Getting to his knees, he strained forward to glimpse houses built here and there throughout the fields. The village was larger than he’d imagined and, just as he’d heard, it bordered an expansive forest. Immediately after entering the village, they passed by a small house beside the road. The woman told him that was Gramps’s house. He wasn’t headed there now, though, as the storage he was going to load the cargo into was in the middle of the village. But the cart stopped again before they got that far. “Ah, this is me,” she said, leaping off the wagon. “Sorry, could you help me get that down?” The two of them lowered the barrel together. It was quite heavy and felt like it had liquid in it. He suspected she’d gone out on her own to get water. Across the fields beside the road stood a large house. It was a bit extravagant for a farmer. It was the closest building to the forest, which at this distance seemed to press up against the back of the building. This was her home, apparently. “Ah, thanks. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask your name,” she said. “Ix.” “Ix? The festival isn’t until tomorrow. Do you have somewhere to stay?” “Not yet.” “Ah-ha-ha, must be nice to be young and living life on a whim. Well then, you can try asking that sleepyhead,” she said, pointing into the wagon. “Gidens’ll probably do you a favor. If not, well…you’re welcome to come stay at my place.” “You sure?” “I don’t recommend it. There’s nothing in my house. Oh, that’s not me trying to say no in a roundabout way; feel free to stop by… Hmm? What’s wrong?” “Uh, your name…?” “Ah, I forgot to say? Sorry, I’m Camilla.” “Camilla?” “It’s actually pronounced Cah-mee-la, but either’s good,” she said with a smile. “It’s such a strange name anyway.” “No, it’s…,” started Ix; then he hid his mouth with his hand and shook his head. “It’s so rare we get visitors from Leirest. Well, we might just see each other again soon, if you’re unlucky!” “W-wait,” stammered Ix before he could think otherwise, stopping Camilla as she turned to go. “Uh, well…” He cast his eyes around the wagon. “Those kegs stacked over there… Do you know what’s in them?” “The kegs?” “Yeah. I’ve been next to them since this morning; it’s making me feel dizzy.” “Oh? Um, it’s…oh, what was it called…?” “Mead.” “Huh?” asked Ix without thinking as the response came in a coarse voice that didn’t belong to her. “It’s mead.” The voice belonged to the white-haired farmer, who was still facing forward as he repeated himself. “Tradition to drink it at the festival.” Ix almost asked the farmer why he hadn’t spoken before now, though there probably wouldn’t have been a response anyway. 2 The wagon continued on for a short while. Everywhere Ix looked, there were fields. Few people were working them, however, perhaps on account of the rain. A handful of villagers looked up at the wagon as it passed nearby, but they quickly lost interest and went back to their farming. It was harvest season, and there was nothing left growing in most of the fields. Some still had crops, but Ix couldn’t tell if they hadn’t been harvested or just weren’t in season yet. Finally, they arrived in an area with several buildings clustered together. The ground had been smoothed flat to form a sort of rudimentary village square. The bulls came to a rest right there. Ix hadn’t seen the farmer bid them to halt, but this seemed like a good place to do so. The farmer opened the door of the nearest building. There were racks and stacked kegs lining the walls, as well as scattered tools needed for farming. Ix couldn’t see deep into the building, since it was dark, but it was clearly not a place suitable for dwelling. It was some sort of storage unit. “…Hmm?” Gidens half opened his eyes. He looked to either side and let out a huge yawn. “Aaaah, ladies, we’ve arrived.” At his call, Yuui and Nova raised their heads. They’d been dead asleep. Even during that, the farmer had been going about his work. He climbed up into the wagon, and Ix and the other three decided to help him. They moved the cargo into the building, which seemed to consist entirely of goods from Leirest. There was a wide variety of things, from edibles, such as preserved foods and spices, to everyday objects, like iron tools and candles. They must have taken what they produced in the village to Leirest to sell, then gathered what they needed in Leirest to bring back here. But those kegs were proving troublesome. They were so heavy that Ix couldn’t lift a single one on his own. A few of them worked together to lower them from the wagon, where the farmer would take them. He then rolled them on their side into the storage building. There were a lot of other piles of smaller goods, which required numerous trips between the wagon and storage. Ix had thought it was storage for farming equipment, but near the entrance, there was a wooden box containing brightly painted wooden sculptures, flutes, drums, and other similar objects. Ix bent over to take a quick look at them. “Things for the festival,” said Gidens when he noticed Ix. He was holding a bottle in one hand. “Tomorrow’s going to be loads of fun.” “You like music?” asked Ix. “Hey now, I’m no kid. The Feast of Meat’s a day for eating all the meat and drinking all the alcohol you want. I am looking forward to it, yessir.” That wasn’t the kind of thing you’d expect to hear from an upstanding member of the Marayist clergy. Maybe the rules granted exceptions to readers. Just then, a new voice came from the doorway. “Aw, and here I came to help out…” Looking into the building was a heavyset man. Ix couldn’t discern his features, since he was backlit. “You already all finished up?” “Take a look,” said Gidens, his arms spread as he left the storage building. “Well, darn. I was hoping to do a taste test while I was helping… Oh, and who are these folks?” asked the heavyset man. “Travelers from Leirest. Guess they’re interested in seeing the festival here.” “Hmm? Some strange folks, then.” “My name is Yuui,” she said with a bow from near the entrance. Nova and Ix also introduced themselves and left the building. The complete opposite of the rail-thin Gidens, even this man’s arms and legs were broad. He was middle-aged, with thick layers of both muscle and fat on him. A magnificent beard sprouted from his chin. His eyes were narrow, making it look like he was always grinning slightly. His loud voice and the red cast to his face implied he’d been drinking. “Ha-ha-ha, well, I’m not from round these parts, either,” he said with an excessive guffaw. “The name’s Gus. I’m from a nearby village, but I came over to help out with the celebration.” “Where he’s from, cutting down the amount of alcohol before the festivities is considered helping,” said Gidens with a shrug. “Your boy’s probably crying.” “Oh, come now, it’s a kind heart that lightens the load for others, even if just a bit. My boy’s happy when I do. Mr. Priest, is it right for you to take issue with the kindness of others?” “How many times do I have to say it? I’m not a priest. I’m a reader.” “Oh yeah, I remember now. Ha-ha-ha-ha!” Gus’s tummy shook with laughter. “I’m just going to pop in there. Some cargo I want to inspect.” Looking up, Ix noticed other villagers had gathered around as well. Mostly young people and children who had nothing else to do. It seemed many of them had come from nearby villages to help, like Gus. There would likely be even more the next day. The bystanders pressed in closer to Ix, overflowing with curiosity at seeing someone new and getting a bit carried away by the excitement of the upcoming festival. Ix looked for Yuui and Nova and saw them casually extract themselves from the crowd to watch from the side. “Did you really come from Leirest?” asked one of the onlookers. “Yeah,” replied Ix. “Ooh, are you a merchant?” “I’m an apprentice wandmaker.” “Look what we got here, a big, scary, murder weapon–making craftsman!” The