Chapter 871: Promotional Film

"Senior, what are you doing?"

Dorothy asked the dark-winged witch hiding in the corner, her tone laced with annoyance.

No sooner had she spoken than a black figure darted out, transforming into a streak of black light in a desperate attempt to flee. Dorothy simply snapped her fingers.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."

Amidst a flurry of falling black feathers, Wenwen stumbled to her feet, clutching her head.

She had been mere moments away from escaping, but no matter how fast her speed of 5 was, she was still flying, and she was no match for a master of space magic.

She had felt nothing but empty air ahead, but suddenly an "invisible wall" had manifested, blocking her path. Flying at full speed, she had slammed headfirst into it and tumbled to the ground.

By the time the dark-winged witch rubbed her nearly broken nose and stood up, a tall figure was already looming over her, casting a shadow so large it felt suffocating.

"Hehehe, hello there, Young Lady. I was just trying to give you a surprise!"

*So, you're the Ibaraki Doji, huh? I'll remember that. *

*My god, it's only been a few days, and the Young Lady has improved so much. This girl is a monster. *

But none of that mattered. Dorothy simply waved a hand, and the spellbook hidden behind the senior's back suddenly appeared in her own grasp.

Just as she was about to explain—

The tall, red-oni witch scratched her head and said as much.

"Understood, Lady Dorothy. We'll get to work right away. Oh, right, Lady Ibuki and Lady Butterfly asked me to pass on a message: the Demon Mountain and Ten Thousand Nations City are fully combat-ready. We await your word to march onto the battlefield."

Dorothy didn't indulge her. She simply held out her hand, signaling for the senior to behave unless she wanted to learn the hard way.

"Alright, fine. Dorothy, I'm not hiding it anymore—I'm laying it all out. Although I am, at heart, a pure civil engineering witch and a pacifist, you know how it is: some things are beyond one's personal control. Our sect might be... perhaps... maybe... not exactly 'proper.' You should really think carefully about whether you still want to join."

Seeing the terrified expression on Dorothy's face, she knew anything she said now would be useless. She could only glare helplessly at the foolish, one-armed red-oni.

Then, she glanced at Sid Weier, the gray-furred Lionheart Rabbit, who was genuinely happy.

On the other side, the lead Moon Rabbit nodded as well.

The dark-winged witch replied instantly.

"My lady, we are the same. The Knight Commander and the High Priestess are fully prepared."

However, as a member of the Bookcrafter Association, Dorothy found cracking such minor security measures a breeze. She simply channeled a tiny bit of mana into the spellbook, did this and that, and the book became entirely hers.

Yet, before she could speak, one of the demon witches spoke up.

"Nothing at all! What are you doing? Don't come over here!"

Dorothy, the ancestor, felt a pang of heartache as she scolded her cheap younger sister.

She turned to the demon witches and Moon Rabbits standing in two rows to welcome her.

"What are you hiding?"

Dorothy pressed a hand against Wenwen's face to block her from lunging for the spellbook, while her other hand opened the reporter senior's book to see what kind of big news she was trying to stir up.

"Of course not. The first rule of this business is to discard your conscience."

Dorothy looked darkly at Wenwen, who was already guiltily whistling.

Unfortunately, Wenwen lacked the talent for space magic, which was why Dorothy had succeeded so easily.

*My Sage sister, this is how you teach your children? Her worldview is already twisted beyond recognition. *

"Senior, doesn't your conscience hurt when you smear me like this?"

Now that they heard they could finally march to a new battlefield, the Moon Rabbits hammered away with even more vigor.

It made sense; Moon Rabbits were a purely martial race. They genuinely loved war, and having been stuck hammering away for months, they were likely bursting with pent-up energy.

"Everyone, get back to work. Stop with this useless nonsense. We are a legitimate sect; we must be civilized and set a good example. You're going to scare people."

She wore a proud expression, as if to say this was what studying journalism was all about.

The Witch's Transport Spell—a new spell Dorothy had developed after gaining some insight into spatial laws—functioned just as she had demonstrated, utilizing spatial laws to move objects.

Wenwen's spellbook was a high-end model, powerful and fast, but it did have anti-theft features that only allowed the owner to read it.

However, Dorothy couldn't be bothered to waste words on this thick-skinned senior.

Seeing Dorothy's dark expression, Wenwen, knowing escape was impossible, awkwardly scratched the back of her head and silently hid the spellbook behind her back.

She finished speaking and prepared to explain to the trembling Dorothy that it had all been a misunderstanding.

As long as the opponent wasn't a space magic specialist, this transport spell could effectively double as a theft spell. It was quite handy.

"Let me take a look..."

Dorothy: "..."

The dark-winged witch thought to herself.

Wenwen grew even more nervous, continuing to hide the spellbook while putting up a futile resistance.

Having successfully cracked the security, Dorothy didn't bother reading the reporter senior's private data; she simply pulled up the most recent access logs and...

*Night City, your underground emperor has arrived! The birth of the Eastern Island boss shocks all! The seemingly righteous Young Lady is actually secretly... *

Dorothy lay down. She gave up. There was no explaining this.

She thought she was about to scare off this sister-in-law—no, the sister of the senior—but the little witch's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

"I don't need to consider it. I'm joining."

Dorothy said without hesitation.

The little witch had just been surprised by the bizarre style of her future colleagues; she wasn't actually afraid.

After all, she was a pure-blooded witch. What pure-blooded witch would fear or dislike war?

War was glorious, heroism was honorable—this was the education witches received from childhood.

