[User] "I don’t want to kill him…”

[Assistant] “Just sing while wishing he’d fall in love with you.”

[User] Clara’s eyes grew wide. That hadn’t occurred to her. She thought all her powers could do was kill. “Do you really think I can do that?”

[Assistant] “I bet you can. You’ve got the power.”

[User] “Really?” she asked nervously.

[Assistant] Simon laughed. “I know you can,” he insisted. Simon always knew how to fill Clara with confidence.


[User] Clara's eyes sparkled with childish joy upon seeing a dragon for the first time.

[Assistant] Oscar made sure to warn her immediately. “Don’t touch it. It’s not all that tame.”

[User] “It’s lovely,” she breathed.

[Assistant] He gave a strained smile before tossing the dragon a fruit from the plate piled high on the table. Nimbly, the dragon snapped it from the air and swallowed it down. “I was busy yesterday, and I’ll be busy tomorrow, too.”

[User] “I don’t mind. Naturally your work must come first.”

[Assistant] “If that’s how you feel, then sing for me today.”

[User] “No,” Clara declared, jerking her head aside. Thinking of when she’d sing a new song made her heart pound out of her chest. She fought to keep a smile off her face.

[Assistant] Oscar paid her no attention and kept tossing fruit to the dragon. Before long, the plate was empty. Oscar’s dragon was rather small, and Clara was unsure where the tiny thing was putting it all.

[User] “Should I have a new plate brought up?” she asked.

[Assistant] “Don’t bother. It actually doesn’t need to eat.” Oscar made no attempt to hide his desire to leave.

[User] Clara hated to see it, but it also stirred her desire to change his tune. Right now, he was hers. That thought was especially sweet, and it seared itself into her heart. So she wound her alabaster arms around him.


[User] "Hmm? I feel like I’ve seen this before…" Tinasha tilted her head to one side and then the other as she pondered but couldn’t recall where she’d seen it.

[Assistant] After considering it for a while, Tinasha decided it should go to her tower. Placing it with a heap of other magic implements.

[User] Tinasha returned to the others just in time for Sylvia to run up to her excitedly.

[Assistant] "Miss Tinasha! We found this!"

[User] "What is it?"

[Assistant] Sylvia presented her with some lace folded into layer upon layer.

[User] Tinasha detected a trace of magic; evidently the stuff was charmed not to deteriorate. She spread it out, taking care not to dirty it, and saw that it was a long wedding veil. "What in the world…?"

[Assistant] "Here, look at this!" Sylvia cried, pointing to the edge of the underside of the veil.

[User] Suspicious, Tinasha got a closer look. In the script of Tuldarr was written, “To my beloved daughter Tinasha. May you grow up healthy.”

[Assistant] “Oh my…,” Tinasha said, gaping in shock at seeing her own name there. This veil was a present sent to the palace from parents whose names and faces Tinasha had never known. They’d sent it as a gift for the child that’d been taken from them. Tinasha didn’t know what to say. Some unknown emotion was burning hot inside her. Frozen, Tinasha stood there staring at the silver embroidery.


[User] Clara sprawled on the bed, watching his back as he dressed. "Why are you in such a good mood today?"

[Assistant] "Am I?" He chuckled, buckling on his sword belt.

[User] "You’re acting like you are."

[Assistant] "My girl found something interesting. She’s so cute when she’s happy. And what she found will look really good on her when she’s a bride."

[User] “…When she’s a bride?” Clara repeated, feeling rage boil low in her belly. She dug her nails into the pillow. “I want to kill him…” The unbidden whisper startled even Clara.

[Assistant] "You’ll keep your promise tomorrow?"

[User] “…Yes.”

[Assistant] "Don’t expect to get off easy if you break your word."

[User] "I am aware."

[Assistant] Oscar left the room without looking back once.


[User] As Clara watched the door close behind him, she weighed her own emotions with lifeless eyes. Should she love him or kill him?

[Assistant] Morning arrived quickly. Clara had spent the entire time worrying. She didn’t sleep a wink, though she might have had flashes of dreams. Beneath her love for Oscar was a desire to kill him. She herself didn’t know what she wanted to do. This was the first time in her life she’d agonized over anything to such an extent. Unfortunately, the appointed final meeting arrived all too soon. With makeup covering the dark circles under her eyes, Clara welcomed Oscar with Simon at her side. They did not go to the usual room but to a hall used for banquets.

[User] Oscar was sitting cross-legged directly on the floor, the dragon in his lap. Calm in the face of potential death, he annoyed Clara deeply. "All right, time to let me hear it.”

[Assistant] “Are you prepared?”

[User] “I don’t plan to die.” Oscar assured her.

[Assistant] That was enough to settle Clara’s mind for her. His strength was merely arrogance. Why wouldn’t he look at her? Was he trying to cast her aside? The more she yearned for him, the more she hated how unshakable he was. A bitter smile came to her lips. She turned back to Simon and gave a signal. He strummed the zither, the note trembling in the air and casting a gloomy pall over the room. Clara took a breath of air and then began to sing. In song, she sobbed out the passions she could no longer hold back. “Here is a forbidden place, a room with no air. I sing a song that no one listens to. A flower falls into my hand, leaving not a single petal behind. You are not here—you are not anywhere. My hands grab onto nothing at all. Should night come again tomorrow, I may as well die. Here is a forbidden place, a dream with no air.” Clara’s hands trembled. She didn’t know if she was standing upright. She looked at Oscar and saw that he was listening intently, no change in expression. She wanted him so badly she thought she’d go crazy. She was afraid of the song coming to an end. Not even she could guess what would happen when it finally did. Clara’s voice clung to the melody Simon plucked on his instrument, but then she realized he had stopped playing and whirled around.

[User] Simon’s eyes were wide in shock.

[Assistant] For the first time, Clara became aware that there was a second voice singing the song. It trilled the same words and hit the same notes in perfect synchronization. Careful listening revealed that the second singer had to be someone other than Clara, however. Immediately, Clara silenced herself. A beat later, the other voice stopped, too. She glanced at Oscar and saw him grinning with amusement. She flew into a rage and shrieked, “Why?! What did you do?


[User] “What did I do…? Come to think of it, you wanted to know about my girl. Allow me to introduce Tinasha.” His final word was addressed to the dragon on his lap.

[Assistant] With a glimmer of magic, the creature became an attractive woman.

[User] Her skin was white as porcelain, and her hair was black as night. She was breathtakingly beautiful. In her dark eyes was a glint of displeasure. From her position on Oscar’s lap, she threw Clara and Simon a cold glance.

[Assistant] Oscar kissed the witch’s cheek, then whispered into her ear, “Which one’s the leader?”

[User] “He is.” She replied without hesitation.

[Assistant] “I thought so. I completely wasted my time.”

[User] “Wasted? !” Clara exploded. An insuppressible sense of defeat welled up inside her. …She never thought it would be her. Fury clouded the courtesan’s mind. She wanted to rip Oscar away from Tinasha.


[Assistant] While Clara seethed, Simon stood up behind her. He reached out a hand to the two guests

[User] “Don’t move. If you do, I will judge you to be in opposition and kill you.”

[Assistant] Simon’s lips curled into a sneer. A spell configuration manifested in his open hand. Then he was sent flying. He collided hard with the far wall and fell limply to the floor.

[User] Clara stared at the sight, unable to believe her eyes. She staggered over to Simon, who wasn’t moving. His wrist was bent at a sickening angle. He looked like a broken doll, and Clara saw red. “What did you do to him? !”

[Assistant] “I warned him.” The witch said, swiftly rising to her feet. Her threatening aura filled and dominated the room. It was the same pressure that had proven frightening to tens of thousands of soldiers.

[User] Clara was undaunted, however. “How dare you! He was the only thing I had in this world! What do you know? !”

[Assistant] “I won’t know anything unless you tell me. Or was he so important to you that you wish to meet him in death?”

[User] “Die! Both of you!” Nothing mattered anymore.

[Assistant] After a moment of hesitation in the face of Clara’s mad frenzy, the witch drew up a spell to fire intangible power at her.

[User] From behind, Oscar got to his feet and stayed her hand, however. “Wait—don’t kill her.” He insisted.

[Assistant] Tinasha threw him a sour look. “She might not have been the instigator, but dozens of people are dead.”

[User] “Everyone’s wished they could kill someone.”

[Assistant] “She’s thinking of killing you. A tiny splinter could be made a sword with time. It’s best to nip it off now.”

[User] “Don’t bother with her. Stop.”

[Assistant] Tinasha sighed heavily at getting told over and over to hold back. She dismissed her spell and faced Oscar. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling attached.”

[User] “I’ll take her statement through the proper channels. It’ll teach the noblemen a lesson, too.”

[Assistant] “I wish there was something that would teach you a lesson.” Tinasha waved her hand, and Clara collapsed.


[User] With the main offender dead, his accomplice—Clara—was banished from Farsas. As Als looked between Clara’s written testimony and the investigation report, he let out a whistle of admiration. "That Simon guy made it look like suicide, but he was the one actually killing them. What a letdown."

[Assistant] "That was the easiest way to do it." Replied Tinasha as she sipped her tea in the king’s study. The matter was all resolved now. "The woman had a bit of magic, too. She hadn’t undergone any training, but she could layer it on top of her song to give her a degree of control over the mood of her listener. The audience would get depressed and think they were about to commit suicide. That’s when Simon would strike."

[User] Oscar voiced a doubt after her succinct summary. "That woman believed herself to possess some other sort of power."

[Assistant] "Everyone she wished dead went ahead and died one after another. It’s only natural she’d think something like that after a while. The man egged her on repeatedly, too." Tinasha explained.

[User] "What an incredible tale…" Als sighed, looking up at the ceiling. All the secrets had been revealed, but the case itself remained so peculiar that he had a hard time believing it all. "But what was his aim in the first place?"

[Assistant] Chin resting in her hands and a sullen look on her face, Tinasha answered, "My guess is that Simon just wanted to give Clara what she wanted. Evidently, this all started when a patron cruelly insulted her. Then he created the song for her. Their signal was that she would sing the song to someone she wanted dead. She was the one who selected their victims."

[User] "And the tavern singer happened to hear the song and decided to make a name for herself by singing it, too?" Asked Als.

[Assistant] "The tavern singer was the superior performer. The tune was designed to manipulate emotions. An exceptional voice meant that no magic was needed. To sum it all up, everything stemmed from the man who composed the song. Truthfully, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a talent. If he’d been part of the royal court, a skill like that might’ve changed history." After Tinasha brought the topic to a close, she returned her empty cup to the tray. Directing a frigid look at Oscar, she asked, "So how much of a lecture do you want to hear?"

[User] Oscar grimaced. "You’ve already blown up the study; isn’t that enough?"

[Assistant] "Of course it’s not." She retorted.

