After exchanging greetings, the two women stared at one another. On this moonless night, seeing a face as beautiful as her own from such close range, they were in entirely different moods.
After a brief pause, Miss Galina spoke:
"I truly never expected that our first meeting in the Green Lake Region would be here. It seems your injuries have completely healed? That's wonderful. Let me see—have you grown stronger?"
Audrey had no intention of discussing her strength. She could not explain this change. Fortunately, the woman before her was Galina, the Great Witch of Balance, rather than Isabella, the Time Great Witch and Speaker, so she did not have to answer that question:
"Thank you very much for coming here to help me, Galina."
Though she had not come here to help her, the Duchess still nodded.
"There's no need to be so polite. We are both members of the Council and should help each other. Besides, we would never deceive each other. Where did that man who took you away just now go?"
She looked around, as though expecting some surprise to leap out from the reed bed in the darkness.
Audrey was nervous inside, but her expression remained relaxed.
"It wasn't a man, but a woman. You were watching her just now. Didn't you feel a Witch Curse being triggered?"
"No. So that's how it is? He's actually a woman."
Miss Galina blinked.
"Wouldn't a woman be even better? Where has your new friend gone? Why won't you introduce her to me? Could it be that young lady is shy? Oh, there's really no need. It's not as though I'm some ancient beast that eats people."
Audrey pressed her lips together.
"You saw it too. She cast spells several times against those powerful enemies just now. She's