The Decay Behind Perfection

Deep within the underground market governed by the witches, the opulent scale of the VIP district stood as a silent testament to the absolute dominion of the Great Witches.

In this realm, every coin of wealth painstakingly amassed by anyone utilizing the market was meticulously gathered with care, only to be ultimately squandered like worthless trash.

Consequently, under the iron-fisted authority of the witches, countless slaves incapable of paying their exorbitant debts or contributing through commerce were forced into grueling, backbreaking labor to construct extravagant and imposing palaces. In their design, human safety and well-being were completely disregarded; instead, the massive weight of the heavy stone pillars supporting the structures vastly outweighed the total mass of the peasants and war refugees farming the land outside.

Because of this, the intricate web of vaults far outnumbered the threads spun by all weavers combined; the protruding nail heads exceeded the grains of rice stored in the granaries; and the countless paving slabs blanketing the district surpassed the scant garments worn by mortals.

Yet, among the magnificent buildings comprising the VIP zone of the market, a single palace stood out as the ultimate expression of luxury. It was the abode of the Great Witch Scarlet Astrea, who served as the distant and arrogant Speaker of the market, revered as the most noble, powerful, beautiful, sensual, and wealthy empress of the underworld commerce.

(Slrrrpp~)

That day, early in the morning inside the palace, a voluptuous beauty sat elegantly on a translucent wicker chair, slowly sipping her tea.

"Ah... perfection. Only the most exquisite leaves could ever hope to grace my palate."

She let out a soft, relaxed sigh, thoroughly pleased as she caught the warm notes of pepper and orchid gently burning in a small copper stove nearby, releasing a fragrance far more intoxicating than the tea itself.

(Clink.)

She was the Speaker Witch, Scarlet Astrea, who delicately placed her teacup onto the saucer resting on the table.

"It is time to take in some fresh air..."

And with that, under the radiant glow of the artificial sun sustained purely by magic, her sharp eyes swept across the palace gardens expanding before her like a vibrant, living façade.

"Truly a masterpiece worthy of my gaze."

A satisfied smile touched her lips as she admired the blooming floral sea.

Yet... why did the Great Witch repeat such an act every single morning?

The answer lay in the fact that Scarlet only appreciated the beauty of flowers in their absolute prime, utterly incapable of enduring even the slightest sign of decay or deterioration. It was for that very reason that, just the night before, the palace gardeners had been forced to rush through the dark, frantically removing and replacing every single ephemeral plant before its blooming season could come to an end.

After all, even deep underground, the Great Speaker Witch took immense pride in being an artist, constantly pursuing a refined taste for beauty—even amidst the turbulent era of war against the invading forces of the Demon King.

"That is enough."

It was precisely because of this relentless pursuit that she had naturally become the very epitome of beauty and raw, intoxicating allure within the entire market.

"...It is time to get to work."

She murmured softly as she rose from her seat, preparing to tend to her duties with a calm expression on her meticulously made-up face. Rich cosmetics framed a pair of sharp, violet-irised eyes that glittered like distant stars in the night sky, matching her raven-black hair sleekly brushed back and pulled into a magnificent, high bun at the nape of her neck as her breathtaking figure swayed with absolute authority.

"Oh, shimmering waters, reflect the absolute peak of perfection..."

Chanting a brief, melodic incantation, she summoned a floating mirror of clear water, praising her reflected beauty with pure self-satisfaction.

"Mew~"

However, in that precise moment, her contracted feline familiar leaped gracefully onto the table, bearing an envelope in its mouth which it delivered with a soft, gentle mew.

"This is..."

The envelope spontaneously unfolded before Speaker Scarlet, and in an instant, the Great Witch’s pleasant mood completely evaporated.

"Greetings, Speaker Scarlet. I would like to ask if it would be possible for me to join the Council of Witches."

A wisp of ethereal magic emanated from the open letter, coalescing into the ghostly, shimmering image of another witch directly before Astrea’s eyes.

"Who do you think you are?"

Confronted by the sheer audacity of such a demand, Scarlet's brow furrowed in disdain.

"How dare you send me a 'talking message'?"

She raised her proud head even higher, her chin practically pointing down at the phantom witch before her as her cold, violet eyes glared with absolute, aristocratic contempt.

"I am Qijia, the wandering witch. Originally, I was merely passing through the Shadow Village, but I arrived at the market thanks to the patronage of Great Witch Tessant. Although I do not yet have many followers, as one of the witches stranded after the onset of the war, I am fully capable of surviving in this environment and believe I can contribute my knowledge. If you allow me to join the Council of Witches, it too will be able to develop and grow stronger."