crowd buzzed. Ix didn’t sense any derision or offense from them. It was more like they were welcoming him in their own way, though this still didn’t exactly make Ix feel comfortable. While the onlookers made a ruckus, the farmer wordlessly gathered his cargo and loaded it into the wagon again. He pulled on the reins and turned to go back down the road they’d come up. As he left, people called, “Bye, Gramps!” or “Thanks again!” Ix also tried to express his gratitude, but he wasn’t sure if the man heard him or not. “Gramps doesn’t talk,” said a short child who’d come out of the storage building. She sounded mature for her age. “He does,” insisted Ix. “But no one’s ever heard him speak.” “Is he your grandpa, little girl?” “I’m not a little girl—I’m Yonda.” “Is he your grandpa, Yonda?” “He’s not anyone’s grandpa. Everyone just calls him that.” “Uh-huh.” “Hey,” said Yonda as she tugged on his sleeve and pointed toward Yuui and Nova. “Why is that lady over there hiding her face?” “She’s got a reason for not wanting anyone to see it.” “Hmm… Have you seen it?” “Yeah.” “What kind of face does she have?” “A normal one.” “Then why’s she hiding it? Will she show me if I ask her to?” “Hmm, I’m not so sure.” “Why not?” “She’s taller than you.” Ix crouched down and whispered, “More importantly, I’ve heard Gramps talk.” “Huh? When?” Yonda blinked in surprise. “Just a bit ago.” “What’d he say?” “‘Mead.’” Ix followed the stream of young people and found himself at a spacious building that appeared to be a meeting hall. Beside the structure was a sturdily built well house. Inside was a simple fireplace built into the wall, where a large pot had been set over a flame. A man with sleepy eyes stared at the steam rising from the pot. A bunch of other things had been leaned up against the wall, and Ix was told they were food or other objects for the festival the next day. Looking around, he noticed elderly villagers joining the youngsters in the group. They sat down in any old place. Not everyone could cram into the building, so a number of people were left standing outside and peering in. By now, Ix and the others were brushing up against the wall. Something was beginning. “All right, let me just go and show you I’m not some two-bit reader, now,” said Gidens as he passed nearby and grinned at them. With a small but thick book in hand, Gidens moved to an open space in the center, which prompted a sudden outburst from the crowd as they began chattering away. He gently raised a hand to call for silence. “Tomorrow’s the festival,” he said, just like he was chatting with friends. “No matter how many words of thanks I make y’all listen to, you’ll just drink it all away and they’ll slip outta your head. Least you could do is lend me an ear.” “Pretty rich for someone just reading from a book!” came a gibe from the crowd, and everyone laughed. “Oh, so you saying you can read now?” shot back Gidens. “Sure I can! You taught us, after all.” “Sorry to say, but what I taught you isn’t enough to call reading.” His expression was relaxed as he pushed back against the comments. “You done? No matter what wonderful teachings the Lord gives us, they ain’t got no point if you don’t understand what they mean. So then when you’re making your list of things you’re grateful for, I should come in second or third or maybe fourth place, ’cause I read you these teachings. Have some respect, folks.” “We will once you do something worth respecting,” quipped someone else. “Ha-ha, a great thing to say,” said Gidens. He looked down for a moment and flipped quickly through the pages of his book. “All righty then, that is exactly what we’re going to talk about today. What sorts of acts should you respect? And what does it mean to respect someone…?” And so Gidens began to speak. His sermon was unconventional, just like it had started. The audience didn’t listen in reverent silence. There was a constant string of insults and people pointing out things that didn’t make sense in the teachings, and each time, Gidens would respond without missing a beat. This led to an unbroken stream of words. Gidens wasn’t just reading. If a difficult part came up, he would explain using everyday examples that would draw laughter from the crowd. Ix kept an eye on Nova’s expression as she stood next to him. He couldn’t tell where she was looking, but she was listening with rapt attention. Gidens’s sermon came to an end after about an hour. The villagers left the meeting hall, jabbering away as they did. The youngsters who had been with them said their good-byes because they had other preparations to take care of. Only a few people remained. Gidens walked up to them. “Hey, so how was that? Was I impressive?” “It was, good,” replied Nova. “There weren’t any mistakes?” asked Ix. “Not really. There was a problem, with the delivery, though,” she said. “Ha-ha, Miss Bangs, you’ve got a keen eye, don’t you?” he said with a grin. “How ’bout you, Miss Hood?” “I think you spoke well,” replied Yuui. “Keeping it simple? Ah, well, that’s my job, then. Other than that, I just keep an eye on the villagers and do purifications or funerals if something happens. It’s a pretty easygoing career.” “I’m wondering if I could ask you a favor,” said Ix. “That’ll depend on what it is.” “It’s our fault for coming all of a sudden, but we don’t have any place to stay tonight. There anywhere you can recommend? We just need some walls and a roof over our head.” “Ah, hmm.” Gidens folded his arms. He rubbed his stubbly chin with his palm and fell into thought for a moment. “There’s no space anywhere?” asked Ix. “Well… I’m sure you could find space in a barn or somewhere, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” A furrow appeared between his brows. “It’s only fall, but night and early mornings get pretty chilly. If you don’t mind your fingers swelling up, then I’ll show you the way, but you’re a craftsman, right? And even then… I mean, you saw it before; there are loads of folks here from other towns filling up any place you might want to stay. If you were just one man, we could probably squeeze you in somewhere, but ’cause you’ve got the ladies, too…” “Oh no, what are we going to do?” muttered Yuui. “Well, if that’s the case, we’ve got something else lined up,” said Ix. “Oh? Where’s that?” asked Gidens. “Camilla’s house.” Yuui and Nova both looked at Ix in confusion while Gidens let out a loud cry of shock. The remaining people in the meeting hall all turned their eyes toward them. Gidens waved to show them it was nothing, then circled an arm around Ix’s shoulders. He steered him to a corner of the room, brought his stubbly face close to him, and lowered his voice. “W-wait, you saying you’re a friend of Camilla’s?” “Not a friend, but we talked earlier,” replied Ix. “Huh? Wh-when’s ‘earlier’?” “On the way to the village. She got on the wagon on the way back from fetching water.” “Oh…,” he choked out. “Why didn’t you wake me when she climbed in?” “You were sleeping.” “…Okay, then how’d you end up talking ’bout staying at her place?” “How…? She just said to ask you about accommodations, but if you had nowhere we could stay, then we could go to her house. She just invited us.” Gidens looked resigned as he removed his arm from Ix’s shoulders. He turned to Yuui and Nova, who had been left behind, and said, “All right. Tonight, y’all will be staying at her place. But,” he said with a serious expression, “I’m coming with you. You all right with that?” “Hmm? I don’t mind, of course,” said Yuui with a nod despite her confusion. “All righty, it’s settled, then. I’ve got a meeting about tomorrow coming up, but I’ll bring some dinner round once I’m done in the evening. Let Camilla know. No eating without me, you hear? I’m looking at you, Ix.” “I’m not that voracious,” he deadpanned. 