Chapter 13: A Harpy’s Journey

Levi silently dressed herself.

As she put on the clothes, she became more acutely aware of the changes in her body.

Her height had slightly decreased, her shoulders and arms were noticeably slenderer. Her chest felt a little tight in her old clothes, and her skin was also significantly smoother than before.

Seeing a body of the opposite s*x for the first time should have been quite startling. Yet, her heart remained calm, for she herself had now become that very opposite s*x.

As she finished dressing, the Blood Red Queen returned from outside.

“Are you ready? It seems safe for now out there, let’s go.”

“Go? Go where?” Levi instinctively asked.

“Somewhere safe,” the Blood Red Queen replied.

“We’ve only just escaped the city, and this is merely a hunter’s cabin in the eastern woods. The pursuers will likely find us here sooner or later.”

“If the Inquisitor catches you now, your fate will be tragic. Therefore, I suggest you come with me, or perhaps—”

She paused, her gaze fixed on Levi’s eyes, and asked, “Do you have any other place to go?”

‘A place to go?’

Levi pondered for a moment, then offered a bitter smile.

“No, I have nowhere else to go. I’ll come with you.”

“Good,” the Queen said, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

“Then, Your Majesty…” Levi still had questions.

“Don’t call me Your Majesty anymore. I’ve already lost my kingdom,” the Queen said, her voice soft as she revealed her name. “Call me Isola, Isola of Starry Night City.”

“Isola… Madam?”

“Just Isola will do,” the Queen corrected.

“Alright, Isola…” Calling the Queen by her first name felt a little unsettling to Levi at first. “Where exactly is our destination?”

“The southern part of the Empire, Duke Liddell’s territory,” Isola replied. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be our perfect refuge.”

“Why would a ducal territory within the Empire be a safe haven for you?” Levi asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Isola took a moment to consider before answering.

“The Empire has been targeting the Witch Cult for a long time. Even before they declared war on us, I had dispatched spies to infiltrate their ranks.”

Levi realized this matter was clearly a secret.

Isola’s hesitation earlier had been to gauge whether Levi was trustworthy enough to be privy to such information.

Ultimately, Isola had chosen to confide in her.

“So, that spy is hidden within Duke Liddell’s territory?”

“Precisely.”

“Forgive my bluntness,” Levi began, her tone cautious, “but the Starry Night Kingdom has already fallen.”

“That person… surely wouldn’t betray you now, would they?”

The question was rather impolite, yet their current predicament allowed no room for carelessness.

Once Isola’s escape became known, the Empire would undoubtedly mobilize its entire strength to pursue her.

With the Starry Night Kingdom defeated, if the spy were to see the tide had turned and decide to defect to the Empire, their journey would lead them straight into a trap.

At the mention of “betrayal,” Isola’s eyes noticeably dimmed for a fleeting moment.

However, she ultimately responded with firm assurance, “Rest assured, an unreliable person cannot be a spy.”

“I recall that place being a southern borderland,” Levi remarked. “It’s not incredibly far, yet it’s certainly not a distance suitable for travel on foot.”

“We’ll need to find a way to acquire horses and a carriage.”

“No need,” Isola stated. “We can simply fly there.”

“You can fly using magic?” Levi asked, her curiosity piqued.

Isola spoke with such nonchalance, as if discussing breakfast, that Levi harbored no doubt the legendary Arch-Witch possessed the art of flight.

The image that sprang to her mind was of the Queen conjuring a spell, lifting them both into the air to soar above the clouds.

Then, a thought occurred to her: perhaps flight would require some sort of magical artifact.

Rumor had it that witches possessed the knowledge to craft strange enchanted items, so perhaps they would end up flying on broomsticks or seated upon a magical rug.

As she indulged in these fanciful thoughts, Isola had already risen and walked to the cabin door.

“Come out, and you’ll see,” she called to Levi, then stepped outside first.

Levi rose and followed her out.

The moment she crossed the threshold, a fierce gust of wind surged to meet her.

The gale emanated from Isola, who stood in the open space outside the cabin.

Levi watched, utterly dumbfounded, as Isola’s body stretched and transformed.

Her arms elongated, simultaneously sprouting black feathers, until they became a pair of wings with an exaggerated span.

Concurrently, her feet morphed into enormous, hawk-like talons. The formal gown she wore also shifted and adapted, conforming to her new, monstrous form.

Isola had transformed herself into a half-human, half-bird monstrosity.

Each time she beat her wings, a tempestuous gust would swirl forth, sweeping away the surrounding sand and fallen leaves.

This was the fifth rank of the “Witch” path: Harpy.

Those blessed with this power could assume a half-human, half-bird demonic beast form.

Isola flapped her wings at Levi, signaling for her to approach.

Levi drew closer.

Suddenly, Isola leaped with astonishing grace, a gentle beat of her wings propelling her effortlessly to a human’s height.

She landed squarely on Levi’s shoulder.

To Levi’s surprise, she seemed to feel no weight from Isola at all.

“Uh…” Levi finally processed the situation. “Are we really going to fly like this?”

“Did you expect me to carry you on my back?” Isola asked, looking down. “Or perhaps for you to cling to me?”

“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind,” Levi replied candidly. “Like this, I feel rather like a chick snatched by an eagle.”

“This is for your own good,” the Queen stated calmly. “We’ll be flying at high altitudes for three hours, and I’m unsure if your stamina can endure it.”

“Should you accidentally fall, I might not have enough time to react and save you.”

“Then this way it is,” Levi replied without a moment’s hesitation.

Compared to plummeting from the sky and splattering into a mess, being carried like a chick by Her Majesty the Queen didn’t seem so bad after all.

“Raise your arms,” Isola instructed.

Levi complied, and Isola, taking advantage of the motion, clamped her talons securely around Levi’s upper arm, gripping her firmly.

Levi distinctly felt the immense strength of Isola’s grip.

It seemed that in this demonic beast form, Isola possessed strength far surpassing that of ordinary mortals, so there was no longer any need to worry about falling from mid-air.

“The power of witches is truly astonishing,” Levi mused aloud. “Could I achieve something similar?”

She now harbored a certain degree of interest in such extraordinary, superhuman abilities.

“If you aspire to advance, you will have the opportunity,” Isola replied calmly. “But you cannot yet. You are only a Ninth-Rank ‘Witch,’ a full four ranks below a ‘Harpy’.”

Ranks—upon hearing this, Levi began to grasp the concept.

The power of “Witches” was tiered, and different ranks seemingly conferred different abilities.

She hadn’t yet perceived any obvious special abilities within herself, presumably due to her current low rank.

“Close your eyes, and be mindful of the dust.”

With that, Isola powerfully flapped her feathered wings, conjuring a furious updraft that lifted her into the air.

Gripping Levi securely, she ascended into the sky.