As if responding to Scarlet's haughty inquiry, the witch projected through the hologram performed a courteous, respectful bow, introducing herself and revealing both her circumstances and the reason for her intrusion.

"Hmph! Of course I know who you are! From time to time, you flaunt your cheap tricks by meddling with sources of power outside of proper magic, calling them 'energies.' You mingle with those rotten worms who cannot even afford magic crystals, playing the saintly savior among them. You are nothing more than an opportunistic parasite, completely unworthy of bearing the noble title of a witch who masters true magic!"

Without giving the matter much thought, Scarlet mocked her mercilessly, driven by her unshakeable conviction that magic was the sole absolute force above all else in existence.

"Let me be perfectly direct. The Council of Witches is not a garbage dump, nor is it meant for scum like you. The sole reason I have not thrown you out already is to afford a shred of dignity to Tessant."

Upon hearing those harsh words, Qijia’s shadowed projection began to waver and flicker away.

"Very well. Even if you say so... I remain determined to stay and humbly learn from the Great Witches..."

However, before the wandering witch could even finish her sentence, the letter burst into violent flames under Scarlet’s magic, reduced instantly to nothingness.

"Get lost!"

In the end, Scarlet waved her hand in sheer impatience, turning on her heel—only to freeze in her tracks as though a sudden thought had crossed her mind.

"Ah, right, I forgot to tell you. Every single seat on the Council of Witches was purchased by the Great Witches using magic crystals!"

She turned her head back, directing her mocking voice at the falling ashes right before they scattered completely into the wind.

"If you truly wish to join us, prepare one hundred and twenty thousand carats of magic crystals!"

She chuckled softly to herself, thoroughly enjoying her own cruelty.

"Heh... surface witches are truly lacking in intellect. Twelve thousand carats of magic crystals! To condense all of that by themselves, they would have to slave away day and night for ages! Unlike them, my wealth flows effortless like water from a reservoir. I need only sit right here in my private garden and wait, as the magic crystals fly directly into my pockets!"

Thus, Scarlet lived out her days in unchecked luxury, flaunting both her immense influence and her absolute power, confident that no one would ever dare challenge her.

"Mew~ Mew~"

Unaware of everything, the spoiled cat leaped gracefully onto the witch’s firm, voluptuous thighs, standing on its hind legs to stretch its front paws outward, kneading wild, enthusiastic pats directly against her towering chest.

"Ah... that tickles so much~ Stop misbehaving~"

Yet, it was precisely this decadence that had led her astray.

She had fallen prey to laziness.

Indulging in effortless luxury day after day, Scarlet had long neglected her magical studies, steadily degrading the very sharpness and skill that had once granted her dominance.

"Go play on your own. Remember, do not hunt any wild animals. To make those insignificant people even more devout, we deliberately mixed contaminated [Artemisia capillaris] seeds into their food. If you are also contaminated, I will painfully have to abandon you."

As a result, without her knowing it, Scarlet, like all the other Great Witches, had grown weak over time. She had lost the overwhelming strength she once possessed, now a Great Witch in title alone, but severely lacking the raw skill to back it up.

"Mew!"

The cat, fully understanding its master’s intent, licked her finger in an adulating manner before leaping over the compound wall in two graceful jumps. It disappeared briefly, only to return seconds later with a fresh message letter held in its mouth.

"Speaker, I apologize for informing you in this manner. But there is a serious problem with the granary. The entire facility has been taken over by flesh monsters, and root-like tendrils are spreading through the earth, clearly coveting the only stable source of drinking water."

And so, karma had finally arrived to collect its due...

"Useless trash. You can't even manage this simple matter properly, forcing me to intervene personally."

The consequences of all her decisions and excesses were about to be tallied.

"Protect the water tower. I will handle the granary myself. Hmph, I would like to see just how problematic these simple grain monsters can really be!"

With that, the distant and beautiful woman stood up. She walked with firm steps, her head held high, and stepped through the spatial portal to confront her destiny.

(BOOM!)

Yet, parallel to her departure, the adjacent palace wall was violently obliterated, and two silhouettes slowly emerged from the billows of thick smoke.

"Woof~ woof~!"

The first figure was a Wolf-kin woman, her powerful, flabby physique covered in numerous sexual tattoos and piercings, with her large, drooping breasts straining against her minimal attire. She wore a heavy dog collar around her neck, barking excitedly with her tongue exposed.

"Is it here, Pocchi?"

Behind her, firmly gripping the collar and holding the chain lead as they advanced, followed the heavily cloaked and hooded figure of "Silvia."