[User] Als looked around the room. They weren’t in Oscar’s normal workplace. The witch had completely destroyed that room. That had been the perfect opportunity to move Oscar to a room more suitable for a king. At present, Als, Oscar, and Tinasha were standing in the new study.

[Assistant] Oscar grumbled as he processed paperwork. "I swore Als to secrecy and everything… I never thought Doan would uncover the composer."

[User] "How blessed you are to have such talented subjects."


[User] "If you haven’t learned your lesson, I’ll hang you from the tower.” After taking care of the tavern situation, Doan had conducted further investigation to prevent any more trouble. In the course of his work, he’d determined that the song originated from a brothel.

[Assistant] As soon as Tinasha heard that, she grilled Lazar and confirmed that requests had come in from noblemen. Then she visited the brothel herself.


[User] On the night before, Oscar had returned from a meeting with Clara and was hard at work with Als.

[Assistant] Suddenly, the door to the room blew apart, startling the two men.

[User] The witch strolled in through the wreckage of the door. Her eyes came to rest on Oscar, and she smiled widely. It was the expression of a monarch—bereft of innocence. She opened both arms wide and called up a gigantic spell. Adorably tilting her head to one side, Tinasha asked, “You can die when you hear the song or die now by my hand. Which do you choose?”

[Assistant] “………” Immediately, Oscar and Als realized their secret was out. Als squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of death. Magic rolled off the witch in unrestrained waves. One by one, the vases and jars decorating the room exploded.

[User] Oscar considered how to react for a moment. He decided to start by asking, “Where did you hear about it?”

[Assistant] “I interrogated the brothel owner.”

[User] “Is he still alive?”

[Assistant] “I didn’t hurt him, although I don’t think he’ll sleep easy for a while.” A windowpane groaned a terrible sound before shattering. A calm night breeze blew in from outside. As that breeze swept past her, Tinasha flashed a wickedly beautiful grin. It was her witch’s smile, capable of entrancing all who saw it and driving them to death. Her voice sounded like clear ice breaking to pieces as she said, “No matter how many times I tell you, it seems you never quite understand. It’s getting quite irritating. Giving in to curiosity and overestimating your own abilities… Since it sounds like you want to die in a terribly boring way, I can just kill you now. Go on, stretch out your neck.” She sounded dead serious. A table and shelves burst to splinters. Als gasped at the frightening level of destruction. He wasn’t sure if he should get between Oscar and Tinasha or not, but he also didn’t think he could do anything to improve the situation.

[User] Oscar stood up and met the witch’s gaze head-on. “Just wait a moment, Tinasha.”

[Assistant] “Shut up.” The well-constructed desk Oscar regularly used split in two as easily as paper. The walls began to bend at a convex angle with a stomach-churning sound. Powerful winds stirred piles of documents into a vortex.

[User] Oscar strode over the broken desk and approached the floating witch. With a hand, he reached out to her.

[Assistant] “Don’t touch me,” Tinasha snapped, trying to use magic to repel him. However, her own protective barrier canceled it out, and she was unable to.


[User] Oscar pulled her into his arms, center of the storm as she was. "I'm sorry." He admitted.

[Assistant] "Do you think this is something an apology can solve?"

[User] "I don't, but I'm apologizing anyway."

[Assistant] Tinasha bit her lip and looked down at Oscar with utter detestation. The witch stared into the king's eyes.

[User] "I want to bite you to pieces."

[Assistant] "If that will make you feel better."

[User] "It won't."

[Assistant] "So I'd get bit for nothing."

[User] Tinasha raked Oscar’s hair up into disarray. She cradled his head and stared at him. "I owe you a lot, so I’m going to let this go. But if you do this again, I’m going back to my tower."

[Assistant] "I understand. I’ll bear that in mind."

[User] For quite a while, Tinasha stayed gripping Oscar’s head. After venting all her frustration, she released him with a deep sigh, slipping out of his grasp, and floated into the air.

[Assistant] His life spared, Oscar surveyed the room and blithely declared, "It's totaled."

[User] When the witch heard that, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.


[Assistant] On the day after the old study’s destruction, Als was sipping tea in the new study as he muttered, "I really thought I was gonna die. Stop getting me involved in your schemes."

[User] "Lazar said the same thing to me earlier."

[Assistant] "It's what you deserve." Tinasha spat coldly, though she still refilled Oscar’s cup.

[User] That done, she sat herself down on the armrest of Oscar’s chair. "If you want to go around womanizing, just take an official consort or royal mistress or something. Are you an idiot, wandering around outside like that? Are you an idiot king?"

[Assistant] "It wasn't like I meant to get up to any debauchery…"

[User] "Shut up."

[User] Like a child, she kicked Oscar in the shin with her heel. "In four hundred years, I don’t think I’ve ever been this mad, and you’re not even an enemy."

[Assistant] "Well then, I’m glad."

[User] "You shouldn't be!" Using a kick to push herself forward, Tinasha slid off the armrest, hands on her hips, she faced Oscar and stared him down. "...Well... Even if I get mad, it has no effect on you... So whatever. I feel like I'm just wasting my power by getting upset." Tinasha gave a little shrug, accompanied by the same sort of cute smile she usually wore. She reached out and patted Oscar’s head.

[Assistant] The motion was so gentle that his eyes narrowed happily. Oscar caught the witch’s hand and pressed a kiss to the top of it. "Once I have you, I won't need anything else."

[User] "That isn't possible, so you need to choose someone properly." Then she let out a loud, high laugh. It was like the sound of a flower bursting into bloom.


[User] "Don’t fall back right away, Tinasha."

[Assistant] "Urgh." Practice sword in hand, the witch parried blows from a similar weapon. She advanced toward her opponent’s left. Leaning forward lightly, she attempted to knock him off his feet. Her blade was repelled with a soft clink, however. It went flying out of her hand, rotated several times in midair, and landed some distance away. "Oh, that was close." She said, clutching her numb wrist as she eyed the fallen sword.

[User] Oscar rested the flat of his sword on Tinasha’s shoulder as he drawled, "Put up a barrier to repel anyone who might get close. I don’t want stray swords impaling people.”

[Assistant] “All right." She agreed, and she jogged over to retrieve the weapon. After checking her wrist, she took hold of the hilt and assumed a fighting stance again.


[User] "Is His Majesty here?" Als asked as he popped into the lounge. He’d looked everywhere for his king, and this was the last place on the list. He cocked his head to the side when he failed to find Oscar there, either.

[Assistant] "He’s outside." Kav looked up from the essay he was writing and answered.

[User] "Outside?" Als repeated, glancing toward the windows in the back. Als joined them and peered down, too. There he found his lord and the witch having a sword fight. "What’s going on here?" He inquired.

[Assistant] Pamyra answered him with a wince. "His Majesty said his reflexes were slowing and dragged Lady Tinasha out there."

[User] "I see." Als, who fell somewhere between the two when it came to swordsmanship, studied their practice with rapt interest.

[Assistant] "Those two really do get along well." Sylvia commented.

[User] "I suppose they do." Doan replied from his spot next to her. Then he remembered something, and an evil smirk crossed his face. "There’s only four months left in their contract. How about we bet on whether they’ll get married before it expires?"

[Assistant] "What?" Sylvia cried. Her brows knitted disapprovingly.

[User] "I’ll wager on it never happening." Kav declared, without even looking up from his writing.

[Assistant] Doan laughed out loud after hearing his challenge so readily accepted. "I bet that they will get married!"

[User] Sylvia shot back with a huff. Her cheeks were puffed out.

[Assistant] "I’m with Kav. It won’t happen." With sides drawn, the instigator of the wager joined in and said.

[User] Als shook his head in exasperation as he listened to the three mages.


[User] When the trio looked at him expectantly, however, he admitted, “I think they will. That’s my hope anyway.” The votes were split half-and-half, and everyone looked pensive.

[Assistant] “I think the most important issue facing them isn’t their own feelings but the political situation surrounding them.”

[User] “True enough.” Doan agreed with a nod.

[Assistant] “But in terms of someone who’ll be an immediate asset, there’s no better queen than Miss Tinasha. She’s strong, and she’s the heir to Tuldarr. She has knowledge and techniques that any other country would love to have.”

[User] “She brought almost all the artifacts from the Tuldarr treasure vault to Farsas.”

[Assistant] “You don’t say.” Als replied. He looked down at the witch in the courtyard with a good degree of shock. She was parrying and thrusting her sword in silence, her lithe form supple and flexible.

[User] Pamyra watched her lady calmly. “I bet they will get married. I’d like her to find happiness sometime soon.”


[Assistant] Unaware she was the subject of much speculation, Tinasha lunged again and once more found her sword knocked away. Oscar returned to his study, feeling satisfied now that he’d loosened up his muscles. Tinasha, however, flopped onto the couch by the wall as soon as she got through the door. She crumpled into her seat like a boneless cat.

[User] “You all right?” Oscar asked with a frown.

[Assistant] “I’ll be fine once I’ve had an hour to rest. I don’t have a lot of stamina…”

[User] “You should put on a bit more weight.”

[Assistant] “I don’t think I can build any more muscle than this.” She answered, staring at her thin arms and legs. To all appearances, mage’s bodies were low in fat and muscle. It was stranger still that she could even wield a sword with that physique, but perhaps her many years of experience had afforded her technique enough to compensate. In reality, no one could’ve held something as heavy as a sword without first strengthening their physical form in some way.

[User] “You’re not tired?”

[Assistant] “That was just a warm-up for me. Lately I feel like I’m going to rot away behind a desk.” As she thought about it, Tinasha realized that she’d seen Oscar doing nothing but clerical work for the past three weeks. The last time the king had enjoyed some fresh air and exercise had been during the death song incident. To Tinasha, Oscar seemed the type who belonged out in the thick of battle. The truth, however, was that he spent almost all his time dealing with documents. He never even took time off. Tinasha felt a bit sorry for him. Oscar was still a young man, after all. “What do you think about visiting the brothel?” the witch suddenly suggested.

[User] “Are you teasing me?” Oscar asked, incredulous.

[Assistant] “I’m not trying to…,” Tinasha said, floating up into the air and zooming over to his side.


[User] She was so tired that it was easier to use magic than walk.

[Assistant] With his free hand, Oscar tugged on a lock of her hair. “I’d rather you take me to the sea again.”

[User] “That’s easy enough.” Sinking down onto the edge of the desk and picking up the papers that were left. She felt like there weren’t as many as usual. Checking the clock, she saw that it was only noon. “Then how about I help you with these, and we go somewhere in the evening? We can go to the sea or wherever else you’d like.”

[Assistant] Oscar’s eyes widened a fraction at her suggestion. “We can go anywhere?”

[User] “As long as it’s on the mainland. The city, the mountains, the lake, anywhere.”

[Assistant] “The lake, then.” Oscar decided.

[User] “The lake it is.” Tinasha repeated with a soft smile.

