“Yeah, but…” Gus’s head hung down, and he spoke as if he had to squeeze every word out of his lungs. “That visitor’s an easterner.” “Huh? …Really?” Gidens looked over at Ix. “Actually, no, don’t answer that. It’ll cause all sorts of problems if it’s true. But I get it now…” He closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. “You don’t have to say nothing, Gus—she’s the kind of person you’ve got a grudge against. Maybe it ain’t even that, and you just wanted to take out your anger on someone.” “……” “Could someone please, explain the situation?” asked Nova. “Not even sure I’d call it a situation. It ain’t that complicated,” said Gidens with a wave of his hand. “Gus’s son died in the Lukutta war. That’s all.” After a long silence, Gus said, “It was the letters.” “Letters?” “This one time, there was a letter mixed in with some goods that came up from Leirest. I thought it was a mistake, so I sent it back, but a reply came mixed in with the goods again. This time addressed to me. It said such dumb things, but my son had recently died… I just kind of kept writing responses. And the message that came yesterday said… It said there were three young people heading to Notswoll and that one of them was an easterner. Talked about the heroic stuff you did at the banquet in Leirest, too, little miss.” “The letter told you to kill Yuui?” murmured Ix. “No, it didn’t.” Gus raised his head for a brief moment, then stared back at the floor. “…This isn’t just some excuse I’m making now, but I didn’t have any intention of doing her in. Not a single bit of me wanted to kill her when I first met her, either. I just wanted to talk a bit… That’s what I was thinking when I called her into the storage building. But then the excitement of the festival got to me, and for some reason, I had this strange feeling come over me. By the time I realized it, I was standing there, holding the ax… No, that’s probably just some excuse.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I did something unforgivable,” he continued. “I know I can’t just apologize and have it forgotten. You visitors can decide what should happen to me.” Even with him saying that, Nova and Ix could only look at each other. It wasn’t their right to decide his fate—it was Yuui’s. Gidens, who had been listening to the confession in silence until then, said, “Hey, you two. I know this is a lot to ask, but…could we keep what happened here a secret and let me deal with him?” “Why…?” asked Gus, his eyes wide as he looked up. “You know, I’m kind of supposed to serve the Lord,” said Gidens. “Gus and I’ve known each other for a long time, so I believe I can get him back on the right track. Though, not much I can do if y’all don’t have faith in me…” Ix and Nova looked at each other, trying to decide what to do. “To be honest, I don’t really care,” said Ix. “It’s not like we’ll be coming back here.” “I feel, the same,” added Nova. Gus closed his eyes in surprise and slowly lowered his head. “Well, not sure how I feel ’bout the reason, but I appreciate it. Thanks,” said Gidens, his expression more serious than they’d ever seen, though it was quickly replaced with a casual smile. “But you know, Gus. Maybe you put that poison on the meat knowing I would take it, or maybe you thought I wouldn’t die, too. But if that little lady over there hadn’t been with us, we’d all be in heaven now.” “Poison?” Gus blinked in confusion. “What poison?” “What do you mean? The mewmose you put on the meat last night…” “I—I don’t know what you’re on about. Like I told you, it was just a bit ago that I lost it. The ones who got your food together last night were those kids you asked for help…” “…What?” Nova dashed from the building like an arrow loosed from a bow. Ix hurried after her. “It was a decoy,” she said quickly. “There’s another person who got a letter.” “Why is someone going to this much trouble to target Yuui?” asked Ix. They arrived at the village square but couldn’t find Yuui. She’d probably picked up a meal for Camilla and was already heading to her place. But if a villager had recommended some food to her during that time… But they did have the antidote. If she happened to ingest a small amount of poison, it shouldn’t be an issue. Ix couldn’t bring himself to think about what would happen if she swallowed a large quantity. For now, he and Nova just tried to cut through the crowds. Though they shouted for people to let them through, the festival goers didn’t quite catch them between the excitement of the celebration. Quite the opposite—people started to think it was a new way to make noise, and soon the din grew even louder. Despite that, they somehow managed to make it through the chaos. Just then, someone tugged on Nova’s clothing. “Hey,” came a voice from below their eyeline. “…Yonda?” murmured Ix. It was the little girl who had spoken to Ix when they’d arrived in the village. She held up a bowl toward Nova with both her hands. It contained a translucent liquid. “Hey, lady, drink this,” Yonda insisted. Nova crouched down and took the bowl. She carefully tilted it and touched the liquid to her tongue. With a slight tilt of her head, she murmured, “…I see.” “It’s yummy, isn’t it?” asked Yonda with a happy smile. “Will you show me your face now?” “My, face?” “Yeah. You’re always hiding it. I want to see it.” “Before that, Yonda.” “What?” “Do you, have a letter?” “A letter?” “With the powder, that you put in this.” “Yeah, I have it.” “Can, I see it?” “Sure!” She produced a small scrap of paper from her inner pocket. “…I see,” said Nova with a nod after she passed her eyes over the message. “Yuui never spoke in front of you, did she? So you assumed, she was a man.” Ix took the paper from Nova and read it for himself. The following was written in simple language: There is a lady who always hides her face. Sneak this into her food. She’ll be delighted. 