Witch Taming System-Chapter 46: Wastefield

———!

A dagger flashed through the forest, its blade catching what little light spilled through the canopy.

To avoid a repeat of what happened last time, Lancel had chosen to take on a solo guild request.

When he had asked about the previous mission he took, the guild had already filed it as a failure. Officially, it was recorded that all adventurers involved had died during the operation.

That much was true.

But not all of it.

According to Mei, the cover-up had been handled by her family.

The entire incident was rewritten. Instead of a failed expedition, it was reported that the labyrinth had later been conquered by a group of witches, supposedly avenging the fallen adventurers.

A clean narrative that the public could accept.

Lancel knew better. But there was nothing he could do about it. And neither could the families of those who had died.

Not unless they wanted to provoke the wrath of the la Blanc Duchy.

There was still a part of Lancel that disliked Mei la Blanc. For one, he knew that Mei was never sincere in her apologies to the grieving families.

She had only done it because she wanted something from him. So, for that reason, Lancel decided to treat this as an opportunity to educate her.

Because the girl was clearly lacking in human empathy. One who had grown up with a stunted understanding, shaped by warped principles she never questioned.

Slash——!

Lancel slashed forward, the blade cutting cleanly through the beast as it split in half and dropped to the ground. Blood seeped into the dirt, but it wasn’t the one he was looking for.

"Hah..."

A breath escaped his lips, something close to a laugh.

Someone like him, who had been raised without even understanding what empathy was, was now trying to act like a decent human being.

He knew it didn’t suit him. His younger self would’ve probably laughed at him, too.

And yet, here he was.

Moments like these reminded him of Leticia. That year he spent traveling with her had him wanting to become a better person.

And while he didn’t fully understand who she truly was, Lancel was still grateful to her.

"...This is much harder than I thought."

* * *

"Three Orangutan Husks, four Evergreen Horns, and six Beeswax. All materials accounted for."

The receptionist checked each item one by one. Her eyes remained on the materials for a moment longer before she gave a small nod.

"Verification complete."

She reached underneath the desk and placed a small pouch on the counter, sliding it toward him.

"Here’s your reward. Fifty silver coins, as stated in the request."

Lancel picked it up, testing its weight in his hand.

"Thanks."

The receptionist offered a polite smile, already reaching for the next set of documents.

Lancel glanced at her.

"Ah, that’s fine. I’m taking low-level quests for the time being."

"Understood. In that case, I’ll restrict the listings to basic collection and suppression requests."

She flipped through her ledger and slid a page toward him.

"These are the currently available low-risk assignments. Most are material procurement, minor beast subjugation, and perimeter patrol requests. Completion rates are stable, and the danger level is minimal."

Lancel skimmed through the list.

"...Anything that pays a bit better without being a pain?"

The receptionist considered that for a moment before pointing to a section near the bottom.

"This one. Repeatable collection request. The materials are slightly rarer, but still within low-tier classifications. Compensation is adjusted accordingly."

"...I’ll take it."

She nodded, marking the request down.

"Registered. Please ensure all materials are intact upon submission. Partial fulfillment will reduce compensation."

"Got it."

Lancel turned, already pocketing the reward as he made his way out.

In Riviere, most procurement requests weren’t as simple as they appeared. On the surface, they were posted like any other guild task, but in reality, a large portion of them came from witches.

It wasn’t something openly discussed. But among adventurers, it was kept a secret that requests tied to witches paid far better than the standard procurement jobs found in other guild branches outside of Riviere.

The difference wasn’t always obvious at first glance, but once you took enough of them, it became clear. Lancel had only come to realize this recently.

"And that’s another one down..."

────────────

[Special Objective Completed!]

────────────

[Condition:]

∎ Subjugate Tuskback Orangutans 20/20

∎ Prevent them from grabbing the host’s hair

[Rewards Obtained:]

∎ Agility +0.1

────────────

By actively engaging in exploration and combat, Lancel had begun to notice a pattern.

Objectives like these didn’t just appear randomly, but were triggered.

Guild requests, in particular, seemed to act as a convenient framework. They placed him in controlled scenarios where specific conditions could be met, almost as if the system used them as a base to generate these "special objectives."

In that sense, the guild wasn’t just a source of income.

It was an efficient way to exploit the system.

And so, Lancel took this rare free time as an opportunity to grow stronger.

This time, the request had led him toward the eastern side of Riviere, to Holienne, a district often referred to as the residence of ordinary witches.

And farther south of Holienne was the wastefields. A barren stretch of land even witches found repulsive.

It was there he could find the targets, Fangscale Lizards, at least, according to the request.

Lancel slowed his steps and looked around.

The air carried a musky scent mixed with something medicinal. It didn’t take much to figure out what this place was used for.

This was where witches discarded their botched experiments.

"...."

A thin layer of fog obscured the vicinity, dulling the surroundings and making it difficult to see clearly.

Lancel raised his hand slightly.

———!

A faint glow formed in his palm as a small cluster of mana gathered. It wasn’t anything complex. Just a simple spell he had picked up from a magic book called Will o’ Wisps.

The light hovered just above his hand, casting just enough glow to illuminate the path ahead.

Lancel flicked his wrist and tossed the orb forward. As he walked ahead, it began following him through the fog. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

It didn’t take long for Lancel to notice signs of movement.