A Child with an Open Mind

A tranquility as deep as the sea permeated the spacious bedroom.

The moonlight pouring in from the windows shone on the woman's long

black hair, lending it a dazzling sheen. Strands as fine as silk threads spilled

over the edge of the bed, revealing the nape of her neck and her back as she

lay facedown in bed. The ivory skin there shimmered in the dim

illumination.

However, despite the expanse of alabaster skin on display, the moment

didn't feel sensual. Instead, her bare skin gave off an overall cool and clear

impression. Oscar watched her steadily.

Tinasha was lying on top of the sheets next to him, propped up on her

elbows as she created and dispersed countless magic spells in her palms.

The man watched with keen interest. "It really does look like it's harder

for you now."

"I now need quite a bit more power to cast spiritual spells. An ordinary

spirit sorcerer would no longer be able to use magic after that. It's a perfect

opportunity to refresh my configurations. I'd lose my touch if I didn't do so

from time to time anyway."

Ten months had passed since the contract was formed. Tinasha and

Oscar had just spent their first week as lovers. Spirit sorcerers were unable

to cast once their chastity was lost; even the most powerful witch was not

immune to that.

However, Tinasha possessed so much natural power that it put her in an

entirely different league. She also had a good command of magic other than

spiritual magic. Because of that, this change looked like it would amount to

nothing more than an opportunity for her to do a little review of her skills.

Whenever she could find the time, she worked on adjusting her spells.

As Oscar watched her concentrating intently on a configuration, he

reached out to trace a line down her back. Tinasha twitched in ticklishness

and jerked away to avoid it. Oscar caught up a lock of long black hair,

twirled it around his fingers, and tugged the witch close. "When should we

hold the ceremony?"

"What ceremony?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him. The ebon

of her eyes was a much deeper black than anything in the room.

Oscar came closer and pressed a kiss to one of her eyelids. "Our

wedding. Once we sign the marriage contract, you'll have all the rights of

the Farsas royal family."

Her reaction was nothing like what Oscar had anticipated it might be.

She gaped at him in shock, eyes wide as if reminded of something she'd

utterly forgotten about.

Oscar frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. "What's with that

face…?"

"Ah, er…," she stammered, dismissing the spell in her hands. She

clutched her head in her hands on the bed for a bit before she finally popped

her head up. Very hesitantly, she admitted, "I'm not sure about getting

married…"

"What did you say?"

"Ouch!" she cried out as Oscar rubbed his fists against her temples. She

clutched at her head again, and Oscar pulled her into his arms.

He glared at her beautiful face from up close. "What do you mean by

that? Are you trying to start a fight?"

"I'm really not, but… Marriage is a separate issue. You should pick

someone else to be your queen and have her bear your children."

"Because you're a witch?"

"There's that, too, but that's not all it is… Well, there's a lot of things,"

she admitted awkwardly before closing her eyes.

All of a sudden, Tinasha seemed very closed. Looking at her like that,

Oscar hugged her tight in his arms. "You'd better not be thinking of erasing

my memories once the contract is over."

"…I'm not," the witch answered, averting her gaze like a child trying to

evade a scolding.

It did look like Oscar wasn't far off the mark, however, and he frowned.

Lucrezia had recently tampered with his memories, but that had been a very

makeshift spell, never meant to last. Oscar could recall only a tiny bit of

discomfort. If Tinasha used her full powers to conceal his memories, he

doubted he'd ever regain them.

Refusing to let his concern show on his face, Oscar instead simply

cautioned, "Listen up. Don't go rogue and do something like that. No

erasing memories or disappearing. I'm not going to do anything that would

make you worry, so don't go making any arbitrary decisions."

"Oscar."

"Whatever it is, let me take half of it."

No matter what happened, if she trusted him to handle some of it, he felt

confident that they could work something out in the end. They'd gotten this

far doing as much, after all.

Tinasha met his eyes, then explained sulkily, "You don't have to worry. I

know that if I did that, you'd fly into a mad rage."

