Branton's face went pale. Yveta and the others could choose to leave the Baron Territory, but he could not.
In his panic, he only wanted to hurry back and tell his father what was happening.
Branton swallowed. "Your Highness, if there really are a lot of enemies, we should notify my father as soon as possible."
"Have him summon the nearby Knight Territories and peasant militias in the baron's name."
"We should quickly assemble an army."
Yveta thought for a moment. The Baron Moro Territory should currently have only one standing guard, along with the low-ranking noble apprentices sent by lower-ranking knights to receive knight training.
Indeed, they should quickly summon serf armies and the Feudal Army from every estate in the Baron Territory.
The combat ability of the serf armies and Feudal Army was questionable, but there was strength in numbers. They were still a force to be reckoned with.
Yveta was about to speak.
But the Old Witch's Mithril Sword was suddenly pressed against Branton's neck. Branton looked at the Old Witch in disbelief, and just as he was about to ask why she had done it, he saw the terrifying look in her eyes.
The Old Witch truly intended to kill him. Her eyes were wide as bells, and she said viciously, "If you dare do that, I'll slaughter you right now."
Branton trembled all over. His legs went weak, and he actually sank to the ground. "Your Highness, the witch has revealed her true colors. She's in league with the Children of the Forest."
"Branton, don't talk nonsense." Yveta knew that as long as the Hearthstone Great Witch did not discover that he was not a demon god, she would not betray him.
The Hearthstone Great Witch feared demon gods.
She feared him.
He looked at the Old Witch. "Can you tell me why you did this? Is it related to the contents of the Forbidden Book?"
When the Old Witch saw that Black Wolf, Yveta, and Leili were all looking at her, she held the Forbidden Book in her right hand. Under her gaze, its pages turned by themselves.
"According to this book's description of one branch of the Children of the Forest, I finally understand why everyone forgot Sharon."
"It isn't amnesia."
"It's replacement."
Yveta was confused. "Replacement?"
When Branton heard news concerning his sister, he immediately focused his attention.
The Old Witch said, "This book records the characteristics of Treant People. They're born with an ability resembling druidic magic. Born in a Tree Hole and dying in a Tree Hole, they possess a racial talent called skin-changing."
"On the day of their Coming-of-age Ceremony, they put the skin of the target they killed onto their own bodies. Their muscles and bones then transform to match the target's form."
"They can become almost completely identical. Only couples who have lived together intimately for decades might discover the difference."
"From then on, the Treant Person lives under that human's identity. That's why they're also known as Skin-Changers."
For some reason, Yveta thought of the Painted Skin from his previous life.
The Old Witch said, "According to this book, Baron Moro became a Treant Person long ago."
"If we let this boy tell that impostor that we've discovered the Children of the Forest's conspiracy, then tell me—once the baron summons an army, will he use it against the Children of the Forest or against us?"
Yveta nodded. "I see."
Everyone looked at Branton with a trace of sympathy in their eyes.
The Old Witch's explanation meant that Branton's father, Baron Moro, had died long ago, and the current Baron Moro was an impostor who had been replaced by a Skin-Changer.
Branton's shoulders shook. "No, that's not right. If what you said is true, then how do you explain even the villagers forgetting my sister?"
"Could everyone be a Skin-Changer—a Treant Person?!"
The Old Witch explained, "That's precisely the problem."
"This book records that more than two thousand years ago, during humanity's war with the Treant People, our ancestors discovered that the ancient trees they worshiped had a strange characteristic."
"When the Treant People sacrificed human children to their ancient trees, it produced a phenomenon called Memory Distortion. The kidnapped child would gradually be forgotten by people who were not closely connected to them."
"But their immediate family and those who had frequent contact with the child would not forget them."
"The current situation is that nearly everyone around your sister has been replaced by Treant People. Only you remain."
"And because of Memory Distortion, the villagers forgot your sister Sharon."
Branton stiffly rose to his feet and backed away repeatedly, avoiding the Mithril Sword. "I don't believe it."
"I don't believe it."
"If that's the case, as you said, the Children of the Forest took control of the Baron Moro Territory long ago. Then why did they go out of their way to keep me alive instead of killing me?"
"I have almost no combat ability!"
The Old Witch sneered mockingly. "Who do you think you are? Why would they kill you? You're nothing more than a pig waiting to be slaughtered."
