Chapter 45
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 45. Operation Start
A witch's revenge starts from morning.
The source of this saying is Eris. Copyright is also Eris. Eris-nim's permission is required for citation.
Morning.
Frostgard's dining room was running as usual.
Stone walls. Wooden tables. Smell of firewood burning in fireplace.
And Black Knight's unique breakfast with violently large portions.
Eris sat in her seat.
Usual 'Eri's' seat.
Left of Lucia, opposite of Freya.
"Eri, bread."
Lucia picked up a freshly baked bread from the basket and handed it over.
Crispy outside and moist inside, Frostgard style whole wheat bread.
"Thanks Sister~"
Eris smiled brightly.
Acting is not her specialty, but Eris-nim is a super genius beautiful girl so can do anything.
Of course different lines were flowing inside.
'Seizing enemy's supplies. Operation consuming enemy resources.'
Bit a mouthful of bread.
Munch munch.
Delicious.
'……Enemy's supply quality is too good.'
"Eri, want jam too?"
"Yeah! Strawberry jam!"
Oops. Answered reflexively.
But strawberry jam is innocent. Strawberry jam is red, and red is color of blood.
In other words, Eris-nim is craving blood right now. Like a terrifying vampire.
"Eat a lot and grow fast."
"Eri is fully grown! Not growing anymore here!"
"Yeah yeah. Fully grown. Our Eri."
Lucia smiled pleasantly and handed over bread with plenty of jam.
Treating like a kid.
Nothing changed before or after recovering memory.
Just wait.
Will definitely pay back this humiliation.
Will turn Frostgard into sea of fire, make Black Knight kneel, make Sister Lucia exclusive maid and make her spread jam on bread every morning.
No, shouldn't do that… Princess is sacrifice for Evil God resurrection…
Eris looked around the table chewing bread crunch crunch.
Black Knight is still boiling something in kitchen.
Wearing apron. Holding ladle and spatula in hands.
"Eriring, looks in good mood today?"
Freya stopped tearing meat and asked.
Eris laughed.
"Yeah! Slept well~"
'Slept well my foot. Made revenge plan all night.'
"Really? That’s a relief. Was worried because Eri was drooping a bit these days."
Freya stroked Eris's head pat pat.
Eris's eyelids lowered reflexively. Not feeling good.
Absolutely not. This is camouflage. Pretending to like because Eri would like it.
'……Hand is warm. For a Northern barbarian.'
No. That is not important right now.
Eris shook head inwardly.
Focus. Eris.
Today's mission is reconnaissance.
Frostgard's defense system, troop deployment, supply status, weak points.
Must grasp all these.
Only then can make overthrow plan. Only then can revenge on Black Knight. Only then can regain Thorn Witch's dignity.
Eris finished bread, pushed plate away.
"Eri, want to go for a walk~"
Lucia lifted head.
"Walk? Alone?"
"Yeah! Eri stayed inside only these days. Want some fresh air~"
Bright smile. Angle tilting head slightly. Even calculated twintails swaying.
Lucia thought for a moment then nodded.
"Okay! Inside castle anyway!"
"Then wear warmly. Ask Freya to go together?"
"No no! Like alone! Want to walk alone!"
Troublesome if muscle brain like Freya sticks.
Must move secretly today.
Because must find Frostgard's 'weakness'.
Any fortress has weakness.
Whether dog hole, lax guard, or corrupt soldier.
Digging into that gap causing crack, promoting confusion, eventually leading to destruction.
That is exactly witch's way.
Eris wrapped thick fur cloak and stepped out of castle gate resolutely.
Wait, Frostgard.
Your peace ends today.
This Pink Calamity will show you true chaos.
"Okay. Weather is good too. But don't go too far. Come in when meal time."
"Yeah~!"
Eris bolted up from seat.
Operation start.
Streets of Frostgard.
Eris was currently sitting on a bench in Frostgard central square chewing carp bread with serious expression.
Northern carp bread contains real minced fish instead of red bean paste.
Delicious.
No, problem is not that.
Problem is state of this city.
"Crazy."
Eris muttered.
"Is this really North? That North ruled by barbarism and violence?"
Public order is good.
Too good.
Abnormally good.
Eris moved steps observing street.
Market district.
Price tags attached.
Price tags! In North!
Walked more streets.
Two patrolling warriors passed by.
"Oh, Miss Eri! Walk?"
