[Assistant] "Did I not wear one to bed…?” Oscar murmured, scrolling through his memories even though his thoughts were still muddled… Then he noticed someone next to him.

[User] "Tinasha," He called, reaching out and tugging gently on the witch’s hair.

[Assistant] She gazed at him with bleary eyes. “I’m sleepy…”

[User] “You can sleep after you’ve explained what happened,” Oscar insisted.

[Assistant] Tinasha shook her head like a petulant child. As she gradually came back to her senses, however, the light came back to her eyes. She let out a little yawn and sat on the bed.

[User] “I broke your curse.” Looking up at Oscar with her dark eyes, Tinasha declared.

[Assistant] “…What?” Oscar stared at his protector.

[User] Tinasha rubbed at her watery eyes. “Technically speaking, I didn’t break it so much as I set up another curse in the same location to offset it. There’s a part of the spell with a name attached to it… It’s like a password. Only the spell caster designated by that name can do anything about it, so I left it in there. But if that’s all it is, then it’s just part of the blessing and protection charm, so there shouldn’t be any ill effects.”

[Assistant] “…You broke the curse already?” Oscar was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

[User] Blinking her sleep-heavy eyelids, Tinasha pointed at Oscar’s chest.

[Assistant] “You can wash that off now."


[User] "Go take a bath or something.”

[Assistant] Now that she mentioned it, Oscar realized there were intricate sigils drawn in blood on his body. They looked magical and were still a vibrant red. “Is that your blood?”

[User] “It is. I used it as a catalyst.”

[Assistant] “Why did you do it while I was asleep?”

[User] “Because it was easier with you unconscious. You kicked up a fuss when I waited for you to fall asleep the last time.” Tinasha reminded him, floating up into the air.

[Assistant] “Okay, I’m going to head back to my room for some sleep…” She was about to teleport away when Oscar suddenly grabbed her hand.

[User] Frowning a little, she looked down at him. “What?”

[Assistant] “Ah, just… Thank you.”

[User] At that, a bewitching smile reached Tinasha’s sleepy eyes. She squeezed his hand in return, placing a kiss on the back of it. Then she faded away like a ghost, leaving only the crystal balls scattered about the floor. Oscar gazed down for a better look at the blood sigils painted on his body. He was certain that for the rest of his days he’d never forget this morning.


[Assistant] The entire castle was abuzz with excitement. Today was the king’s birthday, though the festivities were more of an opportunity for state diplomacy than anything else. People from neighboring countries gathered to sound out one another’s intentions. As the celebration was about to begin in earnest, a group of court ladies were getting ready in a room of the castle.

[User] “How’s everything look?” Oscar, dressed in full court regalia himself, knocked on the open door before entering.

[Assistant] The witch looked up at the sound of his voice. “Oscar… I’m exhausted…” She’d been held fast for two hours while her hair and makeup were done. She longed to get free, but Sylvia and the other court ladies were having too much fun and wouldn’t let her go.

[User] Whether Oscar actually heard the witch’s plea for help was unknown, as he was staring at her in awe. “You look…stunning.”

[Assistant] “What’s that supposed to mean…?” Tinasha grumbled.

[User] “I put my whole heart and soul into it! She was already beautiful, so it made the perfect base for makeup.”

[Assistant] Upon hearing that, Tinasha judged the makeup session to be over and stood at last. Her long hair was bound up, though a few wispy locks trailed down in front. The floral hair ornament that matched the embroidery on the dress sat perched above her ear. Silk gauze around the flower trailed down over her alabaster shoulders. Makeup in hues of blue had been applied to accentuate her already prominent nose bridge and big dark eyes. As a result, her normally cool and clear features took on the proud, intimidating air of a queen. Coupled with her youthful face, this rendered her entirely unapproachable.

[User] “You did a great job. Completely exceeded my expectations.” He reached out to brush Tinasha’s cheek.


[User] Suddenly, Lazar’s voice came echoing down the hall. “Your Highness! Where are you?”

[Assistant] “What is it? What’s wrong?” Oscar asked.

[User] Lazar heard him and rushed into the room. He looked appropriately gobsmacked when he caught sight of Tinasha.

[Assistant] Oscar didn’t turn to look at his old friend, as he was entirely preoccupied with the witch. Instead, the prince merely asked again, “What’s wrong?”

[User] “Ah yes. Well, the prince from Tayiri won’t be able to attend, it seems. There was an attack on a town close to the border with Cuscull about a week ago. In his place, he’s sent his royal younger sister.”

[Assistant] “Cuscull?”

[User] “Attack…?”

[Assistant] Oscar and Tinasha’s faces hardened at Lazar’s words. With a grave tone, the man continued his explanation. “Without warning, Cuscull mages burned a village to the ground. By the time help had arrived, no survivors could be found.”

[User] “No survivors… They killed everyone?” Oscar inquired. Not in the past one hundred years had there been something so vile. Mass killings of innocent citizens had been commonplace during the Dark Age, but it was the Age of Witches now. Most thought such a tragedy impossible unless one of the witches was involved. Bile rose in Oscar’s throat. “I have no idea what Cuscull is thinking. I’ve also got to wonder if Tayiri plans to publicize the attack and ask other countries for assistance.”

[Assistant] “They might. If Tayiri could handle this on its own, a nation of mages who oppose Tayiri’s state religion would never have declared independence in the first place. I’m sure those in charge want to do something about Cuscull, whether that means incurring debts to other nations or not,” Tinasha replied.

[User] “True. Fighting mages when your nation shuns the practice of magic sounds difficult,” Oscar observed. Mages have great power in war but are actually quite difficult to utilize efficiently. The stronger the spell, the more likely it is to affect soldiers on the mage’s side, too, and the longer the incantation as well. It was hard to control large-scale magic at all, and few mages mastered the delicate practice. What’s more, the farther away a spell was loosed, the more time an enemy mage had to counter it. Mages needed to be able to get fairly close to their opponents if they wanted to have any hope of outsmarting them by being the first to cast a spell. As a result, spell casters were placed in the rear guard behind soldiers and typically lobbed small- to midrange magic attacks. Opposing magic users would attempt to guard while hurling back spells of their own. Such a task was exceedingly difficult and was the exact reason so many mages devoted themselves entirely to defense and support magic. Tayiri was an exception, as they had no mages and therefore no way of defending themselves against a volley of spells. One had to wonder what Cuscull’s aim was in all this.


[User] Oscar frowned, then noticed that something seemed off about the witch.

[Assistant] "Tinasha? What is it?"

[User] Her eyes wavered as she looked up at him. "...Oh, no… It’s nothing." She said, smiling.

[Assistant] After some hesitation, she tugged on his sleeve. "Um, do you have some time? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about…"

[User] “Oh? This is unusual. Sure, I don’t mind." Knowing her, this wasn’t going to be anything romantic.


[Assistant] Instead of making everyone clear the room, Oscar led Tinasha out onto the balcony. Beyond the railing sprawled the castle courtyard. Oscar glanced idly at the plants and flowers shadowed in the dusk.

[User] Tinasha followed him out, shutting the door behind her. "Oscar, do you like Nark?"

[Assistant] "Huh? Nark… You mean that dragon of yours? I mean, I guess I don’t hate it. Why?"

[User] "Then could I ask you to look after it? I’m its current owner, but I’d like to transfer that over to you. It’s fond of you, too…"

[Assistant] "Why?" He pressed.

[User] Tinasha didn’t answer. She just looked up at him with a pained expression.

[Assistant] It was unusual for the witch to appear so helpless, and Oscar scratched his head. "All right. I don’t mind."

[User] "Really?! I’ll transfer it over now, then." She decided, breaking into a broad smile. Without a sound, she floated into the air and placed her palm to Oscar’s forehead and hummed an incantation. He caught her in his arms, and she settled into them.

[Assistant] "Now, you’re its owner. It’ll come when you call its name. You don’t have to worry about food; it’ll find some on its own."

[User] "Got it." Oscar nodded.

[Assistant] With the distinct feeling that he’d get utterly swept away if he looked at her for too long, Oscar bit back a sigh. He stroked Tinasha’s cheek with his other hand, and her eyes narrowed. He slid his hand over to the back of her head, drawing her close. She didn’t resist. She placed her hands on his shoulders and then kissed him quite naturally.

[User] When her soft lips drew back, Oscar huffed out a laugh. "That was not what I was expecting."

[Assistant] "You have to change things up every so often." She replied with a smile, reaching out a finger to wipe off the lipstick that had stuck to Oscar’s lips.


[User] Oscar and Tinasha enter the ballroom, looking as beautiful as a painting; all eyes turned to stare at them. Aware of the wave of murmurs sweeping across the room, Tinasha sighed to herself. Her arm looped through Oscar’s.

[Assistant] "It’s unheard of for me to make an appearance in a place like this…" She whispered to Oscar.

[User] "No one knows who you are."

[Assistant] "If you refer to me as your fiancée, I will send you flying."

[User] "I’ll remember that." He acknowledged dryly.

[Assistant] They made their way to the king and bowed. Tinasha took a step back, and Oscar offered his official well wishes. The king eyed the two of them with some amusement, and when Oscar finished his address, the king beckoned Tinasha closer. She came to the king’s side.

[User] He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. "You’re going along with this well."

[Assistant] "It’s only because I signed a contract with someone very pushy… Is your family known for such things?"

[User] "Since you’ve graced us with your presence, shall I introduce you to the guests?"

[Assistant] "Please, no. I believe the noble young ladies of the neighboring countries have been awaiting a meeting with the crown prince."

[User] Upon hearing that, the king swept his gaze over the ballroom and picked out the ladies in gorgeous gowns who studded the hall. Each was staring at Oscar with anticipation and at the witch with hostility. The king chuckled. "That does look tricky. My sympathies."

[Assistant] "I see writing things off as someone else’s problem runs in the family… I wish you’d do something about him."

[User] "At his age, he isn’t going to listen to his father. You should just go ahead and get together with him."

[Assistant] "You’re really going to say that, too?" She cried out without thinking; then her hand flew to cover her mouth. She hurriedly curtsied and returned to Oscar’s side.

[User] "What were you talking about?" He asked her, suspicious.

[Assistant] "The troubles of life…"

[User] Oscar looked like he wanted to hear more, but Tinasha refused to speak further. She spent an hour with Oscar at the ball; then when the timing was right, she escaped out into the gardens.

[Assistant] "I’m so tired…and so glad this dress isn’t for dancing…" She sighed, savoring her freedom as she glanced back at the ball with everyone in their finery. The witch could dance, of course, but she had a feeling that doing so would invite unwanted trouble. She was about to slip away when someone called out to her from behind.

[User] "Are you all alone, beautiful?"

[Assistant] "Gah…" The disgusting catcall made Tinasha screw her face up, but she schooled her features into a smile before turning around. Standing before her was a well-groomed young man. He must have been a guest at the ball.

[User] She replied blandly, "Just out for some night air…"

[Assistant] "That’s perfect.


