Akashic Records of the Bastard

Magical Instructor
Short Stories
by Hitsuji Tarou
Chapter 2: Wandering White Cat and the
Forbidden Notebook
“Rumia, have you found it?”

“No, not yet. Sorry Sisti.”

The bookshelves were tightly packed with an impressive assortment of

books, with the serene smell of aged wood permeating the air. At one corner
of the bookshelf, Sistine and Rumia carefully combed through each row with
care.

“I should be the one apologizing for making you search with me.”

Standing atop a wooden ladder, Sistine searched through the top shelves.
While down on the floor, Rumia scanned across the lower shelves.

“Do not worry, Sisti. Wasn’t it your important notebook? So I definitely

wanted to help.”

Rumia gave a gentle smile to alleviate Sistine’s remorse.

“Are you sure the notebook was lost in the academy’s library?”

“Mmn… I am certain.”

“We didn’t see it on the tables, nor did we find it in the lost and found…
Likely, someone thought it was part of the collection and placed it on the
shelves.”

“Quite likely. Still, that would mean we have to search through all these
books…”

Climbing down from the ladder, Sistine used a light spell to illuminate the
dark aisles filled with countless books.

“Perhaps, it is impossible to find the notebook…” Sistine said with her

head drooped low in despair, without a bit of her usual enthusiasm.

“We will definitely find it, Sisti. A goatskin book with a leather clip and no
title on the cover, just that alone is quite eye-catching. I will definitely help
you search for it no matter how long it takes, so do not despair, alright?”
Rumia did her best to encourage Sistine.

“Uuu… Thanks, Rumia.”

With Rumia’s kind words, Sistine could not help but feel emotional as
tears gathered in her eyes.

“By the way, Sistine, why are you so worried about the notebook? What
did you write in it?”

“Ah? T-that…”

It was a pretty simple and straightforward question. However, for some

odd reason, Sistine seemed reluctant to say.

“Ah, it contains… Umm… My thoughts and research on a certain magic

formula! Yes! I recently thought of an interesting formula…”

“Oh, I see! As always, Sisti is impressive!” Rumia said as she gazed at

Sistine with admiration.

“B-but, the theory is still incomplete. Until I finish sorting out the
problems, I do not wish for others to see… S-so…”

“Yes, it certainly is important to prevent others from taking a peek. Do not

worry, Sisti, even if I find the notebook first, I won’t look at the contents. I
promise.”

“Ah… T-thanks, Rumia.”

As always, Rumia’s angelic kindness and friendship touched Sistine’s

heart.

“Then, let us start our search. Since there were quite a bit of rumors
circulating about this library…”

“Yes, best not waste any time. Although the rumors are probably
groundless, they are still somewhat worrisome.”

“I’ll start from the shelves from over there.”

“Then, I’ll start from here. If we still haven’t found the notebook after
thirty minutes, let us meet up back here.”

“Mmn. Good luck.”

The two went their way as they searched for Sistine’s lost notebook.

◇　◇　◇

Alzano Imperial Academy, headmaster’s office.

“Huh? Rumors about the library?” Glenn replied with a tone that
permeated with feelings of how problematic, sounds boring, and wants to
head home, “B-but I need to hurry home today, there is a book that I am
dying to read-…”

“Glenn Radars! You bastard, show the headmaster some respect!” Halley,
one of the teachers at the academy, loudly berated Glenn.

“Halley-kun, calm down. Glenn-kun, don’t be like that and let me finish
first. The situation is worse than you think.” Sitting behind the headmaster’s
desk, Rick calmly told the fuming Halley and the indolent Glenn.

“Glenn, have you heard about the rumors? Recently, there had been some
strange happenings at the library…” Celica said with her arms crossed while
leaning on the nearby wall.

“Mmn… I have heard a bit.” Glenn replied with a sigh, “It was said that
during the hours of twilight, the empty library would echo bone-chilling
laughter from within. There was also the sighting of a young ghost, and that
books would fly uncontrollably in the sky. However, all of it were just
unconfirmed rumors, and it all started after the library received a sizable
donation of books.”

“Yes. If it was only limited to rumors, then we wouldn’t be worried about

it. However, a reliable source has confirmed that the rumors were indeed
true.”

“…Really?”

Celica’s confident reply made Glenn utterly dejected.

“Regardless, I would like to ask Glenn-kun to investigate the strange

occurrences at the library. Would you accept this task?”

“I don’t really want to… Why pick me?” Glenn unenthusiastically replied.

“Because, you seemed to have the most free time.”

“Ugh! It’s hard to counter such sound logic.”

Headmaster Rick’s poignant response made Glenn hold his head in

anguish.

“Not to mention, Glenn, you are an ex-‘that‘ right?”

“!!”

“In case anything happens, you are the ideal candidate to take care of the
problem… Such are the reasons why I deemed you to be the most fitting for
the job.”

Headmaster Rick looked at Glenn with clear eyes as he held back on the
details in Halley’s presence. Understandably, as an ex-Imperial Court Mage,
Glenn was among the few in the academy staff who had the experience to
tackle thorny tasks.

“Hmph! I always feel you overestimate this man’s ability! After all, he is
only a mere third-ranked magician and a third-rate teacher! I have
reservations about his ability to complete this task!”
 However, both the headmaster and Halley agreed that Glenn was too
laidback. Although it was said his lessons were of decent quality, Glenn’s
attitude toward magic remained the same as always. As such, most of the
senior teachers at the academy held a poor opinion of him.

“I agree! Ha-something-senpai is completely correct! How could I possibly

be up to such a difficult task? Senpai, help me convey that to the
headmaster!”

On the other hand, Glenn himself did not mind what the other teachers
thought of him, and his thick-skinned response only served to further amplify
other teacher’s disdain for him.

“…B-bastard, I’ll remember this!”

As usual, Glenn did not mind Halley’s insults and attempted to use him to
get out of the time-consuming task.

“That reminded me! If you are talking about someone who is capable and
still have the free time, don’t we have Celica? Why not have Celica take up
the task?”

“If I gave it to Celica, we would probably find the library a smoldering

crater by tomorrow.”

“Ugh! It’s hard to counter such sound logic.”

Headmaster Rick’s poignant response made Glenn hold his head in

anguish.

“Hahaha! Rick, now you are wrong about me there. Even I wouldn’t
destroy the entire library. At most, I would only leave the interior beyond
repair.”

“Oh, in that case, headmaster, just leave it in her able-…”

“S-stop, you problematic pair of mentor and pupil!” Halley finally couldn’t
sit still anymore, and interjected into the conversation, “Please be serious for
a moment! That is a historical library you are talking about here! Do you
know how many precious books are in its vast collections? They served as
the cornerstone of research for over four centuries, from the time-…!!”

“Halley, don’t be overdramatic. Isn’t it just a room filled with old moldy
books? I have always thought those old books as particularly bothersome.”

“Umm… Celica, here’s a thought…”

It was hard for Halley to believe the one standing across from them were
the same magicians who sought after the truth of the world. At their
subsequent discussion, Halley’s face turned deadly pale.

“Speaking of which, it is a good opportunity. Once we take care of the

problem, let us bake some sweet potatoes.”

“I see, it would not only take care of the old books, but also allow us to
enjoy a wonderful meal. Certainly, two birds with one stone.”

“What ‘two birds with one stone’?! The loss would be astronomical! Do
you plan to make all the magicians on the continent into your enemies?!”

“I will head to town to buy some fresh sweet potatoes.”

“Hmm… Where did I keep the fuel whose fire could even melt steel?”

“Hey! Stop, you two. Please don’t do this…!”

Unable to convince the two from their preparations, Halley finally broke
into tears.

“Of course we were joking, Halley-kun. How could you possibly think we
would be capable of something like that?”

“That’s right, Hard-gay-senpai, it was nothing more than a light joke.”

“Y-you bastards!! Also, Glenn Radars! Even if you have to mess up my

names, at least avoid the insults! Do you really hate me that much?”

Just as the trio erupted into a chaotic banter, the door of the headmaster’s
office slammed open with a bang.

“T-teacher, help! R-Rumia… S-she’s-…!” Breathless and pale, Sistine

dashed into the headmaster’s office.

◇　◇　◇

“Rumia disappeared?”

At dusk, Glenn briskly walked down the path dyed red by the setting sun,
with a worried Sistine in tow.

“…Have you carefully looked? Are you sure she hasn’t lost her way in the
library? After all, the library is quite large, and some parts of it are as
complicated as a maze.”

“I have already looked, but I still cannot find her!”

“…And she hasn’t returned to the dormitory by herself?”

“Rumia’s book bag still remained in the locker room. Not to mention…
We had an agreement. She wouldn’t have abandoned me and head back
first.”

“…I see. Darn it, this is certainly an annoying confirmation.” Glenn said as
he clicked his tongue in frustration.

Between the strange occurrences in the library and Rumia’s disappearance,

Glenn could not deny that the two were related.

“W-what could we do, teacher? I-if something happened to Rumia… I-…”

“Calm down, White Cat. Let us first investigate the library before jumping
to conclusions.”

As Glenn paused his footstep to ease the worries of the tearful Sistine, he
looked up at the old building standing before them.

The Alzano Imperial Magic Academy’s library, an ornate and aged library
complex composed of the main building, the nearby annex, and an extensive
underground repository. It has served as the cornerstone of the magic
academy and has helped to fuel magic research for centuries.

With a vast collection exceeding fifteen million books, the library was
second only to Holy Elizareth Church’s underground archives in the
neighboring Kingdom of Rezalia. Among its collection were countless
archaeothaumatology papers, tablet translations, ancient magic tomes, and
rare books not found elsewhere, books both scholars of magic and non-magic
disciplines treasure beyond life itself. It was a bastion of knowledge.

“Have you heard about the strange occurrences in the library?”

“Y-yes, I have heard the rumors, but I do not think of them as anything
more than rumors.”

“Now that is your mistake. With the sheer amount of magic tomes,
forbidden tomes, and unofficial records, it would not be farfetched to have
strange occurrences from time to time. After all, the process of writing books
taps into the collective subconscious of humans and magicians in order to
construct an understandable model of the universe, who knows what effects
that would have on the physical world.”

“H-how could that be…”

“From the rumors, it seemed the library had attracted some sort of
malevolent spirit, although we do not know of the specifics.”

“…M-malevolent spirit, is it?” Hearing the term ‘malevolent spirits’,

Sistine could not help but repeat it in confirmation, “In other words, are you
suspecting that a malevolent spirit hid Rumia?”

“My intuition tells me such is the case.”

Glenn has honed his intuition during the years at the Imperial Court Mage
Corps, as such, his statement held a certain weight to it.

“If we are unlucky, we may even have to fight against the malevolent
spirit. Hey, White Cat, have you learned the exorcism spells?”

“White Magic [Purify•Light], Right? Yes, we were taught it in class.”

“As expected of an honor student. The spell will only affect malevolent
spirits, so do not worry about the safety of the surrounding books. If you feel
even slightly threatened, use the spell to protect yourself.”

“Ah, got it.”

“Now, are you ready, White Cat? Let us go and rescue Rumia! Don’t fall
behind!”

Sistine gave a strong nod in reply before following Glenn into the library.

…Although I know the risks involved, I do not feel even the slightest
nervous.

With Glenn willingly marching into the danger for Rumia, Sistine could
not help but feel a slight tightness in her chest.

The two walked through the front door, and Glenn walked over to the
receptionist to confirm that Rumia remained missing. Afterwards, Glenn and
Sistine arrived at the floor where Rumia was last seen.

By that time, the library had just closed for the evening, so the two were
now alone in the entire building. To keep its vast collections safe, the library
had few windows to let in sunlight. Now that the library was closed, the
lights were also turned off, leaving the entire building in pitch darkness.

Glenn and Sistine quietly walked down the complex and confusing
network corridors with light at their fingertip.

Step, step, step.

The vacant halls echoed the footsteps of the two, creating an eerie
atmosphere where even a pin-drop could be heard.

“…”
 Behind Glenn, Sistine looked particularly nervous. If it weren’t for the
light at their fingertips, the endless darkness would have consumed them. Not
just malevolent spirits, the darkness made Sistine imagine unforeseeable
terror hiding in ambush within, as if at any moment, a monster would leap
out at the unsuspecting pair.

“Hey, are you scared?” At that moment, Glenn asked in a sarcastic tone as
he turned to Sistine, “What happened to your usual vigor? Your face looks
surprisingly pale… If you are afraid of ghosts, feel free to head back.”

Just as Sistine felt he looked somewhat reliable, Glenn reverted to his usual
insensitivity.

“Seriously, I would be lying to say I am not afraid. However, I am not

afraid of ghosts or malevolent spirits.” Sistine replied with a sigh, “What I
feel is the innate fear of the darkness. It is not something to be ashamed, but
rather, it is something that I could easily overcome as a magician.”

“Hehehe… Such brave words… I bet you are just afraid of monsters,
right?” Glenn said as he let out an irritating laugh.

Perhaps he wanted to clear up the atmosphere, or perhaps it was just

another display of his usual lack of tact around girls, either way, his unsavory
remarks had irked Sistine to no end.

“Not to mention, with modern magic theories, ghosts and malevolent

spirits no longer held the same enigmatic existence as they did in the past,
and methods to deal with them had been developed accordingly. Why should
I ever be afraid of them?”

“Tsk… You are no fun. Why can’t you act at least a bit afraid?”

