Chapter 4: You are a witch, right?

Cynthia halted the spear in her hand, her expression cold as she stared at the girl before her.
“If you’re lying just to save your skin, you’ll meet a fate worse than death.”

Ina shook her head frantically, like a rattled drum.
“I-I’m telling the truth!”

“Hmph.”

A gust of wind whistled past, and before Ina could react, Cynthia deftly sliced through the ropes binding her with the spear.
“Then spill it. What’s the clue?”

Ina knelt on the ground, stretching her aching shoulders, and asked hesitantly, “Um… what exactly are you after with the Holy Church?”

“What’s it to you?”

Cynthia’s reply was blunt, offering no courtesy.

“N-No… it’s just, I’m being hunted by the Holy Church myself…”

“You’re being pursued?”

Cynthia’s eyes narrowed as she recalled the men’s earlier words about capturing Ina for a bounty.
They’d mentioned something else, too, but she hadn’t caught it clearly.
“Why?”

“I was with the Holy Church for a long time before… and this time, I finally escaped…”

“Oh, so you were captured by them too?”

Ina’s words stirred memories of Cynthia’s own past, and she couldn’t help but soften slightly.

“Huh? Uh… well… you could say that? But it was because of my black hair and black eyes—”

Ina faltered, sensing a misunderstanding, but before she could clarify, Cynthia cut her off.

“You were framed, weren’t you? They targeted you because of your black hair and eyes, right?”

Cynthia’s anger flared at the mention of the Holy Church, her voice tinged with indignation.
“I get it! They must’ve branded you a witch because of your appearance, locked you up, and tormented you until you escaped today—”

“Uh? No, actually, I’m a Sain—”

“Those Holy Church bastards pull this kind of stunt every day!”

Ina tried to interject, but Cynthia’s tirade drowned her out.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you get your revenge. If one of their goons shows up, I’ll cut them down. If a pair comes, I’ll take them both—”

Cynthia rambled on, caught up in her own fervor, until she suddenly realized she’d been talking over Ina.
“What were you trying to say?”

[Did she just… say something terrifying?]

Ina’s lips felt dry.
The vampire girl’s expression didn’t seem like a bluff.

“Um, you just said something about ‘holy’…?”

Cynthia noticed Ina’s stunned look and poked her arm to snap her out of it.

“Uh—holy—”

Ina nearly blurted out “Saint” but caught herself at the last second, reason prevailing.
“Saints… I mean, the witches who haven’t been corrupted by the Church!”

“Oh, I thought you were about to say you were a Holy Church Saint.”

Cynthia scrutinized Ina, her gaze lingering on her black hair and eyes.
“But you’re right—how could a Saint have black hair and eyes? Of course you’re a witch!”

“Y-Yes! I’m a witch… totally a witch…”

Ina forced a smile, her voice trailing off.
In her heart, she silently begged, ‘Goddess, forgive me! I had to lie to survive! You understand, right?’

She was, after all, technically “wanted” by the Church…

But she couldn’t exactly admit she was the “Black Saint,” who’d slipped away from the Holy Church out of boredom and stumbled into a band of poachers!

As Ina’s mind spiraled with excuses, Cynthia’s next words nearly stopped her heart.
“Ha, if you were a Saint, I’d have no choice but to take you out.”

‘Goddess, thank you for stopping me!’

Ina wanted to cry but had no tears.
Twice in mere moments, she’d danced on the edge of death.
For now, though, she seemed safe… probably?

“Ahem… So, why are you after the Holy Church?”

“Oh, right, almost forgot the important stuff.”

Cynthia snapped back to her mission.
“The Holy Church has been sneaking into our empire, kidnapping and selling orc children. I, uh… escaped—er, I mean, I was commissioned to investigate this.”

To protect her cover, Cynthia glossed over certain details, ensuring her identity remained hidden.

“What? The Holy Church… kidnapping orc children?!”

Ina’s eyes widened, disbelief flickering in her gaze.
As a Saint, she’d never heard of such atrocities.

“You don’t believe me?”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, jerking her thumb toward the bodies behind her.
“Those guys back there said the Holy Church has infiltrated the empire, didn’t they?”

“Well… I guess they did?”

“So, do you know where they’re headed?”

“Wait a sec…”

Ina had no idea where those men were going.
But as a Saint, she had her own methods to track the Church’s members.

She closed her eyes, and a faint wisp of black magic curled from her fingertips, drifting into the distance.

“Dark magic… definitely a witch…”

Cynthia muttered, observing.

“Uh… yeah…”

Ina kept quiet, knowing full well that admitting she wielded both dark and light magic would only complicate things.

Her ability to use dark magic was a closely guarded secret within the Holy Church.
Who’d have thought it would prove useful today?

Still, she couldn’t help but lament internally, ‘I, a Saint, have officially become a witch…’

As she silently extended her magic, her method was straightforward.
Light and dark elemental wielders were rare in this world, and most with light attributes were tied to the Holy Church.

Her dark magic could sense opposing light elements.
In the Karmoz Empire, where the Church’s influence was minimal, light-wielders were rarer than hairs on a bald head.

If she detected light magic, there was a ninety percent chance it belonged to someone from the Holy Church.

“…I’m not completely sure, but it seems they’re west of here.”

After a moment, Ina ceased her magic and whispered to Cynthia.

“West…”

Cynthia’s eyes gleamed as she mentally mapped the terrain.
There was an orc village not far west—the direction and motive aligned perfectly.

“Got it. Thanks for the tip.”

Cynthia nodded to Ina, her wings flaring as she prepared to take off toward the village.
But before she could, Ina grabbed her hand.

“Miss Witch, is there something else?”

“Um… I know it’s a bit much, but…”

Ina clutched Cynthia’s hand, biting her lip, her expression sheepish but determined.
“Could you… take me with you?”