Chapter 27

“You seem well, Camilla,” came a surprisingly young-sounding voice from her small mouth. “Ah, y-yes. I’m good!” “And you?” The black eyes turned to Ix. “I’m fine, too.” “I was asking your name.” “…Ix.” “Hmm.” The witch raised an eyebrow. Her shoulders shook, and a laugh came from her mouth. “I see, snow… How interesting.” “Anyway, the antidote—” started Ix. “Half a day,” she interjected. “Huh?” “As long as you take the antidote for mewmose within half a day, you’ll be fine. No need to rush.” “…Do you have one?” “The word ix, meaning snow, has its origins in the word vigosh.” The witch ignored Ix’s question and continued to lecture. “Do you get it? Vigosh in modern Central Standard means vanish. Quite the pun, eh?” She was the only one who laughed, but she didn’t seem to mind. For a while, the only sounds in the forest were the crackling of the fire and her chuckles. Camilla apologetically said, “Um, we—” “You must be hungry,” she said. “Huh? Uh, well…” “Wait just a moment.” The witch turned back toward the flames. Looking in that direction, Ix saw several skewers of meat near it. Ix wasn’t particularly peckish. It wasn’t long ago that they’d had all they could eat, and he was more worried about Yuui than anything else right now. This wasn’t the time to be talking about hunger. Focusing his nose on the scents in the air, Ix took in a whiff of burning wood mixed with roasted meat. The witch eats people… He remembered the tales, of course. Thoughts ran through his head. Could it possibly be…? But no… He turned to Camilla, who stood beside him, but she seemed to be staring fervently at the witch. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, and her eyes sparkled. Camilla admired her. That continued for a short while until it seemed the meat had finished cooking. “Now then,” murmured the witch as she lifted the skewers. She wrapped cloth around the handle of the skewers and gave one to Ix and one to Camilla. “Th-thank you!” said Camilla, but Ix frowned. “…What is this?” “I-Ix!” she chided in a low voice. “I know you’re concerned about the rumors, but it’s rude to—” “That’s not what I’m asking about.” Ix pointed at the skewer he’d been handed. On it was a sad-looking, blackened lump. The meat on Camilla’s skewer and on the witch’s looked exactly the same, though the witch had already pulled hers off and was chewing. “Do you not like meat?” she inquired, her mouth moving up and down as she chewed. And here Ix thought the thing had been so blackened that it was no longer edible. 8 As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the light of the bonfire alone was enough for Ix to see the area around the house. Not that there was much besides it. This was just a simple clearing. But when he went behind the house, he found something strange. There were square white stones, set at equal intervals. Four in the rear line and three in the front. They were neatly aligned in the two rows, with only one missing from the far right of the front line. Upon closer inspection, they all looked quite old. The most ancient seemed to be the leftmost one in the back row. It was covered with moss and was almost entirely merged with the ground. The other stones were weatherworn and discolored, so it seemed as though quite some time had passed since they’d been placed there. This was obviously not a naturally occurring phenomenon. A person must have arranged them. “Aren’t you cold?” came a voice from above. “Come inside.” He turned back and looked up to find the witch standing on the roof of the house. She leaped lightly and descended to the ground. It was such a graceful fall that her time in the air seemed to extend unnaturally. “The antidote?” asked Ix. “It’s been mixed together. We just need to wait a little longer.” “Thank you.” “What’s this? It’s the least I could do for visitors; I don’t get many.” “…These.” He was lost for words for a moment. “Are they grave markers?” “You’re clever.” “Graves of the people you ate?” “Yes.” The witch nodded immediately. “…Are you going to slurp someone down at this year’s festival, too?” “Hmm, I might not go to the festival anymore.” She cocked her head. “I’ve been thinking it might be time for the witch to end.” “Huh?” “Anyway, you should come inside. You’ll freeze,” she said, then trotted away. When he entered her home, he froze in place as he stared at the wall. “What is this…?” he muttered in amazement, but he of all people would already know the answer. Wands and staffs. A ton of them. Short ones, long ones, hanging in huge quantities. There were far more than in the shops of his fellow apprentices. The terrifying thing was their range of ages. If his appraisal of them was correct, there were some from the dawn of the