Seeing his attempt to poke fun at Sistine fell through, Glenn could only
respond with a click of his tongue.

“Maybe teacher is the one who is actually afraid?” Sistine said as she went
on the counterattack, fully aware that her actions were somewhat childish, “If
you are afraid, just head back and leave the rest to me!”
 “Hmph! Stop saying nonsense. Who do you think I am? Let me tell you, I
am the most brilliant genius of the entire world – The Amazing Teacher,
Glenn Radars!”

“…I am absolutely speechless. What sort of person would call themselves

‘amazing’?”

“If I were to teach it, the whole class will obtain a perfect understanding on
the theories behind ghosts! After all, I am too familiar with the material, so
much so that I would end up feeling bored whenever someone shared ghost
stories!”

Glenn shrugged his shoulders with a smile, completely ignoring Sistine’s

interjection.

“Should I set it as the topic of our next class on White Magic? This way, I
could show you how pointless it is to fear ghosts?”

“Haa… Got it already, you are not afraid of ghosts.”

As their verbal jousting slowly cleared up the tense atmosphere, Glenn

suddenly stopped his footsteps after noticing something peculiar.

“…?!”

With the rhythmic sounds of steps gone, an eerie silence descended upon
the pair.

“T-teacher, w-what is it?” Faced with Glenn’s odd behavior, Sistine asked.

“…Strange.”

“Huh? W-what is strange?”

“Hey, White Cat. The place where Rumia disappeared that you mentioned.
It was around section ‘G-8’, right?”

“Y-yes.”
 “Are you certain?”

“P-positive!”

“Really?”

“W-what are you getting at?! What have you noticed?! Stop beating
around the bush!”

At that moment, Glenn pointed to one of the shelves. Near the top of the
shelves was a plate with the etching ‘G-1’.

“Ah? That’s strange…” Sistine muttered as she noticed the inconsistency

as well, “Why is it still section ‘G-1’ here? Didn’t we already gone past G-1 a
while ago? Given how long we walked, we should be somewhere near
section ‘G-8’ by now… So, w-why?!”

“Just so you know, the sign for section ‘G-1’… This is the third time I
have seen it.”

“…Ah?”

Sistine froze at Glenn’s words.

“I thought I was mistaken when I had seen it the second time… But it
seemed I wasn’t wrong.”

“You’re joking… R-right?”

“If only I was…”

Glenn carefully surveyed the surrounding with an anxious look on his face,
bereft of his usual indolent attitude.

“Ugh, then that would mean… W-were we…?” Sistine nervously asked as
the colors drained from her face.

“Yes, we have been walking in circles. In other words, we are currently

trapped in a closed-loop.”
 Riiing…

Without the sound of footsteps to break the silence, the ringing of Sistine’s
ears felt incredibly loud.

“Y-you’re lying! I’m certain it was all just a mistake!”

Sistine stubbornly rejected the painful reality and broke into a dash.

“Ah, hey! I-idiot! Don’t go running off by yourself!”

Glenn worriedly chased after Sistine.

Sistine recalled the layout of the library as she ran between the shelves,
making a turn at the large intersection before continuing her sprint down the
aisles.

“N-no way…” Sistine muttered in despair as the plate with ‘G-1’ appeared
in front of her once more.

“…Seriously! White Cat, you need to calm down! It would be problematic

if we get separated!” Glenn shouted as he caught up with the dumbfounded
Sistine.

“Haa… We really ended up back here. I did feel that the direction was a bit
off when I was chasing after you. At least this explains why Rumia did not
return.” Glenn grumbled as he glared at the plate with furrowed brows.

“T-teacher, w-w-what should we do?! A-are we trapped in here for the rest
of our lives?!” Sistine loudly cried as she became awash with anxiety.

“White Cat, calm yourself! This is not like you at all. What happened to
your usual confidence?”

On the other hand, Glenn remained surprisingly calm when faced with the
problem.

“Recall your lessons! How is a closed-loop explained by the prevalent

magic theories? It does so by isolating the space and connecting its two ends,
but the equations for such a complicated magic is usually full of
discrepancies. We will be able to escape the moment we find one of the
discrepancies. Don’t forget the second law of magic!”

“T-teacher…”

As expected of our teacher.

Sistine let out an appreciative sigh at how Glenn was able to remain calm.

“Then, let us start the search for a discrepancy in the closed space.”

Clatter.

At that moment, an unnatural sound caught their attention.

“Ah!”

“…What is it?”

The pair held their breath as they listened.

Clatter. Clatter.

“T-the books… are shaking?”

“W-what?! What the heck is going on?!”

Clatter. Clatter.

All of a sudden, the books flew off the shelves at terrifying speeds.

“Kyaa! T-teacher! The b-books are flying!!”

“Calm yourself! Couldn’t flying objects be easily explained by prevalent

magic theories?”

“B-but still!”
 “I guess you really are afraid of ghosts~”

“Wh-…?! O-of course not!”

Just then, the countless books in the air lunged themselves at the bickering
pair.

“Tsk! Bastards!!”

“Kyaa!!”

Faced with the malevolent attack, Glenn quickly scooped up the nearby
Sistine with his arms and ran. Only moments later, the torrent of books
smashed into the spot where the pair had just stood.

“Wait-…! T-teacher?!” Sistine, held in Glenn’s arms, shrieked as the

scenery turned to a blur, “Ahhh! L-let me down! Let me down n-now!! Kyaa!
D-don’t grab there!”

Sistine was beet red as she tried to struggle free from Glenn’s awkward
carry. However, Glenn was too focused on their escape to care.

“D-darn it! I knew nothing would come out of work!!”

Along with brisk footsteps, Glenn’s outrage echoed loudly in the

abandoned hall.
 ◇　◇　◇

Huff. Huff.

“L-looks like there are no more flying books…”

Remaining ever vigilant of his surroundings, Glenn gasped for air at a

place flanked on three sides by shelves.

“D-darn it… Looks like we are completely caught up in the events foretold
by the rumors.”

“Umm… Teacher?” Sistine said with a voice tinged in anger.

“What?”

“So… If everything is fine, could you please let me down?”

At that moment, Glenn realized that he still had Sistine in a princess carry.

Sistine had her slender body scrunched together, with her face turned away
from Glenn. Likely seething with anger for being forced into such an
embarrassing carry, Sistine’s ears glowed bright red even in the darkness.

“Ah! S-sorry about it. Umm… Could we save the lecture until later?”

“I’m… not particularly angry.” Without turning toward Glenn, Sistine

replied as her foot returned to the ground.

Haa… I’m done for. There is definitely a lecture waiting for me

afterwards.

Although Sistine was right to be mad, the lecture would nevertheless be

painful for Glenn. For now, Glenn suppressed his worries and forcibly turned
to the more pressing matter at hand.

By chance, Glenn caught a glance at the plate on the nearby shelf, with the
words ‘H-9’ clearly etched in.
 …Hmm? Somehow we got out of the closed-loop? Strange. It was a one-
way loop rather than the usual two-way loop. If then, why couldn’t Rumia
simply return?

Not to mention, most of the rumors did not result in any lasting damage,
which is why the occurrences did not surpass the level of being mere rumors.
Then, why only Rumia ended up disappearing?

Just as Glenn was trying to make sense of everything, Sistine suddenly

reached out and tugged at Glenn’s arm.

“…What is it?” Glenn scoffed after having his train of thought derailed by
the interruption.

“It appeared.”

“…What appeared?”

“Ghost.”

“What?”

Glenn turned his attention to the direction Sistine was facing and froze.

It was neither a hallucination nor an illusion. At the end of the dark

hallway, a white silhouette slowly floated toward them – a real ghost.

“It has appeared.”

“So it has.”

Their voice sounded surprisingly calm.

“…It really has appeared.”

“…Yes, it really has.”

Their voice continued to sound surprisingly calm.

 “…”

“…”

For a moment, an uneasy calm remained between the two as both stayed
silent.

“Huh? T-teacher?”

All of a sudden, Glenn tugged on Sistine’s hand as he broke into a dash

toward the opposite direction… And smacked headlong into the shelf behind
him.

“Gyaa!”

Bang! Glenn fell down onto the ground after a loud slam.

“Hey, teacher! What the heck are you doing?! Now’s not the time to be
fooling around!”

“Ugh… I forgot that it was a dead end behind us.” Glenn coolly stated as
red marks in the shape of books covered his face.

While Glenn acted indifferently as he dusted off the dirt on his shirt, the
white silhouette continued to approach them.

“H-hey… It’s getting closer!”

“Tsk… You are utterly helpless.” Glenn calmly said toward the panicking
Sistine, “Either way, it’s a rare opportunity, so let us practice combat against
malevolent spirits.”

“Ah… Huh?! A-are you meaning to say…”

“Yes, White Cat. Hurry up and use White Magic [Purify•Light] to take
care of that malevolent spirit.”

“M-m-me?! B-b-but…!”
 “Hey, didn’t you say you aren’t afraid of ghosts? Or was all that a mere
bluff?”

“Ugh… F-fine.”

Glenn’s words had forced Sistine into a corner.

With her face covered in cold sweat, Sistine stepped forward and raised her
left hand toward the white silhouette as she began the chant.

“‹O-oh M-merciful… L-light•C-cleanse-…•P-purify… L-land›!”

Nothing happened.

For chants with complicated runes, a magician must maintain good control
over the intonation. However, the current Sistine could not seem to perform
the chant correctly with her poor concentration and inaccurate intonation. As
such, her chants could not properly activate the spell.

“…Hey.”

“‹O-oh… M-merciful… •C-cleanse t-the…›!”

Yet the result remained the same.

With the repeated failures, Sistine quickly descended into silence.

“White Cat, why are you stuttering in your chants? Don’t tell me you
really are afraid of ghosts?”

“Uuu…”

“Seriously, what was with that ‘Why should I ever be afraid of them’?
Serves you right!”

“S-shut up! I-I am still just a girl! Even if I know the theories, they are still
scary!” Not able to refute, Sistine shouted with tearful eyes.

“I think that is enough fun for now. Stand back and let me show you how it
is really done.”

Glenn raised his left hand as he took a large step forward and began to
chant with a dignified pose.

“‹Oh Merciful Lighaaa•Cleanse the Fuwaa•Purify the Laaa›!”

Of course, nothing happened.

“…Teacher?”

“Hmph.”

All of a sudden, Glenn tugged on Sistine’s hand as he broke into a dash

toward the opposite direction… And smacked headlong into the shelf behind
him.

“Gyaa!!”

“Wait. Teacher, could you be…?” Sistine confidently concluded as she

looked at Glenn, who was rolling on the ground with his hands in his face,
“…Afraid?”

“Huh? H-hey, care to say that again?”

“Stop pretending! You are definitely afraid, right? I am sure you are
absolutely terrified of ghosts!”

“H-how could that be true? S-seriously…”

Ah, that’s it. We are done for.

Sistine felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

“Speaking of which, you had an almost uncharacteristic calmness earlier,

but I bet you were really just scared stiff, right?! When you told me not to get
separated, you probably were just afraid to be left alone, right? Right?!”

“S-stop it!! There are some things that shouldn’t be said out loud! Why
must you demolish my self-esteem like this?! Are you trying to make me
cry?!”

“What happened to ‘feeling bored whenever someone shared ghost

stories’?! How shameless could you be?!”

“S-shut up! I-I am still just a boy with a maiden’s heart! Even if I know the
theories, they are still scary!”

“Bleh! What a nauseating remark!”

Just as the two were in the middle of their exchange, the white silhouette
made its way in front of them.

“…Leave this place.”

The translucent youth had an expressionless face, yet its eyes gave off a
bottomless hatred.

“…Leave.”

“Kiyaaa!”

“Ahhh!”

The screams of the two echoed in the abandoned library.

“N-nooo, d-don’t come closer!!”

As the ghost reached out its hands toward Glenn, Glenn instinctively
grabbed Sistine and leapt.

“Oooh!”

With a second boost off the right shelf, Glenn was able to reach all the way
to the ceilings. High up in the air, Glenn made a somersault before bouncing
himself off the ceiling with his foot and landing directly behind the menacing
ghost.
 Now that a path had opened up to him, Glenn bolted away from the ghost
at top speed.

Glenn had pulled off an almost impossible maneuver, with an agility that
could only be described as inhuman. It was essentially the reaction of a
cornered beast.

However, Sistine, who was forced to endure through this painful

maneuver, had suffered tremendously.

“Kiyaaa!! Aaah!!”

With the entire scenery turned to a blur and receded around her, Sistine
could only struggle helplessly in Glenn’s arm.

Just then, the surrounding books began to rattle once more.

“T-teacher! T-The books are c-coming!!”

“Daaarn it!! Why won’t it leave us in peace?!”

The fear had seemingly exceeded Glenn’s ability to reason.

“V-very well, let us end this!”

Glenn suddenly stopped his footsteps, dropped Sistine onto the ground,
and turned around. Pulling a crystal out from his coat, Glenn gripped it
tightly with his left hand and then covered it with his right.

“T-teacher… Is that…?”

“Modified Black Magic [Extinction•Ray]’s Initiation Medium.”

“R-really?!”

“Hahaha! With Celica’s ‘spell that could even fell gods’, mere ghosts are
nothing to it!!”