3 They left Yonda in Gidens’s care while the two of them went back to the rear entrance of the storage building. Thankfully, the door was of a simple make, so they were able to repair it with the tools that were already there. They opened and closed it several times to test it. It creaked a bit, but probably not enough that anyone would complain. “All right, let’s go back to the square,” suggested Nova, but Ix called her to a halt. “You really not going to tell Yuui?” he asked. “Tell her, what?” “That you’re not surveilling her. That you’re actually doing the opposite.” “What, do you mean?” “You’re good at lying.” He sighed, then continued. “If Yuui trailing off and doing her own thing was a problem, you’d have no need to follow her around like this. They could just put her on house arrest in the capital. But you haven’t been doing that, Nova. In fact, you let her do whatever she wants. You respect her ideas and actions. So then, who are you on guard for?” Ix stared out the storage building. “You’re watching for anyone who might attack Yuui. That’s it. What happened just then made that abundantly clear.” “……” Nova froze for a while, seemingly considering something. Eventually, she pulled her chin in slightly. “You are, correct.” “And you’re fine not telling her? I’m sure Yuui would feel relieved that you’re her guard, not her surveillance.” “You misunderstand.” Her bangs swayed. “I am her guard, but I am not her ally. I am protecting her, so that we can use her. Telling her that, would be even worse.” “Use her? But she—” “Has no value as a hostage, beyond appearances. We already know that. She has been abandoned, both by the kingdom, and by Lukutta. That was, until not long ago.” “What happened then?” “The Academy exam.” “Huh?” “In the exam, she placed fourth in her class. She has far surpassed most typical students, in both normal studies, and in magic usage.” “That’s…incredible.” There was nothing else Ix could say to that. “More abnormal, than incredible.” Nova nodded. “There was apparently, no formal education system in Lukutta. Yuui started learning, both academically and magically, when she came to the Academy. In the beginning, she didn’t even know the language. But in one short year, she took fourth place. The kingdom is embarrassed, to put it bluntly. Publicly, they announced she placed forty-eighth.” “…Won’t she notice something fishy with that? A discrepancy between how the test seemed and how the results came out?” “She has too low, an opinion of herself. She seems to believe most of her ability, comes from the wand. In light of that, she will assume that when evaluating the exam, they took her wand into consideration, and evaluated her on skill alone.” “A wand’s duty is to let a magic user use their power to its fullest potential. No matter how amazing it is, it can’t make someone more capable than they naturally are.” “She once told me it was just because her wand was special. I don’t understand what that means. Do you know anything about that?” “…No,” deflected Ix with a silent shrug. “Anyway, that’s what led to some viewing her as a danger. If she were driven to the edge at the Academy, many students could wind up dead.” “That would never happen.” “I, concur,” said Nova. Ix sensed there was a misunderstanding but didn’t say anything. “On the other hand, there are powers at play who have come to see her ability, as something they can take advantage of. Those people dispatched me.” “I’d like to know who those people are.” “The Reformation Sect.” “…So you’re New Order, too?” “Yes. We have infiltrated the Church, and are waiting for our opportunity, to instigate a revolution from within. In that regard, the Secession Sect’s actions have been too reckless. If they carelessly incite a revolt, it will hinder our own plans. That’s why, the incident at the Obryles’ mansion was so unexpected, and why we were lucky to resolve it so quickly. Thank you for your help, back then.” “So…,” he said as he opened a hand, “how do you plan to use her?” “No matter how peaceful a revolution we achieve, the kingdom will still be thrown into disarray. The impact of that will likely extend, beyond the kingdom’s borders. We wouldn’t want there, to be riots in the regions the kingdom controls. In order to prevent that, we will set in place leaders in those regions who are under our influence, and use them to control what transpires. We have already taken on board, a portion of those in positions of authority in Lukutta.” “You’re…going to force Yuui into a leadership position in Lukutta? Are you serious?” “Yes,” she confirmed immediately, nodding. “Yuui will return home, and there she will have plenty of influence to achieve our ends, even without the kingdom’s support, as long as she tries for it. That’s how skilled a person she is. I evaluated the situation in that manner, and the higher-ups agreed with me, once I reported about the incident at the Obryle mansion.” “Wait, did you accept the job from Layumatah in anticipation of this happening?” “No, I didn’t.” Nova looked down slightly. “But it has been, far too convenient. I feel like there was something at work, when