"I'm glad to see you understand," Oscar retorted breezily. Truthfully, he

was deeply relieved. Knowing that losing her and being completely

unaware of it wasn't a possibility anymore felt like a weight off his

shoulders.

Yet while that was one fewer thing to fret over, he still didn't want to

concede this point. "First of all, it would be going much too far to set up

some other woman as a placeholder queen. I'd feel terrible for her."

"Isn't that what royal marriages are like? You're prepared to marry

someone as long as they come from a family of high social standing. At

least, that's how it was for me."

What Tinasha said hinted at a political marriage, and Oscar's face

darkened.

Naturally, Oscar was intimately familiar with limited choice when it

came to whom he wed.

He had grown up beneath the constant pressure of a curse fated to kill

his wife and child. The man hadn't dared to harbor a single hope regarding

love and marriage.

Things were different now, though.

Farsas hadn't done political unions ever since the reign of Oscar's greatgrandfather Regius. The nation was strong and stable enough to get by

without relying on such measures.

Oscar had heard that his father had also overcome his parents' well-

founded objections and had made a commoner his queen. Oscar was

prepared to make a political marriage if he needed to, but he couldn't accept

Tinasha refusing to marry him without knowing why.

It was true that witches had long been shunned, historically speaking.

If Oscar announced that he was making her queen, it would undoubtedly

stir up hostile sentiments in Farsas. Other nations were unlikely to take the

news well, either, and would heighten their vigilance against Farsas once it

owned the most powerful witch.

Yet even if some discord arose, Oscar trusted himself to weather it.

Tinasha's current reputation within the castle was far different from

when she had first arrived, mainly because so many people had gotten to

know her personally.

As for foreign opposition, Oscar had no desire to use the witch's power

against other countries. At most, it would be only for defense.

All told, Oscar believed that Tinasha's status would not be a grave

impediment, even if things took some time to settle. As someone raised to

potentially become the queen of Tuldarr, she would adapt much better to the

position than a commoner who would have to be educated from the ground

up. So what was the problem?

As Oscar's thoughts went round and round, Tinasha covered her mouth

and let out a little yawn, perhaps to signal that she had nothing more to say.

Her eyelids seemed heavy, as her long eyelashes fluttered over and over.

"I'm perfectly fine as your paramour," she admitted.

"I don't have any intention of keeping you in the shadows," Oscar

insisted.

"Isn't what's considered in the shadows or light all up to the people

involved? Don't be greedy," the witch retorted, closing her eyes as if she

couldn't stave off sleep any longer. Even so, she made an effort to open her

eyes once to look at him.

Upon seeing that she was so drowsy, Oscar smiled wanly. "It's fine.

Rest."

"…Okay."

His sleepyhead sweetheart passed out abruptly. As soon as her eyes shut,

he could hear her breathing turn deep and even.

Once Oscar confirmed she was unconscious, he closed his eyes, too.

"Don't be greedy."

Tinasha's words applied to herself as much as Oscar. He'd longed for

her to feel an attachment to him, and while now she finally did, he wanted

to have her by his side in public as well as in private. That was undoubtedly

a form of avarice.

While Oscar understood that, he didn't intend to compromise on this

point. He couldn't conceive of marrying some other woman. If Tinasha

insisted on refusing to become his wife, he wanted to at least know the

reason.

Ending his pondering there, Oscar followed the woman in his arms into

sleep.

It didn't matter if they had different dreams, because when he woke up,

she would be right there next to him.

"You said no to marrying him?!" Pamyra shrieked before clamping a hand

over her mouth.

Her lady didn't scold her for the outburst, instead only grimacing. As

Pamyra helped Tinasha change her clothes, she apologized for her rudeness

and pressed, "Um, may I ask why not?"

"It's very simple. It's because I'm a witch," answered Tinasha as she

flicked one hand.

Oscar wasn't hiding that she was the king's protector and paramour; in

fact, he was broadcasting it openly. It was common knowledge within the

castle that he'd always wanted to marry her, but she had never taken that to

heart.