“W-wait! Spells like White Magic [Purify•Light] which does not affect the
physical world aside, won’t we risk the spell blowing in our faces if you
chant a highly dangerous spell like Modified Black Magic [Extinction•Ray]
while mentally impaired?! Given the magnitude, won’t the entire library go
up in smokes?!”

“Enough! It should still end if everything, including those annoying books,

gets obliterated, right?!”

“W-wait! You’re being too hasty!”

As Glenn began the chant for Modified Black Magic [Extinction•Ray],

Sistine desperately urged Glenn to reconsider.

“Huh? Teacher… Sisti… What are the two of you doing?”

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind them.

“…Hmm?”

“Huh?”

The two turned around and saw Rumia looking at them with a tilted head.

“…R-Rumia?”

“Why are you here…?”

Then, a second voice came.

“Ah? Are you two friends of Rumia-san? If so, I deeply apologize for my
earlier actions.”

The ghost of a white youth, without the same malevolent air as before,
gently floated next to Rumia.

“Ah, Leitz-san. That reminded me, was this the book Leitz-san was
searching for?”

Having noticed the white youth, Rumia showed him the book held in her
chest.

“Oooh! Y-yes! That’s the one! So… Umm… Have you taken a peek
inside?”

“Do not worry, I didn’t look.”

“T-thank you very much, Rumia-san! You have my most earnest

gratitude!” The youth exclaimed with tearful eyes.

“What is…”

“…Going on?”

Glenn and Sistine were completely lost by the scene before them.

◇　◇　◇

Glenn let out a sigh after hearing the explanation from the ghost named
Leitz Nich.

“In short, you are a spirit who had possessed that book in Rumia’s arms,
and the one behind the recent strange occurrences in the library. Your reason
for causing havoc was to prevent people from reading the book. Does that
sound about right?”

“Yes… It is my earnest wish to not let anyone read that book.” The ghost
replied with an apologetic voice, “After the library received a new shipment
of books last month, they performed a massive reorganization of their
collection, and I became separated from the book. As such, I could only
patrol the entire area and scare away anyone who came. For my actions, I am
very sorry.”

“T-that aside… How did you get so close to Rumia? Did you do anything
to her?” Sistine inquired with a tinge of anger.

After all, more than anyone else, Sistine was worried about Rumia’s
safety.
 “About that… I had originally planned to scare her away with the closed-
loop, the flying books, and my own personal appearance. However, she was
not the slightest afraid and was obstinate in her search for her best friend’s
lost item.”

“…”

“…”

Leitz’s words left Glenn and Sistine speechless.

“Since it was pointless to scare someone that was not afraid, I decided to
instead explain the reasons for my actions, and we agreed to both help in each
other’s search.”

“Ehehe, it really is nothing~ After all, closed-loop, flying books, and even
the appearance of the ghost could all be explained by the modern magic
theories.” Rumia said as she let out a chuckle, “Given how familiar teacher
and Sisti were with the theories on ghosts, I’m certain Leitz-san wasn’t able
to scare them as well.”

“…Ah, yes.”

“T-that is true.”

Faced with Rumia’s unwavering conviction and brilliant smile, Glenn and
Sistine was at a loss for words.

“S-speaking of which, what exactly is written in that book? So much so

that you could not afford others to see?” Glenn asked while looking at the
book in Rumia’s arms.

“It’s a novel.”

“A novel?”

“Yes, it is a novel I wrote when I was young.”

“Ah! Now that you have mentioned it, the binding of the book does look
more like a notebook than a published novel…”

“Oooh!” Suddenly, Sistine interjected with a loud shout, “Novel! Leitz

Nich! C-could you be the famed fiction author Leitz Nich-san’s ghost?!”

“Ah? Who’s that? Someone you know?”

“How could you be so dull? Leitz Nich-san was a critically acclaimed

fiction author, and the genius behind popular works like ‘The Seeker of
Romance’! In addition to the memorable plots of his novels, he was best
known for his descriptive power, through which he could breathe life into a
purely fictional setting. It was after reading his works that I-…”

All of a sudden, the excited Sistine abruptly stopped talking.

“It was after reading his works that you… What?”

“…N-nothing.”

“?”

Glenn stared blankly at Sistine’s inexplicable silence.

“To think even in the current era, there is still a fan of mine… I am very
thankful that fate has brought us together.” Leitz said with a slight blush,
“But as far as being a critically acclaimed fiction author goes, it was only
attributable to my later works. When I was young, about the same age as my
current appearance, the novels I wrote could only be described as
‘terrifying’…”

“Oh? So even a professional author had such a dark past?”

“Yes. For example, a protagonist with countless cheat powers and, despite
being anti-social and aloof, somehow ended up with a harem of cute and
beautiful girls waiting on his every whim. In another instance, no matter how
much conviction the antagonist held, with the slightest persuasion by the
protagonist, the antagonist will be shaken in his belief. In time, the antagonist
will end up defeated both physically and psychologically by the protagonist,
ultimately capitulating to the protagonist in atonement. For his achievement,
the protagonist was showered with praise wherever he went.”

“I agree… the plot does sound sketchy.”

Glenn’s face turned somewhat stiff upon listening to the outline.

“When I was close to death, I had instructed my wife to have this novel
burned. However, the novel somehow escaped destruction and ended up as
part of the library’s collection. If anyone reads this book, I would die of
embarrassment!”

“Aren’t you already dead?”

“Therefore, as long as this novel exists, I will never find rest! Ah, what
could I possibly do?!” Leitz lamented as he held his head low.

“Yet, we could not simply burn the book.” Rumia said with a complicated
expression as she turned to Glenn.

“I agree, although its literary value is low, but from your words earlier, it is
a famed author’s personal sketchbook. Beyond its value as a collectable, it
serves as an important historical reference into the society of the time. As a
scholar myself, it pains me to see the book destroyed.”

“It’s rich coming from the guy who wanted to vaporize the library just
moments ago.” Sistine poked fun at Glenn’s surprisingly reasonable
statement.

“Then, Leitz-san…” Glenn continued, brushing off Sistine’s remarks in the

process.

“What is it?”

Glenn pulled a bound book from within his coat and handed it over to
Leitz.

“This book is?”

“Never mind that, just read it and see.”

 Despite being unsure of Glenn’s intentions, Leitz nevertheless opened the
book and began to read.

“I-is this…?”

Soon, the originally pale ghost turned beet red, all the while mumbling
“Wow…” and “This is too much…”.

“Teacher? What is that book…?”

“Just wait and see.”

Upon Rumia’s question, Glenn gave a confident nod in response.

◇　◇　◇

In the end, Leitz finished the entire book and let out a long sigh.

“T-that was incredible…”

With that said, a ray of light suddenly descended upon Leitz.

“Ah… It really was incredible… Compared to this book, my childhood

novel could be considered a literary classic.”

“That’s right, Leitz. Just remember, there is always someone beneath you.”

“Ahaha! I had always felt such thoughts as improper. Nevertheless, I feel

liberated and no longer have any lingering attachments to this world.”

“Ah… Is that so?”

“Mmn… I think this is goodbyes. Everyone, although we had only known

each other for a short while, I am glad fate had brought us together.”

In the end, with a face filled with bliss, Leitz disappeared into the light.

“Goodbye…”
 With the last flicker of light, only the book that Leitz had read remained.

“Spirits trapped in the mortal worlds are not limited to malevolent ones.
There are those that are simply tethered to the world of the living by lingering
attachments. Therefore, it is possible to exorcise them through a simple
conversation. I think this will work great as the topic for our next class~”
Glenn proudly declared with a smile as he picked up the book left on the
ground.

“To be tethered to the world by a dark past… Still, this light novel is
impressive in its own way.”

Glenn smirked as he quickly flipped through the pages.

“Even on a second pass, it is still terrible! The protagonist is a complete

Mary Sue!” (1)

“Teacher… What is that book?”

“This? It is a novel that I found during the lunch break on one of the
library shelves. Although I usually don’t read stories like these, I found this
novel particularly fascinating… and not in the good way!”

Glenn handed the book over to Rumia as he tried to suppress his laughter.

“It felt like a novel written by one of the female student, something about a
forbidden love with a teacher. The plot is absolutely terrifying, and shows
that author does not have even a bit of literary talent.”

“Is that so?”

“The drama is overly exaggerated, with the entire story feeling contrived,
and the plot lacked any coherence. Then, there are the characters… Pfft!”

Glenn could barely hold his laughter as he began the summary.

“The story opens with the female protagonist’s point of view. She was both
beautiful and intelligent – the perfect female in every way, and, despite
having many hot guys falling for her, she did not show the slightest interest.
Then, there was this teacher, who also fell for her. The teacher is usually just
a worthless man, but would go to incredible lengths for her when the time
calls for it. F-finally, the protagonist would c-cap it off w-with ‘Ah, I am such
a sinful woman’.”

“Uwa… To have a reliable and mature man chasing after her… Isn’t this
the perfect fantasy romance for every young maiden?” Rumia replied with a
wry smile.

“Hmm? Do you also enjoy this type of fantasy?”

“Ahaha! I am also a girl you know! Of course I am interested in this type

of fantasy.” Rumia said as she turned to Sistine, “Isn’t that right, Sisti?”

“…Mmn.”

For some reason, Sistine looked deadly pale as she stood in the darkness,
with sweat pouring out of her forehead.

“Speaking of which, I wonder who actually wrote this book. There was no
title on the cover, nor was there the author’s name.”

At that moment, Sistine started to slowly wobble over, as if possessed by

something.

“The book’s binding was also quite curious. It has a goatskin cover with a
leather clip, so it is closer to a notebook than a novel. Now that I had a closer
look, the paper seemed new and the ink doesn’t seem completely dry, so the
work looks recent. Huh? The book is blank halfway through? Was it only
written so far? Strange, how did a book like this find its way into the
collection?”

Glenn continued to mutter as he examined the book. Without him noticing,

Sistine had already gotten behind him as he reached the final page of the
book.

“Oh? The last page seemed to have the author’s name! Let me see… Sisti-
…”
 Fwoomph.

Strangely enough, Glenn felt a sudden wave of exhaustion flow over him
as he lost consciousness, accompanied by what could only be described as the
pain of a thick book landing on his head.

◇　◇　◇

“Hey, Glenn, are you awake yet?”

Slap. Slap.

A few light slaps on the cheek brought Glenn back from the murky
darkness.

“Ugh…”

As he opened his eyes, Glenn first saw the inverted face of Celica and the
starry night sky behind her. On the back of his head, Glenn felt the softness
of Celica’s thighs and realized that he had fallen asleep on Celica’s lap.

“W-where am I…?”

Glenn slowly sat up to check the surroundings. Apparently, they were in

the field outside the library.

“I have heard from the two girls. Congratulations, Glenn, for wonderfully
bringing Rumia-chan back.”

Rumia and Sistine stood behind Celica, looking at Glenn with worried
eyes.

“To think you had resolved everything before we charged in with our
exorcism gear. As expected of my pupil. It was truly a feat worthy of praise.”

“Alright, you can stop now.”

Glenn shyly pushed away Celica’s hand that was patting his head.
 “Still, I have to say that you got overconfident in the end. I heard from the
girls that you were knocked out by a book that fell from one of the shelves.
Best take care in the future.”

“…Is that so?”

Glenn turned to the two girls behind Celica.

“…Ah. Y-yes.”

“Exactly, teacher! R-really, to think you messed up in the end! Ehehe!”

Rumia laughed with tearful eyes, while Sistine seemed oddly suspicious.

“Either way, the book bruised your head, but I had taken the liberty to heal
you up.”

“I see… Tsk, so I got overconfident in the end.”

With that cleared, Glenn began to look around.

“Speaking of which, what happened to that book? Hey, Rumia, White Cat,
do you know where that book went? The one I had earlier?”

“Huh? Ah… T-that… W-where could it possibly have gone?”

“T-to think it disappeared! Really, where did that book go? H-how
curious…”

Rumia laughed with tearful eyes, while Sistine continued to seem oddly
suspicious.

“…? Forget it. Still, to have books unnaturally fall off shelves or disappear,
I wonder if it was all just a coincidence… Either way, I hope it was not
caused by some unresolved mystery.”

Glenn did not delve deeper into the matter. He simply stood up and
stretched his tired bones, before turning to the library.
 “I guess anything this ancient is bound to be a lair for spirits… Best not
visit too often in the future.”

“T-that’s right. The library is quite a terrifying place. Ahaha~”

Sistine’s awkward laughter lightly echoed in the vast night sky.

Later on, new rumors arose in the library of a young ghost that gave a
bone-chilling laughter as she wrote in a suspicious book. However, that is a
story for another time.

(1) A Mary Sue is an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character.

Often, this character is recognized as an author insert or wish fulfillment.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue)
Chapter 5: Heavens, the Lonesome Witch
In the bone chilling wind that could cut the skin like a knife, a single
woman stood.

Her golden hair fluttered in the intense wind, while her alluring figure was
tucked under a long black robe – the uniform of the Imperial Court Mage
Corps. The woman simply stood motionless as her body and robe were
buffeted by the freezing wind.

At a glance, the woman should be no more than twenty. Her beauty was
mesmerizing, yet permeated a certain darkness. Obscured by the drifting
threads of golden hair, her eyes were bloodshot and filled with an unnatural
weariness for life.

“…”

Standing opposite to her were three who wore matching uniform, the same
as the woman’s. Yet, their peeling skins were pale, their eyes were feverish,
and their body emitted a putrid smell. They had long been turned into mere
thralls of the Lich and had been plucked from the natural cycle of life.

