[User] The girl slipped through the moonlight undetected. It took her longer than anticipated in the castle city, but three hours later, she finally finished making the rounds of all the crucial points and teleported back to the mansion.

[Assistant] Valt was waiting for her in her room when she returned. He set about making tea. "How did it go?"

[User] "There was an odd spell set up in town, so I removed it. It seemed to be a timer that would set all the buildings in the vicinity on fire when triggered. That sort of thing would only inconvenience us."

[Assistant] "Oh? Sounds like the work of a fairly talented mage, if it escaped Tuldarr’s notice."

[User] "It’s no laughing matter. Whoever it was went right ahead and linked their spell to mine." Miralys huffed.

[Assistant] Valt gave her a smile. "I’m glad you undid it in time. We certainly don’t want them noticing us now. Thank you, Miralys."

[User] His praise caused her to turn bright red, but she ignored the color in her cheeks and pasted on a prim face as she went on. "Aside from that, my check confirmed that everything is nearly complete. It’s grown enough."

[Assistant] "Good. Thank you for your hard work." Valt replied, grinning with pleasure.

[User] However, a shadow passed over his accomplice’s face. "Is it really going to be okay? Will it work?"

[Assistant] "It’s a bit late to be asking questions like that. Of course it’s going to be fine. We’ve put in so much time and planned very carefully." He assured her.

[User] "And…you’re not going to disappear, right?" Miralys pressed, voicing the one fear she’d carried the entire time.

[Assistant] Valt didn’t answer. Still smiling, he offered Miralys a steaming cup of tea, but she didn’t accept it; she kept staring straight at him. "Answer me, Valt. I can’t act until you do."

[User] "If you…hadn’t met me, you could have been so much happier." He remarked.

[Assistant] Miralys scowled. "What’s that supposed to mean? Are you making fun of me?"

[User] "I’m not. I really think that, Miralys. I know it. But no matter how many times I go through this, I end up meeting you. I’ll want to find you. It’s very annoying."

[Assistant] "This will be the last time. Right?"

[User] "Yes… It will." Valt said, his grin shadowed by the moonlight streaming in from outside.

[Assistant] Despite feeling no more reassured than before, Miralys accepted the tea at last. She took a sip and found it a little bitter.

[User] Valt closed his eyes. "Our preparations are made. But there’s one last thing I have to check first." Teacup in hand, he turned to face away from Miralys and gazed up at the azure moon. It glowed exquisitely with eternal loneliness. "I need her to surpass the outsiders. If she can’t, then no one will. That’s why we’re having her build up all these experiences."

[Assistant] "Does she really possess that much power? Maybe she’ll lose." Miralys said, a little sourly.


[User] Whispers influenced people. They heard what they wanted to believe and let the honeyed words sway their hearts. Valt knew that this couldn’t be dismissed as a weakness. It was natural for people to cling to hope as long as they lived. Humans would always wish for joy over sadness, for bliss rather than pain. People who couldn’t see the future made their way in the world with ignorance as their salvation. But he, lacking that escape, had no choice but to cling to a single hope. And he wouldn’t hesitate to trample others to make it real. The world would get overwritten anyway. Their agony and deaths would disappear in time. Valt sighed as he came upon the mouth to a small cavern deep in a forest.

[Assistant] "Here we are. There really is no path at all." Overgrown trees blocked the mouth entirely, and there had been no trail of any sort to follow. He’d managed to locate it by teleporting from nearby using data from his ancestors’ records. A flash of his magic burned away the trees at the cave’s entrance. He pressed a hand to the barrier preventing anyone from entering.

[User] "As rock-solid as I expected. This might take some time." Valt began an incantation to nullify the barrier, which may as well have been a thick iron wall. No halfhearted efforts would break it. By the time the lengthy incantation finished and the way was cleared, sweat dappled Valt’s forehead and night had fallen. Shoulders heaving with his breaths, Valt stepped into the cave. At the end of a narrow, winding path, he found what he was looking for. A beautiful woman lay on a stone pedestal. She had light-brown curly hair and held an ancient oval looking glass. He only needed the mirror. But he saw that an even more complicated barrier than the one at the entrance protected the object from theft. Valt licked his lips nervously.

[Assistant] "Can I make off with this without rousing her?" He had two strategies prepared. This was the second. If his predecessor’s account was correct, she shouldn’t wake unless the mirror was broken. If that was wrong, Valt would die. Taking a deep inhale to steady his breathing, Valt started another long incantation. The world began to move again.


[Assistant] "What incredible artistry."

[User] “It took the artisans half a year to make. Apparently, they had to redo parts of it after the fall of Druza,” Legis replied with a smile.

[Assistant] Tinasha squinted at the national borders delineated by vibrant threads and metal fixtures. The queen nodded as she identified each of these regions.

[User] “In the past, hardly anyone lived outside the castle city.”

[Assistant] “I suppose it’s because we have more mages now,” Legis remarked.

[User] “And because the population has grown. The rest of the mages came from Tayiri,” she replied, aware that her policies from four hundred years ago had led to this. Once she began accepting refugee mages persecuted in Tayiri, Tayiri retaliated by attacking Tuldarr.


[User] Legis smiled as he traced the borders of his homeland. "Once your marriage with Farsas is made, we’ll be secure for a good while. Please do your best to keep him twisted around your little finger.”

[Assistant] “I’ll try, but…don’t expect too much from me."

[User] Legis glanced at the clock. “Isn’t it almost time for your wedding gown fitting? Shall I escort you?”

[Assistant] Tinasha shook her head lightly. “I’m teleporting over, so there’s no need. Thank you, though.”


[User] "Your Majesty, you aren’t going to go and observe Queen Tinasha’s dress fitting?” asked Lazar.

[Assistant] Oscar glanced up from his paperwork. “Seeing it now will ruin the anticipation for the big day. Besides, she’ll look beautiful in whatever she wears.”

[User] Something occurred to him, and he tipped his head to one side. “Oh yeah, should we invite Lavinia?”

[Assistant] “D-don’t ask me!” exclaimed Lazar.

[User] Eyeing his friend, who was clearly growing woozy over the idea, Oscar tapped his pen against his temple. “Well, I can just ask my dad about it later. We don’t even know where she lives, anyway.”

[Assistant] “Shouldn’t you consult Queen Tinasha as well?”

[User] “I don’t think she’d be opposed. She’s more likely to ask if we should invite the witch, I bet,” said Oscar.


[User] “A witch at the wedding, huh?” muses. Witches were beings of great power who dwelled in the shadows of the world. There were only three, and the blood of a witch ran through his veins. Their immense power was on par with that of the queen he would wed and their future children. However, Oscar believed individual strength, no matter how great, was not sufficient to change the world. He, his wife, and their children would one day fade into the annals of history, and the power of their lineage would weaken. To Oscar, this wasn’t unfortunate; it was merely the way of things. Someone knocked at the door, Oscar answered it, and a guest entered the study. It was Tinasha, clad in a white, knee-length dress.

[Assistant] When Oscar gaped at her, she flicked the skirts of her dress at him.

[User] “Is that your wedding dress? I can see your legs.”

[Assistant] “No, this is the same fabric, though. The dressmaker used leftover material from my fittings to make it for me. The real one is much longer.” She replies, twirling around. The skirt filled with air and flared out.

[User] A line appeared between Oscar’s brows. “You really are still a kid…”

[Assistant] “What? Why? Don’t you like it?”

[User] “Of course I do. It’s adorable.” He says, walking over to her. As she beamed at him, he lifted her into his arms and spun around with her just like he would with a small child.

[Assistant] She let out an almost feline yowl, not expecting that at all. Once she was set back down on the floor, she wobbled unsteadily into his chest. "What was that for?”

[User] “You looked like you wanted some attention.”

[Assistant] “I mean, I do… But not like that.” She pouted, cheeks puffing out.

[User] Oscar laughed. He scooped her up in his arms again and carried her over to his desk chair, where he settled her on the armrest and handed her some papers.

[Assistant] Tinasha read them over. “Arrangements for the wedding? Looks complicated.”

[User] “Don’t talk about it like it isn’t your wedding. Still, it’s true that we’re handling most of the work over here. All you need to do is show up and get married.”

[Assistant] But Tinasha was more concerned with another matter entirely. “What are you going to do about security? If all the mages from Tuldarr coming in will pose a problem, I can handle it.”

[User] “You don’t think you’ll be a bit preoccupied being the bride?” Oscar questioned dryly.

[Assistant] “Of course I will, but that doesn’t mean I can’t also handle security. I’ll set a spell to ban magic inside the cathedral."


[User] "I could place one around the entire castle, but that wouldn’t be good if someone suddenly needed healing." Tinasha said matter-of-factly as she handed the papers back to Oscar.

[Assistant] He narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that what you did at your coronation, too?"

[User] "I didn’t ban magic. That would’ve inconvenienced the Tuldarr mages. However, I maintained a surveillance network. I would’ve known immediately if anyone used unauthorized spells, and I’d have forced them to surrender. I plan to do the same for Legis’s coronation." she informed him.

[Assistant] "If you ended up forcing someone to surrender at your own wedding, it’d turn into quite the circus…"

[User] Oscar glanced at the woman sharing his chair. "I can’t believe Tuldarr is really going to let you go…"

[Assistant] "Is that how you see it? Don’t you think it’s more dangerous for them to have a security risk like me in the country? No one in Tuldarr has so much as tried to stop me." Tinasha remarked calmly, but for an instant, Oscar caught a flash of a bottomless abyss in her dark eyes.

[User] He frowned. Once, that power had granted her the throne. Even now, centuries later, her power had necessitated that she rule again. Should Tuldarr wish to eliminate Tinasha, it could never do so by force. Farsas had Akashia, however, and could potentially control her. That made Oscar a person capable of killing her. Oscar pressed a hand to his mouth unconsciously. He glanced at Tinasha, and she eyed him quizzically in response. "What is it? You don’t look very good."

[Assistant] "It’s nothing…" He hoped that was true. The pair had previously shared minor disagreements, but they’d never led to a complete breakdown in their relationship. It would be all right. They could spend the rest of their lives together at peace. To banish his inner worries, Oscar tugged on a lock of Tinasha’s hair. She responded by leaning in close to him, which made him press a kiss on her smooth cheek. She blushed like a maiden.

[User] "Hey! What was that for?"

[Assistant] "No reason."

[User] "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that I am still here?" Lazar sighed wearily.

[Assistant] "I haven’t." replied Oscar.

[User] Tinasha picked up a book lying on the corner of the desk. "Oh? You read fairy tales?"

[Assistant] "I got it for the castle reference library. I don’t have time to look through all of it, but I glance at it from time to time." he explained.

[User] "Oh, here’s the story on the Mirror of Oblivion."


