[If you can hear my voice, open your eyes. Wake up and look at me.]

Jude slowly opened his eyes at the faintly heard voice.

What he saw was a warm light and a cozy space.

His eyes then caught the face of a witch with long black hair and green eyes.

[You’re finally awake.]

In front of him was a white-faced beauty around thirty years old.

The witch wore a black dress decorated with black bird feathers, and a wide-brimmed cone hat on her head, which were the typical symbols of a witch.

“This place is…”

[This is the world of my consciousness. Your body was overwhelmed and has fallen into a deep sleep. So I woke you up here to share my story. Now, hold my hand and get up.]

In a daze, Jude stood up holding the witch’s hand. And on the other side, he could see Cordelia standing up while holding the witch’s hand as well.

“Cordelia?”

“Jude?”

[It’s so nice to see you two taking care of each other here too.]

The voice who spoke was not from the two witches standing in front of the two, but rather, from the rocking chair in front of the fireplace.

There was another witch sitting there.

[Now, both of you, come here. It’s warm in front of the fireplace.]

When the witch in front of the fireplace beckoned, the witches in front of Jude and Cordelia suddenly became haze and vanished.

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other spontaneously and exchanged glances, and then nodded.

‘Let’s go for now.’

The witch will not likely harm us.

As Jude and Cordelia stood in front of the fireplace, the witch also stood up from the rocking chair.

[First of all, I need to talk about my story. But I’ll ask you in advance, so please answer me. Do you know why I’m sealed here?]

She was asking if we knew the real reason why the witch was sealed.

In the eyes of the witch who was inwardly full of expectations, Jude hesitated and pretended to not know, while Cordelia nodded without thinking.

[I see… You know this again… You know…]

The witch became openly sullen, drooping her shoulders as she pouted a bit.

The real reason why the witch was sealed…

Despite being a lowly slave, the witch brought down numerous demons, and the existence of such a witch was enough to offend the five great monarchs of Hell.

Eventually, the witch clashed with Belial, known as the monarch of corruption, and one of the five great monarchs of hell. She suffered a crushing defeat at the overwhelming power of the great monarch.

But just before Belial’s flames completely extinguished the witch’s soul, another monarch stole the witch’s soul, and that was Asmodeus, the monarch of lust.

‘Asmodeus thought that the witch’s soul, who overthrew countless demons, could become a dagger to stab other great monarchs.’

Asmodeus sealed the witch’s soul deep in the forest of Trefalgar in order to hide the witch’s soul from the other monarchs until the day it would become useful, as well as to make the witch’s soul submissive to him.

‘That is why the great witch’s soul was sealed in the human world, and why there was only one demonic monster that protected the seal.’

If the witch’s seal was in hell, or even if it was in the human world and had a lot of guardians protecting the seal, it was highly likely that the other monarchs would notice it.

Having said that, when the witch made a sullen face, Cordelia hurriedly opened her mouth and said.

“Ah, no…about that…well, I don’t know! Please tell us more about it!”

[Really?]

“Yes, really.”

The witch was enchanted by Cordelia’s words and bright smile, and soon, a smile spread on the witch’s face too.

And Jude thought at that time.

‘You must have been lonely.’

It was understandable since she was trapped alone in the seal for hundreds of years.

[So…to begin…]

The witch began telling her story clearly and softly, and Cordelia’s eyes sparkled as she became a good listener.

After four hours or so…

[And that’s how it happened.]

The witch widely smiled with a satisfied face, while Cordelia and Jude nodded with exhausted faces.

It was briefly summarized in the game, but it was a really long story if you heard the full story directly.

[Ha, that was refreshing. Now then, let’s get to the main point.]

“What?!”

You’ve been talking for four hours and you’re only starting to get to the main point now?!

Cordelia was surprised and asked back, and the witch laughed and came close to her.

[I’ve finally finished telling you about the past. So let’s talk about the future.]

In fact, there was no such conversation in the original story.

The witch who had possessed Cordelia’s body and defeated the monster, immediately ascended afterwards.