man-made wand revolution, as well as new styles that had been developed in the past few years. All these valuable instruments had just been casually thrown here. The sight of it all made him want to scream and scold her. “Ah well, when you are what I am, you just sort of gather wands and staffs,” explained the witch with a shake of her head. “Though, if you can use one wand, then they’re all the same.” “In the corner there…that looks like an original Rednoff type.” “Yes, Rednoff brought it to me. A very unpleasant man, but his wands were a brilliant invention.” “……” “Don’t just stand there—come sit,” said the witch to Ix, who was even more dumbfounded. The room wasn’t that large, but it seemed like a pleasant enough place to inhabit, complete with a small collection of daily necessities. There was a pair of couches facing each other, and Ix went to sit by Camilla, who was already on one. On the table in front of him sat a small vial. The cloudy solution inside was slowly settling. “All right now.” The witch sat across from them and crossed her legs. She still wore her hat inside. “Let’s chat while we wait for the antidote to finish.” Ix stared at her face. It was so strange. That small, casual grin she wore looked so young, but she had an aura about her that went beyond age. That, and her dull eyes were the very embodiment of the word inexplicable. “Your face says you’d like to ask me something, Ix,” said the witch. “…Where should I even start?” he said cautiously. “I’ve heard a few different rumors about you.” “Ask whatever you like.” “My master…Munzil. Did you know him?” “Ah-ha-ha, that’s what you want to ask first?” She brought her hand to her mouth. “Yes. I was acquainted with him.” Ix hesitated a moment, then said, “Are you a witch?” “Yes.” “Are witches immortal?” “Yes.” “Do you have more knowledge than humans do?” “Yes.” “…Really?” “Asking that would mean you have some way of proving otherwise, right? Since there’s no point in confirming with someone you don’t trust.” “No, sorry. I’ll ask a different question.” He knew what she’d said was right. “…Do you know Mali?” “I haven’t heard that name in so long.” She smiled. “Mali… How many years ago was that? Have you met her?” “Yes.” “What is she doing?” “Not long ago, she was a head librarian.” “Aaah, books… Yes, how very like her.” “Do you remember anything about her?” “Yes. When it comes to her and tomes… Oh, but are you actually interested?” “No, I’m not.” He wasn’t particularly invested in her personally and knowing more about her wouldn’t change anything. “But she’s quit her job now and is bedbound in her mansion. It doesn’t seem like she has much time left.” “…Oh. Has it already been that long?” The witch touched the brim of her hat and adjusted it. The slight disturbance of air from that motion made the flames of the candles waver. “Do you know that the capital’s wand wall has been undone?” asked Ix. “Has it really?” she asked with surprise in her voice. “I don’t actually know if it’s true, but you’re one of the suspects.” “Is that so? Well, I suppose I’ll just deny involvement now, then.” Obviously, there was no point in Ix making further inquiries. He brought his fingers together and tented his hands. “Just how long have you been alive…?” he asked after steeling himself. “Well now… I’m not very good at counting the years. It’s not like it’s been one long line the whole time, either.” “How do you stay alive?” “I eat people.” “…No, that’s impossible,” murmured Camilla. “Camilla, I’ve told you so many times. You still don’t believe me?” “I just—” “That…method,” said Ix as he held up a hand. “How did you develop it? It’s a technique far beyond what modern magicology can do. How could one person develop that on their own, and so many years ago?” When asked, the witch suddenly smiled. She touched her fingertips to her lips and giggled. Her shoulders shook, like she couldn’t stand how amusing it was. Ix was taken aback. When her laughter eventually subsided, she gave a short answer. “A dragon.” “…Huh?” “Dragons. You know of them, don’t you? They have infinite magic, expansive knowledge, and absurdly large bodies. Those ones. There were still many dragons living in the world when I was born. I met one of them and tried asking for something: its knowledge.” “That’s ridiculous…” Ix pressed a hand over his mouth in shock. “You don’t believe me?” “It’s not that I don’t think you’re telling the truth…” That answer would be somewhat against the rules. If she said it was true, it didn’t matter how big of a lie it was; Ix would have to take it at face value. Dragons were unbelievably powerful, and they granted all wishes, without discrimination. If someone did come to possess their knowledge, they could actually become