[User] "I suppose that it’s remained a mystery even after four centuries, although I have my suspicions that a mirror that can absorb sadness must be a magic implement that utilizes psychological manipulation.”

[Assistant] “Aren’t these stories fictional?”

[User] “Who can say? That one is from before my time.” Tinasha said innocently as she flipped through the pages.

[Assistant] Oscar gave a wan smile as he watched. The new year was only two weeks away, meaning the king was swamped with work. Yet when he thought about how his future with her waited for him at the end of it all, it didn’t seem so taxing. He was about to begin his life with his chosen partner. All that remained was to trust in that and keep going.


[User] "My king? Are you feeling unwell?” Queen Gemma called.

[Assistant] Alarmed by the king’s lack of response, the queen stepped into the room and attempted to shake the king awake. When he wouldn’t rouse no matter how much she shook him, the blood drained from her face. “My king… Someone! Someone, come quick!” Gemma cried, flying out of the room to summon help.


[User] Tinasha was in her study, taking care of her regular royal duties with the new year just around the corner, when urgent news came to her. She frowned. “Whatever could be the matter at this time of year?”

[Assistant] The king of Magdalsia has fallen into a mysterious coma.


[User] “No reason for it can be found, but as he is entirely unconscious, magic is suspected. They request that we come and investigate immediately.” Renart reported calmly.

[Assistant] Tinasha plucked the letter from him and scanned it for the salient points. It explained that the Magdalsian king had fallen unconscious the day before and that the castle physicians and mages had failed to discern a reason. Desperate, Magdalsia was now asking Tuldarr for aid. Tinasha heaved a sigh. “What could it be? I suppose I won’t know unless I go take a look.”

[User] “Shall I send an envoy to carry out the investigation?”

[Assistant] “No, it’s too dangerous with so much unknown. I’ll go myself today.” Tinasha said, deciding.

[User] Renart’s expression didn’t change as he nonetheless offered his candid thoughts. “You’re going to visit personally? We don’t know what this might be. It may very well be a trap laid for you, Your Majesty.”

[Assistant] “That’s true… All right, then I’ll choose someone to come along. Would that suffice?” She said, though it hardly counted as a proper reply.

[User] Renart pulled a long-suffering face.

[Assistant] Tinasha winced. “Legis is most important to Tuldarr right now. I’m only a temporary ruler. And besides… Even if it is a trap, I have a feeling I’ll still come back in one piece.”

[User] After a sigh, Renart fastened his gaze on his queen. “Very well. You should also notify the king of Farsas before departing.”

[Assistant] “Ugh… Do I have to?” Tinasha groaned.

[User] “Urgh, fine… But I don’t like it.”

[Assistant] “It’s better than him finding out later and telling you off.”

[User] “Both are equally bad.” Tinasha whined, while divvying up the paperwork in her in-box and arranging for some to be sent to Legis. She assigned Renart the task of selecting her companion on the journey and teleported away. "And there you have it… I’ll be leaving for Magdalsia now.”


[Assistant] “What do you mean, ‘there you have it’?”

[User] “Ow, ow, ow!” Tinasha cried as Oscar tugged on her earlobe. She had barged in on Oscar while he was in the middle of work, rattled off a suspicious explanation, and was attempting to flee.


[User] As she flailed around, close to tears because of his iron grip on her ear, she didn’t appear the ruler of a nation at all. Nor did she even look her age, although that was a complicated matter—Tinasha was over four hundred in the body of a twenty-year-old. It certainly wouldn’t do for her to look her true age.

[Assistant] Oscar finally released his fiancée’s ear, only to grab both her wrists and pull her close. "Listen to me. The new year is right around the corner and our wedding is in only a month. Why are you trying to get yourself involved in such a shady situation?"

[User] Her dark, teary eyes gazed up at him. "Well, they contacted me…"

[Assistant] "So? Just forget about it. Don’t go."

[User] "I—I can’t do that." Tinasha protested. While Magdalsia was a minor nation, it was still Tuldarr’s neighbor. She couldn’t ignore a direct request, and she also had to hurry because the king of Magdalsia’s life hung in the balance. She cast beseeching eyes up at Oscar. "I’m only going to take a quick peek."

[Assistant] "Remind me again of how many conflicts you’ve gotten embroiled in after telling me you were only going to take a quick peek?"

[User] "Urgh…"

[Assistant] While Oscar didn’t allow Tinasha’s resentful look to sway him, he let out a little sigh and released her. He lowered a hand onto Tinasha’s head. "Well, I suppose I have to commend you for coming to tell me first, at least. Take your spirits with you and be back by nightfall."

[User] "You mean you won’t be upset with me if I go?!"

[Assistant] "I reserve the right to go and remove you at any time." Oscar said, although it was only a warning. In truth, they were equals both in their private lives and as public figures, and he couldn’t exactly interfere in another country’s domestic affairs.

[User] Tinasha broke into a relieved grin and nodded. "I’ll be back before you know it! Thank you!" Happily, she jumped up to throw her arms around Oscar’s neck, then teleported away and vanished.

[Assistant] The abrupt departure left Oscar dumbfounded. "She really is just a little kid…," he mused. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of a wife she would make. Would she act like this her whole life? Tinasha could cloak herself in an aura that was downright terrifying when necessary. Oscar chuckled at the stark contrast she was capable of as he returned to preparing for the new year’s festivities.


[User] "What do you think I should do? What if something’s happened?"

[Assistant] "I’m almost never with him, so I have no idea, but it’s very strange. Unthinkable. Failing to answer your call is a breach of the contract." The predicament had left the entire party held up just outside the castle transportation array they were to take.

[User] "He’s probably in a situation that’s rendered him unable to manifest. That’s the only thing I can think of. The contract is still there, so he’s not dead." Mila gave a light shake of her head.

[Assistant] "Itz, Karr, Saiha. Would you search for Senn?" Tinasha ordered.

[User] While anxiety still darkened her face, Tinasha forcibly suppressed it and pasted on a smile for her retinue. "I’m sorry about that. Let’s be off."

[Assistant] "But Your Majesty—"

[User] "It’s all right. We need to hurry," Tinasha cut in, her smile not faltering for a moment. Compared to her previous loss of composure, it was like she was a different person. It was obvious she was concerned, but her responsibilities came first. The queen drew herself up straight and stepped into the array. It was a portal installed one hundred and fifty years ago at the wishes of both Tuldarr and Magdalsia, linking directly to the latter’s capital city. Upon the group’s arrival, guards came to escort them to the castle’s main gate.


[Assistant] They were greeted by Queen Gemma and a few magistrates.

[User] Gemma bowed gratefully to the other queen, who appeared to be twenty years younger than she was. "I’m very sorry for asking you to come. We simply cannot discover what’s caused this…"

[Assistant] "It’s no trouble at all. Tuldarr has a duty to accept requests like this. May we make haste and see King Hubert right away?"

[User] "Of course. Please follow me," Gemma replied, lifting her heavy skirts and turning on her heel. The group from Tuldarr followed her into the palace. Magdalsia’s castle was not large or luxurious, but it was crafted thoughtfully from good-quality materials. Unfortunately, the king’s unexplained coma meant the structure was filled with a distinct sense of unease. Tinasha was musing to herself that she wouldn’t know if she could help until she inspected the king, when Gemma suddenly came to a halt in front of the entrance to the throne room.

[Assistant] "Who are you? You’re not allowed to be in here!"

[User] The young woman standing before the throne only smirked, remaining still. Her arms were crossed, with a paper held between the fingers of one hand. "Nice to meet you, Gemma. No need to worry about the king. He’s only sleeping."


[User] "I asked you who you are!" shrilled the queen.

[Assistant] "I’m Lucia. I’ll be filling in for the king while he’s asleep."

[User] "Filling in…?"

[Assistant] Lucia gave a half smile and flicked the piece of paper in her hands. It floated through the air and landed in Gemma’s grasp.

[User] She glanced down at it, and within a matter of seconds, her hands began to tremble. "No… This can’t be…"

[Assistant] "It’s the king’s handwriting, isn’t it? You don’t need to worry about him." Lucia stated. The letter outlined that Lucia was someone the king of Magdalsia trusted and that she was to be given full authority while he was immobile. Yet this was still someone Gemma didn’t recognize, a woman of completely unknown origin.

[User] Gemma’s gaze turned harsh, and she stood firm. "If the king is truly in no danger, I will hear it from him and no one else! Move away from there!"

[Assistant] "Gemma, are you really that incapable of grasping a situation?" Lucia questioned in a low tone. The queen, who carried herself with a deep majesty no ordinary person could possess, drew back. Realizing that she was cowering instinctively, Gemma twisted her face in humiliation.


[User] Just as she was about to say something, a door across the room opened, and a man nearing his elder years entered. Gemma beamed at the sight of him. "Gasparo! Do something about this woman, please."

[Assistant] Whispering, "Who is he?"

[User] "The prime minister. He’s held this position for over twenty years. His Majesty and all the magistrates trust him absolutely, and he will not let some strange girl tell us what to do." Gemma replied, gazing at the prime minister expectantly.

[Assistant] After letting out a sigh, the prime minister turned to face his queen. "Your Majesty, I deeply apologize, but I cannot obey. Lady Lucia is currently the acting ruler."

[User] "Excuse me?!" The entire chamber was thrown into an uproar, excepting Lucia and the prime minister.

[Assistant] Sighing again at how severely shaken Queen Gemma was, Glancing at the door he’d entered from. Two soldiers stepped into the room. "Your Majesty, I deeply apologize, but I cannot obey. Lady Lucia is currently the acting ruler."

[User] "I understand your concern, Your Majesty, but you should rest for a bit. Soldiers! Escort the queen to her chambers!"

[Assistant] "Wh-what?! Unhand me!" Ignoring the queen’s protests, the soldiers each took an arm, and she was frog-marched away to her chambers. The delegation from Tuldarr and the magistrates who had escorted them in were left behind. Pamyra and the Tuldarr officers gawked at the abrupt escalation.

[User] Only Tinasha and Mila were eyeing Lucia pointedly, and Lucia’s amber gaze fell upon Tinasha.

[Assistant] “So that’s how things are. I appreciate that you came all this way, but there’s no longer any need. I’ll ask you to leave now.”

[User] “You’re a mage, aren’t you?” questioned Tinasha.

[Assistant] “And what if I am?” the woman replied boldly, and Tinasha arched a brow.


[User] "May I see the king?" She hesitated for two to three seconds before she responded.

[Assistant] “No need.”

[User] “Because you can’t allow us to?” She returned coldly.

[Assistant] Lucia gave a shallow grin. “The king is not well enough to meet with the Queen of Tuldarr. When the time comes, he will visit you.”

