“It tastes as good as it smells.”
“I’ve added some black tea to enhance the flavor. That herb can be mixed with this one to make it more fragrant, and through the power of magic, I can make a good cup of tea.”
Inori happily drank my tea as I gave her my little spiel about it.
“Oh? You seem quite capable. Do you have a witch name yet? Seeing as you’re the Eternal Witch’s apprentice, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had one already.”
Powerful mages earned witch and wizard names, and for those who practiced magic, these names were common sense. Just like the Eternal Witch for my teacher and the Wise Witch for Inori, it was a symbol of recognition passed on by the Council of Magic. Having a witch name meant you were both a powerful and competent witch.
“No way. I’m as in-training as they come.”
“Is that something to be proud of?” Inori was a bit taken aback by the confidence with which I spoke, and with a wry grin, repeated, “A witch in training…” For whatever reason, it felt like there was a deeper meaning behind her saying this.
“Hey, I’d like to see more. You cultivate your own herbs here, right? Do you have your own plot?”
“We do. I’m tending a garden in the Witch’s Forest just outside of here. It’s closer to a hobby than an actual garden, though.”
“Show it to me. Your garden.”
“You got it. I actually wanted to go there today anyway.”
“Are you going to pick something?”
“Yes, something for your feet. I think mint would do you wonders.”
“Do they still smell…?”
The manor my teacher and I lived in was tucked into the Witch’s Forest. These woods were a special place where I managed the magical energy and took care of the animals and plants. The soil was kept healthy through balanced magical energy levels, allowing for springlike temperatures throughout the year, and with plenty of healthy soil available, it was possible to harvest certain plants that wouldn’t normally grow around these parts. There was also a large population of animals coexisting with the plants. I had to be sure none of the animals were dangerous, though, as the townsfolk of Lapis liked to stroll through these woods.
Inori walked alongside me, happily humming a tune as we meandered through the forest.
“You sure seem happy.”
“I’m elated that boring conference is over. The air here is pristine; it feels great.”
“Those conferences must be pretty difficult, I imagine?”
“They sure are. They last for days and run late into the night, with a plethora of topics to handle—most of which are either irregular in nature or without definitive conclusions. You should know all about this, though, seeing as you’re an apprentice to one of the Seven Sages?”
“My teacher doesn’t like to talk too much about work…”
“I see…”
Inori scratched her cheek, seemingly unsure of how to continue.
“She probably just doesn’t want you to worry about her. It’s nothing to fret over.”
“When’s she gonna come home?”
“Who knows? She’s handling a real emergency. But since it’s Grandma Faust we’re talking about, I’m sure she’ll figure it out and be home before you know it.”
“You think so…?”
“You’re worried about your teacher, aren’t you?”
“Who, me? No way.”
“What do you mean ‘no way’? You should’ve seen the sad look you just had on!”
“It’s just a shame to think that my break will come to an end…”
“Then why did you look upset when you mentioned her not telling you about her work?!”
“That was me trying not to yawn. Did I look sad?”
“It’s not something to yawn about!”
With an astounded look in her eyes, Inori shook her head at me in disbelief and said, “You’re quite difficult to read.”
“I’m sure you’re tired from the conference.”
“I’m more tired from talking to you about it!”
There were many medicinal herbs from the East and West, as well as herbs used for fragrance, being grown in the Witch’s Forest—each growing at an accelerated rate with incredible vibrancy. My main job was to manage the soil and magical energy levels in the forest. It wasn’t to say that I left the herbs to their own devices, but there wasn’t much work that needed to be done in terms of taking care of them. Healthy, bountiful soil was all they needed to grow well. All I had to do was thin the forest out here and there.
Inori squatted down and felt the soil at the plants’ roots to check their condition for herself.
“These are thoroughly managed.”
“I have to maintain the magic levels every day. It’s quite the workload.”
“Your teacher leaves it all to you?”