The three who stood before the woman were all people she knew –
companions who she had fought alongside mere months ago. However,
seeing the terrible end of her former companions, the woman, Celica Arfonia,
did not seemed to display the slightest sorrow.

“Haa… How pitiful.” Celica scoffed as she coldly stared down at them.

The three emotionless thralls raised their hands toward Celica and began
chanting with a dreadful whisper as they tapped into the magic they had
mastered in their lifetime. Flashes of purple lightning, bolts of flame, and
waves of extreme chill all struck where Celica stood.

“…Hmph.”

Facing the overwhelming power that sought to consume her, Celica just
nonchalantly narrowed her eyes.

◇　◇　◇

A few days ago, in a neglected room where several empty wine bottle and
broken shards of glass littered the floor.

“…To liberate a certain village from the terrors of a Lich? Ugh… Is that
my mission?” Celica listlessly stirred in her bed as she leaned on the magic
communicator.

She was dressed in a black negligee, with the straps loosely dangling off
her shoulder. Her ample chest, slim arms, and voluptuous thighs lay
uncovered by the thinly veiled fabric, revealing her sensational figure as she
lay prone in bed. While her eyes drifted in and out of focus, she flashed a
seductive smile with heavy breaths and flushed skin… the very definition of
depravity and decadence.

“Yes. Imperial Court Mage Corps Special Operative, Codename 21 ‘The

World’ Celica Arfonia… The Imperial Government deems this as a highly
time-sensitive matter.” From the other ‘end’ of the crystal came the voice of
Queen Alicia Septima, “To liberate the village from the Lich, I had already
sent out ‘The Strength’, ‘The Temperance’, ‘The Sun’ and… ‘The Tower’.
However, we have not heard back from any of them since…”

“…Oh?” Celica gently stirred her body, finally showing an interest in the
topic.

“Those four are among the strongest of the Mage Corps and are definitely
first-rate mages. It pains me to say this, but from the various intelligence we
have been getting, they are all likely…”

“Hahaha… Killed by the Lich? I guess it can’t be helped, considering

those small fries.” Celica could not help but let out a genuine laugh, to which
Alicia’s tone turned severe.

“Don’t say that, Celica. At the very least, they are your companions.”
 “…Companions? Alice, would you ever call the ants by the roadside your
friends? Hehehe~”

“Celica, you shouldn’t treat others with such contempt…”

“Haa… It is a fact that they are weak, so how is it wrong to tell it as it is?”
Celica let out a contemptuous chuckle, “That reminded me… ‘The possibly-
collapsed Tower’, Henrietta, tactlessly challenged me to a ‘duel’ the other
day. I got a tad serious and beat her up in full view of everyone… Hahaha…
That was a really fun fight! Her humiliated face was absolutely priceless. I
wished you were there to see it, Alice!”

“Celica!!”

Faced with the angry Alicia Septima, Celica tried to reply in an appeasing
tone.

“…Come on, don’t be angry Alice. Henrietta was the one who challenged
me, and it was an honest ‘duel’. If anything, I only accepted the challenge to
follow the proper custom.” Celica spoke of her co-worker like disciplining a
misbehaved child, “Something about ‘the strongest mage’… You know, isn’t
that girl just an idiot? Of all the people she could have challenged, she chose
me. Considering both the difference in experience and rank, there was simply
no way for her to win.”

“I don’t mean that…! Why? Celica… what happened to you? I knew you
were aloof, but it was never this bad…” Alicia Septima’s worry made Celica
somewhat defensive.

“…Hmph. Keep to your own business, Alice.”

“Were you drinking again today? How many times have I told you to stop
drinking that much?!”

“It’s just a bit of alcohol… This lousy body of mine is completely immune
to that kind of weak poison. Hahaha… Even a little harm isn’t bad from time
to time… D-darn it all…”
 “…”

Celica muttered her own anger and frustration.

“I… have no way to help you… I can’t even be by your side… My

position of Queen will make you subconsciously reject me. I… have no way
of reaching your inner heart, for which I am regretful.” Alicia Septima said,
having sensed something was stirring in Celica.

“…Ah? What are you talking about, Alice?”

“There has to be someone… who would unconditionally stay by your side

and interact normally with you…”

With that said, silence descended upon the conversation as Celica quietly
contemplated Alicia’s words.

“…Pfft. Hahaha… Hahaha…!!” Before long, Celica broke the silence with
a loud laughter, “Alice, what are you talking about? Listen careful, I am
‘strong’. Therefore, I have no need for someone like that. If anything, they
are just a burden to me. Why would I ever rely on a ‘weakling’ like that?
Right?”

“Celica… I-…”

“…It’s good. I am fully briefed on the mission.” Celica forcibly cut short
what Alicia Septima wanted to say, “Lich… an accursed undead magician
that rely on stealing the life force of others to achieve eternal life – a
disgusting creature. Hahaha… Just thinking about it makes my blood broil. I
got it, Alice… Just leave the bug extermination to me. I will completely
purge that Lich from this world.”

◇　◇　◇

“…‹Get lost›!”

Celica used just two words to activate Black Magic [Plasma•Cannon],

[Inferno•Flare], and [Freezing•Hell] in tandem, all high ranked strategic
spells. Thick stream of lightning, flood of scorching flame, and wave of
crippling chill easily brushed aside the thralls’ spells.

It was Triple Harmonics, one of Celica’s greatest techniques.

A thunderous explosion shook the nearby village as the companions-

turned-thralls were erased from the world.

“Haa… Weak… You guys are way too weak.” Celica let out a
condescending laughter, “To think the elites of the Mage Corps – ‘The
Strength’ Illas, ‘The Temperance’ Turi, and ‘The Sun’ Crea – would be such
pushovers… Hahaha… No wonder you all died so easily.”

Her shameless barrage of insults toward her ex-companions continued and

seemingly without any remorse.

“Now…”

With her back turned to the scorched hills, Celica continued her way north
to the village.

Along the way, all the houses she passed had their door tightly shut.

“Hey, chief! It’s done, open up!”

Celica knocked on the door, and, soon, a middle-aged man reluctantly

opened up. The man was the chief of the village.

“I had taken care of the thralls of the Lich. The village should be fine for
now.”

“Oooh… R-really? I-incredible! T-to think there was really someone who
could defeat them… The village is saved!” The chief joyously cried.

“…Haa. Don’t get ahead of yourself. We are still far from getting rid of the
Lich,”

Celica sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Liches are magician who had used forbidden magic to turn themselves
into immortals, through which they gain an incredible amount of magic
power. They are beings that had casted away their humanity for the sake of
immortality, but ultimately, are shackled by their need to absorb living souls.
In my opinion, they are quite the superficial existence.” Celica scoffed,
“Therefore, to maintain their need, they are forced to stay near populated
centers with their thralls… such as this village.”

“Oh…”

“However, there are many ways to kill an undead. After all, the very
concept of ‘undead’ indicates the shallowness of their search for immortality,
and, after achieving immortality, they are fiercely protective of themselves.
As such, Lich rarely hunt for souls by themselves and rely on their thralls to
do the dirty work for them~”

“Thralls… is it?”

“Yes. If a Lich takes away enough soul from a human vessel, the person
will become a thrall. They are minions who follow the Lich with absolute
obedience and will do their bidding in the hunt for souls.”

“T-then… the villagers who had disappeared up till now… t-they are all?”
The chief asked as blood drained from his face.

“Yes, they are almost certain to have died. Perhaps sucked dry, perhaps
serving the Lich as a thrall… Regardless, they are all beyond help now.”
Celica gave an apathetic reply.

“N-no way… How could I tell that to their families…”

“Who knows? Maybe tell them to suck it up? Ah, they could always ask
the Imperial Government for some welfare. You sure you don’t want to give
it a go?”

Celica flung her hair back without a care in the world.

“Either way, Lich are certain to perish without souls. If we eliminate its
thralls, the Lich will eventually be forced to hunt by itself. As long as we kill
it then, everything will be wrapped up perfectly.”

Celica revealed a bone-chilling smile, to which the chief could only gulp.

“At the current moment, there are still thralls to kill. Although they are just
trash, the process will take some time. Honestly, this is why I hate Lich
eradication missions.”

“C-could the Lich run away during that time?”

“Nope. I won’t bore you with the technical stuff, but basically, Lich could
not wander far from the site where they descended into an undead. Pretty
worthless existence, right? From the previous reports, the earliest records of
the Lich started at this village, so likely, this village is its origin.”

With that said, Celica uncaringly turned and began to walk away.

“…Therefore, I will need to stay around for a few days. Is that alright?”

“Ah, mmn… Certainly.” The chief nervously replied, “Y-you are the
savior of this village. Your magic has given our humble village hope. I am
certain the entire village will welcome you in open arms.”

“…”

Suddenly, Celica paused her footsteps.

“P-please… save us, Celica-sama.”

“…Mmn. Just leave it to me.” With a quiet reply, Celica walked away
from the chief’s house.

“Hmph… What savior… what welcome… bastard!”

Celica slowly made her way to the small, reclusive hut at the edge of the
village.

“To think he had the gall to spew out such a blatant lie.” Celica cursed as
she kicked the jug lining the side of the road.
 Cellica knew perfectly well. She was not welcomed at the village and was
treated as a monster of the same, or perhaps even greater, magnitude as the
Lich.

When Celica arrived at the village the day before, all the villagers who saw
her avoided contact with her, almost trying to hide themselves away. Even
now, no villager dared to come and greet her, and everyone had their doors
bolted shut.

Not to mention, Celica had to kill three companions of hers, and that fact
had made the villagers even more fearful and hateful of her.

How annoying…

“When they are just a bunch of defenseless ‘weaklings’…!”

Certainly, the villagers were not completely at fault. Despite the long
history of magic, it remained a wonder for the usual layperson and was
frequently equated with demonic powers. Therefore, to the layperson, a
person who could freely use magic at will was seen as an object of fear.

Moreover, there was another reason for their fear…

“To think bad rumors about me had spread to such a remote village…”

The other day, she had heard a distant villager mutter that name – ‘Ashen
Witch’.

The nickname was meant to signify how she would turn everything into
ash wherever she went, an avatar of destruction and death. As such, in the
eyes of the unenlightened villagers, Celica was a being no different from the
Lich.

“…Hmph. The gratitude of mere ants means little to me. My job is simply
extermination. Not to mention, I got to say that wiping out those trashes with
magic was quite satisfying~ I should seriously savor the feeling a bit more
the next time around~”

However, contrary to her spoken words, Celica’s heart was quite

despondent.

“…Tsk.”

With a click of her tongue, Celica took to the road once more with
unspoken dissatisfaction.

“Ah, Big Sis!” A sharp voice stopped Celica in her tracks, “Are you the
‘Sorcerer of Justice’ that have come to rescue us?”

Celica turned her head to the sound with a face full of irritation, only to
find a small child of around ten-years-old behind her.

“…Who are you?”

“Me? I am Glenn, Glenn Radars!” The youth responded with sparkling

eyes.

“…”

At that moment, Celica remembered. When she first arrived in the village,
in contrast to the sharp glares of the villagers, only this youth looked upon
her with awe and anticipation.

“You… do not fear me?”

Celica gazed at the youth, Glenn, with half-closed eyes. Her blood-shot
eyes emitted an unbearable pressure, toward which anyone would avoid eye
contact.

“Huh? Why would I? Didn’t Big Sis come to protect us? So Big Sis is
definitely a gentle person~ I am certain of it.”

However, no matter how Celica tried to shoo the annoyance away, Glenn
continued to look at Celica with an innocent smile.

“Even earlier, I had seen it from atop the tree! Big Sis was able to easily
defeat those kidnappers! Mmn… As I expected, Big Sis is the ‘Sorcerer of
Justice’ that came to rescue us, right?”
 Faced with the dense brat that did not take her cues, Celica was boiling
with rage.

In her anger, she activated her pre-chanted magic.

Immediately, the chantless magic created a massive pillar of fire that

reached into the heavens. It consumed the youth and, with a loud explosion,
tore through the ground. As the flames dissipated, and the air returned to its
usual calm, the ground surrounding the youth was scorched, but left the youth
unharmed.

“Get lost, I will aim for real next time. I especially hate annoying brats like
you.” Celica declared as she gave Glenn an icy stare.

“Uwaa! Awesome! Big Sis is really cool!”

Contrary to Celica’s expectations, Glenn began to clap in excitement.

“That was ‘sorcery’ right?! I have seen it in the book! I’ve heard ‘sorcery’
could do everything! It can protect everyone from harm and bring happiness
to all! I wish I could do something that powerful and cool!”

“…You brat.”

On the other hand, Celica’s rage has reached a critical point.

“Hey, Big Sis! Could you made ‘sorcery’ do anything else? Please show
me! Come on, just a peek, pretty please?” Glenn begged Celica like a kid
begging for candy.

His gaze was filled with innocence and curiosity, and his words were
brimming with conviction. To Glenn, Celica was the ‘savior’ of the village,
and the ‘Sorcerer of Justice’ spoken in legends.

How… annoying.

“…!”

Celica was unsure why, but she was unable to bear the innocent gaze of the
youth.

“…Ah?”

Glenn let out a sharp cry as his small body fell hard onto the ground.

“…Get lost, or I will really kill you.”

Celica had kicked Glenn away with a powerful kick.