Layumatah chose Yuui to help with this job. I think there may have been, a deal struck somewhere.” “Somewhere? Where?” “Above.” She pointed up, and Ix’s eyes followed in that direction. She obviously didn’t mean in that way, though. “…Should you really be telling me this?” he asked. “Yuui will figure it out eventually, sooner or later. But even if she does realize it, she’ll act without regard to her own emotions, so long as she believes it’s for others. That’s the sort of person, she is. Once she considers, how many casualties there’ll be if a chaotic rebellion breaks out in Lukutta, it’ll be obvious to her that someone should rein it in. No matter how horrible a fate that person suffers, if they compare the numbers…” “That’s selfish of you.” “Yes. I’m stealing her life from her. It’s, cruel.” The topic of conversation was far too massive for Ix to comprehend. It seemed like the world they lived in was different, or the scale they thought on was different. All he worried about was crafting wands or not; he couldn’t fathom the burdens Yuui had to bear. Nova spoke again. “I don’t know if they discovered, what happened at the Obryle mansion from other attackers who stayed hidden or simply through hearsay, but it seems some in the Secession Sect did find out. I believe the fact that she took control of the situation at the mansion, in conjunction with the opinions of those who view her as a threat, and those who have certain feelings toward easterners, is somehow connected to the orders given to the villagers.” After the attack at the mansion, Nova and the others had been questioned. Even if you didn’t go out of your way to gather information, the banquet had so many influential people that information leaks were bound to occur. “Their grooming of Gus and Yonda, was likely part of their original plan, their hopes to create a revolt during the festival to take advantage of. It seems they were set up rather quickly, though… Anyway, we can’t leave people like that, to their own devices. I must return as quickly as possible, submit a report, and find them.” “Grooming…” Ix suddenly had the thought that he’d heard a conversation before about letters mixed in with goods, which was when he let out a gasp. “What, is it?” asked Nova as she looked at him. “It’s just…uh.” Ix tilted his head and blinked. He felt the energy leak from him, or at least the excitement. “The guard at the gate. It was him.” “What?” “Well, I mean, it’s not like anyone had any way of knowing we were even going to Notswoll. We decided to go in the middle of the night before. The only person we told was Morna. Unless someone saw Yuui on the streets that morning, they couldn’t have written any letters.” “There were some travelers on the street. Some people would have been able to know, even if they weren’t the guard.” “That’s right. But there was only one person who could have put the letters in place, only one person who touched the goods. The guard who inspected the cargo when we passed through the gate. Which means… Oh, that’s right.” Ix covered his mouth with his hand. “The secret letter that said the wand wall had been undone was the same. It was just a ploy from the guard who found it or the soldiers on guard duty. That’s how they had the correct security details to put in the letter.” “Some sort of, diversion?” “Probably. Like…if someone was planning to incite a rebellion in Leirest, they might try to divert attention to the capital, right? Or anything, really.” “Should you not, contact Layumatah?” asked Nova pointedly. “Well…” He frowned. “I figured it out, so she’s probably realized it by now as well. I bet they’ve already arrested the guard or are keeping tabs on him.” Yeah…thinking about it now, it was obvious. Undoing the wand wall was supposedly an impossible task in the first place. Was this something unique to humans? Or was it just his own foolishness? If something sounded like it could be true, Ix would carefully consider it, one step at a time. But if it was something questionable, he would accept it all at once and forget it was an assumption in the first place. He’d been misled by the smoke screen of impossibility. He’d been trapped inside. Ah… Which means, the witch… He felt as if his vision had cleared. The interconnected puzzle pieces started to fall into place, one after another. He likened the sensation to that child’s game where you lined up small pieces of wood and watched them knock one another down in a line. So that was the case. The witch was cruel. Ix let out a heavy sigh. It was good he’d considered this more. It was good he hadn’t just believed everything because she was a magical witch with the knowledge of a dragon. And it was ever so apparent to anyone, so long as they thought about it… “Yuui should be coming back, soon,” said Nova to him. “Let’s return to the square.” “No, I’ve got something to take care of at Camilla’s, too. I’ll pass her on the way there,” he said. “Oh, right.” They moved from the storage building into the square and returned to where they’d been standing earlier. It seemed the people had finally started to tire of celebrating. The instruments had stopped playing, and the villagers were relaxing. Ix looked down the road to see a figure in a gray coat approaching them. “By the way…,” said Ix, “I would’ve thought it’d be easier to protect Yuui if you kept her in one place—what’s with letting her wander around like this? You trying to make up for what you’re doing?” “…Yes.” Nova nodded slightly. “Is that