The Wanted Witch
There was only one reason wanted witches were despised in this world. They had a long history of causing chaos. Whenever some brutal or suspicious incident erupted in history, investigating the culprit behind it revealed a witch nine times out of ten. They ruined the lives of perfectly normal people. Created countless victims.
If there had been some noble cause or grand narrative, maybe it could have been understood. But the biggest problem with witches—what made them seem even more vile—was that all those atrocities stemmed purely from their own bad moods.
Wanting to monopolize a lover, so they massacred everyone around them. Feeling offended by a casual remark, so they wiped out an entire nation. Even the fall of the Plaque Empire, once ruled by skeleton knights, had been heavily influenced by a witch.
That was why witches were always treated poorly. Mentally unstable, psychopaths, bipolar—the witches were a walking bundle of every mental disorder imaginable.
"Should we really bring the witch inside the dungeon?"
As I tried to carry the unconscious Emilia inside, Kran's voice came laced with concern.
Strictly speaking, witches were less human and more monster. Even among monsters like us, witches always felt somehow unsettling.
"It's fine. We're on somewhat friendly terms."
Normally, I would've made the same call as Kran. But knowing Emilia wasn't one of those bad witches, I judged it safe. A witch who could gift a scarf to a skeleton and even give a warm hug? No way she was evil.
"But why was she collapsed here of all places?"
We were in the middle of the plains, not far from the tower's entrance. As Gular said, there was no reason for her to be lying here. The only thing around was that towering black spire.
Maybe she came looking for me? That would make some sense.
"The witch ran this way!"
"Chase her down! Find that bitch, and we'll claim the fat bounty!"
Then, noisy shouts erupted from beyond the hill. Human voices brimming with strange excitement and anticipation—like hunters pursuing prey.
"We'll capture them, my lord."
Seeing me instinctively raise the Drake Soul Sword, Kran stepped forward to stop me.
Normally, I'd be thrilled to avoid the hassle. But this time, he seemed a bit reluctant. Ah, my bones were starting to itch. My body felt stiff, craving a fight. Plus, it was a chance to farm some EXP.
But I shook my head. Yeah, captains stay cool in the back, arms crossed, only stepping in at the dramatic finale.
...Still, maybe just once at the end?
The impulse flickered, but I ultimately decided against it. No. Hold on. Once the dungeon's complete, the lizardmen will have to hold off wanderers climbing the tower anyway. Letting them get some practice in a safe scenario under my watch wouldn't hurt.
"Go ahead."
"Understood! Warriors, charge!"
Kran led every available fighter toward the hill.
"Here! The witch is he—... Huh? Lizardmen...?"
The wanderers atop the hill overlooking the tower froze in shock at the sight of the lizardmen. But their reaction was too slow. Moments ago, they'd fancied themselves hunters; now, they were suddenly the prey.
"Hunt them down!!"
The lizardmen warriors, led by Kran, launched their assault. Brutal strikes fueled by all the grudges they'd harbored.
"W-wait! Why are there lizardmen here?!"
"Block them! Hold the line!!"
The fight was one-sided. Watching the wanderers scramble just to fend off the ferocious lizardmen onslaught, I thought: Yeah, definitely not enough to handle lizardmen.
The swamp where the lizardmen dwelled was a zone for wanderers who'd leveled up somewhat from the Starting Village. Rookies couldn't touch it.
Soon, the battle neared its end.
"Hold up. Don't kill them."
I stepped forward, stopping Kran as he menacingly raised his machete to finish the wanderers.
We couldn't kill them now. Wanderers just respawned in the village anyway. And those respawns would share everything they'd seen and heard.
That wouldn't do! Especially since they'd learned quite a bit. The tower wasn't fully complete yet. New lizardmen forces had joined. No need to kill them and risk that info spreading to the humans.
Besides...
"We've got plenty to learn from them."
It was a perfect chance to gauge the situation. Why were the humans hunting Emilia? Why the bounty? And what plots were brewing in the Starting Village and beyond to take me down?
All could be uncovered here.
"Care to chat?"
I flashed the wanderers a fairly friendly smile, trying to signal they could relax a bit.
"Eek!!"
Of course, the response wasn't what I'd hoped.
*
After safely escorting Emilia to the tower's underground...
"The humans are locked in the remotest room on the first floor."
"Good work, everyone."
Kran's face was still flushed with lingering excitement as he reported. He kept glancing toward the room holding the prisoners, maybe frustrated at not killing the humans. I patted his shoulder reassuringly and headed there.
Thud! Bang! Thud! Bang! Clang-clang-clang!!
The gnomes' busy construction noises echoed as I approached the prisoners' room. Three males and one female—the classic party setup. Aside from the presumed mage woman, they were all basic melee fighters with standard gear.
As I opened the door and entered, the wanderers gulped nervously, faces tense.
"W-w-what are you planning to do with us, locking us up like this?!"
His forced bravado trembled badly. With that terrified look, he wasn't scary at all. Tied up without weapons, he just seemed pathetic.
"Not much. Just a few questions."
"Liar!"
It was true. Why so suspicious? To convey my sincerity, I stared straight into the eyes of the black-haired guy who'd been the only one talking.
See these pure, innocent sockets?
"Hiiik...!!"
But it backfired—he yelped and scrambled away. Then it hit me. Oh right, I have no eyes. Can't exactly give puppy-dog eyes like this.
Damn. Guess innocence is off the table. Time for business.
"What crime did that witch you were chasing commit to get a wanted poster?"
The first time I met her, she'd been blending in fine among the wanderers, scraping by. What turned her into a criminal overnight?
"Obviously! That witch is a murderer!"
Murder? I just gave a flat reaction, even as he scowled seriously.
So what? Murder was routine for me—like eating breakfast. Hell, they even called me the Human Hunter.
To me, killing humans wasn't even a crime. Different species, right? Emilia and I were nameless beasts chosen by the wilds. Humans lived cushy lives under the Platinum Tree.
No need to debate who started it—they were all enemies. From the moment I dropped here, that was the unchanging truth.
We devoured each other. To grow stronger, we shoved weapons first and asked questions never. What sin was there in that natural order?
"......"
Seeing my apathy, the chatterbox wanderer finally sensed something off and shut up.
Whether Emilia killed or not wasn't the point.
"Who'd she kill?"
That was my real curiosity. Emilia, who probably never swung a knife in her life—who could she have offed?
"She committed the grave sin of murdering a noble. Heard she refused his drink, rejected his nighttime company, then suddenly swung a blade."
"Hm..."
Listening, I thought: Isn't that just natural causes? Forcing booze down her? That screamed attempted rape. Self-defense, right?
Lucky she was a witch and it didn't work. Any normal girl would've been helpless. Plus, Emilia was still a minor, underage. A creep lusting after that tiny frame deserved death.
Even I, a skeleton, knew better than to touch kids. Cute is for admiring from afar. Lay a hand, and you're no lover of innocence—you're scum who deserves the grave.
"That so? Less dramatic than I thought."
I'd figured mass slaughter or something. Self-defense? Fair enough.
Curiosity sated, I stood to leave. More to ask later.
"W-where you going?"
"Hm? Business done. Time to work."
Dungeon tweaks with the gnomes. Check on Emilia.
As I ignored them, the wanderer—pissed for some reason—yelled:
"You'll definitely meet your end at human hands!"
Sure, sure. Plenty had said that. If he knew how those others ended up...
The black-haired guy kept babbling as I left. But his final words made me freeze.
"Argh! In a few days, Cheok-an's hero will come kill you for sure!"
The worry I'd feared was now at my doorstep.