“Witch Chief, if this is what you wish to discuss with me, I’m afraid I can only give one answer.”
Simon slowly raised the sword in his hand, the tip just an inch away from the Mask on Zanno’s face.
“I refuse. In the name of the Empress, and the Imperial Prestige.”
The atmosphere was unbearably heavy.
Jiuyuejiu’s breath stopped, staring in shock at the two who had suddenly drawn swords against each other.
“Even if the Empress herself stood before you now, she would never agree to your terms.”
Simon spoke in a low voice.
“I understand what you want me to do, but that has nothing to do with me. I am Her Majesty’s knight. My duty is only to protect her and carry out her orders.”
“Anything beyond that is irrelevant to me.”
A knight would never whisper pillow talk to sway the decisions of those they serve.
After a few seconds of silence, Zanno slowly raised her hand.
Simon fixed his gaze on that hand, while a heavy shield condensed on her other.
Surprisingly, Zanno did not cast any spell, but instead removed the Mask from her own face.
The face beneath was still young, but utterly ordinary, without any remarkable features.
No Alexia’s arrogance, no Belinda’s nobility, no Rosalind’s beauty.
Even among a crowd, such a face would barely draw attention.
But Simon knew well this was the true face of the Witch Chief, Zanno.
“As I thought, you’re not surprised by my real face.”
Zanno let out a soft hum.
She met Simon’s gaze.
“If Her Majesty needs it, the Witch Council is willing to become a vassal of the Empire during her reign, obeying the Empress’s commands.”
Simon heard Zanno’s words, and even his cold face showed a hint of surprise.
“Do you understand what that means? If Her Majesty accepts, she will demand an oath from you. And it won’t be an equal one.”
“Furthermore, she already knows what you’ve done to the Empire. The price you must pay is not insignificant.”
He hadn’t expected Zanno to consider joining the Empire in such a situation.
Wasn’t that too much?
She’d just acted against the Empire not long ago, and now, after failure, sought to join and ask for Alexia’s forgiveness?
Did she expect to claim all the good and none of the bad?
Zanno nodded.
“Of course I know the consequences, but it’s a decision without alternatives.”
“I am willing to repay a hundredfold the harm done to the Empire and Her Majesty, only asking that she no longer pursue the Witch Council’s past crimes.”
“Simon, since you understand me, you should know there aren’t many people like us. Rather than another enemy like me, isn’t it better to have a friend? Otherwise, the Empire will face great difficulties.”
“Just as I must get past you to eliminate Her Majesty, when you resolve to destroy the Malicious Witches, you must deal with me first. You should know that.”
During her time in the Empire, she’d heard most about Alexia.
Though they’d never truly met, she could feel that Alexia was the same kind of person as herself.
Before Alexia abdicated the imperial throne, she would never place personal feelings above justice.
Simon’s eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with expectation.
“So you do know I intend to eliminate the Malicious Witches.”
If Zanno knew, even an ambush would be impossible.
Even for him, facing her offered no chance of success.
Seeing that the Witch Council had never attracted attention during her tenure as chief, it was clear that if she truly wished to hide and protect someone, no one would sense her presence.
If not for Elma’s sudden appearance, even he wouldn’t have realized the Witch Council was reaching for the Empire.
Zanno nodded.
“At this point, I don’t believe you’re unaware of the Malicious Witches. So I have no need to hide it.”
Simon thought for a moment, then asked.
“Then, let’s talk about something different. Why did you come up with the idea of submitting to the Empire?”
“Because all we seek is survival. For that, I will do whatever it takes.”
Zanno answered frankly.
The witches’ living conditions were harsh, and powerful witches like her were rare.
Most witches might not even see the sun after birth, let alone live long enough to control their own power.
All she wished was for the witches to survive.
Any method that could achieve that, she would try.
Given the current situation, continuing the previous plan—disrupting the Empire by influencing Alexia—was impossible.
So she had to change course, to seek another path of survival for the witches.
“If being an enemy of the Empire meant survival, we’d do it. But if serving the Empire means survival, we’d do that too.”
This approach was undeniably two-faced, and Zanno knew that anyone else would never accept such terms.
It made the Witch Council look like an unstable bomb, ready to betray at any moment.
“……”
Simon had never expected Zanno’s reason to be so simple.
Yet, he understood it was the truth.
The living conditions of witches were indeed dire.
Simon spoke up.
“I can pass this on to Alexia for you, but whether it’s accepted depends on Her Majesty’s will.”
He truly couldn’t make this decision.
The final say rested with Alexia.
Based on what he knew of her, even if she agreed, she would demand a heavy price from the Witch Council.
And chances were high she would accept.
Because Alexia had longed to establish a Magic Institution and change the Empire’s view on magic.
But things hadn’t progressed smoothly.
The Empire’s previous suppression of magic had caused many mages to leave.
In a short time, it would be impossible for the Empire to change this reality.
Moreover, Alexia’s reputation as a tyrant had spread far and wide; most people avoided her, let alone wished to serve the Empire.
If the Witch Council could be incorporated directly into the Empire, the problem would be solved.
It might even attract a large number of high-level magic talents.
Including an SSS Gold Card belonging to the Witch Chief.
In terms of combat power, Simon, who had once seen Zanno’s Attribute Panel, knew how powerful she was.
He could handle any physical threat, but when it came to magic, all he could do was watch—especially when Jiuyuejiu’s magitech couldn’t match the enemy’s magic.
If Zanno could join, she could help with this.
“This is already enough. As a sign of sincerity, I can help you resolve your current trouble first. As for what to do with Pandas after, that’s your own business.”
Zanno put the Mask back on.
“And one more thing—I hope you can agree.”
Zanno turned to Jiuyuejiu, who stood behind her, blending into the background.
“This is something I sought you out for. Don’t tell Her Majesty you were contacted through Jiuyuejiu.”
Simon nodded.
“Even if you didn’t say so, I wouldn’t tell Her Majesty. Otherwise, Jiuyuejiu would be in trouble, and she’s done nothing wrong.”
Helping Zanno was a matter of personal favor; not helping was duty.