The Second Dry Branch

　Curse?

　Crack .

　　The cheese in the witch’s mouth fell onto the turquoise lake, rolled several times on the gla.s.sy smooth lake and stopped at the foot of a squirrel .

　　”Respected old willow tree, what do you mean?”

The girl rose from the lake and smoothed her messy skirt . The birds on her body flew away and gather next to the tree’s trunk . She walked to the small island in the center of the lake and looked up at the huge old tree . The voice of the old tree slowly rang through the night sky above her head .

　　”You smell of fear, witch, what you seek is not here . ”

　　The little animals stared at each other and stopped singing, and their eyes watched the witch .

　　”So, do you know what I am looking for?”

　　”Sorry, I don’t know . ”

　　The witch whispered, looking lost .

　　”But I heard that there are countless treasures in a small country called Ginke at the southern tip . Maybe you should go there, and you may find the answer you want . ”

　　Ah?

　　Treasure?

　　How did the style of the plot change from a magical RPG to a DS game?

　　The witch opened her old cloth bag and felt entangled . She took out the sheepskin map and squatted on the ground examining it . A transparent ball that looked like an ordinary gla.s.s bead was rolled from the old cloth bag .

　　The dim gla.s.s bead did not shine .

　　The gla.s.s bead were picked up by a few skunks, and their soft, fluffy tails carefully held the gla.s.s bead, bending close to the bead and moving their noses to sniff it .

　　The witch picked up the bead, and the dim bead began to slowly radiate a dazzling golden light . The beautiful girl was wrapped in the sacred golden light at that instant . The little animals looked up with surprise, and their black eyes reflected the dazzling light .

　　The cursed witch is like a respected n.o.ble princess . Her beautiful and silky hair is bathed in golden light . The beautiful face is as white as snow, and the bright red lips seem to be in full bloom like a rose . The most attractive trait was her clear blue-green eyes that were as deep and transparent as a lake .

　　The small animals excitedly circled the witch . The birds circled above her head and gently placed a circle of violet flowers on top of her head .

　　The witch stared at the golden bead, and the old willow tree that had lived for hundreds of years shook slightly, spreading its branches like a gorgeous curtain .

　　Crash .

　　Crash .

　　The witch lifted the bead and place it in her bag, when her hand loosened, the light from the bead disappear . The light was not revealed through the worn cloth, as if it had changed back to an ordinary gla.s.s bead .

　　”Cursed witch, your ident.i.ty is too precious, how did you fall to such a state?”

　　The witch was confused .

　　”My ident.i.ty? I am an ordinary person . ”

　　She felt a bit guilty . After all, this bead was from the dragon cave and she did not know where the evil dragon plunder it from .

　　Was it robbed from a n.o.bleman who could not climb1?

　　”Your ident.i.ty is illuminated by this precious bead, but I still can’t see your true ident.i.ty . ”

　　The witch continues to feel guilty .

　　Hehehehehehe .

　　Probably because she was a transmigrator .

　　Sure enough, the protagonist’s settings were unpredictable .

　　The little animals began to dance around the witch and sang a strange song .

　　”The girl in front of us is a cursed witch . ”

　　”The ident.i.ty of the girl in front of us is very precious . ”

　　”The precious bead of prophecy do not lie, and those whose souls are dedicated to the devil are enveloped in black light . ”

　　”The evil-doers will be swallowed by the gray light . ”

　　”A good person is a flawless white light . ”

　　”Only the witch is in front of you . ”

　　”Crunch, chirp . ”

“Her ident.i.ty is precious . ”

　　”The precious prayer bead shows that she shines with a golden light . ”

　　A whole set of shameful fairytale songs were sang and the witched was completely floored .

　　Uh, oh .

　　Stupid witch: I seem to be in the wrong plot? Wrong! This plot is so spiteful, my mother, how do you feel forcing me in this shameful fairy tale world? Ah, ah!

　　This is not right!

　　The witch had an unrestrained and indifferent face, and then she remembered the eccentric freak prince who destroyed her peaceful life .

　　That guy’s existence is unreasonable . Isn’t this a pure fairy tale version of a children’s book?!

　　Don’t tarnish the pure fairy tale world for the readers!

　　The witch understood the meaning from the lyrics the little animals sang . However, her heart was still not resolved . She asked the old willow tree how to break the world’s strongest loyalty contract .

　　Regrettably, the old willow tree said the same thing as the old tree in the marshland . It apologized and told her that the loyalty contract is the most indestructible contract in the world . It has lived for so long and has never heard of anyone succeeding in breaking this contract .

