Witch's Embrace

Hawthorne certainly knew, after all, it was the system's message. The countdown in that email was ticking down, accurate to the second!

However, he also understood that predicting the exact second of Witch's Night's arrival seemed utterly ridiculous to the people of this world.

Even the greatest Astrologers and prophetic Mages in this world could only narrow Witch's Night down to a specific day, often without daring to specify whether it would happen in the first or second half of the night!

So, even though Heidi was his most trusted witch, he only mentioned the timing to the hour.

But even so, it was enough to shock Heidi: "Master, how can you know so precisely? You..."

Hawthorne reached out, pulling her into his arms, and said softly, "This is my ability; no need to worry."

Heidi relaxed, staring blankly at him, and after a while, she suddenly broke into a joyful smile.

Her arms then wrapped around Hawthorne's waist as well, her lips curving: "Yes, Master is omnipotent!"

After a pause, her voice took on a tone of worry and a hint of guilt: "But, Master, there is something I must tell you in advance."

"During Witch's Night, my body will crave water intensely, my power will be uncontrollable, and I will go on a frenzy, attacking and predating everything around me."

"So, to avoid harming you and exposing my identity, I must start preparing now and hide in the deep sea to get through that night."

"And during that time, I'm afraid you'll have to face these risks on your own..."

Hawthorne didn't mind, gently stroking her hair while speaking softly: "It's okay, go on and do what you need to do."

He knew well in advance that Heidi needed to hide in the deep sea to safely get through Witch's Night.

In fact, he knew clearly about all seven witches in the convent, the unusual circumstances they would face on Witch's Night, their methods of dealing with them, their hiding spots, and so on!

However, at the moment, he didn't have the ability to exploit all their weaknesses and subdue them all in one night. He could only tackle the most dangerous ones first.

He then smiled softly and said, "Besides, my main danger now comes from the other witches in the convent."

"When that night comes and you're all gone, leaving just me in the whole convent, it'll actually be much safer."

As he said this, Heidi couldn't help but smile, nodding seriously, "I believe Master will certainly be fine!"

That night, they fell asleep in each other's arms. The next morning, when the first rays of bright sunshine appeared in the east, Hawthorne was awakened by Heidi's affectionate morning nibble. After a pleasant morning exercise, they enjoyed breakfast together.

Heidi was making efforts to change herself, such as now trying to adjust her humanoid body so she could have a sense of taste, in various ways becoming more like Hawthorne.

After breakfast, Heidi prepared to leave the convent to get a few things she needed to survive Witch's Night.

However, just then, Hawthorne finally spoke up with an additional request: "Heidi, let me go out with you!"

Immediately, the girl was quite puzzled: "Why? Master, if there's anything you want, just tell me and I'll buy it for you."

"The South Harbor District's public security is chaotic, especially since our convent claims to be conveniently located to help the poor, it's almost right next to the slums, making it easy to encounter some gangsters..."

Hawthorne smiled gently at this: "As it happens, I'm planning to scout the slums for future preparations."

Seeing Heidi's surprised expression, he reached out, gently stroking her hair, and softly said: "There's no point in telling you, since on that night you'll lose control and won't be able to help much."

"But, if this trip goes smoothly..."

As he said this, his lips curled into a slight smile: "Yuta will no longer be a threat to us!"

Heidi's eyes brightened, and she nodded vigorously: "Mm!"

She then took his arm, prepared to walk out together. However, Hawthorne pulled his arm away, saying: "Better not, I'll just follow behind you. If we run into other witches, especially if Yuta sees us, it could cause trouble."

Hearing this, Heidi's expression was slightly regretful: "Alright, let's be cautious."

With that, they walked out, one behind the other.

The convent's area was small, and the distance from the room to the main entrance was barely a hundred meters.

Nothing happened along the way, but as they reached the entrance, a figure suddenly turned the corner, her lower robe shifting as she glided towards them: "Heidi, you..."

Her movement abruptly halted as she saw Hawthorne beside Heidi, her face filled with astonishment.

