"There’s nothing unsightly about this matter"
"Seeking advice about history from the Grand Witch..."
Ronald didn’t want to expose his current thoughts, so he forcibly kept his gaze on the book.
For him, this was definitely an attractive option.
The Grand Witch, both in terms of identity and ability, belonged to the highest tier of mystery; he could certainly obtain significant help from her regarding matters he wanted to know about.
Just as Ronald was pondering how to respond, the Grand Witch gently tapped his shoulder and spoke candidly,
"Ronald, relax a bit."
"I don’t have any intentions of scheming against you."
"It’s just that seeing such an outstanding young man on our side... I’m a bit curious to see just how far you can go."
Hearing the Grand Witch’s words, Ronald immediately understood her intention.
Closing the book in his hands and placing it aside, he straightened up his upper body to look at her seriously, responding,
"Miss Theresa, I certainly wouldn’t mind discussing this with you."
"However, before that, I have a doubt that I hope can be clarified."
The Grand Witch replied in a composed tone,
Seeing her consent, Ronald roughly organized his thoughts before finally asking,
"Actually, I wish to know the purpose of your visit to Springs."
"Although we all know the official reason, judging by your actions these past two days, I’m afraid there might be something different, right?"
The Grand Witch wasn’t surprised by Ronald’s inquiry at all.
With a calm expression, she nodded her head, murmured a few spells quietly, and then waved her hand.
At this moment, the two of them were quite close to each other.
So Ronald immediately saw the scene before his eyes:
With the Grand Witch’s movement, a breeze with barely detectable magic power swept out from her hand, then encircled the terrace to form a transparent barrier, completely isolating the inside from the outside space.
The Grand Witch smiled kindly,
"This is a small spell I can use to block some of the unwelcome probing actions."
So, what is to be said next...
isn’t meant for the investigators outside to hear?
Hearing the implications in the Grand Witch’s words, Ronald turned his head slightly, using the corner of his eye to glance in the direction of the embankment.
At least among the investigators he was aware of, no one below had noticed the Grand Witch’s spell.
Indeed, she was the true owner of the original source.
Though both were using the original sources to cast spells, the details in her usage were distinctly different from his, who had entered the path midway.
Ronald inwardly sighed, as the Grand Witch beside him didn’t stop her movements.
Seeing her spell perfectly take effect, this owner of the original texts leaned back grandly, half-reclining in her chair, and continued,
"Ronald, you should know what kind of organization our ’Twelve Witches’ is, right?"
Ronald nodded in response,
"I have a rough understanding."
"An organization with the purpose of mutual aid and cooperation, to develop schools together."
"Mutual aid and cooperation..." Hearing Ronald’s reply, the Grand Witch’s eyes gradually drifted away, and her tone also became unusually melancholic, "Although that was the initial purpose, as the world and things change, how could humans possibly avoid such situations..."
"This is a noteworthy statement."
From the beginning of the dialogue, Ronald had been keeping his focus on the Grand Witch.
And when she spoke these words just now, the Grand Witch’s tone and expressions were very gloomy—even the subtle changes in her face revealed a sense of confusion and perplexity.
It was unusual for a knowledgeable and original tome-possessing Caster to show such a reaction.
Naturally, the content of the discussion compelled Ronald to think.
After a few seconds of silence, Ronald’s eyes lit up.
When the Grand Witch unconsciously expressed her thoughts, there was a sentence filled with complex emotions.
The world may change along with the things within it...
Immediately, Ronald realized a possibility.
If so, many things he had learned could be explained.
But wasn’t this idea a bit too absurd?
Ronald wasn’t yet ready to let this sudden thought disrupt the rhythm of the conversation.
So, suppressing his diverging thoughts, he tentatively asked another question:
"So, you mean there’s a problem within the ’Twelve Witches’?"
Hearing Ronald’s inquiry, the Grand Witch’s eyes darkened:
"Of course, it’s my dear witch sisters who are causing trouble."
"The ’Original Witches’ Circle,’ such an eye-sore, thorny thing, we never touch it. Deciding to send me here at this time is just because they think I’m old and weak, that it’s time to hand over the original tome."
"It’s just regrettable... oh, how regrettable."
"Since the day I received this original tome from my teacher, I, Theresa Russell, will never hand it over to those greedy for it—as long as I am alive, they can forget about realizing their filthy ambitions!"
As she spoke these words, the Grand Witch’s expression became quite agitated, even her cheeks flushing slightly. Her eyes tightly focused on the air in front of her, her mouth slightly ajar, as if she was recalling something.
However, the Grand Witch quickly adjusted her mood, then smiled slightly at Ronald:
"Mr. Ronald, you’ve seen me lose my composure."
Ronald nodded slightly in understanding.
"There’s nothing to it."
"But honestly, Mrs. Theresa, is it really okay for you to tell me all this?"
Ronald’s question was very realistic.
Considering the relationship between the two, the things Theresa revealed in the conversation had far exceeded normal boundaries, inevitably raising concerns.
Hearing Ronald’s question, the Grand Witch showed a candid smile:
"Mr. Ronald, you seem to be very curious about my attitude."
Having interacted with the Grand Witch for a few days, Ronald had come to understand how to deal with her.
So, he nodded bluntly in response:
"Ha ha." Hearing Ronald’s response, the Grand Witch casually waved her hand, "In this world, there’s no love without reason, nor is there hatred without cause, it’s only natural that you would care about this."
"But rest assured, I bear you no malice."
"As fellow original tome holders, we should look at things from a more fundamental perspective."
After making such an enigmatic response, the Grand Witch felt the conversation had strayed too far.
Then, rising from her chair, she took the initiative to pick up the "Grand Fairy Tales" Ronald was reading and casually flipped to a page with a drawing.
"Come, let’s talk about what concerns you the most."
"Those past histories..."