Chapter 9: Conia Lavillia

Conia Lavillia’s childhood was a tragic and lightless one.

Ever since her father left, terrible things happened one after another.
Her mother spent her days in tears, yet she would force a smile whenever she saw her.

Watching her mother grow more haggard day by day, Conia felt a knot in her stomach.
She wanted to make her mother smile again, a genuine smile from the heart.

So, she ran out of the treehouse courtyard, planning to use her pocket money to buy her mother a new dress or some jewelry, hoping it would make her mother a little happier.

This was also the beginning of the tragedy.

On the road, Conia’s consciousness suddenly plunged into darkness.
When she woke up again, she was met with bright lights and people in grayish-white masks.

She tried to move, only to find herself bound by black straps, unable to move at all.
She could only watch as the masked person took out a sharp scalpel, heralding the arrival of a nightmare.

[Experiment on the compatibility of a Witch and a “God Seed,” 203rd attempt. Maintain consciousness of subject 109. Experiment begins.]

The sharp knife cut through flesh and skin, the chainsaw severed white bone, and internal organs were removed…
The day before yesterday it was a kidney, yesterday it was a lung, what will it be today?

‘Is that my spine?’

‘How ugly…’

‘What will it be tomorrow?’

‘I remember it started with my hands and legs…’

‘Will the organs grow back?’

‘Mama… I’m so scared… I want to go home…’

After an unknown amount of time, Conia went from being hysterical at the beginning to gradually becoming numb.
Only when the cold, gleaming scalpel fell would her small body tremble slightly.

Other than that, there was no other reaction.

Conia didn’t understand why she was still alive.
Those organs, those limbs, no matter how many times they were cut off, they would grow back again.
What was the reason?
Was it the black and red liquid injected into her body?

Gradually, a thought began to form in her mind—

“When can I die…”

[Experiment on the compatibility of a Witch and a “God Seed,” 549th attempt. Subject 109’s consciousness is unclear. Use electric current to stimulate the subject’s activity. This is the last experiment for 109. Afterwards, throw her out to fight with another subject and see the results.]

It was the familiar pain again.

Flesh was sticky and slick.
When the bones were cut, the sound would travel through her body and into her ears.

…Can someone… save me…

Ma… ma… I… want to… d—

Coldness and darkness pervaded Conia’s life, and she gradually became familiar with them.
But she would still feel uneasy, so scared that her body would tremble.
Only when her strength was exhausted and she fell into a suffocating sleep would she find a moment of peace.

And so it repeated…

Until—

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

The voice was like a spring breeze after the rain.
In Conia’s memory, a similar voice had only ever been heard from her mother.

“I’m not one of the people who hurt you. Don’t be afraid, I’ve chased the bad guys away. You’re safe now.”

Conia opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
There was no sharp scalpel before her, nor were there the familiar masked people.

White hair, purple and red eyes, a face so beautiful it was otherworldly…

The white-haired girl extended her hand to Conia, like the warm sun finally embracing a flower on the verge of withering.

‘I’m… safe?’

After a brief moment of daze, Conia threw herself into the girl’s arms.
From the moment she saw the girl, she had a faint feeling that the girl would never harm her, because she and the girl were the same kind, both witches.

Warmth, fragrance, softness—these beautiful words had long been cast into the corners of Conia’s memory, yet today they were picked up by the girl and returned to her.

But… the nightmare had not yet dissipated.
As the footsteps from within the cave grew closer, Conia turned to see a tall figure wearing a crow mask.

She remembered, in the damp stone room, she had seen a crow person identical to this one.

‘Is there still… no escape…?’

“Hey! You bird-head, is it fun to act all mysterious? What if you scare the child! I’m telling you, today, this child is mine!” the girl said decisively.

Then she turned and walked away without a second thought, completely ignoring the bird-headed person.

In the instant she turned, through the smooth white hair, Conia saw the crow-masked person suddenly drop to all fours and approach with an extremely strange posture!

“Sis—li—” little Conia tried to call out to warn the white-haired sister holding her, but her throat had not been used for a long time, and the sound that came out was like rust.

She could only watch as the crow monster got closer and closer.

“Hmph~” the girl snorted lightly.
In a flash, she quickly drew the firelock from her waist, turned, and aimed at the crow monster.
“I knew you bird-head were up to no good. Small brain, but lots of ideas.”

Her fair fingertips applied a slight pressure, pulling the trigger!

Bang, bang, bang—!

Three gunshots.
Two to the chest, one to the head.
The crow monster fell to the ground, but it was still alive.
After its limbs twitched a few times, the mask cracked, and the lower half of its face turned into a hideous, ugly maw full of barbs.
It began to crawl towards the girl and Conia again.

Seeing this, the white-haired girl shook her head nonchalantly and said to the crow monster in a regretful tone.

“Actually, you’d be better off dead just now.
Because… compared to a bullet, the destructive power of a dragon is much, much greater~”

The next moment, a giant black shadow descended from the sky, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Behind Verona, a pair of brilliant golden dragon eyes loomed in the smoke, like two golden suns, majestic and full of killing intent.

In front of the giant black dragon, the crow monster was like a toddler.
A casual blast of dragon fire spewed out, and the crow monster was instantly turned into a pile of ashes.

So… so amazing.
This white-haired sister is so amazing!!

Verona’s face was reflected in the pale pink pupils.
Conia stared at her blankly.
Realizing that she was truly saved, the emotions that had been suppressed for who knows how long finally erupted.

“Waaah, ahhh!!” Conia began to wail loudly, letting out all the torment she had suffered, all the despair in her heart.

But this put the white-haired girl in a difficult position.

‘Eh?! W-why is she crying again? Wasn’t she fine just now?
Damn birdman, to hell with the black-pepper-coconut-grandpa’s-face mountain god.
That thing was just a monster, look how it scared the child.’

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s okay, it’s okay,” I patted the girl’s back and stroked her spine, trying my best to soothe the poor child’s emotions.

At the same time, I didn’t forget to turn to Elvira and say:
“You scared the child. Change back quickly.”

The black dragon’s head tilted, as if puzzled as to why I was scolding her, but she was very obedient and changed back to her human form.

“Verona, the thing you said gave you that feeling of palpitation, is it this little witch?”

“Yes, it’s her.”

The small, light-blue head in my arms was still sobbing nonstop.
She was very thin and light.
Even though my body wasn’t strong, holding her was effortless.

I don’t know how much this child has suffered…

“The feeling I get from this child is like… a resonance between kin? Elvira, are witches naturally drawn to each other?”

“I’m not sure. But from the looks of it, you plan to take this little witch with you, right?”

I nodded, admitting my intention.

Actually, I knew very well what taking this child meant.
We were currently on the run, and Elvira was our only combatant.
Perhaps taking me along wasn’t too difficult for her.

But what about taking a frail child with us?

All our future actions would have to take this child’s situation into account, which would undoubtedly increase the risk.

I am not some philanthropist who likes to pity the world, nor do I have the ability.
I don’t even have the means to protect myself.

But I still can’t just leave a ten-year-old child to fend for herself in the wild.
And since I’ve already saved her, there’s no reason to send her back to hell.

I cast a glance at Elvira.
She quickly understood my meaning and looked back at me with a faint smile on her lips.

“I didn’t expect you to be so kind, Verona.”

“I wouldn’t say kind… it’s just basic morality.”

---

If… I could control the thorns again, the situation would definitely be much better.