Chapter 631 Alice (1)

Alice walked through the woods alone in the fading evening light. She wore a simple brown dress, the kind commonly worn by village girls, and clutched its fabric tightly with both hands. Her gaze darted nervously from one tree to another as she searched her surroundings.

The sky had turned a deep shade of orange, and darkness would soon descend upon the forest.

Someone had tried to kidnap her. She hadn’t even realized what was happening until someone intervened and saved her. However, the man who had rescued her was the most horrifying person she had ever seen.

Even now, remembering his appearance sent a shiver down her spine. There was no way anyone could mistake him for a kind-hearted savior or a heroic figure.

Despite that, she had chosen not to speak ill of him to the villagers. Instead, she had told everyone that he was the one who saved her.

She had her own reasons for doing so.

Before leaving, the mysterious man had told her that if she ever needed help, she could seek him out today.

And so, here she was.

Although her heart pounded wildly with fear, she had gathered her courage and ventured into the woods alone.

Her brown eyes scanned the trees as she hesitantly called out, “Is there anyone here? I-I came here because you told me to… Sir? Are you there?”

She swallowed nervously and took another step forward. Dry leaves crunched beneath her feet, their faint rustling sounding unusually loud in the quiet forest.

“I’m here.”

A voice echoed through the woods. Alice instinctively stepped backward, her entire body stiffening.

“I-I came here… to thank you,” she stammered. “And… to ask for your help.” She spoke in tense voice.

Silence followed her words. The only sound was the wind rustling through the branches overhead.

Then, without warning, two figures leaped down from the trees.

Thud! Thud!

Alice stumbled backward once more, staring at the two figures who had landed before her. Her frightened eyes darted between them, desperately trying to assess the situation.

One of them was familiar.

A strange, black substance covered his face, leaving only his dark eyes and lips exposed. It was the same terrifying man who had saved her from the kidnappers.

However, unlike the last time she had seen him, there were no enormous wings extending from his back.

The other figure wore a hooded cloak and a plain silver mask that concealed his entire face. Compared to the first man, he appeared considerably less ominous.

Even so, Alice couldn’t bring herself to relax just because of looking less terrifying.

“Now then, Alice,” the black-faced man said, his exposed lips curving slightly. “Since you’ve come here, tell us what’s troubling you. Why did those men try to kidnap you?”

He paused briefly before continuing in a reassuring tone. “Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you. As for why we’re willing to help…” He tilted his head slightly. “Let’s just say that helping you might also bring us closer to someone we’re trying to find.”

He tried to be gentle to her, she could tell that much.

Alice stood before them with her heart pounding furiously. Should she trust these two strangers?

She had no way of knowing whether they genuinely intended to help her or whether they had some hidden agenda of their own. For all she knew, they might be no different from the men who had tried to kidnap her.

But what other choice did she have?

Even if they weren’t truly willing to help her, there was still a chance that they could. No matter how small that chance might be, she couldn’t afford to let it slip away.

Alice clenched her fists.

Slowly, the fear in her brown eyes gave way to determination. She raised her head and looked directly at the two men.

She had made her decision.

She was ready to tell them everything.

Amon and Arnold stood before Alice, patiently waiting for her to gather her thoughts.

As the fear in the girl’s eyes gradually faded, Amon realized that she was finally ready to speak.

‘Finally…’

Alice exhaled softly before opening her mouth.

“I-I don’t know if you’ll really help me or not…” She hesitated, glancing between the two men. “But I have no other choice. I really need help.”

“Yes, we will help you,” Arnold assured her without hesitation.

Alice looked at him for a moment before lowering her gaze.

“I don’t have anything to offer you in return, but… I’ll tell you the truth. If helping me can bring you closer to your goal, then please help me. Otherwise, you can just forget about it.”

“Sure,” Arnold replied simply.

His straightforward response seemed to ease some of Alice’s apprehension.

Taking another deep breath, she finally began her story.

“Then… I’ll start with this village.”

She paused, as though struggling to find the right words.

“Leonera Village might seem like a happy and peaceful place, but… it isn’t what it appears to be.”

Amon narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

Alice swallowed nervously before continuing.

“Y-you must have heard the story about the witch’s curse, right?”

Amon turned his head toward Arnold. His friend met his gaze, and the two exchanged a brief look.

They had indeed heard the story. Both men turned back toward Alice and nodded.

“Yes, we know about it,” Amon answered.

“Then…” Alice took a shaky breath. “You must also know about the curse she placed on this village. She said that one day, a witch born here would bring ruin upon Leonera.”

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

“Because of that, the villagers have been searching for witches for generations. They’ve been watching everyone closely, looking for any woman who might be a witch or even someone they merely suspect of being one.”

She lowered her head, her voice growing quieter.

“And when they find someone suspicious… they capture her and burn her at the stake in the village square.”