immortal. But that was… “It’s just…,” started Ix. “Even if you say it was a period of time when dragons still drew breath, if it was that easy to bump into one and receive their knowledge, wouldn’t there be more people who would have it? More folks like you or others who inherited something else from them… And if that’s true, then why would you be holed up in this forest? Despite the fact you have all this power…” “Hmm, you seem to have come to the wrong conclusion…” The witch shrugged. “I was abandoned in the forest. Back during a period when these woods were even deeper.” ““Huh?”” said both Ix and Camilla. “My, was that a difficult time,” continued the witch. “I’d never gone into the forest before that. I wandered about, eating nuts, berries, and grasses… By the time I realized it, I’d lost my way and had gone even farther into its depths. It’s a miracle I wasn’t attacked by magic beasts. But once, when I’d collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, the forest floor spoke to me. It said: ‘I shall grant your wish.’” She closed her eyes as she remembered. “I was thirsty and hungry, and more than anything, I wanted to go back home. I said, ‘teach me what you know,’ and”—she spread her arms wide—“the witch was born. That’s why I live here. All I wanted was the ability to save a small child—that’s the only reason I have the dragons’ knowledge. I have no intention of using it for anything more than that. That would be going against the agreement, wouldn’t it?” Ix felt sweat beading on his forehead. She spoke as if it were fact, but it was all based on some assumption that went against common sense. “Oh, that’s right. You said something about the wand wall earlier,” said the witch with a grin. “Can you fly?” “Fly?” asked Ix. “Can you fly using magic?” “No…” Ix shook his head. “If that were possible…if that sort of spell were developed, then city walls would be meaningless.” “Exactly my point.” She nodded. “If I left the forest, it would cause a huge fuss. It might be amusing, but I don’t want to cause any trouble.” “Are you saying…y-you can? But using magic to fly is…” “A form of magic humans will someday attain. Oh, but it’s our secret for now. Everyone would be too surprised if they found out.” She’s not human, Ix suddenly realized. She was too far removed from being human. This wasn’t because she possessed knowledge and abilities that humans didn’t. No, it was because her way of thinking lacked all humanity. Dragons had still drawn breath roughly a thousand years ago. A human who had lived for that long…could no longer be called human at all. There was no other word to call her by. Hence, why she was now the witch… Ix inhaled slowly and deeply. “…Twenty years ago. You took a baby from the village,” he said. “Huh? Ix, where’d you hear about that?” asked Camilla in surprise. “The villagers. And Gidens found a record of it.” “But you don’t have anything to do with—” “Now,” said the witch as she raised a hand. “This is what he really wanted to ask. Go on.” “…Did you eat that baby?” he asked. “No.” “Is that baby…me?” The witch gave a knowing smile but didn’t respond with either a yes or a no. Her black eyes bore into him. “Tell me,” he insisted. “…Yes, it is,” she revealed after a while, nodding. Ix could hear Camilla gasp beside him. The answer didn’t shock him. He’d suspected as much based on what he’d researched so far. “Why? Why did you take me, and why didn’t you eat me? What happened twenty years ago?” “Ix, you—” Her voice didn’t reach him. He shook his head; that wasn’t it. That wasn’t what he wanted to know. What he wanted to know was about what his own master had wanted from him… “No, that’s not what I want to ask. What I want to ask is why…?” He put his fingers together and closed his eyes. “Why am I alive? I was born from a mother with sonim. I am without magic. How do I still live? Is there…something else at work instead of that? Did I…get some power in exchange, like how you became the witch when you were abandoned? Is there anything like that?” “There isn’t,” said the witch simply. “…There isn’t?” asked Ix, his voice rasping. “No.” “Th-that can’t be. If that’s true, then how—?” “Ix.” She stood and looked out the window, her small back to him. “Sonim is just a disease. It was pure chance that you survived. When a mother has the infection, it stops the fetus’s organs from developing. This isn’t certain for every case, but multiple organs including the heart, brain, and lungs are destroyed as it progresses, hence why a scant few babies are born to infected mothers. But in your case, the symptoms only appeared in the organ responsible for mana. Yes, it was good fortune, pure and simple luck. You could even call it a miracle. But the fact that