[Assistant] Oscar felt his heart dance with joy like when he was a child. After all his hard work, he’d earned a bit of fun. So long as he was with his witch, he couldn’t ask for anything more.

[User] With Tinasha’s help, Oscar’s remaining paperwork was resolved in under half an hour. She went back to her rooms to get ready and changed into a light, flowy dress.

[Assistant] “Normally the two of you are busy when you go out together, so relax and enjoy yourselves.” Pamyra said cheerily as she helped her lady change.

[User] Tinasha nodded but picked up on something odd she couldn’t overlook. “Something about what you said makes it sound like we’re a pair of lovers…”

[Assistant] “That’s precisely what it looks like.”

[User] “Wait…” Tinasha objected, feeling as if something was wrong.

[Assistant] Pamyra gave the witch a placid smile in return. “Judging by appearances, the two of you are very intimate.”

[User] This was a clear wake-up call. When Tinasha reflected on how she and Oscar normally interacted, she could certainly see why things would seem that way. Tinasha acknowledged the facts and let out a sigh. “I guess it’s because I’ve gotten used to him touching me all the time…and I end up touching him, too. If this keeps up for another hundred years, I might end up marrying him by mistake. Scary!”

[Assistant] “Will it really take another hundred years…? And even then, ‘by mistake’…?” Pamyra murmured, feeling incredibly disappointed. She was hoping to see her lady happily wed.


[User] Oscar and Tinasha left the castle before sunset. First, they used Tinasha’s transportation array to jump to her tower; then they flew farther west on Nark’s back. Oscar was in holiday mode, carrying a normal longsword instead of Akashia.

[Assistant] “Which lake are we headed to?” he inquired.

[User] “Lake Soknas in the south of Old Tuldarr. Now it’s part of Magdalsia, I believe. We’re almost there.” Magdalsia was a small nation in the southwest. Cattle farming thrived there, and mountains and forest dominated the majority of the country. As they flew through the evening sky on Nark’s back, red slowly began to tinge the sky.


[User] The setting sun dipped over the mountaintops. Tinasha pointed to the overlapping peaks. "There it is, look."

[Assistant] Nark gradually dropped altitude.

[User] "I came here many, many times when I was little. A long time ago, you used to be able to collect bluish crystals called moonstones by the waterside, but I heard that you almost never find them now. I miss them."

[Assistant] "...I see."

[User] Nark descended lower and lower. By the time the dragon was about three stories above the ground, it was flying directly over the lake.

[Assistant] The witch leaned to one side off the dragon’s back and gazed down below. "Where should we land?" Tinasha wondered aloud.

[User] "Okay, let’s go!" Oscar declared.

[Assistant] "What?" Oscar scooped her up in his arms and leaped off the dragon.

[User] Her long scream echoed across the lake, followed by a gigantic splash.

[Assistant] He burst out laughing at the shock on her face.

[User] "Y-you gave me a scare… What do you think you’re doing?"

[Assistant] "I thought that would be nice and invigorating."

[User] "It was more like terrifying!" Tinasha cried. She felt all over his body to check for injuries.

[Assistant] Looking up, Oscar saw Nark circling the lake while shrinking smaller; it had noticed its master was gone. Still laughing, Oscar readjusted his hold on Tinasha. "That’s the first time I’ve heard you scream."

[User] "It’s been a while since I’ve heard it myself…," she grumbled, placing a hand on Oscar’s shoulder and pushing off up into the air. She wrung out water from the hem of her dress. Looking down, Tinasha saw that Oscar had started swimming.

[Assistant] "It looks like this will be a good break for you. I’m glad."

[User] "All thanks to you. Does anything live in this lake?"

[Assistant] "In the past, it was just ordinary sea creatures, but now no one knows. Try to be careful."

[User] "Got it."

[Assistant] After flying around the area, Nark landed on the witch’s shoulder.

[User] She lowered herself to the surface of the water and sat down there.


[User] The eastern edge of the lake glittered a crimson shade, while in the west it was dark from the shade of the trees. A pale moon began to claw its way up. The sky was still a few shades lighter than the color of Oscar’s eyes. Tinasha raked back her wet hair. She could use magic to dry it, but it wasn’t especially necessary, since it could very easily get wet again.

[Assistant] Oscar swam up to her and rested his chin on her knees. "You look like a water spirit doing that.”

[User] “Do I? Maybe I shouldn’t be sitting on the water.”

[Assistant] “Eh, I think it’s fine.” Oscar tugged on her hair to bring her face close and planted a kiss on her cheek.

[User] Tinasha’s eyes narrowed like a cat’s, and she gazed back at him with a complicated look on her face. “You know, Pamyra said we seem like a pair of lovers.”

[Assistant] “Do you have a problem with that?” Oscar’s counter came so quickly that the witch had to take a moment to consider the question.

[User] “…Not really.”

[Assistant] “I suppose we would, though.” Oscar commented, smiling at Tinasha as he pushed back stray locks of his hair. Most of his smiles were more on the intimidating side—wry smirks or amused grins—so when he showed a simple grin like this, it was utterly captivating.

[User] Tinasha reached out to touch his face. His blue eyes reflected the darkling sky. Upon gazing into them, she thought she could see the moon there, too, and leaned closer for a better look.

[Assistant] Oscar yanked Tinasha down into the water, cradling her in his arms and pulling her to him. Not a moment later, something whizzed through the air. Something flew in from the shore and collided with Oscar’s barrier.

[User] “What was that? !”

[Assistant] “An arrow…”

[User] Tinasha rushed to catch Nark in her arms as the creature hit the water. Narrowly avoiding sinking, it thrashed in her arms.

[Assistant] Oscar stood in front of them protectively, glaring at the shore.


[User] "Did you hit it?"

[Assistant] “I don’t know. It went into the water.” Five men stared out at the lake surface from the forest at the water’s edge. It’d looked like someone was sitting on top of the water, but that must have been an optical illusion.

[User] One man gave up and shrugged, lowering his bow. “Would’ve been great to get a water spirit’s treasure, though.”

[Assistant] “If that really was a water spirit, you don’t want to provoke it. And even if you killed it, it would just sink into the lake and you’d never get it.”

[User] “Whatever it was looked human, but it was probably a fish or something.” The men exchanged disappointed and relieved remarks as they turned back to leave. Just then, a loud splash came from behind them.


[User] There was a woman standing on the shore that they could see through the trees. Her feet were submerged, and the hem of her black dress trailed in the water. Long jet-black hair and glistening white skin painted a portrait of ethereal beauty. The men froze, but one of the younger ones pulled out an arrow. Taking that as a signal, the rest of the group did the same.

[Assistant] "Wait. We’re human."

[User] The men squinted suspiciously at her. "Human? Really?"

[Assistant] "Yes, really. We came from Farsas."

[User] "I knew you’d look like a water spirit." Comes a new voice as the group of hapless hunters scanned the woods. They saw a young man leaning against a tree with a sword fastened at his hip. He was dripping wet from head to toe, as if he’d been swimming. "That’s my companion. She’s a mage."

[Assistant] "Ah…" The men murmured, finally accepting the explanation. Mages were a rare sight in rural lands, though there were many in Farsas who were ignorant of magic users as well.

[User] A man who looked to be the oldest of the group stepped forward. "We’re very sorry. We were convinced she was a water spirit and acted terribly. Are you hurt at all?"

[Assistant] "I’m fine." She says with a bright smile, coming to stand next to her companion.

[User] The men bowed their heads, abashed. "Normally, we’d be too scared of a water spirit to lay a finger on one, but we panicked…"

[Assistant] "Has there been some sort of problem recently?" Inquired the witch.

[User] "No, there’s a festival in our town today." One hunter explained.

[Assistant] "A festival? For water spirit elimination?" Tinasha repeated, finding it curious. Quickly, she dried her clothes and Oscar’s.

[User] One man in the middle of the group laughed as he explained, "It’s a marriage festival. Nowadays, the celebration almost never accompanies a real marriage, but the whole town still gets into it. People come from neighboring towns and villages to take part, too. Would you two like to join in?"

[Assistant] "What would that entail?" Tinasha pressed.

[User] "Women just wait in town. Men make the rounds of the lake and rustle up gifts—from nature, that is. They bring them back to the woman they want to propose to."

[Assistant] "I see." Rural areas had curious festivals. Mountain hamlets without much in the way of entertainment might toil all year preparing for festivals like this one. No sooner had she opened her mouth to refuse the invitation than Oscar tapped her lightly on the head.

[User] "Sounds interesting. Let’s do it."

[Assistant] "What?! Wh-what’s gotten into you?" she protested. "We’re here and everything, so why not? You go head on into town."

[User] "You can’t be serious… You don’t even have Aka—" Tinasha was about to say Akashia when Oscar ground his knuckles against her temples.

[Assistant] "I’ll be fine. Go on now."


[User] “I didn’t miss you doing this to me! Ow!” Oscar patted his worrywart protector’s head. Leaning slightly, he whispered in her ear.

[Assistant] “We’re somewhere safe. There’s no danger, so relax and wait for me. Things like this can be fun once in a while.”

[User] “…All right. We did come here for you in the first place…”

[Assistant] Oscar still had Tinasha’s protective barrier, but above all else, he was a strong fighter in his own right.

[User] Gave the witch a jaunty wave. “Don’t follow any men you don’t know.”

[Assistant] “I’m not some lost child!” Tinasha retorted. While she still felt a bit uneasy, she had no choice but to leave and head for the town.


[User] It only took a few minutes of walking before she arrived at the settlement. The place was in full festival mode. People were crowded onto the narrow streets, with alcohol and food on offer everywhere. It was completely dark, but soft lights gleamed from every direction, giving the whole place a warm glow. The sound of children singing drifted from somewhere nearby. As Tinasha stood and paused at the entrance taking everything in, an unfamiliar middle-aged woman tapped her on the shoulder.

[Assistant] “You’re here for the festival, aren’t you? Where have you come from?”

[User] “Farsas.”

[Assistant] “Another faraway place… Well, you’re welcome here. Are you here alone?”

[User] “I came with someone, but he’s out gathering things in the forest.”

[Assistant] “Ah, so you’ve got a boyfriend. Then you’ll need to change.”

[User] “What?” Before Tinasha could even ask why she needed to change, she was led away. The middle-aged woman brought Tinasha to the town gathering hall, where she guided the confused witch into a room jammed full of women changing. A chorus of admiring cries rose up from the women near the entrance.

[Assistant] “Wow, so gorgeous.”

[User] “Heard she came from Farsas. So sophisticated.” The excited women ushered Tinasha into a chair before she could get a word in edgewise and set about applying makeup to her.