Pamyra had often fretted over how clueless her lady could be about her

own feelings despite caring so much for Oscar. Now that Tinasha had

finally realized the nature of her attachment, she exuded a calm and relaxed

aura that greatly relieved Pamyra.

Unfortunately, though Pamyra had been anticipating her lady's wedding,

she was met with a mighty disappointment. There was no way Pamyra was

going to take this lying down. "I don't think you being a witch matters at

all. Plus, you have the veil from your parents and everything."

The snow-white veil was perched on a rattan stand in a corner of

Tinasha's bedroom. It was so long that it trailed onto the floor. Charmed not

to decay, it had been sent to Tinasha by her birth parents more than four

hundred years ago and had been kept in the Tuldarr treasure vault until very

recently.

At Pamyra's words, Tinasha glanced at the veil. She gave a slightly

pained smile. "Pamyra, do you know how witches are born?"

The servant paused in her combing out of Tinasha's long black hair.

"Didn't Renart ask you a similar question? And you told him that men's

minds and bodies couldn't survive for centuries."

"That's the reason there are no male witches. I'm talking about what

causes witches to occur in the first place."

"'O-occur'?" Pamyra repeated. Why was Tinasha talking about her own

kind like they were some sort of phenomenon? After considering this for a

while, Pamyra failed to arrive at an answer.

She knew that her lady had become a witch because she had absorbed an

enormous amount of magical power when her country was destroyed, but

she couldn't hazard a guess about the other witches.

Tinasha smiled, sensing that Pamyra was entirely perplexed. "It's

simple. All five currently living witches became such later in life. Some are

like me, and others used contracts to boost their power. However, all began

as humans and became witches later."

"I see…," Pamyra responded, impressed. She couldn't begin to imagine

the origins of these mighty immortals. Even her lady's friend, Lucrezia, was

mostly an unknown.

As Tinasha fastened up the buttons on her sleeves, her eyes narrowed as

her thoughts turned distant. "No witch has ever been born. No mother could

bear a child with that much power. That's why…I can't marry him."

Tinasha gave a little smile.

Pamyra was still having difficulty divining her lady's meaning, only

feeling more in the dark now.

On the wall close to the seminar rooms, an array of notices had been posted

up again.

The tasks requested of the court mages ranged in difficulty as well as in

nature. Tinasha came once every three days to check on them, and this time

she stood gazing at them with her attendant, the mage Renart.

Prior to his arrival in Farsas, Renart had been an unaffiliated magic user.

Now that he had become a court mage, he spent a lot of time on his own

research.

While he was a very talented mage by nature, circumstances had left

him trained only for war. For someone like him, coming to Farsas, where he

could make use of his time and the mage facilities as he liked after

completing his tasks, was like discovering a whole new world.

Renart tore off a request for the brewing of a magic potion. The witch

looked at it and smiled. "You, making a magic potion? That's unusual."

"I'm trying to be as well rounded as I can," Renart answered seriously,

and Tinasha's smile widened as she plucked off a different request—one

that had just been posted. She usually took only the ones that no one else

would touch. Renart gave her a quizzical look. "What job is that?"

At the inquiry, Tinasha showed him the slip. On it was written, "My

supply of butterfly bloodstones is running low, so I'd like you to acquire

any you come across and set them aside for me."

"Butterfly bloodstones? I've never heard of those before," Renart

remarked.

"A long time ago, they were all over the place. There was once

something called a bloodred butterfly. Don't let the name fool you, though

—it wasn't a living thing. It was a phenomenon that occurred when the

boundary between the magical realm and the human realm grew too close."

"Too close?"

Tinasha snapped her fingers, and a crimson butterfly appeared in the air,

unfurling its large, elegant wings. While it was undeniably beautiful, there

was something ominous about it. Renart hadn't yet recovered from his

surprise when the thing winked out of sight.

"These typically form when many people are sacrificed for a forbidden

curse. Excessive muddling of magic and human life force causes them to

gush up out of nowhere and then disappear after a time. When they vanish,

they leave behind little stones of the same color. Those pebbles can be used

as catalysts. Each one contains magic and human life force, so their

potential is quite broad."