[User] "I just came out to do the same myself." He said, striding up to her and taking her hand rather naturally. "If it’s all the same, I’d like to accompany you."

[Assistant] "Mmm…" Tinasha sighed. She’d missed her chance to escape. Now she had to render this person unconscious without leaving any proof behind. As he caressed her hand and Tinasha began to wonder if she could just bury him in the gardens, someone appeared from one of the side paths.

[User] This man noticed the two of them and gave a little snort. "Miss Tinasha, are you about ready?" He said to her.

[Assistant] "Ah yes. I’m coming." She said, shaking off the man’s hand as fast as she could and scurrying away after excusing herself.

[User] The man looked reluctant to let her go, but she didn’t spare one glance back at him as she hurried to Als.

[Assistant] "Thanks. I was about to knock him into next week."

[User] "I have to admit, that was funny to see. But, well, I suppose it’s part of my guard duties to protect you from unsavory men like that." Young General Als declared, laughing loud and long.

[Assistant] Annoyed, Tinasha wiped off her poor abused hand. "It was really awful. I don’t want people groping at me like they have permission to do so. He was much too familiar."

[User] "True, although you don’t seem to mind when it’s the prince."

[Assistant] "...Huh?" Tinasha paused in confusion when Als pointed that out; she’d never noticed it herself. When Oscar touched her like it was the most natural thing in the world, she’d often thought his hands felt warm or comfortable—but never unpleasant. At most, she’d found Oscar’s caress distracting. She wondered what the difference meant but gave up on it halfway through her thoughts. Even if she got an answer, it didn’t matter anymore. She shook it off only to suddenly feel uneasy all over. Her skin prickled. "Someone’s watching."

[User] "Huh? Miss Tinasha, did you say something?"

[Assistant] “…No.” The disquieting sensation disappeared in an instant. There was no one else around but Als and Tinasha. The witch tipped her head up. She gazed at the moon, as if searching for something she’d been longing for.


[User] Back in his chambers, Oscar was lounging in a chair, feeling entirely fed up. What in the world do I do now? he thought. Sitting in front of him was one very prideful princess in a brilliant gown.

[Assistant] "Your Highness, what’s wrong?" Inquired Princess Cecelia of Tayiri, who was attending in place of her elder brother. She looked at Oscar with eyes plainly filled with hope. Oscar had struck up a conversation with her in order to ask about the Cuscull situation, but Cecelia had said, "It’s very complicated, so I can’t discuss it here" and invited herself to his private chambers. Now that she had gotten Oscar alone, however, Cecelia refused to discuss any matters related to Cuscull.


[User] "...Time to kick her out." Oscar muttered under his breath and got to his feet. Just then, there was a light rap at the window.

[Assistant] “What is it, Tinasha?”

[User] The witch opened the window and entered, then looked shocked to see Cecelia there. “I am so very sorry, but I need to borrow him for some important business. I hope that’s all right with you.” Tinasha said very politely but in a manner that brooked no objections.

[Assistant] “I never… How very rude to come in from a place like that! Your Highness, just who is this woman?”

[User] “My wi—mage.” Oscar replied, correcting himself just before the word witch could escape from his mouth.

[Assistant] When Cecelia, the princess of a country that hated magic, heard that, her eyebrows flew up. She leaped to her feet and brazenly stepped right in front of Tinasha, glaring into her deep, dark eyes. “A mage, was it? A mere mage who doesn’t know her place… How filthy. Begone!” she haughtily decreed.

[User] “A mere mage? You should watch your mouth, you imbecile.”

[Assistant] “What did you call me? !”

[User] “Leave. Do I have to repeat myself before you understand?” The witch’s eyes were like two pools of bottomless black—a silent gravity that dominated the entire room. Cecelia shrank back, cowed by the intensity of her gaze. Oscar gaped at the witch in numb shock. He had seen Tinasha look fearsome and intimidating before, but never had he seen her with eyes that could force others to submit so completely.

[Assistant] Cecelia looked at Oscar imploringly, but once she realized no help would be coming from him, she all but fled the room. Only the witch and Oscar were left.


[User] Tinasha slowly turned around and approached Oscar. There was an irrepressible self-deprecating look in her eyes.

[Assistant] “Tinasha?”

[User] With a smile, she placed a finger to his lips, indicating that he shouldn’t speak. She lifted off into the air and gave a light wave of her right hand. Blood started to ooze from her pointer finger. Then she wrapped both arms around Oscar’s neck and began to write something in blood behind his left ear. As she concentrated on her work, she whispered something in the prince’s ear. “Oscar… I am someone who should have died four hundred years ago… At present, I am only a witch.


[User] "I am nothing more than the remains of a child who should be dead. You should not fall for a dead woman." She finished writing and cradled Oscar’s face in her hands. From very close, she gazed into his eyes the color of a clear twilight sky. "You should do what you need to do. The future of this country is riding on your shoulders. Don’t forget that.”

[Assistant] The darkness within Tinasha’s gaze was akin to stepping into the abyss.

[User] A baseless anxiety seized Oscar. “Tinasha? What’s going on?” he pressed.

[Assistant] She closed her eyes and shook her head. Then she looked at him again and parted her red lips. “Do you remember what I said…when I undid Lucrezia’s spell?”

[User] Oscar’s eyes widened.

[Assistant] She didn’t wait for his reply. Her face came closer, pale and twisted in sorrow. She kissed him softly on the lips. Then she landed soundlessly on the ground and turned her back to him. The air in front of her—where her dark gaze now focused—warped. In the next moment, an unfamiliar man materialized from the twisted space.

[User] The man’s long white hair was the shade of melting snow, and his skin was similarly pale. The light blue mage’s costume that clung to his lithe body looked remarkably similar to the one Tinasha often wore. This man with an air of androgyny to him gazed at Tinasha and smiled. “Aeti, I’ve come for you. You’ve grown so much bigger…ah, lovelier.”


[User] Oscar wanted to shout out, but his voice had been silenced. No matter how he tried, his body refused to move. That kiss just now had bound him with magic.

[Assistant] Tinasha leaped off the floor and launched herself at the man. "Lanak! You really are alive!" Tinasha threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, her voice full of pure joy.

[User] Lanak stroked her hair fondly. "I knew you were looking for me. But I couldn’t do anything for so long…"

[Assistant] "It’s all right. It’s enough just to know you’re okay." Tinasha cradled the man’s hand against her face, tears glistening in her eyes.

[User] Lanak smiled at Tinasha, apparently taking no notice at all of Oscar. "You won’t have to feel lonely anymore. I’ve built you a country, too. It’s called Cuscull. It’s small, but it’s going to grow quickly. I’m certain you’ll like it. You’re going to be its queen."

[Assistant] "If it’s my country, I’m going to make lots of requests." Her tone was of rapture.

[User] "Request away. It’s your right." Lanak replied, wrapping his left arm around her. "Who’s he?" Lanak asked, noticing Oscar for the first time.

[Assistant] "The man I signed a contract with."

[User] "The bearer of Akashia, hmm? Sounds dangerous." Lanak said, facing Oscar and making a motion with his right hand.

[Assistant] Tinasha saw it, and for a second, her expression twisted.

[User] The spell binding Oscar broke. Wasting no time, Oscar tried to unsheathe Akashia.

[Assistant] Tinasha leaped in front of Lanak and gave the man a smile. "Let him go. Even if the sword has power, it’s just a sword in the end. It means nothing if the bearer has no strength of their own."

[User] "Tinasha!"

[Assistant] Slowly, Tinasha turned around. An unmistakable belligerence blazed in her dark eyes. "My contract with you ends tonight. The curse is broken. You don’t need anything more from me, I believe."

[User] "There’s still time left on it."

[Assistant] "Not anymore." She said, a cruel smile flickering across her face.

[User] Oscar finally drew Akashia, pointing the tip of it just past Tinasha.


[User] "I’m not letting you leave with him."

[Assistant] "If you intend to hurt Lanak, you’ll have to go through me." Tinasha spread her arms wide, and a longsword materialized between them. She grabbed hold of it. In an instant, there was a terrible pressure about the room.

[User] Oscar did his best to stay calm. His mind was reeling from a chaotic mess of questions. At this distance, he was confident he could kill Tinasha. While she was touted as the most powerful witch, that met its match against Akashia. Tinasha was the one who’d trained Oscar so that he could kill her, after all. However, even knowing that, the prince found it difficult to take a single step forward. He was of two minds—the desire to focus on battle and the desire to reject it. Time froze where it was, and there was a horrible silence that seemed to go on forever.

[Assistant] Lanak embraced Tinasha from behind. "It’s all right. Let’s go."

[User] She gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded. Magic enveloped the two of them.

[Assistant] "Tinasha!" Oscar shouted, but she had already winked out of sight.


[User] Unnamed Memory 3. When the Abyss Formed

[Assistant] "Aeti, you’re going to be my queen. Do you know that?"

[User] "Yeah… I know." The little girl said, nodding hesitantly.

[Assistant] The boy’s face changed from stern to smiling in an instant. "Come to me." He opened his arms to her with a half smile.

[User] "Lanak!" Tinasha cried, leaping into his arms, and he stroked her hair gently.

[Assistant] Tinasha closed her eyes, wanting to cry at how warm his hand felt.

[User] "Lanak, I’m sorry."

[Assistant] "It’s all right. Just promise me you won’t do it again."

[User] "Yeah. I’ll try hard… So please don’t hate me."

[Assistant] "You needn’t worry." Lanak assured her.


[User] Lazar left the study and let out a long sigh.

[Assistant] The man waiting for him out in the hall waved to him. Lazar looked up and murmured the man’s name. "General Als… Everyone."

[User] The entire group took a few paces down the corridor before Als dared to ask. "How’s His Highness doing?"

[Assistant] "Not good. At first glance, he looks the same as he ever does, but…,"

[User] "And yet he’s still able to do his job. That’s just like him." Als remarked.

[Assistant] "He won’t tell me what happened." Lazar admitted.

[User] "I want to know, but I’m afraid I won’t like what I hear…," Als confided.

[Assistant] Sylvia joined the conversation, her eyes full of tears. "Where did Miss Tinasha go?"


[User] "…It was right after the ball, wasn’t it? Did I do something she didn’t like?”

[Assistant] “I don’t think that’s it. She wasn’t that sort.” Their discussion was getting nowhere, and everyone lapsed into silence.


[User] Oscar emerged from the room. He surveyed the entourage with a frown, but he walked right up to Lazar and handed him some documents. “I’m done. You handle the rest.”

[Assistant] “Th-that was fast…,” Lazar said, accepting the stack.

[User] Next to him, Als inquired suspiciously, “Your Highness, where are you going with your sword on?”

[Assistant] “Lucrezia’s forest.”

[User] “What? !” exclaimed the entire group in chorus.

[Assistant] Recalling what happened before, Lazar rushed to stop him. “Please wait. What if something dangerous happens?”