you’re alive isn’t a miracle. Besides, mana isn’t necessary for living anyway. Horses and cows don’t have any magical energy. It’s the same as that. And so that’s all it is. You were born without mana and were lucky enough to keep living like that… That’s all.” “Then…,” murmured Ix in his bewilderment. “What am I?” “I knew that Munzil was searching for a human without mana,” revealed the witch quietly. “I owed him, so I passed you to him. But even I, with all my knowledge of the dragons, am not privy to what the ‘talent’ is that he spoke of. That answers your question, does it not?” There was an intermittent pattering sound. The rain had started falling again. The intervals between each drop grew shorter and shorter. Camilla, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, looked at Ix. “Hey…Ix. Is that true? You were born here…?” she asked. “Hmm? …Yeah, seems like it.” “Oh…” For some reason, her head was hung low. In a complete contrast, the witch waved a hand and said in a cheery tone, “Well, it’s a good thing you came to see me before I ended, Ix.” “I didn’t exactly get much information, though,” he replied. “It’s boring when you finally get the truth.” She sighed. “What?” Camilla raised her voice. “Wait, what do you mean by you ending?” “Just that, Camilla,” she replied. “I’ve been thinking it’s about time for the witch to end. I don’t eat people anymore, so I don’t plan on going to the festival tomorrow.” “Wh-why?” “Devouring people is a horrible thing to do, don’t you think?” said the witch lightly. “I realized there wasn’t much point in going that far. Besides, recently…there was someone who’d hung on for a thousand years but finally gave in. Maybe it’s my time as well.” As she spoke, she turned her eyes to Ix. That would mean… She knew. “Is there…anything I can do? Is there any way I can help…?” asked Camilla. “Thank you, Camilla. But there’s nothing that could help me.” “But…” Her shoulders slumped. “But if you’re gone, what will happen to the festival?” “The festival? Everyone is afraid of me and just runs. I imagine it will grow peaceful after this.” “Why do you also have to…?” “Now, now, don’t be so glum.” The witch placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ah, good timing. Looks like it’s done.” The white cloud inside the vial on the table had completely settled, so that the mixture was divided into the white precipitate and a pale-green liquid above it. The witch picked up another empty vial and poured the green liquid into it. She told them they should administer it in two doses, which would be plenty to counteract the poison. It was pitch-black outside. The witch lent them a hooded lantern because it was dangerous in the dark. The lantern was small, but since there were no other lights around, it brightly illuminated the forest. “And then… Ah, yes. We wouldn’t want you to get lost. I’ll give you a guide,” said the witch. “A guide?” asked Ix. The witch gave a sharp whistle. A moment later, they heard a low grunting approaching from the forest. “Eek!” said Camilla, giving a small shriek of fright. Her reaction was to be expected, because what came out of the forest was a magic beast. Red in color, the creature was obviously a meat-eating type. It was an enedo. Yet, while an enedo’s most prominent feature was its curved teeth, this one didn’t have any. They appeared to have been cut off at the base. It grunted at the same volume the whole time it slowly moved closer and closer to them. “No need to be so frightened,” said the witch as she held out a hand. The enedo, despite being a creature known for its violent tendencies, just sniffed at her hand. “Look, nothing scary here. He’ll guide you to the edge of the forest.” “…I just remembered something I haven’t asked,” said Ix with a hand on his forehead. “Did you recently give a pair of adventurers a large amount of enedo teeth?” “Hmm? Oh, you meant that.” She nodded slightly. “I was in the forest, and they came to my house. They seemed to want them, so I let them take the teeth. These creatures here, their teeth make them a bit arrogant. They calm down quite a lot when you cut them off, as you can see. They stop fighting with other enedo, and they listen to what I tell them. They’re very helpful for investigating the forest. Oh, but keep that a secret, too.” “Those two adventurers said you threatened them…” “Threatened them? Why would I do something like that? I just gave them the teeth and said they should submit them to the Guild.” “…Why would you tell them that?” “No real reason why…” She blinked in confusion. “I don’t know much about it, but I thought that was what adventurers did?” “…Okay. That’s enough for me.” Apparently, the dragon’s knowledge did not encompass common sense.