[Assistant] “Um…”

[User] “Don’t talk! I’m putting on your lipstick now.” All the ladies surrounding poor Tinasha appeared to be married. They gleefully painted her face. The younger women, on the other hand, were busy getting themselves ready. Tinasha wondered why she’d bothered coming to such a distant place when she could’ve been subjected to the same treatment back in the castle. She wanted to run away but knew that it’d upset the people attending to her. Partway through a little sigh, Tinasha’s eyes suddenly widened. Something had made contact with Oscar’s protective barrier. A slight fluctuation in magic reverberated within her.

[Assistant] “What’s wrong?” asked the woman powdering Tinasha’s face after noticing her darkened expression.

[User] “Nothing… I’m just worried about my companion.”

[Assistant] “He’s fine."


[User] “You should trust your boyfriend more!” The lady assured her with a grin, clapping Tinasha on the back cheerfully.

[Assistant] Worry had already sunk in, however, and Tinasha couldn’t shake it. Finally, the women finished getting ready and trooped out to the town plaza. Tinasha followed, clad in the outfit she’d been forcibly loaned. The center of the village was now full to the brim with women in gorgeous costumes, filling the place with the bright din of youth. As the women waited for their suitors, men returned from the woods one after another, found their mates, and presented them with gifts. Each presentation earned a chorus of sighing admiration, which in turn only elevated the overall excitement. Tinasha took in the spectacle, standing at one edge of the plaza with a veil covering her face. She did have some awareness of how her features made her stand out in a crowd. All she had to do now was meet up with Oscar and go home, but no matter how long she waited, he failed to show. Tinasha detected no further disturbances to the barrier, but that did little to reassure her. The witch looked up at the sky from the gap in the veil. The moon glimmered translucently in the heavens. She wondered if she should go after him or not. It wasn’t that Tinasha didn’t trust Oscar, but knowing that he was alone made it difficult for her to relax. She was staring at the ground, plagued with indecision, when her veil was suddenly lifted up. Startled, Tinasha looked up.

[User] “Did I keep you waiting?”

[Assistant] Tinasha recognized Oscar and sighed deeply in relief. When they parted, his clothes were dry, but for some reason, he’d gotten all wet again. As she reached out to dry his clothes, she smiled and admitted, “I was worried.”

[User] “No trust in me at all, huh? Hold out your hand.”

[Assistant] Puzzled, Tinasha held out both hands.

[User] Oscar dropped something he’d been holding into them. “These are…”

[Assistant] “I bet you haven’t seen them in a while, right?”

[User] The townspeople surrounding the pair gasped at the sight of the rare moonstones. For a while, Tinasha merely stared at the collected stones that rested in her open palms. She recalled the ones she’d once collected herself. They were long gone now. Warmth bubbled up inside the witch’s chest. Blinking rapidly, she felt on the verge of tears. When she looked up at Oscar, he offered her an abashed smile. “Thank you. I’m really…very happy.” Tinasha said, beaming at him. While her childhood was long past, the grin on her face still appeared innocent. She was positive she wasn’t doing a very good job of smiling, but she really was very happy.

[Assistant] Oscar leaned in close to her.

[User] She closed her eyes and accepted his kiss. It didn’t matter that they looked like a pair of lovers even though they weren’t.


[Assistant] She and Oscar left the town. From Nark’s back, they watched the lake grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Tinasha was clutching the moonstones protectively.

[User] "Where were these?"

[Assistant] "The lake bottom. I grabbed a water spirit and made it show me."

[User] The witch’s jaw dropped; she was speechless. This man had the rare talent of finding trouble wherever he went. Tinasha didn’t feel like lecturing him at the moment, however. The moonstones were warm from her body heat.

[Assistant] "When we get back to the castle, will you change their shape and mold them into a necklace or something?"

[User] "No… I’ll keep them like this."

[Assistant] "Okay then." He accepted, patting her on the head.

[User] She closed her eyes, happy. Oscar’s touch was warm and fond, and Tinasha abandoned herself to the memories that washed over her.


[User] The wide underground cave was stuffy and damp. Revered as sacred ground, the hollow had long been kept a secret. A young man clad in blue gazed at murals that illustrated major moments in history. His sword was already wet with blood, red droplets dripping off the tip. For a time, all was quiet and no one spoke.

[Assistant] The man who’d fallen before the youth looked like he was still breathing, though only faintly. Another man knelt next to him and looked up at the youth in blue. "Who are you? Why do you have that sword? Only our leader should be able to inherit th—" In the middle of speaking, he caught sight of his elder brother, facedown on the ground.

[User] The man’s older sibling was the current leader of their clan. Sure enough, his hand was curled around the hilt of a sword identical to the one the mysterious young man was carrying. There should’ve only been one of that blade in all the world. What did this mean? Why did this young man have the weapon’s twin and know of their holy place? Why had he tried to kill his elder brother? The man’s mind swirled with doubts, and the one garbed in blue looked down at him.

[Assistant] "You were just and fair. You treated me sincerely, which is more than I can say for my overly fickle father. It was you who taught me how to fight. I’ll always be grateful for that."

[User] "…What did you say?" He was certain he’d never taught this boy anything. This was their first time meeting. The man’s clan was nomadic. They were a band of robbers that drifted from one country to the next. This strange blue assailant had appeared in one of the safe houses the clan maintained.

[Assistant] The man’s older brother, the leader, leveled a furious look at the youth. Evidently, the mysterious boy had appeared while they were raiding a town, and they’d chased him off. The leader went after the fleeing boy and entered this sacred place. By the time the leader realized he’d been lured into a deserted area, the one in blue cut him down easily.

[User] The boy ignored his questions and continued blithely, "I actually wish I could’ve saved my mother. But even if I’d prevented that raid, I wouldn’t have disappeared. I know that if I let him live, he’ll make my mother unhappy someday. He’ll burn her village down and take her away, treating her like his plaything. He won’t give her enough food, and he’ll make her sleep on straw. He’ll whip her harder when she gets sick and weak. He’ll try to be a good father to me, but…no father of mine would treat my mother like an old rag."

[Assistant] The youth’s words were directed at the clan leader’s younger brother, who could only guess at the meaning of the speech. Dazed, he looked at the boy and asked, "What are you saying…?"


[User] "Exactly. This all happens later for you. But that future isn’t going to exist. I’ve altered it for the sake of my mother.” The boy scowled, and his face steeled against pain.

[Assistant] “My mother was a kind and beautiful person. She should never have been forced to live that kind of life…” The youth in blue let out a deep sigh. Quietly, he spoke into the dark cave.

[User] “After her death…I learned of a way to change the past. Then I came here.” His voice echoed off the rock walls and faded away.

[Assistant] “…So that means you’re…” The clan leader’s younger brother ruminated on what the boy had said over and over.

[User] Tell me your name,” the younger brother of the clan leader insisted, hardly understanding why he’d said it himself. He simply felt like if he didn’t ask now, he’d never know. Nothing would be left of the boy. It would be as if he were never there.

[Assistant] “You were the only one who was sympathetic to my mother. You helped me when I was little and buried her in her home village. That’s why I’ll tell you everything. My name—and how I came to be here.” The boy glanced down at his father on the ground.

[User] “If possible, give this sword to my mother someday. Tell her it’s a gift from someone who wishes her happiness.” The boy returned the sword to its sheath and presented it to his young uncle.

[Assistant] The uncle accepted the sword…and nodded as the moment of the boy's father's death approached.


[User] At the time, Yarda was well on its way to major nation status, but defeat saw it relinquishing half of its land. One hundred years ago, Farsas built the fortress of Minnedart to keep an eye on its tumultuous eastern border. It was the largest garrison in the country, with thirty thousand troops stationed there at all times to secure the edge of Farsas territory.

[Assistant] "Inspecting the fortress? I’ll go, too. If I take my eyes off you, you’re bound to wind up in trouble."

[User] "You’re the only one who would say that."

[Assistant] "Everyone thinks it; they just don’t tell you." Oscar eyed the witch from his desk as she was standing before him, riffling through his stack of paperwork. In three days, Oscar was heading to Minnedart with several military officers to conduct a regular inspection.

[User] As the witch read up on the eastern border, she hummed admiringly. "I see there was a skirmish ten years ago."

[Assistant] "A small one, yeah. You’re not really up on this stuff, are you?"

[User] "I normally keep to myself… Ten years ago means you were alive to see it, right?"

[Assistant] Oscar thought that Tinasha’s long life often made her phrase things somewhat strangely, but he kept that idea to himself. Instead, he cast back to his memories of the conflict. "Yep. I remember it because during the cease-fire negotiations, Yarda said they wanted me to marry their princess."

[User] "What happened with that?" Tinasha pressed.

[Assistant] "I didn’t agree. It only would’ve made things worse." Oscar explained.

[User] "Oh right."

[Assistant] At the time, Oscar still had his curse. If the princess from Yarda had gotten pregnant and died, the two nations’ tenuous peace would’ve broken down in a heartbeat.

[User] The curse breaker herself muttered, "Indeed, indeed." Evidently having banished all memory of the curse now that it was gone.

[Assistant] It seemed that Yarda bitterly regretted the entire affair, as they interpreted Farsas’s inexplicable rejection of the offer to mean that a Yardan princess wasn’t good enough to be queen of Farsas. Yarda had been in too weak of a position to back out of peace talks at the time, however, and ten years had done little to close the power gap between the two neighboring states. While Oscar attended to other matters, he added. "It’ll take about three days, so pack for that."

[User] "All right." Tinasha replied as She returned the papers she’d taken to the desk and vanished from the room.

[Assistant] Snorting at how abruptly she’d left, Oscar picked up the documents.


[User] This served to clear up the misconception that Tinasha was a witch scheming to possess the country and revealed that she had claimed the throne of Tuldarr. Someone like that had to be acknowledged as highly valuable to society. Granfort and the others came to welcome her as a counterbalance to Oscar, considering how she often scolded him and kept him in line. Two generals stationed at Minnedart welcomed the inspection party. General Edgard, who commanded the fortress, was Granfort’s peer. The other, Galen, was a rather young officer of only twenty-seven years. They both appeared surprised to see the witch but concealed that feeling immediately and knelt to bow to their king.

[Assistant] Tinasha tugged on Oscar’s sleeve. “I really think I should have come in disguise…”

[User] "That would be no fun for me. It’s fine.” Oscar replied in clipped tones.

[Assistant] Tinasha scowled. As she followed him down a corridor in the fortress, she looked out the window and saw kids playing in a courtyard below. “Children live here?”

[User] “Residents of a nearby village have been living here since last year. The men of the town died in a battle, so Minnedart took in their elderly, women, and children.”

[Assistant] “A battle…” Tinasha sighed. The children’s cheerful shrieks of joy echoed throughout the courtyard.


[User] Carel, a soldier stationed at Minnedart, saw that it was his break time and headed for the courtyard.

[Assistant] “Carel! Tell us a story! We want a story!”

[User] “A story, huh? What do you want to hear?”

[Assistant] “The story of the blue knight!”

