Chapter 176: Chaper 176

"I don’t have the faintest idea of basic magic," Dulce admitted, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Moira had forgotten that for a moment, only remembering Dulce’s impressive summoning magic. She took a fresh piece of parchment and scribbled for a while, lifting it up to show him a circle of sigils.

It was the counter spell to the silencing spell that had been cast on her. She had already attempted to cast it several times, but she simply wasn’t strong enough to undo it.

Dulce peered at the unfamiliar sigils, frowning. "I can’t read sigils." He reminded.

Moira brought her palm to her forehead, equally forgetting that. She wrote some more, ’Never mind then, I’ll have it removed when I return to Fairwyn’

"I’ll come with you..." Dulce started to say but was interrupted by the loud rumbling of Moira’s stomach.

"But first, let’s eat breakfast," Dulce cut himself off. He wouldn’t let Miss Moira return to her shop alone, he could always discuss with her after things had been straightened out.

The dining table soon filled up, Dulce frowning when he noticed someone missing. "Where’s Ruoxi?" He asked in concern, rising to his feet.

"Hopefully dead," Kath’tan grumbled.

Asael was more mindful with his words, "If he were gravely injured or dead, you would know."

Dulce slowly lowered himself to the dining chair, he knew Asael was right but it didn’t completely alleviate his worry. Perhaps Ruoxi returned to the Hells, he did have something important to attend to previously.

Breakfast was pleasant, and afterwards it was time for the witch to leave. She was completely uninterested in lingering any longer, feeling a chill whenever the Demons’ gazes swept over her.

"I plan to take Miss Moira back to Fairwyn, do you mind taking us there?" Dulce directly asked the Demons at the table.

Kath’tan scowled but didn’t refute, rising to his feet to offer a hand to Dulce. "I remember telling you not to try so hard to undo the contract," He said as Dulce rose to his feet.

Asael had already caught the witch by her dress to take her to Fairwyn, warping without a word.

Dulce didn’t bother glancing over, not worried. "Yes, but I want you to be able to visit your mother freely," He said, taking a step closer to Kath’tan. "They have already left, we should too."

They got to Fairwyn to find Asael and Miss Moira waiting just a short distance from Magic Alley.

"We’ll wait here for you," Asael said quietly.

Dulce looked up at the sky, it was still mostly cloudy but there was no telling how long he would spend in Fairwyn. "Why don’t you both return first? I can easily find my way back."

"No." Asael declined, the single word decisive. "We’ll sit in that tavern," He suggested instead, knowing that Dulce just didn’t want them standing outside for so long.

"Very well," He agreed reluctantly, "I’ll return."

With that, he walked into the alley with Moira by his side. The usually forbidding air of the alley lightened up at Moira’s presence, some of the shady figures even tipped back their hats and adjusted their coats to see better, less on guard at the sight of her.

Moira walked with purpose, taking the lead. She walked past the line of shops and inns, not caring that she drew attention, mages peeking out of their establishments and homes to peek at her.

She slowed to a stop when she got to the bramble forest, her shop still a distance away.

The hunched-over old Wizard seemed to step out of thin air, walking over precariously with his stick supporting most of his weight. "Troublesome child, you’re finally back..."

Moira ignored his words, marching right up to him. She clung to his frail arm and pointed at her lips, her expression demanding.

The old Wizard looked past her to the little summoner, as expected, it was best to have the powerful handle troublesome things. The Demons had already found and rescued their summoner, and fortunately, his troublesome daughter.

"What?" He grumbled, "A silencing spell? Good. Now you won’t interrupt me when I speak." He scolded, bopping her too gently on her head with his walking stick to count as a reprimand.

Dulce stood a short distance away watching all of this unfold. He recognized the old man but he seemed familiar with Miss Moira, so he kept his distance, giving them space.

"...If you had even a speck of common sense and followed the family’s path would you be in all this trouble? You don’t listen and you don’t do what you’re supposed to either, how is this old man supposed to die in peace?"

Moira had no choice but to obediently be scolded, lowering her head further each time the crooked staff lightly bonked her head. Her contrite demeanor seemed to convince him and stopped scolding her, a familiar purple light that was even more powerful surrounding her for a moment.

"Ow! Ow! You hit me too hard." She protested as soon as she could speak cradling her head. "I barely escaped from a dangerous Vampire coven with my life and the first thing you do is smack me."

The old Wizard was unfazed by her claims, "With how hard your head is, if I had hit you hard my staff would have broken."

Moira pouted, aggrieved but she didn’t linger to keep getting scolded, hurrying to Dulce’s side. "We’ll talk later, old man." She waved him off, dragging Dulce in the direction of her shop.

Dulce went easily, wisely keeping a lid on the fact that he had been the cause of Moira’s troubles recently. "Who was that?" He asked curiously as they went up the stairs of the shop.

"Eustace, my father." Moira said lightly, stepping into the wreckage that was her shop.

Dulce winced at the sight of it, "I apologize for the damage," He was quick to take responsibility, I’ll have it all reimbursed."

Moira was still holding his wrist so she turned to him with teary eyes, "Really?’