"Yeah~! Hello~!"
Eris waved hand.
Brightly. Harmlessly. Like Frostgard's idol.
Walked one hour like that.
Looked around entire city.
And conclusion reached.
'No gap.'
Eris leaned on roadside wooden fence grinding teeth.
No dissatisfaction forces. Citizen satisfaction high.
Blocked external threats with Black Knight's overwhelming martial power, established internal order with Lucia's administrative power.
In other words.
No chaos.
Infrastructure for evil deeds itself doesn't exist.
Where is Evil God's glory?
Destruction? Chaos? Fear and despair?
"Like this I have nothing to do!"
Evil deeds also need mat to be laid.
Need dissatisfaction to incite, need gap to infiltrate, need darkness to hide.
But if environment doesn't support, just create environment directly.
"……Eris-nim will create chaos directly."
Eris's brain started operating.
"Good. Operation No. 1 start."
Eris bolted up from seat.
"Alienation."
Classic but most effective strategy.
Breaking internal solidarity. Making cracks, planting distrust, sowing seeds of doubt.
Target is clear.
Black Knight is outsider. Not Northern person. Unidentified black armor rolled in from who knows where.
No matter how strong stranger is stranger. Foreign substance stuck between Northerners sharing same blood for thousands of years.
Just need to touch that foreign feeling.
'Isn't that guy scary? Cruel? Trust what to entrust life to such monster?'
This much is enough.
Just throw one spark doubt spreads on its own. Because human anxiety is like that.
Eris headed to tavern next to market square where warriors gather to drink day booze.
Inside tavern was noisy like North.
Every wooden table hulking warriors clinking beer mugs, tearing meat, chatting at top of lungs.
Eris sat naturally near table with most people.
One warrior at next table recognized Eris.
"Oh! Miss Eri!"
"Uncles skipping work again?"
"Haha, shift time. Want a beer?"
"Eri is still minor! But will drink milk~"
Eris operated Eri Mode fully and joined conversation naturally.
Now open the channel slowly.
"By the way Black Knight."
"Oho. Black Knight-nim?"
"Yeah. Black Knight…… not scary?"
Eris shrank shoulders slightly. Scared girl pose.
"So…… not originally Northern person either. Don't know where came from, doesn't show face either."
Warriors looked at each other's faces.
Came.
Reaction exists.
Eris cheered inwardly.
Look. As expected anxiety existed. Pretending loyalty on outside, inside harboring doubt──
"Scary!"
One warrior put down beer mug with thud and said.
"Right? Scar──"
"That is good!"
"……Huh?"
"Enemy must be scared for us to be safe!"
Warrior next to him crossed arms and intervened.
"Miss Eri doesn't know. Know how Frostgard was before Black Knight-nim came?"
Don't know. Not interested either.
"Every winter dozens of warriors died in monster raids. Child snatched by Blizzard Eagle once too." "My brother lost an arm to Frost Bear. After Black Knight-nim came not one Frost Bear left." "Saw shield crushing like iron ball when splitting shield? Best moment of my life." "Me when Ulfric tooth pulled out. Kuhahaha!"
Eris's alienation started bragging heroics.
"Miss Eri perhaps didn't see during Axe Festival? Elder Brynjolf flying in one hit?" "Know what Elder Brynjolf said? 'Flew in sky for first time in life'! Kuhahaha!"
Eris's smile stiffened.
'Wait. Flow is strange.'
Came to alienate, why sitting in fan meeting scene?
"Miss Eri, perhaps saw Black Knight splitting Glacier Worm during Monster Wave?"
Eris had to learn in 'Eri' days that Northern warrior's heroism tales have no end once started.
"So speaking, that day Glacier Worm came up from underground right?" "Was 20 meters!" "No 25 meters!" "Said 30 meters!"
Size expanding by minute.
"That guy trying to pierce wall base, Black Knight-nim drove dog sled and──" "Dog sled! Right! Pulled by eight huskies!" "Wrapped aura on that sled and charged straight!"
Warriors' eyes sparkling.
Eris attempted escape.
"Ah, Eri remembered something to do──"
"Wait! Listen to this more! Real from here!"
Giant hand grabbed Eris's shoulder.
With Eris's weight cannot escape from this grip strength.