"You're nineteen or twenty years old, right?"
"That's just right. In the eyes of the Treant People, adulthood requires being at least twenty-two."
"You're a sacrifice they've set their sights on as well."
"Because the Treant People believe that only noble blood can be offered to the ancient tree."
"It's just that this Sacrificial Ritual can only be performed once every three months, which is why you escaped disaster."
"But from what I can tell, since your sister disappeared three months ago, the fifteenth of next month should have been the date of your death."
The Old Witch showed no sympathy and continued rubbing salt into his wounds.
She had always believed that the pain of the weak was the source of art's beauty.
That was why so many famous artists had a habit of self-harm. That was the Old Witch's understanding of art.
The Old Witch taunted him. "The fact that you can leave with us now is your good fortune."
"I advise you to accept reality."
"I don't accept that explanation." Branton turned and ran toward the mouth of the cavern.
But the Old Witch suddenly threw the Mithril Sword in her left hand. It passed right by Branton's ear before embedding itself in the rock wall in front of him.
The Old Witch said, "I won't let you alert the enemy."
"If you take one more step, the next sword will be thrown at your head."
Branton breathed heavily. He did not dare move forward, but he did not want to retreat either.
He even clenched his teeth as tears welled in his eyes.
"Hearthstone Great Witch, I forbid you from speaking to Branton again." Yveta warned her with a look. "That is my order. If you dare disobey..."
The Old Witch's smug expression froze.
This was a threat from a demon god.
The Old Witch was naturally afraid. "Your Grace, in my heart, your orders surpass the law."
"I will of course obey."
Yveta nodded in satisfaction.
It was not for any other reason.
First, Branton was still their employer. What would it mean to drive away the one paying them?
Second, a teammate in an emotional breakdown was a nightmare.
As someone destined to become king in the future, managing his companions' emotions was also an important ability he absolutely had to master.
Yveta said to Branton, "If you want to cry, then cry."
"But if you rush over recklessly, and your father isn't a Treant Person, the most that will happen is that your father will think you're a coward."
"But if he really is a Treant Person, you'll lose your life as well."
"Branton, I know that no matter what I say, it won't help you right now. But I still want to tell you that I'll stand by your side no matter what. If you're afraid, remember this: I'm on your side."
"Calm down. We'll come up with a plan to deal with the Treant People."
At his words, Branton's body shook again.
He turned around, tears streaming down his face.
This era placed particularly high demands on men. Noblemen and Knight Attendants in particular could not shed tears. Even if they did, they would only invite ridicule.
But Yveta told him that he could cry here and now.
No one would mock him!
Branton burst into tears, releasing his emotions. "Your Highness... I don't know what to do."
"Could even the God of All Things worshiped by the church really resolve my current situation?"
"When I was young, I prayed before the divine statue for a thousand days and nights. But now, why have I still been struck by such misfortune?"
"Your Highness, I really... don't know what to do..."
"Your Highness, you're all I have now. Please give me an order. I don't know what to do anymore."
Branton's personality was undoubtedly rather weak.
The Old Witch's expression changed slightly. "Your Grace, the Treant People have completely occupied the Baron Territory."
"They have an unknown number of Treant Person warriors and Treant Person priests, and they can use Baron Moro's identity to mobilize the human armies within the territory."
"They also have an ancient tree that has no telling how long it has been receiving sacrifices."
"If we make enemies of them, we'll be fighting both the Treant People and the humans within the territory, as well as an ancient tree."
The Old Witch explained, "The Forbidden Book says that after receiving enough sacrifices, a Treant People's ancient tree will transform into a tree-person. Our ancestors more than two thousand years ago speculated that these ancient trees were connected to the Druids' experiments with tree-people. At the time, those experiments were closely related to the Children of the Forest."
"Perhaps the Druids themselves were behind the Children of the Forest abandoning humanity's path of evolution."
"But in any case, although you're powerful, you're ultimately trapped inside a human body. Look at your right hand."
Yveta raised his right hand and saw a faint Lightning Mark on the back of it.
The Hearthstone Great Witch said, "Just now, you innovated the incantation for the Lightning Curse, but the unbalanced energy left a mark on your body."
"If this continues, your mortal body will mutate into a magical creature."
"You can't use divine power at your limits anymore."
Before you continue