[User] “It won’t, so I’m fine. Let me go.”

[Assistant] “Your Highness, I’m going with you. Please wait,” Lazar insisted

[User] “I—I am, too,” Sylvia added. As the scene devolved into chaos and everyone spoke over one another, there came a peal of laughter from above their heads. Oscar looked up to see a woman with chestnut-brown hair floating in midair.

[Assistant] “You don’t have to go anywhere. I’m right here,” the Witch of the Forbidden Forest said with a wink.


[User] “So she really did leave after all.” Lucrezia sighed as she looked out at the group now seated by the windows inside the study. She looked unusually low-spirited.

[Assistant] “What do you mean ‘after all’?” Oscar asked, sitting behind his desk again. He picked up on something unsavory in what she revealed.

[User] “I mean, I was invited to Cuscull, too,” Lucrezia said.

[Assistant] Kav had just taken a sip of tea, and he broke into a coughing fit when he heard that.

[User] “What did you decide?” Doan inquired timidly.

[Assistant] “I said no, of course. I’m sure the other witches did, too. Witches have no interest in countries and politics. Oh, well, one of us does but rejected the offer, too. The fact that our little Tinasha has gone means there’ll be troubles among the other countries.” Everyone except Oscar gulped, their expressions heavy. It was true that until now, a witch had never backed a country and assisted its invasions into other nations. When Tinasha had fought on the front lines seventy years ago, that had been in opposition to an invasion, and the use of her force had been limited to fighting the demonic beast. Every nation maintained that the witches were beings who were not to be trifled with largely because of how powerful they were. It was also due to the fact that witches didn’t intervene in international skirmishes among mortals. That the most powerful witch had seemingly allied herself with a nation set on invading other countries was concerning to say the least. The panic this development would cause would no doubt result in serious trouble.

[User] A dark expression on his face, Oscar swung his legs up on top of his desk and crossed them. He looked up to the witch sitting behind him.


[User] “Do you know what kind of a relationship Tinasha and that Lanak guy have?” All the courtiers tensed upon hearing the name Lanak for the first time. They realized he must have something to do with Tinasha’s disappearance but judged it wise to say nothing, considering Oscar’s mood.

[Assistant] "I do." Lucrezia broke into a grin. "She’s been looking for him ever since she became a witch. Now that they’ve finally been reunited, isn’t that a good thing?”

[User] “Something’s off about that guy.”

[Assistant] “Are you jealous?” teased Lucrezia.

[User] “I am, but there’s still something off there, though I can’t rightly tell what.”

[Assistant] Lucrezia floated into the air, then flipped upside down and got a closer look at Oscar’s expression. "Does it really matter? Tinasha was okay with it, after all. How about you just let her go? No one likes a persistent man.”

[User] “I can’t.” Oscar stated bluntly.

[Assistant] “Oh, how stubborn. She made her choice all on her own. Who are you to go sticking your nose in? Shouldn’t you worry about yourself more?” Lucrezia inquired, gazing at Oscar with a bit of a mocking smile. It was the gaze of a witch who ensnared, compelled, and controlled people’s hearts.

[User] Oscar looked back into those eyes without faltering—and made a decision. "I will not give up on her no matter what anyone says. In my eyes, she’s my one and only. If I kill that man and bring her back and she still says she’d rather have someone else, then I’ll let her go.” Oscar was positive that he knew Tinasha better than she thought he did. What she liked, what she hated. What she loved, what made her upset. He knew her loneliness, as well as her stubborn refusal to rely on others. It was that understanding that drove Oscar to reach out after Tinasha. There was already a boundless distance between the two of them. If he stopped here, he’d never reach her. Oscar’s fierce determination burned in his eyes, and Lucrezia met his gaze evenly. Time stretched out between them, feeling both endless and momentary.

[Assistant] Someone sighed. Lucrezia wiped the scorn off her face and sat down on the study’s desk. “First, I want you all to promise me that you won’t tell her you heard anything from me. I don’t want her to kill me. I will reveal everything I know about Tinasha to you. She only ever recounted indifferent recollections of her past to me, so think for yourselves about how she may have felt back then.” Breaking off there, the witch gazed out at the entire group.


[User] “And finally…I will only tell these things to those who are prepared to fight to the death with Tinasha. If you aren’t ready, then you shouldn’t hear this.” Oscar closed his eyes and didn’t move.

[Assistant] Als looked at his friend Meredina.

[User] After some hesitation, she stood up.

[Assistant] Lazar and Kav stood up, too. They had gone back and forth in their minds, but in the end, they bowed to those who remained and left the room.

[User] Doan and Sylvia stayed. Doan met Lucrezia’s gaze with conviction.

[Assistant] Sylvia clenched her hands into tight fists.

[User] Als smiled wryly at that.

[Assistant] His eyes still closed, Oscar spoke. “Good. Go ahead and begin.”

[User] With a sweet smile, Lucrezia launched into a long tale that took place many years ago. “Before I begin my story, let me tell you her true name.”

[Assistant] “True name? It’s more than just Tinasha?” Oscar asked.

[User] “Yes. Her full name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr. Aeti is a nickname for Aeterna.”

[Assistant] “Tuldarr? !” exclaimed Doan and Sylvia, thoroughly startled.

[User] Timidly, Sylvia asked for clarification. “Tuldarr as in the Magic Empire that vanished overnight four hundred years ago, correct? I never expected her to carry the name of that ancient place…”

[Assistant] “So she’s royalty,” Oscar concluded. He was a little surprised, but it made sense. Tinasha had occasionally shown signs of such a heritage. This explained where it all stemmed from.

[User] Lucrezia listened to everyone’s surprised remarks and laughed. “She is royalty, indeed, but perhaps not in the way you’re imagining. Strictly speaking, she was a potential queen. Tuldarr was a monarchy, but the throne wasn’t inherited based on lineage. Instead, rulers were decided purely by power.”

[Assistant] “If it was decided by power, then what happened if someone dangerous was also incredibly strong?”

[User] “That was why candidates were educated in the castle from a young age. Soon after Tinasha was born, she was taken from her parents and raised in the castle. That was how preeminent her power was.”

[Assistant] Als let out a deep sigh.

[User] Lucrezia smiled in a motherly way. “So both a boy and girl would be chosen as potential regents, and they would become engaged. In Tinasha’s case, the boy was the king’s only son—Lanak. In terms of status, he was about equal to her, but in terms of power, he was no match for her. Everyone thought she would be queen and he would be her consort.”

[Assistant] “What a world,” Oscar commented.

[User] “That’s what royal families are like. You have Akashia, don’t you?” Lucrezia said, looking at Oscar.

[Assistant] The prince shrugged. It was true that without the royal sword, Oscar might not have been able to brave all the dangers that led him to Tinasha in the first place. “Even so, Lanak apparently doted on this girl five years younger than him. They’d been together ever since Tinasha was a baby and as close as a real brother and sister.


[User] But all around them, unrest was brewing. Lucrezia narrowed her eyes and pointed to Oscar.

[Assistant] "At the time, Farsas and many other countries were growing stronger. Tuldarr had broken off diplomatic relations with all other nations, and internal debate raged over whether that should continue. The Reformists urged Tuldarr to engage with foreigners and exchange technology with them. The Traditionalists insisted that Tuldarr was a special country that was better not intermingling. Neither side would yield. Eventually the king fell ill, and the Reformists championed Tinasha while the Traditionalists sided with Lanak. They argued over which would be heir."

[User] "You say they argued, but wasn’t it basically already decided that Miss Tinasha would take the throne?" Als inquired.

[Assistant] "Yes, it was. Which is why the Traditionalists hatched a plan. They plotted to kill two birds with one stone by preventing Tinasha’s coronation while also fortifying Lanak’s power." Lucrezia took a breath, licked her red lips, and continued.

[User] "At the time, Tinasha was thirteen. One night, she woke up and found herself being spirited away in Lanak’s arms. She wondered why, but Lanak told her, ‘Something good’s about to happen,’ and she trusted him. For someone like Tinasha, who was separated from her parents and brought up in the castle, Lanak was the one person who understood her circumstances. He carried her into the cathedral and laid her down on the altar… “And then…very slowly, he cut open Tinasha’s belly with a dagger."

[Assistant] "I remember Tinasha told me that it was ‘the kind of thing that happens all the time.’ She’d been smiling, her dark eyes closed, as if she hadn’t even been the one it’d happened to."

[User] "…What did you just say?" Oscar asked, swinging his legs back onto the floor and sitting up.

[Assistant] The others were staring at the Lucrezia, varying degrees of terror on their faces. The witch giggled, although her eyes were filled with anger. "Oh, did you not catch that? Lanak and the Traditionalist mages used the blood and guts of Tinasha—a powerful mage—to summon magic. They didn’t want her to die partway through, so they used a life-prolonging spell but did nothing for the pain. When the magical power appeared, Lanak absorbed it."

[User] "Didn’t he think of her as his sister? !" Als shouted, half rising out of his seat.

[Assistant] Lucrezia curled her lip scornfully. "He did. But he had his wounded pride to think about, too. A young girl who relied only on herself had a power that far outstripped his, guaranteeing it was she who would succeed to the throne, not him, despite him being prince."

[User] "Unbelievable…," Sylvia faintly murmured as her eyes welled up with tears.

[Assistant] Next to her, Doan was uncharacteristically biting his lower lip in fury.

[User] Oscar recalled Tinasha’s strange reaction when he’d picked her up and placed her in bed. That incident far in the past, four hundred years ago, must’ve left an unforgettable mark on her mind.


[User] "But the magical power they summoned was much greater than they’d imagined. The plan was to split it up using five names and affix each one to a part of Lanak’s body. But ultimately, they failed to control it. One of the mages working the spell ran away; one was eaten by the magic and died. The power whipped up into a huge vortex surrounding Tinasha…and it destroyed Tuldarr. That’s why the country fell to ruin overnight."

[Assistant] The two mages paled. They had learned about the ancient Magic Empire and its mysterious downfall.

[User] Lucrezia gave a limpid smile and returned to recounting Tinasha’s history. "Tinasha was on the verge of death but still conscious. She saw Lanak and the other mages escaping and grew frantic… This next part I don’t personally think had anything to do with her talent or power. Whether it was the willpower or the tenacity of someone half-dead, Tinasha succeeded in bringing the magic under control and absorbing it. However, she couldn’t absorb it all, and the parts that she couldn’t scattered all over the world, forming the magical lakes." Lucrezia lifted up her ivory hands. Before their eyes, a map of the continent appeared in midair. Five locations glowed red—the remaining magical lakes. "Though the storm of magic vanished, the country was already in ruins. All around her were heaps of rubble. She lay there in exquisite pain for three days while her stomach wound healed."

[Assistant] The map disappeared.

[User] Lucrezia smiled, biting back her sorrow. "And once it was all over—she became a witch."