"So something like that exists…," he mused.

"Nowadays, you almost never see them. They're honestly something

that should just disappear, considering their origins. There used to be a lot

more in the Dark Age, but I'd expect that they're quite rare these days,

seeing as they vanish after use."

Tinasha took the request notice she'd torn off and folded it up neatly.

"Instead of butterfly bloodstones, I'll create catalysts that can be stockpiled.

Procure some crystals. Anything will do, even tiny fragments. We just need

a lot of them."

"Yes, my lady," said Renart.

"What else do we have here?" Tinasha said, standing up on her tiptoes to

closely examine the notice board. The ladies-in-waiting and mages passing

by smiled to see her looking so innocent, considering her status as the

strongest witch in the land as well as their king's favorite.

Just then, the magistrate Norman came by with a stack of papers in

hand. He caught sight of Tinasha and frowned. "What are you doing?" he

demanded, his voice dripping with disapproval.

"Oh," Tinasha said with surprise.

Renart narrowed his eyes a fraction; he must have heard about what had

happened the other day from Pamyra.

However, Tinasha gave the magistrate an easy smile and answered, "I'm

looking for some requests to fill. I have a bit of time on my hands."

"Your role is not to perform odd jobs around the castle. It is to give birth

to an heir."

"..."

The witch had not expected him to lecture her on that, and her black

eyes widened. Yet Norman paid her no mind and went on in a matter-of-fact

tone. "You don't need to coddle the mages. If there's anything they can't

handle, you should teach them how to do it instead of just handling it

yourself."

After saying his piece, the man promptly took his leave. Too taken aback

to respond, Tinasha scratched at her temple as she watched Norman huff out

of sight. "I'm not trying to coddle them…," she muttered.

Renart gave an uneasy smile. "He does have a point. This is why we're

working in the castle, after all. You should prioritize the things that only

you can do."

"The things only I can do, hmm?" Tinasha parroted.

She supposed that meant siring a child with the king, just as Norman had

said.

That would be a perfectly natural thing for an ordinary woman to do, but

Tinasha was a witch, which complicated the situation—and this involved

Oscar, muddling things even further. When she first met him, she had

warned him that it wasn't a good idea to introduce a witch's blood into the

royal bloodline.

Crossing her arms, she let out a low groan. "It feels like even though I

broke the curse, I've come right back to where I started…"

"You haven't come back to anything. You're making good progress."

"Why does Oscar want me when he could have anyone he wanted?"

"Are you really asking that now…?" Renart replied, sounding vaguely

exhausted.

Tinasha pursed her lips. She didn't want to impose on her servant with

any more of her personal troubles.

Renart pointed down the hallway. "You should go ask His Majesty about

that directly."

Oscar just happened to be passing by at the end of the corridor. When

Tinasha saw him, she gave a little hop. He spotted her, too, beckoning her

over with a smile. Without taking her eyes off him, Tinasha murmured to

Renart, "Take care of the crystals."

"Leave it to me," he answered, and then Tinasha was off running down

the hallway.

Renart watched calmly as his lady nestled up to the king and smiled

happily at him.

The year was drawing to a close.

Farsas's final days of the year were characterized by a flurry of activity,

and things inside the castle were no different. The magistrates had finished

compiling all the necessary documents and preparing for the New Year

festival.

"What will you do on the day of the New Year?" the witch asked the

king as she brewed tea in his study.

While reviewing official papers, Oscar gave a succinct answer. "I'm

going to the eastern temple to do a simple ceremony, then back to the city to

greet the people from the castle."

The place Oscar referred to resided in the grasslands beyond the city. By

horseback, the trip was no longer than thirty minutes. Save for the temple

itself, the location was rather uninteresting.

Multiple gods were enshrined and worshipped at the site, including

Aetea. It was a place for people to pray for victory in wartime, but it was

used only for New Year's rites nowadays.

The witch inclined her head thoughtfully. "Will you use a transportation

array?"

"No, I'll ride. The trip is a processional for the public."

