Serene's friendly smile stiffened. She knew that visiting prior to any notice was not a good idea to begin with; moreover meddling with someone else's affairs. The former was enough to incur one's distaste and now, with the combination of the latter, it was no wonder that the woman was angered to this point.
However, if she was to ignore the young man and stay away from the incident, she would not be able to obtain the thing she had wanted and worst, the young man would have lost his life and it would be partly due to her since she hadn't helped him when she could.
Serene sighed, helpless. Taking off her hat with a hand, her other hand was raised to the air and soon, a white butterfly exuding a soft glow as if it was made of wisps of light landed on the tip of her forefinger.
"You... You're The Silver Fairy?"
Quivering, the voice questioned out, this time with a softer tone.
Serene bit her lips as she slowly nodded. She really wanted to stay as far away as she could from that embarrassing name she was unfortunately widely known as however, this was truly not the right time to think of such matters.
"Y-yes, but you can just call me Serene. Like I have said before, I swear that I have no ill-intention towards you nor your lovely house and for my sudden visit, I sincerely apologize for my rudeness.
It was just that my butterflies notified me about your ownership of fine enchanted chamomiles that I would like to trade for, of course, you're free to name the price."
Serene forced a smile, her lips crooked and stiff. The more she talked, the more she felt that her words and actions were greatly inappropriate no matter how much she had thought about it over and over again. But the enchanted chamomiles... She didn't know how long she would need to obtain them if she was to miss this chance!
"If it's the Silver Fairy... then, sure... I will be happy to compromise..."
Serene's eyes brightened at her words.
"Then, what would you like in return?"
Her hands nervously moved to touch the small pouch tied to her waist, hoping that the money she had brought with her would be enough to purchase a couple of stalks.
After all, Eurodette was known to be quite an unreasonable mage who loves to make use of young mages and their desperate situations.
You know, like the more you need something from her, the more she would cost you for those things.
"No... You don't have to pay for the plants... Rather, everything that I have... you can take anything that you want..."
"Wha-?"
Serene was taken aback. She had never possibly expected that coming.
"In exchange, please clean after this house and take that dog with you."
The young woman's eyes followed the cat's sight. Her gaze landed on a metal cage placed at a high and obscure spot within a doorless cabinet standing in the dark corner of the room.
"What you mean by cleaning after this house..."
"Yes, make sure the house vanishes without leaving any evidence of its previous existence. And the dog, you don't have to take especially good care of it. Just make sure that it's alive till the day I come to pick it up."
Serene stilled, caught in her thoughts. There must be a reason for those people from before to gather around the house like they were preparing to ambush a convict hiding within.
What do they call it again?
Yes! The Witch Hunt! She had heard of it before.
After the outbreak of the massive carnage that befall the continent in the past, countless varying scales of hunts were launched to target witches, or to be specific, revolting mages and individuals who come in the way of those in power.
They were accused of many things. Terrorists who were trying to dictate the life of civilians, pawns of demons that were deployed to ruin humanity, the very instigator of the tragedy.
And thus, things had been quite difficult for unauthorized mages like them who have no associations with any official organizations or cities. They were without identities and thus, were like ticking bombs that can explode in any minute.
Serene lowered her head. Eurodette must have met some bad luck to be found out and marked for such unreasonable reasons.
With how massive the hunt had come to be, it was to no wonder that most independent mages were protective towards each other to a certain degree. After all, they were always the ones to be targeted.
Serene sighed. They were both independent mages and naturally, she could sympathize with Eurodette and her situation. Since she owed Eurodette a favor, she thought that cleaning after the leftover house wouldn't be too much of a request.
"Alright, I promise you."
With that, the cat's eyes lost their glow before it slowly collapsed onto the mattress, lifeless, with blood running out of its seven orifices. Serene looked away, holding her urge to puke at the horrid sight.
Just like what her father had told her countless times, the world was cruel but that's just how it is. You need to get used to it or else, you'll get yourself into trouble one day.
Throwing a gaze to the stranded cabinet, she quickly swept the herbs she needed, reached for the cage's handle, and turned to leave the house.
"Dogs, huh"
It was not until she left the house and cleansed her senses with the sweet scent of the gentle breeze that Serene brought the cage to her eye level, peering at the dozed-off little creature laying within, sound asleep. Strangely, she had quite an affinity with 'dogs', especially with the rarest breed ones.
'Father will get angry.'
But he'll let her have her way, just like how he always did. A mischievous smile carved into her lips. She poked at the creature's soft grey fur but soon gave up when she couldn't get any reaction from the dog, much to her dismay.
Serene sighed. And now, with her other work... She turned to face the small cottage. It was truly a lovely house, she admitted. However, since she had promised Eurodette to take care of it, she was left with no choice but to destroy it.
"Ignite, Nora"
With a snap of her fingers, an amethyst circular light came out of thin air as it set ablaze fiery purple flames at the roof of the wooden cottage. The flame gradually engulfed the other parts before swallowing the entire house, leaving nothing, not even ashes, other than a barren grassland.
Since then, the infamous witch's little cottage ceased to exist ever again, forever becoming nothing more than a tale of the folks.