[User] “That won’t be necessary,” said Tinasha, tilting her head to peer suspiciously at the woman on the throne. She honed her concentration to a fine point as colossal amounts of magic pulsed in her body. That was when she noticed multiple pairs of eyes on her. Soldiers had streamed in from the door in the back, ready and watching. Their expressions were devoid of emotion. It was clear they would draw their swords on command. Tinasha relaxed her power. With eyes as cold as ice, she stared at Lucia. “Very well. We will take our leave for today. I do hope we’ll meet again soon.”

[Assistant] “So sorry I couldn’t provide better hospitality,” Lucia apologized mockingly, confident of her victory.

[User] Concealing her emotions, Tinasha turned to depart. Her retinue gave her reassuring smiles. The woman seated on the throne smirked as she watched the ruler of Tuldarr disappear the way she had come.


[Assistant] Renart greeted them with astonishment.

[User] Once in her study, Tinasha dismissed her guards and exhaled hard. “Things do not look good over there…”

[Assistant] “Who in the world was that woman?” inquired Pamyra, naturally referring to Lucia.

[User] Tinasha sat in a chair with her knees drawn to her chest. “I don’t know if the king really gave her the right to rule, but she’s extremely bad news. She has…as much magic as I do, or as much as a witch. It’s not normal.”

[Assistant] “What…?” Renart and Pamyra paled.

[User] Tinasha sighed over her knees. “I can’t believe we ran into such a dangerous person. Oscar will definitely not be happy about this.”

[Assistant] Mustering courage, Renart finally managed to ask, “Do people with as much magic as witches truly exist?”

[User] “Strictly speaking, Lady Tinasha has more raw magic,” put in Mila. “But power isn’t measured by capacity alone. It’s hard to tell how much of a challenge she would pose, so I think it’s good we retreated for now.” The spirit made her assertion in a flat yet unhappy tone before floating into the air and taking a seat on top of a bookcase.

[Assistant] Tinasha folded her hands and rested her chin on them. “She means to take the country, doesn’t she?”

[User] “I wonder. Those soldiers looked like they were being mind-controlled. And in that case, she could have complete domination almost overnight,” Mila replied.


[User] "She really showed us up, right at the end of the year and everything." Tinasha muttered.

[Assistant] Lifting her head, Tinasha glanced over at Pamyra and Renart. "I want to…get rid of her, I’m pretty sure…"

[User] "I’m not sure that’s a good idea…"

[Assistant] Tinasha stared up at the ceiling. "Because of how powerful she is, I’d like to come up with a bit of a strategy for going up against her. Phaedra got the better of me with a particularly nasty type of spell, after all."

[User] "But this Lucia is human, isn’t she? She wasn’t a demon or anything."

[Assistant] "Hmm… I don’t think she’s a witch." Tinasha mused.

[User] "The Witch of the Water or the Witch of the Forbidden Forest, huh? I’ve never met either."

[Assistant] "You might be able to get some answers if you questioned all the spirits. The Witch of the Water was the one with invisible spells, right?"

[User] "That’s what people say, yes. I really don’t want to face her." Tinasha replied.

[Assistant] "And the Witch of the Forbidden Forest specializes in psychological magic. I wouldn’t want to fight her, either." Tinasha remarked.

[User] Mila gave a disgusted shudder. "Demons are weak to high levels of psychological magic, so that’s even worse than the Witch of the Water for me."

[Assistant] Resting her cheek in one hand, Tinasha felt her thoughts racing.


[Assistant] Oscar rushed to complete his duties and made his habitual visit to his fiancée an hour earlier than usual. "Is she not back yet?" Tinasha’s bedchamber was dark and empty, with only a candle flickering on the table.

[User] As Oscar was deliberating over whether to wait or go out looking for her, he heard the door behind him opening and whirled around.

[Assistant] "Oscar? You’re here early." Tinasha said, coming in from the bathroom and cocking her head to find him there.

[User] "You’re getting the floor all wet. Dry yourself off before you come in." He eyed her incredulously.

[Assistant] "Oh…I’ll do that." She said, wrapping her hair in the other towel she’d brought as she glanced behind her.

[User] Oscar stroked a line from the nape of her neck down her spine.

[Assistant] "Waugh! What do you think you’re doing?!" Tinasha yelped, letting out a strange cry as she jumped back.

[User] "Your skin’s not hot at all. And here I thought you were drying it using heat." Oscar looked down at his hand and marveled.

[Assistant] "I’d die if I did that! The spell only affects water!"

[User] "Gotcha. That’s pretty handy." He commented.

[Assistant] "Unbelievable… That tickled, you know." Tinasha pouted, quivering with anger.

[User] Oscar gave her a flat look before he reached out to lift her into his arms and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, settling her on his lap.

[Assistant] She gazed up at him innocently. "Aren’t your clothes going to get wet?"

[User] "I don’t care." He stated, drinking in the floral scent wafting faintly off her soft body.


[User] She had never felt shy or wary around him in intimate situations, and that hadn’t changed since their engagement. Savoring the virtually inescapable pull of her unusually warm frame and flushed skin, Oscar let his eyes close.

[Assistant] Tinasha dried her hair quickly, perhaps conscious of how she was dampening Oscar’s outfit. After only a moment, she was completely dry, as was the towel wrapped around her. She teleported a comb over to her and started to brush her locks.

[User] "You’ve been pretty well-behaved lately."

[Assistant] "That’s because you’re always getting upset with me!"

[User] "Which is a result of your love for poking your nose into absolutely everything."

[Assistant] Tinasha stuck out her tongue at him childishly but didn’t refute his point. She knew that Oscar’s many annoying warnings came from a place of love.

[User] Oscar pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "Our wedding is only a short while after the new year. Why don’t you move to Farsas early? It won’t be so different from having our rooms connected."

[Assistant] "What? But you’re the one who’s always complaining about how hard it is to get me to wake up in the mornings!"

[User] "I’ll wake you up anyway." It was hardly a sacrifice if it meant making Tinasha his bride at once. He had held himself back this entire time, aware that taking her chastity would mean weakening her spiritual magic, but things had been peaceful for a while, and she was behaving herself. Surely, they didn’t have to wait until after the wedding.

[Assistant] Tinasha appeared confused at how quickly Oscar had responded. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and made to stand. "All right, I’m going to go get dressed."

[User] "You can stay like that." Oscar replied, holding her down on his waist. He tipped up her chin and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. She was so hot to the touch that he felt like he would melt. He knew that a good half of that heat had to come from her emotions. He wanted to melt her down to her core and pick out the most constant and true part of her. He would do it over and over. And he sensed that she desired to do the same to him. Oscar whispered into her ear, "Tell me you don’t want this, and


[User] That look of hers made him dizzy, and he smiled. He kissed a line down her neck, his ardent passion ruling him entirely.

[Assistant] "But Oscar?" she called, her voice the tiniest bit tremulous.

[User] "What?"

[Assistant] "I need to tell you something. You’ll be upset if I tell you later," she panted, although her voice also carried an edge to it.

[User] A bad feeling took root in Oscar’s stomach. "Tell me, then."

[Assistant] Tinasha’s long eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes. "I—I might need to fight an enemy who’s as strong as a witch," she confessed.

[User] "……" Night had fallen completely in the queen’s bedchamber—a heavy, almost tangible silence blanketed its two occupants. After letting out a very long sigh, Oscar lifted Tinasha and settled her next to him. With his eyes squeezed shut against the headache boring at his temples, he clapped her on the shoulder. "Go get dressed, then we’ll talk."

[Assistant] "Umm, but it’s really all right. I have plenty of magic, so I can figure something out even without my chastity…"

[User] "Put on some clothes! I was a fool to let down my guard!"

[Assistant] "Sorry," Tinasha muttered as she headed for her closet.


[Assistant] He was taking a sip of bitter liqueur when Tinasha returned wearing a black, long-sleeved dress that trailed along the floor behind her. Sweeping the skirts up, she sat down across from him with a dejected look on her face. Oscar got right down to business. "So, who’s this opponent that’s as strong as a witch? How have things reached this point?"

[User] "It’s a long story, but…" Tinasha gave a clear and concise explanation.

[Assistant] Oscar frowned as he took everything in. A mysterious woman with as much magic as a witch had appeared out of nowhere and taken over a country, albeit a minor one. The facts alone were highly irregular. But for the time being, this was all another country’s problem. "As long as no harm comes to us, you should leave it alone."

[User] "Renart said the same thing," Tinasha replied. "But we don’t know what her motives are.


[User] Resisting the urge to put his feet up on the table, Oscar took another sip. “Magdalsia is Tuldarr’s neighbor, so depending on how things go, we may want to strike as soon as possible.”

[Assistant] “Why Magdalsia? There’s nothing there.”

[User] “Yes, that’s true. There’s only untamed nature.”

[Assistant] “Have you asked the other spirits if she’s a witch?”

[User] “Yes…” Before Oscar’s eyes, Tinasha veritably wilted, anxiety and worry casting a pall over her face.

[Assistant] Oscar raised an eyebrow.

[User] Tinasha brushed her bangs from her face. “Actually, I’ve met the Witch of the Water.”

[Assistant] “You did? So you’ve fought against her, too?” Oscar questioned, appalled that this was his first time hearing of it.

[User] Tinasha shook her head, a mysterious look on her face. “No. Do you remember when I mentioned the unerring fortune-teller? I had her tell my fortune after Itz introduced me to her. I believe she’s the Witch of the Water.”

[Assistant] “What in the world…?”

[User] “Itz told me in confidence that the Witch of the Water is apparently a blood relative to the founding king of Tuldarr. But as that came to light only after he abdicated the throne to the next generation and left the country, only three of the spirits know her. I can vouch for all of them, though. I only wish Itz had told me sooner,” she grumbled.

[Assistant] “What about the Witch of the Forbidden Forest, then? Do none of the spirits know about her?”

[User] “One does… But he’s missing at the moment.”

[Assistant] “That’s possible?”

[User] “This has never happened before. I didn’t think it ever could,” Tinasha said, slumping over the table.

[Assistant] Oscar frowned. He knew the spirits were more than familiars to her—they were her friends. Of course she would be depressed with one of them missing. “In that case, it’s pretty likely that we’re dealing with the Witch of the Forbidden Forest.”

[User] “Do you really think so?”

[Assistant] “Two major incidents have occurred simultaneously. You should definitely be considering if they’re linked. If that spirit were around, he could tell you whether the woman in Magdalsia is a witch, couldn’t he?”

[User] “That’s…true. Does that mean she could have silenced him? !”

[Assistant] “I’m just saying it’s possible. I don’t know for sure,” Oscar replied, forcibly cutting himself off there. There was a lot he didn’t know about witches, and even more he didn’t understand about the mystical spirits, who were high-ranking demons. “Is there anything in any records about the witches?” he inquired.