[Assistant] That was the tale of how a thirteen-year-old girl met with a checkered fate in a time long past. It was a long-forgotten tragedy that couldn’t be altered

[User] "After that, Tinasha built a tower in a corner of the Tuldarr territory and made it her home. Through the years, she continued to search for Lanak. I’ve never dared to ask her why. That’s the end of the story. What do you think?" Lucrezia looked at Oscar. She appeared to be grinning, but she wasn’t.

[Assistant] Slowly, Oscar let out a long exhale. When he closed his eyes, it felt like visions of a distant past sprang up in his mind’s eye. There was a desolate landscape and a girl. One who’d lost everything and had become a witch. How much despair had she suffered? Despite it being more than anyone could’ve rightly endured, Tinasha had still managed to smile so naturally before everyone. How long must it have taken until she could get that smile back? Oscar thought of his witch. He recalled her fragile body. Her proud soul. Her whims, her love, her loneliness, her cruelty. Oscar wished he could have been there to take her hand in the beginning. He cursed himself for not being at her side when she was suffering the most.


[User] “Do you think she still loves the man who slit her belly open?” Oscar asked Lucrezia.

[Assistant] “Who knows?”

[User] “Then how do you think she feels about me?”

[Assistant] “Don’t ask me things you know the answer to.” Lucrezia replied, pointing a red-painted nail at him. “She left the barrier on you, didn’t she? And she left you her dragon? There’s your answer.”

[User] Oscar touched the back of his left ear.

[Assistant] Oscar stood up and addressed the group. “There are no changes to the essential plan. I’m going to kill that disgusting man and bring Tinasha back. That’s all.”

[User] Als nodded, his eyes closed.

[Assistant] Doan bowed.

[User] In tears, Sylvia bobbed her head over and over.

[Assistant] The Witch of the Forbidden Forest looked at them and smiled like a mother of children who had done well. A memory of a past that could never be recovered.


[User] “You can sleep,” Lanak told Tinasha, and she closed her eyes.

[Assistant] She was in his arms as he walked along, and they were warm. To Tinasha, he was the only family she’d ever had. That was why she found herself comfortable enough to act so defenseless.


[User] For a while, she lingered in a hazy dream, but she blinked her eyes open once she realized that the air around was suddenly different. The pair were in a dim, cavernous room. It felt cool, and Lanak’s echoing footsteps were the only sound.

[Assistant] After noticing that Lanak was carrying her up some stone steps, she murmured, “Is this the cathedral?”

[User] “Ah, are you awake? Your magical resistance is strong, so of course you woke up.”

[Assistant] “Magical resistance…” Lanak was talking as if he’d used magic to put her to sleep. The alabaster man climbed the stone steps. At the top was a ceremonial altar, with rays of moonlight streaming in from a skylight onto the chilly platform made of pale stone.

[User] Tinasha finally noticed the figures all around them. Countless mages in robes, faces shadowed by hoods, were clustered around the altar in silence. “…Lanak? Who are these people?”

[Assistant] He didn’t answer her. Smiling limpidly…he placed her down onto the cold altar. When she tried to get up, he pressed her shoulders back down against the carven slab. “Stay still, Aeti.” He said and took something from a recess in the dais. Rays of moonlight caught something white.

[User] Tinasha saw it, but she couldn’t comprehend what it was. She just lay there on her back as if frozen, staring at the dagger Lanak was holding. “Lanak…?”

[Assistant] The blade plunged down. The tip pierced her belly.


[User] “…Aaaaaahhhhhh!” Her body arched up like a bow, but Lanak held her down and brazenly cut her stomach open. Blood spurted and flew, and her guts were dragged out. She heard the sound of multiple people chanting. No matter how she shouted and struggled, Lanak kept cutting her open. Her high-pitched screams didn’t stop until they turned at last into bitter sobs. Thus, in a tale as old as time, that loathsome country came to an end.

[Assistant] “…!” Tinasha jerked awake, clutching her head with shaking hands. Inside her mind, dreams and reality and the past and the present were all jumbled up. She looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She sat up in bed, tugging on her long nightgown. After several deep breaths, her heart finally stopped pounding. Once she got out of bed, she began to pace around. Before long, she caught sight of a full-length mirror on the wall. For a moment, she saw a skinny little girl there and she gasped.

[User] “Ah…” Breathless, she looked again but now saw only her adult self reflected back at her. Tinasha looked nothing like the child she’d once been. The years had worn her down and caked her with despair and hatred. She knew that deep in her heart, however, that same self was still there. That girl who’d been driven mad four hundred years ago was still there. Tinasha stepped up to the mirror and placed a hand on the icy glass.

[Assistant] “This is why I told you not to get too close to a witch, Oscar…” Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smirk, as the dark eyes of the woman inside the mirror seemed to avert her gaze. Tearing her eyes away from that reflection, Tinasha went through the basic steps of getting herself ready. She had many things to do now. She couldn’t stay in a dream forever.


[User] Good morning, Aeti. Did you sleep well?” Lanak said, seated atop a white throne as he noticed her arrival at the castle's main hall where three mages were having an audience with the king.

[Assistant] “I did, thank you. Who are these people?”

[User] “Ah yes. Apparently, they’re about to head out to a city in Tayiri.” Lanak chuckled.

[Assistant] “To go burn that city?” Her question sounded like a little girl’s, and one of the three mages nodded with emphatic aggression.

[User] “Yes. A declaration of war.”

[Assistant] “Then I’ll do it.”

[User] “What?! But…” She’d made the statement rather lightly, twirling her hair, and the three mages exchanged bewildered looks.

[Assistant] “I’m allowed to ask for whatever I want. I will go to the city. You three go prepare for war or something.” Tinasha fixed the mages with powerful eyes the color of darkness and the bearing of royalty.


[User] Oscar was buried in diplomatic materials in Farsas Castle, very far from Cuscull.

[Assistant] “Or first go west, then north through the territory of Old Tuldarr, and surround Cuscull from the west.” Oscar observed.

[User] “But supposedly the magical power fields are unpredictable in Old Tuldarr.” Lazar said.

[Assistant] “Some people say that land was cursed to begin with, but no matter how you look at it, the real source of the problems has got to be him.” Oscar spat.

[User] “Because the land is permeated with a large-scale forbidden curse… I never would’ve thought the magical lakes stemmed from the same source.” Oscar stared at the unfurled map of the mainland on his desk.

[Assistant] “I never considered it much before, but was all that land under Tuldarr’s rule? It would had to have been almost as big as Farsas is now. That was unusual for the Dark Age, wasn’t? Tuldarr must’ve been mighty indeed.” Oscar observed.

[User] “It certainly seems to have possessed the power befitting the title of ‘Magic Empire.’ According to Miss Lucrezia, Tuldarr was originally founded as a place to shelter persecuted mages.” Lazar explained.

[Assistant] “So it grew more and more powerful from there, until it rose to become the most powerful country on the continent by way of magic alone. Then one day it was brought to absolute ruin leaving only forbidden, magic-soaked waste behind. I’ve never heard something so ridiculous.”


[User] "I guess all I can do is wait until Tayiri comes running to us in tears…"

[Assistant] "What if Miss Tinasha gets married in the meantime?"

[User] "…Now there’s an interesting thought." Oscar indicates that Lazar should lower his head. Then Oscar used his fists to slowly apply pressure to Lazar’s temples.

[Assistant] "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

[User] "According to Lucrezia, Lanak is a spirit sorcerer, too. If he’s going to get married, he’ll wait until the fighting’s done."

[Assistant] "I—I see…," Lazar whimpered. Oscar lets go, releasing Lazar. Instantly, he sprang out of his lord’s grasp, rubbing his sore temples with tears in his eyes. "Your Highness, did you do this to Miss Tinasha, too…?"

[User] "I use different amounts of force on different people, obviously."

[Assistant] Lazar was looking at him reproachfully, suspecting him of treating his protector rudely.

[User] Oscar folded up the map and snapped, “I don’t know who he thinks he is, sweeping in and shamelessly spiriting Tinasha away, but I won’t be satisfied until I cut him into forty-eight different pieces."

[Assistant] "I don’t think it has to be that many pieces."

[User] "Anyway, I guess I’ll make sure we’re ready to ship out at any time while we wait to see what Tayiri’s move is." Oscar said, scratching his temple with the end of a pen.


[Assistant] "Here they are. One is from Tayiri, asking for aid from neighboring countries against Cuscull’s violent attacks. It says that Cuscull appears to be plotting to conquer the entire mainland and that it will not be satisfied with Tayiri alone." The king detailed in a leisurely tone.

[User] Granfort raised his hand and stepped forward. "My apologies, but it is hard for me to believe that Cuscull truly does have that intention based solely on the word of their current target. Isn’t this simply some internal skirmish? I must express doubts as to the wisdom of sending our troops into the situation so recklessly."

[Assistant] "Ah, you would think so normally. But there’s one more letter…from Cuscull. This has gone out to all the Four Great Nations—Tayiri, Cezar, Gandona, and Farsas. It’s a request for surrender."


[User] The king, famous for his mild nature, surveyed those present with a stern look. "We don’t yet know if this will end up as something we can laugh about. I would prefer not to misread a nation and do something that cannot be undone. Five major Tayiri cities were destroyed all at once the other day. Casualties are estimated to be in the thousands. These were not cities that happened to be close to Cuscull, either. The attacker appears to have simply chosen the largest settlements. One of them was not far from Cezar at all.” A hush fell over the audience. After making sure that the hall was quiet again, the king opened the letter in his hand. His gaze dropped to it. “Finally, this is for Oscar.”

[Assistant] "What is it?"

[User] With his eyes trained on his son, the king continued. “In the cities in Tayiri that were destroyed…the people vanished, but the buildings were left intact. They say it’s the work of the Witch of the Azure Moon.” Everyone in attendance suddenly stiffened. Some of them looked reproachfully at Oscar, knowing the witch in question had been at his side until very recently. Oscar himself was like a rock, and his expression didn’t change.

[Assistant] “Tayiri requests that you, as the current bearer of Akashia, slay the witch."


[User] "This is separate from the request for aid made of Farsas; they want you to kill her. Can you do it?”

[Assistant] “I can,” Oscar answered immediately. Behind him, the color drained from Als’s face. He raised his hand, intending to say something. Before the general could speak, however, Oscar added, “I refuse to do so, however.”

[User] The king looked puzzled, and a faint line creased his brow. “I won’t ask you to endanger yourself by going if you can’t win.”

[Assistant] “I’m the only one who can kill her. But I won’t. If Tayiri wants aid, let’s go give it to them. But only if Cuscull is our enemy. Tinasha’s a separate matter.”

[User] “Didn’t she join up with Cuscull of her own free will?” inquired the king.

[Assistant] “It might look that way, but I don’t think so,” Oscar replied.

