Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Chapter 52 Miss Witch and Swan Lake
　　——This happened four hundred years ago.
　　There are many different opinions on the life of Emperor Manuel in many biographies of later generations. Some say that Manuel is a descendant of the brave family of "Shu", some say that Manuel is an apostle of Yum Kax, the god worshipped by the people of Radeboyle, and some say that Manuel pulled out the holy sword that was destined to be pulled out by only the king, and was born with noble blood.

　　But from Angelica's perspective, without so much complicated background, Manuel is a very mediocre person, at least that's the first impression.
　　"You said you were going north?"
　　"Well, so I need to hire a bodyguard. You are a magician, right? I hope you can protect me as I reach Lake Musais in the north."

　　"Lake Musais?"
　　The witch tilted her head and examined the slightly thin boy in front of her.
　　"That's still within Radeboyle, and it's not safe. I thought you wanted to hire me to escort you to a safe place."

　　The boy's name is Manuel. He said that Radeboyle is now in a time of chaos. Compared with the locals who take advantage of the chaos to do evil, outsiders who risk war to come here are more trustworthy, so he chose to hire a witch who is obviously an outsider.
　　The witch and Manuel concluded a short contract, but the journey to Lake Musais in the north was not peaceful. There were bandits blocking the road, exiled mobs, and zombies left over from magic.
　　Manuel's magical talent was not particularly outstanding, at a level of about 60 points, which was barely acceptable, so the witch was very curious about what Manuel was going to do in the north. According to the witch's understanding, there were no powerful people near Lake Musais, so Manuel could not have gone to seek refuge with his relatives.

　　"My family has made a living by studying the animals of Radeboyle for generations. We can be considered a family of animal research and record keeping. In these chaotic times, no grand duke's court is willing to employ zoologists. When I was a child, my father told me that there was an animal called the Dudu bird in Radeboyle."
　　"Pfft...what a silly name."
　　"Really? I think it's cute, just like Miss Witch."

　　"You have a talent for smooth talk, although you might also be calling me stupid."
　　"That's definitely not what I meant. I just wanted to use something more specific to describe the cuteness of the bird, but after thinking for a while, I realized that the cutest thing I've ever seen is Miss Witch."
　　The witch thought for a moment and nodded seriously.

　　"If you're like me, it's certainly a cute creature. I've become interested in creatures called Dodo's, but I've been in Radebeul for a while and I've never seen any doo-doos."
　　"The elders all said that before the war, the dodo was a very common animal, but in our generation, almost no one has seen a real dodo. It is said that the dodo has very strict requirements for its living environment, and it does not have the ability to migrate on a large scale. The outbreak of the war dealt a devastating blow to the dodo's living environment... The drought in the south was only overcome not long ago, so the dodo no longer exists in the south."
　　"You think the Dodo will be in Lake Musais in the north?"
　　"I calculated that it was the last suitable place for the dodo birds to survive."

　　The witch and the boy continued to move north. The witch did not tell Manuel that she possessed a magic called space folding, which could allow her to reach Lake Muses in an instant.
　　In times of war, it was a foolish reason to travel far away to confirm whether an animal that he had never seen before was extinct. Manuel's willpower was much stronger than the witch imagined. He was once infected with the plague during the journey, and the witch thought that Manuel should give up.
　　Even Manuel himself felt that he would not live long. Lying on the hospital bed, he was surprised that the witch never left his side.

　　"If you don't stay away from me, you might get infected."
　　"I am a witch. I will not age or die. It may be a bit cruel to say this, but the plague you contracted has no effect on me. I haven't completed the commission I accepted, so I won't leave yet."
　　"... What a surprise! You came across some delicious food on the road, but you refused to leave unless I paid for it."

　　"Don't you always get your share?"
　　I paid for my share myself.
　　Manuel, lying on the hospital bed, smiled bitterly. He couldn't help but feel that Angelica was particularly good at commanding people. Rather than saying she was a bodyguard, it would be better to say that she was a young lady from somewhere, although in terms of strength, the witch was indeed stronger.

　　"If I can't hold on any longer... can I ask you for a favor?"
　　"It costs extra money."
　　"Haha, you really are... Just listen to me finish. I don't think I can hold on any longer. If I die here, I hope you can go to Lake Musais in my place."

　　"You're still thinking about Dodo."
　　"I always believe that there is no difference between °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the Dodo Bird and us civilians. No one has done anything wrong. The war broke out, and we were deprived of our living soil. The difference is that the Dodo Bird can't even protect itself. Now, no one cares even if it is on the verge of extinction. And I promised that Dodo Bird is as cute as Miss Witch. At least Miss Witch should witness it."
　　"I refuse."

　　"Ah……"
　　"It would be better if you took me to witness it. Either you recover and take me there, or I bury you and leave the country."
　　I am not very interested in the dodo bird, the witch explained.

　　Many years later, Manuel wondered if the witch had done anything at that time. Although the witch claimed that magic was powerless to cure diseases, after a long period of recuperation, Manuel miraculously recovered from the plague under the witch's care.
　　As a result, all their savings were spent, and they were still some distance away from Lake Musais.
　　The witch said she had a way. In the dead of night, the witch drew a magic circle on the grass and whispered the coordinates of Lake Musais.

　　"Projection sequence two, space jump."
　　The space in front of Manuel's eyes flowed, and in an instant, a clear lake under the moonlight appeared in front of him.
　　Lake Musais is like a fairyland on earth. The lake reflects the moon and stars. On the lake surface stained with a layer of silver gauze, there are a few strange and honest birds, creating ripples with their claws.

　　Manuel knew that those were the last few Dodo birds left in the world.
　　They used to be all over Radeboyle, but now the flames of war have consumed everything. Good people are hiding in dilapidated houses and struggling to survive, while the harmless little animals are driven to a corner of the border.
　　If there were no war, would things be different? People could live a normal life, the doo-doo birds could once again be seen in every corner of Radeboyle, and Manuel and the witch would not have to travel far to the north to see these small, fragile creatures that were once everywhere.

　　【Witch TIPS】
　　Although witches do not age or die, their memory is not much better than that of humans.