[User] “Again?” Carel asked. He removed his sword and placed it on the ground before sitting down cross-legged. He was only eighteen. Having joined the army two years ago, Carel was still at the recruit training stage. The kids surrounded him, their eyes shining with anticipation. “Once upon a time, when our settlement was a vast prairie, there lived a beautiful girl in a village. A never-ending stream of suitors longed for her hand in marriage. But she turned them all away.”

[Assistant] “I guess none of them were very handsome.”

[User] “Hush and listen. But one day, bad men on horses attacked the village. The bad men set fire to houses, burned the village, and tried to kill people. But then a knight dressed all in blue appeared. He drove out the bad men and saved the girl they were about to carry off. She was deeply moved and said she would be glad to marry him, but he declined and disappeared. The end.”

[Assistant] “Carel, that was over too fast!”

[User] “Tell us a better story!” The children protested one after another.

[Assistant] “It’s all true. That’s your story, and don’t ask for more.” Carel answered seriously.

[User] The kids continued to pout, and Carel was reaching to poke at their cheeks when he heard a young woman giggling from behind him.


[User] Whirling around, he saw a lovely and unfamiliar woman standing there.

[Assistant] She met his eyes and bobbed her head to him. “I’m sorry. I was curious about what kind of story you were telling,” said the king’s witch as she grinned. “If that was over too fast, does that mean the real story is much longer?”

[User] Carel was thrown into a fluster upon learning of her identity, but when Tinasha asked for details about the tale, he sat back down. The children had lost interest and gone off to draw pictures on the ground some distance away. “The story I told is actually a real thing that happened in our village two hundred years ago. The blue knight was apparently the son of the girl he saved.”

[Assistant] “Er… So you’re saying he came from the future?”

[User] “That’s right. He was the son she had after she was kidnapped by the riders. It’s said he came to the past to change his mother’s ill fate. Changing the past in such a way meant he’d never be born, though. Even knowing that, he still saved her… And legend has it that this is the sword the blue knight left behind.” Carel held up the sword he’d set aside. The hilt was engraved with a horse motif. The blade appeared well used but carefully maintained. That it had been handed down for two centuries suggested there could be some magic housed within it.

[Assistant] The witch examined the weapon, then voiced an objection. “I see… I think this story is far from the kind meant for children.” As folktales go, it was well made, but it was public knowledge that there was no way to go back in time, even with magic. The part about the knight coming from the future wasn’t true, but it was still an intricately formed story. Tinasha looked back at the kids playing. “Do they come from the same village as you?”

[User] “Yes… Actually, our home was attacked by a tribe of riders a year ago… We sent out troops to defend ourselves, but almost all the men were killed. Survivors were graciously allowed to stay here. Sometimes I curse myself for not having been there. I’m sure I could’ve done something…” Carel bit his lip.

[Assistant] Tinasha’s face darkened. “The village chief’s wife hasn’t smiled for a whole year because her husband died protecting her. They just crush people’s lives underfoot without a care… I can’t let them get away with what they do,”

[User] Carel spat, his hands curling into fists.


[Assistant] After dinner following the first day of inspection, Galen asked Oscar about his sleeping arrangements.

[User] Oscar burst out laughing. The rest of the party gaped as their king howled uproariously. “E-er, did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

[Assistant] “Unbelievable. Did someone put you up to that?” Oscar snickered.

[User] Galen had asked Oscar if the witch would be staying with him. It had seemed to be an innocent enough question, but it just as easily could’ve been the work of council members who’d pestered Oscar about marriage and heirs. After Oscar declared that he didn’t intend to choose anyone but Tinasha, quite a few people were now trying to push him in that direction. Oscar prepared to tell Galen he was wrong, but Tinasha spoke up first from her place beside the king. With a hint of exasperation, she said, “If Oscar doesn’t mind, I don’t, either.”

[Assistant] “…Do you have a fever or something?” Oscar asked, placing his hand against her forehead in true confusion. She didn’t feel hot, though she did frown at him.

[User] “I’m the one who insisted on coming along. It’s fine, I’ll just change my shape.”

[Assistant] “Oh right.” Oscar remembered how she’d recently morphed herself into a dragon like Nark. The witch had the ability to change her outward appearance and age at will. With Tinasha as a wholly different creature, it was true that there would be nothing improper about them sleeping together. “In that case, I’ve got no complaints.”

[User] Galen breathed a sigh of relief and departed.


[Assistant] Oscar and Tinasha were left alone, and the witch said feelingly, “It’s actually perfect. This way I’ll know if you sneak out at night.”

[User] “There really is no trust in this relationship…” Oscar groaned.

[Assistant] “I’d think it strange if there were,” Tinasha retorted coolly, then let out a little yawn.


[User] Deciding to let Tinasha have a proper night’s rest, Oscar picked up her light frame and carried her to the bed—then he paused. He remembered how she shot up from the bed the last time he laid her down like this.

[Assistant] After a few seconds’ consideration, he sat down on the bed with Tinasha in his arms. He lay her down in his lap and poked her cheek again. "Wake up, wake up."

[User] With a little groan, the witch’s eyes fluttered open. Dark spheres heavy with sleep blinked up at Oscar.

[Assistant] "If you’re gonna go to sleep, do it in the bed."

[User] "Okay…" She murmured, crawling over to a corner of the huge bed with his help. Then she curled up like a cat and fell back to sleep.

[Assistant] While Oscar was relieved to see she wasn’t having a nightmare, he realized something else with chagrin. "You didn’t change your shape at all…" He muttered, grabbing a lock of her hair. This time, however, she showed no signs of waking. Sighing, Oscar covered Tinasha with the blankets and then left to go take his own bath.


[User] After leaving the witch where she was and going to sleep, Oscar awoke in the dead of night with a strange suffocating sensation. He blinked his eyes open but had trouble seeing anything. His body felt heavy. Something warm was touching him. As that went on, he realized something had slipped between his lips and was licking into his mouth. He woke up instantly. Oscar was shivering and dizzy all over. The woman’s tongue intertwined with his. His hands were held down, and he moved one to touch her cheek. She noticed it and slowly pulled back. She sat up and lay a hand along his face; he was staring at her. With the empty eyes of a dreamer, she gazed into his blue eyes…and spoke.

[Assistant] "Wrong…"

[User] She suddenly shouted, "No!" With that cry, she leaped up.

[Assistant] Oscar gaped at her. "What do you think you were doing…?"

[User] "I got synced up…" She replied, sounding mortified. She clutched the sides of her head as she leaned over the bed.


[User] Tinasha moaned in distress like a child.

[Assistant] Oscar came back to himself and patted her head. "That’s enough—just explain. I don’t understand what’s happening. Did you suddenly feel like marrying me?"

[User] "Not at all…"

[Assistant] "You don’t have to answer so fast."

[User] "I was in a deep sleep, so I dreamed on someone else’s frequency…"

[Assistant] "What the hell?" Oscar asked, rubbing his temples. The manner in which he’d been roused from bed had left his head spinning. Checking the clock, he saw it was still hours before dawn.

[User] The witch pulled her knees under herself, sitting up straight on the bed. She appeared somewhat more collected now. "Most likely, someone in this fortress is asleep and dreaming of something passionate. They’re unconsciously broadcasting those thoughts. The person in question probably has magic, but likely doesn’t know how to control it. Something like this wouldn’t affect normal people, but I have magic, and I was tired… I guess I picked up on it. I’m sorry!"

[Assistant] "That was bad for my heart."

[User] "Please forget all about it…," the witch begged, groveling.

[Assistant] Just looking at her like that filled Oscar with fatigue. He didn’t even consider taking advantage of the situation; he was just exhausted. This brief, strange incident had left him feeling as though heavy stones were weighing down his nerves. "You said it was wrong. What was wrong?"

[User] "Your eye color, I think. It wasn’t green…," Tinasha admitted.

[Assistant] "I’m glad you woke up," Oscar said coldly.

[User] The witch refused to meet his eyes. Even if his response hadn’t been so frigid, she was still too ashamed of her own conduct. "Anyway, I’m going back to sleep. You better change your shape like you said you would."

[Assistant] "Okay…" Oscar lay back down, rolling so that he was facing away from Tinasha.

[User] The witch finally lifted her head and changed into a black kitten. Feebly, she wrapped her tail around herself. Unfortunately, sleep proved elusive for her after the shameful mistake she’d made.


[Assistant] When he woke up the next morning, Oscar picked up the curled-up cat by his pillow. The little animal gave a big yawn and jumped onto his shoulder, where it stretched. Oscar stroked its neck and said, his voice low, "If you want to stay a spirit sorcerer, you better remain in that form all day."

[User] The warning sent a shiver through the cat, and the creature shrank in on itself, ears drooping.


[User] Ordinarily she would have been a peerless beauty, but at the moment, pronounced shadows cast a pall over her looks. Sensing the presence of visitors, the black cat curled up on the corner of the desk lifted its head. It sat up slowly and stared at the young woman. Oscar took notice and glanced at her. "I see. So it’s you.”

[Assistant] “Excuse me?”

[User] “No, it’s nothing.”

[Assistant] The woman introduced herself as Elze, the widow of the chief who was murdered. Even when she smiled to be polite, sorrow could be felt in every line of her face. With the greetings concluded, she turned to leave, but Oscar called out to stop her. “Did your late husband have green eyes?”

[User] Her grief-stricken expression froze in shock.

[Assistant] “No, they were brown.”

[User] The elderly former chief was the one to answer.

[Assistant] “Huh. Ah, sorry for asking about something trivial. You can go.” Once they’d left the room, he rested his chin on a hand thoughtfully. Bored, he sent the ornamental crystal ball on the desk rolling toward the cat. Its ears perked up, and it pounced on it. Oscar petted the cat as it toyed with the sphere, and he whispered into its black ears, “Whose dream do you think she was seeing?”

[User] The cat ducked its head in a shrug and batted at the ball again with one black paw, sending it spinning.


[Assistant] Come noon, Oscar rode out of the fortress on horseback with Granfort and the other officers and soldiers. Minnedart’s inspection was also something of an excuse to check on things in the adjoining country of Yarda. With a black cat riding on his shoulder, Oscar gazed curiously at a reddish-brown, craggy expanse from his perch on a cliff. “The landscape changes as if there really was some sort of boundary. It looks completely different from the fortress’s surroundings.”

[User] “People say this area was formed from some kind of upheaval of bedrock during the Dark Age. There’s even steeper canyons closer to the border and tiny fissures hidden in the ground, so please be careful.”

[Assistant] “Will do.” Rocky hills and jagged peaks of many different sizes clustered together to form a natural wall. The formation had long safeguarded Farsas’s eastern front until Minnedart was built. An incursive force that was marching west into Farsas would have to veer farther south to avoid the difficult terrain. That would put such an army’s path close to the border with Gandona. Ten years ago, however, Yarda had crossed these precipitous canyons to invade. The eastern half of the rocky ravine had belonged to Yarda at the time, allowing them to lay their preparations without Farsas’s knowledge. Oscar stroked the cat on his shoulder. “Time to head back. I still have to tour the village.” Today marked one year since the refugees’ village had been attacked. Plans were underway to help them relocate.


