Chapter 753: Trouble Brought by the Rebel Witch
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 753: Trouble Brought by the Rebel Witch
Rebel Witches aren't simply evil; they just do what they believe is right.
In the history of the Witches, the Great World Community War—where they seized the heritage of the Void Elf race—is clearly documented. It triggered a crusade by various elven communities across the Void, followed by public denunciations, and eventually, the matter was simply dropped as the world accepted the outcome. Every time, the Rebel Witches used their own methods to practice their philosophy.
They weren't the type of people to just leave a mess behind and wash their hands of it.
One could say that Rebel Witches rely on these methods to redirect their emotions or to prove the meaning of their existence, but one cannot say they are irresponsible.
The influence of the Rebel Witch collective on the Witch race is profound. They have significantly shaped the way Witches expand and explore the outside world, and they are responsible for the fearsome reputation the Witch race holds today. Their influence even extends into the Witch academies, affecting how Transcendent Witches treat preparatory students.
The Rebel Witches were also responsible for another major event.
Once, the emergence and rise of the "Spellbook" concept led to a generation of new Witches becoming "giant babies" who only knew how to hurl spells from books. This incident caused the development of the Witch race to plummet into a massive slump.
Ultimately, it was the Rebel Witch collective that used extreme measures to correct this path, and the impact of that correction persists to this day.
The reform of spellcasting discipline initiated by that first generation of Rebel Witches even led to the birth of a large number of Little Witches.
What did that mean?
It meant that during that reform, a vast number of Transcendent Witches died—and not just a common death, but a death that caused them to fall from the Transcendent level.
That reform only ended when the Primal Witch herself stepped in to stop it.
In the end, the leader of the Rebel Witches was branded a Betrayer Rebel Witch for causing the deaths of her kin and violating the original Covenant of the Witch Race. She was personally executed by the Primal Witch, who carried out the sentence with tears in her eyes.
The remaining Rebel Witches received varying degrees of punishment.
Since then, the Witch Contract: Truth Dedication was updated once again because of this event.
The Truth Dedication of the Witch Contract doesn't just refer to contributions to the race's heritage or the birth of a Truth Witch; it is a concept that influences every aspect of the Witch race.
Furthermore, the Witch Contract isn't merely a physical agreement on parchment between Witches. In essence, it is a set of regulations that the entire Witch race collectively observes. Its symbolic significance is similar to the laws of a general society, but the Witch Contract is far more binding.
Why did other races trust the Witch Contract even if they didn't trust the Witches themselves?
Because the Witch Contract was unshakable. To undermine the binding force of the contract was to undermine the very foundation and heritage of the Witch race. Weak lifeforms lacked the power to violate the contract or resist its binding force, and those who ultimately broke it were considered enemies of the entire Witch race.
Every Witch has the duty to uphold the binding efficacy of the Witch Contract. Regardless of whether the other party is a Witch, anyone who signs a Witch Contract is subject to its binding power.
If a Witch violates the contract, she becomes a Betrayer Rebel Witch and will be hunted down by the even more terrifying Rebel Witches within the race.
Thus, other races actually hoped the Witches would fail to abide by their contracts. Such behavior would benefit other transcendent races because it would shake the foundation of the Witch race.
The most fundamental rule within the Witch Contract is... one must not maliciously kill a fellow Witch.
There are many detailed clauses within this rule, such as how to judge non-malicious killings, what compensation or penalties are required, and how to define life-and-death duels where resurrection is possible through prior agreement.
To this end, many Witches who took up the "Witch Contract" as their subject of study formed groups like the Contract Arbiters to serve the race.
Then there were others—Witches who navigated the gray areas and loopholes of the Witch Contract.
Generally, they wouldn't use these petty tricks on their own kind, only on other races. It must be said that these Witches had some principles, though not many.
Aside from those... the group the Witch Contract treated with the most leniency was the Rebel Witches.
Ever since the racial correction reform triggered by the Rebel Witches, even the Primal Witch had taken the matter to heart. But it was also that event that made the Witches realize the importance of the Rebel Witch collective, and that not all Truth Dedications brought absolute benefits to the race.
Take the Spellbook subject, for example. It was a complete revolution in technique! Yet it gave birth to a generation of "giant baby" Witches.