an order from above, too?” “It’s, my own decision.” “Why would you—?” “Because, she saved me,” replied Nova curtly. “At the time, we were just classmates. Even so, she helped me, the citizen of an enemy nation, solely because I needed help. I didn’t understand why, but I’ve come to accept it as I’ve spent time with her. She is honestly, just an abnormally, good person.” Her bangs swayed as she looked down. “If I can, I want Yuui to live as she dreams, in a peaceful place, with nothing connecting her to what’s going on in the kingdom. That is my personal, wish. I let her do as she pleases, just to fulfill my own selfish desires.” After hearing that, all Ix could say was, “…Yeah,” and nod. Nova was completely correct. Yuui had lost her family. She’d been taken from her homeland. She was alone in a foreign country… Why? Why did someone who’d experienced such difficulties have to be subjected to even more? She defeats people from the Secession Sect; then people try to kill her; then she becomes the Reformation Sect’s pawn. But if Yuui thought that was the just thing to do, she would do it. She would search for a better way forward, worry about whether or not there was another option, help the people of her enemy country, and suffer endless hardships and heartache. That had nothing to do with the wand or her father. It was just her own honest goodness. Even if she would be better off not getting embroiled in the kingdom’s political wars, lost festivals, the legend of the witch, and all that… If she wanted happiness for herself… Ix took a few steps ahead, then suddenly turned back and said, “…I was thinking.” “There’s, something else?” asked Nova as she looked at him. “Even if you were taste testing for poison, you didn’t really need to eat all that food, did you?” “You, think so?” 4 Camilla was sleeping at the table. She was lying sideways, her head on an outstretched arm. She quickly noticed the other person across from her. After sitting up, she looked at their face. “…Yuui,” she said. “I thought you might be hungry,” said Yuui as she placed food on the table. The pleasant aroma of food she couldn’t normally enjoy wafted to her nose. “Thank you. It looks delicious.” Camilla smiled, but she wasn’t hungry, so she put the dish of food back after only a bite. Yuui didn’t say anything as she watched. Rather than leave the house, she just gazed vaguely out the window. Was she really here? “Hey…,” murmured Camilla, almost to herself. “Why does the witch have to disappear?” There was no reply. The rain outside was growing steadily stronger. Camilla realized Yuui was staring at her. “…Camilla,” she said. “Yes?” “I’ve been thinking for a while now…,” started Yuui thoughtfully. “It was a simple question I had in the beginning. The legend says the witch appears on the day of the Feast of Meat and devours a child. But if that was the case, the solution would be simple. Stop holding the festival.” She looked down at her hands. “I haven’t met the witch myself, and I don’t know what she really is. And so I can’t ask why she only appears on the day of the festival. But no matter how grateful the people are to their god, I cannot think of a reason why they would continue holding a celebration that would put them in danger. The only explanation that makes sense is that the villagers have something to gain from it.” “Something to gain? From children getting eaten?” “It is an opportunity to eliminate someone without feeling guilty,” continued Yuui emotionlessly. “Sometimes, a child can be a burden on an impoverished family. But they’re also the easiest burden to discard. The parents can just make another one, after all. But the mental stress of doing something like that is far worse than, say, when you abandon an elderly person. So people might appreciate something that could do the deed for them.” “…That’s what you think?” asked Camilla, and Yuui shrugged. “It’s only a guess. I have no way of confirming it. That was not what I’ve been thinking about; I’ve been thinking about what the witch’s curse is. Have you heard of it? They say you have been cursed by the witch, which is why you’ve lost your family and your fortune.” Camilla’s only response was slightly tucking in her chin. “It is true that you’ve lost your parents and that your wealth was stolen. You live alone in this home with nothing in it, and it seems you don’t use the well in town, so you have to travel far out to get your water. It’s no wonder people say you’re cursed.” “The witch would never hex anyone…” “You’re right—there is no witch’s curse.” Camilla felt as though Yuui’s gaze was boring into her. “Throwing away your belongings, going outside the village for your water, those are things that you do. There is no external influence. Which means…there must have been something that led you to feel you had to curse yourself. Since you’re such a good person, that was the only option.” “I’m…not a good person.” “No, you are. You simply want the people around you to be happy. I could never compete with someone as good as you.” “……” “Let’s go back to the witch. About twenty years ago, an ailing, pregnant woman came to this village. She gave birth around this time of year and died in the process. When the town held the Feast of Meat, the witch kidnapped the baby. However…” Yuui tilted her head. “Why did she abduct him? Sonim was rampant in the area at the time, and I’ve heard that the festival was nothing more than a small formal ceremony. So then why would someone bring a newborn along