 “Hmph… you deserved it.”

Celica glanced at the fallen Glenn from the corner of her eye. Feeling
satisfied, Celica tried to turn to walk away. However, the satisfaction proved
fleeting.

“Ugh… O-ouch… W-why?” The pained voice of Glenn came from

behind.

“…?!”

At that moment, Celica was filled with regret and worry. Her heart ached
from an unknown pain.

“…B-big Sis. A-are you not t-the Sorcerer of Justice? H-here to protect
us?”

“…!”

Faced with the youth’s question, Celica could only run away.

“D-darn it! T-that brat! No… don’t look at me with those eyes! It almost
made me remember that person… D-darn it!” Celica muttered as she ran
through the village, with not a soul to hear her words.

◇　◇　◇

…I had a dream.

Since that day, I had lost count of how many times I have had this dream.

It was a story from over two hundred years ago, or about two hundred
years since I had ‘awoken’ in this world. It was something that had happened
when I was halfway through my four hundred year journey.

On a scorched and accursed battlefield, I stood next to her in the

apocalyptic world.

“…I-it’s done, Celica.”

 She said lying down on the ground, while her body was awash with blood.

Next to her, her trusty sword was stabbed into the earth, resembling a
grave marker. She had received fatal wounds beyond the limits of any
healing, but still looked at me with a smile.

“F-finally, we had d-defeated the E-Evil God… Hahaha… A-as expected,

C-Celica is r-really strong. I a-am certain, C-Celica is the S-Sorcerer of
Justice…”

Cough.

The regrets after a desperate battle, the joy of victory… none of it

mattered.

“P-please don’t die… Ellie.”

I only gripped her, Eliethe’s, hand and wept. My usual cold visage had
long been cast away.

“D-don’t die… and leave me alone… in this world…”

“C-Celica… T-this is as far as I will go.”

Eliethe’s tears were not from the fear of death, but grief for leaving me
alone in the world after her death. She was, even on her death bed, an
‘indisputably good person’.

“D-don’t say that…! I want you to keep on bothering me! Although I was
always cold to you, but honestly…!”

I clenched Eliethe’s hand, hoping that my grip would keep her tethered to
the world.

For a magician who had mastered the logics of the world, my futile actions
were the very epitome of foolishness. Even so, I continued to grip her hand in
mine.

“I don’t want to be alone again! No matter how annoying, no matter how

detestable, I still hope for someone to stay by my side… I have already had
enough of the loneliness, so…”

I no longer cared about my appearance, or even the pride of a seventh-

ranked mage. I was disappointed with myself, for only realizing how much I
had liked her the moment she was about to die. So I wept, and I kept weeping
away.

“P-please… don’t leave me… I… like… you.”

“I know… Ahaha… You are obstinate and prideful… certainly not s-

someone to speak y-your mind.” Eliethe rubbed my face as if trying to calm a
crying baby, “B-but do not worry, t-the Celica I know is a k-kind and loving
person, and, one day, t-there will be someone who will stay b-by your side.”

“No! Before I had met with you, I was always alone!”

It was a time two-hundred years before I had met Eliethe, or four-hundred

years from the present.

When I first woke up on a scorched earth… I could not remember who I

am or what I had done. Only my name.

The first years of my ‘awakening’ was… wonderful. I had met friends and
even had a lover. I was able to embrace love and enjoy the happiness of a
woman.

However, one day, while having my own body examined by magic, I was
discovered to be un-aging. Everyone was terrified at my abnormal existence
and ran away from me.

Even the one who had declared his eternal love and vowed to stay with me
till the end of days cursed me as monster and abandoned me. Ironically, that
was just after I had happily ordered my wedding gown. It was the first time I
had cried so hard.

Even so, there were still some, albeit quite few, people who were willing to
stay by my side. Unlike me, they were all humans – ones unable to resist the
flow of time, slowly age, and finally…

After dozens of years had passed since my awakening, I stood before their
graves with a bundle of flowers in hand, looking not a day older than when I
first arrived in this world. Everything was just as the accursed examination
foretold.

Soon, I started to exhibit exceptional magic power. The people around me

feared, envied, and avoided me. From that moment on, I grew more and more
alone.

“O-other than you… no one w-wanted to stay by my side…!”

I… had always been alone.

Even from now on…

“D-darn it! If I had known how painful this would be… t-then from the
very beginning, I shouldn’t come in contact with anyone…! I can live
perfectly well alone… so why, m-must I be with someone like y-you?!”

“…Celica, I-I’m sorry… R-really really… s-sorry.”

Eliethe continued to shed tears for the lonesome me… for this selfish
woman.

Everything would then turn dark, and I would be left to contemplate my

own loneliness.

The dream would end, and the warmth in my hand would slowly vanish.
No matter how I tried to keep her, the warmth would always slip away.

In her final moments, I regretted that the only words to come out from my
mouth were my own selfish desires.

“That person probably has seen through my selfish being.”

I would awaken to such regrets, and would continue to lie in the bed
without a wink until first light.
 Such was how it usually happened.

Yet, today was different.

…?

The warmth in my hand… did not disappear. Even as my surrounding

turned dark, and I could no longer see her face, the warmth remained.

…Ellie?

As if she was next to me. As if she had forgiven my selfish behavior.

…Ah.

My surfacing consciousness once again floated away. As if I was in a

children’s cradle, I found myself in a restful sleep for the first time in
hundreds of years.

◇　◇　◇

The chirping of birds signaled the beginning of a new day as the morning
sun tickled Celica’s half-open eyes.

“…Uuu.”

Celica stirred from her slumber with a head full of disheveled hair.

She was in a small wooden house chosen for her temporary stay in the
village. It was a building of shoddy construction and the bare minimum of
furniture. At the center of the room, Celica had slept in the wooden chair,
with her head on the table.

Without moving a muscle, Celica just gazed blankly at the morning sun.

What… did I do last night?

As the grogginess slowly left her, the memories of the night returned.
 Ah… right. I had come to remember that fellow again…

From time to time, the chains that bind Celica’s heart would come loose,
and, with it, the surge of suppressed emotions would all come bursting out at
once.

As such, Celica had simply wept on top of the table, all the way until sleep.

Even in her dreams, Eliethe had appeared, and Celica ended up crying
once more.

It was a matter of great personal embarrassment to Celica. As one

nicknamed the ‘Ashen Witch’ and holder of the strongest ‘The World’ title in
the Imperial Court Mage Corps, Celica was ashamed for her behavior.

Celica had kept a search field up in her vicinity, which was magically
connected to Celica herself. If anyone trespassed into the field – no matter
how familiar, Celica would immediately be alerted to the presence and be
ready to counter.

Aaah… After all, my current appearance is quite undignified.

Celica continued to ponder as she lay motionless.

However, that was a wonderful sleep, and I feel extremely refreshed. I do

feel a slight ache in my body, but that was probably from my poor posture. It
should have been many years since I had such a restful sleep.

I am sure it was thanks to the warmth that still remained in my hand. Yes,
it was thanks to this warmth that I was able-… wait.

Something is odd. Why is the warmth from my dream still in my hands?

“…?!”

Celica suddenly had her half-asleep eyes shot wide open and swung her
head up.

Only now did she notice, on the opposite side of the table, the youth from
yesterday, Glenn, was asleep at the table with his outstretched hand in
Celica’s.

“Wh-…?!”

Celica reflexively pulled her head away from Glenn’s and stood up in
shock, while the mysterious blanket on her back slid onto the ground.

With her hand back by her side, Celica felt the warmth in her palm drain
away.

As she suppressed her longing for the warmth, Celica turned to the
sleeping Glenn.

“Hey, you! Why are you here?!” Celica shouted almost hysterically.

“…Mmn. Huh?”

Having a hand suddenly pulled away and then shouted at, Glenn could not
help but wake up. Glenn rubbed his eyes as he looked straight at the nearby
Celica.

“Ah~ Big Sis, good morning~”

“Skip the greetings. Answer me now! Why are you here?!” Celica angrily
shouted at the half-asleep Glenn.

“Big Sis forgot to lock the door last night. When I peeked inside, I found
Big Sis sleeping on the table after having cried… and then…”

Celica was fuming. She did not think this brat would be able to see the
‘weakness’ she had always hid away. For the ‘strong’ Celica, it was beyond
what could be described by ‘embarrassment’.

“Don’t barge into someone else’s house, and don’t worry about me! Are
your purposely trying to get yourself killed?!” Celica declared with her hand
pointed at Glenn.

It was the hand located closest to the heart, the hand meant to use magic.
As long as Celica was willing, Glenn would have lost his life. Celica only
needed to report that he was caught in a battle with the Lich, and she would
be able to avoid any punishment. In short, his life was in Celica’s hands.

“No can do~ Because, as long as Big Sis stays at the village, I am the one
assigned to take care of Big Sis.”

“Haa?! Who made you come?! Don’t be nosy!”

“Not to mention, Big Sis was injured. So I was worried.”

“…?!”

Celica’s left wrist was still wrapped in bandages, with medicinal herbs
within. The previous night, Celica’s sudden emotional outburst led to her
cutting her wrist with a knife. The pains of the repeated cuts allowed her
some emotional respite from all the turmoil, and the act had long turned to an
addiction.

To a magician, such injuries were of little consequence, as a simple healing

spell would be enough to reverse the damage.

However, from the carefully made knot and the well-dressed wounds,
Glenn’s worry and care for Celica was clear as day. Even to calm a crying
person, it was still quite excessive to hold hands for the entire night. At the
least, Celica would never consider such actions.

“…W-why? Why would you go to such lengths for me? Even after all I
had done to you?”

“Umm… I can’t just sit idly by and do nothing. Not sure why, but I cannot
see Big Sis as an outsider.” Glenn shyly mumbled, “Big Sis, have you had
many painful memories of the past? I think I understand a bit of the sadness,
loneliness, and bitterness… therefore…”

“Wh-…?!” Glenn’s words were quick to anger Celica once more, “D-don’t
be silly, what could you possibly know about me?!”

Celica walked up to Glenn and gripped him by the collar of his clothes.
 “Do you know how many years I had lived?! Four hundred years! Four
hundred! Could you imagine the insanity that came from such loneliness?!”
Celica shouted loudly at the youth, not realizing her anger came from the
trueness of Glenn’s words.

“B-Big Sis?!”

“Haa… Isn’t it better for me to just die? Yes, I thought that too! How
many times have I tried to commit suicide! But, every time, that voice would
cut in at the very last moment! ‘You mustn’t die’, ‘you still have unfinished
missions’, ‘it is an important mission’… How the heck should I possibly
know what mission it is if I cannot remember it?! Without my memories from
before four hundred years, of who I was and what I had done… yet because
of this inexplicable nudging, I couldn’t even choose death!!”

Following Celica’s outburst, silence returned to the room.

With a quick contemplation of what she had just said, Celica could only
give a dry laugh.

“Hahaha… What the heck was I saying to a brat… how pointless.”

Celica slowly released her grip on Glenn’s clothes and fell back on her
chair. With her left hand pressed against her temple, Celica looked up at the
ceiling.

“…Get it now? I am just a crazy old lady. You would do better to not
associate yourself with someone like me…”

“Big Sis…”

With that said, Celica was certain that the youth would forever disappear
from her sight. After all, if she were in Glenn’s shoes, Celica would certainly
not take care of a crazy lady even if the village asked her to. Yet, to her
surprise…

“I think… I get it.”

 Glenn remained.

“Although I do not know Big Sis’s mission… nor do I understand Big

Sis’s pain and loneliness, I think I can empathize.” Glenn said as he looked
straight at Celica, “After all, living alone is painful for anyone.”

“…Enough, brat, stop saying that you understand.”

“But, I understand.” Glenn replied, “Because, I am also alone.”

“…”

“From when I was very young, both my mother and father had died from a
disease that had ravaged the village. Fearing for their own lives, the villagers
all shunned me. Now, I live alone.”

“…”

“Even for me, I would cry from time to time because of my loneliness. So I
am certain Big Sis’s loneliness and pain exceeded my own by dozens, if not
hundreds, times more.”

Silence once more enveloped the room, and the air had become stifled by
sadness.

“…I will return, Big Sis.”

“…Seriously, don’t bother.”

Glenn did not care for Celica’s rejection and made his way to the exit.

“Big Sis, I hope you will feel better… To see that day, I will do everything
in my power.” Glenn muttered through the half-closed door as he took his
leave.

“…” Celica simply remained silent with her head turned away.

Clack. The door was reluctantly shut.

 Even with the presence of the youth gone from the room, Celica remained
silent.

◇　◇　◇

Since the encounter with Glenn, Celica fought silently every day.

The thralls of the Lich, monsters that were once villagers, assaulted the
village day after day and night after night. They would not relent until they
have consumed all the living.

Certainly, with the abnormal strength of an undead, the thralls were all no
different from monsters. If any villagers were to encounter them, the villagers
would surely be torn asunder.

However, for the greatest mage of the Imperial Court Mage Corps – Celica
Arfonia, the thralls were nothing but pushovers. The sight of the one-sided
slaughter would make anyone pity the thralls.

Not to mention, all the thralls that had attacked were former villagers. In
other words, the three ex-mages that Celica had erased on the first day were
the strongest of the bunch.

Although… something about these attacks feel off…

Celica was slightly baffled by the thralls’ repeated attacks. However,

Celica did not give it much further thought and simply erased them were they
stood. Day after day, her cold-hearted efficiency at taking lives frightened the
villagers and fed to her annoyance.