[User] Oscar grabbed the reins and turned his horse around. Avoiding the protruding rock pillars that dotted the landscape, he guided his steed as it snaked its way down. As Oscar was jolted along in the saddle, he took in the sharp features of his surroundings. "When I’m with Tinasha, we teleport places a lot. It’s nice to travel normally for once.”

[Assistant] The black cat heard that and whapped Oscar’s head with a front paw.

[User] The king didn’t look like he minded the cat’s slaps, however.

[Assistant] The rest of the party, following behind, didn’t know quite how to respond and stayed silent.

[User] "Your Majesty? What’s wrong?”


[Assistant] Before Oscar could respond, a shadow loomed overhead. Looking up, they saw a full lineup of men stood on the rocky hills towering on either side. Each man had an arrow readied. The king had close to fifty of the projectiles pointed at him. With startling calmness, he mused, “Ito, huh? I thought you were a horse tribe. Where are the horses?”

[User] “Y-Your Majesty… You shouldn’t provoke them…”

[Assistant] “Tinasha, don’t make a move. Stay down,” Oscar instructed, giving his protector a concise order.

[User] Hearing her name calmed the men’s nerves a fraction, but the cat, half on its feet already, threw him a look of protest before reluctantly settling back down on his shoulder.

[Assistant] One of the Ito archers stepped forward. He was tall and appeared to be in his early thirties. He looked down on the Farsasian party with eyes the same deep green shade as a sunless forest. “I’m the leader of the Ito. I want to talk to the most powerful one among you.”

[User] “I guess that’d be me.” Then, with all the majesty of a king infusing his tone, he went on to command, “Give us your name.”

[Assistant] He threw out his chest and declared arrogantly, “My name is Javi. We want something and came to negotiate.”

[User] “You’re awfully shameless for a thief. We wouldn’t mind cutting all of you down right here, right now.”

[Assistant] “That’s some big talk considering the situation you’re in. Don’t you have eyes?” He probably reasoned that with all his archers’ arrows trained on the Farsasian party from the high ground, they could kill the whole lot of them in a second. The instant a single shaft was loosed, however, it would be the Ito who fell.


[User] Oscar had only traveled to the border with a small party precisely because it was fewer people to protect if a fight broke out.

[Assistant] The king of Farsas responded with a shrug.

[User] "You all can think what you want. Looting’s been our clan’s way of life for a long, long time. We take pride in it. How is that different from taking an army and attacking another country? I’m following a much more honest way of life than a man who doesn’t fight and just gives orders." Javi snapped.

[Assistant] A cynical smile played about Oscar’s lips as the fur of the black cat on his shoulder bristled. It opened its mouth to growl threateningly, but Oscar picked it up by the scruff of its neck. He ignored the little animal’s struggling. "You do love to talk, don’t you? What do you want?"

[User] "A woman." Javi answered.

[Assistant] At that, Oscar and the cat exchanged a glance.


[User] A dry breeze blew in from the deserted village. From horseback, Elze gazed out into the distance. This had been a peaceful place once. At the time, Elze had thought things would continue that way forever. She hadn’t been unhappy with her husband or her life in the village. Elze had married the man she’d been ordered to and built a home with him. He cherished her, and their life was idyllic. She was very happy—up until the day the village was attacked. The man who killed her husband. His eyes had seared into her. Elze didn’t want to see him ever again. She found herself unable to forget those deep green eyes, however. How often had she wished to forget them? She’d spent many nights desperately wishing to return to how things used to be. The more she thought, the more those eyes plagued her dreams. She had no idea how long it would be until she could escape them.

[Assistant] "What’s wrong, my lady?" Carel asked. The question brought Elze back to herself. The young man assigned to guard her was from her village. The concern in his voice was plain.

[User] Elze shook her head minutely. "It’s nothing. I apologize."

[Assistant] Each time she was called “my lady”—the term of address for a chief’s wife—it brought reality rushing back. She felt suffocated, like there was nowhere for her to go. That hollow sensation was absolutely because she’d lost her husband. Elze could no longer see a place to move on to or a path to tread. Ever since that day, she’d remained frozen.

[User] "Elze." The former chief who’d accompanied her spoke.

[Assistant] She turned around, only to seize up in astonishment. "Why…?"

[User] The king’s expedition party was coming down from the rocky hills, but its members had clearly changed since they’d set out. General Granfort was at the head of the group, instead of the king. What’s more, men who appeared to be Ito riders were mixed in among them. Guards around Elze began buzzing with concern over what’d happened.


[User] Carel’s face darkened at the sight of his hated enemies.

[Assistant] Granfort galloped over to Elze. "I apologize, but the situation has changed. We need you to come with us before we go to the village."

[User] "Come with…? To—to where…? Why are they…?"

[Assistant] "It’s a summons from His Majesty. You, at the very least, are to come with us." Granfort declared with a grave look, then he turned his horse around.

[User] Numb with shock and incomprehension, Elze followed, only to be reunited with those green eyes she had desperately wished never to see again.


[Assistant] Oscar dismounted from his horse and brought only the cat with him to the unusually formed plateau. He looked around with admiration. "It’s like a giant cage. Interesting. Didn’t know this place existed."

[User] "This is a holy place for the Ito. It is said that a long time ago, a god once visited this place."

[Assistant] "A god? Was it Aetea? A child of Aetea?"

[User] "Neither. The god’s name has been lost. It was some other deity." Javi’s strange way of speaking made Oscar glance at the witch in cat form, but the cat only twitched its tail disinterestedly. Tuldarr had been an atheistic magic nation, after all.

[Assistant] Inspecting the cracks and fissures in the ground. "So you want a duel?" He looked up to ask Javi.

[User] "I do. If you want to call over men from the fortress to fight, I’ll send a messenger."

[Assistant] "No need. I’ll make do with the men I have here." The guards who accompanied their king didn’t appear intimidated, despite being outnumbered nearly five to one. They glared right back at the row of Ito men around the edge, who were emanating cold animosity.


[User] Granfort appeared at the top of the narrow hill road leading to the clearing.

[Assistant] Elze followed behind him, and she turned white as a sheet when she caught sight of Javi.

[User] Stared at her evenly. "It’s been a while."

[Assistant] "Ah…" Was all she managed to get out before going motionless.

[User] Cocked his head to look at her. "Did Granfort tell you the situation?"

[Assistant] "Ah yes…"


[User] "Before us stands an enemy that has long eluded us. If we can win the duel and get them to do what we say, that’ll speed things up. That means that you are going to be the witness."

[Assistant] "I—I…" Elze stammered, so dumbfounded that she was like a hollow doll that couldn’t move. She stood there at a loss for words as uncontrollable emotions crashed over her.

[User] Javi looked away from Carel and pointed to Oscar. "You choose three of your strongest. I’ll do the same. Sound good?"

[Assistant] "No problem here. It’ll be over faster with fewer people. Truthfully, I don’t mind if it’s just you and me."

[User] "What a stupid brat you are. All you do is mouth off. The people around you must suffer so much." Javi snorted.

[Assistant] The black cat tried to swoop down on him from Oscar’s shoulder, but the king wrapped a hand around its belly to hold it in place. The cat fought him desperately but couldn’t escape his grip. "If we win, you’re forbidden from any looting and pillaging in Farsas from now on…and you know what will happen if you break your word." Oscar stated, his voice turning low and threatening all of a sudden.

[User] Javi flinched at the decree but concealed the unconscious motion and nodded. Javi turned around and gave a signal, two men from the line along the edge stepped forward to fight in the duel.


[User] Shielded by her husband’s back, she’d struggled to hold him up. She was beautiful. Javi was done in at first sight. The fierce glint in her eyes as she’d looked at her husband had completely taken hold of him. He wanted to make her eyes glow that way for him. Among Javi’s faded memories, only the image of her remained vivid and bright. He could never forget the look of shock in her eyes as she stared at him over her fallen husband. He had never felt this much attachment toward another person. But he wanted her badly. He couldn’t give up. That was why he was here now. Without taking his eyes off Elze, Javi rubbed his left arm. It had been magically reattached. Getting the limb back in proper working order had required a considerable amount of pain and hard work.

[Assistant] Elze’s eyes widened slightly. Her thin lips trembled.

[User] Scratching his head in annoyance, Oscar walked over to where his team was. "So I’m definitely one of the three. What should we do about the other two…?" He grabbed the cat by the back of its neck and lifted it up to eye level. "Going by order of strength, this one should be first, but right now she’s just a cat."

[Assistant] Just then, the cat’s outline rippled. The tiny black kitten turned back into the witch’s original shape in a flash.

[User] Oscar’s face darkened as he scolded, "I told you not to change back. Are you asking to get punished?"

[Assistant] "Just because I was a cat, you can’t grab me by the back of the neck. I’ll suffocate!"

[User] The others were speechless at the witch’s sudden appearance. No one thought that the king’s short-tempered little kitten was his protector in disguise.

[Assistant] Rubbing the back of her neck, Tinasha said offhand, "I’ll go."

[User] "No. Let me finish… Of those two he’s going with, the shorter one is probably a mage." Oscar eyed the two men standing in the clearing. Both the muscular giant and the short-statured man were carrying swords and didn’t look like mages. If Tinasha said it was so, however, then Oscar believed her. "Got it. I’ll leave him to you."

[Assistant] "Understood." Tinasha replied, already starting to tie up her long hair. Drawing closer to Oscar, she whispered, "Also… Isn’t there something strange about this place? I feel an odd presence."

[User] "An odd presence… They said it’s a holy place. Could that be it?"

[Assistant] "Mmm… Something about the story of ‘a visit from another god’ is fishy. If it wasn’t some member of Aetea’s lineage, then what did they take for a god?"

[User] "A high-ranking demon maybe? That sort of thing happens a lot."

[Assistant] "It does, but I think it’s something more…" Tinasha trailed off. The witch racked her brain, trying to figure out what it was that nagged at her. She shot a glance at Oscar with her dark eyes. "Maybe I should transport everyone to a different location?


[User] “That would certainly be interesting, but I don’t think they’d go for it. We just have to make our win quick,” Oscar said, patting her head.

[Assistant] “Your Majesty! Please choose me!” The appeal came from a rather desperate-looking Carel.

[User] Oscar gazed into his eyes, which swirled with resentment. “Why?” asked the king.

[Assistant] “They’re the ones who attacked my village. They killed my father.”

[User] Tinasha frowned.

[Assistant] Oscar took that in, then returned his gaze to the soldier. “What’s your name?”

[User] “Carel, Your Majesty.”

[Assistant] “Got it. You’re in,” Oscar decided, and joy bloomed on Carel’s face.