to it if they weren’t the mother? Why would they drag the baby out of the house to a festival that wasn’t that much of a fuss? And that’s where the infant happened to be targeted by the witch… It’s too unnatural a situation.” Yuui had probably figured out everything. Her voice contained not a hint of blame or kindness. “You just wanted to help someone, didn’t you, Camilla?” asked Yuui. “…Did Gidens tell you that?” Yuui nodded. “I see.” She just wanted… She just wanted to help someone. To help everyone. That was all. And though that was all she wanted… Why did that have to happen? Had she really thought it was a good idea? She didn’t know. The sickness had been everywhere in the village, and everyone was suffering. The baby was alone, his mother had died, and he was crying. She was just asked to watch him for a bit, and he lay there in her arms…screaming. No one in town had the ability to care for him right now. How painful would it be for him to get hungrier and hungrier until he died? That must have been why he screamed so much. And so… She pressed a flower into his little hand. She hugged him. She thought she would be thanked. Because she’d heard that she ate things like this. Surely, she would gladly accept. She might even tell Camilla how she could become a witch. That’s what she’d thought… “Will you tell Ix…?” asked Camilla as Yuui stood and placed a hand on the door. “I had planned to at first.” Yuui turned back to Camilla and smiled. “But I won’t. It won’t solve anything. It will only increase the number of people suffering.” “I see…” “Do you want me to tell him?” “No, don’t.” “That’s what I thought.” Without saying anything more, Yuui left. She left Camilla alone in the room, alone with her selfishness. Sometimes, she wondered why she was alive. Why was she still alive when she hadn’t even been able to save her sister? Why was she still alive when her mom and dad had perished? When they died, she’d felt like she was finally paying for her deeds… But how could the villagers let her remain in the village, even though they knew what she’d done? Vague thoughts passed through her mind, and she drifted off to sleep again. When next she opened her eyes, a man stood in front of her. “Ix?” she asked. Was this a dream? He sat across from her and put his elbows on the table. He seemed to be finding it difficult to say something. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I…” He placed a hand over his mouth. “I don’t really understand. What’s good for people? What’s bad for people? I feel like it’ll make things worse, and I feel like it’ll make things better than they are. Personally, I think it’s good, but maybe that’s just my personal prejudices getting in the way… Which is why I want to leave it to you to decide. I doubt you’ll be opposed to it, if you happen to want it as well. And I mean, she’s just given up on it. And there are probably people who think that’s for the better…” “W-wait a minute,” said Camilla with a confused smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about when you put it like that. I understand you’re having a hard time, but could you explain from the beginning?” “A-ah, from the beginning… Right, so it’s like this…” As she listened to the inarticulate man say his piece, she smiled. Why? She was in this empty room… Why was she so relieved? 5 The rain fell even harder once noon passed, but the bustle of the festival only grew, as if in protest. While the people clamored, they gathered to the already harvested fields. The adults lined the edges of the pasture, instruments in hand. The children and young people leaped into the fields with whoops and cries. The music eventually started, as did the dance, which concluded the Feast of Meat. “Shall we…go back?” Yuui asked Nova as she gazed at the celebrating people. “Yes,” said Nova with a nod. “I had completely forgotten, there is a deadline we need to report by. I want to leave this village, as soon as possible.” “Night will fall while we’re traveling…” “We can camp near the city, so we’ll be the first ones let in the next morning. We don’t need to worry about magic beasts, so long as we get to the highway by the time night falls.” “If we do that, even though you’re watching me, I can—” “I would appreciate it if we traveled, together,” said Nova as she stared at Yuui. “What do you think?” “…Okay.” Yuui sighed. “Thank you.” “Not that I have any right to choose.” “Shall we, then?” Nova moved away from the fields as if to say they should leave as soon as possible. As they did, they saw someone they knew coming quickly toward them. “Is it over?” asked Ix as he looked at the fields. “Well, I wouldn’t really know if it’s over or not,” said Yuui with a quick glance at the fields. “Who knows when they’ll stop dancing if the witch doesn’t come. I feel like they are very much losing their enthusiasm…” “Losing their enthusiasm?” Yuui decided to tell him what she thought. “I have sort of been thinking that the witch’s arrival has become a part of the festival. Just as Gidens said, she shows up, and everyone runs. That’s what marks the end of the Feast of Meat, yes? They might be frightened of the witch, but I think they also need her.” “Uh-huh…” Although that, too, was just a guess. There was a limit to what people could understand. As the two of them chatted, Nova cut in. “Excuse me, Ix. We are heading back to Leirest, now. We must submit, our report.” “Report? Oh…yeah.” “Yes.” “What are you going to do, Ix?” asked Yuui. “I don’t have anything