"Worm guy's mouth opens, teeth hundreds. Drove sled into there!" "Crazy guy! But that works?" "Penetrated inside with aura blade open! Pierced out from tail side! Worm split in two falling down but──" "Ground shook!" "Avalanche happened!" "Amidst that huskies were fine!"
When that story ended another warrior took baton immediately.
"That is amazing too, but must tell story about Frost Bear subjugation too." "Ah right! That time three bears were sleeping……" "Five bears!" "Was 10 bears?"
Growing again.
Light going out in Eris's eyes.
One hour passed.
Eris was sitting like dead in tavern corner. Twintails drooping like withered weeds.
Warriors were still pouring out heated speech.
Topic already expanded beyond Axe Festival to daily episodes.
"Saw Black Knight-nim cooking?" "Right! I ate that, life's ribs!" "Heard makes every day for Little Boss-nim?" "Married couple, married couple!" "Kuhahaha!"
Heard about Black Knight's greatness for one hour like that.
Stagger stagger.
Eris escaped between warriors and came out of tavern.
"……."
Eris looked up at sky.
Blue sky. Not a single cloud. Annoyingly clear.
First operation failure.
Outside wall. Forest entrance.
Eris found place with few people and settled.
Warriors' heroics still ringing inside ears.
Noisy. Shut up. Get out of Eris's head.
But cannot give up like this.
Sitting down after failing once is third rate.
Since Eris is special grade witch beyond first rate, blame others without reflecting even if fail then move to next operation immediately.
Look around. No one.
"Good. Second operation."
Eris sniffled nose once on sleeve, sharpened eyes.
"If internal doesn't work bring from external."
Second operation. Monster Lure.
Thorn Society's basic skill. Strategy attracting external monsters to plunge city into chaos.
Eris gathered magic power at fingertips. Thorn vine soared splitting snow-covered ground.
Vine twisted and flower bud formed at end.
Pink petals opened one layer, two layers, started emitting sweet scent.
Thorn Flower. Pheromone condensed with Eris's magic power.
Pink petals scattered on snowfield.
1 minute.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
Rustle.
Grass shook.
'Came!'
What guy.
Wolf? Bear? Or Yeti?
Bush shook, popped out was──
Squeak?
Squirrel.
Tail fluffy squirrel biting acorns full in both cheeks.
"……."
Squirrel looked up at Eris.
Eris looked down at squirrel.
Squirrel tilted head.
Eris tilted head too.
"This isn't it?"
Rustle. Another movement.
This time two mice. Pet mice soldiers raise giving snacks because cute.
Weasel. Cat. Owl.
Small friends of forest all mobilized.
"……."
Eris looked down at them blankly.
Why?
Why you guys coming out?
Monsters? Where did ferocious monsters go?
Ah. Black Knight.
That guy dried up the seeds.
Every day reason 'Bored', reason 'Finding health food ingredients', reason 'Just annoying to eyes' scorched surrounding forest.
Dangerous guys already all dead, skin peeled bones deboned entered warehouse or stomach.
Squirrel climbed Eris's boots. Rabbit chewing cloak hem.
To these guys Thorn Flower seems like just somewhat peculiar catnip.
"Excuse me, guys? Eris is witch? Scary person?"
Squeak squeak.
"Don't ignore! I am Rank 6! Rank 6!"
Left are bottom of food chain.
Only these small and cute animals.
Squirrel. Mouse. Weasel. Cat.
What to do with these.
Attack Frostgard with squirrel legion?
Squirrel Wave?
Chaos in its own way but no dignity.
Other executives will die laughing if know.
Weasel came to Eris's feet and rubbed head.
"Go away."
Someone was watching that scene.
Flinch.
"Eriring! Playing with animals from morning? Cute~"
It was Freya. Seems on way to training. Approached with long strides carrying twin swords on back.
Scene of small animals surrounding Eris each held by Eris or rolling at feet.
Objectively looked quite picture.
Communion of pink twintail girl and forest animals.
Scene of fairy tale.
'This was Monster Summoning Ritual!!'
But words coming out of mouth were different.
"……Eri likes animals."
Freya laughed and picked up one squirrel.
"This guy chubby? Bring to Black Knight?"
"No! My subordinate! Freya barbarian!"
Second operation. Fail again.
Eris walked way back to main castle detaching small animals.
Alienation doesn't work. No monsters. No internal crack either.
Girl's steps stopped.
"……Since became like this no choice."
Card didn't want to use.
"Only way is waking that up."