3 Before they went to Camilla’s house, they decided to take a glance around the village. Or so they intended, but it was just fields as far as the eye could see, with nothing to really look at. Though the place was buzzing with preparations for the festival, it wouldn’t seem like anything more than your average farming hamlet to people who’d lived in Leirest. The light rain from that morning was still falling. The view was good because there was nothing to block it, so you could see the entire village no matter where you went. They could now draw a simple map of Notswoll. First, there was the wide road running from the southeast to the northwest. The wagon had come up from the southeast, which meant that was the direction Leirest lay in. The villagers seemed to treat that as the entrance to the village as well, probably since it was closest to the capital. The number of buildings steadily increased as you moved farther into town, with the most in the center. Their numbers dwindled again if you went to the northwest. The forest was on the west side of the village. The fields in that area had uneven outlines as they ran across the edge of the woods. With the exception of Camilla’s house, which Ix had seen on his way into town, no homes were built near the forest. Typically, you would assume that was to avoid any magic beasts that lurked in there, but things were different here. There was practically no division between the woods and the village, as though it was a part of the settlement itself. Which meant they weren’t staying away out of fear of magic beasts. The group happened upon a townsperson leaving the fields. She was a woman in her fifties. Her face was wrinkled, but her body was muscular, and her skin was darkened by the sun. She stared openly at them. “Hello,” said Yuui in greeting. “We are the travelers who arrived this morning. We apologize for any fuss we’ve caused.” “Ah, so you’re the curious lot come in from Leirest?” she replied in a roughened voice. “Uh, yes, I suppose you could call us that…” “Hmm…” The woman gazed at the three of them for a while. “You’re just as strange-looking as I heard, too. Bangs, a hood, and a sourpuss. What sort of combination is that?” “Oh, um, you could say it just sort of happened.” “Hmm. Well, tomorrow’s festival got both townies and outsiders. You can just have fun. No one’ll complain if you eat some food.” “Thank you.” Yuui bowed her head, and Ix stepped forward. “I want to ask you a question,” he said. “Oh, so it’s Sourpuss up next. What is it, then?” “Do you know anything about the witch?” The woman’s expression tensed the moment she heard the word witch. She forced a smile and glanced from side to side. “You can’t talk about it?” he asked. “…I see,” she said and let out a sigh. “Nah, it’s not something you can’t talk about, and I guess someone’s got to tell you, since you’re not from here. But…it’s not exactly the kind of thing I want to bring up.” “We’ve got the gist already. She lives in the forest, has been alive for a few hundred years, sometimes eats people.” “That’s plenty, then. You saying there’s something else you want to know?” “Twenty years ago,” started Ix, fixing his gaze onto the woman, “there was apparently a baby from this village the witch ate. You know about that?” The woman stared back at him, neither confirming nor denying. Her arms tensed; she was clearly on edge. “…I know ’bout it.” She nodded slowly. “But not the details. Just that your information’s a bit wrong.” “In what way?” “It wasn’t a baby from this village who was eaten. It was from somewhere else.” “What? From somewhere else? Where exactly?” “That I couldn’t tell you. You might not be aware, but twenty years back was when sonim was going round. Apparently, this pregnant lady caught it and was chased from her hometown. She wandered around until she eventually collapsed near the village. Someone here found her and brought her in.” “Wh-why?” asked Yuui, butting into the conversation. “Why would you take in someone so ill that they’d been chased from their home…?” “Sonim was already all over this place. There were lots of folks with it here, and people were dropping dead every day. You saw it, didn’t you? There are loads of youngsters and children here. The babies born after the sickness went away are finally growing up. So folks didn’t really care at the time if there was one or two more sick people here. Obviously, some were against it, but the person who found the lady took care of her himself, so they let him be. And then the baby was born, but the mother died during childbirth. It was just around this time of year, too. It wasn’t exactly the kind of situation where you’d throw a harvest festival, but we tried to do things right by holding a little worship. But then…she don’t care about human things. She came that year, too, all the same.” The woman silently mouthed the word witch. “Folks desperately protected their own children and family, but no one cared about a baby without anybody to look after them, no parent to raise them. A-and…” She stammered for words for a moment, then said, “Yeah, that little baby disappeared. That’s all I can say. Y’all can go right on and have all the fun you want at the festival, but when the witch comes, you run as fast as you can. Not that I know if y’all are okay with being eaten.” “I’ll make sure to remember,” said Ix. “That all you wanted to ask?” said the woman. “Yeah, thanks.” “And what about you over there?” She gestured behind Ix. “We had Hood talk, then came Sourpuss, so is Bangs not going to step up and talk?” “No,” said Nova immediately with a shake of her head. They tried talking to the other villagers they met after that but they only heard variations of the same story. They didn’t receive any additional information. Whenever conversation turned to that baby, people suddenly struggled to find their words. Perhaps it was because the villagers all knew the three of them were outsiders, but they were always vague about the infant and would instead shift to telling obvious exaggerations, like how the witch had curved fangs or a forked tongue. Granted, they didn’t actually know what the witch looked like, so they couldn’t rule those descriptions out entirely. But it did seem that the moment she appeared, everyone turned tail as fast as they could. There probably wasn’t anyone who’d ever gotten a good look at her. All they knew was that she resembled a human figure draped in black. The key detail in all their stories was that the witch was “really scary.” Even if they’d wanted to investigate the village further today, they couldn’t, because there were no records on it. The majority of the populace couldn’t read or write. Though the documents that Gidens had told them about did exist, those were stored far away in the parish church. If they went there now, they wouldn’t be able to make it back in time for the festival. They started thinking they should head to Camilla’s house soon, and the three turned toward the village’s southeast side. As they walked, a sudden gale nearly blew back Yuui’s hood. “That was close…,” she said as she quickly put it back in place. “But anyway, we haven’t gleaned any particularly valuable information.” “We did learn something new,” corrected Ix. “Don’t know if it’s valuable, though.” “And what is that?” “No one’s ever actually seen the witch eating someone.” “Uh, but…” “Twenty years ago, someone only saw her snatch the baby away. Mali was also taken into the woods, but she wasn’t devoured. She was told it might happen, so she ran away.” “Which means…what exactly?” asked Yuui with a frown. “Not sure. That humans have to ripen, too? Maybe the witch likes people fattened up.” “…It seems our only choice is to wait for her to appear.” “That, or… This might be a bit obvious, but can’t we just go into the forest?” “Huh? I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem off-limits…” “That pair of adventurers met her, right? And that didn’t have anything to do with the festival. This is just a hunch, but I bet they ran into her when they went