Hawthorne also looked at the black-haired, black-eyed girl with a gentle and elegant appearance, and his heart skipped a beat as he quickly recognized her.

It's Die!

The memory witch with cascading dark hair, whose flowing tresses could mesmerize when she removed her Nun Hat!

However, beneath the beautiful exterior, Hawthorne knew very well how terrifying her true form was: a monstrous brain-like being the size of a small house with numerous tentacles, ready to latch onto someone and drain their souls and memories through their ears!

Seeing Die approaching them, his heart leaped into his throat, and he cursed inwardly—of course, something unexpected had to happen!

While he was tense, Die's gaze was filled more with confusion than hostility.

What's going on with these two?

Heidi, taking a human out?

No, wait, I mustn't let him notice!

She felt a moment of panic, quickly murmuring an incantation. Then, with a flicker of Magic Power, the tentacle limbs hidden under her Nun's robe transformed back into human legs. Relieved, she continued forward with a steady, composed walk.

Heidi's expression also showed a hint of panic, but she forced herself to appear calm and took the initiative: "Sister, were you looking for me for something?"

Die glanced at Hawthorne; since an outsider was present, some things naturally couldn't be said directly. "It's nothing, really. I just heard yesterday that you weren't feeling well, sister, and I was worried, so I came this morning to see if you were feeling any better."

The implication being, I'm here to check on you.

She didn't realize that among the three present, she was actually the outsider.

Then, Die's gaze fell on Hawthorne: "And who is this?"

Heidi silently cursed Die for meddling but maintained her smile. "Thank you for your concern, sister. I'm fine now. This is Mr. Hawthorne, who was previously very ill with a high fever, so I've been taking care of him."

"He's feeling better now, so I thought I'd take him outside to see if it might help him recover fully."

As she spoke, she blinked furiously, signaling to Die: "Sister, do you have anything else? If not, I'll be on my way."

Hawthorne kept his head down, silent. He vividly remembered the last time Yuta's gaze nearly pierced his eyes, which had become a psychological shadow, and he wasn't about to speak out of turn now.

Die's eyes were filled with worry, glancing between Heidi and Hawthorne, her intuition telling her there was something unusual about their relationship.

But she guessed Heidi might just be whimsically playing with her food, being reluctant to consume it right away.

After all, haughty witches couldn't possibly fall in love with a human, right?

So she said nothing more, stepping aside to clear the way: "Alright, if everything's okay, you can go."

Heidi and Hawthorne both let out a long sigh of relief, thanked Die once more, and quickly left. However, Die watched their backs with a lingering sense of unease.

Neither of them paid further attention to her gaze. Crossing through the convent gates, they entered the outside world.

Though it had been over half a month since he arrived, this was Hawthorne's first time leaving the convent to step onto the street outside.

As soon as he stepped out, he felt a completely different atmosphere. It was the wider sky outside, the refreshing morning breeze, and the breath of "freedom" rushing toward him, making all the cells in his body tremble and cheer wildly!

I'm out!

He was aware that this was only temporary. Eventually, he would have to return to the convent and continue staying in his room or the Study, not daring to go out all day.

His seclusion wasn't voluntary, made as a sacrifice for some grander plan; it was simply out of fear of the witches' violence and threats, which forced him to hide inside.

The frustration and feelings of confinement were palpable, so even though this was just a momentary relaxation, a brief taste of freedom filled him with joy.

Of course, leaving the convent also meant leaving the comfort of his nest. Some warmth faded away, and a sharp atmosphere came rushing in.

The inside and outside of the convent were truly two completely different worlds.

Inside the convent, even though it still housed six powerful, evil witches, it was still his territory. One day, he would completely control this place, turning it into an absolutely safe haven.

The outside world, on the other hand, was full of unpredictability and peril. He could never control everything and could only drift along the waves of the times, barely managing to protect himself...

But no matter what, he would have to face everything!

Steeling himself, he scanned the surroundings, quickly taking in the environment outside the convent gates.