Witch Taming System

"Ah... she really jumped the gun..."

Lancel let out a sigh.

First and foremost, nothing had been confirmed. There was no guarantee that any of the ships that had departed earlier in the day were the right one.

But even so, this wasn’t entirely a loss.

Lancel had already used Countess Gretelle’s authority to eliminate every ship still at port. That alone had narrowed things down significantly. And now, she was heading straight for the ships that had already left.

If she managed to find them, then that would likely be the end of it.

From what Lancel had seen, those mercenaries didn’t even have the means to deal with Nyx. That meant they had relied on the same method they used to subdue Faust and Fiore in the first place.

A drug, potent enough to bring witches down without a fight. However, Lancel had already informed Countess Gretelle of that. Surely, she wouldn’t let her guard down.

"What do we do now, Lancel?" Christoph asked.

"The third possibility."

The ships at the docks had already been crossed out, and Countess Gretelle was now chasing down the second option. But just in case there was another angle...

"You might be wrong about the cargo ships."

"Ah..."

Christoph paused at that, the realization slowly settling in.

There was still a small possibility they could still be in Riviere, waiting, biding their time for a different opportunity.

* * *

There were many ways to smuggle goods in and out of the Witch City of Riviere.

The docks were only the most obvious route, and because of that, they were often the most heavily watched. Anyone relying solely on cargo ships would be taking a risk, especially in a city that dealt with witches and the kind of power they held.

There were other methods.

The first was through underground channels. Riviere had an old network of tunnels, some abandoned, some forgotten, and some very much in use.

Smugglers who knew the layout could move people and goods under the city itself, bypassing security entirely.

The second was through disguised caravans.

Merchant groups entered and exited the city regularly, carrying everything from food to luxury items. With the right paperwork, or the right bribe, it wasn’t difficult to hide something among legitimate cargo.

The third was through private estates. Nobles with influence could move shipments in and out without question. Their authority alone was enough to prevent inspections, making them one of the safest methods for transporting anything illegal.

The fourth was the outskirts. The forests and wastelands surrounding Riviere were dangerous, but not impassable. Those desperate or skilled enough could move through those areas undetected, avoiding the city’s main routes altogether.

And lastly, it was through magic itself. Certain witches specialized in spatial manipulation, allowing them to store or transfer items without physically moving them through gates or checkpoints.

It was rare, but for the right price, it was possible.

In a place like Riviere, nothing was ever truly contained.

Naturally, Riviere had certain autonomous defenses in place.

Spatial magic was one of the restricted categories, which meant witches who specialized in it couldn’t just go willy-nilly within the city.

The moment someone attempted to travel through spatial magic into Riviere, they wouldn’t arrive where they intended and would instead end up somewhere else.

That was how potent the defense was.

But unbeknownst to those who remained ignorant, not every part of Riviere was bound by that same restriction. There were specific locations where spatial magic could still be used, places where the city’s autonomous defenses could be bypassed.

But of course, only the elites knew of them. And naturally, that knowledge wasn’t widespread.

After all, not everyone could even use spatial magic to begin with. Only those with true power had the means to take advantage of it.

"Motherfucker! The wagon keeps shaking!"

"And what do you want me to do about it?" another snapped back. "There’s no other route to begin with. Unless you want us to get caught?!"

The mercenaries, now masquerading as merchants, continued forward despite the rough path.

And for them, there was a clear destination.

They were heading there to meet the witch who had hired them in the first place.

Taking a different route, they moved through discreet channels, slipping out of Port Town without drawing attention.

"How’s the dosage?" Lemuel asked, ignoring the commotion. "Make sure it doesn’t kill them."

One of them, a woman, glanced back toward the covered cargo, adjusting the lid before answering.

"It’s stable," she said. "Strong enough to keep them under, but not enough to stop their breathing."

"Good. We’re not getting paid for corpses."

It was a risky job.

They didn’t even know the full identities of the witches, aside from the fact that one of them was named Faust.

But even that was enough. The moment a bigshot had shown up earlier to personally inspect every cargo ship, it became clear these weren’t ordinary targets.

In truth, they had considered using a cargo ship at first, planning to transfer the goods later at a vantage point onto a smaller vessel. It would’ve been faster..

But there was a problem.

They had left a witness alive.

That single mistake forced their hand.

Because of that, they abandoned every other option and chose the most difficult route that required the most effort but guaranteed the least risk of exposure.

"Hey, Lemuel," one of them called out. "What kind of witch is our client? Don’t you think we might get double-crossed?"

"Just do your job..."

Lemuel didn’t even spare him a glance.

In truth, his reason for taking this job was simple.

Because the witch had promised him a future.

Unlike the rest of these fools, who would spend their lives crawling within the organization only to die for it, Lemuel had ambitions.

And those promises had already begun to show themselves the moment he got in bed with that witch.

"Heh."

Lemuel licked his lips. The thought alone was enough to stir something in him as his mind turned back to her.

Once this was over, once he delivered the target and fulfilled his end of the deal, he could already picture returning to her, earning that same attention again, making her satisfied.

———!

But unfortunately for Lemuel, there were still many obstacles standing between him and that so-called happy ending he wished for.

"Nyx."

Because Lancel had caught up to them.