The Witch Hunter System

Imperial Capital, Delarosa Household

"Matriarch! I-I-It's bad! Very bad! W-We've been surrounded by imperial troops!" a female servant stuttered with shortness of breath as she brought urgent news.

Inside the family council room, Laelana was just having a meeting with the highest-ranking family members of her household when the female servant abruptly barged in.

Laelana didn't immediately condemn the female servant's act but frowned nonetheless. The sudden news disrupted the meeting and threw everyone off-topic as the high elders quickly mumbled with wild guesses in alarm and worry.

"Speak clearly!" Laelana barked before demanding answers, "What kind of imperial soldiers are outside? How many are there? And why have they come? Have they stated their intentions?"

"We don't know yet, Matriarch!" the female servant shook her head and reported, "They haven't said anything. Right now, they are still rallying troops outside of our territory."

"There were only around eight hundred surrounding us at the moment, but we could see countless thousands more on the way! Furthermore, they were carrying siege-like weapons with them!

"A-also! Many wore gold scale accessories among the imperial soldiers outside!" the female servant added with fright.

Gold scale accessories!

The expression on Laelana and the family elders' faces all changed when they heard of the gold-scaled imperial soldiers.

Wearing gold wyvern scales was a symbol of status within the imperial army. Only the elites of the imperial guards were mostly qualified to wear them. And yet, there were hundreds of them outside?!

That was practically all of Emperor Varan's imperial guards!

Just as the female servant had claimed, Laelana and the high elders of the family also silently agreed that the situation was very bad.

"Matriarch, if it were only ordinary imperial soldiers outside, then they would only be suspicious of us. However, Emperor Varan sent all of his imperial guards to surround us! Our secret has most likely been discovered!" Second Elder spoke gravely.

"I agree with Second Elder," Third Elder chimed in, inserting his thoughts, "The imperial soldiers wouldn't be gathering their numbers like this if they only had their suspicions. They would have announced their arrival and made their demands already."

"Since that wasn't the case. They must be gathering enough strength to take us down in one fell swoop," Third Elder added.

"Those were my thoughts exactly," Matriarch Laelana acknowledged before saying, "It seems we cannot hide ourselves any longer; the time to prove our strength to the world is nigh. That said, we won't be the one to tear the final piece of façade."

"It's fortunate that the imperial soldiers came to us instead of the Sacred Tirtha. We must buy as much time as possible for the grand magic to accumulate its required amount of energy."

"Nothing must go wrong with that!" Matriarch Laelana stressed with a firm look, then instructed, "Go… Open the treasury and arm everyone. A battle won't occur here until later, but we must be prepared for when it comes!"

"Yes, Matriarch!" the high elders answered resolutely.

…

After dismissing the high elders, Matriarch Laelana headed to the forbidden courtyard in the Delarosa Household's northwest area.

Inside the courtyard, dead leaves and dirt covered the ground, while dust and cobwebs covered the buildings. The place looked abandoned for many years, but only a few exceptions were permitted to enter it.

However, when Matriarch Laelana stepped inside, a completely different courtyard was revealed – one that was clean, neat, and regularly maintained.

"Dear Grandfather, we might need to rely on your strength later," Matriarch Laelana respectfully bowed to the elderly man in simple kemp clothing, quietly meditating in the courtyard's center.

She did not display any of her proud arrogance as the family head in front of this elderly man, who appeared to be as old as some of the eldest first-generation witches in Pangea.

It was nothing special for witches to live over 350 years. But for a human man to do so was as rare as true phoenix feathers.

Unless told and witnessed, almost no one would believe that a man from the pre-Gehenna era could still be alive to this day. Evidently, there was something very special about this elderly man.

"So that time has come, huh? Un, I got it," the elderly man acknowledged with few words.

Laelana didn't speak another word and respectfully took her leave, stepping back outside the courtyard.

Once she did, the courtyard scenery behind her changed again, returning to its old, dilapidated, and abandoned state with no one inside. Clearly, an illusion array had been set up around the forbidden courtyard to hide the real scene within.

…

Meanwhile, the elite imperial guards monitored the Delarosa Household for suspicious activities as more imperial soldiers arrived over time.

The Delarosas had no idea that even Emperor Varan himself had personally arrived at their doorstep.

"Your Imperial Majesty!"

The moment Emperor Varan revealed his presence in an inconspicuous location, several elite imperial guards nearby quickly greeted him on their knees after recognizing him.

"At ease," Emperor Varan calmly dismissed the formality before inquiring, "What's the situation?"

"We are still gathering our troops to storm the Delarosa Household, but the Delarosas themselves have yet to react to our increasing presence. It's as if they aren't aware of us, but that shouldn't be possible, Your Imperial Majesty," one person said.

"Any normal person would have long come out to ask what was happening if they saw the imperial guards outside their gates. However, we haven't seen a single Delarosa coming out to inquire about the situation. I find this quite strange," another imperial guard added.

"There's nothing strange about it," Emperor Varan coolly stated, further explaining, "The Delarosas are conscious of their sins and suspect we have learned about it. That's why they dare not open the gates and lower their defenses."

"It is also why we will storm their territory directly once we have gathered enough strength. We do not negotiate with sinners," Emperor Varan said with a cold glint.

"This…" several elite imperial guards appeared hesitant before one of them said, "If what the Red Wyvern Ancestor said was true, the Delarosas isn't our only enemy but possibly every shaman and witch doctor in the empire."

"In that case, wouldn't it make more sense if we had targeted the Sacred Tirtha from the beginning instead, Your Imperial Majesty?" the person asked.