Surviving as a Witch in a World that Hunts Heretics-Chapter 3 : Chapter 3

Chapter 3. She Came from There
The crowd suddenly grew restless. Through the gaps between people, Leticia saw a strong light. It was not blinding, but carried a vast, sacred aura. Just looking at it, even the pain on her cracked lips seemed to lessen a little.
What was this?
She was stunned, somewhat unbelieving, raising her head, wanting to see clearly.
But her height was truly a pit she could never cross, and there were simply too many people in front......
Still, the faint burnt smell drifting over, and the crackling sounds, all showed that flames had already been born.
“What principle is this?”
Leticia thought in alarm. “Could it be that the firewood had already been lit earlier?”
No, not right. She hadn’t heard the sound of wood splitting from heat, nor smelled fire burning before......
And it couldn’t explain the sudden burst of light just now either......
Here, it was necessary to explain a bit about Leticia’s identity.
Yes, she was not a native of this place, not even a part of this world. The beginning of it all had to be traced back two months before.
Once, he had been a good young man. Positive (didn’t like studying), cheerful (shut-in at home), helpful (liked to do all sorts of pointless things), imaginative (honestly just extremely chūnibyō).
He had an ordinary name, an ordinary family, and ordinary experiences. Until the age of twenty, his life wasn’t smooth, but it wasn’t full of big setbacks either. He hadn’t even been hospitalized, nor suffered serious illness.
Such a person, set by the world as “fated to be ordinary,” on his twentieth birthday, experienced something extraordinary—or rather, if you thought about it carefully, it was still something quite ordinary.
He died, just like that.
After all, death was also one of the inevitable stages of birth, aging, illness, and death. Naturally normal~
No accident, nothing strange. Not hit by a car, not struck by lightning, not falling from a window sill, not slipping by a riverbank.
Just natural death.
Mm, dying of old age at twenty years of youth was truly something no one else could compare to.
But he himself didn’t know.
In his memory, it was as if he had just gone to sleep, then found himself in a strange environment.
And he had become she.
As a person with normal thinking and logical reasoning, she was able to subtly draw out information from those around her, and the oddities in her behavior could be brushed off with reasonable excuses.
She originally thought two months would be enough time for her—Leticia—to gradually grow familiar and adapt to this world that looked like a Western medieval setting.
But today, she found that her understanding was still far too shallow.
“Could this be the so-called method the Church uses to display its power? Magic? Or divine arts?”
Her mind spun rapidly, Leticia blinked. “Sigh, no matter how I try to think logically, it doesn’t make sense. Not just this suddenly blazing fire, but also the existence of witches. These shouldn’t exist in a normal world......”
Though she knew, the medieval era in her own place had been chaotic too.
“Hehehe, hehehehahahahaha!”
The witch’s wild laughter pulled her back from thought. “This is what you call holy fire? Hahaha, it’s useless!”
“Enough nonsense, demon!”
Priest Marshall’s tone was harsh. Leticia could almost imagine the old man blowing his beard and glaring. “Turn to dust in the Lord’s power!”
“Dust, dust? Haha, hahahahaha......”
The witch’s voice grew weaker. Leticia knew, no matter how arrogant her words, her life was only this one. “Fools, how could I possibly die!”
Her voice suddenly became sharp, as if tearing through everyone’s eardrums. Almost everyone covered their ears, unwilling to hear her hysterical words.
But the sound still forced its way in like a devil’s chant, like the deepest and most vicious curse.
“I will not die! I will slumber in the darkness, and I will awaken!”
The mad laughter was finally drowned in the flames.
......
The people dispersed.
They had witnessed the witch’s final madness and end. Looking at the ashes in the flames, they felt as though something inside them had been filled, leaving them somewhat satisfied.
As they scattered, Leticia saw the smiles on their faces.
It made her shiver.
“Uncle, let’s go back too?”
Supporting her uncle John, Leticia asked with some difficulty.
She was still too small. At only ten years old, to hold up half the weight of a grown man and watch a burning at the stake to the end was already remarkable.
Even if that grown man was terribly frail.
“Mm, sorry for troubling you, Leticia......”