off into the woods on their own.” “Which resulted in her threatening them.” “And that’s weird, too…” Ix cocked his head in confusion. “I don’t get what she was after with that at all. She handed them a bunch of enedo teeth and told them to turn the teeth in to the Guild? What would that have done?” “It would ruin, the price,” pointed out Nova. “There is that,” acknowledged Ix, “but I don’t see why she’d suddenly get interested in everyday things. Like, she eats people, and nothing about that makes sense, which actually makes me sort of accept it. But with the enedo teeth thing, I can half understand it, which actually means I get it even less… Uh, I said something really contradictory just now, didn’t I?” “I hear what you’re trying to say,” said Yuui with a nod. “The contradiction, or perhaps confusion, comes from the fact that we are unsure of how to comprehend the witch, how to define her. Is she some mysterious being we can’t possibly fathom? Or is she nothing more than a powerful magic-using human? These two understandings are mixed together. But this is exactly why meeting her…” Their conversation continued. Eventually they heard a voice calling from behind for them to wait. Turning around, they saw the man they’d met earlier, Gus, one hand raised as he approached. The group stopped walking and waited for him to reach them. “Lookie there, it’s you three,” he said when he was close. “You’re heading toward the city; does that mean you’re already fed up with this boring town?” “No, that’s not it,” said Yuui as she waved her hand. “Well, that’s good to hear. Anyway, Gidens was skulking around the food for the festival earlier; you wouldn’t know what that was about, would you?” “Oh, that’s most likely—” “Of course, it’s for the guests. No, I didn’t come here to give you a hard time about that. I kind of like y’all anyway, and I just went with the flow. That’s not what I’m here about…” He lowered his voice and continued. “I heard y’all are going to stay at Camilla’s place tonight. That true?” “That’s the plan,” replied Ix. “Really…?” Gus’s eyebrows curved in distress, and he rubbed his left arm with his right hand a few times. “Is there, a problem?” asked Nova, her head tilted. “No… I wouldn’t say that,” he said, his tone turning hesitant in a way that didn’t seem to fit his size. “It’s just… Guess I feel like I should tell you that she’s, how should I put it? You’ll probably think this is absurd…” After a moment of searching for the right way of putting it, he finally seemed to gather himself and continued. “She’s…cursed.” “Huh?” Ix couldn’t stop the sound coming from his mouth. “It’s just… Her family passed when she was a little girl; she’s lost most of her belongings and land, and there’s this rumor that she brings young men from nearby villages to her home and, um, provides services. And everyone says the reason is because she’s cursed by the witch.” “Wait a moment. Reason? Reason for what?” asked Yuui. “Losing her family. The reason she’s had so much bad luck, starting with that, anyway. You seen her house, yeah? That’s the only home built that close to the forest. Maybe it’s that, or maybe it’s ’cause she apparently went to the witch’s house in the woods a few times when she was a kid. That’s when she got hexed…or so I’ve heard. And that’s why, you know, people in the village keep their distance from her. They don’t give her a hard time, mind you, but they won’t go out of their way to interact with her, either. Gidens strikes up conversations with her, but he’s a man of the cloth…” “So you came by to warn us?” asked Ix with a crease in his brow. “W-well, I’m just saying those are the rumors. Y-y’all have a nice one now.” He pulled his head in like he was embarrassed and went back up the road. Well, regardless of who Camilla was, she had nothing to do with them, as they were just staying the night. And this superstition about a curse…they wanted to just brush that off, but for all they knew, the witch could have indeed used some unknown magic on her. There were more things to think about now. They started walking down the road again, and Yuui asked Ix, “What sort of person was this Camilla? I mean, was she—?” “I’ve never talked to a cursed person before, so I wouldn’t know.” “Yes, I would imagine not.” “Besides,” said Ix as he pointed in the direction they were headed, “it would be faster for you to just meet her yourself.” 4 “Oh dear, I didn’t realize there were two ladies. It won’t be a very pleasant stay, but you’re young, so I’m sure you’ll manage,” said Camilla. “I-it’s fine,” said Yuui, so thrown off-balance that her vague response barely came out. “Oh, so you won’t be taking that hood off inside? Is there a reason for that?” “Uh, yes…” “Ooooh, so mysterious. Ah, I’m sorry, Yuui. I’m being so insensitive.” “No, it’s—” “And, Nova, you really don’t talk, do you?” “No,” replied Nova. “‘No,’ ha-ha… Ah well, nothing wrong with being direct.” Camilla was cheerful as she greeted them. She was currently showing them around the house. It was all built on one floor but had numerous rooms. It was probably the largest house in the whole village. Yuui had to try hard to hide her surprise. Her surprise was not at the estate’s…extravagance. It was because there was absolutely nothing inside the mansion. Well, nothing was somewhat of an exaggeration. The first room as they entered the front door had a small square table and two chairs. But that was it. There was nothing else. None of the rooms they went into had any furniture. There were no daily necessities. There was literally nothing besides the floor, walls, and ceiling. It was hard to believe anyone lived there. Even if it was a house whose residents had moved out, you would expect to see a few more signs of life. It was so bad, Yuui started to wonder if this woman was actually a real living, breathing human being. Camilla showed Yuui to a room she said she could use, but it naturally had nothing in it. It was the one farthest from the front entrance, and the branches of the trees in the forest could be seen waving outside the window. The howling wind made an unpleasant noise. “I don’t get visitors, so I don’t have any beds. Sorry about that. It’s kind of like camping, though, just with a roof and walls. They don’t leak, at least,” said Camilla. “Thank you for this,” said Yuui. “Thank, you,” said Nova. Compared to the wagon from the morning, this was a paradise. They had no reason to complain. What Yuui wanted to discuss was a different issue. There came the sound of footsteps approaching the room, followed by Ix opening the door. “Camilla, I wanted to ask you—” “Don’t enter a lady’s room without checking first!” she shouted, cutting him off. “And I thought I said we could talk later. Wait just a little longer.” “…Okay.” With a mix of emotions on his face, Ix closed the door and left. Normally, he would have protested a bit more, but for some reason, he obeyed her immediately. That shocked Yuui; she wondered if he just wasn’t good at dealing with personalities like Camilla’s. But why was this place so strange…? Even if she’d lost her family and her belongings, it wouldn’t be this bad. She might have sold her furniture and daily necessities, but there would be some things that wouldn’t go. Disposing of them would take effort, so there really should have been more than just a table and two chairs. They went back to the room with the only furnishings, spread a cloth on the floor, and sat down. “Ummm, so then…,” said Camilla as she sat facing them. “Guess we can start with what Ix wants to talk about. I just hope I can answer your questions.” “Before that, I want to confirm one thing,” he stated, looking down at her because he was still standing. “Go ahead, though it doesn’t have to be just one. Two or three is fine, too.” “Is your full name Camilla Toah? And your father’s name was Doen Toah?” She tilted her head, grinning as she asked, “Did I tell you all