Yet, as the world was dyed red by the dusk.

“Hmph…”

After cutting them down with her usual spells, Celica slowly made her way
back as the ashes of the thralls scattered to the wind. As usual, not a single
villager offered Celica a word of thanks.

Following the deserted trail, Celica soon arrived at her small wooden
dwelling on the edge of the village and entered without a knock.

“Celica, welcome back!”

Near the table, Glenn received Celica with a bright smile.

“…You idiot, didn’t I told you to hide in the cellars when the thralls
attack? Although I had a ward cast upon this house, you should always
assume the worst…” In contrast to the happy Glenn, Celica gave a somber
reply.

“Don’t be a worrywart! As long as the Sorcerer of Justice is here, no evil

shall harm me!”

“…Haa.”

It will be safe as long as Celica is here.

Celica could not help but let out a sigh at Glenn’s staunch belief.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I am not a sorcerer, but a

magician. Not to mention, magic is not omnipotent.”

“Uuu… I don’t really understand the difference between the two…”

“In the simplest terms, inexplicable phenomenon like being able to fly
through the sky with just an umbrella in hand (1) or being able to pull a
cookie from nothingness is considered to be ‘sorcery’. On the other hand, if
the procedure relied on scripts or chants that follows the ‘logics of the world’,
such as to create a cookie from its components or to use wind and gravity
manipulation to fly through the wind, it is considered ‘magic’. The former is
just a figment of imagination, while the latter is grounded in clear logic.”

“Ahaha, let’s leave the confusing explanations till later. Dinner is ready,
Celica! Today is mushroom stew… I am honestly quite proud of how it
turned out~”

Glenn lit the nearby stove and heated up the stew before scooping out two
bowls. Sitting opposite to one another, Glenn and Celica began to have their
dinner.

“Umm, Celica… how does it taste?”

“So-so.” Celica curtly replied, but her actions spoke otherwise.

As Celica took spoonful after spoonful, Glenn simply looked on and

smiled.

“…Hmph.”

Celica hastily turned her head aside in an attempt to avoid Glenn’s gaze.

Slurp. Slurp. The rhythmic sound of eating filled the small wooden room.

Neither Celica nor Glenn said a word as both continued to enjoy their
dinner in silence.

When was the last time I had a warm and hearty meal like this… ten, no…
twenty years ago?

Celica thought to herself as she greedily consumed the meal.

I will return, Big Sis. That was Glenn’s innocent promise that day, and,
since then, he has come to visit Celica every day. At first, Celica was at a loss
for what to do. Certainly, it was quite the shock for Celica when Glenn turned
up the following day.

No matter how Celica threatened or insulted him – even with the physical
intimidation, Glenn came to visit without a grudge. In the days since, Glenn
had been looking after Celica. Faced with his obstinacy, Celica finally gave
up and let Glenn do as he pleased.

…It’s quite strange. Since this little brat barged in on my life, I am no

longer plagued by my vices.

Her broken and frozen heart was slowly being thawed. Although still
troubled by her immortality and forgotten mission, Celica no longer sought
release through self-destructive behavior.
 Perhaps, a life like this isn’t that bad?

The question arose in Celica’s heart, to which the answer soon presented
itself.

Yes, a life like this is undoubtedly comfortable, I won’t lie. This warmth…
It was like that time with Ellie…

Unwittingly, the corners of Celica’s eyes began to redden.

“…Celica, what’s wrong?” Glenn worriedly asked, having noticed the

minute change in Celica.

“Idi-… Seriously, don’t look…” Celica said as she frantically covered her
eyes.

“N-not to mention, your face is covered with dinner,” To change the topic,
Celica quickly took up a napkin and reached out toward Glenn, “Here, don’t
move…”

“…Mmn.”

With arm outstretched across the table, Celica wiped the corner of Glenn’s
mouth.

“There. Seriously, even though you feel quite reliable, you are still a brat at
heart.”

“…Ah!” Glenn remarked at the sudden appearance, “Celica, did you just
smile?”

“…?!”

” Celica is already very beautiful, but your beauty is amplified tenfold

when you smile~”

“…Horny brat. It’s a decade too early for you to say such things to a girl.”

Although Celica gave a stare at Glenn, it lacked the usual malice with her
face bright red.

“Ah, that’s right… Celica, how is your mission coming along?” Unlike the
flustered Celica, Glenn asked in an innocent tone.

“Hmm… I think it’s almost time.” Celica tried to calm herself down,
“Between the amount of thralls I had defeated and the amount of missing
villagers, the Lich should be running low on thralls under its command and
will soon be coming to hunt by itself. As long as I vanquish the Lich then,
everything should be resolved.”

“Is that so… Does that mean it’s almost time to part with Celica?”

It was a thought Celica tried not to think, but what Glenn said was
certainly true. Once the Lich was defeated, Celica would have to part with
Glenn – to end these wonderful days and return back to a life of loneliness.

“Celica… will be alone again.”

A somber atmosphere descended on the small wooden hut.

The youth’s silent mutter reflected Celica’s own desires. From which,
thoughts of regret and longing for more sprouted in Celica’s heart.
Unwittingly, a certain request slipped from Celica’s mouth.

“When everything is over… Would you… like to stay with me?”

“…Hmm?” Glenn inquisitively tilted his head at the question.

“…No, nevermind.” As if breaking out of a trance, Celica immediately

corrected herself.

What the heck was I saying?

Celica let out a long sigh as she held her head in the palm of her hand.

To become so clingy when shown the slightest warmth, am I really such a

cheap girl?
 Not to mention, what is this fellow to me? A Friend? …No, I clearly do not
wish to create such a barrier in our relationship. Then, a lover? Have I come
to love him and wish for him to be my companion? …No, even with how
weird I am, there is no way it is love with this brat…

“…Really? Could I stay with Celica?” Glenn excitedly asked as Celica

continued her inner conflict.

“Ah… No, sorry. It was a slip of tongue.” Celica said in a whisper as she
avoided eye contact with Glenn.

However, Glenn did not seem to catch Celica’s reply.

“Thank you, I am glad. I had always wanted to stay with Celica.” Glenn let
out a bright smile, “Because I was always alone, I had always wanted to
have a ‘family’. I… would love it if I could be family with Celica.”

“Ah…”

Glenn’s glittering eyes made Celica speechless.

Family, is it?

Celica’s conundrum has been wonderfully answered. It was the answer she
sought in the hundreds upon hundreds of years – a simple answer that filled
the void in her heart.

“I see… Certainly, being family with you is quite the enticing offer.”
Celica laughed heartedly, as if all her worries were finally blown away.

“Hey, Celica. When we become family, will you teach me magic?”

“Hmph, enthusiasm alone won’t cut it.”

“Not to worry! I will definitely work hard, so I could one day become a
sorcerer like Celica!”

“This again? Didn’t I tell you that I am not a sorcerer, but a magician-…
Fine, I will teach you magic.” Celica shrugged her shoulder in reply as she
gave up attempting to correct him.

In her heart, Celica knew that one day, she would come to regret the
decision she made this day. The youth lived on a different time from Celica
and would eventually disappear from her life. However, for the fear of the
pain on that distant day, should Celica abandon the happiness before her? In
the long years, Celica had always chose loneliness out of such fear, but was
she truly satisfied with her choice? Was she truly happy?

Perhaps it is not wrong to treasure the present…

Even if they had to separate one day, the wonderful memories of their days
together would remain. Although her curse shall continue to plague her,
Celica would be able to keep on living with the warmth she would gain
through the days spent together with Glenn.

…To be with someone in the present, and live the life to the fullest.

On that day, the four-hundred-year old lonesome witch has finally

discarded her fear of the future and embraced the present. Yet, little did she
know that the day she has dreaded would happen so soon in the future.

◇　◇　◇

“What do you mean?!” Surrounded by the entire village, Celica shouted

loudly as she held the chief by the collar, “Glenn… was kidnapped by the
thralls?! How could that possibly have happened?!”

On that day, Celica went about her usual routine, cleaning up the thralls
that marched on the village. As usual, when everything was done, Celica
made her way back to her small reclusive hut where Glenn was supposed to
be waiting with dinner.

However, the hut was deserted, and Glenn was nowhere to be found in the
village. With a sense of foreboding, Celica searched frantically, before
chancing upon the information that Glenn was taken by the thralls.

“That isn’t possible! I had a powerful magic ward set up around the house!
No unwelcome guests should have been able to approach!”

“…E-even if that is the case. I am certain that I saw the thralls take the
child away…” The chief responded with sweat pouring out from his face.

“N-no way… Does that mean he left the house on his own will? But
why…?”

With sheer disbelief, Celica could only clench her fist and grit her teeth as
a wave of anxiety washed over her.

“…Umm. Celica-sama?”

From nearby, a somewhat apprehensive villager approached with a piece

of paper in hand.

“The thrall that had taken Glenn-kun… left this note behind.”

“What?! Give it here!”

Celica forcibly ripped the note from the villager’s hand.

To the ‘Ashen Witch’, Celica Arfonia.

It’s time to end this once and for all. Come to the location written below,
where I will wait for you with your cute little lover.

p.s. Your cute little lover was not harmed, since he is an important
‘bargaining chip’. However, if you do not show, I am certain you know what
will happen to him.

On the back of the note was a rough sketch of the location.

“Hahaha…”

Celica let out a deep and menacing laugh after reading the note. Her eyes
revealed a murderous glare.

“I see… After all that effort to achieve a flawed form of immortality, aren’t
you a bit too eager for your death? What a stupid Lich we have here…”

“C-Celica-sama?”

Without paying heed to the terrified villagers, Celica simply walked away
with a flick of her robe.

“If that’s how you want to play, I will personally erase you from this
world, foolish undead…”

Like a demon king, Celica went her way shrouded in murderous aura.

◇　◇　◇

On the north side of the village, there was a hidden villa tucked away in
the middle of the woods.

It was a villa protected by numerous wards, and, without the note to guide
her, Celica would certainly not have noticed the secluded villa.

“…”

Standing atop a cliff, Celica gazed down at the villa below.

At a glance, it was quite clear the villa was the lair of the Lich, and, within,
Glenn was held captive. Having been summoned by the Lich itself, Celica
knew the lair was filled with traps. Magic traps, wards, and summons – there
were countless possibilities. All of which allowed a weak defender to
overcome powerful enemies, to say nothing about the defender being a
powerful Lich.

If it were the usual Celica, she would certainly not enter through the front,
but rather, use grade-A strategic magic to bombard the villa from afar.
However, Celica was hamstrung with Glenn captive within the villa…

“…”

Celica was the highest ranked mage on the continent and was confident to
overcome any traps. Not to mention, Celica had many cards up her sleeve for
when the situation turn dire.

However, even with the vast difference in power, Celica could not act
overconfident in a battle between mages. Within history, there were countless
examples of a weaker mage triumphing over the strong. As such, it was
always prudent to minimize the risks involved.

“Tsk… So it’s like fighting with chains…”

With a step, Celica leapt from the cliff as she chanted her spell.

Certainly, working with a handicap from time to time isn’t that bad.

As she activated her gravity spell, Celica landed gently on the ground
below before making a dash at the gate.

With a loud explosion, Celica blew apart the front door of the villa.
Summoned beasts, golems, puppets, and thralls awaited her in the great hall,
with the various wards and traps activating to her presence.

Among which, there were wards that limited Celica’s magic, wards that
froze Celica’s feet to the ground, wards that explode on contact, and wards
that activate a death curse on approach. At the same time, Celica had to deal
with the summoned beasts’ sharp claws and the swarms of thralls. Moreover,
there were even archaic mechanical traps, such as pitfalls, snares, piano
wires, poisonous gases, and wall spikes. For Celica, it was a journey through
an encyclopedia of traps.

Yet, faced with traps that even the proud elites of the Imperial Army would
not be able to overcome, Celica calmly proceeded. She blew apart Magic
beasts, cleansed the thralls, dismantle the traps, or simply use her
overwhelming power to blow everything apart.

…Hmph, for some reason, my body feels extremely light, as if nothing is

beyond reach.

If it were the usual Celica, she would certainly be troubled by the sheer
number of traps. However, the current Celica was like a changed person and
performed feats with incredible accuracy. No matter the difficulty, Celica
would simply breeze by.

In the most clichéd term, I guess this is a case of “Becoming stronger

because I have someone I wish to protect”…

Celica could not help but reveal a sarcastic smile at her revelation.

Glenn, don’t worry… I will certainly bring you to safety.

With an unshakable conviction, Celica dashed through the villa’s halls.

Celica’s will burned brighter than any trap that sought to snuff her out.

As such, Celica failed to notice a strangeness that the usual coolheaded

Celica was certain to notice. She did not question why the mansion was filled
with such an extensive repertoire of traps that could crush even the proud
elites of the imperial army with ease. It was a setup seemingly made in full
anticipation for her arrival, taking advantage of her unique characteristics and
weaknesses. With her head filled with the desire to bring Glenn to safety,
Celica simply brushed aside all traps that stood in her way.

“…Haa. To think you would be unscathed after all that…”

At the depth of the mansion, a robed youth awaited her.

“Are you the Lich?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

With his answer, Celica reached into her robe and readied her stance for
combat.

Behind the robed youth and restrained by multiple spells, Glenn floated in
midair.

“C-Celica?”

