Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Chapter 2011: Ivor and Hettie Return

Seven days later.

White Raven Island. Labh Salem.

The morning sun peeked through the light clouds as the waves gently lapped against the shore.

The breeze carried the scent of salt.

Eren stood alone on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the small harbor, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat.

Below him, a sleek black ship had just anchored near the island's dock. Its hull was carved with strange runes that shimmered faintly in the light.

The sails, dyed in shades of deep green and muted gold, swayed slowly in the sea wind. At the very front of the ship, standing tall at the figurehead was a man Eren hadn't seen in years.

"Ivor Ossan," Eren muttered, his lips curling into a grin. "You actually came."

Ivor looked almost the same as Eren remembered him from Anfang—except now, his aura was far more dangerous. His hair was longer, tied loosely at the back, and his eyes burned with a focused intensity.

His golden armor gleamed in the morning sun, and the intricate sigils etched into it told stories of many battles won.

Behind him stood a woman with silky lustrous hair and pale skin. Her eyes glowed faintly, her mana saturated with demonic influence. She was dressed in a robe that mixed the elegance of a witch with the madness of a fiend.

"Hettie came as well," Eren said, narrowing his eyes with faint amusement. "Still serving me well, I see."

He remembered the day he had turned her. He had given her a new life on a whim in Anfang. Now, she was something else entirely—part witch, part fiend, bound to Eren's will through the unwashable influence of his demonic powers.

The ship began to lower its plank onto the dock, and Eren jumped down from the cliff to greet his visitors. This seemingly casual jump was surprisingly enough to land him near the ship on the harbour.

As Ivor came out, the Rankers and merfolks stationed around the harbor straightened up nervously.

They didn't recognize Ivor by name, but they could feel his presence. It was heavy, like gold dipped in blood, and it spoke of power earned through unrelenting struggle.

When Eren appeared at the dock, Ivor stepped down the plank first, his golden eyes meeting Eren's.

"Eren Elijah Idril," Ivor greeted the butcher with a smile on his face. "Still alive and raising hell. You know, you are on your second suicidal streak at this point, right?"

Eren chuckled. "It's not that I'm suicidal. It's that others don't want me to live. So I have to do all I can to return the favour…. And the feelings."

Ivor smirked. "Well… I don't want to be at the receiving end when you return such favors. Anyway… this one," he said, nodding toward Hettie, "wants to see you."

Hettie walked down slowly, each step measured. She didn't speak, just gave Eren a long look that lingered somewhere between devotion and resentment. Of course, the resentment was because he had called them so late. The red in her eyes flared just a little before calming down.

"I've missed you, my liege. But I'm thankful you finally called us," she said, her tone flat but oddly sincere.

Eren nodded once. "Well… you need to make yourself at home on this island. Things are going to get very hectic in the coming times."

He turned around and gestured for them to follow.

"Come on," he said. "Let's talk somewhere quiet. We've got a lot to catch up on—and even more to plan."

The three of them walked away from the dock, leaving the crashing waves behind.

***

Eren led Ivor and Hettie to a quiet hall near the heart of White Raven Island's central outpost.

It was a simple room, built with dark wood and wide glass windows that overlooked the sea. A long table stood in the middle, surrounded by chairs, with a few maps and papers laid across the surface. The scent of saltwater still hung faintly in the air.

Ivor took a seat across from Eren, resting his elbow on the table while Hettie stood quietly behind him, her hands folded.

"So," Eren said, leaning back in his chair. "What exactly did you bring me, Ivor? I hope it's good. Because I'm gonna need everything you have."

Ivor smiled. "Indeed, I brought everything. Well almost everything," he said. "And then some."

Eren raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. Ivor continued.

"There are a little over 2000 witches and warlocks aboard the ship that just docked," he said. "All of them are from the Order of the Root. They're trained, loyal, and ready to follow your commands."

Eren gave a short nod, already impressed. At first, he had thought that Ivor would be able to influence just a bit more than 500 coven members. However, he had clearly underestimated Ivor's standing in the coven or his capabilities.

He had to say that Ivor could be pretty persuasive when he put his mind into it. The way he tried to communicate might not let others give their opinions. However, sometimes that was a good thing.

Ivor wasn't done.

"And that's just the first wave," he said. "Three more ships are on their way here in the coming weeks. They'll be carrying another 5000 Root members, give or take."

Eren's eyes narrowed slightly. This was definitely out of his wildest imagination.

One had to know that witches and warlocks were more special than Rankers and all the other types of mana practitioners. Labh Salem was their home ground.

Most of them had the Skill Trees of the witch goddess, which gave them an edge over their counterparts in Labh Salem. The witch goddess' Skill Tree covered every type of aspect in Labh Salem, making them all-rounders.

On a not-so-rare-occasions, a witch or warlock was twice or thrice as strong as someone from the same rank following a different Path to Power.

If Eren were to get 7000 of such witches and warlocks serving under him, his military might would skyrocket instantly.

Eren felt like he had asked for a glass of water and received a sky full of rainy clouds in return. Even though the rain hadn't started yet, he already felt like his thirst was going away looking at the gathering gray clouds.

"That's… almost your entire coven, isn't it?"

Eren asked while looking at Ivor.

Ivor smirked. "What do you mean, you selfish man? It is the entire coven."

Eren leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So you're telling me that the Order of the Root is moving its full strength here? To White Raven Island? I indeed asked if you could help. But I didn't think your coven would invest this much in me."

Ivor nodded.

"Well… there's a reason for it. Anyway, we've already made preparations. Once the last ship arrives, every single member of the Root will be here.

We've structured the teams the same way we always have—more than a hundred captains, all A-Ranked like me, each in charge of around a hundred witches or warlocks. There are five newbie S-Ranked captains along with them as well."

Eren tapped his fingers against the table, thinking for a moment. "And what about the three late-stage S-Ranks? The ones leading the whole thing—are they on board with this?"

Eren was obviously asking about the coven heads.

It was Hettie who answered. She stepped forward and said with a bit of confidence and pride. She was clearly happy that she had brought Eren good news.

"They'll come with the final ships," she said. "And they're ready to give up the Root completely. If you'll have them, they'll dissolve the coven, leave their past behind, and swear their loyalty to you."

Eren tilted his head slightly. "Dissolving their entire coven? That's a big step. What do they want from me in return?"

Hettie met his gaze. Her sparkling eyes didn't blink. "Because they saw what happened to me. And they want the same."

"You mean…"

"Hehe. Yes, my liege" she chuckled and nodded. "They want to be turned into fiends. Just like I am. They believe in your path. In what you're building here."

Eren stared at her for a long moment. Then he looked back at Ivor, who simply nodded, confirming her words.

"You'll have more power than ever," Ivor said. "Not just soldiers—but fanatics. The witches and warlocks of Root are crazy about the Young Demon Emperor. Fighters who believe you can lead them past the boundaries of what average demonic beings from Labh Salem can reach. That's why they came here as soon as I pitched them your plan."

Eren leaned back again, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Well then," he said and smiled. "Let's see how much trouble we can stir up with seven thousand witches and warlocks on our side."

The room was quiet for a moment, the sound of the distant waves barely reaching their ears. Then Eren stood.

"Get them settled. I'll begin assigning tasks once I meet the captains. We don't have much time before the Sabbath. And if the Root is really going to stand with me… then I shall help them in progressing their demonic path anyway I can."

Ivor stood as well, his eyes gleaming with something close to excitement.

Hettie gave a small smile, faint and hard to read, before following behind them as they left the room.

===

AN: Order of the Root wad first introduced in chapter 1733.

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