Chapter 12 : The Tyrant's Tranquilizer 

Translated by Tam

Edited by Genie

“The security guard found it strange that the room was so quiet that they went into the room. But His Majesty wasn't anywhere in the room, and only the window was open… He called us and gathered in a hurry. We need to find him.”

“Is that a big deal? I'll ask my servants if they have seen His Majesty.”

The butler called all the servants.

“I'll ask for your help. I am… more concerned about the surrounding area than about His Majesty—.”

Ethan bowed and asked. At that appearance, Amelie felt a sense of something wrong.

Serwin was a swordmaster. There was no one who beat him with a sword, and he was good at fighting with his bare hands. Moreover, there could not be a strong man in this country who could threaten such a swordmaster. However, Ethan and the knights were as serious as if the world had collapsed.

'Why is it so serious?'

Amelie forgot about food and watched them. Before she knew it, servants who were scattered all over the mansion gathered. One of them raised his hand and said.

“I've seen His Majesty.”

“When, where, and how was his condition? Did he show any violent behavior?”

Ethan pushed the servant. The servant stammered with a frightened look.

“I saw His Majesty go to the forest before. It's strange… The Knights often go along with him to that road. Is there something wrong?”

After hearing the servant's words, Ethan and the knights' expressions became noticeably stiff.

“Everyone's going to the forest! We need to find His Majesty! Even if you find him, keep your distance! You have to be careful as you approach!”

“Yes, Sir!”

The knights checked their armament and left the hall in perfect order. They were determined as if they were about to face a big battle.

“I'm afraid we're in big trouble. But I don't know what it is.”

“Isn't His Majesty the one who's going to hit someone? When he was abducted at the age of six, he caught the kidnapper and returned on his own.”

The Butler and the Count did not understand the knights.

'The Emperor disappeared into the forest.'

Amelie became as serious as the knights. She recalled her dream.

The burning Fidelia forest and the bodies scattered in front of her house.

And the man with the face of the Emperor.

“Ugh—”

Amelie wrapped her wings around each other. It was ominous. Her instinct shouted, “Don't get close.” But if the dream was a precognitive dream, Delahaim and the Fidelia forest were in danger. The Fidelia forest was an indispensable place in the lives of the people of the territory. The fruits and animals that grew there became good food, and herbs and trees made life richer.

If the forest burned down, the lives of the people of the territory would be devastated. The Count and Renee will also have to suffer a lot. Amelie didn't want to see that.

“Amelie, are you okay?”

The Count looked anxiously at Amelie.

'I don't want to see my father and Renee sad… If it's my magic, wouldn't I be able to do something?'

Furthermore, if it were to be foresight, it was Amelie's fault. The reason Serwin's stay was prolonged was  because of her.

She has made up her mind.

Pong.

Amelie came back as a human. She held the count's hand and said.

“Father… we must stop the Emperor.”

When the Count saw her pale face, he noticed the seriousness.

“What do you mean? Tell me more about it.”

“I saw the forest of Fidelia burning in my dreams. and—”

The Count's eyes widened. A witch's dream shows the future. If you were a Delahaimian who lived with the forest and respected the forest witch, you could not ignore the witch's foresight. Even the words of his daughter, who had been an idiot all her life.

“Father takes care of the people in the area. Just in case, please prepare for the fire.”

“Yeah, I got it. And you—”

“I'm going to the forest. I'm going to stop him.”

“But it would be dangerous.”

“Don't worry. I'm a witch, too!

“Amelie!”

Amelie ran up to her room. She quickly found a broom and flew intothe sky. From behind the Count kept calling her, but Amelie did not stop. There was no time.

'What should I do first?'

Amelie thought while flying in the sky. There were two things she had to do.

To prevent the fire and the ma.s.sacre.

'I should try to control the fire first.'

Amelie made a cool judgment. Serwin looks dangerous right now, but the scariest thing was the fire. It was clear that if the Fidelia forest was lost, countless people would die of hunger. Moreover, fire can be solved easily by magic if only the source of the fire is found. Grandmother witches have often protected the forest in that way.

Amelie looked down under her feet. All the houses looked small like toys. Smoke was blooming from chimneys from house to house, and the quiet streets were red with the sunset. It was an evening so peaceful that she could not think that tragedy would happen like she saw in her dream.

The same was true of the Fidelia forest. The forest was as calm as the surface of the lake. The sunlight at sunset was red today, so it seemed like a fire had spread through the trees.

Amelie recalled the blazing forest of Fidelia. Her anxiety got worse and sweat dotted her forehead.

