"If it’s danger, I should have a sense of it already."
Upon hearing the Grand Witch’s stern and serious warning, Ronald immediately responded:
"In conflicts with them, I’ve already encountered two holders of the original classics, and so far, the results have been quite good."
Upon hearing Ronald’s response, the Grand Witch once again paused the conversation.
She put on a serious demeanor and after sizing up Ronald for a long while beside her, she nodded as if she had come to understand something.
"Your condition is indeed good."
"And you also have no hidden injuries or curses from the battle."
As she spoke, the Grand Witch made no attempt to conceal her admiration for Ronald.
And hearing this clear stance of appreciation,
Ronald naturally continued to inquire:
"So, what exactly is this ’Nine Commandments Secret Society’?"
"’Nine Commandments Secret Society’..."
Facing Ronald’s question, the Grand Witch gently recited the name of the organization, then slowly started to explain:
"In fact, when I was young, I was also invited by this organization."
Ronald frowned slightly:
"Did you join the ’Nine Commandments Secret Society’?"
"No, my teacher stopped me," the Grand Witch shook her head, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes. "’The Nine Commandments Secret Society’ has always been good at hiding its information, and among them are specialists in Prophetic Spells, which means it’s rare for the outside world to get news of them."
"Of course, there are no absolute secrets in the world."
"Although they’ve always kept a low profile, their actions have still been recorded. According to our ’Twelve Witches’ internal records, this organization mostly harms others’ interests, and their methods are quite brutal - they kill without seeking any compromise or negotiation."
Talking about this, the Grand Witch seemed quite dissatisfied with the actions of ’The Nine Commandments Secret Society,’ and she added:
"In short, whether normal people or us, it’s best not to provoke the ’Nine Commandments Secret Society.’ My teacher stopped me from accepting their invitation for this reason."
Hearing the Grand Witch’s explanation, Ronald gently nodded.
— It seemed his choice was not mistaken.
If the ’Nine Commandments Secret Society’ was such an organization,
Then not joining them and choosing to oppose them was entirely without problem.
In any future battles, he could also act more decisively.
Pondering over these thoughts,
Ronald continued speaking:
"Then what else is there, any other information about them?"
Upon hearing Ronald’s continued questioning, the Grand Witch did not respond immediately.
Her gaze moved to the side, quietly looking out at the Wis River through the window. When this aged Caster spoke again, her tone had become somewhat complicated:
"What I just told you is the relatively confirmed information about this organization."
"Going forward, it gets mixed with some of my personal conjectures."
"Are you sure you want to hear more?"
The Grand Witch’s words carried a complex meaning.
Apart from her uncertainty about the information, there was also a hint of warning for Ronald.
But as the conversation had reached this point, there was no reason to stop.
Especially since Ronald was currently in direct opposition to the ’Nine Commandments Secret Society.’
Thus, he nodded solemnly:
"Please continue, Miss Theresa."
"There’s not much to say about the conflict with this organization. The more I know about them before various encounters happen, the better."
Receiving such a response, the elderly witch no longer hesitated.
Her gaze returned firmly to Ronald who stood before her, and she continued,
"I might as well tell you, these are merely my speculations."
"As an old woman nearly at the end of my life, it appears to me that the ’Nine Commandments Secret Society’ must be preparing a plan targeting this land, a plan grand enough to upend the order we currently maintain. Unfortunately, their information is highly confidential, and they have also employed Prophetic Spells that protect against prying."
"So these inferences can only be the delusions of an old fool like myself."
This news was truly explosive.
Ronald’s previous assumptions, based on the classic setups in movies and novels, led him to believe that this organization might be a group of deranged individuals bent on destroying the world, or else power-hungry people pursuing authority.
But in the words of the elderly witch?
These people were actually planning to subvert the world order?
Talking with such a high-level figure of the mystical side certainly unveiled many novel and incredible ideas, at least things Ronald had never considered before.
Reflecting on what he had heard, Ronald was not idle either.
Connecting to his previous hypothesis, he continued to inquire,
"Ms. Theresa, does your thinking about this mean that similar organizations have appeared in this world before?"
The elderly witch chose not to respond to Ronald’s question.
After several breaths, the aged Caster’s expression grew complicated, then she sighed softly,
"Mr. Ronald, you truly deserve to have access to the original texts at such a young age."
"Even in my youth, I was far from matching your wisdom."
After expressing these sentiments, the elderly witch rose from her chair.
Barely standing straight, she clasped the balcony railing with both hands, her gaze surveying the Wis River before her.
The bright sunlight shone on the elderly witch’s face, casting a vivid contrast of hope’s light on her aged visage.
Meanwhile, the Caster’s deep gaze began to wander into the distance.
Her view stretched over the riverbank below, across the Wis River before her, and finally, beyond the entire riverside district...
She seemed like an observer standing outside of a scroll.
Assuming the role of a tourist starting to examine the city of Springs.
Seeing the elderly witch’s reaction, Ronald understood that now was not the time to disturb her.
He too rose from the lounge chair and stood quietly behind the elderly witch.
Just below the apartment.
The investigators seemed to have sensed something too, as they paused their disguised actions to watch the third floor of the apartment.
This silence lingered for a considerable time before the elderly witch finally ceased moving.
After a slight sound, the wind that had been blocking eavesdropping on the balcony disappeared.
The elderly witch then turned around as if having concluded something, giving Ronald a slight smile.
Then, she lazily walked back into the house, dragging a chair with one hand and picking up a bag of tea leaves from the table with the other.
Reaching the fireplace, she set up a kettle to boil water.
Only then did she speak faintly,
"Mr. Ronald, come have some tea."
"It’s a gesture of goodwill after all, shouldn’t be ignored."
Watching the elderly witch’s current demeanor, Ronald probably understood.
Today’s conversation had come to an end.