Chapter 36 Transaction: Do you think the mark is so easy to remove? Dig out the mark...
When the foot was just one centimeter away from the chest, the green vines gently wrapped around the sharp blade.
Catherine frowned, seemingly quite displeased with what was blocking her way.
She leaned forward, and the spider legs exerted even more force, showing her determination to push the blade in. However, the vines were very strong and wouldn't let her move forward an inch.
"You should go to sleep, my dear~" The vines instantly transformed into a witch. With a wave of her hand, Catherine closed her eyes and fell into a coma.
"And you."
The witch pointed at Lucas, who was hiding in the bushes and watching them.
...
When Catherine regained consciousness, what woke her up before her mind was the aches and pains all over her body. She felt as if the slightest movement would cause her to fall apart.
She recalled the scene before she fell into a coma.
Since I haven't lost any hands or feet, and my body is just sore as if I've been beaten, then the witch must have arrived in time.
Catherine opened her eyes, looked up at the dark, completely obscured ceiling of the cave, and sighed softly. This feeling, too, wasn't pleasant.
"Looks like she's awake~" The witch's unique, alluring voice rang out along with her sigh.
Catherine turned her head to the side, watching her sitting cross-legged on the ground below, her posture quite...unrestrained. As if sensing her gaze, she looked up at her, giving her a captivating smile.
The witch's movement allowed Catherine to clearly see what she was doing.
She was sitting next to Tarasco, using vines to dig out flesh—or rather, to remove the mark.
Although Tarasco was unconscious, he was still sweating profusely from the intense pain. Catherine frowned as she watched the witch's actions.
“…Doing this won’t make any difference.” Catherine hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t help but speak up.
Since cutting out the flesh won't really remove the mark completely, why make Tarlasco suffer this unnecessary pain?
"Do you think this mark is so easy to remove? Digging it out is just a temporary fix." The witch suddenly laughed as she said this. "So, little girl, do you want this little spider to be completely free from the mark's control?"
Upon hearing this, Catherine instinctively wanted to refuse. After all, the witch's words sounded far too tempting, like an invitation to a trap.
but--
"You're the one who wants my consent. Just say so, do you think I have the option to refuse?"
The witch laughed upon hearing this: "I still prefer talking to smart children."
Catherine: ...
She felt that the longer she spent with the witch, the more often she found herself speechless.
The witch did not directly state her request.
Her sudden silence made Catherine turn her attention to her movements.
The witch continued her previous "surgery." The green vines, like a sharp meat grinder, plunged deep into the area around the mark and tightened forcefully. A whole chunk of flesh was thus scooped out.
Catherine, lying on the bed, didn't look too good.
She just stared with her eyes downcast, not realizing that she wasn't the one having her flesh ripped out. But the scene was so stimulating that she subconsciously felt a dull ache in the inside of her thigh.
The witch casually tossed the piece of meat aside, just as carelessly as a peasant woman at the market would throw away rotten meat.
She patted her hands, which were spotless and free of any blood, and pointed in several directions. In an instant, the ground was clean and fresh, without a trace of blood.
The witch picked a rock and sat down, straddling it. Her hands rested on her thighs, a movement so natural that Catherine felt perhaps a lit cigarette was missing from her lips.
After the "surgery" was completed, the witch brought up the previous topic again.
She said she could help solve the problem and ensure Tarasco would no longer be controlled by the mark. But in return, Catherine needed to do her a "small favor."
As for Catherine...
After listening carefully, she felt that she was still dreaming, otherwise she couldn't explain what she heard.
"...You mean, you want me to steal books from the Vatican? Is this what you call a small favor?"
"Oh, calm down, darling. It's just stealing a book. You have to believe in yourself; you can definitely do it."
"But that book is with the Vatican!"
Catherine stared into the witch's eyes, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent. After a long while, she wanted to make one last attempt: "So, can I choose to refuse...?"
"Okay, I'll go. But I think I need a few days to prepare."
The witch smiled and said, "Of course. Just tell me what you need, and I'll take care of everything for you."
As the two were talking, a groan came from the corner. Catherine looked in that direction and saw Lucas propping himself up with his head, struggling to sit up. He frowned, looked around, and his eyes were full of confusion.
When his gaze finally settled on the green-haired witch in front of him after circling around for a while, he shuddered uncontrollably, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying.
