"So be it!"
Cordelia looked at Fiona with unwavering resolve,
"The High Witch bears the responsibility to protect the coven. You ought to undertake this task, and with your power, dispelling the evil spirit should be a simple matter."
Fiona fell silent.
After a moment, she looked at her daughter and shook her head. "I have pressing matters to attend to now. I cannot be distracted by other concerns."
Watching her body age rapidly, the death-fearing woman must find a way to survive.
Especially now that she had Delphie Lallouri as a living example.
To waste her time on a young witch and her valet.
She could not bring herself to do it.
Of course, as the Supreme Witch, she would still lend whatever assistance she could.
"I shall divine the location of the curse's originator. Madison, I shall teach you the exorcism incantation. Together with Ruboo, you'll have more than enough power to confront the malevolent spirit behind this curse. Consider it another practical lesson for you."
"I'll go with them." Before Ruboo and Madison could nod, Cordelia spoke up.
She knew her mother's character well; once she'd said she wouldn't go, she truly wouldn't.
In that case, she would accompany them.
After all, it was a teacher's duty to protect their students.
"You're going?" Fiona chuckled. "To administer potions to the malevolent spirit? Taking you along is less reliable than carrying a firearm."
Having grown up in the shadow of her mother, the Supreme Witch, Cordelia's innate talents had remained underdeveloped due to self-imposed limitations. To this day, she had only demonstrated aptitude in herbal cultivation and potion-making.
When it came to combat prowess, she might not even surpass Madison.
Fiona, who did care for her daughter, naturally wouldn't allow her to go.
"I'll go," Zoe interjected. "Ruboo is my boyfriend."
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Girl, you've barely been here a week. What else can you do besides scream?"
Nan, who had been about to interject, immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Quinny, however, hesitated.
Her abilities were certainly impressive, but the thought of helping Madison—whom she'd never particularly warmed to—made her pause.
In the end, her kind nature won out and she raised her hand. Just as she was about to speak, Fiona cut her off impatiently.
"That settles it. Bringing more people along would only cause trouble. If you're truly committed, you'd be better off focusing on improving your own abilities rather than displaying your sisterly affection here."
Fiona had settled the matter.
Afterwards, she picked up the golden arm without a care for the curse, closed her eyes, and began to cast her divination spell.
To the spiritually uninitiated, this scene of mystical posturing might have seemed like mere superstitious theatrics.
Yet the witches gathered around observed with utmost seriousness.
Ruboo, whose spirituality had reached 0.2, faintly sensed the mysterious fluctuations emanating from Fiona.
This reminded him of those charlatans he'd encountered in his previous life.
Perhaps ninety-nine out of a hundred were frauds, but among them, there must be one genuine one.
Minutes later, Fiona opened her eyes and stated the address: "Alpina County, Michigan."
Ruboo and Madison exchanged a glance, nodding solemnly.
Finally, Fiona added meaningfully, "Among every generation of witches, one Supreme Witch shall emerge. Madison, I look forward to your performance."
Madison, who had always yearned for the title of Supreme Witch, instantly transformed from worry to eager anticipation.
As for Ruboo, Fiona reminded him, "Every housekeeper in this mansion swears allegiance to the witch. Ruboo, remember why you are here."
Ruboo, who had remained quiet and obedient under the Supreme Witch's powerful presence, nodded solemnly:
"I shall bear it in mind!"
...
Alpina County, a small county in the northeast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, lies on the western shore of Lake Huron.
Travelling from New Orleans to this destination meant traversing nearly the entire length of the United States.
Time was pressing. After bidding farewell to a visibly concerned Zoe and the other witches, Ruboo and Madison, accompanied by the Golden Arm, made their way to the airport. They boarded a small business jet chartered specifically by Fiona, bound for Alpena Regional Airport.
As a Supreme Witch, Fiona's centuries of accumulated wealth and innate abilities allowed her to amass considerable riches with ease. This was precisely why she could afford to live lavishly for decades and even fund experimental research into anti-ageing treatments.
Chartering a small aircraft was, of course, a mere trifle for her purse.
Otherwise, travelling on commercial flights would have necessitated multiple inconvenient layovers.
Indeed, there were no direct flights between New Orleans and Alpina County, nor even to Lansing, the capital of Michigan.
Despite America's status as a superpower, its public transport infrastructure remains rather underdeveloped.
This is one reason why American households typically own at least one car.
On the business jet, Ruboo accepted a drink from the curvaceous stewardess with a thank you. After taking a few sips, he glanced at Madison, who was perusing a fashion magazine beside him, and asked in a low voice, "Have you memorised the exorcism spell Fiona taught you?"
"Don't worry," Madison replied without looking up. "Compared to movie scripts, the incantations are far simpler. Besides, if I really can't remember them, I can just read them as I go. I've got the paper with the exorcism spells on me."
Ruboo was momentarily speechless.
Hearing the first part, he'd actually felt quite relieved. But upon hearing the latter, he wasn't sure whether to call Madison reckless or say she possessed a death wish.
Foolhardy youths meet their end swiftly.
This much was evident from observing the American youth who appear in horror films.
To avoid any embarrassing moments where she might forget her lines during the crucial confrontation with the corpse and ruin everything, Ruboo hastily urged Madison to practise the exorcism spell more.
Had anyone else been this nagging, Madison would have long since grown irritated and cast them aside.
But Ruboo? Well, never mind.
This tasty morsel hadn't been devoured yet.
Finally, though outwardly impatient, Madison set aside her fashion magazine with a pout and began revising the exorcism incantations.
Witnessing this, Ruboo finally exhaled in relief and turned his attention back to his Containment Log.
When the female corpse reappeared for the second time, though he hadn't personally disposed of it, he still earned 10 containment points after Fiona took care of it.
This proved the viability of enlisting help to resolve paranormal incidents.
Ruboo glanced at the [Physical Constitution] and [Spirituality] sections of his personal page.
With the great battle approaching, bolstering his physique proved far more effective than the meagre gains in spirituality.
He recalled the female corpse's single blow that had sent him flying.
Ruboo invested all 10 containment points into his Physique.
[Physical Constitution: 1.2]
Unlike the subtle gains from Spirituality, he now felt a warm current coursing through his body. When he flexed his arms, the muscle definition seemed more pronounced.
If only he had more containment points.
Then, no matter how fiercely the corpse screamed, he could use brute force to pin her down.
With this thought, Ruboo gazed wistfully out the window at the drifting white clouds.
Hoping this time would bring a prosperous start.