I need to do right away. I’m going back tomorrow.” “Then we will see you again in Leirest. Will you report to Layumatah in person?” “No… I think a letter should be enough.” “Oh, okay.” She had been thinking that if he went to the capital, she would show him around a little, but there was nothing she could do about him not coming. With that, Yuui bowed her head, but Ix stopped them. “Before you go…can you help me with something?” he asked. “What is it?” “Call the witch.” “What?” “Like you said before, it’ll be bad if the festival doesn’t end, see.” “I did say that, yes, but…how?” The witch had supposedly said she wouldn’t come to the festival anymore. By “call the witch,” did he mean he was planning on going into the forest, knocking on her door, and asking her to make an appearance? Not that this bothered Yuui, but it was all a bit sudden. Ix brought a hand to his mouth and looked up. “Um… Oh yeah, that’s it. Can you make lightning?” “Lightning?” “At the festival eighty years ago, they said the witch appeared along with a storm.” “She’ll come if I make lightning?” Yuui cocked her head, wondering what he was saying. “And besides, I can’t use magic to do that. There are only rain clouds here, not thunder clouds.” “You just need to make it seem like there’s lightning. Put on a show, I mean.” “Huh…?” Yuui wasn’t entirely satisfied with his explanation, but she had to leave the village soon for Nova’s sake. She thought she could make it at least look like there was lightning. It was basically just a flash and a bang. It would suffice if she shot out a brief white light, then produced a sound that resembled thunder. She wasn’t particularly good at sound spells, though… She would just have to rely on the wand’s power. “I just have to make it look like it’s lightning, right?” she asked. “Yeah, if you don’t mind,” he replied. She pulled her wand from her inside pocket. The villagers were focused on the fields, so they probably wouldn’t notice. Light and sound could cause damage if she went overboard. She closed her eyes and calculated how to adjust the power of her incantation. Luckily, the rain was falling more heavily. When the music reached a particularly strong crescendo, she pointed her wand ahead. She held her breath for a moment and created an intense light. Her vision was blotted out with white. She might have slightly overdone it. Without a moment’s hesitation, she loosed the sound, a roar like thunder tearing through the sky. Yuui felt like it had sounded decent enough. With that, she should have created an illusion of lightning striking behind the villagers. She quickly put her wand away. In her mind, she’d done a pretty good job. And though she was relieved it had gone well, for some reason, no one turned around. For a moment, she worried that the light had been too strong and temporarily blinded her, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, while her vision was slightly hazy, the people weren’t looking in her direction; there was something else on the other side of the fields that was far more deserving of their attention. From the dim depths of the forest emerged a figure wearing a pointed hat and a black coat. “The witch,” said someone. “The witch, the witch is here, the witch has come.” Cries escaped people’s mouths as they dashed away. Some joined hands with their family; some tugged the arms of someone of another gender, but all rushed to the village. Their faces looked the same: filled with terror and, oddly…perhaps a bit of amusement. It would be strange to remain there, so the three ran alongside them. They felt no threat, though, so it was a jog at best. As they ran, Yuui whispered to Ix, “That witch…looked like Camilla.” “Indeed,” he replied with a matter-of-fact nod. “What’s this about?” “I suggested to Camilla that if the witch wasn’t coming to the festival, then she should dress up as one and come down herself. None of the villagers has ever seen the witch up close, so they wouldn’t notice as long as she was dressed the same.” “Is there a point to doing that?” “Nope, not at all.” Yuui stared into Ix’s eyes. “Are you hiding something?” “What would I be hiding?” “…I’d just like to confirm, but you really did meet the witch in the forest, yes?” “The witch?” replied Ix expressionlessly. “Nope, she was gone.” 6 The rain lifted the next morning. Clouds still filled the sky, but few contained rain. The remnants of the festival lay scattered in the streets and village square. The adults who had celebrated in a more responsible manner last night were cleaning them up. For most of the attendees, however, the festival was still continuing in their dreams. Ix, with his things on his back, turned toward the direction of Leirest. A chilly wind swept across the empty fields. It was a gentle current, one that pushed the seasons to change. People’s memories of this festival would consist of eating all the meat they could want, drinking to their hearts’ content, and having a huge celebration. Those memories, along with the hope of a spring soon to come, were the only things they had to get through the winter. “H-hey!” someone called out. He heard footsteps rushing toward him, so Ix turned around. There stood Gidens, struggling for breath. He pressed a hand to his side—apparently he’d been in a rush to get here. “Wh-what the hell’s this about?” he asked, showing Ix a leaflet in his right hand. “Was this your suggestion, Ix?” Ix leaned in to read the piece of paper. It was a letter from Camilla, addressed