Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular

Joanne already had her wand at the ready, while Hecate equipped her Mithril Gauntlets, crafted by the Elves in the Lands of Alastor.

But deep inside, the two girls were feeling a bit thrilled because they didn\'t know what lay ahead beyond the door.

"I\'ll open it," Hecate said as she held the doorknob," Hecate said. "Be ready for anything."

Joanne nodded as she held her wand tightly in her hand.

When Hecate opened the door, no monsters or any other evil creatures lunged at her.

Instead, they saw a maze in the distance, which made Joanne smirk.

"Interesting," Joanne commented. "A maze under the Dud Manor. Who could have thought?"

Hecate nodded. Aside from the secret password that would allow them to enter this place, the Fish didn\'t tell her anything else aside from "explore at your own risk."

Naturally, Hecate took that as a challenge, so she decided to check what was under the Dud Manor once she reached Brynhildr Academy.

She never considered that the Appraisal Stone might assign her to Manors other than the Dud Manor because she was well aware of her unreliable magic power.

After admiring the maze from a distance, the two walked toward its entrance and saw a sign.

"When you hear my cry loudly, I am far. When it is faint, I am near. Take two right turns and one left turn in order to find me. Three is the magic number which will set you free."

Joanne read the words out loud, which made her interest grow more and more.

"First a maze, then a riddle," Joanne said. "Whoever made this sure has a lot of time in his hands."

Hecate was about to agree with her, but before she could say anything, someone else spoke up, making the two girls almost jump up in surprise.

"Well, you\'re not wrong, young lady."

Joanne and Hecate turned around and took a fighting stance.

However, when their gaze landed on the person who called out to them from behind, both of them hesitated to launch a preemptive strike.

Seeing that the two were hesitating to attack him, the man chuckled and clapped his hands thrice.

"Congratulations on finding this place using unconventional means," the Will of Fortis Dud said with a smile. "But I\'m curious. How did you find this place, Ms. Hecate? Only those I have chosen may come to this underground maze.

"If memory serves me right, I don\'t remember giving you an invitation. So, could you please tell me how you knew about the painting, as well as the password that opened the secret passage?

"I trust Ethan very much, so I don\'t believe that he is the one who told you about this place. Worry not, I won\'t stop you from taking the challenge if you wish. I just want to know the truth because it is a matter of security for those who live in the Dud Manor."

Hecate pondered for a bit before nodding her head.

"A fish told me," Hecate replied.

"A fish?" Fortis Dud blinked. "What kind of fish?"

"The annoying kind," Hecate answered. "The Jealous Fish, I mean, the Jellyfish."

"Oh dear, a Jellyfish told you huh?" Fortis Dud scratched his head. "How is that even possible? I don\'t remember sharing this secret with a fish, much less a Jellyfish."

"Well, it is what it is," Hecate replied. "It is really a fish that told me."

"Hahaha! Well, whoever that fish is, she sure is prickly like a blowfish, huh?"

(A/N: Somewhere in the seas of Midgard, a certain Jealous Fish sneezed.)

Fortis Dud shook his head helplessly. Just that answer was enough to tell him that Hecate would not tell him the truth he wanted.

But since she was technically a member of the Dud Manor, she also had the qualifications to enter the maze despite using a different approach to reach it.

Fortis Dud then glanced at Joanne, who wasn\'t part of his Manor. However, since she was Ethan\'s sister, she got a special pass to go to the places where Ethan could go as well.

"Fine. I\'ll be taking my leave then, My Ladies,\' Fortis Dud gave the two girls a gentleman\'s bow. "But before I go, let me change the challenge a bit. There is a more appropriate place for the two of you to go."

Fortis Dud snapped his fingers, and the two girls disappeared from the entrance of the maze.

A moment later, the two found themselves in an unfamiliar place, staring at the ghost of a little boy whom they had never seen before.

"Huh?" Lyle blinked once then twice as he stared at the two Witches who suddenly appeared in the Forbidden Section of the Library. "Joanne and Hecate? How did the two of you end up here? What\'s going on?"

However, before the two girls could ask Lyle who he was and how did he know them, Fortis Dud suddenly appeared beside Lyle and whispered something in his ear.

"Huh? Is that even allowed?" Lyle asked in surprise.

"Of course, it\'s allowed," Fortis Dud replied. "I founded this academy, so if I allow it, then there\'s no problem."

"Uh… you will get these two in trouble." Lyle scratched his head. "Especially after the incident with the Ravens. The Headmaster and the Professors are all busy."

"Which is why this is the perfect opportunity for these two to know a bit more about the world, yes?"

"Well, you\'re not wrong. But Ethan just finished going inside the painting. Are you sure you want to send these two girls inside of it?"

After hearing the word "painting," Joanne\'s ears immediately perked up because her brother told her that he had been stuck inside a painting during the week that he went missing in the academy.

The two ghosts argued for a bit, but in the end, Lyle relented and made a gesture for the two girls to follow him.

"You will talk to the Headmaster about this, okay?" Lyle said. "I don\'t want to talk with Rinehart right now."

"Fine." Fortis Dud nodded. "Don\'t worry. I\'ll make sure to inform him a bit later… maybe."

"Oi! Inform him properly."

"Tsk! You\'re such a worrywart, Lyle. Just take them to the painting."

Fortis Dud disappeared after saying those words, making Lyle heave a long and deep sigh.

"Well, first things first, My name is Lyle," Lyle introduced himself. "And I am the Will of the Founder of the Eques Manor. I know about the two of you because Ethan always talked about his beautiful sister and his charming junior in Dud Manor."

Of course, Lyle was spouting bullsh*t, but he didn\'t feel like explaining how he knew about Joanne and Hecate.

"Since Fortis has decided to give the two of you permission to enter the Painting of Enlightenment, I have no choice but to take you there. So, come with me."

After saying those words, Lyle gestured for the two to follow him toward the back of the Forbidden Section of the Library.

Joanne and Hecate glanced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.

Ethan only told Joanne about the Painting of Enlightenment, but Joanne told Hecate about it.

Because of this, the two witches wondered if they would be able to meet and see the same people that Ethan saw inside the painting.

The painting which almost trapped and took his memories away from him forever.