That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 74 Go to Thorn Territory!

"Miss Dorothy, the master would like to see you after dinner."

"All right."

They really did come... Dorothy Duck sat on the bed, staring at the vase by the window, her mind in turmoil as she watched the militiamen on duty leave, turning back to look at her every step of the way.

To be honest, she had a pretty comfortable two days in Thorn Territory. Aside from the fact that there were blankets on the bed, even the meals were hot, and there was meat and eggs with every meal.

Fermi said this was standard equipment for the militia, but Dorothy still tended to think it was a special favor given to her by Ronan.

During these two days, Ronan did not assign her any tasks, allowing her to fully rest for two days. Dorothy even felt that the pollution that was about to get out of control was showing signs of improvement.

But the more this happened, the more uneasy she became.

As the saying goes, the gifts of fate have already come with a price tag in secret. Just like the day before the breakout, Henry hosted a banquet for her, implying that he wanted her to protect the messenger at all costs.

If it were a clear and straightforward accounting, that would be fine, but Ronan insisted on playing the ambiguous game with her...

As he was lost in thought, a tall, handsome figure walked into the room; it was Ronan.

To Dorothy's slight surprise, Madonna was following behind him.

Wait, what's going on here? Is he going to pull that stunt now? Or is he afraid I'll resist, so he's getting someone to control me beforehand...?

"Miss Dorothy? Miss Dorothy?"

Ronan called her twice, and seeing her slow reaction, he thought to himself that the Duke's witch was a little dim-witted, or perhaps she had overexerted herself too much and hadn't recovered yet.

"Are you alright? I heard you haven't left your room for two days. Is something still bothering you?"

Ronan blinked. "Just let me know if you need anything. I'll do my best to help you with anything I can."

"No need for preamble, I understand... Let's get straight to the point."

Dorothy gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and revealed a resolute expression. She turned her head away. "I know I've lost my value, but even a common man's rage can spill blood five steps away. I will not yield to you. If you insist on using force, then kill me!"

"..."

Madonna glanced at Dorothy, then at Ronan, a subtle glint in her eyes.

"?"

Looking at this duchess witch who was clearly not on the same wavelength, Ronan's lips twitched, and he almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

"I'm telling you, aren't you overthinking this?"

"……what?"

"Never mind, it's good that you're alright. Don't worry about me, I don't have time for you."

"Wait a minute!"

Seeing Ronan turn to leave, Dorothy opened her mouth, "Then why did you give me such good food and drink, and..."

"Because you are the Duke's chief witch and a hero of the West, you have made sacrifices for us. The Thorn Territory will not neglect any hero, including witches. I think that reason is enough."

Ronan glanced at her. "Or do you think that the way those powerful people use and discard their tools, discarding them after they've served their purpose, is justified?"

Dorothy lowered her head with a complicated expression.

"Wait!"

Seeing Ronan push open the door, Dorothy took a deep breath and stood up.

"You're preparing to fight the rebels, aren't you—I want to go too, take me with you."

Seeing Ronan's somewhat surprised expression, Dorothy went on to say, "My magical abilities are rather unique; even a small amount can sustain me in many battles. Moreover, I am more familiar with the rebels' movements and the intelligence on the western frontier than you are, which can save you a lot of trouble."

"it is good."

Ronan smiled and said, "Welcome!"

……

Two moons hang high in the night sky. The temperature tonight is slightly warmer than it was a while ago, but the deep winter in the West still torments everyone dressed in light clothing.

Zaro trudged through the wilderness, his steps uneven, with an endless crowd in front of him and an endless crowd behind him.

He didn't know if he would die on the way, nor did he have the energy to think about life and death. Right now, all he had to do was keep moving forward and not think about anything else.

Zarro was not a citizen of the Blackrock Empire, but a desert dweller from the Southern Territory. More than ten years ago, he was trafficked to the Southern Territory by a slave caravan. After two or three years of living a life worse than death as a slave, he was moved around and sold to the Western Territory, where he became a serf in the Land of Light.

He has grown from a ten-year-old child when he was arrested into a tall young man, but now he has many more whip marks on his body.

Because of his dark skin and curly hair, he was considered an outsider. Not only did the lord treat him with disrespect, but the other serfs also disliked him. At first, Zaroo would cry, but he gradually got used to it.

Therefore, when the lord selected these people to hand over to the Thorn Territory, Zarro remained completely unmoved.

This wasn't the first time he had experienced being bought and sold.

If he's lucky, he'll reach the new territory; if he's unlucky, he'll perish halfway there—and then his suffering will surely end, right? It's not entirely a bad thing...

It wasn't until a hard, dry piece of bread was handed to him that Zaro snapped out of his reverie.

Startled, Zaro looked up and saw that the person who had given him the bread was a Thornleader militiaman dressed in iron armor. Next to him was a large sack filled with more bread.

"Eat slowly, everyone, don't choke!"

As the militiaman handed out the pancakes, he shouted, "More will be given out later, so don't be stingy with your food and replenish your strength! Everyone must reach Thorn Ridge!"

Zaro ate the bread in his hand with considerable surprise.

Although it was dry and hard, he discovered that the cake contained no sawdust or chaff, and it was quite substantial. After eating it, his almost depleted energy was almost immediately restored.

He had never eaten such good food in Wright Territory.

Seeing that the militiaman distributing the bread didn't seem like a bad person, Zaro mustered his courage, stopped, and went up to ask, "Why are you giving us this to eat?"

"It's not very convenient to travel, and other food items are also difficult to carry."

Instead of being impatient, the militiaman patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, "The lord said that when you arrive in Thorn Territory, he will treat you to hot meat porridge to welcome you."

"No... I mean, I've never eaten such good food before."

Upon hearing that there would be hot porridge later, Zhalo's mouth dropped open. "Why are you being so nice to us..."

"Because you are also heroes who defend our country! Our lord said that when the western border is in trouble, every citizen has a responsibility. Your willingness to stand up at this critical moment makes you our good brothers. Who knows, we might have the chance to fight side by side again in the future!"

The militiamen enthusiastically said, "Keep up the good work, we'll reach Thorn Ridge tonight!"

Zaro returned to the team with a heavy heart.

Before setting off, he had vaguely heard that this trip was to fight against the rebels, but he never thought that the word "hero" had anything to do with him. He thought that they, as lowly people, were at most cannon fodder.

The militiaman's words touched his long-numbed heart, just as the delicious bread touched his long-numbed stomach.

What touched him most was the vitality emanating from the other person; his spirit and energy were something he had never seen before in the territory of Wright.

In a daze, Zaro felt a long-lost sense of purpose.

He will make it to Thorn Ridge alive! He wants to go there and see for himself!

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