“Doesn’t seem to be turned into a thrall… Are you alright?” Celica had
expected as much.
 “Isn’t that obvious? If I had killed the youth and turned him into a thrall,
you would wipe us out without hesitation.” With that said, the robed youth
pulled out a large scythe and rested the blade above Glenn’s neck, “I do not
wish to lose my only bargaining chip.”

“That’s quite the fancy toy you got there.”

“Hahaha… as you probably realized, this is the sorcerous weapon ‘Death’s

scythe’, where even the slightest cut will rob him of his life. No matter how
brilliant a mage you are, you would not be able to stop me before I take his
life.”

Sorcery was not bound by the laws of the world. As such, even with
Celica’s fastest spells, she could not be certain to eliminate the Lich before
harm was done to Glenn. With the Lich holding Glenn hostage, Celica could
only look on helplessly.

“So, I guess, if you want to save the youth, kill yourself?”

“I expected as much.”

Celica let out a long sigh.

“Certainly something a third-rate immortal could think up.”

“I think that’s enough. Even standing here, I could feel your overwhelming
killing intent. If anything, i am quite terrified of you.”

The robed youth let out an apprehensive smile.

“N-no, don’t listen to him!” Glenn shouted with eyes filled with tears,
“Don’t worry about me and beat the crap out of-… ah?”

Seeing the scythe touching the hairs on the back of his neck, Glenn let out
an involuntary gasp.

“Now, hurry up and kill yourself!” With a devious smile, the robed youth
barked as he tossed a dagger to Celica’s feet.
 At a glance, the dagger was clearly enchanted, with runes lining the blade.

Celica gazed at the dagger with icy eyes.

“…Fine, it can’t be helped.” Celica replied with a shrug.

“C-Celica, no! I won’t accept it if you were to die!” Glenn pleaded with
Celica with tear-filled eyes, but Celica only revealed a confident smile in
return.

“Don’t worry, Glenn…” Celica said as she bend down to pick up the
dagger at her foot, “Because, I will protect you.”

At that moment, Celica activated the ‘device’ kept in her breast pocket.

“Haa?”

The robed youth was flabbergasted. In the blink of an eye, the scythe in his
hand has snapped in two and the trapped Glenn was now next to Celica.

“W-what just happened?”

“Let’s just say I asked time to stop for a bit, since you were so darn cute~”

Celica chuckled as she toyed with an old watch in her left hand.

“This is my unique magic tool, named after the goddess of time, the pocket
watch ‘La Tilica’. It frees me from stream of time and allows me to pull off
amazing feats. Impressive, isn’t it?”

It was Celica’s trump card. Each use consumed a rare and expensive
‘Temporal Crystal’. As such, Celica could not abuse the tool. However, given
its incredible power, it was certain to tilt the balance of any fight in Celica’s
favor.

“T-temporal magic? How could it possibly be? Any magic that stops time
is fundamentally flawed. With the second law, however long you stop the
world’s time, your own body will be stopped for the same amount to
compensate for the difference. So, how could you possibly be moving now?”
 “Which is why this is my personalized magic. If I had to give it a name,
let’s just call it ‘My World’.”

With that said, Celica raised her hand toward the robed youth.

“Now, it’s punishment time. The crime of raising a hand at my Glenn isn’t
light, you know~”

“Eek…”

As the robed youth anxiously raised his hands in protest, Celica made her
move.

“‹Just die›!”

With overwhelming speed, Celica unleashed ‘Prominence Pillar’. A

column of fire rose up around the robed youth, consuming him in the flame.

“Ahhh!!”

With a final yelp, the robed youth was erased from the world.

“In the end, it was a mere third-rate Lich through and through.”

After spatting out some final insult, Celica turned to Glenn.

“Are you alright? Was it scary?”

“Celica… I…”

With tear-filled Glenn dove into Celica.

“Glenn…”

Celica knelt on the ground and received the hug.

“Everything is over… from now and forevermore, I will keep you safe-…”

Stab.
 “Hmm…?”

A streak of blood rolled down the corner of Celica’s mouth, with a sudden
jolt of pain felt in her left chest. At the time, Celica could not figure out what
had happened.

“…”

Glenn silently backed away.

“Ugh… Ahh…”

Celica collapsed onto the ground with only her arms to prop her up.

In Glenn’s right hand was the enchanted dagger, and Glenn himself was
doused in Celica’s blood. The curse imbued on the dagger was now coursing
through Celica’s blood, paralyzing her entire body.

“Ugh… W-why Glenn…? Why did you stab me?” Having realized what
Glenn had done, Celica pulled herself apart and, with tear-filled eyes, pleaded
for an answer.

“Hahaha… To think the invincible ‘The World’ Celica Arfonia would be

so gullible!”

At that moment, a girl appeared from the shadows behind the column. She
wore an identical uniform to Celica – the uniform of an Imperial Court Mage.

“H-Henrietta…? Are you not ‘The Tower’ Henrietta…?”

With wide open eyes, Celica appeared to have finally understood

everything.

“That’s right… I thought I was forgetting something… You were not

among the mage thralls I defeated… Everyone had been turned to thralls,
only you I wasn’t able to find.”

It was always a slight discrepancy. However, given how insignificant an

existence Henrietta was to her, Celica did not hold the interest for long.
 “S-so, everything that had happened was because of you? Are you the real
Lich, and that robed youth earlier was one of your thralls?”

“That’s right, Celica Arfonia… I have been reborn as a Lich, through

which I had cast away the shell of mortality and received incredible magic
power… all in order to defeat you!!” The Lich, Henrietta, loudly declared as
she stared down on Celica, “Using puppets to stage the appearance of a Lich,
cutting down my ex-companions, carefully perfecting the scenario…
Although everything took quite a bit of effort, I was finally able to have my
vengeance!!”

“…Vengeance?”

“Yes, before you had joined the Imperial Court Mage Corps, I was the
strongest among the mages and admired by all. However, you stole my
position with ease and dominated with an overwhelming experience that none
could compare, as if mocking my life-long efforts… Not only that…”

Henrietta marched over to the paralyzed Celica and forcibly pulled her
chin up, “You… are an ‘Immortal’! Not one of those fundamentally flawed
undead and vampire… but a living and breathing ‘Immortal’!”

“…?!”

“I will slowly waste away through the passage of time. Even with the best
of magic, I will still be confined by my age and die. However, you… not only
do you have overwhelming power, but also enjoys eternal beauty and
youth… You have long reached a point where I could only dream…!!”

Henrietta angrily gritted her teeth as her shoulders trembled from the rage.

“Unforgivable… Absolutely unforgivable! I should have been the chosen

one! How could I have lost to someone as lowly as you? Why must I forever
stay in your shadow! I won’t allow it!”

“H-Henrietta… You…”

“Enough, Celica. As long as I could defeat you… Surpass you…

Everything I did would have been worth it. Even if I had to turn into this
unholy Lich – a mere third-rate immortal, as long as I defeat you, I can prove
to the world that I am stronger!”

“H-how… pointless…” Celica retorted while bearing with the pain of a

pierced chest.

“Ah, that reminded me. Celica, there was something I wanted to show
you.” With a gleeful smile, Henrietta announced as she snapped her finger.

From behind the columns, countless humans entered through the doors.

“…?!”

Celica was stunned by the scene. She had met each and every one of them.

“H-how…? W-why?”

At the head of the group was the chief of the village, and beside him stood
the man who handed Celica the note. Each and every one of them were
villagers of the village. The air of the living had long vanished. With pale
skin and soulless eyes, their bodies emitted a putrid odor.

“Ahaha… Did their arrival shock you? From the very beginning, I had the
entire village as my thralls.”

“Wh-…?”

“Ashen Witch, Have you forgotten my nickname? I am the ‘Puppeteer’…

an expert at making puppets that could deceive people of their authenticity. In
other words, I could create thralls to deceive you with ease!”

“H-how…”

A terrible premonition washed over Celica. She anxiously turned around,

hoping her premonition would be proven false.

“…Ah.”
 When her eyes met Glenn, Celica saw a youth with pale skin and empty
eyes. The living and smiling Glenn was no longer there.

“Aaah!!” Tears poured out of Celica’s eyes as she loudly cried out,
“Glenn! Ah… Glenn…!! How could you-… Uwaa!!”

“Hahaha! Serves you right, Celica! To realize the one that you had opened
your heart to was a mere corpse! Hey, how does that feel? Hahaha!!”

Henrietta’s triumphant laughter accompanied Celica’s tears.

“Even with the whole village firmly under my control, you probably would
have easily crushed them. Therefore, in order to defeat you, I had to find a
weakness… It was then that I realized, beneath all the stubbornness, you are
still just a woman.” Henrietta proudly declared, “After I had observed you for
so long – you, the immortal Celica Arfonia and the invincible ‘Ashen Witch’
– I have finally learned about your weakness…”

“Uwaa…”

“The strongest? Nay. You are weak beyond compare. Having an

unshakable fear of others harming you, yet yearns for a companion to cure
you of your eternal loneliness… You heart is more brittle than anyone else in
this world…” Henrietta pulled the helpless Celica up and whispered in her
ear, “However, you continued to lash out at your surroundings and ignored
your weakness, or rather, stubbornly believing in your own supposed
‘strength’. ‘Because I am stronger than anyone else, I did not need others’, is
that how you tried to convince yourself? Hehehe, what pointless pride.”

At Henrietta’s sharp words, Celica tightly clenched her fists.

“You are certainly stronger than anyone in this world, and, as long as you
kept pushing everyone away, no one would dare to approach you. Yet, in
reality, you are just a paper tiger, or rather, a castle of sand sitting on a
beach… your strength is just a fragile illusion.”

“N=no…”
 “Therefore, when faced with an existence that could accept you and
unconditionally stay by your side, you would open your heart with the
slightest kindness. I had hoped to find an opening from that…”

“S-stop…!”

“Nowhere in my wildest dreams did I think you would come to rely on

him! Hahaha!! I bet you were really looking forward to the future with
Glenn!”

“S-shut up!!”

Celica swung her fists at Henrietta, but Henrietta easily stepped back to
avoid the powerless swing.

“Think about it! No matter how much you abused him, he would remain
calm and understanding, even caring for you and staying with you. Do you
honestly believe someone like him could possibly exist? What an idiot! To
think you couldn’t even figure out something as simple as this with four
hundred years of life! Hahaha!!”

“Shut up! S-shut up, shut up, shut up!! How dare you-… I will kill you!!”

Celica flung away the tears in her eyes and raised her left hand toward
Henrietta. In her anger, she tried to activate her powerful spells.

“Ugh…?!”

A crushing jolt of pain coursed through Celica’s entire body as blood

vessels burst open through every pore. With blood gushing out of her every
orifice, Celica once again collapsed on the ground.

“Really? Did you really just try something as stupid as that? Face it, you
are already done for!”

“Y-you… what did you do?”

“It’s just a simple curse. Whenever you try to use a spell, the curse will
inflict unfathomable pain on your body as it is forced to self-destruct…
Hehehe…”

Henrietta revealed a devious smile.

“With this, the ‘Ashen Witch’ no longer exists… Without your destructive
spells or your command over time… you are now just a regular ‘woman’,
right?”

With that said, Henrietta gently snapped her finger as the former villagers
crowded around Celica.

“…Ah”

The villagers forcibly flipped Celica on her back and pinned her limbs to
the ground.

Celica, who was no different from a regular woman without her magic,
was completely restrained by the thralls and no longer able to move.

“Ugh…”

“It’s simply wonderful to see how pitiful you look right now. Do not
worry, I won’t let you die so easily. I need to make you suffer all the
humiliation and pain the world have to offer before you die, to return the
humiliation I had suffered hundredfold!!” Henrietta revealed an ecstatic
expression, “To start things off, let me rob you of your dignity as a woman!!”

“…?!”

“To have you completely and utterly assaulted, abused, and demolished!
That proud and dignified Celica Arfonia surrounded by the undead, legs pried
open and forced upon by rotten corpses… Then, after being stained from
head to toe with fluid pouring out from every orifice, I would have you beg
and cry at my feet. Ah, what an unbearable bliss!” Henrietta declared as she
quivered in anticipation, “Afterwards, I will have you collared, then have you
mate daily and train you to be obedient like the female swine you are. Once
you are completely broken, I will finish everything by taking my time to
slowly kill you. Afraid?”
 Silence. As if accepting her fate, Celica remained still and quiet.

“Ah, but I am not heartless. I bet with your attitude, you probably haven’t
had much experience the opposite sex. So for my magnanimity, I will have
the youth you loved to be the first to mount you. Be grateful, you filthy
pervert!”

Without a hint of emotion, Glenn lumbered over to the restrained Celica.

At the same time, the surrounding male thralls reached out their hands, intent
on violating Celica. Without magic, Celica could only meekly await her
terrible end.

Nearby, Henrietta revealed an elated grin as she gazed on the scene,

brimming with the confidence that she had finally triumphed over Celica.

Yet, just as she was about to savor her hard-won victory, a tornado of fire
circled around Celica and erased the thralls surrounding her.

“…Ah?”

“Henrietta, are you finally done with your drivel?”

As the flames dissipated with the ashes of the thralls, Celica slowly stood
back up from the ground.

At that moment, the surrounding thralls leapt toward Celica like a flood of
rotten flesh. However, with a simple flick of her arm, Celica threw out a wall
of flame that burned down all the remaining thralls in the room.

