At Marshmallow's Place
None of the thirteen wild witches was absent, and each of their faces was beaming with smiles. This operation was truly exhilarating!
The troll was dead, and the wild witches' revenge had come to a perfect end!
Since their awakening, they, as wild witches, had always lived in fear, constantly worried that the deacons of the church might break into their homes and drag them out to be burned at any moment.
Before this, no wild witch had ever truly felt proud and elated.
So what if the church launched a counter - attack after this operation? As long as they hid obediently, who would know they were wild witches?
Moreover, there were no casualties in this operation against the church. They had achieved a complete victory!
This incident had elevated Horn's prestige and status within the small group to a new height. He was officially recognized as their leader.
The wild witches held a small ceremony, mourning the four wild witches and hoping they would rest in peace.
Everyone knew that wild witches were not qualified to ascend to the divine kingdom after death, and they didn't care about it either. They just wished the deceased could rest in peace.
After bidding farewell to the wild witches who were looking at Horn and the others with fanatical eyes, Horn, Enoch, and Annie returned to Douglas' Carpenter Shop.
As soon as they stepped into the yard, they saw old Douglas sitting on a small stool at the door, looking at them very seriously.
He had been waiting for a long time.
Old Douglas seemed to be very solemn this time. There was actually no special expression on his face, but it made Horn inexplicably nervous.
"Do you know how big a mess you've made this time?" Old Douglas said in a deep voice.
Horn took a deep breath and said,
"I think I've done what I should do. If we, who are so special among the wild witches, don't resist, then who will? You once taught me that doing the right thing is more important than doing things right."
"It's not that you can't resist, but you've gone too far, and your strength is not enough to support such actions." Old Douglas shouted in a low voice.
"We will gain enough strength eventually. As long as all the wild witches unite and use your knowledge, we will surely grow to a level that will make the church take notice."
Horn looked at old Douglas firmly with a determined look in his eyes. He had never felt so confident in front of old Douglas because he was doing the right thing.
"Alas... You should leave! Those wild witches should have already prepared to leave. You should go with them."
Old Douglas let out a long sigh. He seemed to have aged ten years.
"Why, teacher! Is it because I burned ten executioners who persecuted wild witches? Or is it because I did something you didn't dare to do?"
Horn's emotions completely collapsed the moment old Douglas told him to leave.
He didn't want to leave his mentor. After ten years of getting along, old Douglas was more like a qualified father than his own parents who had sent him to the stake with their own hands!
No, in Horn's heart, he was his father.
But now, old Douglas was asking him to leave?
Had he really done something wrong?
"It's not that I'm driving you away. You have to leave! You don't think you can hide in the dark as usual and escape the church's eyes after this incident, do you..." Old Douglas turned his back to Horn, trying hard not to let the tears in the corners of his eyes flow down.
"What's the difference between this time and before? Wild witches are much harder to find than wizards. As long as we hide, the church has no chance of finding us. Then, after the storm has passed, we can still live a normal life as before!"
Horn explained to old Douglas very quickly. He didn't want to leave and thought there was no reason for him to leave because of this incident!
"The Northern Wind Church has a stone called the Angnim Divine Stone. It can expose all supernatural powers within a radius of fifty meters! If this stone is brought to Lien City, none of the wild witches here will be spared!"
Old Douglas painfully explained to Horn. He also wanted Horn and the others to stay, but the situation simply didn't allow it!
"But if the church has such a thing, wouldn't all of us hidden wild witches have been killed long ago?"
Horn simply didn't believe old Douglas' words and thought it was just an excuse for him to leave.
"This stone is part of the Northern Wind Divine Artifact. Each time it is activated, it costs a huge price. It will only be taken out of the Northern Wind City to purify a city when the authority of the Northern Wind Church in that city has been challenged and questioned!"
Old Douglas let out a long sigh and said.
"So..."
Horn said hesitantly. He suddenly felt that old Douglas didn't seem to be lying, and there was no reason for him to lie.
"Your actions have touched the bottom line of the Northern Wind Church. In at most three days, a large number of experts will come here with the Angnim Divine Stone to purge all the hidden wild witches and wizards in this city!"
Old Douglas said sharply.
"But if we run away now, we'll definitely be discovered by the church!"
Enoch couldn't help but interrupt. It was the time when the whole city was on lockdown right after such a big event. Going out now was like seeking death!
"That's exactly why I want you to run away!
If you don't run, the church's purification of this city is inevitable. But if you make a big show of running away, this city might be spared from purification!
The innocent wild witches who might be in the city won't be implicated by you!"
Old Douglas said after a moment of silence.
"To stay or to run away. What's your choice!"
Old Douglas' words hit Horn's heart one by one. A moment of impulsive action had actually led to such a terrible consequence!
If he had known in advance...
Horn couldn't help but fall into deep thought. If he had known in advance, what would he have chosen?
Would he have continued to endure?
No!
Of course, he would choose to resist!
He didn't want to keep hiding all the time.
He didn't want to live under the shadow of the church all his life.
He didn't want to watch innocent people being tied to the stake and burned while being spat on by the public without doing anything.
At most,
he would choose not to go so far and try not to implicate the innocent wild witches.
After thinking it through, Horn looked up at old Douglas and said,
"Teacher, I'll leave Lien City. Since staying here is a dead end and will implicate the innocent compatriots, then I choose to run away!
Please allow me to discuss it with them. It's within three days, right? I'll leave Lien City by tomorrow at the latest!"
Horn made this decision with great difficulty!
He didn't want to leave his mentor, just like he didn't want to leave his father.
But he had to leave!
He had figured it out. Since this was something he had to do anyway, he shouldn't regret it and had no right to regret it!
And he had to bear the consequences of his impulsive action by himself.
After all,
even in a world with gods, there was no such thing as a magic pill for regret!