43 Chapter 43: False Bribe (1/2)

SALEM: They are checking for witches.

I stood still. Breathed evenly. Didn't let the shock show on my face.

I asked, ”They are checking for witches?”

The guy shrugged. ”Don't know why. Maybe the mayor of Larose is having one of his fits again.”

I looked around. Nothing to my left, nothing to my right. Just fields of grass. I could still turn around. Go a different route. But it'd look suspicious. Maybe the guy in front would remember me. The guards could ask him and he'd tell about a guy with a woman who turned away when he heard about witches.

I asked, ”How are they checking for witches?”

The guy shrugged again. A look on his face that said, ”Don't know, don't care.”

Fair enough.

I continued to breathe. Kept thinking. Evaluate my options.

The guards wouldn't just go up to a cart and ask, ”You have a witch with you?” That'd be stupid. A waste of time. They'd have some way of testing for magic.

But why?

Five days ago I passed through Larose. No one bothered to check for witches then. No one ever checks for witches. Why check now? What changed?

I went back and sat down. Keep calm. Just think clearly.

I glanced at Elina. Julia Abernathy told her something.

Something she heard in Merkelborough. And probably in Larose.

I said, ”Elina...do you — ”

I stopped. Because she squeezed my hand.

She gave me a reassuring smile.

She said, ”Don't worry. It'll be fine.”

I blinked. Maybe it was the way the moonlight fell on her. Maybe it was the wind. But something about that smile struck me. Like she was the girl from Altheim again. A kind girl. A loving girl. Someone you want to spend a lifetime with.

Then her smile widened, her teeth showed and her eyes shimmered with magic.

She said, ”This is going to be fun~ Just say I am your wife and I will handle the rest.”

”What do you have planned?”

”You'll find out.”

The line moved forward. We were at the city gates. The guy in front of us moved through quickly. Because he was traveling alone. The carts carrying at least one woman were taken out for questioning.

A guard took us out of the line. Told Elina to come down.

I said, ”Sir, my wife is tired from a long journey. Could you please tell us what is going on here?”

The knight sighed. ”The mayor of Larose wants to check for witches. Rumor has it that King's Pride is collecting witches, and the Larose mayor wants to capture a few witches to gain favor with the Eisen King.”