Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 775 - 128: Rat Infestation (Part 2)

"Is the fruit tea not to your taste?"

Haitia asked with a smile, taking the initiative to inquire.

"I'm full."

Other Shore used her "professional voice," a bland and impolite tone, which she usually employed as the Empire's Knight Commander to handle those sudden Imperial Capital nobles trying to cozy up to her; in fact, she couldn't remember which families had complex noble surnames.

If not for Haitia's invitation, Other Shore would never have visited specifically.

"I heard about you from the residents of Riverside Town. They said you led them out of the small town under the fleet's bombardment."

"It was nothing."

Other Shore waved her hand.

"Please come with me."

The residents of Riverside Town were here, arranged in the mansion's basement. Unlike the brightly warm-toned environment upstairs, the basement was cold and damp, with all kinds of spellcasting materials placed along the corridors. The shelves were cobwebbed, with a layer of dust already covering the sheepskin books.

"I learned summoning there before. Since what they mentioned was somewhat special, I've had to place them here to prevent them from being harmed by the army."

Other Shore could only sigh inwardly.

She could only lament that these residents of Riverside Town were too simple and too easily trusted others.

If they had lingered longer in Gear City and learned about Haitia's background from others, they wouldn't rely entirely on this Great Summoner with high hopes.

Haitia is a bona fide noble, having received a noble education since childhood, naturally aligning with the great nobles of the Silver Radiance Empire.

The command to bombard Riverside Town and erase the town from the empire's map absolutely came from the imperial upper echelons, possibly directly from Henry's royal family. Even if they investigated fully and identified the culprit who gave the orders, what could they expect Haitia to do?

Rely on the upright and benevolent Great Summoner to destroy her kin, join a few Riverside Town survivors, and go against the entire empire?

The survivors greeted her eagerly when they saw Other Shore entering, and the basement scene made Other Shore's brow furrow—it was clear they were setting up some unknown ritual array. An older survivor had a palm sliced open deep enough to reveal the bone, using blood to outline the array.

"Miss Other Shore, you're here. Lady Haitia taught us some summoning knowledge, and we're practicing it."

Summoning ritual?

This indeed seemed like a summoning technique, but it was undoubtedly not summoning anything legitimate.

In Other Shore's knowledge, only Evil God believers adopted self-mutilation methods.

"Lady Haitia said this is a long battle, and we must learn to protect ourselves."

The survivors had unwavering faith in Haitia. However, seeing the blood and older survivor's hand wound, Lisi began to tremble violently, suddenly raising her voice, "Stop, stop now!"

She gasped for breath, her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at Haitia, "…it's you! It was you back then!"

"Lisi, do not be rude to Lady Haitia!"

The older survivor admonished her.

Upon learning of their plight, not only did Haitia allow them to stay in her mansion, but she also agreed to teach them summoning knowledge while promising thorough investigation. If imperial law couldn't bring justice, she would personally punish the perpetrator.

Undoubtedly, Great Summoner Haitia was one of the most upright people in the world.

"Lisi, what a lovely name."

Haitia attempted to gently stroke Lisi's head, but the girl dodged away. She looked at Lisi with a smile and asked, "Who do you mean?"

"I saw everything! It was you who taught them that magic!"

"What kind of magic?"

"The magic for summoning the Demon King."

Lisi hid behind Other Shore, unwilling to meet Haitia's gaze again. Even though Haitia wore a black cloak back then, concealing her appearance, she still recognized her.

Those soldiers had killed her parents, and when patrolling the attic, someone suddenly called to stop them from entering the guest room where she was hiding.

Later, the figure in the black cloak found her, seemingly knowing from the beginning that she was hiding in the wardrobe.

"Do you want to end all of this?"

At that moment, Lisi felt as though she heard the devil's whisper.

... 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Please forgive her, Lady Haitia; Lisi's parents were killed by the imperial army, perhaps causing her delusions…"

"Then, do you remember how to do it?"

Haitia ignored the survivor who spoke. Her smile hadn't changed, yet it seemed extremely sinister now; even the residents of Riverside Town, who had unwavering faith in her, felt an inexplicable chill.

"Move the bodies into the house, form a circle, then draw those symbols with their blood…"

"You've remembered it all."

Haitia mused, "With proper cultivation, you might become an excellent summoner."

"Lady Haitia, you—"

The light emanating from the array interrupted the Riverside Town resident's words before they could react. A gigantic, bloody mouth emerged from the ritual array.

What emerged from the array wasn't the ally Haitia told them would fight alongside them in the future but a large creature that regarded them as food. They could even see the bits of meat left between its sharp teeth and the finger-like human tissue.

Their extreme fear left them immobilized, helplessly watching as the bloody mouth swallowed them whole.

Until a sudden figure blocked their front.

A raised right hand pressed on the creature's upper jaw, forcibly stuffing the giant beast back into the summoning array.

"No wonder the Security Office found two bodies with only half remains last night."

Other Shore suddenly realized, "Now I know why I don't like you."

Haitia's smile faded; these surviving toys ruined her whole day's good mood.

"I don't like you either. You remind me of an annoying face."

Haitia's voice turned cold, "Another fool lost in hero fantasies."

The residents of Riverside Town couldn't believe their ears.

The Great Summoner in the hero team actually called the hero a fool!

In the Silver Grey Empire, insulting a hero is a severe crime, leading to being wanted in major cities.

"Lady Haitia, why, why must you…"

"Rats from the sewers must not speak in front of me!"

With the smile mask off, only disgust remained on Haitia's face. Her patience was almost at an end. Upon learning of Other Shore's existence, she tolerated the sewer rats living in her mansion.

Upon seeing stray rats, a normal person would beat them to death, but there's always an odd one who enjoys keeping company with sewer rats.

Seeing Other Shore made Haitia recall that hero always smiling idiotically like a dimwit, yet she had to stifle her nausea and praise his integrity.

Fate had chosen Solan, letting him pick up the sword and become a hero.

"But you were indeed just…"

"Would you feel guilt over stepping on a few rats?"

In Haitia's eyes, due to the hero's existence, the empire's rat problem worsened, as if these dirty sewer-dwelling beings arrogantly thought they had the right to negotiate with the empire, much like this nest of rats before her, now brazenly hoping she'd find the culprit and judge their crimes.

"Ah, this is all Solan's fault."

Tremendous magic power surged forth, instantaneously enveloping the entire basement with a hexagram array, "Blame him; he made you believe justice and fairness truly exist."