[User] The king’s face darkened in an exceedingly rare display of anger. His full intimidating aura, normally held in check, was laid bare. As the royal council members grew pallid, the king rose from his chair and looked down at Oscar. He took in a short breath and then proceeded to berate his son. “Are you a fool to get so possessed by a witch?! Have you forgotten that the lives of the people are riding on your shoulders? !” Everyone shrunk inward at their lord’s earsplitting roar of indignation.

[Assistant] Oscar only offered a wry huff, however. The witch had said the same thing to him. It wasn’t very long ago, but Oscar felt oddly nostalgic about it already. Everyone was chewing his ear off, trying to test him. Oscar met his father’s angry gaze, his bright sky-blue eyes blazing. “Father, we don’t need to go back and forth. I’ve already made up my mind. I don’t plan to lose, and I also don’t plan on giving anything up.” That much Oscar had decided a while ago. Perhaps everything had been leading up to this ever since Oscar had learned the truth of Tinasha’s past from Lucrezia… Or maybe it’d been from when Oscar had first reached the top of Tinasha’s tower. Regardless, the prince’s answer was clear, calm, and wholehearted.

[User] The king eyed him silently. After only a moment, the king’s rage seemed to quiet and he gave a heavy shrug of resignation. “It really must run in the family…” No one in the room understood the meaning behind their ruler’s mutterings. With a pained smile, the king sat himself back down. “All right, then. Do as you like. In exchange…”

[Assistant] “In exchange?” Oscar urged.

[User] “You take the throne. I think I’ll abdicate.”

[Assistant] “Y-Your Majesty!” cried Minister of the Interior Nessan in a panic.

[User] The king received the concern rather nonchalantly. “It’s a little early, but I don’t mind. He’s already handling almost all the official duties. The one who rules this country is supposed to also be the bearer of Akashia anyway.


[User] “It’s the perfect opportunity for Oscar to do some important things.”

[Assistant] Oscar was taken aback by his father’s rather sudden decree. It was true that kings in Farsas took the throne unusually quickly compared with other countries, though. This was because the king of Farsas wielded Akashia, meaning he had to be a capable swordsman. In accordance with that tradition, it would not have been strange if Oscar had been crowned as soon as he’d come to possess the mighty weapon. His father had just been occupying the throne since that day.

[User] Oscar snapped out of his shock, and a smile broke across his graceful features. “I can’t believe you… All right, I accept the throne with the utmost gratitude.”

[Assistant] The king nodded, a dark smile on his lips. It very much resembled his son’s. He seized upon the opportunity to give Oscar another warning. “You must always be aware that your decisions affect the entire country.”

[User] “I will take that to heart,” Oscar declared, silently wondering what Tinasha would think of him saying such a thing. He tried to imagine it, but the Tinasha in his mind had her back turned to him. “I’m a witch, and you possess Akashia; you really might have to kill me someday.” At the time, the witch had said that in partial jest, but it was the truth. Oscar was the owner of the only sword in the world capable of killing the Witch of the Azure Moon—his protector. Maybe Tinasha had so enjoyed her time together with Oscar because she’d known all along that it was ephemeral. What role did she expect Oscar to play in the war that was to come? Did she instead wish him not to get involved at all? Oscar could only grasp at an answer as the tale hastened onward, faster and faster.


[Assistant] “…They’ll reach the target in twenty minutes.” The scout’s report made all in the forest tense up. Cuscull mages were lying in wait. For the past several days, they had made meticulous preparations to ambush the Tayiri army.

[User] "Can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.” Riding high on prebattle excitement, one mage said.

[Assistant] “It’ll be over before that happens. They don’t have any mages on their side. They can’t use or defend against magic.” Their hushed whispers were as much to reassure one another as anything else.

[User] “They’re just a pack of delusional fools who think they’re strong, even though they don’t even have any magic. They better realize who’s going to be controlling whom.” Another mage piped up loudly. Upon hearing such scornful derision, the Cuscull soldiers all around them exchanged uncomfortable looks. Not able to use magic themselves, the soldiers ended up on the receiving end of numerous openly contemptuous glances.

[Assistant] Leaning against a tree trunk, Renart rolled his eyes. The oppressed had flocked together to form a country, and now they looked down on anyone who wasn’t one of them. That was the current state of affairs. The few soldiers that Cuscull commanded had been brought to the fledgling nation for a number of reasons. Some were the family members of mages who had come; some agreed with Cuscull’s founding principles; some were simply in it for the promise of new money. Whatever the purpose, they faced worse treatment than the mages because they could not cast spells. Peeling the veneer off the so-called nation of mages revealed this underneath.


[User] Originally from Tayiri, Renart was a youthful mage fighting for Cuscull. He loathed seeing how those around him were behaving and shut his eyes. The murmurs persisted, even in the dark.

[Assistant] “Anyway, the witch is getting her revenge now, isn’t she?”

[User] “…So she really is a witch?”

[Assistant] “Most likely. I don’t know which one she is, but I pray she’s not the Witch Who Cannot Be Summoned. That’s the one who destroys countries.”

[User] “Best not to interact with her. She’s only our ally for as long as we don’t upset her.”


[Assistant] “A witch? Now isn’t that interesting,”

[User] Renart opened his eyes.

[Assistant] Bardalos is now standing in the middle of the group—the chief mage of Cuscull. "The witches can change the course of history, or so they say. Don’t you think it’s actually pretty good luck that we’ve got one at our disposal?” Bardalos asked leadingly, but all fell silent.

[User] Seeing that no one would answer him, Bardalos snorted and pointed out at the plains just beyond the edges of the forest they were concealed in. “Well, it’s just about that time. They’re walking right into our slaughterhouse. Let’s burn them to the ground.”

[Assistant] As Renart gazed at the shadowy shapes of troops marching closer, he thought of the flames on a day long ago.


[User] "...My mother wasn’t a mage," Renart muttered to himself.

[Assistant] His mother had died for his mistakes, but mage haters had been the ones who’d actually killed her. Renart didn’t think of joining up with Cuscull as fleeing to safety. It was a means to carry out something he knew he had to do. Even now, he could recall the faces of the men who killed his mother. They were still young at the time of the fire, and over the years they went from guardsmen to officers in the army. He knew exactly where they were stationed. Revenge. Redemption. Those were Renart’s only reasons to live. Thus, when he saw the large-scale spell enacted across the plains…Renart felt a dark exhilaration.

[User] They deserve to go up in flames, roiled with agony, just like my mother did that day, he thought.

[Assistant] "We really stepped in it this time. We’re marching out to the middle of nowhere." The general laughed dryly, surveying the army from horseback in the middle of the Asdra Plains.

[User] "We’ve gotta get this over with quickly so we can go home and give a good report to His Highness. We’ll make a nice clean sweep of those filthy mages. Ah, maybe we’ll bring a few of the nasty curs back as tribute. Chop them up alive."

[Assistant] Flattering laughter rang out around him.


[User] The general was in good spirits and sported a grin on his face. Suddenly, a messenger dashed over from the vanguard at top speed.

[Assistant] The general’s expression quickly soured.

[User] "G-General, we have a problem!"

[Assistant] "Yes, what is it?"

[User] "There’s an invisible wall up ahead… It’s blocking our advance!"

[Assistant] Just as the general was about to spout That’s absurd! the ground beneath them shimmered. From horseback, the general watched as a red spell configuration materialized and expanded across the ground as far as the eye could see.

[User] "What is this…?" The general leaned forward to get a better look. No sooner had he done so, however, then crimson flames leaped up from the design and swallowed him whole.


[Assistant] "Now there’s a sight," said Bardalos, hungrily observing the blazing plains from midair. He could see the figures of thousands of soldiers writhing and collapsing amid the flames below his feet.

[User] It was all done under Bardalos’s command, and he watched the sea of flames with delight.

[Assistant] As he was taking in the sight of the enemy soldiers’ anguish, a voice from the ground hailed him. He looked down at his subordinate.

[User] "Yes?"

[Assistant] "Lord Bardalos! They’re breaking in from the south!"

[User] "Oh, are they? Well, I’ll be. Let’s go meet them, then," Bardalos declared, an intrigued smirk on his face as he mounted his horse.

[Assistant] Cuscull and Tayiri were now in open war.


[User] The Tayiri cavalry emerged from the flames amid cries of anguish and death throes and the awful stench of burning flesh. Their faces were masks of mad rage as they charged at the mages, who poured from the forest to meet them. Waves of magic hit the Tayiri soldiers one after another, setting them ablaze. Undaunted, the soldiers kept coming in a rushing torrent that soon reached those Cuscull mages on the front lines. They trampled over the magic users who had fallen to a stab of their spears, and the cavalry soldiers brandished their swords.

[Assistant] "Kill them! Kill them!" None could tell from which side the cry had come. All anyone could do was muster their sword or spell.


[User] Renart fell back to a part of the forest the soldiers hadn’t penetrated and set up a defensive barrier. Shielded from the growing flames, he looked for the former guards who had wronged him years ago. Inside, he hoped they’d already fallen prey to the licking tongues of fire. If they hadn’t, Renart was ready to slay them himself. He began a new incantation. Just then, an explosion went off right next to him. A scorching hot wave blew through his magical defense wall. Renart whirled back, and his jaw dropped open. The forest just behind him was gone.

[Assistant] This was Bardalos’s doing.


[User] From atop his horse, the chief mage laughed as he let loose more magic attacks. "Go on and kill them already. If you don’t hurry, they’ll all be gone!” he shouted. This was the voice of a man who was clearly enjoying himself. He sent out another fire explosion.

[Assistant] Those mages running about trying to escape found themselves reassured by Bardalos’s power and confidence. With a renewed will to fight, they began pushing back against the Tayiri soldiers. After the front line moved past, the air filled with silence and a cloying heat. All that was left were dead bodies burned to a crisp by Bardalos’s magic. Renart saw that among the dead lying there was a soldier who was once his ally. Secretly, Renart let out a sigh of grief. Less than an hour later, a great number of people lay dead. As the fires began to wane, the scene they revealed was so horrific that most of the mages turned green at the sight. Charred corpses blanketed the earth as far as the eye could see. The nausea-inducing spectacle and foul smell hanging in the air were so intense that the mages would likely never forget what they’d witnessed. While victory clearly belonged to Cuscull, the aftertaste was brutal. The suffocating nature of war made it difficult for anyone to speak.


[User] The third one tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground. Crawling forward, he looked back and begged in vain, “Someone save me…”

[Assistant] Muttered to himself, “Mother pleaded for the very same thing…” No one came to help her, however. They had killed her in cold blood. So why did they want to live now?

[User] Renart hummed an incantation, and a blade of wind appeared.

[Assistant] The man saw it and feebly shook his head. “Please… I don’t want to die…”

[User] Renart looked down at the man, lifting his summoned sword. Thoughts of his mother’s last moments and of ten years of hatred came rushing back. All of that would finally end here.

[Assistant] He narrowed one eye, he heard the man sobbing. His right hand was hot from the magic he’d manifested. The time he’d waited for was finally here. He’d dreamed of this—the end of the vision seared onto his mind. There was no cause for hesitation. That was why… And yet— For some reason, he just couldn’t manage to bring his summoned blade down. Renart stared at the trembling man. And a command fell naturally from his blood-caked lips.