to Gidens, which read, “I’ve found a way to get a staff. I’m leaving for a little while to go learn magic. Thank you for everything.” “No, it’s got nothing to do with me,” deflected Ix with a shake of his head. “H-how could it have nothing to do with you? You’re—” “She told me that she’s been slowly saving up money, and she finally got enough to buy one. She figured no one would notice if she slipped out the day of the festival.” “Did she go to the capital? Or somewhere else?” “Dunno. I didn’t ask.” “……” Gidens bit his lip but remained silent. He stared at Ix for a while before finally muttering, “She hasn’t run off to get married, has she?” “Huh?” “I-it’s a joke,” he said with his usual casual smile. “It’s a joke, yeah, just a joke… Yeah, that’s right; that’s all it is…” “She asked me to tell you thanks if I ran into you,” said Ix. “Ha-ha, well, that’s an appropriate level of politeness coming from someone you’ve been close to for the past fifteen years. So polite, I might just cry.” He shrugged; then his expression quickly grew serious. “Well then, just in case, if you ever happen to run into Camilla, I want you to tell her something.” “Tell her what?” “Don’t come back.” Gidens let out a sigh. “Her happiness ain’t in this village. It’s been that way for decades. And it’ll probably be the same in the future. I thought I could save her, but that didn’t happen, either. So then, if, if she happens to find a happier place for herself, she should stay there. But we’re talking about Camilla here. She’s got some weird feelings about her birthplace, and I bet she’d try and come back. So just tell her for me—tell her not to do it.” “All right.” “…Actually, no, don’t. Don’t say that to her.” “You sure?” “I don’t want to give you a chance to look too cool,” said Gidens with a sarcastic grin. But the next moment, he looked relieved. He raised his right hand and said, “See ya then, craftsman.” “I’m an apprentice.” “You seriously correct people every single time? That’s got to be a pain; just hurry up and get certified already.” After saying his good-byes, Ix walked down the road. The houses came to an end, and the fields expanded to fill the entire landscape. There wasn’t a single boundary line to mark the end of the village, but he thought he would be leaving Notswoll soon. Suddenly, he stopped. In a field off from the road was a square white stone. It was half buried in tall grasses. The one they’d seen on the way in. At the time, he thought it might have been a border marker for the village or some sort of magic beast deterrent, but now he knew that wasn’t the case. He pushed the grass aside and walked up to stand in front of the object. It was a gravestone. He knew it wasn’t a grave for a villager from Notswoll because it was the only one here. As he stared at it, he heard the creaking of wheels turning in the distance. With slow movements, someone came to stop immediately behind Ix. Without a word, they held a cup out to him. Inside sloshed a golden liquid. A sweet scent rose from it. “You knew, didn’t you?” asked Ix. A pregnant woman, suffering from sonim and chased from her own hometown, had collapsed near the village, where someone found her. Though there were some who opposed bringing her back into the village, the person who found her insisted that they would care for her themselves. A farmer, who had carried goods back and forth from Leirest, for the longest of times. Unlike the other villagers, who had no reason to leave town, he often passed along this road. And it was he who had set up this gravestone… The white-haired farmer said nothing. He just held out the cup to Ix. Ix accepted. Just bringing the cup to his face was enough for the dizzying scent of the alcohol to hit him. Holding his breath, he quickly poured some into his mouth. A surprisingly gentle sweetness passed over his tongue. “It’s good,” he couldn’t help himself from murmuring. “It’s mead.” Ix started to remind the farmer he’d said that before, but then he stopped. Instead, he took another sip. 7 Yuui visited the shop again a few weeks after Ix had returned to Leirest. Nova tagged along as well, but she stood on the street without coming close. Even though Ix was surprised, he invited Yuui into the shop, but she held up a hand in refusal. She looked around to check no one was there, then half lowered her hood. “I’m sorry, but we have to leave very soon. I only came to say my good-byes,” she explained. “Good-byes?” She placed her hands on top of each other in front of her. “I’m going back to Lukutta this time.” “Huh?” “The shop is near a road in that direction, so I insisted we stop by.” Ix blinked a few times. “Oh…,” he finally managed to say. “That’s…good.” “Yes.” “Do you know what you’ll be doing there?” “No… But I am the only one who has spent this long in the kingdom. I have been thinking that I might be able to contribute somehow because of that. I wonder if I might be able to do something for the people, even if it is not much.” “Oh yeah? Um…” “It appears that a number of the guests at the banquet spoke on my behalf, insisting that I saved their lives.” “Uh-huh.” Ix brought a hand to his mouth and looked at Nova standing at a distance. She responded with a slight nod. “Well, I will obviously only be in Lukutta temporarily,” said Yuui. “When are you coming back to the kingdom?” “The current plan is to spend about a year there, then come back next spring. Though the timing hasn’t been set in stone, either, so it might be longer before I come