　　The reversal of the loyalty contract will cost the life of the party who destroyed the contract . No one tries to do a foolish thing except those who wants to die .

　　Witch (Tears): I know . I understand everything you say .

　　But she just wanted to destroy the rose mark on her hand .

　　The sleeping inhabitants in the town probably never knew that every full moon the small animals in the city and the nearby small animals will sneak into the mysterious forest to host a grand and happy party .

　　At dawn, when the full moon slowly fell from the east, the animals that had been partying all night scattered from the lake . The witch stayed up all night . Although she felt tired, her mood was very good . The group of lively animals were warm and simple . It was like she lived with them as if she returned to her home in the swamp . There was also a group of noisy animals and furniture waiting for her to return .

　　Only a few days after leaving, she suddenly miss her home in the swamp .

　　She thought about it and the witch sighed in frustration . Forget it, I can’t think too much about it . It’s time to set off for the next town .

　　At the time of parting, the old willow called the little squirrel to break a dead branch to give to the witch . It told the witch if she encountered any danger on her way to Ginke, she could entrust the bird to bring back the willow branch .

　　The witch took the withered willow branch .

　　The old willow also told her that there might be a knowledgeable sage in the country of Ginke who would know about the loyalty contract . He would know everything, and all the answers that the witch wants may be found there .

　　The old willow’s words made the witch’s already depressed heart ignite into hope, and she followed the squirrel out of the forest .

　　The old quill on the road disturbed the witch uneasily .

　　”Witch, witch, don’t forget to take me to the old craftsman . ”

　　The witch’s footsteps stopped . If the old quill had not mentioned it, she would have forgotten .

　　”Well, I will take you to the old craftsman first . ”

　　The old quill was the first item she got when she transmigrated . An exiled aristocrat who took out his pen and exchange it for wheat flour from her basket .

　　At that time, the aristocrat who fell from grace was penniless and bony . He looked hungry for many days . The good-hearted witch did not say anything, so she exchanged the wheat flour from her basket and the old quill with him .

　　The n.o.bleman told her that he was from Engelmod, because his family was defamed by a bad count he was exiled to this remote and poor town village ever since .

　　The witch walked to the shoal near the river, took the old quill from the skirt, and carefully washed the dark blood stained on its yellow feathers with the water .

　　While waiting for the feathers of the old quill to dry, the witch took the sheepskin map from the old cloth bag and began to study how to get to Engelmod .

　　If you want to go to Engelmod, you must go through two mountains to a city called Karon . The city seems to be very big and she should be able to find a means of transport to Engelmod .

　　Speaking of this, the witch began to worry again .

　　With a sad face, she took out her flat purse, counted the copper coins one by one, and then counted it the second time .

　　I’m running out of money .

　　This money won’t last long even for meals, let alone pay for a ride to Engelmod .

　　Oh .

　　The poor young girl couldn’t help but feel sad for herself . She thought about other transmigrators, they were set up to be an aristocratic lady, or became a school tyrant . But, she was given such a waste vessel, it was good for hurting and poisoning others .

　　How do I use this skill to get rich?

　　”Witch, witch…” The magic wand, which had been silent, suddenly called her softly .

　　”Witch hold me quickly, there is something watching us . ”

　　The magic wand moved uncomfortably . “I feel a dangerous aura… The aura makes me very upset . ”

　　Dangerous aura?

　　The witch frantically grabbed the magic wand from the old cloth bag . She hurried along the river with the magic wand, but found her way blocked by an invisible magic wall .

　　What’s going on?

　　Why does she feel that this scene is familiar?

　　Fear shrouded her whole body, and the witch struggled to grasp the magic wand and swallowed her saliva .

　　Attempting to utter the spell to remove the solid barrier like a stone wall, but just as she lifted her magic wand towards the transparent magic wall, she was attacked by a brilliant blue light –

　　The magic wand was thrown high into the air .

　　She was unharmed and fell into a hard, warm and strange chest .

　　The chest exudes a familiar atmosphere that was frightening, and the witch suddenly thought about the songs sung by the little animals .

　　[The precious bead of prophecy do not lie, and those whose souls are dedicated to the devil are enveloped in black light . ]

　　Deep within the seas of her memories, the young man held her tightly and stood within the dark and gloomy cave, holding a bead in his hand, allowing himself to be shrouded in the dark mist .

　　Who knows that the prince who once had the most honorable status actually traded with the devil?

　　”My princess, I have finally found you . ”

　　Silver hair fell on her neck, scratching her and making her feel a little itchy, and a desperate thought flashed through the witch’s heart .

　　I’m ruined! She was caught by that abnormal pervert again .