[User] “…Go.” He lowered his hand. The blade made of magic vanished. “Go! Don’t let me see you again! Get out of here!” At that, the man rushed to get to his feet and took off deep into the forest. Renart buried his face in both hands so he wouldn’t see this. He took a deep breath to calm his agitated breathing.


[Assistant] “Oh-ho? What do you think you’re doing? Don’t tell me you let the enemy escape?” The tone was mocking. Renart turned to see Chief Mage Bardalos, with a cynical smirk twisting his face. He eyed Renart.

[User] “I thought I said not to let a single one get away. Am I wrong?”

[Assistant] “…You’re not wrong.”

[User] “Well, whatever. I’ll chase him down and kill him. You head back.”

[Assistant] “Wai-“ Renart started to cry out, then bit his tongue.

[User] Bardalos snickered as he tore into him. “What is it? Are you telling me not to end his pathetic life? He’s a soldier who entered a battlefield. Don’t you think he knows death is a possibility?”

[Assistant] “He no longer has the will to fight.” Renart argued.

[User] “Do I look like I care? If he doesn’t want to fight, he shouldn’t have come out here in the first place. Or…what? Do you want to die in his place?”

[Assistant] “…Excuse me?” Renart said, utterly at a loss for words as he stared at the man before him. Bardalos’s eyes were filled with a mad, murderous glee. To him, it was all the same if he killed the enemy soldier or if he killed Renart. Great mages had the power to kill people as easily as cutting blades of grass. That was what it meant to be a mage. Renart let out a ragged breath. An unspeakable exhaustion weighed heavy on him.


[User] Maybe I wouldn’t mind dying, he thought. He’d die covering for an enemy he thought he wanted to kill. He wanted to burst out laughing. But—enough. He needed to end things here.

[Assistant] “That man is my attendant. I’ll thank you not to bully him too much.” The voice was unfamiliar, and Renart looked over his shoulder. There in the forest permeated with the scent of blood stood a raven-haired woman, the king’s favorite. She was so beautiful it almost looked artificial.

[User] "Well, well, well, Lady Aeterna. When did you arrive?" Bardalos gave her a dark smile.

[Assistant] "Only moments ago."

[User] "Well then, I do apologize for not meeting you personally. You appear quite exhausted. Was it that tiring giving the declarations of war to the other countries? I would’ve happily done that for you.” Bardalos’s tone was openly mocking.

[Assistant] “This way was faster. Ignore deserters. Treat the wounded and go back to Cuscull.” She only eyed Bardalos with a haughty stare, despite his sarcastic attitude.

[User] “…Very well." Bardalos said, wiping his expression blank and bowing before teleporting away.

[Assistant] The woman glanced at Renart, vanishing before he could gasp at the darkness of her eyes.


[User] “…Thank you for what you did back there,” Renart said, his head bowed. He had come to the woman’s chambers after returning to the palace of Cuscull. She was sprawled along a couch by the window, looking indolently up at the sky. It was as if she hadn’t noticed him there at all. Despite her seemingly paying Renart no mind, he inquired, “Why did you save me?” While he was her attendant, he had never spoken to her. He only knew what she was. She was the fearsome woman the king had brought back. She was the one who would be queen someday. This was a woman who did not get close to anyone and never smiled. People spoke of her as a doll made of ice whose only job was to kill. Renart did not believe all the rumors, though he did think of her as one far removed and above himself. Bardalos probably saw through all the rumors, too.

[Assistant] “Because you looked tired.” She finally flicked her eyes over to Renart expressionlessly. Her voice was devoid of any inflection as she answered quietly.

[User] The reply was so simple that Renart wasn’t sure if it was a proper reason. Curiously, he felt himself freeze up. He was struck by the odd sensation that this woman had peered so thoroughly into him that he may as well have been transparent. Her long eyelashes were cast down. Her eyes appeared as ebony pools. It was a strange gaze, very reminiscent of an abyss.


[User] “I—I—” Before Renart registered what he was doing, he spilled everything about himself. It was like a dam had broken. His childhood, his mother’s death, the days he’d spent in pursuit of revenge, and what’d happened earlier that day.

[Assistant] The woman remained silent the entire time, evidently content to stare up at the ceiling. Once his story came to an end, she cocked her head at him. “How did you feel when you killed them?”

[User] For a second, Renart was at a loss for words. Hurrying so as not to make that apparent, he fumbled to express himself. “It was like a load was taken off me…but it was also very unpleasant.”

[Assistant] “I see. What about when you didn’t kill one of them?” Dark eyes pierced right through him.

[User] The woman’s question made him shiver with fear, and he answered in a trembling voice. “I felt relief…but I also felt that I should’ve killed him.”

[Assistant] “So honest,” the woman fired back rudely, and Renart was shocked by her tone. “So what will you do now? I can help you escape, if that’s what you want.”

[User] “…What?” Renart stammered, feeling like he’d misunderstood something.

[Assistant] She stared back at him, as even as a cat. “You did what you came here to do. There’s no need for you to stick around here, is there?”

[User] Instinctively, Renart swallowed a held breath. Feeling that her dark eyes were focused on something beyond the room, Renart couldn’t help but ask, “What is your purpose here?”

[Assistant] Her eyes widened. A faint grimace crossed her face. A very lonely-looking queen admitted in a whisper, “I… I am here because of my own delusions. That’s all.”


[User] The icy woman let out a sigh as she eyed the younger of the two intruders. "It’s my prerogative to speak to whoever I want."

[Assistant] “Who is this girl, a lady-in-waiting?”

[User] "Who’s a lady-in-waiting?! I’m a mage, too, you know! I’ll definitely get my revenge on the people who chased us out of town!" the girl snapped, red-faced with anger.

[Assistant] Renart observed all this with a pained smile.

[User] “What’s your problem? Got something to say, servant? !” her face turned purple.

[Assistant] “Tris, hush,” admonished the possible witch, and the girl instantly clamped her mouth shut. While Tris looked displeased, the soon-to-be queen continued,

[User] “I told you before that I won’t deny you your revenge. Carry it out as you see fit, whether that’s punishing them by the proper channels or exacting it directly. If you choose the latter, however—that act and your own intentions will only lead back to the past. You must think carefully about whether it’s truly worth it to waste who you are now on that. Is it really so important to lower yourself to nothing but a remnant of your past…? If you’re not prepared, all you’ll succeed in doing is losing yourself, even if you do get your revenge.”


[Assistant] Tris scowled, her face still red, but she said nothing further and stormed out of the room. She slammed the door hard behind her,

[User] The blond woman gave a helpless smile. “I’m very sorry.”

[Assistant] “I’m used to it,” answered the future queen, getting to her feet and letting out a little yawn. She looked at Renart and smiled. “So what’s your answer to my question? What will you do?”

[User] Renart made up his mind and knelt before the ebony-eyed woman.


[User] “I hereby pledge my loyalty to you.” Her eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered and smiled.

[Assistant] “Strange man.” Her smile was terribly kind and human.

[User] “Ugh! Why is Lady Aeterna so fond of lecturing?” Tris groused indignantly, sipping tea in her antechamber.

[Assistant] Across from her, the blond woman smiled uncomfortably.

[User] “She’s not even that much older than me. I wish she’d stop her meddling.” Tris muttered.

[Assistant] What she said was so far off the mark that Pamyra gaped at her. "What? Tris… Do you not know who Lady Aeterna is?”

[User] “She’s His Majesty’s bride, isn’t she? And a really strong spirit sorcerer, too.”

[Assistant] “More than a strong spirit sorcerer, she’s the Witch of the Azure Moon.”

[User] When she heard that, Tris’s face was a sight to behold. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets, and her jaw dropped to the ground. She was frozen in place for a while, and then all the blood drained from her face only to come rushing back and turn her bright red. “Is that true?! The Witch of the Azure Moon?! No way, I…I’ve admired her forever!”

[Assistant] “It’s true. I’m surprised you didn’t know,” Pamyra replied curtly, while Tris’s eyes sparkled with interest.


[User] Pamyra dared to wonder if perhaps humans subduing high-ranking demons was true. She felt anticipation and hope swell up within her and left her village for the first time in her life. But when she came to Cuscull and spoke of her origins, all the other mages sneered at her behind her back.

[Assistant] “I heard her parents are spirit sorcerers. Or, well, they used to be.”

[User] “Spirit sorcerers, but they decided to have a child…”

[Assistant] “They gave in to the desires of the flesh, huh? Won’t she end up just like them?”

[User] The humiliation was unbearable for her. She did her best to tolerate the rumors, however, believing that everyone would stop talking once they saw what she could do. The harder Pamyra worked, the worse the gossip got, though.

[Assistant] Lanak introduced her as “my bride and a girl who was raised alongside me.”

[User] Pamyra hastily volunteered to be the witch’s attendant and was certain she’d never forget their first encounter.


[Assistant] Witch, standing by the window, had turned to look at her. "You’re a spirit sorcerer?" The witch said in a tone that carried some amount of surprise.

[User] "Yes, I am from the village of Dilenne, Princess."

[Assistant] "Don’t call me princess…" The witch replied, uncomfortable.

[User] "I see—so you’re from that village… Is everyone doing well?"

[Assistant] "Yes, thanks to you."

[User] The witch smiled faintly, as if she were remembering that, too. "That was a long time ago."


[User] "If you’re a spirit sorcerer, does that mean there are many still born in your little town?”

[Assistant] “Yes. My parents were spirit sorcerers, too, and I’ve inherited all their techniques,” Pamyra replied instinctually. She quickly froze, however, afraid she might be mocked again.

[User] Surprisingly, the witch gave a gentle smile. “You are very much loved. That’s a wonderful thing.” Affection and longing bled out of that gaze.

[Assistant] In an instant, Pamyra made up her mind, feeling a deep, abiding certainty that this witch was her master.

[User] The blond woman knelt and bowed her head low. “As a mage, I pledge myself to thee. Order me as thee will.”


[User] Oscar, his coronation now only four days away, received a report on the attacks and grimaced.

[Assistant] "So how bad was it?"

[User] Suzuto, standing before Oscar, nervously gave his report on the vanished city denizens. "Just like the attacks on Tayiri cities, the buildings suffered no damage. Inside them… Well, it really was as if everyone simply vanished without a trace. Some restaurants even still had steaming hot bowls of soup on the tables."

[Assistant] "A very bizarre phenomenon." Oscar commented.


[User] "While I couldn’t find any signs of human life, I sometimes…got the feeling that something was there.”

[Assistant] “What kind of feeling?”

[User] “It was like I felt a presence or a sensation. It struck me rather often, but never did I actually see anyone there.”