“Yes. You know how packed her schedule is, after all.”
“Let’s see here. The mulch quality and the amount of magic in the soil are both up to speed. You could probably grow anything here with how well it’s being maintained. You have quite the green thumb on you.”
“Darn tootin’! This here’s my farm, ma’am.”
My best farmer impression was lost on Inori, who just seemed confused. This was something of a letdown for me—I had confidence in that impression, too.
“Having an eye for soil is a powerful asset. Even more so now, seeing as how things have gotten strange lately, with the climate and environment changing so much. You’ll be able to find a good job with a talent like that.”
“That’s nice to hear, but what do you mean?”
“People have had too much of an impact on the environment. They’ve polluted the air and cut down the forests, altering how the land was supposed to look. Despite this, the leaders of the world think they can use magic to fix what they’ve broken.”
Lots of work the Seven Sages dealt with was environmental issues and research they were tasked with by the many governments of the world. One of the main issues being researched was the impact of magic on living beings and the consequences of that impact. It was thought that magic caused rare species to go extinct, drove animals mad, and warped the environment. They often talked on the news about how the world’s deserts were expanding due to this.
“When deforestation removes plants from a given habitat, magic loses the channel through which it takes root into the ground. This results in that area’s magic needing to find a new host, usually in the largest nearby life-form. The influx of magic focused on one individual often brings about changes. For example, the individual may consume weaker life-forms it previously didn’t and change the balance of nature in the area.”
Inori explained everything there was to the abnormal phenomenon without skipping a beat.
“The collection of magic gives a being power, but power isn’t simply something that can be gained. Power that is too great for its vessel can cause imbalance within it, resulting in a rampage. It’s a mage’s job to maintain the balance of nature. If you gained power, what would you do with it?”
“I would use it to acquire wealth and fame, then create a harem of beautiful men to heed my every whim.”
“You’re not a great vessel, then.”
Inori sighed in disbelief.
“Listen, if an animal eats a plant or fruit that has amassed large quantities of magic, it will absorb that magic into its body. This will make it attack people. In the East, we’ve experienced a gruesome bear attack that resulted in the death of several women who lived in the nearby village. There will be more attacks like this as the problem worsens. The animals will go in and out of villages, turning into monsters.”
“Wow…”
By changing an ecosystem too much, or using spells that were too powerful, the balance of magic in a given area was disturbed. The Wise Witch of the East shared with me that this was slowly beginning to alter the life in those areas.
Needless to say, it was a very serious conversation.
“I’m not good at thinking about difficult things. You never know when you’re gonna die. Life is short, and I think it should be lived to its fullest.”
“What would living life to its fullest mean for you, Meg?”
“A couple of beers, a nice cigar, a delicious spread, and a beautiful woman.”
“Oh, so you’re a middle-aged man.”
We eventually made it to the part of the forest I used for growing medicinal herbs. I’d enchanted the area with a spell that amplified the component of fresh lemongrass that kept bugs and other pests away.
The area had lavender, bay leaf, and arugula among many other herbs growing throughout it. That wasn’t all; deeper in the garden, there were Eastern medicinal plants as well.
Seeing this spot, Inori let a “Wow” escape her lips. “You’ve done well for yourself. These are some sizable herbs, and you can smell how potent they all are. Not to mention the variety.”
“I add more and more every year. This includes plants my teacher asks for, some I want to use for my own experiments, and herbs needed by the townspeople. They grow fast thanks to the quality of soil here.”
I shared this as I plucked the mint we’d come here for. Mint was a virile herb that could be left alone and still thrive. In fact, planting mint in someone’s garden was considered vandalism by plant enthusiasts because of its ability to take over a plot.
This was why I needed to be careful where I planted it when adding it to my forest garden. If it made its way to any of the other plants, it would quickly take over their seedbeds. I used magic to dampen its breeding power, but all it took was one seed to get loose for it to wreak havoc on another plant.