Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 212

Chapter 212: The Witch Society!
The flickering flame of the candle danced atop the brass lampstand, casting a warm, golden glow across the room. The soft light spilled over Ryan’s face, accentuating the sharp angles of his profile with a patchwork of shadow and light. As he stared at the wooden door now shut before him, a moment of confusion flashed in his eyes.

‘What did the captain just say?’

His mind drifted as he tried to piece together the cryptic phrases he had heard “blood witch,” “unpredictable existence,” “spirits.” These ideas swirled together, eluding his grasp as he struggled to make sense of them. The more he pondered, the fainter his connection to the world around him grew, until reality felt like a distant echo.

After a long pause, Ryan shook his head, letting go of the tangled thoughts. ‘I’ll ask her tomorrow. If she whispered it so quietly, it must not be too urgent.’

He stood, moving toward the window where the night sky stretched out like a velvet canvas. The moon hung high, a silver coin in the dark. His hand glowed briefly as he called forth an object from the space ring, a small, cerulean conch, faintly glimmering in the dim light.

This was no ordinary shell. It had been a gift from the Fantasy Beast Witch, Meloye. The last time Ryan tried to reach her through it, he’d been met with silence. He figured she was busy then, likely entangled in something with the Fire Witch, Milana.

With a careful rhythm, Ryan tapped the bottom of the conch three times. It responded with a soft pulse of light, but as the seconds passed, no voice answered. His hope waned as the silence dragged on. Just when he was about to give up, his eyes caught movement below, across the narrow alley.

*Ding-ling-ling…*

A faint jingle, like silver bells in a soft breeze, floated up from the shadows. Out of the darkness, a sleek black kitten stepped delicately into view. The moonlight caressed its fur, creating ripples of light that moved like liquid silk with each graceful stride. After a few effortless leaps, the kitten arrived on the window ledge, facing Ryan with a knowing gleam in its eyes.

“Meow~” The kitten’s voice was soft and almost musical, yet beneath it was a tone of wry amusement. It began grooming a paw with meticulous care, and then, in a voice far too cultured for an ordinary feline, it spoke: “It’s been a while, Mr. Ryan.”

Ryan’s lips curled into a smile as he met the cat’s intelligent gaze. “It certainly has, Miss Meloye.”

The cat’s eyes glowed with a mischievous glint, reflecting the moonlight like tiny crescent moons. “So, what’s the reason for summoning me tonight? Something troubling you?” Her voice held a playful curiosity, and the delicate curve of light in her pupils hinted at a secret she wasn’t ready to share.

Ryan’s expression remained calm. “I was just curious about the identity of the thief who managed to steal a ‘holy object’ from the Libra Holy Church. It’s not every day someone pulls off a heist like that, and with your level of power, third rank at best that doesn’t seem likely, does it?”

When Ryan had first crossed paths with the Fantasy Beast Witch, she had shown strength typical of the second level, formidable but hardly enough to challenge the elite defenses of the Holy Church. Stealing from such a place, especially one as guarded as Libra’s headquarters, would have required more than just clever tricks. Even without the Pope present, the judges, enchantments, and intricate wards of the temple were far from mere obstacles.

The cat’s whiskers twitched, and with a soft purr, her form began to shift. Ryan watched as her body elongated and stretched, fur receding and limbs extending until, in the blink of an eye, she stood as a lithe young woman. The transformation was seamless, her black tights accentuating her slender curves. Faint feline markings adorned her cheeks, and her pointed ears, claw-like nails, and swaying tail hinted at her playful nature. For those with certain… eccentric tastes among humans, she embodied a fantasy made real.

“I wasn’t exactly trying to hide it,” Meloye said, her voice lilting with a teasing edge. She perched on the windowsill with a casual grace, her toned thigh pressing into the wooden ledge, leaving a slight indent that only highlighted her supple form.

Ryan’s gaze remained steady, though beneath it lay a deep curiosity. He knew there was more to Meloye than she let on, and tonight, the game of cat and mouse had only just begun.

“It was only a clone of mine that met you back then,” Meloye said, her tone as nonchalant as if she were discussing the weather.

