None of These Witches are Ever Serious

Chapter 30

Lady Mercury wasn't some ignorant recluse.

She knew exactly what those markings on Luo En's hand signified.

They were proof that he'd slain countless evil gods with his own hands—evidence far more compelling than any magic scroll.

The evil gods had marked him as a threat, a distinction few in the Bicolor Realm ever earned.

That said, Luo En clearly had no intention of explaining where the markings came from. He was holding back on a few details, too.

But that was fine. Lady Mercury figured whatever he was hiding wasn't all that crucial anyway.

Not compared to the System of the Ten Sages—most secrets paled in comparison.

She steepled her hands and murmured, "Speaking of which, it looks like this witch has fully come around."

Luo En wasn't the only one who piqued her interest; Moruna had her attention too.

It was rare for a witch to pull herself back from black slime form to something human—and even rarer to snap out of it so quickly.

"I'd actually love to have her working for me," Lady Mercury said, turning to Luo En. "What do you say?"

"She's not mine to give," Luo En replied with a wave of his hand.

He wasn't Moruna's keeper. Even if Lady Mercury was asking his opinion, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Then what about you, Miss Moruna?" Lady Mercury asked.

Moruna, however, showed zero enthusiasm for the offer. She hid behind her wooden cup, eyeing Lady Mercury warily.

She knew witches' powers drew all sorts of attention, but she also knew a harsh truth.

People might show kindness when a witch had something to offer.

But when things got dire? Goodwill vanished. Even former allies turned on you in a heartbeat.

Luo En was the only one she'd trust—the man who'd pulled her out of that despair. No one else.

"Not interested," Moruna said flatly.

Lady Mercury couldn't read Luo En's mind these days, but Moruna's? That was still an open book.

She let out a soft chuckle. Moruna was on high alert, and winning her over was a lost cause.

"Come on, Miss Moruna, no need to be so guarded around Lady Mercury," Lilian said, gently prying the cup from her hands. "Besides, we're in the middle of talking territory with her."

Moruna froze, her face going blank as realization hit. Acting like this could only hurt Luo En.

After a long pause, she forced out, "Sorry."

At the word, the water in Lady Mercury's cup rippled—but she quelled it with effortless calm.

No one caught the subtle shift.

"I'm not that petty, Lilian," Lady Mercury said with a wry smile.

She'd noticed how Lilian had quietly sided with Luo En, without even realizing it herself.

"Right, since we're on the topic of territory, let me draft up an official writ for you," Lady Mercury continued, unrolling a sheet of sheepskin parchment. "The Normar Empire's already approved the grant. Just take this to your lands, and it's yours."

"You handled all the paperwork ahead of time?" Luo En asked, genuinely surprised. It was like she was betting on his success.

"Of course. I hate rushing things," she explained. "Though don't mistake this for faith in you. If you fail, the territory goes to someone else."

"If you die? A quick name change on the writ, and we're done." She let drops of ink fall onto the parchment.

No pen needed—the ink traced out lines of text on its own.

Once it finished, Lady Mercury spoke up. "I'm assuming Lilian's filled you in on our true natures by now."

She was certain Lilian had spilled about the Dragon Race. "Knowing we're dragons—what's your take?"

Luo En glanced up at the ceiling. A few seconds later: "No big deal. It's fine."

As long as Lilian wasn't showing up as some giant lizard, he didn't care. Cute girl? Good enough. Dragon or not, whatever.

"Excellent. That adaptability of yours will serve you well in your new holdings," Lady Mercury said, giving him a knowing look.

With that, the parchment was fully inscribed.

"Just sign your name, and the lands around Windbird Town are yours." She slid a contract over to him too.

"One town? That's kinda small. Normal?" Luo En couldn't help asking.

"Larger territories come with cities," Lilian explained quietly from the side. "Smaller ones? Usually just a handful of towns."

"But this is only one," Luo En pointed out, jabbing at the contract.

"It's undeveloped land," Lilian replied evenly. "Like the area around Winterless Town you visited—only one spot's been built up."

Luo En shot Lady Mercury a weird look at that.

At the same time, he mentally pinged the System. "System, translate this for me. No clue what it says."

Otherworld illiterate that he was, the damn thing was his only option.

Translation complete—text received.

In the next instant, the parchment's words made sense.

He scanned it a few times, closely. No major red flags—just a list of obligations.

The real issue? One town. That's it.

"Mr. Luo En, I can't hand you prime real estate," Lady Mercury said. "Think the original lord would just roll over?"

Luo En opened his mouth, then closed it. She had a point.

If it were him with a thriving territory, no way he'd let it go.

For a broke nobody like him, snagging untamed land was already a win.

"Besides, virgin territory like this? It's valuable," she added. "Auction it off, and folks would kill for it."

The more she talked, the more sense it made. Luo En signed without a second thought.

Hey, if he struck minerals out there? He'd be set for life.

The opportunity mustn't be missed; once lost, it's gone forever. He was now terrified that Lady Mercury might change her mind.

The instant Luo En finished signing, Lady Mercury brought the stamp down with a decisive thud.

"By the way, Lilian can keep working for you from now on," she said, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "All you have to do is pay her salary."

Lilian nodded lightly. "I'm honored to continue working for you, Mr. Luo En."

At that moment, Luo En had no idea there was anything off about this; he just thought he'd scored an incredible deal.