His reaction clearly piqued the witch's interest.
Poor Lucas, he became the witch's second toy.
Hmm... why the second one? The answer is obvious.
Catherine watched the witch playing with the child without any inhibitions and thought that if the scene when she first met her had been like this, perhaps she would have found it difficult to feel any fear towards her.
The witch suddenly looked up at her: "Are you thinking about me in your mind?"
Catherine smiled and said, "Of course not."
Okay, I might still be afraid.
After all this, dawn gradually broke, and the grass and trees were slowly bathed in light. Witches don't need to eat, but there were still two humans in the cave.
Catherine asked the witch for help to take some of the food from the "storeroom" at the top of the cave. Then, using the extinguished firewood at the cave entrance, she had the witch start a fire and put the meat on it to roast.
Lucas was quite taken in by the witch's teasing. After Catherine came down, he stayed by her side, following her step by step, not daring to go far at all.
He watched Catherine do all this and silently formed some guesses in his mind, but he didn't dare to say anything and just pretended to be confused.
"I was actually about to ask that."
Catherine poked at the fire with a branch and turned to look at Lucas, who was lost in thought: "You came all alone like this? Didn't anyone in the camp stop you?"
Lucas pursed his lips, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "They all disagreed. So I sneaked out after everyone fell asleep."
Catherine raised an eyebrow and flipped the meat in her hand over.
After about half an hour, the meat gradually changed color and was fully cooked, with the outer skin becoming crispy and juicy. It's just that Catherine hadn't cooked for a long time, so some parts were inevitably a little burnt, but it was still edible. Catherine set the meat aside, and after it cooled down a bit, she tore off a few pieces and handed them to Lucas.
"Mmm~ What is this? It smells so good."
The witch also smelled the scent. She stretched, sniffed the air, and then headed straight for Catherine.
Upon hearing this, Catherine paused, but ultimately divided the meat in her hand in half and handed it to the witch.
"You haven't left yet?"
"What are you saying? The little spider isn't even awake yet, how can I just leave like this?" The witch munched on the roasted meat in her hand, not forgetting to comment, "This flavor is a bit bland, I prefer it stronger."
Catherine thought of the witch who disappeared the moment the mark was removed, and remained silent for a moment without exposing her.
After a quick breakfast, Catherine clapped her hands and returned to the cave. Tarasco was still unconscious; the witch said he would probably be asleep for several days.
"Don't worry~ I'll keep this little spider alive for you until you successfully retrieve the book."
"And after you get the book back?"
The witch smiled and said, "That depends on whether you get the book I want."
Somewhat annoyed, Catherine stepped out of the cave again. Just as she squatted down by the fire, she sensed movement on her left and abruptly turned her head to the side.
Lucas hadn't expected her sudden move and jumped up like a startled rabbit.
Catherine chuckled: "Why are you following me?"
Lucas spoke with a hint of anticipation: "I heard you, you're going to the Vatican..."
“I remember saying I’m not going to save people,” Catherine interrupted him before he could finish.
Lucas clutched the hem of his clothes, his face clearly showing his inner turmoil.
Catherine turned her head away from him, preoccupied with the "dilemma" the witch had presented.
The book the witch wanted was called the "Secret Codex of the Vatican." Clearly, this title meant it was difficult for ordinary people to access; at least, Catherine had no memory of it during her years as a nun at the Vatican. Therefore, it wouldn't be placed in the Vatican's public library—or at least, it should be in the lending room accessible only to bishops.
Catherine could only hope that the book wasn't placed in a place like the "archbishop's bedroom," otherwise just getting in would require overcoming numerous obstacles, let alone stealing a book from there.
"May I come with you, Lady Witch?"
A sudden voice from the side interrupted Catherine's thoughts. She turned her head and met a face that was not very confident but firm enough.
"What?"
“I can make potions. I’ve read all of Mr. Ronald’s books and can make every single one of them.”
Catherine knew the book he was talking about.
That previous midnight, she had also sneaked into that tent and looked through the "Handbook for Epidemic Prevention and Control." But...
"You know magic?!" Catherine was shocked. Her first impression of him was that weak and helpless little boy in the snake pit.
Lucas nodded: "I only know the basics, just enough to make potions."
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