious expression.
“Do you need me to contact Enise?” Sherry’s heart stirred slightly. Was this the chance?
“No, I need you to complete this subjugation task,” Baron Fronst replied, deviating from her expectations. “Enise needs to be under close monitoring. All her permissions to go outside have been revoked. You should be able to see that in the documents I sent you.”
“Understood.”
the light in Sherry’s eyes faded. She gave the old geezer a slight nod, turned around, and left. Re-establishing contact with Enise really wasn’t going to be that easy.
Should she go find that cat? But the teleportation circle that had been placed in her room was moved away.
‘Hmm… what should I do?’
The wind on the Northern Snow Mountain was howling fiercely. It wasn’t a natural wind, but a turbulent flow of mana that felt like a living creature breathing between the valleys.
Sherry arrived at the edge of a rock wall and looked down into the abyss. In the center of the canyon, a grayish-white shadow was moving slowly.
A Wind Magic Wolf.
Its appearance was still that of a wolf, but air currents were constantly leaking from the edges of its body. When its paws hit the ground, the wind provided a counter-force, so it made no sound at all—only the low hum of air being torn apart.
Thanks to this trait, this species could easily hunt prey much larger than themselves. A surprise attack, a killing blow, and even if it couldn’t kill, it would inflict heavy damage.
‘If I don’t deal with it, it will definitely threaten the safety of those two on the mountain.’
At the same time, she had to find that cat. Sherry adjusted her armor and drew her sword.
In truth, since no one was following her, she could have used Ice Magic. It was more powerful and cost less mana. However, the Wind Magic Wolf was extremely sensitive to mana fluctuations. It wouldn’t miss even the slightest ripple of mana. It could use mana fluctuations to detect its opponent’s strength, and if it realized it was outmatched, it would turn and run. With the power of the wind, its speed was unimaginable.
So, Sherry could only choose to move along the rock wall, approaching in the most primitive way possible. She synchronized her breathing with the wind, reducing her noise as much as she could.
But just as she reached a distance of twenty paces, the Wind Magic Wolf suddenly looked up!
The girl and the wolf locked eyes. The air currents around it suddenly contracted. In the next instant, it vanished from the spot.
“Don’t run!”
Sherry leaped forward. She saw it—the Wind Magic Wolf hadn’t actually vanished; it had used wind magic to hide its form. This was the signal that the creature was preparing to hunt.
Sherry leveled her knight’s sword and thrust it fiercely into the air in front of her. A solid sensation pushed back into her palm.
Just as she thought.
The moment her sword pierced the air, the Wind Magic Wolf’s form solidified again.
*Awoooo—!!!*
A howl, accompanied by a powerful mana surge, blew away the fallen snow that hadn’t yet settled. Once again, heavy snow filled the sky. Several wind blades erupted from its side, knocking Sherry backward.
She flipped in the air and landed. The air current grazed her shoulder, tearing a hole in her clothes. The pain was late to arrive because her entire focus was on the monster.
The Wind Magic Wolf didn’t continue its attack; it was regrouping the air currents. This was its most dangerous phase.
Sherry didn’t retreat. She stepped into the wind zone. The pressure immediately shifted her center of gravity, making every step feel like walking on unstable water. She didn’t use magic, choosing instead to charge forward in the way of a knight.
The howling wind rattled her armor, but the petite Sherry didn’t budge. She lowered her center of gravity as much as possible, preparing for the coming danger.