Historical records show that of the Transcendent Witches who were knocked down in life level to become Little Witches during that reform, more than half were never able to ascend to Transcendent status again. They remained Little Witches who could only throw spells until the end of their lives.
This remains a tragic point in Witch history.
As the situation evolved, Witches came to believe that the existence of Rebel Witches was inevitable. Because of their unique nature, preferential treatment was also inevitable. However, special power came with equivalent obligations and the necessity for restrictive qualifications.
Thus, the Rebel Witch collective became what it is today.
A Witch who pursues the Rebel Witch subject cannot simply call herself a Rebel Witch. The title requires qualification, and it represents significant power—such as the right to use any means necessary, without violating the Witch Contract, to "correct" the Witch race.
Furthermore, they hold a limited "Witch Hunting" qualification. However, they cannot kill a target permanently; the bottom line is that the target must be able to continue existing as a resurrected Little Witch.
If a Rebel Witch's actions fail to achieve a corrective effect, an appeal can be made directly to the Primal Witch for arbitration. If the ruling is upheld, the Rebel Witch title and status are stripped, and the affected Witch retains the right to hunt the former Rebel Witch without restriction until the latter's life level falls below Transcendent. Only then does the right to hunt expire.
In short, Rebel Witches hold the most proactive power. Even though they must bear corresponding obligations and requirements, their danger level is beyond doubt.
* * *
Sister Bai told me many things after her return, but she didn't blindly disparage the Rebel Witches.
However, the problems we face in the Main World are real. The Main World Witch Academy is currently facing a predicament similar to the "Spellbook Giant Baby" crisis of the past.
Not only that, there are many other issues, none of which can be changed by a single word from a Rebel Witch.
But... even if that Rebel Witch cannot change the status quo, she certainly won't sit by and watch.
That was the reason Sister Bai was worried about me.
More importantly... I am not a Transcendent Witch. I am a Little Witch.
My only insurance is the contract that recognizes my status as an Honorary Little Witch.
On the flip side, I am also the safest.
After all, the Witch Contract cannot be shaken, not even by a Rebel Witch. The only thing to worry about is what would happen if the other party suddenly became a Betrayer Rebel Witch.
Although Rebel Witches seem like they could easily become "Betrayers," any Witch who understands their philosophy knows that a Witch granted the title of Rebel Witch is the least likely person in the entire race to voluntarily defect.
Therefore, they would never proactively touch the binding force of the contract. However... as the saying goes, killing the person isn't scary; destroying the heart is what's truly terrifying.
Just like that campaign in the Elf World Community, the Rebel Witches didn't directly or indirectly cause the death of a single Transcendent Witch, yet their actions still made the Witches feel uneasy.
In the eyes of a Rebel Witch, those preparatory Witches and servant armies are all the same—mere cannon fodder on the path to the Witch race's rise. But for the Witches who have become Academy Deans, most have developed emotional bonds with the children they've raised.
Witches can form emotional ties even with pets, let alone preparatory Witches they've trained as students.
"Phew... mm..."
I was currently lying on the sofa, my head resting on Sister Bai's lap. After hearing so much from her, I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
I also realized the gravity of the situation. Moreover... that Rebel Witch, Sheryl, has almost certainly set her sights on me.
I suddenly felt a phantom chill running down my spine.
"It's okay, Xiao Han. I'm here for everything," Sister Bai said, hearing my ambiguous sighs. She reached out and gently stroked my head to comfort me.
"Sister Bai really does provide a great sense of security~" I replied contentedly.
"But you have to work hard too, Xiao Han. So, after this self-generated mana project experiment is over, when do you plan to start preparing for your Transcendent advancement?"
"The advancement topic again?"
"If you don't like it... I won't mention it next time."
"It's fine~ But honestly, I really should start preparing for the Transcendent advancement. It's just... wouldn't it be a bit too shocking to prepare for advancement so soon after enrolling?" I asked with a smile.
"What? Are you actually worried about that, Xiao Han? This is proof of your genius. Why hold yourself to the standards of ordinary people? Strength is always the best way to sweep away idle gossip."
"True~" I replied with a smile, my movements very relaxed.
It wasn't until my stomach started growling that I suddenly remembered something!
"Wait!"
"What is it?" Sister Bai asked, startled as I sat up abruptly.