[User] Tinasha put her hand to her chin and hummed. “Hmm, they’ve mostly been treated as abominations. No one was in the habit of recording their names or physical descriptions, even if those facts were known.


[User] “Leonora—the witch I killed—only entered the records after her death.”

[Assistant] “Gotcha.”

[User] “If anyone knows, it’ll be Travis…or Lavinia.” Tinasha said, aware that both were shrewd and crafty.

[Assistant] She didn’t want to go near Travis, despite knowing where he lived, and Lavinia’s whereabouts were unknown.

[User] That prompted Oscar to recall that he’d asked his father about inviting Lavinia to the wedding. "Do whatever you want." His father had answered with a weak look. Perhaps he had some idea as to where the witch resided. "I’ll contact Lavinia. Don’t go to Travis.”

[Assistant] “What? Are you sure you want to do that?”

[User] “Eh, it’ll be fine. And if you start hatching any plans, tell me about them first. Same goes if this Lucia comes to you. You need to let me know as soon as you can.”

[Assistant] Tinasha thought on that. “What about making the first move?”

[User] “You’re unbelievable…” According to her story, the witch hadn’t done anything yet. There was no reason for a preemptive strike.

[Assistant] However, Tinasha looked truly puzzled by Oscar’s reaction. “But why shouldn’t we? A witch is capable of waging war against an entire country.”

[User] That reminded Oscar of one of Tinasha’s nicknames—the Witch Killer Queen. During the war with Tayiri four hundred years ago, Tinasha had battled a witch and the Tayiri army at once.

[Assistant] Her words were incongruous with her sweet face, but Tinasha continued, ignorant of that. “The reason why the remaining witches and the mainland’s political powers maintain a tacit nonintervention agreement with one another is because the witches have never used their power to get involved in conflicts between countries. If they were to incite a nation to start a war, that would be the equivalent of battling two full countries at once. We can’t afford to let this go. We should take action before they have a chance to prepare themselves.”

[User] “I understand what you’re saying, but we’d be landing ourselves in a quagmire if we crossed that line. The impact on the mainland would be…” Oscar trailed off, struck by the look in Tinasha’s dark eyes. It was the countenance of a queen, the same one he had witnessed several times before. This was the first time, however, he glimpsed a peculiar, overwhelming force there. It was the bottomless depths of the abyss itself, swallowing up everything with a contemptuous, domineering glare. That look said that she would show not a shred of mercy to an enemy, that she was a mage capable of killing a witch. Curbing her power now might be the best course after all, Oscar thought. That flash of insight drifted through his mind. Perhaps it was not wise to leave her as a chaste spirit sorcerer able to wield boundless amounts of magic. While this thought was born from neither love nor lust, he brushed it aside immediately. Such a notion was unbecoming of Tinasha’s husband. It had occurred to him as the ruler of Farsas.


[User] "Anyway, it wouldn’t be good. You always overdo it right out of the gate. I’d be in a very difficult position if something happened, so you should rethink that. It makes me very uneasy.” Oscar did his best to maintain his usual expression and keep his voice sounding normal.

[Assistant] “Fine." Accepting this with a huff. Still, she blushed, undoubtedly happy that he was worried about her.

[User] He reached out and stroked her hair. “You really have no shortage of irritating enemies.”

[Assistant] “That’s the sort of country Tuldarr is. We settle magical situations gone wrong." She replied, aware that Oscar also got drawn into all manner of troublesome matters by dint of being the Akashia swordsman.


[Assistant] “I’m really in it this time. No matter how long I try, I can’t settle these miscalculations. I didn’t expect there to be a barrier inside the mirror, too, or for all of this to happen.”

[User] “Perhaps it’s because you were greedy." Glaring coldly at him.

[Assistant] “I’m ashamed of myself." Confessed, shrinking back in the face of her glower. He dropped his gaze to the map of the mainland spread on the table. "All we needed was to have the king of Magdalsia touch the outsiders’ artifact while in a coma, but it looks like only half of the mirror activated.


[User] "You reap what you sow." Miralys commented mercilessly, sitting on her chair with her knees drawn up and a stormy expression on her face.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry." Valt gave her a brief, terribly fond look, then glanced away. "Well, it’s all right, I have many pieces on my board. I’ll get things going here first." He said with a wink, pointing to the picture of Farsas Castle on the map.


[User] Oscar waved to the people as he paraded through the streets on his way back from the temple, protected by airtight security, then returned to his chambers.

[Assistant] "Nothing happened, so you can go back now." As he shrugged off his jacket, he spoke to the air around him.

[User] "You knew I was here?" After a moment, a shocked-sounding girl’s voice responded.

[Assistant] "I felt someone watching me. Did Tinasha order you to do this?"

[User] "Yes." Replied a red-haired girl as she materialized close to the ceiling.

[Assistant] "Did you find the spirit who went missing?" He asked her.

[User] "No. He hasn’t returned to our realm. If only he were here to confirm whether we’re dealing with a witch."

[Assistant] "Did he and this witch once have a battle or something?"

[User] "Actually, I’ve heard they were lovers, though it was a long time ago." Mila explained.

[Assistant] "Oh yeah? So more than four hundred years ago, huh?" Oscar sank into a chair, poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher, and took a sip. He glanced up at the spirit on the ceiling. "In that case, is it possible he’s betrayed Tinasha and gone back to the witch?"

[User] "Absolutely not. High-ranking demons cannot break the contracts that cause them to manifest."


[User] “So he’s not dead, but he can’t do anything.”

[Assistant] “More than likely. I wish he hadn’t acted on his own and spared Lady Tinasha the worry.” Mila spat.

[User] Oscar set his water glass on the table. “How freely can spirits act?”

[Assistant] “Hmm, well, we can’t appear unless summoned. That can keep us from helping our master, too, even if she’s in mortal danger.”

[User] “That’s pretty strict.”

[Assistant] “Those are the terms of the contract. The first king set them when he made the pact. To put it bluntly, we avoid getting trampled by politics, and we are allowed the freedom of our own judgment. To put it nicely, it means humans handle their own affairs. Ultimately, we’re just tools at Lady Tinasha’s beck and call. The difference in power between ordinary humans and us is just too great, so doesn’t it make sense for us to have restraints?”

[User] Oscar did not answer Mila’s question.

[Assistant] “However, we can go wherever we please when our master doesn’t need us. Of course, we can’t engage in battle or anything, but we can certainly poke around here and there. Although up until now, none of us have made it a point to do anything like that.” Mila grumbled bitterly.

[User] Oscar crossed his legs and picked up the letter he’d set on the table. "Let’s put that aside for a moment. Here’s where our next clue about the witch is going to come from. Looks like she got my letter, even though I sent it lacking knowledge of her address. This is Lavinia’s reply.”

[Assistant] Mila’s face darkened as she listened to Oscar read the letter aloud. “Oh, what in the…? So it probably is her. Lucrezia is Lucia, huh? I see.”

[User] “From the way Lavinia describes it, the Witch of the Forbidden Forest doesn’t seem the type to have any interest in politics. I wonder what’s going on here.”

[Assistant] “Who knows? You humans are always changing—that’s probably all it is. Anyway, it’s the part about her being a psychological mage that I don’t like.”

[User] “What? Is that something you can’t handle?”

[Assistant] “Nope, not from her. Anything cast by a regular mage would be fine.”

[User] “Gotcha. I see how it is.” Oscar replied, folding the letter and placing it in his jacket pocket.


[User] Mila must have decided the conversation was over, because she gave a nominal good-bye and vanished.

[Assistant] Once he was confident the spirit had left, Oscar locked the letter from his grandmother in a drawer. He didn’t want Tinasha to know its contents, even a detail that might be obvious to her. At the end of Lavinia’s curt letter, she had written, You can’t fight psychological magic, so be a good boy and let her do it. The first three days of the new year passed in the blink of an eye. On the evening of the third day, the sky was clear, and its blue tone deepened each hour.


[User] Lazar made his way down the hall, glancing outside the castle windows at a sky that had reached the exact shade of Oscar’s eyes. That was probably why he ran straight into someone who had just rounded the corner ahead of him. Flustered, he quickly moved out of the way to the right. He adjusted his grip on his papers and was about to apologize when he froze. “L-Lady Zefiria…”

[Assistant] "It’s been a long time, Lazar." She said, curtsying to him gracefully.

[User] Lazar knew her well. She had a mind like a steel trap and eyes that were somewhat cold, perhaps owing to the time she’d spent outside of Farsas before coming to live with her noble father. While her smile was placid, her disinterest in everything was unnerving, enough so that it may have even troubled Oscar. But she was also someone who was not permitted to be here now. Lazar stared at her searchingly. “Do you have business in the castle?”

[Assistant] “I’d like to wish the king a happy new year. Where is he?” Zefiria asked, twirling a strand of golden hair around her finger.

[User] Finding something alarming in her beautiful blue eyes, Lazar held his breath for a moment before replying, “I’m very sorry, but I cannot tell you. I shall give your regards to him myself and will have to ask you to please take your leave.”

[Assistant] “Oh, how cold of you. It isn’t as if I’m going to eat him alive.”

[User] “How you jest, my lady. Didn’t the king tell you himself that there was no need for you to wish him anything ever?”

[Assistant] “Did he? Well, if you won’t tell me, I’ll search for him myself. You don’t have the authority to send me away.” She said with a mocking smile.

[User] Lazar drew himself up straight. “It isn’t a matter of authority. I am saying this as his friend. Please depart.”

[Assistant] “Is this because he and I used to be intimate?”

[User] “Lady Zefiria!” Fumed Lazar, red in the face, and Zefiria let out a tinkling laugh. Only a few people knew about her and Oscar, including Lazar, the king’s friend since childhood. Zefiria’s father and others may have sensed what was going on, but they did not discuss it openly. Lazar broke out in a cold sweat at the mention of this woman.


[User] "What are you after?" Without taking his eyes off of Zefiria.

[Assistant] "Oh, nothing, I’m simply having fun. If you’re so eager to know, why not play along?" Provocative words. A bewitching smile.

[User] Lazar scowled as he sensed something ominous there. And as he did, someone approached from behind and abruptly struck him on the back, causing him to collapse in the hallway.


[Assistant] Oscar opened the door to the hallway, eyes narrowed suspiciously, he found a lady-in-waiting about to knock.

[User] She apologized for her rudeness and informed Oscar that Lazar was waiting for him in the king’s private chambers.

[Assistant] "In my chambers? That doesn’t make sense."

[User] Puzzling over that incomprehensible message, Oscar hastened to his chambers and flung the door open once he had arrived.

[Assistant] Standing by the window, the waxing moon at her back, she looked to him slowly. With a graceful smile on her lips, she dipped into a curtsy. "I apologize for the long silence."

[User] "Why are you here? Where is Lazar?"

