Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Chapter 88 Countdown to the Mad Lich
 

That night, the orphanage held a big party to welcome the father's friends.
Edward and Emily served as hosts and held various celebratory ceremonies in front of the bonfire. They said that they had never had any of their father's friends visit them, so this experience was very novel.
"I have a question, Albert."

"oh?"
"Everyone who stays here is a magician? You taught them well."
Angelica and Albert chatted while enjoying the magicians' performance.

"But the magical aptitude of several young children is not very good. There should have been children with mediocre magical aptitude before, right?"
"I sent them all away. I hope that every child can return to human society, but these accomplished magicians are reluctant to leave. A long time ago, I was discovered by a traveler who accidentally strayed into the deep forest, so everyone in the town knew that there was a lich living here. For decades, the people in the town have repeatedly sent people to fight me, but they were all repelled."
Due to the terrain advantage and the large number of magicians, no team has been able to see the lich for decades. However, because of the past confrontations with invaders, the magicians believe that once they leave, their father, Albert, will definitely be killed by the invaders.

"No matter how I persuaded them, they refused to move. They are such silly kids. Edward and Emily should have been married long ago. Their talents would have been very useful in any position, but they are willing to stay here."
Albert looked at the group of people who were as close as brothers and sisters around the campfire. Angelica couldn't tell from Albert's expression, but Angelica felt that Albert must be proud of these children in his heart.
Angelica was hosted as a guest in an orphanage in the deep forest for a few days. During her stay in the orphanage in the deep forest, she was able to observe the lives of these people who were almost isolated from the world.

The lich Albert was taken care of like an elderly elder in the family. Magic could solve many inconveniences in the isolated life, but sometimes he had to go to the town to buy things. In order not to be discovered or followed, the magicians would use magic to transform into small animals first, and then transform back when approaching the town.
Life in the orphanage is not prosperous, and the magicians work hard to make the environment here better. According to the oldest magician himself, it was not like this when he first came to the orphanage, because liches do not get sick and have no requirements for the living environment.
In order to adopt and take care of the children, the lich Albert had to build a large-scale building and use his bones to study how to make the meals delicious. Fortunately, the lich Albert knew some magic to increase the temperature, otherwise it would be difficult for Albert's body to provide warmth for the children in the snowy days of winter.

“No wonder you are willing to stay and protect Albert.”
In her spare time, Angelica asked Edward and Emily about Albert's experiences over the past few decades, and after listening to them, she made such an exclamation.
"People in the town are unwilling to understand father. They think liches are evil people."

"We won't let anyone hurt our father... He is our most important family member."
Edward and Emily's views were also shared by the other wizards who volunteered to stay. They knew the identity of the witch Angelica and were very happy that their father had a friend still alive.
Time passed quickly, and seven days later, Angelica planned to say goodbye and leave.
Albert and the magicians saw the witch off. Angelica had no extra luggage. She only carried a wand when she came and when she left.

So... when it comes time to express your attitude in the end, just hold the magic wand horizontally and show a hostile attitude.
"My Lord Witch, what do you mean?"
"You guys are really forgetful. Didn't I tell you? I accepted a commission, and the request was that I be the one to defeat the secluded lich."

"But, you are not father's friend?"
"We are indeed friends, but being friends and me wanting to attack him are two different things."
Seeing Angelica's casual attitude, Edward, Emily and others felt angry that they were fooled. During the week Angelica stayed here, they tried their best to treat Angelica as a senior, but no one expected that Angelica would say such words before leaving.

Angelica sighed. The magicians were on high alert and surrounding the lich Albert, but she didn't feel panicked at all.
"I say... you are magicians, right? You really can't see that? Albert has reached his limit."
“……!”

Several magicians with little knowledge were still confused. Edward and Emily, who were the backbone of the team, had unnatural changes in their expressions when they heard Angelica's comments.
"Even if you become a lich, your mind can still maintain a human mentality, but humans choose to refuse to accept liches, not just because of xenophobia. The condition for becoming a lich is to sacrifice your soul, get a longer life, and a body that will not get sick, hungry, or tired, but there is no free lunch in the world."
There are so many benefits to becoming a lich, but what is the cost?

"Lich is different from me who has become a Beyonder. Although they will not die of old age, their souls are destined to be corrupted. Their end will be to be conquered, or to fall into madness and then be conquered. By then, no matter how pure their hearts are or how much they love the people around them, they will become indiscriminate killing monsters."
"That's enough! I won't allow you ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) to insult my father! My father was never a monster!"
Edward stopped Angelica from continuing her story with a loud scolding.

This is why the lich is notorious. Its existence is destined to make the lich unable to be a good person. The lich is destined to usher in a mad monster, and this change can be either transformation over time or its soul can be completely burned out. Albert's situation belongs to the latter. He is still like an elegant sage, but his soul is on the verge of exhaustion.
In this case, he would be like a spring compressed to the limit, turning into the most terrifying killing machine. As kind and gentle as Albert was before, the crazy Albert would be as cruel and ruthless.
"Love, brother Edward! Is what she said true?"

A young magician wavered and asked Edward for confirmation.
"That's fake! She just wants to kill my father and get the damn reward..."
"-No, child, Angelica is telling the truth."

Albert, who was protected in the middle, was exceptionally calm.
"I have already sold my soul to the devil. Soon, the devil will come to me to claim his reward."