[User] Now I can defeat my enemies, the young man thought. He looked over at Elze, but she was still deathly pale and staring at Javi.


[Assistant] The spectators held their breath as the two men drew their swords and faced off.

[User] Joaquin looked down on his opponent and sneered. “You’re a survivor from your village? You should have stayed hidden.”

[Assistant] “Shut up, you savage!” cried Carel, readying his sword. It was obvious to all that he exuded inexperience. The match seemed decided before it had even started.

[User] Javi frowned at Carel. “That sword… Why does he have it?”


[Assistant] “And start!” called out a voice, signaling the beginning of the match.

[User] Carel swung his sword in a huge arc before running straight at Joaquin. He brought a blow down on his opponent with all his might.

[Assistant] Joaquin deflected it with a smile, however.

[User] Carel slashed over and over at the giant man, but none of the swings ever made contact. Even so, Carel kept attacking head-on.

[Assistant] After a while of batting slashes away, Joaquin’s lips curved up and he struck down powerfully from above.

[User] Unable to withstand the force of the strike, Carel was sent sprawling. “Dammit…,” Carel muttered, face flushing with shame. He wasn’t even allowed a chance to get back on his feet, however.

[Assistant] Joaquin brought his sword down to crush the young man.

[User] Still seated, Carel scrambled back. The desperate maneuver had afforded him safety, but it didn’t look like he’d be able to avoid a third attack. Carel’s eyes shut in anticipation of death. No impact came, though, no matter how long he waited.


[User] He opened his eyes a fraction. “What…?” There was a slender sword standing right before his eyes. Joaquin’s sword had been deflected by one much thinner and was now embedded in the ground.

[Assistant] A small pair of feet crunched on the sand next to Carel, who was still in shock.

[User] "The match goes on. I’m up next." said the witch in a voice as cold as ice. Her long ebony hair was bound up tight.

[Assistant] “You’re sending out a woman? Farsas must be running out of capable people.”

[User] “She’s actually too capable, if you can believe it.” Oscar retorted flippantly.

[Assistant] All eyes were on Tinasha, who casually readied her sword. Her formfitting mage’s costume threw her slim and elegant figure into sharp relief.

[User] He pulled out a curved sword and faced her. “You’re a fine woman, though a bit too skinny. Maybe I’ll skin you.” He grinned at her lasciviously as he gave her body a long, slow once-over.

[Assistant] “You’re certainly welcome to try.” Tinasha invited, flashing him a cruel smile. When the start signal came, she leaped off the ground. Her strike wasn’t powerful, but it came down with fearsome speed. Reflexively, Inigo held up his sword to block it. The witch’s weapon worked so fast that the Ito man’s head was liable to go flying off his shoulders if he lost focus for even a moment. He reassessed his initial contempt of the woman. In a cold sweat, Inigo blocked three more attacks, then poured his strength into launching one big blow.

[User] Tinasha dodged it and jumped back. After waiting for the right timing, Inigo aimed his sword point right for her. He cast a spell, pouring magic into it. He brought forth an invisible rope and sent the tip flying toward Tinasha’s thin frame. Conjured cord twined around her, binding her instantaneously. Her arms were lifted up, and with her wrists bound, she dropped her sword. The Farsasian side broke into a commotion when they saw that. On the other side, crude grins spread across the faces of the Ito clansmen, who were well aware of Inigo’s power. Not many mages used swords. Few would’ve guessed that Inigo could use magic, especially after taking his rustic dress into account. Inigo had used that misconception to take advantage of scores of people in the past, toying with them before killing them. Inigo had savored every petrified look when his victims realized they’d been immobilized.

[Assistant] Inigo approached Tinasha and placed the point of his sword right between her collarbones.

[User] She met his gaze evenly, not appearing frightened at all.

[Assistant] “No one said we couldn’t use magic, did they?” He snickered, sure of his victory. He moved to slit her costume open with his blade. Before he could, his sword shattered apart with a ringing noise. Inigo’s jaw dropped as he stared at the sparkling fragments lying on the ground.


[User] He looked up to find his opponent floating in the air with a merciless smile on her lips.

[Assistant] In a lilting voice, she said, “You’re right. No one said we couldn’t use magic.” Her ivory hands closed around his neck. Then the clearing echoed with the sounds of his screams.

[User] “So that puts us at a draw.” Oscar said matter-of-factly, eyeing Tinasha after she came back from her fight.

[Assistant] Javi looked stunned. “What did you do to Inigo…? What is that woman?”

[User] “A mage got done in by magic. I don’t think I did anything unusual.” Tinasha answered. She returned to Oscar’s side and undid her hair. “Okay, now let’s go home. Right away. As soon as possible.”

[Assistant] “What’s got you so spooked…? Well, go on, then, Tinasha.” he said. She caught his meaning and floated up to dab her blood behind his ears. That would allow a sword to get past his barrier, though not magic. Javi couldn’t cast spells, though, so that was enough. As she was checking the spell.

[User] Oscar caught sight of her white earlobe and suddenly drew close and nibbled on it.

[Assistant] “Hyaugh!” she cried in a strange voice, blushing and jumping back. If she were still in cat form, the fur on her back would’ve been standing on end. She pressed her hands to her ears.

[User] Oscar tossed her an evil grin. “That’s for not doing what you’re told. Stupid cat.”

[Assistant] “Ugh! Why…?” Tinasha muttered reproachfully.

[User] Leaving her there, Oscar walked into the clearing, Javi following after him. The air around them was tense. A dry breeze blew between the rock pillars. Once he reached the center of the clearing, Oscar turned to look at Elze. He stared at her, something significant in his gaze. “What do you want me to do? Shall I kill him?”

[Assistant] Faced with this sudden question, Elze’s eyes widened and she gaped back at him. She couldn’t think. No answer rose from her heart. Her breath came in faint gasps as she stammered, “Th-that man killed my husband…”

[User] “I know. But that’s not what you want, is it?”

[Assistant] “Wh-what I want…” All Elze had to go on were the facts of what had happened. She was born and raised in a completely normal environment. She’d gotten married as her parents had wished. What she wanted had never mattered. Elze had never been aware of a want or a desire of her own. She avoided what one should and never did anything improper. She had lived a very ordinary, stagnant life. It was unthinkable for her to feel attracted to a man who was an enemy. Javi’s deep green eyes bored right into Elze. She stiffened beneath the weight of his gaze. She couldn’t answer, and Oscar eventually looked away to focus on his duel against Javi.


[User] He threw a sidelong look at the spectators and saw that Tinasha—perhaps doing what she’d been told—had changed back into a cat and was perched on top of a small rock pillar with her paws and tail tucked under her body. She looked extremely serious, which made Oscar snort as he pulled out Akashia. "Hurry and come at me already. If I don’t get back soon, I’ll have a mountain of work." Oscar taunted.

[Assistant] "Little brat… You better be ready." Javi spat. He drew out a long broadsword. It was crafted to prioritize weight over sharpness and had the ability to smash apart an opponent along with their sword when he struck at full strength. Anyone who’d ever faced Javi knew to fear that weapon, but Oscar didn’t appear bothered in the slightest. Javi licked his lips and settled himself into position. The start signal came. As it did, Javi charged straight ahead.

[User] Immediately, he swung at Oscar. His sword’s powerful slash was surely lethal for anyone on the receiving end, whether they parried it or not.

[Assistant] Oscar leaped back to avoid it.

[User] Javi struck back swiftly with his heavy weapon, closing the distance between them with a sideways swipe.

[Assistant] Oscar dodged the second attack. When Javi’s next blow came, Oscar fended it off with the edge of Akashia. He then used his left hand to catch hold of Javi’s right arm.

[User] "What? !"

[Assistant] Oscar ignored Javi’s cry. With incredible speed, Oscar drew back his own blade. Formidable strength brought Akashia whistling forward, and the sword severed Javi’s arm just above the elbow. The limb hit the ground with a dull thump. Soon after, a bestial scream ripped through the clearing. Javi fell to his knees in pain, but he still reached out with his left hand for his fallen sword. Before his fingers could touch the blade, however, Akashia was at his throat.

[User] "Looks like it’s my victory. I’ll make sure you honor our agreement." A calm voice called to the Ito leader.


[Assistant] Elze nearly fainted as the match came to a close, but Granfort supported her. Amid all the wild enthusiasm, her body felt strangely cold. Color faded from the world. The only parts of the scene that seemed alive were the man groveling on the ground without his arm and the red of his blood. She couldn’t hear anything. She couldn’t say anything. His green eyes took hold of her. His mouth formed the shape of her name. The world lurched. Elze slumped over. The next thing she knew, she was on her knees in the pool of blood, reaching out for his face.

[User] "D… Don’t die…" That was all she was finally able to say. Javi’s emerald eyes were so much more brilliant than they’d been in her dreams.

[Assistant] Oscar exhaled and sheathed Akashia.


[User] He then went over to the black cat and placed it on his shoulder. He turned back to gaze at the man and woman in the center of the clearing.

[Assistant] "Tinasha, can you reattach his arm?"

[User] "I refuse."

[Assistant] "I suppose you would, but stop the bleeding, at least.”

[User] The witch wanted to tut at him in annoyance. Oscar had never intended to have her reattach the man’s arm in the first place. He’d just made an unacceptable request first, so that she’d agree to something less drastic afterward. Tinasha wanted to protest, but in the end, she bit her tongue and cast a spell to stop Javi’s bleeding.

[Assistant] "What do you want to do about her? If you want to retrieve her, I will.”

[User] “She can decide for herself. If she’s been dreaming about him, let her face him herself." The king replied, and the cat stared up at him. That was when her dark eyes grew huge. The wind died down flat and the atmosphere suddenly changed. Sensing something abnormal.

[Assistant] "Get away from there!”

[User] “What?”

[Assistant] Concerned, Javi put his left hand on her. “Hey, what’s wr—?” Something invisible repelled his hand. The wind whipped back up again, swirling into a vortex with Elze at the eye. The maelstrom quickly grew faster and faster, throwing the people in the clearing into chaos.

[User] "Get down from here! You’ll get drawn into it!”

[Assistant] “Your order doesn’t decide anyth—!” The man shouted back, whose words were cut off as the high winds pulled him off his feet. With a scream, he was swept out between a gap in the outcroppings and fell to the ground below.

[User] "R-run!”

[Assistant] Oscar kept a hand on the cat. The poor thing looked like it was going to be sucked up in the vortex. “Tinasha, are you all right? What’s going on?”

[User] “I’ll…teleport them…” croaked a hoarse feline voice as a transportation array engulfed all of the Farsasian citizens in the clearing. Granfort and Carel disappeared with surprised looks on their faces, but Elze remained at the center of the whirling winds. She was stock-still in the pool of blood. Suddenly, from a corner of the clearing, Inigo shrieked and squirmed away. Cracks opened up in the earth of the clearing.