[Assistant] "Lazar? I don’t know. Perhaps the lady-in-waiting got her message mixed up?" She replied with faux innocence.

[User] "What are you doing here? Are you in trouble?"

[Assistant] She walked over to the table and picked up a small bottle resting on it. "My mother’s winery has produced a fruit wine this year that is the best vintage yet. I’ve come to invite you to taste it." She explained, pouring the red liquid into a glass and stepping over to Oscar to hand it to him.

[User] He received it and stared at the liquid. "Is that really why you’re here? Don’t hold back."


[User] "Just come out and say it.” “That’s really all it is. Please, enjoy the wine," Zefiria said with a beautiful, clear voice.

[Assistant] Oscar lifted the glass up to the moonlight and put his lips to its rim. Ultimately, he set it back down on the table without taking a sip. “Sorry. I’ll have some later.”

[User] “Oh? What’s wrong?”

[Assistant] “It isn’t that I don’t trust you, but I can’t be too careful lately. Forgive me.”

[User] “I don’t mind," Zefiria assured him, smiling and taking a step closer and reaching out for Oscar. “Very soon, you’ll be married. Congratulations.”

[Assistant] “Mm-hmm.”

[User] “Farsas will flourish with this tie to Tuldarr. You are the very image of a king, Your Majesty.” Invisible thorns barbed Zefiria’s words, and Oscar scowled.

[Assistant] He caught hold of her wrist as she extended her arm toward him. “Like I told you before, I didn’t choose her for her status. I like her for who she is. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but keep the gossip to yourself.”

[User] The woman only laughed in response. She gazed up at Oscar, eyes filled with chaotic, whirling emotions.

[Assistant] Oscar’s voice grew more chilling. “Zefiria, what have you done with Lazar?”

[User] “I told you, I don’t know.”

[Assistant] “Then why hasn’t he returned, and why did you use his name to bring me here?”

[User] “I merely borrowed his name. I don’t know where he is,” she asserted. Her face claimed ignorance, yet her voice felt barbed.

[Assistant] Oscar made a face at how vague she was being.

[User] Zefiria laughed, her eyes inscrutable. “I actually have one request.”

[Assistant] “What?”

[User] “I want you, Your Majesty.”

[Assistant] “You can’t have me. Give up,” Oscar replied immediately, rejecting that request that reeked like a poison flower.

[User] She wriggled her hand out of his grasp. “I’ll abandon hope, then. But in exchange…”


[Assistant] Sharp pain lanced through Oscar’s right hand, the one that had been gripping Zefiria’s wrist, and he yanked it back. Glancing down, he saw that it was oozing blood, as if pierced by a thin blade. Reflexively, the king wrenched Zefiria’s hand up. Pain twisted her expression, yet her smile remained gleeful.

[User] “In exchange, I shall betray you.”

[Assistant] Upon those words, Oscar’s vision went dark.


[Assistant] Tinasha arrived in Farsas about twenty minutes sooner than scheduled, carrying a spell book that her friend Sylvia had asked for. Tinasha asked a mage she passed in the hallway where Sylvia was and was told she waited in the outer gardens. Dusk was falling, and once Tinasha located Sylvia, she discovered that fellow court mages Doan and Kav were also there, drawing a magic circle by the light of magical lamps. "What are you doing?"

[User] “Oh, Queen Tinasha! We’re trying to create a transportation array with a variable destination that can be changed each time you want to use it. I thought it might be useful in times when there isn’t a lot of space to set up multiple arrays.”

[Assistant] Tinasha stood next to the three and examined their work. “Hmm, sounds interesting." The configuration was fairly well crafted, owing to the efforts of the trio. “Excellent job. But the destination can only be changed by those who can work magic. You’d need to output it to a magic implement or something.”

[User] “I know… I’d like to make it simpler, though.”

[Assistant] “You could create a crystal for every destination, give each a unique name, and define them in the spell configuration. That would allow the destination to shift, depending on the crystal fitted into the array. It would require some adjusting of the spell, however.”

[User] “Ooh, I see!” Sylvia said, accepting the book Tinasha brought her with gratitude.

[Assistant] As the three mages fell into serious thought, Tinasha giggled and waved her hand at them. “Oh, but then you’d have to put chains or something on the crystal to prevent removal. And you’d be in trouble if you ever lost one.”

[User] “Ooh, that could definitely happen… I can see people walking away with them by mistake.” Sylvia Agreed.

[Assistant] Tinasha stared at the magic circle. “This really is well crafted. You’ve designed it to utilize minimal magic for maintenance, and when it’s activated, it will absorb magic in the area and amplify it. While that means it wouldn’t work without enough latent energy nearby, you’d just need to place it carefully, and it would work as a hidden array.”

[User] Sylvia nodded.


[User] "We arranged it so that it could be used even in places without any mages."

[Assistant] "Now that you’ve pointed that out, this really is an extraordinary idea." Tinasha remarked.

[User] For Tinasha and Tuldarr, the concept of “not enough magic or mages” was somewhat foreign. No Tuldarr mage would have considered a way to keep a magic circle going on minimal magic. However, a concept like this would be useful in places where mages were scarce. Likewise, there was the fact that when mages battled one another, hidden magic and spells were often used, meaning that it was worth researching to see whether this could be adapted into a magic circle for long-term use. Tinasha crossed her arms, falling deep into thought.

[Assistant] Aware that if he let her go on, she would ponder it all night, Doan said, “Queen Tinasha, aren’t you here for the meeting about your wedding ceremony?”

[User] “Oh, yes, I’d completely forgotten. I suppose Oscar’s in his study?”

[Assistant] “If you’re looking for the king, I know where he is.”

[User] purred an unfamiliar voice from behind her, and Tinasha whirled around. So did the other three mages. It was not a lady-in-waiting who spoke but an upper-class woman in an elegant dress. "Oh, I don’t know. It wouldn’t be any fun if I revealed it right away, would it?” drawled the woman, making no secret of how much she was enjoying this.

[Assistant] Tinasha bobbed her head to her and asked, “Could you tell me?” Tinasha frowned. When she glanced at Doan, she found him pale.

[User] He hissed. “That’s Zefiria, daughter of Duke Jost.”

[Assistant] “I see… It’s nice to meet you. My name is Tinasha of Tuldarr.”

[User] “I am Zefiria. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. This is my first time seeing you from up close. You really are lovely. I can certainly see why the king is so captivated.” said Zefiria, her tone dripping with derisive scorn rather than prickly barbs.

[Assistant] Unsure of how to respond, Tinasha scratched her temple. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Doan’s expression looked just as grim as it had once in the past. She racked her memory and soon recalled when that last time was. He’d made this same face the last time Tinasha faced off against an unknown woman in Farsas Castle. It had been the king’s mistress on the previous occasion. Tinasha clapped her hands together in recognition. "Are you Oscar’s lover?” Her question was so indifferent that it made the three mages tense. Kav’s and Sylvia’s jaws dropped in shock, while Doan went truly white. Their reactions confirmed Tinasha’s hunch.

[User] Zefiria narrowed her eyes and smiled patronizingly. As if Tinasha were some underperforming student, she replied, “My… I had heard you were quite an aloof young lady, but you are surprisingly astute.”

[Assistant] “Yes, although I won’t deny that I can be dense at times.” Tinasha answered, giving Zefiria a sardonic grin. Tinasha lacked Oscar’s keen intuition.


[User] Tinasha was carefully ascertaining whether this sudden visitor expected to interact with her on a private or a public level.

[Assistant] Doan whispered softly to Tinasha, “It’s ancient history now. The king hasn’t seen her since proposing to you.”

[User] “I surmised that much. I can’t go getting upset over every past dalliance. There would be no end of it.” She muttered back with a bitter smile on her lips, which visibly reassured the mage trio.

[Assistant] After composing herself, Tinasha projected an air of calm on the surface as she faced Zefiria head-on and met her gaze.

[User] With four pairs of eyes upon her, Zefiria tapped a finger to her chin. “Unfortunately, I know the king much better than you do.”

[Assistant] "Is that so? I don’t know a thing about that man.”

[User] “I’m surprised that you’re marrying him, then.”

[Assistant] “I love him.”

[User] Zefiria sneered. “Really? What makes you believe you haven’t just imprinted on him?”

[Assistant] Her face darkened, but ultimately, her lips curled in a faint smile. “I suppose when we first met, I only adored him the way a child might. But the man I longed for when I was younger was not the one for me. The love of my life is the Oscar with me now, the one who’s vexing and mean to me.”

[User] Tinasha’s eyes drifted shut in her reverie; then, with a sudden inhale, she opened them. All of the daunting power of the abyss filled her dark gaze. A cruel smile played about her lips. “So tell me, who has bribed you to come? I would so love to know.”

[Assistant] Eyes flashing, Tinasha fixed a stare as cold as ice on the other woman.

[User] However, Zefiria only looked a little astonished by the sudden change that had come over the queen, before her facade returned.


[User] She clasped her hands before her heart, smiling. “I do so apologize if I’ve offended you. I heard about it all directly from His Majesty.”

[Assistant] "From Oscar?"

[User] “Yes. If you like, you can ask him yourself? His Majesty is in his bedroom. Oh, but he just fell asleep,” Zefiria said with elegance and scorn.

[Assistant] That managed to needle at Tinasha’s emotions. Logically, she knew that Oscar wouldn’t allow any woman besides his fiancée into his bedchamber. He wouldn’t. Still, her eyes flashed dangerously, and she couldn’t stop the low growl in her voice as she spat out, “What do you mean?”

[User] “Precisely what I said, Your Majesty. You claimed you wouldn’t get upset about past affairs, but…what about current ones?”

[Assistant] Tinasha heard someone gulp, yet she couldn’t be sure who it was. Her thoughts overheated, and her vision warped as her face screwed up into a grimace, as if that would hold the pain at bay.

[User] Zefiria broke into a delighted grin as she observed each and every little fluctuation in Tinasha’s composure. Her laughter rang out across the twilight, echoing unpleasantly. It was the laugh of someone who stirred up other people’s emotions for her own amusement.

[Assistant] Clutching her forehead, Tinasha took a step forward. “Enough. I’m going to go and ask Oscar myself.”

[User] “Ask him? You’re not going to kill him?” the woman mocked with glee, causing the queen’s face to darken further.

[Assistant] Tinasha trusted him. That hadn’t changed. But…she was still unnerved. Her heart was no longer her own. It was all so uncomfortable and frustrating that she wanted to burn everything to the ground, an impulse unbecoming of a mage. She had never felt anything when others betrayed her in the past, but when it came to him, she was reduced to an ignorant little girl. It made her feel truly foolish—but that was all it was. Tinasha suppressed the warm sludge threatening to swallow her mind. A smile like a flower under the moonlight bloomed across her face. “I…don’t know him as well as you do, it’s true. But I love him much, much more than you think,” she said. Tinasha intended to keep moving forward despite the doubts in her heart.

