Chapter 64: Chapter 65: The Witch’s Covenant, The Viper, and The Assassination

The old witch grinned wickedly.

“As long as I complete my plan and successfully turn Crown Prince Eric into my puppet, I will be able to join your ranks and replace that wretched Sea Hag. I will become a member of the Coven of Witches, correct?”

“This means that fully controlling the Western Asia Kingdom is now only a matter of time.”

“Yes,” Maleficent responded, her voice chillingly calm.

To destroy or manipulate a kingdom using wisdom and magic—to prove one's power and ruthlessness.

This was the requirement for joining the Coven of Witches and becoming a full-fledged member.

Shortly after becoming Enderland’s Royal Court Mage, the old witch had suggested a strategy to the Emperor:

Spread the truth about the Black Witch’s Curse in the Rose Kingdom, throw the once-prosperous nation into chaos, and then launch an invasion at the perfect moment.

When the war reached its final stages, she would personally deliver the finishing blow to the heart of the dying kingdom.

With the Rose Kingdom’s destruction, her initiation into the Coven would be complete.

Unfortunately, a formidable commander had emerged from within the kingdom, leading their forces alongside Sage Rhine and the Twelve Witches, successfully repelling the invasion.

Fortunately, the old witch had a backup plan—the one unfolding now, where she would use the naive young princess to ensnare Prince Eric.

She turned her gaze back to Maleficent’s image in the mirror.

“And once I join the Coven, what will happen to the Sea Hag? Will she be cast out?”

The answer was already obvious, but she wanted to confirm it.

“She will die,” Maleficent said icily.

“As if she had never existed in this world. We can’t let someone who knows so many of our secrets continue to live.”

Her tone was disturbingly casual, as if discussing something as ordinary as disposing of trash.

“That Sea Hag was nothing more than a filler, an unofficial member who never truly earned a place in our ranks. A non-human monster lurking in the deep sea. If it weren’t for one of my sisters being interested in a few unique oceanic potion recipes, she wouldn’t have even been allowed to meet us.

“But now, she has outlived her usefulness.”

Maleficent idly traced her long, sharp nails, a look of contempt flashing across her face.

“Just wait. It won’t take long for my plan to succeed.”

The old witch cackled with glee.

She waved her hand, severing the magical communication and returning the mirror to darkness.

“Once Prince Eric truly meets the beautiful Enderland princess, once they step onto the altar of marriage, once that treacherous enchanted fragrance begins to corrode his soul and turn him into my puppet…

I will have won.”

“I will join the Coven of Witches, becoming one of the most dangerous witches on this continent!”

“With access to the most forbidden and ancient black magic and arcane potion recipes, I will command a lifespan as long as a mighty empire. I will eliminate anyone who displeases me—prince, princess, king, noble… no matter how powerful they think they are, they will all be within my grasp!”

Her manic excitement slowly subsided as she reflected on the day's events.

"That Sage of the Rose Kingdom really irritates me. If not for him—and that damned Valkyrie—my plan to destroy the Rose Kingdom would have succeeded long ago.

“I won’t allow such nuisances to live to see another dawn!”

The old witch’s mouth twisted into a grotesque grin. Her body shuddered with laughter.

She tossed her wooden staff onto the ground.

Bang!

The staff transformed into a vivid green viper.

This was no ordinary staff—it was a powerful magical artifact crafted over decades.

The old witch had spent ten years searching for the perfect tree branch to make it, then another ten years refining it under the moon’s eclipse, inscribing it with the most fearsome curses.

This emerald viper was lethal beyond measure:

Even a full-grown elephant would drop dead from a single bite!

Most conventional magic had no effect on it—the spells of ordinary magicians would either weaken upon contact with its emerald scales or vanish completely.

And even if the snake was killed, it would release a cloud of deadly green poison, ensuring that whoever slew it perished alongside it.

“A defenseless magician… My little pet is perfect for dealing with him,” the old witch smirked.

“A magician without a strong guardian or extraordinary warrior to protect him is always fragile.”

She leaned in close to the serpent and whispered:

“Go, my darling.

Go to the chamber I told you about.

Sink your fangs into the silver-haired magician and his companion.

While they slumber, pierce their soft, vulnerable necks—inject them with your most potent venom. Let them die in their sleep, writhing in agony.

And after they’re dead, make sure to dissolve their bodies and clothes with your poison. Make it seem as if they simply vanished without a trace.

By morning, when the palace maids find the empty room, they’ll assume the bothersome magician left early of his own accord.”

The emerald viper slithered through the door crack, darting into the shadows of the palace corridors.

It was silent, invisible, and deadly fast, expertly maneuvering through blind spots and the gaps between the guards' patrols.

For years, this slender, venomous snake had eliminated countless enemies for the old witch—never failing once.

Tonight would be no different.

Soon, the viper slipped into the luxurious guest chamber where Rhine and Aurora were staying.

Something was off.

The old witch’s information had indicated two sleeping occupants, but there was only one person in bed.

The other bed was empty.

The snake didn’t care. It had one job—to kill.

With lightning speed, the viper lunged forward, its fangs glistening with deadly venom.

Its target—an exposed, pale, delicate neck.

Snap!

Its fangs shattered.

The emerald viper collapsed onto the floor, writhing in pain, its jaw aching as if it had struck solid steel instead of flesh.

Something was terribly wrong.

The covers were suddenly thrown back.

A golden-haired girl flipped off the bed with impossible speed, landing gracefully on one foot.

And in a single fluid motion, before the viper could react—

She lunged downward, her hand darting toward the snake with blinding precision.

Her fingers closed around its body like an iron vice.

Aurora had been expecting this.

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