The Little Witch’s Daily Struggle – Chapter 707

As I walked along, I would occasionally pick up herbs on both sides, some were flowers, some were leaves, sometimes I picked fruits, and sometimes I had to dig for roots.
Herbs that calm the mind, herbs that help reduce lust and fire, herbs that supplement bodily deficiencies, herbs that reduce inflammation and relieve pain, various herbs were constantly being arranged and combined in my mind, and they were constantly being recalculated as I found new herbs.
Tandri could still name one or two herbs based on his experience from the start, but as I collected more and more, he also became confused. The experience of hunters was mostly focused on herbs that had a direct effect, while he had no idea about those that were slow-acting, needed to be combined with other materials to work, or were simply used as additives and catalysts.
It was only because I inexplicably gained a large amount of medical knowledge from the Moon God in the Dream World that I could recognize so many miscellaneous herbs, a large portion of which even ordinary people didn’t know had such effects.
Then, because of the Witch’s talent, I involuntarily had the idea that these could be combined, and these could be made into medicine, and I prepared to put them into practice.
Finally, the village was visible ahead. I could see houses and fences hidden in the jungle, but as we approached, I saw several collapsed houses that looked like they had been crushed by a giant body.
“It’s a monster, a very large monster, that rushed into the village from outside, knocking down several buildings. I don’t know if anyone was injured. By the way, where are the villagers?” Tandri analyzed, looking at the traces.
A long drag mark stretched from the wheat field outside, flattening a patch of wheat and extending into the village. Clearly, this behemoth was responsible for the collapsed houses, but there were no people to be seen in the village. Could it be that everyone had fled due to the monster attack?
“Wait a minute, over there, in the center of the village, look,” Milti pointed into the village and said. Indeed, there were figures over there, and we quickly pushed the cart towards them.
As expected, there was a large open space in the center of the village, where quite a few people were gathered, about a hundred in total. It seemed this village wasn’t very big.
As we approached, some villagers, although they heard the commotion, didn’t pay attention to us outsiders for the moment. Instead, they were watching a disheveled madman in the center speaking loudly.
The man was half-naked, his skin covered in patches of dirt, his hair disheveled and matted. It was hard to tell how long it had been since he last bathed.
But he wore very strange decorations, which looked like long strips of irregular parchment covered in dense, indecipherable text. At the top of the strips, red wax was used to seal them onto his body, and the circular red wax bore a complex and mysterious mark.
He had a whole five strings of these mysterious paper strips hanging on him, two in the front and three in the back, serving somewhat as clothing. I just wondered if it didn’t hurt when the wax seal was stamped on him.
“The end is near! It’s coming! He is coming, and no one can escape…” the disheveled madman said loudly from the high platform in the center of the village in a cryptic tone, spreading alarming words.
However, I felt it was all the same old spiel. It was nothing more than spreading fear to intimidate these ignorant villagers, and then telling them that the end was coming and only those who believed him could attain eternal life, and finally deceiving them out of their money and bodies. It was all the same routine, no novelty.
Compared to this guy, he was quite pathetic. Those others at least wore golden robes and held scepters, looking like reclusive masters, or at the very least, they would be refined and scholarly, carrying a scripture book and dressed neatly. Who would believe you looking like a beggar?
However, it seemed that because of the recent increase in corrosion and frequent monster activity, this madman had indeed seized the right moment. His words actually had a certain market among these farmer’s and ignorant villagers, and the villagers below were discussing amongst themselves.
“Hey! Is what he’s saying true? Is the end near?”
“It must be true! Didn’t you see he predicted the monster attack yesterday?”
“It’s a lie! I prayed and begged as he told me to, and I even offered my most precious possessions, but my house was still leveled by the monsters! He’s a fraud!”
“Why do you believe the words of this lunatic? The monsters are messengers sent by the Priest, to kill all those foolish enough not to listen to advice. If you continue to listen to his ravings, you might be the next one to die!”
These villagers were arguing about the authenticity of the madman on the stage. I was surprised that these villagers were still arguing; it sounded like there was another faction.
Villages like this, lacking protection and with people living at the lowest level of society, were breeding grounds for various cults. Especially since there were indeed gods in this world, and a骗子 just needed to display some spells to trick a large number of people into believing him.
“You know nothing, absolutely nothing! Disaster has already befallen you, and it will be too late if you don’t run!” No matter how fiercely the argument below raged, the charlatan continued his ominous prophecies.
“You old blind man, stop shouting here. Get lost! If you don’t leave now, Lord Priest will capture you and feed you to the monsters!” The opposition below shouted loudly, coming into fierce conflict with the supporters, and it seemed like both sides were about to fight.
It was at this moment that I noticed that his eyes were vacant; he was blind. But the charlatan still held a wooden club studded with iron nails and said loudly to the crowd: “You are all on the brink of disaster and still don’t know it. I have come to save you. The prophecy from three days ago is now being fulfilled at this very moment, and the source of disaster will descend upon this place.”
“Ah? The source of disaster? Hahahaha! We didn’t see anything. Where is the source of disaster you speak of?” The opposition laughed loudly.
“It has arrived, yes! It has arrived. It’s right there!” The old charlatan suddenly pointed his club, his direction being towards us.
“Huh!?” The villagers followed his pointing direction and saw a group of outsiders. People coming from outside at such a time were viewed with suspicion by the villagers, especially when a charlatan was yelling that these people were the roots of disaster, naturally stirring up hostility in their hearts.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Lair and the others raised their weapons. Most of them were children of nobles, and they looked down on these villagers. They weren’t afraid of a fight.
I was truly panicked. Although the charlatan was pointing in our direction, I knew he was actually pointing at me. I even met his vacant gaze.
I subtly shifted two steps to the side, and the scepter also moved slightly with me. But because the charlatan had been gesticulating wildly earlier, no one realized he was pointing at me, thinking he had just moved his club slightly.
Hey! What is with this consciousness? I don’t know this charlatan at all, and yet he points at me and spouts nonsense, calling me the source of disaster. If these words get out and are misinterpreted, you’ll be responsible too!