“It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Lunetta?”
“Yes, it is.”
Lunetta held the book in her hand up to the sky, a purplish-blue light enveloping it. As if they’d been unbound all at once, the book’s pages fluttered out, dancing into the sky.
Wonder where they’re going? Hope they can go anywhere they want, as far as they want, Sophie thought wistfully as she stared into the distance.
Filled with writing, the pages before her turned transparent before disappearing entirely.
It was then that Sophie realized she was standing hand in hand with Lunetta in an almost comical place. It was as if a massive hole had been torn out above them.
The stairs they’d taken had seemed to stretch underground, but now that she thought about it, the ceiling in the room had seemed quite high.
I wonder if there wasn’t a room above us? Sophie thought, looking up. Oh wow, the sky’s beautiful. And the weather’s great. It’s so warm. Guess that doesn’t matter. Does it? No, it doesn’t, does it?
Sophie couldn’t help but laugh, her chest suddenly growing warm—almost as if it were on fire.
Sophie gasped.
“Master, it cometh!”
“Huh?” Sophie didn’t even have time to ask what was coming.
In the blink of an eye, a glowing white magic circle appeared, and a thunderous sound rang out.
It was a piercing and pale burst of light—it was lightning.
Had it struck her, Sophie wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.
“Ah!” Sophie’s heart pounded in her chest. She exhaled, then heard Lunetta whisper, “Thank you.”
“It’s Azuello’s defensive magic,” Lunetta said. “Good thing he assimilated the spell to you to ensure it wouldn’t be visible.”
“O-Oh, I see...”
As a novice in magic, Sophie didn’t have the slightest grasp on the situation. She didn’t have any idea what was going on. Luckily, she had a reliable witch and a god to explain things for her.
“While it was only a tiny fraction, the barriers that still remained on the room went flying off... Almost as if sheer rage had scared them away.”
Sure enough, the king was looking at them with a terrible expression on his face, his golden hair shining as the wind blew through his hair.
Sophie felt her legs go weak—the king’s magical energy seemed to burn and singe her skin.
“Your Majesty...what on earth are you doing?” Sophie asked, pushing out the words.
“That’s what I should be asking you!” the king snarled, glaring at Sophie as a small burst of lightning crackled around him. “Do you have any idea what the destruction of this place means...?! Do you witches intend to truly slay our land this time?!”
“Witches”? Wow. So, Sophie was a witch too. What an honor.
Sophie steadied her trembling legs and smiled. “The kingdom won’t die. Lunetta’s going to be the witch to save it.”
“Sophie...”
Sophie smiled at Lunetta as the king’s eyes opened wide. He furrowed his brow before the corners of his lips curled up in a laugh.
“Save it? That thing?” the king bit back. “Impossible! Just how many kings and magicians do you think have been killed by the witches’ curse?! I can’t let you run free with that power!”
The king scoffed. “Have you forgotten that you are part of the royal family?! If you do as you like, the whole kingdom will perish! You are to live here—and die here—for the good of the kingdom!”
Lunetta grunted.
Holding Lunetta’s hand, Sophie could feel her stiffen. Sophie clenched her teeth. This was exactly how the bastard—how all the generations of bastards that had preceded him—had bound the princesses with black hair and black eyes. They took a single girl, a single person, and painted them as the villain.
“Lunetta!”
As she was shaking with anger, Sophie’s hand suddenly slipped from Lunetta’s. Lunetta’s body rose into the air as if she were being clutched by an invisible hand.
“Urgh!”
Squirming in pain, Lunetta’s fingers scratched at something invisible. I’d expect no less of Lunetta’s father. So he can use magic without any incantation at all. But that’s no laughing matter—that sick bastard!
“Azuello!” Sophie called.
“It’s no use,” the king replied. “I didn’t notice until now, but you’ve a pet with you, don’t you? Don’t think you can trick me with your foolishness!”
Sneering as he was, the king looked far more of a fool. He was practically a living exhibit of foolishness. Gather round, one and all, to see the most foolish man in all the world! This baron is top of the class when it comes to foolishness! Oh, wait—he’s a king. I meant to say “royal excuse for a fool!” Everyone watch closely—see how he can just laugh as he hoists his daughter, his own flesh and blood, up into the air? And he was supposed to be a king? Sophie didn’t have the words.
Sophie was so frustrated she couldn’t even cry.
“Azuello.”
“’Tis no use... The craven hath set a barrier preventing me from exiting thy body,” Azuello explained. “The barrier resembles my own protective magic—it will take time to dismantle. That insolent whelp...!”
Why was Sophie so frustrated? It was rooted in the fact that she couldn’t do anything at all to help Lunetta as she suffered.
All Sophie could do was cast healing magic and defensive magic—what else could she do? I don’t even know what Azuello meant, so what should I do? What do I do?
“Let Lunetta go!”
“Master!”
It was an absurd plan. She was an idiot, an absolute dolt, a reckless fool. She knew that. Sophie knew that, but she couldn’t keep herself from racing forward.
Despite knowing full well how foolish it was, Sophie leaped toward the king, only for her body to freeze in place.
“You’re all worthless, every last one of you!”
Sophie grunted, her legs floating in the air beneath her. She couldn’t even voice her displeasure at being so high up—she was being lifted, twisted up into the air, like a washcloth being wrung out. She couldn’t do anything, suffering as the force squeezed her in its grip. It was frustrating and agonizing and frustrating again.
It was just so frustrating.
She’d sounded so confident telling the witches that it would all be okay, but when it came right down to it, Sophie still didn’t know the first thing about the world. What it meant to think something was delicious, to be frustrated, to have fun, to love...she’d only just been taught all of that. She was just a powerless little girl.
“That’s right...”
That was right.
She had been taught all of that. She wasn’t alone. She could have wants. She could say them.
That was what Sophie had been taught.
And when it came to projecting her voice, Sophie knew just what to do. She’d spent years training. Her voice was just as valuable a weapon as anything else. After all, that was how this had all started.
Breathe in—that’s right! And now—just like that! Loud and clear!
“Livio, help!!!”