"Thank you for the ride, Ms. Helen."
Ethan expressed his thanks to the woman sitting on the magical broom in front of him.
"No big deal," Helen, the Hazy Witch, smiled in response.
"Just send my greetings to the Silver Witch, Samael. Now I'm off to go, see ya~" she bids as her broom began to ascend and flew away again.
Ethan, too, turned his back and stared at the mansion in front of him. It was one of the elegant houses in the noble state area.
As would be expected given that the owner of this mansion was well-known and regarded as a genius by many mages.
The expansive grounds of the place were enclosed by an iron fence, so he couldn't get close to the building itself.
There was no guard at the entrance gate that's why he was at loss at what to do next. How can he go inside?
The only thing the unique quest stated was that he should go into this place, nothing more, nothing else.
However, the grounds over the gate were devoid of people, even a usual maid or anything like that can't be seen. So he can't possibly call a person to address him inside.
"Well, it's pointless to wait here; there might be some sort of doorbell in the gate," he muttered as he took a step forward.
'hmm? The gate doesn't have a loc—?! ' He was about to say how the gate was already unlocked when he was caught off guard by the sudden movement of its curved railings.
The railings quickly coiled around his waist like ropes, lifting him in mid-air.
The 'Silver Mansion' sign on the gate has also been replaced with a short inquiring message.
*What is your purpose in Master's place?*
"...My purpose? I am here to solely take an apprenticeship from the Silver Witch."
There was a short pause as Ethan saw the sign before he responded.
"And, in the first place, this handsome me wasn't fitted to be a swindler or anything like that, right?" He grumbled because of the unexpected treatment.
He has no idea that this gate is some kind of «Animantia»— things that have a mind and a will.
Who knows, or rather, who will expect such a thing? These kinds of things were so expensive that it was extremely rare for anyone to own one.
'Did the Silver Witch design this on her own?'
Ethan guesses it was a possibility.
*I see. So you're Mr. Samael, as my master told me to. Please accept my apologies.*
The gate responded with written words, releasing Ethan from its clutches.
"Sighs... It's fine. Can I go in now?" he asked, and the gate's only response was to coil its railings on the sideline, allowing him to enter.
Stepping onto the pavement, he noticed the mansion's main door and proceeded silently.
In the center, there was a small fountain with a statue of a woman holding a wand from which water flowed.
There was also a well-kept lawn beside the pavement, which made the area pleasant even when no one was walking around.
"Huh? What was that?"
Ethan hadn't gotten very far and was still in the middle when a sudden gust of wind passed through his left side.
He comes to a halt and looks behind him. A section of the lawn was oozing with smoke.
'That's, that was obviously magic!'
Ethan exclaimed, as he quickly return his sight to his front and scanned the area.
If he wasn't mistaken, that unknown shot was dangerous. He has a strong sense that it was powerful magic.
'Was that the Silver Witch?' he tried to guess.
Here in this place, no one is capable of carrying out such an attack.
The person behind it can easily kill him, but the magic only passes onto him as if it was calculated.
Seconds pass and Ethan can sense another fluctuation in the air. Clearly, this is an indication that magic was going to be invoked!
He squinted his eyes and focuses on one part of the mansion, near the entrance.
In that corner, a swarm of light balls, obviously dense in magic, was flying.
This time, the assault was directly aimed at him!
Ethan immediately used his displacement spell and teleported backward, five meters away, successfully avoiding the volley of magic.
[Elaina's Teaching—Sub-Quest 1: Survive the Attacks of Charcoal Witch!]
'Charcoal Witch!? The hell is this!'
When Ethan heard the notification, he immediately cursed, but he didn't have time to complain again because another volley of attack was rushing in his way.
"You, who has been slumbered around me; manifest to protect this lord—Erecto!"
He chanted and the ground in his front rose mightily, shielding him from the attacks—
thud thud thud!
—but the ground he created was not capable of withstanding the attack's magical power.
The wall of ground quickly disintegrates, allowing one of the magical streaks to land on his right shoulder
A frightening damage of 500 appeared in his head. It was just one streak of light but it already cleaved 84% of his HP!
If not for the Emperor's blessing he got from the Boss, he was surely dead by now!
"That's close!" Ethan breathes a relief and starts to run again while chugging a small vial of HP Potion.
His gaze was still focused on the front of the mansion where a woman in her twenties was standing.
She has short black hair, beneath her pointed hat, while a star-shaped brooch dangling in her chest area.
"What are you doing here, you thief?!"
The woman suddenly shouted ceasing her attacks but still, her wand was pointing in his direction as if at any moment it can fire a spell.
Ethan, on the other hand, can only come to a halt and raise his hands, believing that the situation is a part of the quest.
'If I get this conversation right, I might be able to clear the chain quest. After all, there's no way a level 8 Witch can defeat this Charcoal Witch!'
Ethan calmly reorganizes his mind before responding to the woman.
"My name is Samael, and I've come to take an apprenticeship with the master of this place; I mean no harm, Charcoal Witch. Can you please calm down?"
"You know my title...but it's no surprise since I was quite a famous person. However, apprenticeship you say?"
The woman paused as a frown crept over her face.
"Miss Elaina hasn't taken apprentice until now and you claim she takes you? Lies!"
She doubted as she began to weave another spell again.
'You've got to be kidding me!'
Ethan frowned as the negotiation went off without a hitch.
Why this woman was so hot-headed!?
He hurriedly rolled towards the central water fountain.
Crackless!
The fountain's statue was struck by some lightning element magic.
Some of the debris lingered ahead of him while the statue's leg was now rolling in front of him.
"Flamma Avis!" chanted the Charcoal Witch once more, and a firebird appeared from her wand.
It expands in size and soars through the air as it flies to the fountain where Ethan was hiding.
With his displacement spell in the cooldown, he can only wait for the spell to dive on him. The bird on flame was quick so he can't possibly avoid it just by running!
The firebird descended on him, but as the distance between them shrank to centimeters, he heard a shout from the distance.
The firebird then abruptly stopped flapping its wings and began to disintegrate in parts, as if being sucked up by an unknown force.
The second had passed, and the only thing he could see in front of him was the charred remains of the firebird—it totally vanished.
Ethan heard the previous voice from behind so he immediately looks back at the mansion entrance.
A woman in her twenties stood at the main door. Although she was dressed casually, it complemented her long silver hair.
She sighs and turns to face the woman who had been relentlessly attacking Ethan not long ago.
Even though the silver-haired woman didn't wear a robe or a fancy hat for witches, he still can recognize her.
She is the Silver Witch Elaina.