'Where is it? I can't see the fire. I think it's covered by a the canopy–'

Amelie looked frantically at the forest. The sky she looked up at in her dream was a deep night. By comparison, now is the time when the sun is going down. If the fire was to spread throughout the entire forest in a matter of hours, it should be that the fire was spreading somewhere in the forest right now.

'Should I go down? No, it's better to look for it from the sky.'

Fire can be hidden by branches, but smoke rises into the sky. It was still bright everywhere, so she couldn't see the white smoke well.

'There it is.'

Sure enough, she could see smoke rising from far away. It was in the middle of the forest. Looking at the location of the smoke rising, she got a sense of the situation.

'Looks like the hunters started a fire. It's in the middle of the forest, so there's no one to help. That's why the fire spread to the forest in an instant.'

Amelie clicked her tongue. She was worried that the disaster thing that took over Serwin's body caused the fire. This fire was enough to stop with her power.

'Good thing I'm brave.'

Amelie quickly flew toward the smoke, praising herself.

The scene of the fire was exactly what Amelie thought.

Five hunters living near the forest went hunting as usual today. They were all experienced hunters who knew the rules of the forest well. Normally, they would never have done anything like starting a fire in the forest.

But it was weird today. Far from a successful hunt, not a single worm was seen. As if all the animals were hiding on purpose. The atmosphere of the forest was somewhat strange. There was a chaotic atmosphere.

They've wandered through the forest all day, so they were tired and hungry, but they have to walk for a long time to get back to the village. The thought of the hards.h.i.+p made them feel gloomy. Normally, they would have gone straight back to town. It's dangerous to make a fire in the middle of the forest.

However, the hunters lost their judgment in the chaotic atmosphere of the forest. They made a fire here and made stew impulsively. It was a stew with bread that they brought from home and a lucky rabbit. It was a simple food, but it tasted amazing as they were exhausted.

As the feeling of satiety rose, the hunters began to relax, and while they were resting, the unextinguished embers fell on the dry leaves in the wind. The embers began to grow in an instant.

The hunters tried to put out the fire in a hurry, but the fire spread faster than they could put out.

“Darn it. We can't handle the fire between us!”

The flames were already burning higher than their heads.

“We need to get more people!”

“We've got a long way to go to the nearest village. In the meantime, the forest will burn down!”

“So you're gonna burn yourself to death?”

The hunters raised their voices and fought. They also vaguely knew that even if all the villagers came, they wouldn't be able to put out that fire.

“—Then how about going to the witch?”

One hunter said.

“Witch? Yeah! If you're a witch, you'll take care of this fire simply!”

The Witch of the Fidelia Forest protected the forest even before the hunters were born. Wouldn't she be able to douse the fire?

However, another hunter, who was well-versed in rumors, soon refuted.

“You idiot, it's been a long time since the witch died!”

“The grandmother is dead?”

“Don't worry. There was one more person. The little witch that grandma used to carry around! Is….her name Amelie?”

“Not that witch. They said she can't do anything because she's an idiot.”

“What?”

“But wouldn't it be helpful for the witch—?”

“I heard she can't even use magic—”

The hunters lost their words.

Old hunters used to say that grandmother witches know everything that happens in the forest. If the grandmother witch were alive at this time, she would have appeared and scolded them before they even asked for help.

Witches in the Fidelia forest have protected the forest for generations, and the villagers trusted and relied on them. But the new witch is an idiot. Do they have no choice but to watch the Fidelia forest burn?

The hunters were in despair.

“What are you waiting for?”

At that time, a bright voice rang out from the sky.

“Huh? Who are you—”

The hunters looked up at the sky in unison. Water poured like a waterfall over their heads.

Woah!!!!

“Eup, it's big, it's rain?”

“Water…”

The hunters sank in the water. They were out of their mind. The sky is so sunny. It's not raining. What is it? They looked at the flames in the midst of the confusion.

“What—?”

“Did the fire stop?”

The flames that had burned frighteningly up until a while ago disappeared. There were only black marks left on the spot. They looked at each other with stupid faces. They felt like they were going to melt in the fire, but now it was wet and chilly.

“Look!”

The hunters looked at the sky at the same time. A woman on a broomstick was floating in the air.

It was Amelie who came to put out the fire. She looked down at the hunters with an angry face. Amelie's face was gentle, so she wasn't threatening at all. But now in the eyes of hunters, Amelie looked scarier than a bear. It was because there was no sign of difficulty even after dousing the huge fire at once. To the hunters, Amelie seemed mysterious and absolute as if she were the guardian of the forest.

“W-witch…?”

The old witch dies, and the young witch is an idiot. But she has excellent magic skills, and she doesn't look like an idiot.

The vivid green eyes reproached them. The hunters' heads became so heavy.