[Cordelia, you’re a lovely child. You contained my soul for a moment, and I have seen the potential of your soul and body. The potential that you have the same power as mine.]

Unlike before, the witch who has spoken so far had a crafty smile, and then she kissed Cordelia’s forehead, eyes, cheeks, neck, chest, and the back of her hands in order.

“Wi-witch?”

[I left my mark on your soul. Remember my feelings when you use my power. Increase your own strength through that.]

The witch whispered in Cordelia’s ear, and after deeply swallowing, Cordelia recited the spell taught to her by the witch.

She changed in a moment.

However, it was a little different from the previous Witch Transformation made by the witch herself.

Cordelia’s hair was dyed black, but the tips were still red.

Instead of both eyes turning green, her usual blue eyes became more vivid.

[Go and increase your strength.]

Cordelia’s Witch Transformation.

It is a reinforced transformation spell with a time limit, and when in the witch state, all magical abilities are greatly increased.

As Cordelia nodded and looked at herself, the witch affectionately kissed her forehead one more time.

[Look carefully at the place where I was sealed. There should be a spell book that I wrote there.]

It was a spell book that contained all of the witch’s magic spells.

“Thank you very much, witch.”

As Cordelia bowed her head in greeting, the witch laughed and hugged Cordelia.

And Jude, who watched all these, cleared his throat.

“Ahem, ahem.”

A cough that meant ‘You don’t have anything for me?’

Unlike the original story, Jude had also met the witch, so shouldn’t he get something too?

Of course, this journey had already given Jude the skills of the Guardians of the Holy Cross, but wasn’t there a saying that stated that ‘the more, the better?’

At Jude’s appeal, the witch narrowed her eyes and said with a slight lick on her lips.

[Jude, you’re not compatible with me. Rather…you possess other possibilities.]

Jude turned at her unexpected words.

‘Another possibility?’

In the original story, after the treatment of his Gueumjulmaek, Jude became a powerful warrior with the help of his Cheonmujiche.

But now, the witch’s words didn’t seem to be talking about that.

[You don’t know much about yourself yet. But don’t you worry. Fate will guide you to it.]

Jude blinked his eyes in curiosity, and the witch smiled strangely, acting as if she didn’t know, as she stroked Cordelia’s head.

[Find the place where the demonic monster lived. There must be something that can help the both of you.]

And that was it.

The witch released her hand from Cordelia and then stepped back, placing both Jude and Cordelia in her sight.

[You’ve been delayed for too long. I think I should leave now. But Cordelia and Jude…]

The witch’s body floated in the air.

The area in front of the cozy fireplace, as well as the surrounding areas, turned into a dark and black space.

[…we will meet again.]

It was words that implied a reunion, not an eternal parting.

Jude and Cordelia were surprised for a moment at the different dialogue from the original story, but that was it.

Before they could even speak out, their vision was tinged in darkness.

***

““Ah.””

Jude and Cordelia opened their eyes at the same time and raised their upper bodies simultaneously.

“Young master.”

“Miss.”

The voices they heard almost at that same moment belonged to Jun and Dahlia, respectively.

Jude and Cordelia blinked their eyes and looked at each other before realizing that they were still inside the witch’s sealing area.

“Oh, you’ve come to your senses!”

Lucas, who was standing at the side and talking with the knights, came to them with a bright face.

“The witch guided the knights. I’ve told everyone about what happened here.”

“Uh…what happened here?”

“Yes, I’ve conveyed everything I saw without exceptions.”

Lucas proudly stretched his shoulders and taps his chest, and the knights’ facial expressions were as unusual as him.

Everyone was looking at Jude and Cordelia with happy and warmhearted expressions.

‘What…what the hell did he say? Why is Dahlia looking like that?’

Cordelia quickly asked Jude with a glance, but instead of answering her, he closed his eyes.

Jude had a rough idea on what happened.

‘As it is, it’s better not to ask.’

However, Lucas already opened his mouth as if not thinking about Jude’s feelings.