back, and I most likely won’t return to the Academy when I do. So many things are still undecided…” Yuui peered into the shop. “Um, are Morna and Ottou not in?” “Ah, Morna’s still sleeping, and today Ottou’s not around… Should I wake her up for you?” “No, that’s all right. It’s a little unfortunate, but please give them my regards.” “Sure thing.” “Ix…” Yuui’s eyes wandered for a moment. “Are you making wands?” “…You heard from Layumatah?” “I did.” “I am, yeah. As much as I can anyway.” “What started it?” “…It was that place,” he said, tripping over his own words before holding up what he had in his right hand. “And this.” “It just looks like a stick,” she said, a crease in her brow. “Yeah, looked like just a stick to me, too. Do you remember? At the Obryle mansion, the man giving the speech had a fake wand. I tried asking if I could examine it, and he let me.” “You went out of your way to examine a fake wand?” “I think it was probably the real deal.” He waved the instrument. “I kept coming back to this over and over, but it really looked to me like it shot off a spell. If a weak, shoddily crafted stick like this can cast incantations, too, then it opens up a lot of possibilities. We could make wands smaller, or… Anyway, I’m doing research on that in addition to crafting.” “Hmm…” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “What benefit would there be for making them smaller?” “Hmm…no clue. I’m just exploring a possibility.” “I see. I suppose that’s just what a craftsman does.” “Maybe,” he said, unsure. Yuui slid her hand into her pocket and produced a letter. “Layumatah gave me this to bring.” “For me?” “It’s a response to the report on the job we did.” “Huh…” That was a rare thing for Layumatah to send. When he took the envelope, it felt like there was only a slip of paper inside. “Ummm…” Yuui looked at him. “There was something you said about the witch when we left Notswoll.” “What about it?” “Was it true? That the witch was really just a woman living deep in the forest who was knowledgeable about herbs…?” “Yeah,” said Ix with a nod. “In truth, the word doesn’t refer to a specific person. It’s probably a general term that applies to any of the magic users in the group who lived in the forest. There’s no point in having such a huge clearing for one house, which explains why she had wands and staffs from so long ago. And the reason they were able to use the emission method thirty years prior to everyone else was, well, I guess that’s because they were just that powerful… But anyway, their band seems to have come to an end, too. In reality, the one witch I met didn’t use any magic. That was probably the reason she said she was ending the witch. She wasn’t making it end; it had to.” “But if that was the case…why were the villagers that frightened of her? I know magic users are uncommon, but if they knew the truth…” “It’s simple. It’s better for them that way.” “What does that mean?” “It’s for the safety of the forest.” Ix shrugged. “It’s a miracle a forest like that still exists this close to a city. There would definitely be people who want to take the land. But before people like that snatch it up, they think, Why are these woods still here? They might think magic beasts live there or something. They don’t want to find that out after they take the land. So they go to the village to check it out, and what happens? All the townspeople go on and on about this terrifying thing living in the forest. The fact that the forest still exists is actually proof of their claims. In the end, no one wants to touch a creepy place like that. It probably makes life easier for the villagers to have the resources of the forest at their doorstep.” “And that’s…the witch?” “It’s just a theory. Can’t really go and ask.” Ix spread his hands. “They’ve been at it so long that the villagers might actually have come to believe it themselves… Doesn’t really matter, though. At the very least, Mali truly believed it.” “You are denying that she eats people and is immortal as well, yes?” “Yeah. The immortality is just your run-of-the-mill rumor.” “But—” “Nova told you about the immortal creatures before, right?” “Ah, yes,” said Yuui, looking doubtful. “A portion of your own body is rejuvenated and released from you, whereupon it gains new life, and the process is repeated. If you define life in that way, you could argue that every living creature is immortal. It sounds like nothing more than a play on words to me…” “That’s all it is. There’s no creature that lives for eternity.” Still looking unconvinced, from the side of the road, Nova called out, “Yuui.” “Oh…” Yuui looked back briefly, then turned to face Ix again. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to return before snow falls.” “Right… See you then.” “Yes, good-bye.” She lowered her head and turned to walk away, but Ix called out to her without thinking. “Wait, uh…” “What is it?” she asked in confusion as she turned back. “Can I call you Laika?” he asked, hiding his mouth with his hand and trying to sound like he normally did. “Huh?” “Well… I heard that it’s different in the east from the kingdom, that your family name comes first. And your name’s Yuui Laika, right? So then, I thought I wouldn’t call you Yuui, if you didn’t like it…” Yuui was a little confused but turned to face him fully. With resolute motions, she drew right up next to him. When she was so close that their bodies nearly touched, she stood on her tiptoes and brought her face to his ear.
Chapter 29
41 min read