Ginny pushed her father's wheelchair away, she didn't want to stand here and listen to whatever nonsense these people were spouting. The truth wasn't like that at all, her father was a good man who met a dire situation because of the traitors in the Empire, but no one cared about the truth, they liked the distorted version of it, the one that suits them the best. If someone was to go around and what was the truth about her father's curse, these people will each give a version of themselves.
The truth wasn't omnipresent, it never was and might never become one either.
Ignoring how the people would run away from her path like she was Medusa's reincarnate and the way they would tie their handkerchiefs around their noses, Ginny made way to the only store owner who was willing to sell her the daily necessities that she needed but of course, the price was twice as higher as others but did she have another choice? No, sir. She did not, the other shopkeepers denied her entry and the rest were willing to sell their grains at a price with which she can buy a mansion in the capital.
Though this shopkeeper wasn't any good either, he was her best bet in this wasteland.
When she arrived in front of the small shop that was filled with earthen jars from front to back, leaving only enough space for the shopkeeper and his assistant to sit. Ginny didn't even have to write anything as the shopkeeper refused to touch anything that she was holding, so she pointed at the things that she wanted to refill and showed her fingers to the shopkeeper telling him how many grams and that she wanted to buy from him.
" Got it, stay where you are don't move," said the shopkeeper, who motioned to his assistant who rushed in and brought out an old copper bowl and carefully placed it at a distance from Ginny. "You know the drill put the money and take ten steps back with your father and my assistant will place the things on the ground, then you count to ten once he is back in the shop and I count the money you can take your things away, got it?"
' How stupid' thought Ginny inwardly but she still nodded her head and took ten steps back after throwing ten gold coins in the bowl. The assistant of the shopkeeper rushed out and picked up the bowl with a dirty rag, poured it into a bucket of hot water that he especially prepared and then handed the money to the shopkeeper after thoroughly washing it.
Only then did the shopkeeper take the money and count every bit one by one and nod, as he waved his hand like he was dismissing a dog. " You can take it but next time remembers to come a bit late at night, you scare my customers away."
She didn't say anything and nodded, the only reason she was bringing her father out was for him to have a chance to take a breather, he stayed in that cramped shack for months until she has to refill the ration. That was the only reason she brought him out of the shack when she came to market since she didn't have much time to take him, especially on a walk with all the shits that she has to do at the pub.
Maybe she will try to free some of her time.
She pushed her father away from the ration store and headed to the vegetable market, it was then she heard it. The locals talking about it in gusto——
" Have you heard the Emperor banished a witch to the wasteland?" said a plump woman not even trying to keep her voice down despite the scandalous looks she got from the others. Everyone living in the wasteland knew to keep a low profile given their previous identities as criminals, robbers and murderers, they believed that if they kept a low profile, they will be able to get out of this hell-like place.
But only Ginny knew that it was a hopeless desire, this wasteland was the 'home' of criminals. Especially created by the Emperor of the Edessa who employed at least a hundred gifted magicians to make this place for those who shall never see the sun again.
No one can leave the wasteland and if they tried to leave it, the magical boundaries would either destroy their sanity or kill them. Except for the Duke of Terranova, no one could escape from this place but surprisingly even the Duke hardly ever left the wasteland and went to the Empire.
"What are you looking at ?" snapped the plump woman, pointing a finger at the crowd she snarled. " Was I talking to you all? No, right so get your eyes off me, before I pluck them out and feed them to my chicks." Then with an ease that could only belong to a noblewoman, she flipped her expression to as sweet as sugar one from the shrewish one she had just a second ago. " What was I saying? Oh yes, the witch! Do you know about the witch who used to help the Crown Prince and many believed that she will become the next Empress? Pfft, she was thrown to this wasteland by the Crown prince himself! Talk about play of fate!"
The eyes of the tall woman with a hooked nose went as wide as saucers as she conspiratorially asked, " You mean to say that arrogant red hair witch, who looked down on nobles because she could use magic?"
"The exact same one, I heard that she harmed the Crown Prince's sweetheart as she couldn't take the betrayal of the Crown prince. It's rumoured that even her mana core was crushed by his highness before she was thrown here! Tsk, Tsk men are really disloyal to every woman they meet—— that witch did so much for his highness yet she was abandoned like that, with her core crushed what will she do?"
Mana core was the heart of mages and witches if it was destroyed they would be no different from being a cripple.
Ginny clenched her fingers as her eyes started to flicker with a wise glint. … the witch who used to help Crown Prince and was the next in line to become the Empress wasn't it—— Leilani?