The Virtuous Dark Witch

Chapter 38

Looking at the sky full of crows, Alexander stood with his hands on his hips, laughing and crying at the same time. He couldn't help recalling the scene they'd met outside Anastas City twenty years ago.

Back then, his little one had been short, chubby, and adorable, always pretending to be mature. After such a great tragedy, he could barely imagine what she'd become. His eyes held anticipation and quiet worry. He shook his head lightly and smiled, scanning the faces of those present.

Sure enough, apart from his mother and Duke Becky Cotton, the other five all wore complicated expressions. He couldn't blame them. His little one's entrance was truly stunning, displaying the arrogance of the Dessey Witches to the extreme.

Alexander cleared his throat, barely holding back his smile. He loved that arrogance.

Caw… Caw…

The rough, hoarse cawing was truly unpleasant, growing louder by the second. Alexander rubbed his ears helplessly. Thea must know Elara had arrived by now.

As he thought, Thea, who had been cultivating in her room, stopped at once. She didn't even bother putting on shoes before flashing to the window. Seeing the black mass swirling in the sky, tears immediately filled her eyes.

Before they fell, she quickly put on her boots, grabbed her cloak, and rushed toward the tallest, grandest castle at the center of Stirling Manor.

News that Viscountess Ana Stirling, an Andros noble, had been captured alive by the new Lord of the West Sea Forest had spread for days. Fearing the Stirling family's power, the Andrea Capital had maintained a surface calm.

Today's sudden gathering of black crows was like a boulder crashing into a lake, shattering the peace in an instant.

The various clans and families in the city stopped holding back. They used all their connections to make moves, trying to uncover the details and outcome of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Elara Dessey's carriage had just entered the capital, still cutting straight through the main road. Ana Stirling remained bound. After days of travel with no blood to replenish herself, she looked like an old woman, stripped of all her former nobility and dominance.

"Don't you like it?" Cinderaven stood on the long table, wings folded over his chest, his black-bean eyes fixed on Elara's gloomy face. "An entrance like this suits your status as the great Lord of the West Sea Forest."

Elara opened her mouth to speak, but a warm dollop of bird droppings slid down the carriage wall right past the window. She clamped her mouth shut and flashed to the opposite seat.

Cinderaven hadn't expected such bad luck. Embarrassed, he flapped his wings and closed the window, then sneakily glanced at Elara, whose face had turned even darker. When she stared at him with frosty eyes, he squawked and darted away.

"I just thought you'd just stepped into this mess. You can't show weakness at the start; better to shock all forces in one move."Who was he doing this for, anyway?

Lies, Elara thought. She eyed the crow coldly. "You just wanted to send a message using the crows."

She hadn't planned to head straight for Stirling Manor upon entering the capital. But now everyone in the city who wasn't blind knew she'd arrived.

Oh Goddess Selena, please open your eyes and teach your daughter Elara Dessey a lesson! Cinderaven felt utterly wronged. "You've trampled my loyal heart. Am I the kind of bird who would betray you?"

Besides, they were in the same boat now!

Elara snorted coldly. "Your loyalty lies with the Andros." Getting crows to make a scene for her—how could he even think of that? How would she show her face in the future?

"When have I ever sided with the Andros?" Cinderaven smoothed his feathers. "I only summoned a flock of crows to build momentum for you!" It was the only trick he had left. "And you accuse me of snitching? Haven't you been bold enough this whole trip?"

"So I should thank you?" Elara suddenly grabbed him, pushed open the window, and tossed him out. "If it's for me, then don't be lazy."

"Caw-caw!" Thrown from the carriage, Cinderaven flipped and dove back toward the still-open window. He didn't want to be around a bunch of stinky crows. They reminded him of what Elara had said earlier.

Worst of all, he knew nothing about crow mating. What if some female crow tricked him without him knowing?

Elara slammed the window shut just as he was about to reach it. Years ago, she had imagined her grand entrance once she became a Witch Ancestor—surrounded by mysterious, enchanting black mandalas. Instead, she got a sky full of crows. How could she not be angry?