“But now that things have progressed this far, there’s no need to hide the truth from you. When we first crossed paths, my real body wasn’t even nearby, it was with Milana.” Her voice carried a note of playful resignation, as if revealing secrets was just another game.

“In her strategy, we were the contingency plan, there to handle any unforeseen complications. And as you’ve suspected, I’m not at the second or third level of power, but the fourth.” Meloye leaned back, almost amused by Ryan’s questioning. “Had you not shown up, I would have been the one standing in the [Holy Duel Arena], facing off against Pope Libra.”

As she revealed her true self, the Mystical Beast Witch seemed to shed the last of her pretense. There was a new ease in her posture, a lazy confidence that now bordered on indifference. Her eccentric charm, no longer hidden, seemed even more pronounced.

Ryan’s brow unfurled slightly as her words connected the missing pieces in his mind. He had always wondered, if he hadn’t “coincidentally” appeared on the island, who would have carried out the special mission of “The Overthrow Tample”? Who would have fought in the Holy Arena? Now, it was clear, Meloye had been the intended backup.

But one question still nagged at him. “What brought you to the island in the first place?” he asked, puzzled. The Ice Witch Shelia, sister of the Fire Witch Milana, had no significant connection to Meloye. During his time with Shelia, there hadn’t been even a whisper of Meloye’s involvement. It was evident Shelia knew little, if anything, about this elusive witch.

“Well, that’s a bit complicated,” Meloye replied, rubbing the back of her head as if trying to find the right words. “Technically, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but given the circumstances… you’ve been exposed to the influence of so many different witches that I figure you’re bound to get more involved with the Witch Society sooner or later.”

She paused, her eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint. “Let’s keep it simple. You’re familiar with the Witch Society, right? Whether it’s Blood Witch Serena, Milana, Shelia, or myself, we’re all members.”

“The Witch Society is more than just a loose gathering; it’s an organization with a defined structure. I serve as one of its ‘inspectors.'” She lifted a finger, tracing an imaginary circle in the air. “Our job is to travel between islands and monitor the witches in charge, ensuring they haven’t lost control due to pollution.”

“As for what we do if a problem is found… well, that’s classified.” A sly smile danced on her lips. “But my presence here wasn’t just part of my inspector duties. Milana struck a deal with me, that’s why I’m involved.”

“That’s the gist of it,” she said with a shrug, leaning back against the windowsill, her cat-like grace never fully hidden. “Now that everything’s wrapped up, we’ll be leaving the island soon. The witch branch here will be handed over to Shelia until the Witch Society sends a permanent replacement.”

Ryan nodded slowly, the picture finally complete in his mind. It all made sense now, the sudden convergence of witches, the hidden layers of strategy.

“Here, this belongs to you.” He extended the small blue conch to Meloye, understanding now that its range was limited. In a world as vast as the ocean, even a hundred kilometers was almost useless unless they were on the same island.

But Meloye waved it off with a dismissive gesture. “Keep it. In fact, I’ll give you a few more.” With a casual flick of her hand, she retrieved two more pairs of “sound-transmitting conches” from her space ring one black, one white and set them on the windowsill. “Consider it a thank-you gift.”

Ryan couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. It was just like Meloye, playful, generous in her own way, yet always keeping a few secrets close to her chest..

“Without you, our powers would have been restrained to the third level, leaving us ill-equipped to confront Pope Libra, who wields the remnants of the God of Departure,” Meloye said, her tone imbued with a mix of reverence and gratitude. “For that, you have my thanks.”

With a final nod, she left the blue conch behind. In an instant, her form shrank, morphing back into the sleek black cat that Ryan had first encountered. With a few graceful leaps, she vanished into the shadows, leaving only the soft jingle of her bell trailing behind her, a haunting echo in the quiet street.

Ryan watched her disappear, his mind still processing their conversation. He then gathered the sound-transmitting conchs and tucked them away. These devices, he mused, were perfect for medium and short-range communication, provided there were no underground mazes involved. Unfortunately, their magic failed to penetrate the barriers of different spatial dimensions, such as those found in the underground labyrinths he sometimes explored.