"Ahhh... the sisters in my lab... I promised to bring them lunch!" I scrambled to my feet, my voice urgent.
I only breathed a sigh of relief after checking the time.
Fortunately, I had left the lab early to leave myself plenty of time for my own errands. It was only just approaching noon.
"Bring them lunch?" Sister Bai repeated the somewhat distant term, quickly catching on. "You scared me, Xiao Han. I thought something serious had happened."
"Ah, sorry, sorry~ Well, Sister Bai, you know I take my promises seriously. I was the one who offered to bring them food. If I'm late, I'll feel terrible..."
"Alright, then I forgive you," Sister Bai said dismissively. "Oh, right. Xiao Han, did you come back for something specific? I've been talking about Rebel Witches since I got back, and you haven't mentioned your own business at all."
"I almost forgot..." I nodded repeatedly, as if I had only just remembered why I was here. "I came back mainly to ask you to help me collect materials related to Great Witch Subjects, especially information regarding the Witch race and Witch bloodlines. If there's any historical info or literature, I'll take that too~"
"Oh? Starting research on Great Witch Subjects... preparing for your Transcendent advancement? What a coincidence," Sister Bai asked with a smile.
"If you want to think of it that way... that's fine too. I'll have to learn it sooner or later anyway~" I said, tilting my head helplessly. Sister Bai really was obsessed with me becoming a Transcendent Witch.
In reality, my main goal was to verify the architecture of self-generated mana and the validity of my previous hypothesis.
"Alright then, I'll send them to you later," Sister Bai agreed readily.
After all, there wasn't much of this knowledge available within the Witch Academy. Only mentors who were Transcendent Witches had the qualification and authority to access these materials, and many even required entering the Primal Dream to find.
"Oh~ right. Great Witch Subjects include the Rebel Witch subject, don't they?" I asked again, just to be sure.
"Yes. Do you want materials on that too, Xiao Han?"
"Mhm, I want to understand it. After all... that Rebel Witch Sheryl said something. she said I might have the talent to become a Rebel Witch..."
"So you want to become a Rebel Witch? That's very difficult. Even the entry requirement involves personally killing a Betrayer Rebel Witch..."
"Well, I'll just leave that to fate~ The last person who told me something like that was a Luck Alchemist Witch~ I just want to understand the Rebel Witch philosophy better. Since I've already run into one and probably can't avoid her, I can't afford to know nothing about her, right?" I asked with a smile.
"That's true." Sister Bai nodded in agreement. Hadn't she said so much earlier just to make sure Xiao Han understood exactly what kind of existence a Rebel Witch was?
"Alright, alright~ No more talking, I have to go. Anyway, I'll be counting on you again, Sister Bai~" I stood up quickly, realizing I had things to do. I couldn't sit still and enjoy Sister Bai's pampering anymore.
"It's no trouble. Are you coming back to sleep tonight... or staying in the lab like yesterday?"
"I'll come back. I'm not too busy today," I said with a smile. "Anyway, I'll sleep with you tonight~"
"I'm looking forward to it~"
"Hmph~ then look forward to it! I'm off."
Seeing Sister Bai's expectant expression, I knew exactly what she was thinking. In the comfortable environment of the Main World, comfort breeds certain... carnal instincts. Even Transcendents couldn't escape the biological drive for the continuation of life.
After leaving Sister Bai's villa, I opened the group chat. Many people had already posted what they wanted to eat.
I had to admit, when they were given the choice, they really knew how to pick. I silently noted down these "hidden gem" shops, planning to try them all one by one when I had the time.
Meanwhile, after I left the villa, Bai Yu stood up in silence. The gentle expression she wore while with Xiao Han vanished completely, as if she were waiting for someone.
Knock, knock, knock—
Following a formal series of knocks, Bai Yu stepped forward and opened the door.
"Oh my~ I'm truly sorry. I was far too abrupt when I intruded earlier. This time I've knocked formally. I wonder if you'll give me a chance to chat?"
Bai Yu looked at the Rebel Witch named Sheryl standing before her. She took a deep breath, met the other woman's slightly playful gaze, and finally spoke: "Fine."
"Thank you~ I'm sure you'll thank yourself for your generosity later." Sheryl smiled lightly and stepped into the villa once more.