The Wandering Witch VOL. 1 - The Prelude Arc (COMPLETED)

5.1| A Public Execution

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N O C T

Noct had started to think that his luck was beginning to run out. After the series of unfortunate ordeals he had gone through and the current predicament he had gotten himself involved in, the thief had thought that, surely, this was the karma of all his years of stealing and deceiving, a retribution brought upon him by the gods called on by his countless victims. In the long hours within the dim-lit cell, when the witch was still unconscious and he was the only one awake, Noct had lost all hope of salvation. That was, until the witch suddenly suggested the truce.

Really, how is this girl so naive?

He had to keep a straight face and resist the urge to laugh the entire time. It was hard, but he had managed. If Noct was honest with himself, the witch's sudden proclamation had completely taken him by surprise. He never expected her to suggest a truce, of all the other things. Who would have thought that even after tricking her and revealing his true colors underneath his facade, after stealing from her and running away, after blaming her for everything that had happened and proclaiming that he hated her kind with every ounce of his being, she still trusted him in spite of everything?

Either she's really too trusting or she's really just dumb. Or perhaps, both, he thought.

It wasn't that Noct had a problem with it, however. In fact, it just made things much, much easier for him. If there was a way where he could end up alive after today, he was more than willing to take it. He certainly did not want to die yet because of some witch he had just met, and especially because he had been falsely accused of helping her. And so, Noct chose to accept her suggestion of the truce.

It was not only that. For some reason, he had a strong feeling that if it was her, she could be able to help him escape. When she had told him about the idea of a temporary peace, the determination had been evident in those unnatural, piercing silver eyes of hers. Noct could clearly see what she had been thinking behind her words. The girl wasn't going to allow herself to be burned no matter what. And furthermore, she wasn't just any normal witch. That was one thing that Noct was sure about. He believed that no average witch could easily heal a wound as serious as hers in only a matter of minutes. When she had hinted that she was capable of more than just healing spells, Noct saw and heard the truth in her voice. Being a liar, Noct could easily detect other people lying without problem. He knew she wasn't.

Perfect.

The thief formulated a plan in his mind immediately as the witch explained her own. What she wanted was for Noct to help her find her satchel, and in return, she would help him escape. However, Noct thought of a different plan. He was thinking of stealing the satchel again after she would help him. There was simply no way was he going to leave without getting anything in return after he survived this predicament. He had gone through great pains, after all. The bruise mark on his cheek and the pounding in his head were physical evidence to that.

He narrowed his eyes. In the end, you shouldn't have forgotten that I'm a thief.

With a fabricated grin on his face, Noct had reflexively reached out and taken her hand to shake it. It was a gesture, he learned after many years of experience, that made people trust him more. That way, she would not get to doubt his intentions of trying to help her. As he did the act, Noct noticed for a second that her hands were tightly wrapped in dirtied bandages that went up to her wrists. She had also flinched when he suddenly grasped them, he remembered, as though she was unfamiliar with acts of physical contact. But whether there was a reason for it or not, Noct decided to ignore it. He did not care, either way. As he looked up at her for a moment, a small tinge of guilt came over him, hovering at the back of his head.