Witches' Conference

"We witches will never surrender to anyone! Never!"

"You think you can convince so many of our sisters to submit to humans with just a few words? Muriel, how much has the human king paid you? You traitor."

. . .

The witch conference was clearly not going well.

As soon as Muriel brought up the idea of recruiting witches, before she could fully explain, many witches immediately erupted with harsh accusations and sharp questions.

Muriel, being a witch herself, understood exactly why they were so agitated.

Despite possessing powers far beyond ordinary understanding, witches were also feared and shunned by the world.

In many countries and regions, the word "witch" was synonymous with evil.

Because of this, witches were often attacked or driven away by human kingdoms.

Many of the witches now living in Augsburg had once been hunted, expelled by humans, and forced to seek refuge here.

Naturally, these were the ones most fiercely opposed to surrender.

As the initiator of this conference, Muriel couldn't let things spiral out of control.

Such chaos would damage her authority and reputation—and she was also afraid that Vlad would lose confidence in her.

After all, one of the conditions of surrender was for Vlad to take control of Augsburg, to become the leader of all witches.

Muriel had to prove her worth—show that she truly had the strength to lead.

Click—click—click.

A crisp sound echoed through the hall.

Muriel's high black leather boots struck the stone floor rhythmically as her long, toned legs carried her forward, each step echoing clearly across the cave.

Within seconds, the noise in the hall died down. Everyone's eyes fell on Muriel's powerful, elegant stride, their expressions filled with awe and apprehension.

With a calm, slightly arrogant look, Muriel scanned the crowd.

"Now then, can we~ have a proper talk?"

Everyone present was skilled in the arcane. Seeing Muriel so effortlessly use sound-based magic, they instantly realized how powerful she had become.

As the room fell into complete silence, the corners of Muriel's lips curved upward in satisfaction.

At the same time, she grew even more impressed with Vlad.

After all, the strength she now displayed was thanks to having consumed and fused Vlad's blood. Her powers had surged, elevating her to a high-ranking black witch.

Because of this, Muriel no longer resisted Vlad. On the contrary, she now truly and sincerely submitted to him.

"Do you want to be as powerful as I am?"

"Do you want to live in the sunlight without being hunted like criminals?"

"Do you want to be free from the corrosion of blood magic, like I am now?"

. . .

Each of her statements was firm, enticing, and filled with visions of a brighter future.

She immediately captured the attention of many witches.

Looking at them—blood boiling with excitement, hearts stirring with hope—Muriel lifted her chin proudly and glanced toward the peak behind her.

Her raised brows and smiling lips seemed to say to Vlad: See? You didn't choose wrong.

Vlad, seeing her eyes filled with satisfaction, provocation, and the need for recognition, simply smiled.

He knew things wouldn't be that simple.

Just when Muriel thought everything was under control and no more surprises would come, a voice rang out.

"Don't be fooled by that bitch!" "There's no such thing as a free gift! How many of you have already been betrayed by human promises?" "How many witches have died from trusting humans?"

In an instant, the hopeful mood among the witches collapsed like a sandcastle hit by waves. The fire in their hearts turned cold.

Doubt flooded their eyes as they turned toward Muriel. Only a few loyal supporters still stood firm, declaring their trust in her.

The conference immediately split into three factions: those who opposed Muriel, those who supported her, and those who stayed neutral.

The opponents accused Muriel's supporters of being naive and forgetting the treachery of humans.

Her supporters defended her, saying that as one of them, she would never betray them—and that this was their best chance to change the witches' fate.

The neutrals simply stood aside, watching the drama unfold, occasionally sneering and laughing as if it were all just entertainment.

Muriel, who had looked so confident a moment ago, now wore a face as dark as soot.

Her eyes sharpened as she scanned the crowd.

Among them stood an ugly old witch with skin as dry and yellow as bark, a sinister grin twisting her face.

Muriel recognized her—and had once pitied her.

This woman had once been a beautiful enchantress in her thirties, but after being deceived by humans and suffering magical backlash, she ended up like this. It was a sad tale.

But she should never have ruined what Muriel had just built.

A cold glint of murderous intent flashed through Muriel's eyes.

Suddenly, the barren mountainside platform trembled, and massive cracks snaked across the stone. Before anyone could react, several enormous green vines burst from the rocks like giant serpents and coiled tightly around the ugly witch.

The display of power immediately stunned the crowd.

But the old witch seemed ready. Just as the vines were about to completely entangle her, a pillar of flame burst from her body.

The vines wrapped around her were instantly scorched and turned to ash. The witch used the opening to leap away.

Nearby witches had no time to react. A few were caught in the sudden flames, screaming in agony.

As the burning vines lashed around, some witches were torn apart—killed on the spot.

The entire scene plunged into chaos.

But Muriel had already made her move and wouldn't stop halfway.

She had planned for this.

Just as the old witch escaped the fire, Muriel hurled a massive fireball from the front, striking her mid-air. With a shriek of pain, the old witch crashed to the ground.

Muriel raised her wand again, ready to finish her off.

But the injured witch, realizing she had no chance of escaping, panicked.

She screamed hysterically, hoping to spark fear and confusion to slip away in the chaos.

"Muriel's gone mad! She's killing anyone who dares to speak out!"

"What are you all waiting for? Do you want her to pick us off one by one?"

Muriel's expression changed immediately.

Her raised wand crackled with blue lightning—but she hesitated.

The arcane energy swirled around the wand. Should she release it? Should she hold back? Her hand froze in place.

The witches, hearing the old crone's words, tensed up.

But they weren't so easily deceived. A few shrill cries weren't enough to cloud their judgment.

After all, no one becomes a witch without wisdom and cunning.

This wasn't a fantasy movie where everyone is gullible for the sake of drama. This was real.