[User] Zefiria did not look furious or unhappy to hear this; she only grinned with eyes narrowed. Tinasha sidestepped the irksome woman and walked past her, not looking back once as she left.


[User] "If he isn’t, come and tell me.”

[Assistant] Oscar’s private rooms should have had a window left open during the day so that Nark could come and go as he liked.

[User] Chirp of acknowledgment. Action: The dragon let out a chirp of acknowledgment and flew out a nearby window.

[Assistant] Tinasha waited for a bit before she heard the click of the lock turning as the door opened from the inside.

[User] Nark glided over to her, and she patted the creature’s head.

[Assistant] "Thank you. Stand guard here. Tell me if someone comes."

[User] As ordered, Nark remained by the door while Tinasha ventured deeper into the room. Oscar wasn’t there. Only when she entered his bedchamber did she find him, asleep on the mattress.

[Assistant] Action: She gasped and ran to check his pulse and breathing. "He’s alive… Good.” Action: Tinasha let out a held breath.

[User] He was fast asleep. Even Tinasha, who occasionally slept in his bed, rarely caught a glimpse of Oscar resting, as he lay down later and rose earlier than she did. She patted his cheek lightly as she gazed down at his gorgeous face, no emotion in her eyes. Oscar showed no signs of waking.

[Assistant] “Ugh… I really might kill you for this.” Action: Tinasha muttered, getting onto the bed and mounting him. Reaching out, she wiped away the smudge of red lipstick on his lips.

[User] He was shirtless, revealing numerous red marks and scratches littering his skin. Tinasha eyed them expressionlessly. It was a very transparent attempt to provoke her. She would be a fool if she let it anger her. The emotions she couldn’t rein in turned to roiling magic. She wanted to gouge out each and every one of those marks, to tear him apart and put him back together. Considering that Oscar was unconscious, Tinasha could do with him as she desired. She could kill him lovingly. The little girl inside her screamed out that she wanted to. Tinasha stroked a finger along his neck. Magic seeped out and shattered a glass on the table. Broken shards and wine spilled to the ground, but she paid them no mind at all. She traced a nail along his carotid artery and scratched the mark already on it.

[Assistant] “To let someone do this to you… If you’re going to hand yourself over to someone, I will take control.”

[User] The cold flame in Tinasha’s eyes died as she lowered her gaze and drew near his face. Opening his lips, she kissed him deeply and slipped some of her magic into his body. Instantly, Tinasha understood that Oscar had fallen into a trap. He was a light sleeper, so he would have woken up at a knock on his door. In any case, she had come here for an appointment; Oscar wasn’t so careless as to forget he had plans and dabble in an affair. Using her magic to probe throughout his body, Tinasha soon found a spell, just as she’d expected to.


[User] With her mouth still pressed to his, Tinasha scowled as she sensed the hex entwined with a complicated spell, likely caused by a potion. Then she recalled that she had seen a very similar hex before, although its caster had been executed. Why, then, did an almost identical configuration still exist? Tinasha’s mind raced to form conclusions. Then she felt a flicker of magic in the distance. It was a tiny wave rippling out to notify her that something had made contact with one of her barriers, and, of course, it wasn’t coming from the protective barrier cast on Oscar. Tinasha scanned the room. The royal sword, which Oscar always kept with him, was nowhere to be seen.

[Assistant] "Was I deceived? Itz!"

[User] "I am here."

[Assistant] "Keep watch over this man!" Tinasha ordered, and the white-haired old man swept into a bow. "I’ll be right back!" As her fury colored her fine features, Tinasha teleported away.


[User] Valt attempted to cajole her into letting herself be manipulated, but when she saw through his lies, he decided it best to tell her the truth. He hadn’t told her everything, but none of it was false.

[Assistant] She set two conditions: one, that he would not take Akashia away, and two, that Oscar would not be put into any mortal danger.

[User] Valt agreed readily. As a mage, he had no need for Akashia, and he certainly didn’t want Tinasha holding a grudge against him for killing Oscar. After Zefiria handed Akashia to Valt, he asked her, partly as a joke,

[Assistant] "What would you change if you could go back in time?"

[User] "Hmm… I would find my mother when she was young and tell her to have better taste in men." She replied facetiously, but the remark possibly contained a grain of truth.

[Assistant] Valt chuckled at the complexity of emotions and watched the woman as she left, knowing he would likely never see this person again.


[User] Valt had been led inside the castle and needed to leave. He needed to cast a complicated spell to prevent anyone from tracking him, when he suddenly detected someone with a very murderous intent behind him.

[Assistant] In a voice like the clearest flute, she called, “It’s been a while. Where do you think you’re going?”

[User] “Well, well… I never thought you’d notice.” Valt said, tensing up and turning around.

[Assistant] Standing before him, she found the very embodiment of an abyss of darkness in the form of a beautiful woman, vivid and real. Blue lightning crackled around her right hand, its light flickering against her exquisite features. Thunder rent the air, though Tinasha didn’t appear to be bothered by it at all. She pointed to the box in Valt’s hands. “I shall have to ask you to leave that here. Along with yourself.”

[User] “Mmm. While that is an enticing proposition, I’m afraid I already have a girl waiting for me.” Valt said with a smile, drawing back his left leg as a small crystal tumbled from the hem of his pants.

[Assistant] Her gaze fixed squarely on him, Tinasha narrowed her eyes, so black that no emotion could be discerned. “Then die.” Lightning erupted, but as it did, Valt kicked the crystal up before him. The bolt intertwined with it, snared before it could reach him.

[User] As Tinasha drew up a new spell, Valt smiled. “We’ll meet again soon, Witch of the Azure Moon.” He activated his teleportation spell and disappeared.

[Assistant] Tinasha was left to stare around in a trance. “Witch…of the Azure Moon?” Then she shook her head violently to snap herself out of it.


[User] Striding down the hallway, she arrived at the treasure vault. The lock was broken and by searching the messily arranged space, she found that there was no white box on the pedestal. It was empty, and below the stand on the floor lay Akashia. “You’re lucky it was a hex I remembered dealing with. You almost landed yourself in a coma like Legis.” Tinasha remarked, colder than Oscar had ever heard her, her tone was so chilly he could practically hear the ice floes cracking in it.

[Assistant] clutched at his head, sitting up in bed. Glancing down at the marks littering his body, he knew he needed to think about what to say first, knowing that the wrong thing might mean losing his head.

[User] “Did that woman bring you this wine? It’s dosed with a potion.”

[Assistant] “No, I didn’t drink it. She cut me with a razor of some kind.”

[User] “You really will let a woman be the death of you one of these days.”

[Assistant] “……” Oscar wanted to defend himself, but he knew that this wasn’t the time. He obediently bit his tongue and kept quiet. Tinasha was sitting on the edge of the bed with Akashia across her lap.


[User] Tinasha gave him a bright smile, though only for show. "Lazar was found asleep in an empty chamber. He was only knocked out with magic, and Doan is examining him. There is a team in pursuit of Lady Zefiria, but she hasn’t returned to her home. Since the hex used on you resembles the one that was placed on Legis, we can assume Valt is responsible on both counts. He’s managed to steal Eleterria right out from under us. Sorry." Despite the apology, it was clear Tinasha felt only rage.

[Assistant] Oscar cut in with one of the eleven ways of appeasing her he had thought of. "Hey, Tinasha."

[User] "What?" She responded, her ear-to-ear smile frightening.

[Assistant] "First of all, thank you for saving me. And I’m sorry. I let my guard down." Those few words were all he had to say.

[User] Tinasha narrowed her eyes at him. While her lips were curved into an approximation of a smile, she looked more like a statue than a person. Tinasha set Akashia aside and got onto the bed, crawling slowly over to Oscar on hands and knees, resembling nothing so much as a lithe jungle cat. She assessed him with the eyes of a predator. Then she leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his neck. In a titillating voice, she whispered, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

[Assistant] "I’m sorry." He grumbled reluctantly, sulking.

[User] Tinasha burst out laughing. A childlike gleam came into her dark eyes. "It’s a bit fun having our positions reversed for once."

[Assistant] "Oh yeah? Well, it makes it a little better to know you’re enjoying yourself."

[User] "I may be feeling pleased, but I am fifty times more absolutely livid with you."

[Assistant] "Don’t call off our engagement."

[User] "I wouldn’t!" Tinasha shouted crossly. When she touched Oscar’s shoulder, the marks on his body that were placed there to infuriate her all disappeared at once. Looking deeply unamused, Tinasha sat back onto Oscar’s lap. "I’m glad nothing worse happened to you. I didn’t want to have to kill someone for personal reasons."

[Assistant] "So you were thinking of killing me?" Oscar muttered, something cold running through him.

[User] Tinasha threw him an appalled look. "Of course I wasn’t. I was talking about her. I placed a tracker on her, which I undid once I learned you had simply been careless. If I’d known she was working with Valt, I would have kept it on her. That’s my mistake. I should have knocked her out when I met her in the gardens." Tinasha said lightly, as if she wasn’t discussing life and death. Her confidence in her magic remained apparent, however. This was her true self, the Tinasha who wasn’t a child or a queen.

[Assistant] Oscar couldn’t help but grin at her.

[User] The sight prompted Tinasha to frown. "Do you understand what you did?"

[Assistant] "I do.


[User] "I understand."

[Assistant] "Did it sink in?"

[User] "Absolutely."

[Assistant] "You are prone to making women obsessed with you, so you need to be careful." She chided seriously.

[User] Oscar gave a wan tired smile. "What about you?"

[Assistant] "Unfortunately, the only men who are interested in me are after what’s inside my body."

[User] "What the…?"

[Assistant] A grin flashed across Tinasha’s face before she turned serious again. "Valt wants both orbs of Eleterria, so he shouldn’t be able to use just the one right away. I need to fortify the security around the remaining orb…"

[User] "Why don’t you just destroy it? That seems like the path of least harm." Oscar suggested.

[Assistant] "We don’t know what might happen if I try." Tinasha said, nose scrunching up.

[User] Just to be certain, Oscar asked, "Is the Tuldarr treasure vault secure?"

[Assistant] "I’d like to say it is, but the recent irregularities have me worried." Tinasha admitted. After a beat, she looked at him. "Valt is extremely good at reading people. He seems to know a lot about you and me, and not just general facts."

[User] "Owing to when he infiltrated Farsas Castle as Nephelli’s mage, I’m sure. You talked to him then, too, didn’t you?"

[Assistant] "Yes, but his understanding runs deeper than the superficial. I mean in a more familiar sense."

[User] "Familiar?"

