Inside the monastery, the light from several candles in a large candlestick illuminated a corner of the dining hall, blocking out the encroaching night.
When Morgan heard this, he shifted uncomfortably and nervously in his chair. His Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Lord Father, I've said it many times. I'm really not a believer in witches..."
"Then don't spread rumors about witches in the village." The young priest immediately interrupted. "Witches are symbols of depravity and evil. They are creatures to be burned at the stake. Their magic is even more wicked!"
He continued righteously: "Witches are such detestable beings—creatures cast out by God. Yet you claim to have seen a witch. What am I supposed to think of you? What do you want me to do?"
Morgan's face paled. He quickly straightened up and explained, "I've already told the villagers that it might have been a dream from my childhood..."
"A dream!" The young priest interrupted again. "Just don't mention such dreams. Look, it's like a plague. Some in the village also say they saw witches as children."
"I see that, given your usual good deeds, I cannot blame you for the past. But you must ensure that in the future, you are not allowed to mention witches. Otherwise, I will have to judge you impartially."
"Yes, yes, yes." Morgan hastily agreed. His expression suddenly became somewhat gloomy.
Nidhogg had remained silent throughout, simply picking at the food remnants between his teeth with a toothpick.
The young priest finally decided everyone could sleep. He led them to the latrine and then to their rooms.
Nidhogg's guest room was shared with Morgan—two separate beds. When Nidhogg returned after washing up, Morgan was already lying in bed, sitting up before a candlestick, flipping through scripture.
"Did you really see a witch?" Nidhogg locked the door, turned around, and asked directly.
Morgan flinched. Hearing no movement outside, he said, "It was just a dream. You just heard the priest say witches are evil and chaotic beings..."
"Alright, alright." Nidhogg cut off Morgan's nonsense, then lay down on his own bed. "Tell me the whole process of your 'witch dream.' I'm leaving tomorrow. It doesn't matter, right?"
"This..." Morgan hesitated for a moment. Under Nidhogg's persistent urging, he did feel a desire to express what was in his heart. So he said, "It was over fifty years ago."
"At that time, my mother was seriously ill. She lay in bed all day and needed care. As a child, I had to take on that responsibility. Honestly, it was hard work. I was very unhappy then."
"One day, I escaped from that responsibility under the pretext of finding a witch to save my mother. At that moment, I felt quite relaxed. I felt like everything was glowing."
"There really were rumors back then that a witch lived nearby who could cure illnesses and save people. I wasn't completely lying. But claiming I was sure I could find a witch, or even get a witch to cure my mother—that would have been a lie."
"However, I didn't expect that after walking through the forest, I would actually enter a mysterious place—the witch's residence. And I truly saw the legend."
"The witch patiently listened to my story and decided to give me medicine. I quickly thanked her and hurried home, driven by a strange and complex feeling."
"Afterward, I used the witch's medicine and truly cured my mother, who had been terminally ill. That miracle caused quite a stir back then."
"But when the villagers, led by me, tried to find the witch's residence again, they couldn't."
"In the blink of an eye, over fifty years passed. All my family members died long ago. I'm the only one left who knew about it then. My memory has become blurry. It makes me feel like maybe it was all a dream."
"It must have been a dream."
Morgan finally muttered, as if convincing himself.
Nidhogg became interested and asked, "Uncle Morgan, if I ever have a chance to meet the witch, could I bring something for you? What would you give me?"
Morgan was stunned by the question. He said:
"Didn't the priest and I already say it was just a dream... Besides, even if it wasn't a dream, over fifty years have passed. The witch might have vanished long ago. Otherwise, how could she never be seen again?"
"Maybe." Nidhogg teased. "Didn't the priest say witches are evil beings? Evil beings live longer than good people. Isn't that common sense?"
Morgan couldn't help but frown at Nidhogg calling witches evil, but he quickly pulled himself together and said, "This is meaningless."
"Well..." Nidhogg thought for a moment, then turned and asked, "I heard from the priest that you often do good deeds. Sometimes you don't even care about your own gains, losses, or sacrifices. Why is that?"
"The priest praises me unfairly." Morgan lowered his head. "I'm just old. My family is dead. I don't have many cares."
"Isn't it to see that witch again?" Nidhogg suddenly asked.
Morgan's head shot up. He stared at Nidhogg in astonishment. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Nidhogg continued: "For over fifty years, you've never lost hope of seeing the witch again, have you? You just have no way to do it. So you disappoint yourself, convincing yourself it was a dream."
"But you never gave up in your heart. All this time, you've remembered that the witch once treated the wounded in the villages here."
"However, after the teachings of the Holy See spread here, she was driven out and exiled by the villagers. She never appeared again. Perhaps you thought that if you did more good deeds, you might attract her attention and maybe see her again, right?"
Morgan, visibly agitated, clenched his fists and then released them.
Nidhogg said with emphasis: "Of course, I'm not denying your goodness. You've been able to do good deeds for so many years and are even willing to sacrifice your own interests. That's not hypocrisy."
"But I want to ask you something."
"This witch cures illnesses and saves people. She never took revenge after being driven out. She gave you medicine despite your past suspicions when you came to her for help. She never asked for repayment afterward. And she could influence you to do good deeds for your entire life. Is such a witch truly evil?"
Morgan was stunned by the question.
He had asked himself this question many times in his heart, but he had never found an answer. Perhaps there was an answer, but he couldn't say it.
"Of course, maybe the witch really is evil. She's fishing for a big catch with a long line, tempting you into doing evil that threatens the village. So there's no need to believe in witches. Just treat it as a transaction."
"A transaction?" Morgan looked at Nidhogg, bewildered.
Nidhogg replied, "She saved your mother's life, and you've done good deeds your whole life. Isn't that a fair trade? You owe her nothing, and she owes you nothing."
Morgan felt this young man was talking nonsense, but he couldn't refute it. Because he didn't want to refute it with all his heart.
"Alright, back to the original question." Nidhogg said. "If I could meet the witch, what would you want me to bring her?"
This time, Morgan was silent for a long time. He clenched his teeth and finally spoke:
"Then bring her a message. Tell her from me: 'Thank you, Lady Witch. I will never forget your help. And I will never forget that you made me understand responsibility and the meaning of life.'"