“The moment when the monster’s attack was about to hit Lady Cordelia! The sight of Mr. Bayer flying towards Lady Cordelia was really amazing. It was a proof of true love that didn’t even fear death.”

Like a heroic novel enthusiast, Lucas began to speak strangely about what happened.

The knights, led by Dahlia, all looked at Jude and Cordelia happily again, and Cordelia looked at Jude.

Jude then quickly said with a glance.

‘No, it’s not? Will they believe me if I told them it’s the Fairy Steps?’

‘I know, right?’

The two exchanged a conversation by just looking at each other, and they tried to get over the situation by coughing and clearing their throat as if they had promised each other.

Fortunately, Lucas didn’t bother the two too much.

“All the knights are fine. The witch said that both of you were very tired, but that there were no problems with your health.”

Although we were covered in blood, it was as Lucas had said, that we were just tired and had nothing wrong with our bodies.

“We’ve decided to stay here overnight and leave the forest early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

We had to bring the witch’s spell book and a helpful item that was in the monster’s nest.

Of course, we were also tired and exhausted.

Jude closed his eyes for a moment and thought about the flow of the original story.

‘Cordelia having obtained the Witch Transformation…’

Two facts came to light when she repelled the pursuers of the Devil’s Hand in the witch’s forest.

One fact was that the Devil’s Hand kidnapped the children of the 12 families to use them as a sacrifice for demon summoning. The other fact was that the place where the demon summoning ritual was held and what date the ritual was supposed to take place.

There wasn’t enough time to go back to Count Chase to announce the crisis, so in the end, the troubled Cordelia decided to head north to save the children of the 12 families and stop the ritual.

‘That scenario is already gone though.’

The Devil’s Hand couldn’t kidnap any of the 12 families’ children.

Even if Cordelia escaped in the original story, they still carried out the ritual because they used characters such as Lucas and Sylvia as sacrifices. But now, it was questionable if the ritual would be held when none of the children were secured.

Moreover, the attack of the Devil’s Hand was enough to raise the awareness of the northern cities.

It would be impossible to hold a large-scale attack now that the vigilance against the demonic followers have increased.

‘But there is still a chance.’

The purpose of Jude and Cordelia was not just to follow the main scenario.

Their goal was to twist the main scenario and create a happy ending that did not originally exist.

‘Let’s go to the north.’

If the ritual is held, stop it.

He must also twist Jude’s main scenario, ‘The Northern Barbarians’ Great Attack,’ from its very roots.

When Jude made up his mind and opened his eyes, Lucas continued to explain.

“First, we plan to stop by the northern viscount’s mansion and stay for a day or two as scheduled. And…I think the people from my home will meet us there and join us in our journey to the northern place.”

At Lucas’ explanation, Jude and Cordelia looked at each other simultaneously, and they exchanged glances.

The reason was simple.

‘Who is coming?’

There was no event in the original story where a number of people were sent to meet each of the 12 families’ children.

In other words, the arrival of Gaël and Count Chase to pick us up earlier was also different from the original story.

Who will come to meet us from Count Hræsvelgr?

As Jude began to think of the people of Count Hræsvelgr with a serious face, Cordelia just shook her head and looked at Lucas as she asked.

“Lord Lucas, do you know who is coming?”

“Yes, it’s someone that I really admire that is coming. It’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen him, so I’m looking forward to meeting him again.”

Jude and Cordelia’s curiosity grew even greater when Lucas spoke with sparkling eyes like he did when talking about adventures.

Who is it?

Who is it that Lucas had such a reaction?

When Jude and Cordelia showed their keen interest, Lucas said with a proud face.

“You’ve both heard of the ‘Red-Haired Warrior,’ right?”

Jude and Cordelia nodded together. They obviously have heard of him.

Red-haired warrior.

The Red Flame Landius.

He was one of the five main characters of Legend of Heroes 1. However, in Legend of Heroes 2, he no longer appeared because his setting was to die in the beginning.