[Assistant] "He probably knows my current self. I can’t let this continue…" Tinasha cuts herself off, her gaze turning distant as her thoughts sank to a deep, dark place. All the emotion faded from her eyes, leaving behind only a cold and calculating mind. Her train of thought took her deeper and further away. She grew so distant that it was like she was rewinding time. She was becoming someone Oscar didn’t recognize.

[User] "Tinasha?" Her name fell from his lips involuntarily, surprising even Oscar himself.

[Assistant] Immediately, the emotion came back into her gaze, and she smiled. "What is it? Are you going to beg to keep your life?"

[User] "So you really do plan to kill me…?"

[Assistant] "Of course not. We’re not even married yet."

[User] "I know… If you’re gonna kill me, at least wait until our kids are grown."

[Assistant] "I’ll consider it." Tinasha joked, giggling. She turned to burrow into Oscar’s chest. Yet as her long eyelashes fluttered closed, her thoughts sank once more to the coldest depths.


[User] Tinasha was not a child for very long. Her position and the tumultuousness of the era did not permit it. She couldn’t rely on anyone or trust them. All around the young queen enthroned under extraordinary circumstances were people who either feared her or wanted her removed. Her only supporters were the twelve mystical spirits she had inherited. They were the only ones she could trust, and they became like friends and family to her. "I’m exhausted." The girl sighed, lying facedown on her huge bed. Only a few months had passed since her coronation, and fourteen-year-old Tinasha buried her face in her pillow and sucked in a deep breath.

[Assistant] "You should sleep. You can’t keep going like this." The spirit Senn, there as her bodyguard, said to her.

[User] "I’m fine. I won’t stay up much longer. Kill any assassins that come while I’m sleeping, okay?"

[Assistant] "No matter who it is?"

[User] "No matter who," she replied flatly. When Senn didn’t answer, tears welled in her dark eyes. She mumbled into her pillow, "I mean…if I’m ever indulgent with anyone… Well, that’s exactly the type of person that they’ll try to use to kill me. I have to treat them all the same. That way, only those willing to fight me will come." She was undoubtedly thinking of how, just the other day, a lady-in-waiting around the queen’s age had attempted regicide. If she showed any weakness, her political opponents would take advantage of it. Blood did not determine who inherited the throne of Tuldarr. Eliminating Tinasha meant someone else could take her place.

[Assistant] Senn opened his mouth, but mostly repeated what he’d said earlier. "You should sleep. You’ll sit on the throne until you’re an old woman. That’s probably going to feel like a long time to you."

[User] "Not that long, I bet," she muttered. She would probably die before that. No matter how idealistic or powerful anyone was, they would not last long in times like these. People were always tricking and stabbing one another in the back. All wished for it to end, but none could find a way out. That was true for the entire mainland. Thus, even if Tinasha triumphed and survived, she wanted to relinquish her status before turning gray. Decades of using her extraordinary power to intimidate everyone into submission might very well drive her insane. Even if she retained her wits, her subjects would suffer if her ways of thinking grew old-fashioned and she began to pursue peace and quiet for herself. So, at most, she had another twenty years of this left. Ruminating on how that was a very long time indeed, Tinasha glanced up. "If you want me to fall asleep, talk to me."

[Assistant] "Talk to you? Shall I report on something?"

[User] "No, just talk. Tell me about you. What was it like when you manifested before?


[User] "When you made the contract with the first king?" Her request came out of nowhere.

[Assistant] Senn looked bewildered. However, when he saw the hopeful curiosity in Tinasha’s eyes, he gave a rueful smile. The spirit leaned against the wall to indulge his master’s very age-appropriate curiosity. "When I manifested back then, I had quite a bit of freedom."

[User] "You have freedom now, too, Senn."

[Assistant] "Maybe." The man with bluish-white hair said with a dry laugh. His voice was tinged with the slightest hint of yearning. "Just as you can never forget the man who saved you…I met a very strange woman once, too, a long time ago."

[User] The girl rested her elbows on the bed, staring at Senn. It was rare for him to talk about himself. Out of all the twelve spirits, he was the most unemotional. "Was she…a demon?" It would be impossible for someone with the life span of an ordinary human to come and see him each time he, a royal spirit, manifested upon the coronation of a new ruler.

[Assistant] Senn only smiled and did not answer. Pushing himself off the wall, he came over to the bed and placed a blanket over his master’s lithe frame. Tinasha noticed for the first time that he wore a ring. Senn’s ruby eyes went half-lidded in a very human gesture of sympathy. "If you ever grow tired of it all, you should visit her. She’s a troublemaker, but…I know she’d make a good friend for you." He stroked Tinasha’s hair and, for the third time, said, "Sleep."

[User] The girl nodded and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, her heart feeling somewhat lighter. They were the only family she would trust. But they also belonged to…the ruler. A ruler was a symbol of strength and the greatest cog in the machine that kept the citizens alive and the country running. Regents did not need emotions or individuality. Relying on another was a weakness. Trust meant a gap in her defenses. That was why she didn’t mind being alone, as long as she had enough strength to do so. For the next five years of Tinasha’s rule she maintained that ideology—treading on thin ice all the while. She never wavered, and displayed no weakness. As ruler, she would use her devastating power to secure victory with all the pride of a queen. That was, after all, the last promise she made to him.


[Assistant] A flicker of emotion showed in Tinasha’s dark eyes as she gazed down at the miniature garden.

[User] Next to her, Legis noticed it and glanced at her.

[Assistant] Without making the slightest movement, Tinasha said to the two spirits on her other side, "I’ve gotten sloppy lately."

[User] "Yes, especially since your engagement, but you’ve been like this ever since you arrived in this time period, you know.


[User] “I thought you were just exhausted.”

[Assistant] “Thank you for that tart answer. It’s quite refreshing.” Though a smile didn’t bloom on her face like it normally did.

[User] Feeling as though something were slightly off, Legis stared at her.

[Assistant] “But you never used to be super vigilant when you were younger anyway, little girl. You were so obedient and sweet that I was actually a little worried.” Karr, the other spirit, piped up.

[User] “What? You were? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.” The queen replied.

[Assistant] “Well, it’s the first time I’m telling you. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing, either. You’re only human. After becoming queen, you did everything so perfectly and carefully that it had me a bit concerned.”

[User] “A queen can’t very well act like she’s still a child.” Tinasha remarked, nodding as if the conversation wasn’t about her. "In any case, dealing with this person I’m up against feels like he’s able to read my thoughts. As if that isn’t impolite enough, he even seems to know my private personal details. I don’t want him poking his nose in there.”


[User] There came a change like drawing the curtains on a window. Something had altered, something small yet fundamentally different. The air in the room shifted.

[Assistant] With heads lowered, the two spirits flanking Tinasha spoke together. “We are yours to command, my queen.”

[User] Tinasha gave a haughty nod. Threatening waves emanated from her, making all in the room frightened to so much as breathe.

[Assistant] Legis had gone rigid all over.

[User] Tinasha pointed to a series of settlements in Tuldarr.


[User] "These three villages first, and these two places. Make arrangements."

[Assistant] "Yes…Your Majesty." he replied.

[User] "Also, bring me all the materials you have pertaining to Magdalsia. I’ll read them by tonight.”

[Assistant] “I shall,” Legis said with a bow, paying careful attention to her many orders, never lifting his head. The intimidating air Tinasha emanated made him hesitant to do so as he merely listened as she gave instructions in a dispassionate tone of voice.


[User] Lying on her bed, she closed her eyes and began to sort through all the knowledge she had accumulated, also considered the wards and surveillance spells she had set up all over, drawing new information from them. She expanded her consciousness, and her mind emptied as she tidied up and categorized all the disparate fragments.

[Assistant] I still don’t know where Senn is. Her heart ached to acknowledge it.

[User] No one needed a rusted, inoperative cog.

[Assistant] "Ah!" All of a sudden, Tinasha sensed someone nearby and instinctively cast a spell, leaping to her feet on the bed.

[User] Before she could launch the magic from her right hand, she caught a glimpse of a very surprised-looking man just ahead.

[Assistant] "Hey, you scared me."

[User] "Oscar! I was lost in thought and didn’t realize it was you. Sorry." Tinasha replied, dismissing her spell.

[Assistant] Oscar was mid-lunge to evade the attack; it would have been a good fight.


[User] He sat on the edge of the bed and threw Tinasha a baffled glance once he got a closer look at her. "Your forehead’s all scrunched up. What were you thinking so hard about?"

[Assistant] "All sorts of things." She answered with a tight smile. Standing, she went to grab a bottle of liqueur, and a book on the table caught her eye. "Oscar, do you know the story of the Mirror of Oblivion?"

[User] "The Mirror of Oblivion? Sure. The fairy tale, right? The one in the book I got for the castle library." Once upon a time, there lived a princess in a small country. She grew up happy and beloved by all, but one day the king and queen were attacked by bandits while outside the castle and perished. The princess fell into despair and refused to leave her room for a year, no matter how her royal attendants cajoled her. But then a traveling mage heard of her plight and sent her an old looking glass, a mirror said to absorb all sadness. When she peered into it, she stopped crying and left her room to be among her people again. Such was the ancient fable recounted since the dawn of the Dark Age.

[Assistant] "The story of the Mirror of Oblivion is told all over our land, but it changes a little in each region. In some versions, it isn’t sadness the mirror takes, but memories. Others have it that the mirror steals the minds of those who refuse to believe in its power, and sends them into comas."

[User] "Huh. That’s interesting."

[Assistant] "About a hundred years ago, a researcher in Tuldarr looked into it and published a paper. According to the report, every nation has the odd account of someone who encountered the mirror. Following that trail leads us to the last place it was sighted…Magdalsia." Tinasha handed Oscar a glass.

[User] He looked faintly shocked. "Do you think the fairy tale has some connection to the witch in Magdalsia?"

[Assistant] "It’s one possibility of many. However, if the Witch of the Forbidden Forest wanted to steal a country, why would she appear after the king fell into a coma? It would be easier for someone with her power to use psychological manipulation, rather than incapacitate a ruler. The incapacitated king is why Tuldarr learned of the situation, after all."

[User] "So you believe the witch appeared because the king fell unconscious?"

[Assistant] "That’s what I suspect. I’m going through any fishy-sounding stories with a fine-tooth comb to try and discover what brought on the king’s mystery coma and why it summoned a witch. The Mirror of Oblivion is one compelling candidate." Tinasha explained, climbing onto the bed, sprawling out on her back, and throwing an arm over her eyes. It looked like she wanted the conversation to end there.

[User] Sensing something different about her in that moment, Oscar set down his glass. "Tinasha?"


[User] Ever since, Oscar had noticed a slight change in Tinasha’s behavior. It was as though her mind were constantly working while her emotions had been set aside. There was a noticeable sharpness to her as well, like all her edges were honed.