[Assistant] “…I…see…,” Oscar said, dubious. This story got stranger and stranger the more he heard. He wanted to go and take a look for himself but knew that’d only upset everyone. Oscar dismissed Suzuto, then turned to Doan, who had been waiting in a corner of the study. “What do you think?” Oscar asked.

[User] “To be honest, I have no idea how such a thing could be done.”

[Assistant] “Could it be her doing?”

[User] “I’d say it has to be. Her not being responsible poses its own problem, because it means there’s another mage capable of impossible things.”

[Assistant] “I guess that’s true. None of the other witches are involved,” Oscar reasoned. After half a year, he thought he’d witnessed and understood how exceptional Tinasha was, but the truth was that her power on the battlefield was beyond anything he could’ve conceived. If that much was true of Oscar, who’d gotten to know her, one could only guess how ill prepared other countries were. Doubtless they were fearing for their lives. “Ugh. She just doesn’t know her limits, and it’s making it hard for us.”

[User] “Actually, you could say that’s just how prepared she’s been for this,” Doan pointed out calmly.

[Assistant] Oscar sighed.

[User] “Cezar has decided to dispatch troops, but Gandona is still hesitating.”

[Assistant] “I see,” Oscar said, putting his legs up on his desk and crossing them. He wet his dry lips with his tongue. …The answer had been there all along. Tinasha had only been searching for the right time, and now that time had come. Oscar huffed, swinging his feet down and standing up. “Marshal the troops. We ship out after the coronation.”

[User] Als and Doan bowed respectfully in response. Ever since his gorgeous protector disappeared, Oscar had been plagued by a single lingering thought day after day. How long has Tinasha been contemplating this exact situation we’re in now? He was sure she’d figured out who the king of Cuscull was long before Farsas did. That was why she got rid of her cat familiar after its job was done, and it had to have been the reason she’d rushed to break Oscar’s curse. Oscar believed there was a different reason she’d trained him, however. She probably left him with a choice, so he wouldn’t end up like her—powerless and violated. Tinasha was an emotional, self-sacrificing, awkward witch. She was stuck in time forever, but she’d finally chosen to take action. She’d jumped headfirst into her own fate. As for the future Tinasha was envisioning… Oscar knew she wasn’t acting to safeguard her own future.


[User] Oscar pondered that question as he looked down on the city from a platform along the castle ramparts. His coronation went off without a hitch. He waved to the people and returned to the castle. He paced, making his way down the hallway, giving orders to Chief Mage Kumu, Als, and Doan about the following day’s march to Tayiri.

[Assistant] "Make sure we can teleport away at any time. Our opponents are all mages, after all. Plan a way for me alone to be able to get out in the worst-case scenario. I may be able to manage something if I do."

[User] "Very well. Your Majesty shipping out as well is really our last resort, but…"

[Assistant] "Tayiri isn’t holding back, and neither can we. Farsas must use everything at its disposal to ensure its safety."

[User] As the group made their way down the hallway, solidifying plans.


[Assistant] He leaped in front of Oscar, waving his hands wide and shouting. "You’re going to kill the witch, right? I wanna go, too!"

[User] A faint frown crossed Oscar’s face.

[Assistant] Suzuto came running up from the other end of the hallway. "What are you doing? You’re speaking to His Majesty!" Suzuto scolded, pinning the boy’s arms behind his back. He bowed to Oscar. "I deeply apologize, Your Majesty."


[User] "That was very rude."

[Assistant] "Is this your little brother?"

[User] "No, he’s a boy from one of the cities that was attacked… He was away when the tragedy occurred. He had nowhere to go, so I brought him back here."

[Assistant] "Ah, I see." Evidently, while Suzuto had been out on his investigation, he’d found a boy from a city whose inhabitants had all suddenly vanished and had brought him to safety in the castle.

[User] His arms still pinned behind his back, the boy piped up, "I heard all about it. The witch killed everyone, right? I wanna go, too! I’m gonna get revenge!"

[Assistant] "No. Children should be in school."

[User] The boy didn’t back down, however, and escaped from Suzuto’s grip to shout at the king some more. "Then let me borrow your sword! I’ll go kill the witch."

[Assistant] "Listen here…" He grabbed the boy’s collar and lifted him off the ground so that the two were eye level. The boy kicked his legs, and Oscar fixed him with an astounded glare. "No normal person is a match for the witch, even if you did have this sword. Got it? If you do, then behave yourself."

[User] "You’re just saying that ’cause you don’t wanna kill her! Take me with you!"

[Assistant] All those around were frowning at the child’s wild behavior. Kumu glared at the boy. "How dare you speak to His Majesty like that…"

[User] "It’s fine. Besides, he’s saying some funny stuff. I don’t want to kill her, do I? You’re absolutely right."

[Assistant] "But you’re supposed to be the king!"

[User] "Listen up… If a mage or a witch wants to shoot down a city, they’ll just fire a few huge attacks from above without caring about the buildings and be done with it. Think about how complicated it must have been for her to make the people vanish but to leave everything else untouched. If you don’t use your head, you won’t be able to see them again."

[Assistant] When the king pointed that out, the boy’s eyes grew wide and he fell silent. After thinking for a bit, he spoke up timidly. "My mom’s…alive?"

[User] "Probably. I’m going to get the witch to tell me." Oscar said, setting the boy back down on the floor. He was wobbling with the faint hope he’d been given, but he was equally afraid of possible disappointment.

[Assistant] Rather accusingly, the boy inquired, "But what about if they really are dead?" It was obvious he was afraid to even ask, and Oscar’s eyes narrowed. His handsome face went blank. He surveyed the boy with the eyes of a king seated on his throne—someone who bore a long history and a heavy responsibility. As the irrepressible majesty of a king pressed down on him, the boy gulped.

[User] Oscar cast his sky-blue eyes down as he spoke. "If that truly is the case, then I’ll kill her." Oscar’s tone sent a chill down Als’s spine.


[User] At midnight as the moon glimmered like a pearl, Pamyra entered her lady’s chambers to find her drawing a long-distance transportation array. "Lady Aeterna, where are you going?"

[Assistant] The woman standing in the middle of the room flinched and turned around. “Oh, Pamyra. Don’t sneak up on me. Also, don’t call me that.”

[User] “My apologies, Lady Tinasha.”

[Assistant] After hearing the revised term of address, Tinasha stuck out her tongue like a child caught making mischief. “No matter what happens, I am on your side. If you ever find you cannot trust me, cut me down where I stand.”

[User] When Pamyra first pleaded with her, Tinasha glowered at her in silence. “All right, all right… To begin with, don’t call me Aeterna when it’s just the two of us.” Tinasha conceded with a faint, exasperated smile.

[Assistant] Ignoring Pamyra’s fretting, Tinasha resumed work on her array. “I’m heading out for a bit. If someone comes by, cover for me.”

[User] “Wait, ah—” Pamyra tried to ask where she was going, but a moment later the witch vanished from the room without a trace. "I can’t believe this woman!"


[User] Reust looked up at the sky, bitter determination in his heart. But as he looked out, the moonlit sky suddenly warped.

[Assistant] “…!” Reflexively, he drew his sword.

[User] Reust wished he’d brought his bow, but it hardly mattered now. As he grit his teeth in frustration, the warped space widened. In the next moment—a witch appeared.

[Assistant] Her hair and eye color were true to the reports, but her beauty far exceeded what Reust had imagined. She was like moonlight given form.

[User] “Prince Reust?” she called in a voice as clear as cold water.

[Assistant] Reust’s voice was hoarse, and he couldn’t answer right away. After a span of some moments, he finally eked out a reply. “What do you want, witch?”

[User] She gave a little nod, floating in midair. “It’s pointless to keep attacking Cuscull.


[User] "I’d like you to call off your march."

[Assistant] "Utter shameless nonsense. What’s your aim here?" The witch sighed a little at his outright scorn and hostility, then pointed one ivory finger at him.

[User] "This will all be over in another two weeks. If possible, I don’t want you deploying your reinforcements until then."

[Assistant] “…What did you just say? What does that mean?” Reust was at a loss as to how to interpret her words. Was she just wasting his time, or did she have some other intention? Floating in the air, the witch gazed back at Reust impassively.


[User] He cleared his dry throat and took a step forward. "If you’re asking for favors, come down from there, pathetic mage."

[Assistant] "Pathetic mage? Don’t you people understand that attitude landed you in the current situation?" the witch asked rhetorically, one side of her mouth quirking up in a cruel smile.

[User] He had the distinct sense that her white, wholly inhuman hand could cast him down into unending darkness. He wondered what to say in reply. Silence was as good as admitting defeat, so he pasted a sneer on his face. "Mages disrupt our god’s world with their selfish desires. Such power is a sin. Come down. If you do, I’ll listen to you."

[Assistant] Reust didn’t think she’d obey his order, but to his surprise, the witch zipped down swiftly until she was floating at eye level with him, though still beyond his reach. Now beholding her at an even height, Reust acknowledged that the witch had a startlingly petite frame for someone so strangely intimidating.

[User] A slightly bitter smile twisted the witch’s features. "You’re much taller than I am. You’re probably also that much more flexible, too. But wouldn’t you find it ridiculous if I envied you and tried to cast you out just because of that? Using a god’s name to hunt down those who are different only shows how weak humans are." Shadows cast by the moon threw into relief a terrible sadness on her face.

[Assistant] The witch’s dark eyes appeared to be floating and bobbing along a sea of night. Reust wanted to know if he was reflected inside them. "…You’re trying to use words to deceive me. The power that creatures like you possess is unnatural."


[User] Snorting, the witch asked Reust, “Have you ever swung a sword down on a baby’s head?”

[Assistant] “…What?”

[User] “Have you ever burned a mother and her crying baby at the stake?”

[Assistant] “What in the…?” Reust’s throat grew dry. He had an idea what she was trying to say. As the blood drained from his face

[User] “Your country permitted all of that to happen. Not as madness but as routine. I’ve seen even more horrifying spectacles. That’s the reality of Tayiri.”

[Assistant] Reust was speechless.

[User] The witch’s tone wasn’t harsh or scornful at all, though. She spoke with detached indifference. “As the crown prince, you surely know your nation’s history and about the governments of other countries. You must realize how unusual Tayiri is. Three hundred years have passed since the Dark Age, and no other country is still as relentlessly elitist as your homeland. You should be able to understand that what you’re doing is the same as cutting off your own foot.”

[Assistant] A certain ratio of children with magic were born to parents without any talent for the arcane. Tayiri ostracized those children, regardless of their circumstances. Those kids had been born in defiance of Irityrdia, after all. It wasn’t worth considering whether it was right or wrong. Put another way, it was something most were content not to think about…

[User] Reust did not have that option anymore.

[Assistant] The witch tossed back her long black hair. A white light glowed at her fingertips, then changed into a butterfly that flapped its lovely wings and disappeared into the dark of the gardens. That done, the witch’s voice took on a remonstrative tone. “No matter what kind of a mage you are, there are still rules you are bound to follow. No matter how you struggle, you can’t bring people and nations back to life. That’s true of anyone—mages are no exception. You might think magic users differ from normal people, but the reality is they’re nearly identical.”