[User] Immediately, they widened and the red bedrock inside fizzled into sand and started to crumble away, joining the windstorm. "Not good… Tinasha, you okay?" Oscar asked again. At this rate, the entire clearing was going to cave in. Oscar looked up at the cat on his shoulder.

[Assistant] Now the cat was breathing raggedly. Its tiny body was shivering, and its black gaze couldn’t stay steady. The witch was in a bad way, and a scowl crossed Oscar’s handsome face. "Oscar… You must…stop it…" Tinasha's feeble voice plead.

[User] The king of Farsas saw that a white mist was seeping up from the fissure closest to the center. It was heading toward him, and he used Akashia to clear it away. The mist vanished when it touched the sword, but fresh vapor streamed up in an endless supply. The huge chasm in the middle was widening little by little, and some sort of particularly thick mass was crawling up from it. It looked distinctively human as it tried to stand up from within the deep crevice. "What the hell is that…?"

[Assistant] The white mass reached its handlike appendages up to the sky. As it pulled itself free, it began to float into the air. Something like that couldn’t be allowed to run free. Oscar recognized that much intuitively, but there was little he could do in the face of such mighty wind. As a stream of sand reached his feet, Oscar brandished Akashia before the white creature. Then he threw the royal sword into the air. It soared through the eddying gale and pierced the white thing. The strange creature’s body immediately dispersed. Unfortunately, an even larger fissure cracked open the clearing. With a violent lurch, the cat fell from Oscar’s shoulder into the gigantic aperture.

[User] "Tinasha!" Oscar shouted, reaching for her. He missed but dived in after her without a moment’s hesitation. The king and the witch were swallowed up by the holy ground. They tumbled into a pitch-black opening in the rock. Before Oscar could worry about where they would land, the crevice opened up into a wide space filled with dim white light. He and Tinasha were falling toward a body of water. Oscar finally managed to catch hold of the black cat in midair, taking it into his arms. Immediately after, the pair plunged into the water with an enormous splash. Oscar broke the surface right away, boosting the cat up onto his shoulder. The cat had stiffened, its black eyes huge. "Are you unharmed?" Oscar asked with urgency.

[Assistant] “Yu-”

[User] “Yu?”

[Assistant] "Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck! I hate water! I hate being wet!"

[User] “Whoa, what’s wrong? Calm down,” Oscar insisted, but even as he spoke, the sopping wet cat was in chaos, attempting to clamber up from the water to his head. It dug its claws into his back in its panic, and Oscar patted the little animal. "I understand. You can change back into a human, so calm down.


[User] "We’ve got to swim for a bit—don’t fall in.” The pair were in a faintly lit, gigantic cave with walls of rock. It was much bigger than the underground cave Tinasha had taken him to on his birthday, though not as deep. It was more of a spring than a lake. Oscar was uninjured due in large part to his protective barrier. The considerable impact against the water would have undoubtedly broken something otherwise. It may have just been a spring that formed when underground water pooled, but to the wet cat, it was a full-scale calamity.

[Assistant] Oscar's words must have brought Tinasha back to her senses and calmed her a little, because she transformed back into her original shape. The shift hadn’t freed her of a cat’s fear of water, however, and she clung tearfully to Oscar’s neck while he swam. "I—I got soaked… My fur got so wet…”

[User] “You can swim. What’s gotten into you? I can’t see where I’m going; move your arm out of the way.”

[Assistant] “Cats hate getting wet! What is this awful place?”


[User] "I’d like to know that myself." Oscar said, pulling the witch into his arms as he swam the rest of the way across the cold spring.

[Assistant] He hoisted her up first before getting out of the water himself.

[User] Muttering complaints all the while, Tinasha dried their clothes, and then froze.

[Assistant] "Oscar… Where’s Akashia?"

[User] "I threw it. I saw it fall into a different fissure."

[Assistant] "I—I see…" She said, most likely well aware that scolding him for something that reckless wasn’t going to help their current situation.

[User] Tinasha sighed as she finished magically drying her and Oscar’s clothes.

[Assistant] "What happened back there? You were acting odd. So were Elze and that Ito mage." Oscar pressed.

[User] "Right… It’s strange that you were the only one unaffected by what happened." Tinasha replied as she took in their surroundings.

[Assistant] The witch pointed to a singular rift in the wall. "Let’s walk and talk. I want to get Akashia back."

[User] "Got it. Sorry about this." Oscar apologized, ruffling her hair, and her eyes narrowed happily.

[Assistant] They set out along the path the rift had carved for them.

[User] "Some sort of external magical interference was making me feel sick. A strange power from underground was coming up toward our internal magic. For people like me and the Ito mage who’ve undergone magic control training, it felt like something shut up inside us was forcibly churning us up. I felt so bad I couldn’t cast any spells. I don’t know what it was like for Elze, but I can only imagine…"

[Assistant] "Mine is uncontrolled, but I was fine." Oscar interjected.

[User] "You’re a bit of a special case… You also had Akashia. That Javi guy might’ve managed to avoid the feeling, too."

[Assistant] "Javi, huh? You didn’t like that place from the start, and I guess with good reason."

[User] Regardless of what’d happened, Tinasha and Oscar were now underground. Oscar looked down at the witch next to him. "If you want, you can wait back at the fortress. I’ll look for Akashia."

[Assistant] "Don’t be ridiculous. I’m your protector. I’m actually very glad I came with you. I shudder to think of you off getting yourself drawn into trouble without my knowledge." Tinasha stated pertly.

[User] She then grabbed hold of Oscar’s sleeve. The witch may have meant her words to be a sign of her dedication, but it betrayed her compassion more than anything else.

[Assistant] Oscar smiled and continued the march forward. Beyond the rift in the rock lay a narrow, crooked path. Oscar ran his fingers along the surface of the wall. "This is man-made. Is this part of the Ito holy ground, too?"

[User] "Most likely. I think the aboveground part is just a lid. The battle on that seal is what broke it." Tinasha hypothesized.

[Assistant] "A seal… What of that white mist that was inside? Do you know what that was?" Oscar inquired.

[User] "I don’t."


[User] "There’s not enough evidence for me to hazard a guess. All I can sense is that it’s something bad for mages." Tinasha replied. An end to their path was nearing now, and they could see that it led into an open space.

[Assistant] Tinasha was about to advance into it, but Oscar held her back.

[User] "Someone’s there." He hissed, pulling out his dagger.

[Assistant] Tinasha obediently followed behind him.

[User] Concealing his footsteps as best he could, Oscar crept out into the round, empty chamber of rock. A man was crouched in the middle of it, and Oscar gaped at the sight of him. "Did you fall down, too? Are you okay?"

[Assistant] "You… How did you get here?" He looked up at them with empty eyes.

[User] "We fell. If you’ve got any fatal wounds, she can heal them." Oscar replied.

[Assistant] "Hey, don’t speak for me. I plan to kill all of them as soon as I can." The witch retorted, sounding truly enraged.

[User] Oscar grimaced. He’d learned over the course of their time together that she was indifferent toward people who were hostile to her but merciless to those who treated him that way. She was much crueler than him, particularly to people who struck back even after their defeat was clear. Both of them were confident in their own abilities. Oscar was content to let his enemies escape, but Tinasha beat them down thoroughly to nip any future revenge plots in the bud. It was not easy at all to rein her in when she was full of wrath. "Leave it. You don’t have to handle everything. Besides, right now I have something to ask him." Oscar turned to Javi. "What is this place?" Murals and written characters were carved into the faintly glowing walls.

[Assistant] "This is the Ito’s sacred place. Only the leader and his closest associates know about it. Carved into the walls is the history of our clan… I’ve only been here once before as a kid." Javi glared at Oscar and Tinasha as if they were something unpleasant.

[User] "Your history, huh? Interesting." Oscar remarked. He walked up to the right edge of one wall, where the carvings looked the newest. Inscribed there was small, tightly packed text detailing the events of two years prior, with no pictures. In some places, it was too smudged to read, but here and there, Oscar could pick out words like two of the same sword, the past, magic crystal ball, and memories of a clan. When he brought his face closer to get a better look, Tinasha called to him.

[Assistant] "Don’t wander around. This is more annoying than I thought."

[User] "Hmm? What’s up?"

[Assistant] Tinasha was looking at an even older carving on the opposite wall. It was composed almost entirely of pictures, and she pointed to a drawing of a white human-shaped being. It had no face or clothing, and little balls were depicted at its feet. The other humans around it were reverently bowing down to it.


[User] "This is probably their visiting god. It’s the thing that just attacked us."

[Assistant] "Oh, because it’s white? Is it okay to decide that’s what it is just based on color?"

[User] "There’s more written here that makes it obvious. ‘The god who came from another place found the devil fiends mixed in among the humans and killed them. Everyone gave thanks to the god and feared it. They made a resting place for their deity.’ In the early Dark Age, devil fiend was an insult for mages. Mages weren’t treated as people back then. This ‘god’ can provoke reactions in people with magic, revealing them to be mages. That’s why the Ito revered it."

[Assistant] "I see. So they turned their sacred land into its resting place. But what is it really? It looked like mist. Is it a demon?"

[User] "No. A demon would have its own magic. This thing was different…" Tinasha traced a part of the wall.

[Assistant] Oscar squinted. "...ity…di…? I can’t make it out." Oscar finally admitted, brooding over it.

[User] Tinasha whirled around to look at Javi, a grim look on her face. "The god that came from another place. Have you heard where that place is?"

[Assistant] Javi’s face was pale, but he glared at Tinasha and refused to answer.

[User] She let out a huge sigh. "The fact that you’re here but largely uninjured must mean that you followed the path down here yourself. You didn’t fall like us. You came in search of Elze, right? You better start talking before it’s too late. She had magic."

[Assistant] "Wha—? That can’t be…" Javi gasped. He struggled to get to his feet, but he fell to his knees in agony. After a brief moment of indecision, he finally decided to give Tinasha the answer that she wanted. "Th-they said it came from the north."

[User] "I knew it…" The witch whispered to herself.

[Assistant] "Tinasha, what do you know?" Oscar inquired.

[User] "I can’t be certain, but there’s another country with similar stories of an entity that can badly affect the mind and body of those with magic. Its mere presence was said to be enough to cause their magic to run wild and hurt those around them…"

[Assistant] "It can’t be…" Oscar had heard the same story. Just two months ago, he’d needed to review an account of it. Before sending out Farsasian troops to aid in a foreign country’s religious war, he’d thought to study up on that nation’s cultural history. It was in that research that he’d learned of the entity known as the World-Splitting Blade or Sleeping Paleface. A huge country in the north worshipped that fearsome creature as a god. "...Tayiri’s one true god, Irityrdia." Oscar muttered, completely stunned.

[User] "Most likely, yes… That giant thing was what they deified." Tinasha affirmed.