Don't Burn Them! Even Witches Have Value!

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"Boom!"

Looking at the dust falling from the ceiling, if it weren't for the lack of subsequent tremors, Lynn would have thought there was an earthquake.

"What happened? Did Theodore finally blow the basement to high heaven?"

An anxious Lynn poked his head out the window, trying to see what exactly had happened.

Very quickly, he noticed something was wrong—

Why was his excellent employee, Iyanna, running around down there?

She actually wasn't working? How was this possible!

Could she have finally been corrupted by that terrible employee, Elysia!

"No! This must be corrected!"

Without the slightest hesitation, after placing the money pouch into the study's secret vault, Lynn swiftly bounded downstairs.

After rushing out the main gate, he immediately shouted out:

"Iyanna!"

The next moment, a fast-moving figure instantly crashed into his embrace.

"Pfft!"

"Ugh ah! Boss! It's terrifying!"

Looking at the crying doggy face pressing against his chest, which had been instantly knocked down, Lynn did his best to suppress the black bread he had nearly thrown up:

"Calm... calm down, what on earth happened?"

"The tree! The tree moved on its own!"

After struggling to stand up, Lynn tried to pull off Iyanna, who was hanging onto his clothes like an ornament.

"Sometimes there is internal stress within the tree trunk itself, and applying a bit of minor external force will release the internal stress. This is normal."

Finding that he completely could not pull her off, Lynn could only comfort the girl, whose ears had flattened into airplane ears, with words while moving forward under her weight:

"So don't be afraid. Be good and continue working; you haven't completed your KPI for today yet.

Do you still remember the contract? If you don't complete the KPI, today's food will only be bread."

(ED: KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It is a quantifiable metric used to evaluate the success of an organization, employee, or specific project in meeting objectives. )

After saying the most heartless words in the gentlest voice, Lynn dragged the frightened Iyanna back to the work area.

In front of the dropped axe, that strangely shaped tree trunk was lying quietly.

Strange, it didn't seem consistent with his judgment.

This tree trunk didn't show any stress fractures; it looked completely intact.

"Mmm!"

Upon seeing it, Iyanna's ears instantly perked up.

"Alright, alright. How about this: I'll give you a demonstration to prove it's fine."

Hearing these words from Lynn, Iyanna finally released her claws and fell off his clothes.

"Ugh! My clothes!"

Seeing that this set of clothes, which he had worn all the way from the Royal Capital to this place, had several more claw holes, Lynn instantly felt like crying but had no tears.

And so, carrying the grief and indignation in his heart, he raised the axe on the ground and aimed at that oddly shaped tree trunk.

"Hah!"

A strike that transformed grief and indignation into strength was violently swung down, drawing a perfect arc in mid-air, heading straight for the bloated burl in the center of the trunk.

The next moment, a violent clashing sound rang out.

"Thump!"

Lynn calmly looked ahead—

Ah, the sky of Blackstone Fief was quite blue.

Then again, why was he in the sky?

Oh, he remembered.

He had merely been whipped away by a branch that had suddenly extended from that tree trunk.

"By the way, why would a tree whip people!"

"Boom!"

Just like that, Lynn's upper body crashed heavily into the dirt.

"Ugh ah! Boss!"

The anxious Iyanna quickly pulled Lynn out of the dirt, looking at him with teary eyes.

"Ohohoho, human, this is the end for those who do not respect nature."

A clear, high-pitched, arrogant female voice came over.

Lynn raised his head, and then shockingly saw that the burl in the center of the tree trunk was actually bulging and expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As it grew to a certain limit, the next moment, accompanied by a crisp "pop" sound, that bloated burl actually peeled open layer by layer like a flower bud.

Within a slightly dazzling green halo, a petite figure slid down along the tree trunk and then stepped lightly onto the handle of the dropped axe on the ground.

"Humph! Lowly creatures seeking death, how dare you disturb this young lady's nap!"

It was a girl whose height only reached Lynn's chest (or maybe even only his waist).

She had long hair as brilliant as flowing gold, casually tied into haughty twin tails by two vines.

On her small face, which was as exquisite as a porcelain doll, a pair of large, emerald-green eyes looked down on Lynn, who was lying on the ground, with utter disdain.

Her signature long, pointed ears twitched slightly with her movements. She only wore an extremely fabric-saving "nature-friendly outfit" woven from several large leaves and vines.

Wearing this in this weather, wasn't she cold? Lynn subconsciously pondered this question.

At this moment, this brat was standing with her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest which could practically be described as completely flat, her nostrils aimed at Lynn:

"What are you looking at? Are you scared silly by this young lady's noble figure? Small fry!"

"Mmm! Boss! It's a tree demon! It's terrifying!"

Although this kind of entrance looked very much like a tree demon, Lynn knew very well that the person across from him was not.

Because the system's information pop-up window did not say so.

【Name: Flora Forestsea】

【Race: Elf】

【Talent: A-Rank Wood Magic, B-Rank Archer】

【Magic Level: C-Rank】

【Stamina: S-Rank】

【Physiological Indicators: Menopause】

【Favorability: -10 (Small fry~ )】

Elves, as standard isekai creatures, naturally existed in this world as well.

Of course, the only tiny difference between this and other isekai worlds was that the elves of this world were confirmed to be extinct.

The specific time of extinction was close to the time of the ancient empire's disintegration.

Therefore, why would an extinct elf appear in front of him?

And what on earth was with "menopause"!

【Elves generally enter menopause around one thousand years of age. This is normal】

So this elf with the face of a brat was actually an...

"...old hag?"

In an instant, Lynn felt the surroundings fall into dead silence.

"You... you..."

Her petite fists clenched tightly, and her emerald-green eyes instantly filled with water vapor.

"What are you saying, you bastard human!"

【Favorability: -20 (Who is an old hag!)】

【C-Rank Magic Fluctuation, Whip of Thorns taking shape】

At the same time, Elysia, whose face was once again covered in black ash, heard the noise and came jogging over:

"Hey! Why did I hear a strange woman's voice again! What did you do again, you bastard!"

"Wuwu, Sister Elysia, hurry up and save the Boss."

Iyanna, her ears drooping, scurried to her side, pointing at the tragic scene ahead.

"Waaaaah!"

"Crack! Snap!"

"Who are you calling an old hag! You small fry human!"

"Crack! Snap!"

A petite figure was seen standing on a massive vine that had risen from the ground, her cheeks puffed out, glaring viciously at Lynn, who was hung upside down by the extended tip of the vine.

And at the same time, the latter was still being whipped like a spinning top by several thorny branches.

Looking at such a cruel scene, Elysia instantly couldn't hold it in.

She burst into laughter.

"Haha."

"Hey! I heard that! Waaaaah! Save me!"

"Hmph! Let's see who dares to save you, you small fry human who illegally trespassed onto the territory of my Forestsea Clan."

"What Forestsea Clan! I've never even heard of it! Isn't this the territory of the Milan Empire?

I am the lawful lord! Waaaaah!"