Besides, there was no better way to demonstrate the strength of a sect than to arrive at a new job and find your colleagues preparing for a grand war.

Although she was an idol witch who pursued art, for idol witches, there were only two stages in life.

One was the central stage of the Witch Opera House, and the other was the stage of the battlefield.

Imagine standing on the deck of a massive, imposing warship, with the fires of war filling the sky ahead and your colleagues broadcasting the battle behind you.

When your singing voice rings out across the battlefield, accompanied by the roar of annihilation cannons, inspiring countless comrades to charge forward...

That image was truly blood-boiling.

In fact, there was a class of idol witches who specialized in battlefield singing. Their voices could grant various buffs to comrades, apply debuffs to enemies, and even shift the tide of battle. They were known as Battlefield Songstresses. "To be honest, Young Lady, I've actually wanted to be a Battlefield Songstress for a long time."

The little witch said shyly.

*Well, this 'improper' Witch's Home sect is exactly what she needs. She really came to the right place. *

She thought happily.

*What ambition. *

What else could she say? She was practically becoming the boss of a liquor factory.

*Damn it, how did a pacifist like me end up with a bunch of war-crazed maniacs under my command? *

Dorothy helplessly waved for her "pillars of support" to keep working, while she took the still-excited Dorothy toward a temporary office near the construction site.

"Greetings, My Lady."

As soon as they entered, a group of charming maid-servants bowed in two neat rows.

The sight of those swaying fruits made her eyes widen instantly.

*Wow, so white and blinding, so deep and enchanting. *

*Wait, when did I hire maids? *

Dorothy blinked rapidly, a string of question marks appearing over her head.

After carefully examining the faces of the maids, she angrily dragged Wenwen, who was retreating toward the door, back out.

These maids were none other than the trainees she had hired just yesterday.

"Senior, was this your idea again?"

She was exhausted by this troublemaker. It was no wonder the News Agency was so hated in the Witch Academy; with a president like this, how could their popularity not be high?

"Just tell me if you like it or not, Young Lady. Speak with your conscience."

Wenwen, being dragged by her wings like a chicken, didn't resist; she just rolled her eyes and asked.

Dorothy's expression mirrored hers.

She couldn't bring herself to say she didn't like it.

*Damn it, Wenwen has a good eye for people. I'm just a vulgar person, and I really do like this sort of thing. *

"Fine, everyone looks great. You've all worked hard. In the future, there's no need for such grand gestures. The Witch's Home doesn't have so many rules. I hope we can become a true family; that was my original intention in founding the Witch's Home."

Dorothy waved her hand to help the trainees up and said earnestly.

This was the truth.

The trainees, who had been worried about being forced into maid outfits as soon as they reported, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They looked at their new boss. At the Night Charm Club, they had long been accustomed to such workplace CPU and pie-in-the-sky promises.

Therefore, they understood the principle that one should listen to the boss's words but never take them seriously.

But now, looking at the Young Lady's expression, they truly felt her sincerity. Everyone clearly sensed that the Young Lady wasn't just painting a picture; these were her true feelings.

Her smile was like the midday sun in winter, exceptionally warm.

Sincerity was a truly rare trait in Night City, a city that looked glamorous on the surface but was cold and ruthless underneath.

Suddenly, they felt a strange sense of being a thirsty traveler in the desert who had unexpectedly found an oasis. A wave of emotion surged in their hearts.

They suddenly felt a little less like strangers to the Witch's Home and a little more like they belonged.

Of course, this was only a momentary emotion. Pretty words were just words; true trust would depend on the new boss's actions.

In Night City, the most valuable thing was acting, and the cheapest thing was also acting.

For the moment, the trainees were moved, and they all wore expressions of "a scholar dies for his confidant."

Of course, Dorothy saw through it instantly. Such amateur acting was far too naive for the sister of the Lie Sage.

However, Dorothy had no intention of exposing them. Even the Lie Sage herself couldn't make people fully trust her with just a few empty, pretty words.

But she had confidence that she could fulfill her promises, and she believed that one day, the people before her would no longer be acting.

"Then today, let's all discuss the first mission of the Witch's Home Cultural Troupe."

Dorothy clapped her hands, and after capturing everyone's attention, she said as much.

Then, she waved her hand, and a magical projection unfolded.

"This is the promotional magic film we shot on Eastern Island: 'How the Fantasy Land Was Built.' You can watch it to get an understanding of the current situation on Eastern Island. Afterward, the promotional work for Eastern Island will be handed over to you all."

Dorothy said, and began playing the finished film edited by Audrey.

Hearing her words, the trainees had a string of question marks over their heads.

*Wait, watching a magic film to understand the history of Eastern Island? *

*Wait, is this a documentary you guys shot? *

Such doubts surfaced in everyone's hearts.

However, soon, as the film played, everyone's attention was captivated.

"I am a killer. I have no emotions."

Following the cold monologue, the Eastern swordsman Yue Jianhei appeared on the screen.

And after the magic film ended, everyone remained silent until, after a long while, they slowly came back to their senses.

"Young Lady, this is truly amazing. This is the best magic film I've seen recently."

"A big production, definitely a big production."

"Wuwuwu, my Yue Jianhei is so miserable, even though he said he had no emotions."

"The philosophy of Ten Thousand Nations City is so great. I want to join Ten Thousand Nations City too."

"As expected of a Fantasy Land. The fact that Ten Thousand Nations City was actually established at the end is truly fantastical."

Everyone sighed with emotion.

(End of chapter)