that?” “And a long time ago, you placed an order with Munzil Alreff.” “……” Camilla blinked many times, then slowly asked, “Who are you?” “I’m Munzil’s apprentice.” “…Is that so?” “Fifteen, no, fourteen years ago,” started Ix, gazing seriously at her, “a man named Doen came to Master’s shop and ordered a staff. He’d requested one to give to his daughter, Camilla, who lived in Notswoll. They discussed the staff’s specifications, and the order was placed that day. It was planned to be finished in six months. Doen said he’d bring his daughter along when he came to pick it up and left. A month later, a letter canceling the order came from Notswoll.” “You have a good memory,” she said, impressed. “And here I am forgetting all sorts of things.” “It only came back to me recently,” clarified Ix. “We got some good materials for the order, the reneel for the wood and the eshi amber for the core. They’re not top-tier, but they should’ve made a good staff. For a while, I wondered why it was canceled so suddenly… I couldn’t get over it. It was so long ago that I eventually forgot about it, though.” “Oh… So you’re a craftsman, Ix?” “I’m not; I’m just an apprentice.” “But still, a craftsman’s apprentice… But if that’s the case, I guess I do owe you an explanation. I caused so much trouble.” Camilla gave a worried smile. “Mm, you’ve probably guessed it. Mom and Dad died. They got sick out of the blue… It wasn’t sonim, though. The pandemic had ended a couple of years prior; this was just your average fever. I realized they had a high temperature in the middle of the night, and by morning, they were cold. I was so shocked…” She stared up at the ceiling for a moment. “Then, after they died, people from the village and other places came to the house in droves. They told me they’d lent my parents money or they’d had this agreement, and they took away all the things in the house. I was so shaken up by their deaths that I didn’t even understand what was happening. I don’t really remember it that well even now… “One day, I was just sitting alone in a room, doing nothing in particular, and I remembered: Ah, that’s right, we ordered a staff. I’m not sure why that of all things came to me, because there was a lot of other important stuff going on… That’s why I wrote that letter, gave it to Gramps, and had him deliver it to Munzil’s shop. I really am sorry I didn’t need the staff in the end.” “I see…,” murmured Ix with folded arms. A heavy silence descended on the room. Yuui sat looking down in thought. Wands and staffs were valuable items. Even if someone got one, they would need specialized education before they could use magic to its fullest. From the looks of this house, it was obvious that Camilla’s parents had been wealthy. Despite that, the income of a landowner in a rural location wouldn’t have amounted to that much at the end of the day. Buying a staff to give their daughter…that must have been a huge decision on her parents’ part. And from Munzil, even, the greatest craftsman in the kingdom. And yet, that hope had disappeared so quickly, lost along with her parents. “But don’t all look so glum, will you?” said Camilla as she stood and clapped her hands together. “Besides, this sort of thing happens everywhere. It was more than ten years ago, and I won’t get anywhere by wallowing in pain and sorrow. I’m not young enough for that anymore. Cheer up, everyone. Tomorrow’s the big festival, after all.” “Y-you say that, but…,” said Yuui, bunching up her shoulders. “Come on now, hmm… I know, Ix, smile!” “Uh, what?” His eyes widened when he was suddenly mentioned. “Smile! Like this, bring up the corners of your mouth. See, like this!” Camilla pushed up the edges of her lips with her fingers. “Should I do it for you?” Ix’s face tensed as he watched her digits come closer. “N-no, f-fine, I’ll smile,” he said. “That’s a good craftsman!” “I told you, I’m not a craftsman…” Ix forced his expression to change with a stiffness that should come along with the squeaking of an unoiled hinge. He wasn’t used to grinning. The more he tried, the less it resembled a smile, until at last, he seemed like a criminal about to be handed a death sentence. Camilla cried, “What is that?!” and held her sides as she chortled. Yuui felt bad, but she couldn’t hold back her own laughter, either. The only one who didn’t really react was Nova. That’s when the front door opened, and a man stepped in with a “pardon the interruption.” “Ah, welcome,” said Camilla with a wide smile. “H-how’s it going, Camilla? I grabbed some food.” Gidens seemed somewhat shaken, as his eyes wouldn’t stay still. “Wooow, that’s so much! Thank you—it’ll be like we’re having our own early Feast of Meat tonight.” “Y-yeah… Well, I had some of the youngins get it together for me. Uh… B-but that’s not important. Ix. You look like you’re doing something strange.” His roving eyes came to settle on Ix, who was in the corner of the room. “I mean…you are doing something strange; that’s not what I mean… What I mean is, what the heck are you doing?” 5 They ate a slightly early dinner. They sat in a circle on the floor, with the food Gidens had brought in the center. Most of it had been prepared the day before, or several days prior, and was strongly seasoned. A few of the items hadn’t been spiced yet, however. “Not much I can do about the grub; the kids just sort of grabbed random stuff,” said Gidens. “Don’t worry about that, though—tomorrow’s going to be amazing. We’ve got a tradition where they slaughter a head of cattle. It gets butchered, roasted up, then eaten right there in the village square.” “That’s quite a treat,” said Yuui with a nod, sounding impressed. “What other events will there be?” “There’s not really anything you could call an event. Basically, start eating and drinking in the morning, then there’s the music and the dancing… Then the boys and girls disappear.” “…Camilla, is there anything you recommend?” “Uuuh, well, I don’t go to the festival, so I can’t really say.” “Oh, I-I’m sorry…” “Don’t apologize. I don’t mind at all.” Despite her saying that, an uncomfortable tension choked the room. “Ah, and then…,” said Gidens as he raised an arm and tried to clear the air. “At the end of the festival, when night falls, they light a big fire, and people dance in the fields.” “That’s, unusual,” murmured Nova, who hadn’t spoken yet. “Ha, I don’t think it’s as unusual as Miss Bangs speaking,” teased Gidens. “Dancing occurs in many locations, but there are no places where it falls traditionally, at the end, not that I’ve heard of, anyway. Why does it come last?” asked Nova. “Why…? Thought I told you. ’Cause that’s when she comes, and that’s when it’s all over, even if we don’t want it to be.” “The, witch?” “That’s the one.” “I knew people thought of her that way,” said Camilla with a frown. “In my opinion, it’s all a big misunderstanding.” “Oh look, Camilla’s talking about the witch,” groused Gidens. “Don’t make fun,” she retorted. “Camilla, do you know the witch?” asked Yuui, her head tilted. “You could say I know her, but that was a long time ago,” said Camilla with a vague smile. “These folks are researching her. You should tell them about her,” said Gidens. “Oh, is that so? Hmm, even if you’d asked me, it was so far back…” Ix recalled the stories about Camilla losing her family due to the witch’s curse. He obviously thought this was absurd, but the woman herself didn’t seem to mind at all. Gidens got the conversation back on track by saying, “But anyway, tradition has it that only the young, unmarried folks who live in the village can go into the fields. The adults’ job is to keep the beat from the edges. There are a ton of youngsters this year, so it’ll be real lively. Unfortunately, you folks’ll only be able to watch from the outside.” “…That’s, odd,” remarked Nova in a tone that didn’t sound like she thought it was strange at all. “This tradition doesn’t seem based in Marayist teachings, at