“N-no way… How?! The curse should have rendered you unbearable pain
and destroyed your body whenever you attempted to use magic!! How the
heck could you even cast that spell?!”

“For something as trivial as this, I only need to endure…”

The curse assaulted Celica relentlessly as her body was forced to self-
destructed. With blood gushing out of her every pore, Celica was enduring
incredible pain – pain enough to drive anyone mad.
 However, Celica’s indomitable will kept her mind clear and focused as she
unleash spell after spell at her assailants. Like a demon lord reborn, Celica’s
eyes glowed with palpable rage while she stared at the stunned Henrietta.

“Hmph… How dare you toy with me! Although, you are certainly the first
to force me into such an unseemly state… Ugh… and that alone is worthy of
praise.”

“Eek…!!”

At Celica’s piercing words, Henrietta involuntarily shirked back as her

heart was gripped by fear.

“‹Return thyself to the cycle of providence•…›”

Shrouded by a demonic aura, Celica began her chant.

“‹The five elements to the five elements•…›”

“That spell-…! N-no, I won’t let you succeed!!”

Henrietta’s face turned deadly pale at the incantations and instantly

launched a spell to interfere with Celica’s chant. However, with a light snap
of her finger, Celica activated a defensive spell that counteracted the
interference. Despite blood gushing from Celica’s body with every action,
her concentration remained unbroken as she continued her chant.

“Ah… H-how could this be… No way…”

Before Celica’s sheer overwhelming power, Henrietta realized that she had
no chance of victory. It was no longer a contest between magicians, since to
Henrietta, Celica’s might was no longer within the definition of a ‘magician’.

Why did I ever oppose her? Why did I even want to surpass her? To make
Celica my enemy was probably the most foolish decision I had ever made…
Since, even if an ‘ant’ become a ‘cockroach’, there was no way for it to
overcome a ‘dragon’.

In Henrietta’s heart, such thoughts and regrets began to sprout.

 “‹…Sever the links woven between images and truth›!””

With Celica’s chant completed, a massive surge of magic power gathered

at the palm of her left hand.

“H-how-… How dare you…! Disappear back to your graves… you

trash…!!”

As she raised her palm toward Henrietta, Celica noticed the shambling
Glenn nearby and, for a moment, was overcome with a tinge of hesitation.

“…Modified Black Magic [Extinction•Ray]!”

However, in the end, her hesitation went with the spell that poured over the
pair. In a blinding flash of light, Henrietta and Glenn were helplessly erased
from the world.

With Henrietta’s defeat, everything was finally over. Due to the

overwhelming backlash from using the spell [Extinction•Ray], Celica’s body
was on the verge of total collapse as she lay helpless in a large puddle of her
own blood.

“…I guess I was somewhat pushing it this time.”

Celica couldn’t believe she had made it through in one piece, with her
limbs still attached and well. It was an ending that could only be described as
a miracle.

Tsk… Darn it… I will need to dispel this annoying curse, then proceed to
heal myself.

…Still, it may not be too bad for me to just lie here like this.

Celica gently closed her eyes as tear streamed down her face.

For four hundred years… Since I first awoken on that scorched field, I had
always been lying and deceiving myself… I was blind, but now I see…

Celica no longer wished to hide her true self.

 Henrietta words had shattered the false veneer she wore.

Celica now understood that she was just a ‘weak’ human. When she had to
endure the curse and loneliness of ‘eternity’, Celica sought to be ‘strong’ so
she could cast all others away. Yet, despite her overwhelming power, Celica
Arfonia was just a ‘weak’ human at her core.

Even recently, Alicia had accused her of treating others with contempt. It
wasn’t because of any one of action in specific, but rather her overall
unapproachable demeanor. Through her own device, Celica immersed herself
in an eternity of loneliness. Her heart had long hardened to human relations.

During their exchange, Celica could only remain speechless to Henrietta’s

sharp words as they tore her false veneer asunder. Even the youth, whose
departure Celica had steeled herself for, perished under her spell.

The repeated emotional coups had drained Celica of all her remaining will
to live.

Hahaha… I had enough! The omnipresent sense of mission and the

inexplicable immortality… none of it matters anymore. Perhaps it is better to
just let everything end like this.

If the countless wounds were not promptly healed, Celica was certain to
bleed out. Having never had the courage to take her own, Celica saw this as a
perfect opportunity. Despite the ceaseless nagging of her inner voice, Celica
simply did not care anymore.

Ellie… hopefully we will finally be able to meet again.

As Celica thought that, a sarcastic smile appeared on her face.

Who am I kidding… the place for my soul is undoubtedly hell.

In a hidden villa surrounded by countless traps and wards, no one would

know of Celica’s fate nor would her corpse ever be found. Even in the end,
Celica remained a lonely soul, and she could only laugh helplessly at the
irony of her own death. As her consciousness slowly drifted away, a small
voice pierced through the silence.

“P-please… help me…!”

“…?”

With her ears unwittingly touching the floor, Celica noticed the voice that
came from below.

“Someone… anyone…”

At first, Celica thought it was just a hallucination, but soon dispelled the
thought. There was clearly someone below begging for help.

“Who could it be… to disturb my final moments?”

Celica picked herself up from the ground and slowly wobbled over toward
the source of the sound.

“…Haa.”

Soon, she found a hidden chamber tucked away behind a false bookshelf.
In it, Celica found a stair that led down below.

“What is this place…?”

Having already made it so far, Celica decided to continue on, and wobbled
her way down the stairs.

“Please… someone save me…!”

From the stairs, Celica could make out the voice of a child.

“A trap…? Not that it matters. At most, I will finally meet my end.”

At the bottom of the stairs, Celica was met with a large door.

“Tsk… To have the door sealed by magic. Isn’t this going a bit too far
even for a trap?”
 “Please help me…”

From the other side of the door was a desperate cry for help. Even if it was
a trap, Celica felt bad ignoring the plea.

“I guess it can’t be helped…”

As Celica prepared her spell, the curse activated once again, bringing
considerable pain to her body.

“Ugh… how painful. If this is a trap, won’t that mean I bled for nothing?”

As she spat out profanities, Celica soon completed her spell and opened the
sealed door.

Inside, she found a room filled with an impressive selection of

experimental apparatus. Cauldrons, herb satchels, alchemist tables, flasks,
and a large magic calculator – a researcher could want for nothing more. At
the center of the room, the silhouette of a bound person could be seen on a
raised dais.

“…Who goes there?”

“…?!”

The youth tied on the dais was not that much different from Glenn in age.
For his resemblance to Glenn, Celica could not help but feel a tightness in her
chest. However, she knew very well that the one before her was not Glenn.

“Help! Big Sis, please help me! I… don’t want to hurt anymore! Please let
me go from here, I beg of you! I just want to go home…” After noticing
Celica, the youth began to shout with a hoarse voice.

“…Do not worry, I won’t hurt you. Just to mention, I probably have
already finished off the person who was torturing you.”

At a glance, the youth did not seem to be a thrall, but a living breathing
person. After Henrietta was killed, thralls tied to the Lich could not continue
to live. In other words, the youth tied before Celica was a real human.
 Perhaps it was a kid taken from the village… But why wasn’t he turned
into a thrall? Ah, maybe this kid had some sort of special property, so
Henrietta wanted to use him for an experiment… Seriously, how much of a
problematic trash could she be…

Celica thought of such a hypothesis when she saw the many experimental
tools lying around.

After Celica cut the youth loose, the youth leapt and hugged Celica tightly
at waist.

“T-thank you, Big Sis… It was terrible… I almost thought I wouldn’t have
been able to make it… Thank you… Uuu…”

The crying youth overlapped with her memories of Glenn.

“…What is your name? Who were your parents…?”

“Ah…? That… Ugh… my head hurts…”

Celica’s question made the youth hold his head in agony.

“I-I can’t remember anything… W-who am I?”

“…My sympathies.”

It was likely a side effect from the terrible magic experiments. From the
tools themselves, Celica was able to predict the youth to have experiments
directly involving the brain. If anything, it was a miracle for him to even be
alive.

Yet, despite his memory loss, the youth was likely the only survivor of the
entire village.

◇　◇　◇

“…So? Have you remembered anything?”

Celica brought the nameless youth back to the deserted village.

 “Sorry, Big Sis… I do not remember anything… Where are we?” The
youth anxiously replied after looking around the village.

With his response, Celica could only let out a sigh and drop her shoulders.

“…There is no one here. Am I really a resident here? B-Big Sis, will I

really need to live alone in this village?” The youth nervously pulled at the
corner of Celica’s robe with shaking hands.

The youth had lost his memories, and no one is left alive in the village to
take care of him.

Celica looked at the worried youth shaking uncontrollably out of fear – a

sight that brought back memories of a certain someone.

“Umm… Big Sis, what will I do?”

This child could only rely on me… Therefore, I must not die… Is that it?

Celica has come to a decision and turned to the youth.

“Then, will you come with me?”

“…Ah?”

“Living alone will be quite lonely, right?”

It was a question that could be meant for both Celica and the youth.

“Staying in this deserted village will be very difficult, not to mention it

may be fate that had brought us together. So, want to come live with me?”

“…Mmn.”

The youth gently nodded his head.

Certainly, for the youth, there was no better alternative.

“Although, it would be problematic if you don’t have a name… then…”

Celica thought for a moment before announcing, “Glenn… From this day
forth, your name will be Glenn Radars.”

“Glenn…?”

“Mmn, isn’t it a great name?”

Hahaha, what a farce… In the end, I still could not give up on Glenn…
How shallow and weak a woman am I,,,?

“…Big Sis? Why are you crying…?”

“…N-nothing.”

Celica wiped away her tears and forcibly revealed a smile toward ‘Glenn’.

“Do not need to worry so much about me, Glenn. I… will definitely
protect you…”

“…Mmn.”

Like that, the two walked hand-in-hand out of the deserted village.

◇　◇　◇

After eradicating the Lich, Celica left the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

Having gained a person she wished to protect, the ‘Ashen Witch’ no longer
needed to live a life of destruction. Certainly, it was nothing more than one-
sided self-satisfaction for Celica, but at the same time, it was a form of
salvation.

Since then, after the passing of many years.

In Celica’s Kitchen.

“Seriously, why do I have to cook for you? How troublesome… and I still
have a class to prepare for. Hasn’t it always been ‘you cook and I eat’…
mumble mumble mumble?”
 “Stop complaining. Do a bit of housework or I will boot you to the street,
you bum!”

Glenn continued to stir the pot as he grumbled, to which Celica let out a
long sigh.

“Speaking of which, Glenn… Why did you decide to make mushroom

stew?” Celica asked as she peered at the content of the pot.

“Ah? It just happened that mushrooms were cheap in the markets today,
and stew is quite easy to make… Is there something wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

The mushroom stew was what made Celica reminisce about the time in the
village… but in the end, it had nothing to do with this ‘Glenn’.

Since our return, we had tried countless methods to cure his amnesia. Yet,
all of it ended in failure. Although… I can’t say whether it was a good thing
or bad thing.

Celica thought to herself as she looked at Glenn’s back.

“Ah, Celica, could you at least set up the dishes? Since I am already doing
so much today, you should probably come and help out with something.”

“…Isn’t that what I do every day? And when have you ever help set up the
dishes for me?”

“Ahaha… I didn’t catch that~”

“Haa… this fellow.”

Celica picked up the dishes from the cupboard and took a look at Glenn
from the side.

The youth I had picked up on a whim has already grown so much.

Certainly, since that day, there wasn’t many dull moments, and time flew by
before we noticed.
 Yet, I remained the same as always – the inexplicable immortality and the
nagging sense of mission. Without the slightest clue about my ‘mission’, I will
remain the same as I always has been, living a life with no end in sight.

Everything around Celica was constantly changing. Even the ‘Glenn’

before her would eventually disappear with the passing of time. In her heart,
Celica knew that one day, she would come to regret the decision she made
that fateful day. However, until then…

“Hey, Glenn.”

“Ah? The stew isn’t ready yet. Just wait patiently, you glutton!”

“No, I am not talking about the stew. I just want to say that I am really
happy to have met you. The wonderful times we had experienced were
certainly real.”

“…Huh?”

“No matter what happens in the future, that alone will not change. Just by
recalling memories of these wonderful days, I will definitely have the
courage to continue to the very end. Thank you.”

“…!”

At that moment, Glenn revealed a complicated expression and was unsure

how to properly respond.

“Ah… Hahaha!! W-what is wrong, Celica? Did you eat something weird?
Or have you finally gone senile? Ahaha!!” The confused Glenn so gave way
to laughter.

“…Mmn. Perhaps… After all, I am already quite the granny.” Celica

shrugged her shoulder in response.

“Hey, you are definitely not old. If you are no longer around, who will
cook for me? For the record, today was a special occasion! I won’t be
cooking for you every day… not to mention, I plan to leech off you for quite
some time into the future… so bear with me.”
 “Ahaha, seriously? Just go kill yourself!”

“Hmph… How could I die so easily? I am as resilient as a cockroach!”

The two continued their lighthearted banter as they finished preparing

dinner.

That day, the mushroom stew was especially delicious.

“Hey, Celica, how does it taste? I am honestly quite proud of how it turned
out!”

“…Mmn. It’s delicious.”

Sitting on the far side of the table, Celica revealed a calm and blissful
smile.
(1) Mary Poppins *facepalm*