Uncle John had returned to his usual state—dull, but kind and gentle. Stroking her head, he said apologetically, “Making you help a man like me here, and making you listen to the filthy words of the devil before its death.”
“Mm, it’s fine. As long as the Lord is in our hearts, even if the devil stands before us, it won’t affect anything, right?”
Leticia smiled as she spoke. Even if she inwardly despised such things, when it came to saying pretty words, she was very good at it.
“You really are growing up, child......”
Uncle John was gratified. He had watched her grow with his own eyes, and the oddities he had seen, he had brushed aside as normal phases of a child growing up.
Oh, and here it was worth noting: Uncle John’s full name was John Bovanado. He was an ordinary resident of Innsmouth, from a poor family. Besides farming daily, at night he also worked as a miner at a site some distance from the village to supplement their needs.
He and Leticia relied on each other. John was alone, and Leticia’s parents had been his kin. After their deaths, he had taken the girl in to live with him.
John’s illness could be said to be half from overwork.
High-intensity labor, fewer than five hours of sleep a day, harsh living conditions—all had worn down his body, corroding his health.
Collapse was just the inevitable result of reaching the limit.
Not that there was no cure, but in this world, without mystical or theological methods, from a purely scientific view, it was better to let him eat, drink, and live happily.
“I also wish I could grow up quickly, so I can help ease your burden sooner!”
Leticia rubbed her cheek against John’s scarred, callused hand. Just as she prepared to leave with him, she heard a gentle laugh behind them.
“As long as the Lord is in our hearts, even if the devil stands before us, it won’t affect anything...... is that so.”
Turning back, she saw Priest Marshall had somehow come to stand behind them. “Child, that sentence—where did you hear it?”
“Priest.”
“Priest.”
Leticia and Uncle John first greeted Priest Marshall. (This world had a strict hierarchy. As a Priest, Marshall’s status was far higher than ordinary villagers. When meeting him, one had to show respect.)
“It’s alright. We are all lambs of the Lord. No need for such formality.”
Priest Marshall smiled, waving his hand. He took two steps forward, squatted before Leticia, kindly like an ordinary grandfather next door. “Child, I remember—you are Leticia, aren’t you? Can you tell me, that sentence you just said, where did you hear it?”
That shouldn’t be a dangerous question.....
Leticia shrank slightly. “Priest, it was just what I thought of when answering Uncle’s question.”
“Oh? What question?”
Priest Marshall asked kindly. Perhaps seeing her nervousness, he smiled. “Child, don’t worry. I only want to tell you that what you said was not wrong, nor blasphemous. In fact, quite the opposite.”
“So I wanted to ask you where you heard such words. But if they were your own thoughts......”
Quite the opposite? Meaning that flattery-level pretty words had landed squarely on Priest Marshall’s heart?
Then it seemed there was no danger......
Before someone who had just burned a witch alive, not being nervous was impossible.
“Mm, yes, Priest.”
Leticia nodded. “Although that...... witch, her words sounded frightening and terrible, when I thought of the Lord’s protection, I felt there was no need to fear......”
Leticia felt her acting now could win her an Academy Award in her original world!
No flaw at all!
Hearing the girl’s innocent words, Priest Marshall’s expression grew a little odd.
He seemed to want to keep a kindly face, but couldn’t suppress an urge to burst into laughter......
“Ah, it’s nothing, nothing. My apologies......”
Suddenly regaining composure, Priest Marshall smiled and stroked Leticia’s head. “Child, you said well. As long as the Lord is in each of our hearts, even if the devil comes, what is there to fear? If everyone understood this, how could so much corruption still exist......”
His tone grew stern and angry as he spoke.
But soon he returned to calm.
“Child, you said it very well.”
Priest Marshall smiled, patted John’s shoulder, and from his robe took out a small box, handing it to him. “You have a good niece. The Lord will bless her and you.”
Uncle John was so moved he almost couldn’t speak.
The item inside gave off a bitter fragrance. Leticia knew at once what it was.
It was the same medicine Priest had given her before. After John had taken it, his health had clearly improved. It was good stuff.
“Thank you, Priest!”
“Thank you, Priest Marshall!”
Waving with a smile, Priest Marshall said, “No need. After all, we are all companions under the Lord’s light.”