all.” “There ain’t nothing strange about it.” Gidens gave a frustrated smile. “Not like people are going to do each and every little thing perfectly in line with the teachings. Besides, scripture ain’t actually taught properly out in the country. Makes sense to me that each place would have their own unique traditions.” “Yes, you may be right.” “And here, it serves another purpose, too. It’s not really a tradition, just a chance for people to find someone they might want to marry. When they run from the witch, they’ll grab the arms of a person she’s after and pull them away. Lost so many youngsters in that war a while back that it’s life-and-death for communities like these. We’ll have problems if they’re swept away by outsiders. But…” Gidens looked at each of them in turn. “I don’t think we’ve got to worry ’bout that with you three.” “Gidens, don’t be rude,” said Camilla in a chiding tone. “I’m sorry, everyone. I swear, he didn’t used to be like this.” “You’ve known each other a long time?” asked Ix. “Yeah. I was just a girl when I moved to the village. Back then, Gidens was a, hmm, a sort of pleasant, silver-tongued young man. I wonder what happened…” “He seems to have changed quite a lot since then,” mused Yuui as she looked at his and Camilla’s faces. “Don’t talk about that time. Some people want to forget their past,” Gidens grumbled. “Oh, let’s keep going, then,” said Camilla happily as she brought her hands together. “I do miss it. What would you call—your fire? Delivering the scriptures to the villagers, reading this and that, saying such and such is the right teaching. Folks seemed real fed up with you.” “I was a fool.” “So that means when you grow wise, you get better at glossing over things than you do at actually following the teachings?” “Hmph, can’t go around spouting inconsistent interpretations of the scriptures. If only they’d get it together and put out a unified opinion, but there’s so much arguing going on inside the Church that they’re missing the point.” “I, agree.” Nova nodded. “Y-you do, now…? Miss Bangs, you’re really digging in, ain’t ya?” “Well, everyone seems to enjoy your sermons now, so I guess that’s good. I kind of liked the you from those days, though,” said Camilla as she closed her eyes and reminisced. Gidens snorted. “I might have been green back then, but you were naive. Every day you’d be saying, ‘I’m going to be a magic user; I’m going to be a magic user.’ You just followed me around all over the place.” “Ah-ha-ha, how old was I then?” Camilla gave a hearty chuckle. “It was because you told me about stuff outside the village. You were the only one who did that, with Gramps the way he is anyway.” “Ah, Gramps… How old is that man? I don’t even know his name.” “Neither do I. Seems like he’s been carrying things to and from the village forever.” Having known each other for so long, Gidens and Camilla’s back-and-forth continued like an unbroken stream. Gidens was supposedly quite a bit older than Camilla, but you couldn’t feel a difference in their ages as they chatted. When the food had nearly disappeared, Gidens gave a grin. “All right, time to bring out the pièce de résistance,” he said. “What’s this?” asked Camilla with her head tilted. “Ha-ha, I took the liberty of getting something special,” he said. He then drew a green package from his inner pocket. It looked like a small parcel wrapped in long green leaves and tied with cord. When he undid the cord, it released a fragrant smell and revealed thinly sliced meat. “Worked real hard to pinch some of this stuff,” he stated proudly. “It’s meat, slow-roasted for an entire day. But you know what, it’s even better when it’s only half cooked. Trust me, I’ve tasted both.” “Won’t they be angry at you later?” asked Yuui with an exasperated tone. “No one has to know about it. The only people who’re aware are the children I had bring it to me. They won’t ever tell a soul.” Still, it seemed that he hadn’t been able to sneak away a large amount, instead only managing to get five pieces, exactly enough for one each. Ix picked up a slice and looked at it. He brought it near his face and could smell a faint fruity scent. “It’s so delicious,” said Yuui, the first to eat the meat. “What seasonings were used?” “Well, there’s—” Gidens tried to answer, but the next person to take a bite was Nova, who then shouted in a voice louder than any they’d heard her use before. “Yuui, spit it out!” “Huh?” said Gidens, his brow furrowed. “There’s mewmose powder on it.” Nova walked briskly over to Yuui, took her hand, and made her stand up. She dragged her to the front door as she shoved her fingers into the girl’s mouth. “Ah, but, Nova—” “It might be difficult by yourself, so I’ll assist.” “But is mewmose—?” “If I’m wrong, you can have my share. Just hack it up.” “O-okay, all right—” The door opened, and the two disappeared outside. The other three sat in confusion, staring at one another. No one else had brought the meat to their mouths yet. “…She did say ‘mewmose,’ didn’t she?” muttered Gidens. “That is what she said, yes,” confirmed Ix, nodding. With a crease between his eyebrows, Gidens touched the tip of his tongue to the meat and let out a groan. “Yeah, it feels numb now. The seasoning’s so strong, I wouldn’t’ve noticed if she hadn’t said anything.” “…Do you have an antidote?” asked Ix, looking at the other two. “There’s none in the house,” said Camilla, looking grim. “Sorry, but I don’t think something as rare as that’ll be in the village.” Gidens frowned. “But maybe there’s someone who’s got it. I feel like we bought some, though it was a while back.” Mewmose was the name of a poisonous plant. It could be recognized by its small yellow flowers and long, thin leaves, but it grew only in a tiny region in the south. Travelers and merchants occasionally carried their seeds, so it very rarely grew along the roads in other regions. Sometimes, you would find a magic beast who had mistakenly ingested it. Consuming large quantities of the petals would kill you on the spot, but the symptoms of consuming small amounts were what it was famous for. It started with numbness in the tips of your toes and fingers. As time passed, you lost all mobility, after which you’d be unable to speak. You’d steadily lose the ability to move your own body until, eventually, you wouldn’t even be able to breathe. There was an antidote for it, and you wouldn’t succumb if you could take that, but if you waited until the symptoms progressed too far, then you could wind up with permanent disabilities. One widely known story from history was that it took only a single meal laced with mewmose for a king to end up paralyzed. Afterward, the queen ruled through him, using him as her puppet. That was enough to make its danger well-known, so there weren’t many people who accidentally ingested it. Thus, the antidote wasn’t in wide circulation due to low demand, coupled with the difficulty of preparing it. The front door opened again, and Nova came back with Yuui leaning on her. “H-how is she?” asked Ix. “She consumed only a small amount, and immediately threw it up, so I don’t think it should be a big problem. For now, she should rest, and we should watch her condition,” stated Nova calmly. “Watch her condition? So what do we do if she develops symptoms?” “Make her drink lots of water. That should be enough, to flush out small volumes of the poison.” “I-Ix, I’m fine, really…,” Yuui managed with a strained smile. “Please excuse me—I’d like to go to my room. I will call if anything happens.” “Ah, s-sure,” he replied. Camilla opened the door for her, and she disappeared into the bedroom with a “good night.” Gidens stood and said, “Right, I’ll be back in a bit. I’m going to ask round the village and see if anyone’s got an antidote. And look into what happened with this food.” “I’ll go, too,” said Ix as he stood. “Nope. If you come, no one’s going to want to talk about anything, poison