174: You Are A Witch

You Are A Witch

Yorian could see her scared. "Be seated, child. You don't have to be scared of me."1

Aggrieved, Oriana threw an accusing look at Martha. 'Was it right to trust her? Maybe she was just pretending to listen to me, but was scheming to get me detained because of the black nightshade.'

"This is Lord Yorian. You can trust him," Martha said. "He can answer you better than I can."

Orian still looked at him warily but the ancient elf didn't mind her vigilance. 

"Alright, let me show you something," Yorian said and put his hand forward. 

Oriana let out a gasp when an object appeared out of thin air. It was a beautiful silver longbow, its craftsmanship the most exquisite she had ever seen. It gave off a muted glow, like the softest moonlight at night, and as he did something with his fingers, a simple wooden arrow appeared out of nowhere as well. However, it was obviously no ordinary arrow, its shaft giving off a dangerous vibe, causing goosebumps to appear on Oriana's arms. 

Oriana was stunned silly, not blinking until those things disappeared with a flick of his hand. 

"H-How did you…"

"I believe you can do something like this as well."

Yorian's voice was pleasant to hear, neither mocking nor proud, and seeing his steady gaze, Oriana felt he might be trustworthy too. "Not exactly like this, but a small magic trick with the wind," she answered.

"Do you want me to answer the questions you are seeking?" Yorian went straight to the point. 

"Can you?"

"Of course, I can," he said.  "Can you see my ears?"

Oriana's gaze moved out of reflex and gasped when she noticed the pointed elf ears poking through his long silver hair. 

"I am an elf, and elves are the race with the longest lifespan," he said. "If a being like me who has been alive for thousands of years does not have answers to your questions, then I believe you will remain ignorant for the rest of your life." 

Until her bewildered gaze, the ancient elf sat beside her on the couch. When he asked her to put her hands in his, she did so obediently and watched him close his eyes. Her gaze landed on those long ears once more.

Elves. 

In folklore, they were said to be mysterious beings who were extremely territorial and would harm humans the moment they stepped inside their forests. Sometimes, they were painted as mischievous pranksters because they were long-lived yet slow-aging, causing them to have the mentality of a kid. They were extremely beautiful, but vengeful and petty.

That was as far as Oriana knew.

There was a reason why a witch like Martha sought out Yorian even though he was of a different race. Elves were the darlings of nature, and while their race were less powerful than fairies who were born directly from nature, they were more sensitive and intelligent. A gifted few had immense spiritual powers like that of a high-ranking witch, and High Elf Yorian belonged to that lineage. 

Yorian was aware Oriana was a Black Witch from the very beginning, and he had long been intrigued by her strangeness. Her situation piqued his curiosity. For an extremely long-lived existence like him, his source of joy and entertainment was being nosy and minding other people's business.

"I need to check something else as well," the elf said after opening his eyes. "Can you show me the back of your neck?"

"For what?" Oriana asked, feeling uncomfortable about it. 

"Trust me if you wish to get answers," he replied. 

Hesitantly, Oriana turned around, her back facing him. 

"I just need to check a mark on your nape so don't be scared," he assured her.

The back collars of her attire could not hinder what Yorian wanted to see. It was a pale smooth skin.

'Empty as expected,' Yorian observed. 'It has been hidden by a spell. I can not unseal it but I see through it.' He closed his eyes and mumbled something. 

Just as he opened his eyes, they were met with the view of a symbol shining at the back of her neck. 

'A circle and a four-cornered knot. This symbol…This child ought to be this generation's Queen of Witches. However, not only are her powers sealed, even her identity is hidden. This child is not even aware of what she is.'

"You can turn back around now," Yorian instructed. 

Oriana looked at him with a gaze full of questions. 

"Do you really want to know about yourself?"

"Yes."

"Do you know that this means there is no going back?"

Oriana's eyes flickered before determination set in. "Please, Lord Yorian, tell me what you discovered."

"You are not human."

It was as if Oriana's world turned blind white and the sounds of his voice became buzzing noise. 

Not human.

She was not human?

By the time her senses returned, she heard Yorian say, "...among those beings who can use magic, there are countless races in this continent, normally unseen since that side of the world is well-hidden from human eyes. You, Martha and I belong to that side of the world.."

"What race do I belong to?" Oriana asked. 

"You are a witch."

"A witch? Are witches not human?"

"Do not be misguided. Humans have this tendency to call many ordinary women 'witches' due to discrimination and fear. It is a misconception. Witches are an entirely different race of supernatural beings, like elves, shapeshifters, fairies, and so on."

"B- But how…does that mean my parents are not humans…?"

"Your both parents or atleast one of them must not be a human," Yorian said. 

"How should I suppose to know? I don't even know who they are."

"That's not something you should worry about now as it won't change the fact who you are. You should worry about your own situation," Yorian spoke. "Martha is your kin as well."

Oriana looked at the older woman. "You are a witch?"

Martha agreed. "That is why Erich sent you to me. He must have guessed about your identity already."

"So I am a witch and I have black magic?" Oriana could draw this from how that medicine was turning black. 

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