[User] “…A witch’s nonsense.”

[Assistant] “No matter what I am, there still remains a man who can cut me down quite easily. Even my power has its limits.” The witch said with a smile. For a moment, she looked almost pleased to know that. Her smile soon vanished, however, and her face became a stiff mask. Cold, dark eyes scrutinized Reust. “I’ve given you my warning. Think it over.”

[User] Abruptly, she opened both arms wide.

[Assistant] Reust realized she was preparing to teleport away and cried out reflexively, “If you want me to halt the reinforcements, come ask again tomorrow! Come to me! If you don’t, I won’t do as you ask!”

[User] He received no answer. Without an incantation, the witch created a magical array and vanished.


[Assistant] Sprawled on his throne, Lanak examined the ceiling languidly. The empty throne room had no furnishings. The Cuscull palace was splendidly crafted, but it was lacking in a certain sense of history that other countries had. The same was true of its monarch. His face devoid of fear or anger.

[User] "…The Allied Forces of the Four Great Nations? How very ostentatious." Lanak commented lightly, as if this didn’t concern him in the slightest.

[Assistant] "They struggle pointlessly. Everything will settle where it’s supposed to be in time."

[User] "Your Majesty. As ordered, we’ve completed all corresponding preparations." A mage reported, kneeling before the throne.

[Assistant] Lanak pointed at the deserted hall. At once, blue lines drew up a floating map of the mainland. It was a wondrous sight, and Lanak broke into a smile.

[User] "This shall be our new country."

[Assistant] The mages gazed at the map with longing. Most people could tell that the intricate lines overlaying the map were a magic spell. Once they did, they shuddered at the scale of it. No spell spanning the entire mainland had ever been attempted before. The proposal of such a thing would only earn the one who thought it up a chorus of laughter.

[User] Lanak regarded his spell map with great satisfaction.

[Assistant] "This will erase all suffering and create a world far more suitable to live in."

[User] The mages gazed at their king reverently, overcome with emotion.

[Assistant] "B-but is such a spell really possible…?" One brought up a hesitant objection.

[User] "It’s all right. We have Aeti."

[Assistant] Just then, the door to the throne room opened and the black-clad witch entered. Her looks were so stunning, it was like she’d walked out of a painting.


[User] After realizing she’d attracted everyone’s attention, she lifted her long eyelashes and bobbed her head in a light bow. As expressionless as a doll, she asked the king. "What’s going on, Lanak?"

[Assistant] "I was just talking about you. Will you help me transform our land?"

[User] "Help you? Of course." She answered breezily, then crossed the room with perfect composure and sat down on a couch that lined the wall. It was a usual spot for her and was located only a dozen paces from the throne. Leaning against the armrest, she began to read a book.

[Assistant] Lanak gazed at her calmly. "No matter how complicated and large a spell is, it must still abide by the basic laws. As long as you have enough magic, all you have to do is cast each spell one by one. Isn’t that right, Aeti? I taught you that a long time ago."

[User] "Yes, because you were instructed on that principle long before I was." She said with a smile, not looking up from her book.


[Assistant] "You were such an obedient, good student that the tutors always praised you. During breaks, all you did was follow me around, but you learned everything I taught you right away…"

[User] "You were very clever. In just a few years, the tutors no longer had anything to teach you…"

[Assistant] "But compared with me, you were always so much more…" The light in Lanak’s eyes dimmed. His gaze was hollow as he looked at the witch who had once been a potential ruler of the empire, just as he had been.


[User] Tinasha was the first to notice the shift in Lanak, and she watched him intently.

[Assistant] As if poised to take action at any time, as if making sure of something… The other mages stood petrified by the look in her eyes.

[User] Her voice alone was gentle as she asked, “Lanak? What’s wrong? Did you remember something?”

[Assistant] When he heard her voice, Lanak blinked slowly. At some point, his temples and hands had begun to sweat. A lingering chill ran through his body, as if he’d stumbled across something deeply unpleasant, and he took deep breaths to calm himself. “It’s no good. It’s like I’m still in the dream.”

[User] “It wasn’t a dream.” Tinasha urged.

[Assistant] “I know.” Lanak’s home country had been destroyed. Four hundred years later, he built a new one. That much was real. From time to time, however, he had the oddest sensation that he was forgetting something. It was some sort of lingering emotion he hadn’t quite parsed.

[User] Lanak asked the girl who was once so small, “Aeti, are you upset?”

[Assistant] “About what?” Tinasha said, her gaze back on her book. Long black locks swept over the floor, and she looked just like a blooming flower. This witch truly captivated all who looked upon her. She was all grown up now, and Lanak felt both pleased and somewhat lonely to see her as she was now.

[User] Gazing at her, Lanak waved his hand lightly. Upon seeing his dismissive gesture, the other mages cleared out immediately. Once they were alone, Lanak started again. “About what happened four hundred years ago. On the last night we were together.” It was a subject neither had broached since their reunion. Tinasha was a little surprised to hear him bring it up.

[Assistant] With a panther’s fluid grace, she slowly sat up and looked at him. “Why now, after all this time? I thought you’d forgotten.”

[User] “I’ll never forget.” Even though most of his memories were a fuzzy jumble, that night was something he’d never forget. The shock and fear on her face when he’d cut into her stomach were seared into his mind. Screams, sobs, and pitiful begs echoed in his ears. On the other hand, however, Lanak couldn’t recall how it had felt to look down on her then. It was all faint, worn away by the long sleep, and he couldn’t get that part of the memory back. “I thought you might be upset. I’ve been wondering.”

[Assistant] “I’m not upset.” Tinasha answered curtly, as if to say that was the end of the conversation. She resumed her reading. That was a clear rejection.

[User] Lanak had no choice but to change the subject. “Do you think if we suppress them with huge amounts of power, the fighting will end?”

[Assistant] “I think it will, but it won’t get at the root of the problem.” she replied.

[User] “But we might be able to save the people who are unhappy now.” Lanak countered.

[Assistant] “Mm-hmm.” Tinasha answered.


[User] Unable to order his thoughts very well, Lanak pressed his fingers to his temples. The man had the faintest sense that his memories and personality were snapping apart, perhaps because he’d slept for too long. Holding himself together as he felt like he was going to fly to pieces, he gazed at his bride-to-be. She was the most powerful person on the continent. "Once you became a witch, did you not want to do something like that yourself?" Lanak inquired.

[Assistant] "I didn’t. That would just be self-righteous."

[User] "Even if that meant someone died?"

[Assistant] "Everyone dies eventually. If I interfered in the world and prevented something from happening, it might end up killing human thought."

[User] What Tinasha said smacked of a policy of everlasting total noninterference, and it sounded cruel. Such was the road she had chosen, however. Lanak, who only knew how kind and sweet she was to everything and everyone, felt a little lonely again. "Is what I’m trying to do also self-righteous?" he asked.

[Assistant] "Yes."

[User] "That’s cold."

[Assistant] "Then you shouldn’t have asked." Tinasha laughed, and then her face turned serious. "But because you summoned me, I was able to interfere in the conflict between Tayiri and the mages a little."

[User] "Aeti."

[Assistant] "So thank you. I mean it." Tinasha concluded, a smile on her face. If this was her real smile, then what wasn’t real?

[User] Lanak broke into a smile, too. "If it made you happy, I’m glad." Breaking a cycle of tragedy required action. And the time for it is now, Lanak reminded himself. Heaving a huge sigh, he turned his gaze up to the ceiling. "You don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ll protect you." Even if the whole world shunned and feared Tinasha for being a witch, he would be on her side. If he didn’t do that, then she would be all alone, just like when she was a little girl. Lanak repeated his vow as though a command to himself. "I’ll protect you, Aeti." Perhaps that sentiment was the one thing that hadn’t faded from Lanak’s mind after four hundred years. Tinasha was no longer a little girl, but things were still the same. Aeterna would forever be a weak and helpless person who existed for him. "I’m going to sleep for a bit." Lanak declared. He then retired to his chambers.


[Assistant] Tinasha departed from the throne room shortly afterward. As soon as she reached the corridor, she was joined by her guard, Renart.

[User] He looked concerned. "The king seemed a little…"

[Assistant] "He’s fine. I don’t think he’s awakened from his dream yet."

[User] "His dream?" Among those in the castle, Renart and Pamyra were the only two mages assigned to serve Tinasha. They had won her trust and had a rough idea of what happened to her in the past. It was because of that knowledge that Renart had come to the throne room fearing the king had done something to hurt Tinasha, but the witch quickly brushed that concern aside.


[User] "Renart, do you know why the witches of this land are all women?”

[Assistant] “What? Er… Is it not because they’re witches, not wizards?” He asked, anticipating that she was setting up a pun of some sort.

[User] Tinasha laughed and shook her head. “You’re quite a strong mage yourself, but the truth of the matter is that men’s bodies are unstable in terms of magical power. It’s difficult for them to survive for long periods of time with vast amounts of magic. A normal life span is not long enough for negative effects to manifest, but hundreds of years will take their toll on a man’s mind or body. It causes a breakdown. That’s why there are no men among witches. To come as far as we have would mean self-destruction for them.”

[Assistant] Tinasha said such frightening things so flippantly. Renart attempted a smile but found himself unable to muster one. “Which means the king is…” He trailed off.

[User] “His mental faculties have deteriorated. While he used a magical sleep, he still suffered quite a bit. His mind comes and goes, but it’s all focused around his mental state when he was fifteen. He’s very unstable. That’s why he’s being so sweet to me. To him, I will forever be the powerless child I was back then.” A self-deprecating expression crossed Tinasha’s face.

[Assistant] Renart frowned at the sight of it. The witch only ever spoke of her past with a glibness to her tone. Even that told him something, though. Namely that a long time ago, Tinasha adored Lanak as if he really was her family. Now that her big brother was back, as kind as he ever was, Renart wondered what Tinasha was thinking. While he was worried, he found himself incapable of discerning even some small part of the witch’s true intentions. Deciding on another course of action, Renart asked about something else. “Is what the king said really possible? A spell that spans our entire land…”

[User] “It is, if we use my magic.” She answered so matter-of-factly that it left Renart stunned. With a hand, the witch flipped her long, braided hair back. “We’re talking about using magic to completely control the continent. People in the past may have conceived of this, but none saw it successfully realized. In terms of sheer ability, the first king of Tuldarr should have had the power to do it. He was the only one who had all twenty spirits at his beck and call, after all. But spell casting at that time was much more difficult than it is now. That may have been what prevented him. Spell-casting research didn’t know many advancements until the time of the fourth regent.”

[Assistant] “Ah, er, Lady Tinasha—” Renart cut in. If he let her continue unchecked, she’d go off on a tangent about the history of Tuldarr.

[User] She realized what he meant and gave a little cough. “It’s possible; but if we do it, it will irreparably alter the mainland."