Chapter 138

Dried Strawberries and Revolution

Two sandglasses later.

Annie cautiously entered the room carrying a bowl of meat soup and white bread, her small face tinged with nervousness.

Only after placing it on the small table did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Yet her eyes couldn’t help but dart toward the steaming meat soup, while her tiny hands clutched tightly at the edge of her apron.

“Sister Lucy,” she whispered, swallowing quietly, “Aunt Susan said this is the Brotherhood’s way of thanking you.”

Lucy took a sniff.

The aroma of stewed potatoes and salted meat filled the room. Paired with rare, pure white bread, this was indeed the highest-grade hospitality the camp could offer.

She deliberately stirred the thick soup with a spoon, the wooden utensil making a crisp clink against the edge of the bowl.

“This much... I can’t finish it all by myself.”

Little Annie’s throat moved slightly, but she shook her head like a rattle drum.

“I already ate in the kitchen! Really!”

But just as she finished speaking, her tummy gave a loud gurgle of protest, making her ears flush red with embarrassment.

In the end, little Annie couldn’t resist the temptation of the meat soup and bread.

Like a cautious little squirrel, she took the smaller piece of bread with both hands.

She nibbled at the edge of the bread in tiny bites, dipping just the tip into the soup each time, as if carrying out some solemn ritual.

Only when Lucy pretended to turn around to fetch something did she hear the sounds of ravenous munching behind her.

Turning back, she saw the young girl hurriedly wiping her mouth, her cheeks puffed up like a food-hoarding hamster.

The adorable and pitiful sight brought a smile to Lucy’s face.

Little Annie tilted her head, not understanding why her sister was smiling, until Lucy reached out and wiped the soup from the tip of her nose.

The bowl of meat soup and bread was soon finished.

Just as the tableware was about to be cleared away, the little girl suddenly clutched her apron tightly.

“What’s wrong?”

"Sister Lucy, could you give me a bottle of medicine? My mom..." She pulled a filthy cloth pouch from her chest. Layer by layer, she unwrapped it to reveal several pieces of sun-dried wild strawberries. "This is for you, as payment for the medicine..."

But she quickly remembered the meat soup and bread she had just eaten.

Compared to those, the dried wild strawberries in her hand seemed like a pile of garbage picked up off the roadside.

At that thought, she began to regret accepting Lucy's invitation earlier.

It was all that stupid belly's fault—how could it get hungry so quickly?

Lucy crouched down and picked one of the wild strawberries from the dirty pouch, placing it into her mouth.

A mix of sourness, sweetness, and a faint moldy flavor filled her mouth.

She pressed a bottle glowing with an emerald sheen into Annie's palm.

The little girl suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck.

"Thank you, Sister! When I grow up, I’ll definitely repay you properly!"

"Go give your mother the medicine now."

"Okay."

Not until Annie ran out of the room in excitement did Lucy put away the smile on her face.

The unfinished Dreamcleansing Potion wasn’t enough to expel the Dream-Eating Black Worm. And in any case, pneumoconiosis or overwork alone could already take her life—the worm was the lesser of the threats.

The Dreamcleansing Potion could only briefly extend her life and make her final days a little less painful.

Lucy let out a sigh.

“It’s about time to leave.”

She had agreed to rendezvous with several other investigative witches from the Star Law Institute by tomorrow. Any further delay and she wouldn’t make it in time.

After packing up her potion tools, Lucy left the thatched hut to look for Olivia.

That girl had gone out for a walk and still hadn’t come back by now.

But after searching all around, she still couldn’t find that familiar black-haired figure.

Just as she was about to return to the hut for another look, a familiar sound of arguing reached her ears.

Princess of Kolo, Olivia, stood atop a wooden crate with one hand on her hip, her black hair trembling with every word.

" frontal assault? Did you think the knight order's armor was paper or that your flesh was iron?"

The Hawke leader's face had flushed red; the battle map in his hands had been creased until it rustled.

"The mine entrance was on the mountaintop, there was nowhere to hide around it — besides a frontal assault, what other way was there?"

"We had explosives; as long as we got within twenty meters..."

"Hmph." Olivia snorted with contempt.

Getting within twenty meters sounded simple, but during that charge who knew how many Brotherhood members would fall to arrows.

Hawke seemed to have realized this as well; his old face had reddened even more.

"Damn it... then what do you propose?"

"If they couldn't charge up, wouldn't you draw them down?"

She pointed at the battle map.

Although the entrance had been on the mountaintop, supplies still had to be brought in.

If the supply route were severed, those dozens of knights would have to attack if they did not want to starve.

"Then plant explosives around the area... boom! A bunch of novice knights would be unseated, and once they fell from their horses, five of us to a squad, armed with shields and long pikes, could break them one by one."

Bearded Hawke wanted to argue.

But when he opened his mouth he found he had no better plan, so he wrapped up the battle map with a huff.

"Easy to say; five-to-a-squad coordination won't be that smooth."

Even novice knights could unleash combat power far beyond that of ordinary people.

Olivia, however, raised her head like a swan.

"That's just the most basic formation; I could train them in five days."

"Five days?!" Hawke exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Olivia nodded confidently.

As Her Highness the Princess who once held command over her nation's military department, Olivia had never relied on her beauty.

Kolo was a nation built on military merit. Both Olivia and the foolish Prince Kaelde had been trained from childhood in the most orthodox strategies and knightly techniques. Olivia, in particular, had undergone the activation of the Seed of Life at an early age.

Her boot crushed a small stone beneath her sole.

Olivia suddenly turned around and, upon seeing it was Lucy, guiltily jumped down from the wooden crate.

"Leader Hawke, I need to speak with my sister."

Hawke shrugged, signaling his indifference.

Once the two of them left the cave, the rest of the people inside finally grew restless.

"Leader, you’re not really going to let that little girl train us, are you?"

"She can’t even lift a pickaxe."

"I bet she’ll lead us straight to our deaths..."

"No, I believe in her!" Karash suddenly spoke from the corner, drawing everyone’s attention.

His face flushed as he said, "She’s Miss Lucy’s sister!"

Just as everyone was wondering who Miss Lucy was, the camp’s doctor Martha also stood up in support of Karash’s words.

With two core members speaking in her favor, the others in the room began to hesitate.

Meanwhile, Hawke remained silent, staring at the hand-drawn battle map.

…

"Although I hate to cut off your speech, it’s time for us to go."

"Sister Lucy~ maybe we can stay just a few more days, let me at least train them in combat!"

Olivia, in a rare act of coquettishness, pressed Lucy’s arm into her own ample chest and shook it back and forth.

"I knew it..." Lucy rolled her eyes.

She had long seen that this girl wanted to start a revolution with the Brotherhood. After all, back in the Principality of Kolo, she had been ostracized by nobles for her reformist stance.

Now, surrounded by so many like-minded people, how could she not be moved?

Besides, the Kingdom of Atley and the Principality of Kolo were only separated by a single river. If reform succeeded here, it could quickly influence the surrounding regions.

"You seem to have forgotten that the Star Law Institute forbids witches from interfering in the affairs of ordinary people."

Olivia bit her lip.

"Of course I know. That’s why I won’t reveal I’m a witch—I’ll join the Brotherhood as a princess of a neighboring country."

Seeing her determination, Lucy could only sigh.

"Since you’ve already decided..."