Closing her eyes, ignoring Cinderaven's flapping outside, Elara took two deep breaths to calm down. Her expression turned serene as she planned her next move.

Thanks to the bound Ana Stirling, pedestrians stepped aside wherever the carriage passed. The two black horses did not slow down, galloping east.

Cinderaven flapped outside for a few minutes, then decided not to provoke Elara for now. He flew onto the roof to sulk and ponder life.

Just as the carriage reached the end of the main road and prepared to turn west, chaos erupted. Two teams of blood-eyed Andros in blood-red hooded cloaks and masks descended from the sky—one attacking the carriage, the other trying to rescue Ana Stirling.

Elara inside the carriage had known things wouldn't stay smooth. But whoever attacked was foolish, thinking acting inside the Andrea Capital would shield them with Andros power.

Sarcasm flashed in her beautiful dark-black eyes. Before the blood-eyed Andros could near, she flashed out of the carriage and stood in midair.

With raven-black hair and a black mandala crown with silver pistils, her aura was icy cold. The blood-eyed Andros hesitated for a moment at the sight of the legendary new Lord.

Elara spoke coldly, as if chatting casually. "The Andrea Capital is clean. I don't want to dirty the roads. Please leave on your own."

Cinderaven on the roof perked up at once, flapping his wings in support. "Caw-caw-caw!" Well said! That was courtesy before force. He then turned and squawked sharply at the intruders.

Unfortunately, the blood-eyed Andros understood no bird language. After pausing, they pressed on. Elara's eyes turned sharp. If someone wanted to hand her more bargaining chips, why refuse?

A few strands of hair fell by her cheeks in the wind. Elara vanished in an instant, leaving only fading specks of dim light. The blood-eyed Andros lunged at empty air. Before they could stop, two surges of power tore through their ranks, and their heads twisted backward in unison.

Elara appeared above Ana Stirling, her straight toe touching the top of Ana's head. The nine blood-eyed Andros trying to rescue Ana froze in shock. They glanced instinctively at the other team, then hastily retreated.

"Since you're here, come with me to Stirling Manor." Elara believed she had given them a chance. Now it was too late to run. With a thought, nine ox-hair needles flew from her upper dantian and chased after them.

Screams rang out. She raised her right hand gently and pulled inward. The nine fleeing blood-eyed Andros were yanked back at once.

Forces hiding in the dark abandoned their contempt and carelessness, rushing to report what had happened to their masters.

Elara smiled, her mysterious dark-black eyes holding nothing but coldness. After dealing with the unknown attackers, she did not hurry back to the carriage.

The flock of crows still circled high above, cawing noisily, excited and unwilling to leave. Cinderaven noted he only summoned them; when they dispersed depended on their mood.

A blood-eyed man in a black tailcoat and gentleman's top hat appeared on the white stone road leading east to the Andrea Royal Palace. He walked slowly, yet in an instant he stood beside Elara's carriage.

The man's gaze swept over Elara casually. He placed his right hand over his heart, bowed slightly, and spoke softly. "The Andrea Kingdom welcomes Lord Elara. King Soyev has prepared a banquet in the palace. Please honor us with your presence."

From his eye color, this Andros man was of high blood. Since he was polite, Elara saw no need to make things difficult. "Thank King Soyev for his hospitality." I am honored."She flipped to the ground, stamped her right foot lightly, and the fallen Andros and Ana Stirling floated into the air.

Elara tapped her toe and rose into the sky, her eyes locking onto the grandest castle in the palace. She spread her arms, whispered a witch spell, then pointed her right hand at the palace and swung her left hard. "Go."

At once, the floating Andros—some unconscious, some still struggling—flew like projectiles toward the royal palace.

The blood-eyed man standing nearby lowered his lashes, his lips pressed thin, the upward curve of his mouth stiffening.

"Let's go." With Elara's command, the black horses charged straight toward the palace without turning.

Inside the Moyev Palace of the Andrea Royal Palace, the atmosphere was heavy. King Soyev, sitting on the golden throne with a moustache, forced a warm smile to break the silence, but did not know where to start.

