Chapter 108: Chapter 96 Throwing Magic’s Enforced Memory and the Story of a Heartless Person_3 Chapter 108: Chapter 96 Throwing Magic’s Enforced Memory and the Story of a Heartless Person_3 The woman in the gray cloak loosened up, her face tinged with sarcasm. “Nipping people like you in the bud, it makes me feel like I have a purpose in life.”

“Hahahaha…”

“I’ll have you know, my upbringing was quite unlike those lowly folks, I was once a pampered rich girl.”

“I hail from what is now known as the model Republic — Florcana. Eighty years ago, during a war with Xicanan City Republic and Epirus City Republic, the Florcana Republic was on the verge of defeat, that was until my father — little Alexei, stepped up. He led Florcana to victory not once but twice, cementing Florcana’s position as the major Republic in the peninsular.”

“My father, by rights, should have been bestowed the highest honors, hailed a hero of the Republic, but he was betrayed by the very Republic.”

“The reason was simple. During the war, in his haste to march, attack the main cities of the Epirus City Republic, he didn’t collect bodies from the battlefield, didn’t give the fallen Republic soldiers a proper burial.”

“Subsequently, under the pretext of this misdemeanor, the guild masters of Florcana arrested my father, threw him into jail, and hung him.”

“In fact, the real reason was merely because my father was one of Florcana’s last nobles.”

“They seized all of our lands, chased me out of our home, watched indifferently as I begged like the lowest beggar on the streets of Florcana, even resorting to selling my body.”

“They even laughed secretly at my plight, and to survive, I started finding ways to get by.”

“I did everything, practically experienced every hustle life on the streets had to offer, although it was tough then, I ultimately managed to survive.”

“Just when I thought I could live, despite the disgrace, despite hanging by a thread, I forgot winter was upon us.”

“That winter was terribly cold.”

“Bone-chilling cold.”

“I huddled in the streets, trying to sell the candles in my hands, but not a soul in sight. I had no home to take shelter in, the candles in my basket were my only assets, failure to sell them would spell my imminent doom.”

Ivita remained expressionless. “So what?”

“Since you were destitute, how come you ended up heartless?”

“I don’t know.” The woman in the gray cloak, or rather the once noble miss Alexei, said: “It was dreadfully cold then, even snowing. I was freezing, so I lit a candle to warm myself.”

“I told myself, just one candle would do, just one, because these were goods.”

“But in the freezing weather, those candles before me seemed like an irresistible addiction.”

“I lit candle after candle, like a drunk losing his senses. In my stupor, I saw a woman in a mink coat in the depths of winter, wearing a chic black dome hat adorned with a rose.”

“What left the deepest impression was that she only had two fingers on her left hand!”

“All I remembered was her looking down at me in disdain, saying, ‘It’s you, isn’t it? The last living daughter in this world of little Alexei, a pitiful, filthy little cur. But a daughter must pay her father’s debt, yet you’re so pitiful, there’s hardly anything worth taking.’

“She said: ‘In that case, let’s strike a deal. Give me your heart, and I’ll let you live, but henceforth you must be heartless.’

Atop the Lion Pallet, Ivita realized she had almost mastered Throwing Magic, she could take action now, but waiting a little, stabilizing her magic, seemed better.

Therefore, she raised a suspicion. “In that case, it means the witch that turned you heartless is likely the Ice Witch.”

“Given the exceptionally cold winter that year, it suggests it could have resulted from the influence of the Ice Witch’s magical power. Then why are you serving the Ice Witch?”

Ivita held a poor impression of the Ice Witch.

That woman simply couldn’t stop making alliances everywhere.

Miss Alexei, widened her eyes in surprise. “What? The Ice Witch? Controlling the weather?”

“Hahahaha, even though I hate Florcana Republic too, it is the leader of the Guild Republics after all. The spirit of the Republic inherent there — the Laws of the Republic, wouldn’t possibly allow any witch to control the weather! Even the Dark Queen wouldn’t have managed to do so covertly. Because there is the spiritual leader of the Guild Republics, akin to the Papal Country being the spiritual leader of all the Bishop Countries, Knight Regiment Countries, Holy Church Army Countries, and the various Church factions within the various countries.”

“The spirit of the Guild Republic may not be as powerful as the Church today, but it’s not something an individual can easily shake. I don’t recognize the witch from back then.”

“But I can confirm that she was a sworn enemy my father made because of his desperate protection for the Republic.”

“My father gave his all for the Republic, while the Republic betrayed my father. I abhor the Republic, to an indescribable extent.”

“Being heartless, I don’t feel pain, nor joy, I don’t need to eat, I also lost the feeling of being alive.”

“I roamed the city streets, watching people come and go, wanting to bask in the sunlight, only to realize I couldn’t even feel the warmth of the sun.”

“I headed north. Countless times, I wanted to end this incomplete life of mine, but I lacked the courage.”

“It wasn’t until 30 years ago that I met the … the lady Ice Witch in the snow-capped mountains of Ambros.”

“Her noble bearing instantly captivated me, as though I had a heart. She told me that precisely because I was heartless, I was all the more suited to reside on her territory.”

“Because ice and snow don’t need a heart. She infused my body with the power of frost, thereby I gained some power and was no longer that weak.”

As this woman was babbling about her experiences, a ball of fire landed on the Lion Pallet. The Hearthstone Grand Witch suddenly appeared in the city hall, she stared coldly at Miss Alexei and sneered: “Turns out it’s just an old hag who managed to live for eighty years simply by relying on witchcraft.”

“How laughable, your life is nothing but a joke, don’t expect sympathy from me or his majesty.”

“I have guessed who the witch that turned you heartless is.”

“It must be a witch from either the Xicanan City Republic or the Epirus City Republic, but considering the circumstances of these two republics, I’m afraid it was done by someone from the Epirus City Republic. Woman, don’t you know a thing? Have you never heard of the rumored witch council of Epirus?”