[Assistant] Called back to herself, Tinasha asked, “Hmm? What is it?”

[User] “Nothing. Are you upset?”

[Assistant] “I’m not upset.” She chirped, smiling at Oscar. But her arm remained thrown across her eyes. She wouldn’t look at him—as if she had no need to. It was certainly different from anger.

[User] Oscar could sense how terribly far away her heart was, and he found himself at a loss for words. This was the woman he was supposed to marry in three weeks, yet it was the first time he’d seen this side of her. They still met every day as usual, but recently, Oscar had noticed that something felt slightly off, accompanied by a mysterious sense of déjà vu. Thus, he made sure to ask Tinasha about it to check on her, and sure enough, something really had changed. What was to blame for this shift? Oscar reached out and touched Tinasha’s face. “What’s going on?”

[Assistant] “What do you mean? Nothing’s going on.” She replied, dropping her arm and revealing her dark, cold eyes. Tinasha sat up and looped her arms around her knees. “I think I’m going to visit Magdalsia to investigate after all.”

[User] “You’re what?”

[Assistant] “I’ll go undercover, gather what info I can, and then take out the witch, if necessary.” She stated. Her matter-of-fact demeanor stunned Oscar.

[User] He recovered swiftly, however. “Absolutely not. Do you realize that your abdication and our wedding are just around the corner? Why go stirring up trouble?”

[Assistant] “I am the only person who can battle the Witch of the Forbidden Forest.” She answered. To Oscar, that felt more scathing than the words alone should have been. He remembered Lavinia’s letter, which rendered him incapable of replying, before Tinasha could continue. “If I let her do as she pleases, things might grow out of control. I will take her down now, before that can happen.”

[User] “But…she still has royal authority in Magdalsia. Considering your position, one wrong move could start a war.” He pointed out.

[Assistant] “So I should just wait for her to attack? If we delay, we’ll only end up suffering greater damage, and there’s no telling how she’ll outsmart us.”

[User] “But that’s—” In a sense, Tinasha was correct. Responding now was the right move to secure peace in Tuldarr. However, it was also a clear act of war. Such a preemptive strike from a powerful mage had not been seen in hundreds of years. Should the truth of it come to light, the ramifications would shake the mainland to its core. It was akin to… “You’re going against the times.” He observed. A while back, Druza had attacked Farsas with a forbidden curse, and Tinasha had aided in repelling it.


[User] “That will get sorted out one way or another.” Tinasha gave a beautiful smile and a confident answer. Implicit in what she said was enough power to make anyone who heard her tremble.

[Assistant] Oscar grabbed her arm. “Don’t go.”

[User] “You don’t have the authority to stop me.” She replied, echoing something Oscar had said to her once. But it felt different coming from her.

[Assistant] “I am going to be your husband.”

[User] “You are. And I will become Farsas’s queen consort. I have that position to keep in mind.” Tinasha said, giving the answer of a sovereign queen. Her black eyes glanced down at Oscar’s grip on her arm. “But we aren’t married yet, and you are a member of a foreign nation.”

[Assistant] “Tinasha…” Having her point it out made all the blood rush to his head.

[User] “Do you not want to live in this era?” He muttered.

[Assistant] “This time period is the reason we’re not enemies.” Her black eyes widened a fraction. There was a tranquil glow to them.


[User] Oscar fell silent, still clinging to her arm.

[Assistant] “What’s wrong? If you’re thinking of reducing my magic, go ahead. I’ll win, even if I lose some of my ability to use spiritual magic. Or are you thinking of restraining me in a more direct manner?” Action/Narration Beneath that grin lay a hostility that made it plain she wouldn’t balk at making an enemy of him. She was so far away, distant enough to be unreachable.

[User] How could she have changed this much? Oscar was stunned, and he released Tinasha’s arm without realizing it. “I don’t…know what you’re thinking.”

[Assistant] “The same as ever. This is who I’ve always been.” Action/Narration She stated as she reached up and looped her arms around Oscar’s neck, snuggling in and holding him tight. Her warmth was no different, but her mind couldn’t have been further away. Closing his eyes against a significant rush of sentimentality, Oscar realized where that odd sense of familiarity had come from. This was the same person he caught a glimpse of in Tinasha’s diaries from four hundred years ago.


[User] Piled haphazardly on the floor of the study were stacks of papers penned by the past sixty-seven generations of so-called heirs to the family. All of them had written so much—no, some refused and fled. One such example was his own father, who hanged himself.

[Assistant] “Valt, did you scribe any of these?”

[User] “Plenty. Whenever I had something I wanted recorded for the next time.”

[Assistant] Miralys frowned, holding a broom in her hand.

[User] Action/Narration As her eyes turned anxious, Valt immediately gave her a reassuring smile. “There’s no need for you to make that face. The people who wrote these did so because they wanted to. What they recorded would disappear with a rewinding of time. But while all of them could remember every life they experienced, they didn’t know anything beyond that. If they wanted to inform future heirs about what had happened up until that point and what changed when time restarted, writing it down was the only way.”

[Assistant] Some of the past successors had memories from multiple lifetimes, while others didn’t. There had been many types of heirs before Valt. Only a small portion of their number were recorded here.

[User] “Of course, not everyone documented things each time. Some were too worn down by multiple rewritings of history to leave records. To fill in those blanks, others penned what they recalled of records they had read in earlier lives. It really varied.” Action/Narration The sizable archives seemed a representation of a great many people and all the lifetimes they’d experienced. However, the only thing that mattered was what each one had inside. Valt glanced at the girl next to him. The first time he met her was at the end of a distant memory, one so remote it was aggravating. In a part of some forest only a few steps from a main road, he saved an injured girl.


[User] Miralys walked over to the stack of papers. "There’s some material on the Witch of the Azure Moon in here, isn’t there?"

[Assistant] "Yes, although she rarely came down from her tower. I know more of her than the records do. Because I knew her when she was his queen—"

[User] Miralys screamed as the ceiling of the study shook violently. "What’s going on? !"

[Assistant] "Oh no, did she abandon Magdalsia to come here?" Valt moaned.

[User] "Miralys, over here!" Valt shouted, dashing to a corner of the study and lifting the trapdoor concealed on the floor there. It led to a passage underground, and he stuffed Miralys into it.

[Assistant] Valt had one foot down in the passage when he wove a fire spell and launched it at the archives. "Valt? !"

[User] "It’s fine. We can’t leave them there." Tearing his gaze away from the burning sheaves, Valt hurried down the stairs. As he dashed along the underground passageway that led off the property, he muttered, "Why is she doing this when she should be incredibly busy? In a sense, she’s more trouble than when she was his queen."

[Assistant] "This was in the records from four hundred years ago, but I certainly never expected the change to be this drastic," Valt said quietly.


[User] "If they thought I’d focus all my attention on Magdalsia and take no action, they’re sorely mistaken," the queen stated coldly, her face an emotionless mask.

[Assistant] "Are you sure about this, Lady Tinasha?"

[User] "Sure about what?"

[Assistant] "You’re fighting with the Akashia swordsman," the spirit remarked while floating next to Tinasha in the sky. For a moment, Tinasha gaped at Mila.


[User] "We’re not fighting. We just had a disagreement." She burst out laughing.

[Assistant] "But you’re about to get married. What if he’s tired of you now?"

[User] "Hmm. Well, I can’t do anything about that if it happens." She replied indifferently.

[Assistant] Mila’s eyes grew wide. "You’re really okay with it?"

[User] "I can’t change how he feels, and I have something I need to do. Even if I don’t become his queen, I can still be by his side in other ways. Farsas would approve of something like that more readily anyhow."

[Assistant] "Something like what?"

[User] Tinasha only grimaced. Then an intricate spell configuration formed between her hands. From the air, the queen peered down at the mansion below. Located on the outskirts of a rural town in Tayiri, the holiday villa had belonged to some noble or other for five years. That was the cover story, anyway. However, several days of monitoring a magical surveillance network that spanned the mainland had revealed the truth.

[Assistant] "I finally got a bite on one of my lines, but it took up a good chunk of time. Still, now I have some hope of winning." She snapped her fingers.

[User] "Let’s go. After this, I have to appear at the Gandona ball." She signaled Mila with a look, and the spirit nodded. The queen snapped again. With that cue, her spell became a gigantic cage and sank onto the mansion below. It would prevent teleportation and crush anything within. Unfortunately, it was repelled, if only just, by defensive wards laid upon the estate.

[Assistant] "Wow! That’s a pretty ironclad barrier." Mila whistled.

[User] "Looks like we’ll have to force our way in." She said dismissively, lifting her right hand. Then she swung it straight down. A huge hammer made of magic smashed a hole in the villa’s roof with a loud bang. With the core of the wards destroyed, the barrier dispersed. Tinasha and Mila descended into the hole.


[Assistant] Mila frowned immediately. "It’s all smoky. Did something catch on fire?"

[User] "Or someone set one, perhaps as a smoke screen." Tinasha replied, erecting a defensive barrier around herself and the spirit as she landed inside the mansion. They appeared to be in the living room, although it was difficult to be certain, given all the floating white ash. As she redirected the airflow in the room, Tinasha glanced around. Smoke was pouring from a spot just beyond a toppled wooden chair.

[Assistant] Mila went in first, followed by Tinasha. "Documents?" There she found the source of the blaze. Stacks of papers were alight. There were enough sheets for close to one hundred bound volumes.

[User] "What in the—?" Tinasha picked up a sheaf that was farthest from the conflagration, which had so far been spared the flames. She strained to make out what it said.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, Lady Tinasha. They got away." Mila reported, popping her head out from a hole in one corner of the room. The underground passage must have taken them outside the ban on teleportation.


[Assistant] He suppressed a sigh as he donned formal attire in his guest room. He never liked going to state functions, but that was the least of his worries. His first concern was that Aurelia’s guardian, a revolting demon man, would also be there. The other was that he would see his fiancée.

[User] “Why is she so impossible to get a read on?” He muttered, staring at himself in the mirror as he fastened his jacket cuffs. His foul mood was written all over his face, but aside from that, he looked fine.


[Assistant] Upon leaving his guest chamber and joining Als, who had been waiting outside, they entered the hall. First, Oscar greeted the king of Gandona, the man of the hour. After that, he looked around but did not see Tinasha. However, he caught sight of Aurelia and her chaperone on the other side of the hall. The man noticed Oscar’s gaze and gave him a nasty smirk, one entirely unlike the pleasant smiles he’d shown all the young ladies in attendance.

[User] “I hate that guy.” Under his breath.

[Assistant] Als evidently caught the remark, for he winced.

[User] “It does not appear that Queen Tinasha has arrived.”

[Assistant] “Yeah, she’s been running around like crazy lately.” Oscar replied curtly.