The seven Andros Ancestor Dukes seated on either side paid no mind to the king's discomfort, lost in their own thoughts.

Alexander, standing behind Duke Alexandra, understood the king's pain all too well. He comforted him. "Just sit there. You can't interfere anyway."

If Ana didn't hold the title of Andros Viscountess, this matter would never have reached the royal palace.

Thea, pulled by Duchess Lisandra to stand beside her throne, was also anxious. She kept looking outside, her heart pounding. She hadn't seen Elara in twenty years. After longing for her day and night, she was both eager and nervous to finally meet her.

Duke Alexandra, his eyes closed, suddenly opened his blood-coagulated eyes and said in a deep voice: "She's here."

He vanished from the hall before finishing. The others followed at once.

Whoosh…

As Duke Alexandra stepped outside, the Sun God Staff with Ana bound to it shot down vertically. He kept his hands behind his back and did not catch it, watching as the staff slammed into the white stone square, shaking the ground.

One after another, injured blood-eyed Andros crashed to the ground, groaning in pain. Ana Stirling finally broke down, crying loudly at the sight of her father.

At that moment, Ana's mother, Hippomina Minzo, arrived, lifting her wide skirt and running toward Ana, tears streaming like springs. "My poor Ana!" Yet, for all her crying, she did not dare hug her daughter.

Duchess Lisandra rolled her eyes and was about to tell her to shut up when she spotted a glowing witch sand grain from the corner of her eye. Before she could look closely, Elara—with thick black hair loose and wearing the black mandala crown with silver pistils—appeared before Duke Alexandra.

Seeing her again after twenty years, Thea almost stopped breathing. She stared unblinkingly at the girl who resembled her eldest sister, her eyes reddening. Her little Elara had truly grown up.

Alexander wore the same expression. Feeling Thea tremble, his nose stung. He pulled her into his arms. It was good—they were together again.

The seven Andros Ancestor Dukes wore extremely solemn expressions. Before seeing the new Lord of the West Sea Forest, they had held a glimmer of hope, for only one Selah Dessey had ever appeared on the Mal Continent. But now… they were no longer sure. They stared at Elara in unison.

Neither side spoke first. Elara and Duke Alexandra Stirling locked eyes, weighing each other's power. Even the injured blood-eyed Andros held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Only Ana and her mother sobbed.

King Soyev suffered even more. He desperately wanted to yank the heavy crown off his head and throw it on the ground, but he couldn't—not if he wanted to live. He opened his mouth, but his throat and tongue refused to obey.

Caw… Caw…

At the crucial moment, Cinderaven finally arrived with the carriage and horses. Before the carriage stopped, he kicked off and flew to Elara, landing boldly on her shoulder. He stared at Alexandra with his beady black eyes, thinking: So he's still alive. I thought he was dead.

Duke Alexandra felt quite innocent under his gaze. He hadn't even done anything yet!

Cinderaven held back, summoning bird droppings in his rage. Seeing these bastards after two thousand years of suffering, his bitterness exploded but had no outlet. Only bird droppings on them could ease his resentment.

Thinking of the pain he'd endured during his two-thousand-year disappearance, and looking at these well-dressed scoundrels—how could there be such a gap between Andros Ancestors?

Cinderaven cried inwardly. Selah, Selah! Why did you have to drag me into your curse? Did you deserve how I secretly helped you plot and dig for the West Sea Forest back then?

Elara glanced at the crow on her shoulder, nearly drunk with pride, then scanned the crowd. Her gaze settled on her tearful aunt. After so many years, as long as Thea was well, she was at ease.

"Elara." Thea breathed her name, holding back the urge to hug her. She forced a smile, telling Elara wordlessly that she was doing fine.

Tears glistened in Elara's eyes. She looked away and introduced herself solemnly. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Elara Dessey, Lord of the West Sea Forest. I come today with matters to discuss. If I overstep in any way, I ask for your understanding."

"The pleasure is ours, Lord Elara."Duke Alexandra sighed inwardly. The strength of the West Sea Forest never seemed to fade. Thinking back to the old days, he finally understood why Austin had given that strategically sensitive forest to Selah.