or no,” said Gidens, turning him down. Only the three of them remained in the room after that. Ix stared at the floor in thought. The antidote… Would someone have some in the village? And why was there mewmose in the food for the festival anyway? Did someone add it by accident? It wasn’t a plant that grew in this area. Could you really make a mistake like that? Ix was even more worried about Yuui’s condition. He’d heard that the tongue wasn’t paralyzed until after the arms and legs, but there was no guarantee it couldn’t happen in the opposite order. What if she was suffering, unable to cry out? Someone should stay by her side… Just then, with a look of deep thought on her face, Camilla said, “The witch might…” “Hmm?” asked Ix in response. “Well, I was just thinking, the witch might have an antidote…” She pressed a hand over her mouth. “It’s not just magic she’s very knowledge about; she has a great command of medicine, too.” “Do…do you know where she lives?” “I only went there when I was a kid…” He looked out the window. There was still some light out. The forest was most likely dark already, but not so dark that they couldn’t walk. “Tell me how to get there,” said Ix. “But if you go now—” “Please.” Ix’s eyes bore into her, and she let out a groan. Eventually, she gave something like a sigh of resignation. “All right. But I can’t let you go alone. I’ll show you the way,” she conceded. “You sure?” “Yeah. And the conversation will go smoother if I’m there.” “Thanks.” The moment he said it, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door. “Ah, w-wait!” Just before they were about to step out the door, Ix turned back to Nova and said, “Stay by Yuui’s side and keep an eye on her. Can you do that?” “It is my duty, after all.” 6 While she might have been resting in her room, Yuui wasn’t tired yet. Nova had been staring at her the whole time, making her feel uncomfortable instead of sleepy. She sat against the wall and waited for time to pass. Camilla and Ix were on their way to see the witch. She hoped they wouldn’t bump into her and get captured and eaten. Right now, it seemed like they were in greater peril than she was in for ingesting the poison, which made her even more anxious. Eventually, she heard the front door open. Gidens had returned. He shook his head. There had been no antidote in the village. “How you feeling? Anything strange happening?” he asked. “I feel no different from usual,” said Yuui lightly. “I’m sorry that your efforts were for naught…” “Don’t be—this is more important.” Just then, Nova politely interrupted their conversation and said, “Could you watch Yuui for a moment?” “Hmm? I don’t mind, but…” Gidens frowned. “What’s this about? You still hungry?” “No.” Her face was expressionless as she shook her head. “I’m going to look outside.” “Outside?” She didn’t reply to Gidens’s muttered question and left the room. Now Yuui was left alone with him. They were silent, just as Yuui and Nova had been before, but Gidens seemed unable to relax. Every once in a while, he’d scratch his head and run his eyes around the room, here and there. Yuui realized that she didn’t feel too opposed to being alone in her room with a man at this hour. She smirked at the fact that she’d become so used to the culture of the kingdom. “Ah, that’s right…,” said Gidens as he put his hand on his neck. “Sorry ’bout everything. Visitors like you are so rare, and then you had to end up dealing with all this.” “This isn’t something you have to apologize for, Gidens.” Yuui smiled, though she knew he couldn’t see her face. “Mm, I suppose so…” He shrugged. “And then you’ve got this dreary room… Though I guess it’s not my place to be saying that, either…” The two of them glanced around the area, which lacked anything beside their luggage. It was less dreary than empty. This wasn’t the kind of place someone would live in. “Are you…aware? Of why Camilla lives in a house like this?” asked Yuui. “She said the people from the village took the things inside, but surely that wouldn’t result in this much empty space, no?” Gidens didn’t respond at all, almost like he hadn’t even heard her speak. After a long moment of silence, he finally murmured something, as though talking to himself. “…I don’t know anything.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Camilla… She’s a good person.” “Yes, I can tell that about her.” “No, she’s not just the average good person you’d think of. Sh-she’s…” Gidens stammered for a moment. “She’s never wanted anything for herself.” “I thought she wanted to become a magic user?” “That was just a means, not an end. You know, miss, with the position I’m in, I read to the folks here. But while I might change how I say it sometimes, all scripture has the same meaning in the end. Yeah, you might want money, pretty women, and fun, but you should hold back those desires. Treasure the Lord and your neighbors and live a devout life. That’s all it boils down to.” He gave a sudden smile. “When I came to this town, I was filled with burning passion. I’d grab a villager and strike up a conversation with them and check up on every one of them individually. I’d go to them and ask, ‘So what is it you’re after? Ah, I see, now try and keep that greed in check.’ I burned out a long time ago… But this one little girl, she said she wanted to help people.” “That girl was Camilla?” “Her family was the richest in the village. I think she saw the suffering of the other townspeople and had her own thoughts about it… But when she told me that, I didn’t have anything to say back. ’Cause that was exactly the kind of answer a virtuous person would give, just like the scriptures said. I talked to her so many times after that, but never once did she say she wanted something for herself.” “That is…moral.” “She’s completely upright… Too upright, in fact.” “What do you mean by that?” Yuui raised her head. “What? Did I offend you?” “No…not particularly.” “Anyway, that was your pretty average goodness. Anyone could come up with something like that. But it’s possible to go too far with normal, to stretch it out until things go wrong.” His mouth curved at the irony. “…I thought she was just acting like a good little girl, so I tried all sorts of things to get her to say what she really wanted. I stuck at it, and eventually she told me she wanted to be a magic user. I thought, ah, she’s finally said something selfish, but it wasn’t anything. She just wanted to help people using magic. She might’ve even just said it ’cause I was bugging her about this and that, and I’d gotten annoying. “I happily told her that being a magic user wasn’t a proper life, but the more we talked about it, the more serious she got, until she wanted it with every fiber of her being. Her pops caved to her passion and promised to buy her a staff. But…then her parents died, and the villagers cleaned her out, and she…” He stopped speaking there and adjusted his position on the floor. He looked over at Yuui with an unusually serious expression. “Say, miss. Can you make Camilla a staff?” he asked. “Why would you ask me?” questioned Yuui gently. “I ain’t got no money, and neither does she. But maybe if you asked that Ix to make one, just maybe…” “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” she said firmly. “That would demean what craftsmen do. And it seems you may have come to the wrong conclusion; Ix and I don’t have that sort of relationship. If you wish to ask him, it would be best for you to speak with him directly.” “…Ah. Yeah, you’re right. That was rude of me. Sorry.” He bowed his head. Silence filled the room again. Nova still hadn’t returned. She’d said she was going to look outside, but how far was she planning to go? That seemed like a careless thing to do at night. Not that Yuui was in a position to worry over her… “It was when Camilla…started throwing away the things in her house,” remarked Gidens like he was talking to himself. “I came to the house more than once. I thought she might be thinking of dying… I was worried. When I asked her about it outright, she just laughed me off and said, ‘I don’t have any plans to.’ To this day, though, I can’t shake the feeling she’s just going to up and disappear eventually. But…” He looked down at the floor. “Sometimes, I think that would be better.” “Better for her to disappear?” “I mean, you see what it’s like. She’s got nothing in this town…nothing.” Yuui started to say that wasn’t true but stopped and closed her mouth. She didn’t think he was making a self-centered assumption, but she was a complete outsider. It would be irresponsible of her to object. But it seemed that Gidens was well aware of this himself, as he jokingly said, “Well, that’s just my personal opinion, and it’s probably none of my business anyway.” 7 Camilla walked with sure steps as she cut forward into the forest. To Ix, every direction looked exactly the same. If he got separated from her, he would probably be wandering the woods until he died. She reassured him a number of times that everything was okay. Her tone was calm, devoid of a single hint of panic. “It’s okay—the witch’s house is just a little farther,” she told him. “…I’ve heard some rumors about her,” he replied. “Ah… Yeah, I’ve heard them, too. Everyone talks a lot of bull.” “You’ve met her before, right?” “I didn’t just meet her; I went there as a kid.” “Did you not know the rumors about her?” “Nope, I knew. Maybe it was because I knew… Hmm, how do I put it…? It’s not a big deal at all, but,” she said in a cheery tone, “I actually had a little sister when I was young. She wasn’t related by blood. Though I was the adopted one, not her. Anyway, she died in an accident.” “…An accident?” “She was playing in the storehouse when she fell onto some farming equipment and got impaled. She bled so much. I was just outside, but by the time I noticed, it was too late.” “……” “Come on, you could at least give me an ‘uh-huh’ so I know you’re listening. It was so long ago, I barely even remember her name.” She gave a stiff grin. “No one blamed me; in fact, they were actually all really considerate. A few years after that, I had this sudden idea. Don’t know why it came to me so unexpectedly. I thought, If the witch eats people, maybe she can bring them back to life, too. And so I went into the woods. “Obviously, I got lost. I was scared and panicking, and I hurt myself… But that’s when the witch appeared and saved me. She couldn’t bring my sister back, but she treated my wounds. After that, I went to visit her at her house all the time. I mean, I didn’t tell my parents about it, of course. At some point, I started thinking I wanted to be like her. That’s why I asked for a staff. The witch seemed like an amazing magic user, so I wanted to be as incredible as she was… I had no idea how much a staff cost, but I was so, so happy when Dad said he’d purchase me one…” “But—” “Yeah… I stopped going to the witch’s place a long time ago. Because…well, I don’t have a staff. I’m nothing. There’s not really any point in going now, you know? All I wanted was to help everyone… It’s all I ever wanted.” Either the light rain that had been falling had slowed or the forest’s trees were shielding them from the elements, because the forest was untouched. Every once in a while, a drop would fall from the leaves onto their heads or shoulders. Their surroundings were dark, but Ix could still just about make out where he was stepping. “Ix…,” said Camilla. “What?” “You seemed like you really wanted to ask me about my staff. If that was fourteen or fifteen years ago, I would’ve thought you’d be just a little child…but you remember it really well.” “……” “Oh, sorry. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” After an internal debate, Ix said, “That was…supposed to be the first staff I ever made.” “Huh? How old were you?” “Well, I wasn’t going to craft it all by myself. I would have basically just ended up doing most of the carving. Up until then, Master had never given me anything to do except little chores, but then he suddenly entrusted me with that. With making the staff.” Ix thought back to those days. “I was surprised… But it was my first job. I carved it as he instructed, and he gave me harsh feedback the entire time. I managed to finish it, though. Master was going to take care of the rest, but that’s when we got that letter.” “Oh, I’ve done something really terrible, haven’t I?” “It’s not your fault.” “That’s kind of you. But were you at least able to use that wood to make a different staff?” “You can’t do that.” Ix shrugged. “When a craftsman produces a bespoke wand or staff, as opposed to a generic one, we seek out materials specific to that instrument. Once we decide on them, we can’t use them for anything but that staff. That’s even truer if the materials have been partially worked. That’s why you don’t normally hear about canceled orders. Unless the person who placed the order dies, we finish the product and demand payment, by force if necessary. That’s also why we normally get full payment up front. Master was just a bit weird, though…” “So then, what happened to the wood that was supposed to be my staff?” “Didn’t want to throw it away, so I stored it in the shop. I think it’s buried somewhere in my fellow apprentice’s store right now…” “Oh my. I wish I had money; if I did, I would at least buy the materials from you.” The darkness in the forest steadily deepened. The sun shouldn’t have completely set yet, but night fell early in the forest. Ix soon realized he couldn’t even see a few paces ahead of himself. Camilla gripped his arm tightly. Blackness filled every crack and crevice of the woods, blotting out their vision. In the middle of that darkness was a tiny white point. They slowly drew toward it. There was nothing else for them to rely on. As they pressed on, their feet caught on roots of trees, and they almost tripped together. Once they’d approached the white speck, they realized what it really was. It wasn’t actually white; it was red. And it wasn’t a point but a fire lighting the night. The two of them stepped into an open space in the forest. The rain had stopped, the clouds had parted, and the stars peeked through. The trees were felled and the land had been leveled in the area. In the center of the clearing was a brightly burning crimson bonfire. A human figure stood between them and the flames. With the blaze against their back, all Ix could make out was a black silhouette. And it was odd. He could tell they were wearing a coat. Its hem was so long that it brushed the ground. That much was fine. The odd part was the head. They must have been wearing a hat, one with a wide brim and a pointed tip. That wasn’t strange in itself, either, but the size was totally abnormal. The brim was so wide that the sides drooped down, and the tip was so long that it bent over halfway up. It just seemed like a waste of fabric. Maybe they were exercising their neck with the weight. Ix and Camilla trekked across the short grass, and they could now see a house on the far side of the fire. It was a grand estate, not just a cabin. A large, one-floor edifice made of wood. The figure must have heard their footsteps, because they turned to watch their approach. It wasn’t just the shadows that made her look dark but also her utterly black outfit. Her long, straight hair was black, as were her eyes. It was all so dark that it seemed light disappeared in the space where she stood. All Ix could make out was her floating white face. She was taller than Camilla but shorter than he was. Her age…was hard to guess. She looked about as old as he was, but… “M-Miss Witch!” called Camilla, her voice filled with excitement. “It’s been a long time! I’m sorry for dropping by all of a sudden, but we were wondering if you would have a mewmose antidote. Though it might be rude of me to ask…”
Chapter 26
58 min read