Balance. The Andros and the West Sea Forest kept each other in check, allowing the Andros to develop steadily. But Austin probably hadn't expected Selah to leave so soon.

"Let us speak inside the hall," King Soyev said, sweating profusely. He kept glancing at the bound Ana, wanting to ask the young lord to release her but too afraid. He nudged the unresponsive Alexander with his elbow repeatedly.

Alexander was comforting Thea. He ignored the first few nudges, only turning to the king on the fourth. "Why are you poking me?" Could he not see the occasion? There was no place for him to speak.

King Soyev made faces at him, but Alexander paid no attention.

Duke Alexandra disliked beating around the bush. He spoke directly. "Lord Elara, if Ana Stirling has offended you, I as her father—"

Before he could finish, Elara raised a hand to stop him. "You do not need to apologize on her behalf."

With a flick of her left hand, several identical Nether Boxes flew out of the carriage and landed neatly in a row on the white stone ground.

Everyone present could guess what the boxes held, but wondered what the West Sea Forest Lord intended.

Elara twisted her fingers gently, and the lids popped open. Each box was filled with Moonlight Rings, most stained with blood.

Though prepared, the Andros Ancestor Dukes and King Soyev were still shocked. They had not realized Ana held such a massive number of rings. Ana herself stopped crying.

"Twenty years ago, when Rocky Anastas was Lord of Anastas City, the West Sea Forest sensed something wrong. My grandmother sent Merlyn Dessey, my mother, who was to inherit the West Sea Forest, to Anastas City with my aunt Thea Dessey and me…"

Elara spoke calmly, as if telling someone else's story, recounting what had happened twenty years ago in full. She then turned to Ana Stirling.

"In that battle, the West Sea Forest suffered heavy losses. I watched my mother drive the Sacred Dark Spirit Dagger into her own heart. In her final moment before sealing herself away, she still tried to shield me and my aunt."

Thea could no longer hold back. Tears poured down her face. Alexander held her tightly, his heart aching.

Elara's eyes grew darker. "My aunt Thea Dessey chose to transform to save me, my mother, and the West Sea Forest." She lifted her chin toward the setting sun in the west. "I will never forget the sight of her welcoming the sunrise after killing Talena Larissa."

Lisandra's eyes reddened. These were Selah's descendants. She felt for them too, but their positions differed. She could not help, only stay out of it.

"At thirteen, I received the black mandala crown with silver pistils from my grandmother. The next day, I sent her off."Elara took a deep breath, closed her eyes to calm herself, and spoke after a full minute. "I thought the matter of the Moonlight Rings ended with Rocky Anastas's death." But that was only what I thought."

Duke Alexandra pressed his lips firmly. This girl was clever. Bringing up the old scores left them speechless. Rocky's collusion with the Larissa Clan to attack was an established fact. He looked at the rings and sighed. "What do you want, Lord Elara?"

Elara faced the setting sun, her hands behind her back. After a moment of silence, she said calmly: "I want Anastas City and the Luo River Plains."

What? Everyone present was stunned. All eyes focused on the girl exuding mysterious allure. Even Thea was shocked—but in an instant, her tears faded, and her gaze turned firm.

"You are overbearing!" Amy Miller was the first to snap. "Is the West Sea Forest not enough? You want Anastas City and the Luo River Plains too? Why not take the entire Andrea Kingdom?"

Elara smiled dismissively. "If you are willing to give it, I can take it." She turned to Duke Alexandra. "First offense, second offense—but never a third. The West Sea Forest has endured twice." We will not endure it again. Ana Stirling does not need to atone for her life."

Ana's mother, Hippomina Minzo, grew even angrier. "You keep saying the West Sea Forest suffered terribly. What about our Rocky? He is dead too!" She looked tearfully at Duke Alexandra, hoping for sympathy.

"Rocky Anastas is dead," Elara said without even glancing at her. He brought death upon himself."She smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over the seven Andros Ancestor Dukes.

"Greed is not a sin. But the greatest sin of Ana and her mother is stupidity. They must pay for their foolishness."