"Ooh…," Tinasha said, racking her brain to think how she could

guarantee his safety. She wasn't afraid of a head-on attack by magic or

sword. He could fend off something like that on his own easily, and he had

his protective barrier. But someone who wanted to commit regicide would

use a more premeditated, underhanded method. When she thought of how a

poisoned needle had nearly killed him amid the chaos of a demonic spirit

attack a few weeks ago, it struck her that she needed to make her defense

airtight.

After spending some time pondering it, Tinasha snapped her fingers.

"Can I set up a spell around the temple and the road there in advance?"

"I don't mind. Actually, please do. Sorry for the trouble."

"It won't be much trouble at all," the witch said with a smile, taking the

papers that detailed the plans for the ceremony from Oscar. She scanned

them at lightning speed. Just as she was debating whether to have a copy

made, a voice that none save the witch herself could hear called out.

"What is it, Litola?"

As Oscar looked up, the familiar in charge of managing Tinasha's tower

appeared. Litola, who took the form of an androgynous child, bowed to

their master before saying in an emotionless voice, "Visitors have come to

the tower."

"Shouldn't it be closed?" she responded.

"It is, but some children have come."

"Huh?"

"Five boys—none over the age of ten. Judging by their conversation,

they live in the Farsas castle city."

"What?" Tinasha said. It took an adult about a day of riding at full speed

to reach the witch's tower from here. While there were small settlements

along the way, none were very close to Tinasha's spire. The land was all

flat, so it was easier than going eastward, but it was still not a short trip at

all. Oscar and Tinasha exchanged glances.

"I wonder how I should deal with this. It's already so late in the day that

the children will have trouble getting back to the city before dark…,"

remarked the witch, crossing her arms as a frown marred her lovely

features. "What do those kids think they're doing? Farsasian citizens are as

reckless as their king."

"Don't take advantage of the chaos to slip some snide remarks in,"

Oscar shot back. Tinasha ignored the quip as she set the papers back down

on the desk.

"Perhaps they've been tasked with something important. I'm going to go

take a look," Tinasha decided.

"Be careful," warned Oscar.

The familiar disappeared first—followed by Tinasha.

According to the legends, those who climbed to the top of the azure tower

in the wilderness that belonged to no kingdom would have their wish

granted by a witch.

But it was just as well known that the spire was packed full of demonic

spirits and traps, and most challengers who went to test their skills never

returned from the place. As a result, the structure had seen very few visitors

in the last one hundred years.

That was what most believed anyway. The truth of it was that many

made the trip, but all who failed had their memories of the tower altered and

were forcibly teleported somewhere. Because of this, information about the

spire remained muddled. However, some extremely rare challengers

resisted the magical changes to their minds and the teleportation. These

were people who had come to the tower not as a test of their skills but to

have a vital wish granted.

One had wanted to recover a child abducted by a demonic spirit.

Another had sought the cure for a deathly ill relative.

Both had exhausted all other means possible in pursuit of their goals.

Refusing to quit, they had ventured to the spire prepared to give their own

lives.

In those cases, Tinasha had done all she could to help, even though they

hadn't defeated her challenges.

When Tinasha became a witch, she decided that the problems of the

world weren't her responsibility. While she was the strongest of her kind,

she was not omnipotent. Yet when people came to her to beg for assistance,

she still felt compelled to do what she could.

She granted their wishes in exchange for total silence.

Those deeds had remained buried in history, never to see the light of

day.

"Open it up already, you baby."

"But it won't open…," the redheaded boy protested in confusion, feeling

all around the outer wall of the tower as the other four boys jeered at him.

There was a break in the wall that looked like it might be an entrance, but it

didn't budge when pushed, and there was no handle to pull.

Despite that, the others behind him mocked him for being a coward. The

redheaded child finally had enough and whirled around in anger. "Then

why don't you try?"

"Why should we?" one retorted.

"You're the one who needed to come, Saye," appended another.

They all made faces and wouldn't come any closer.

Who's the real baby here? thought Saye. Since the tower had proved

impenetrable, he knew it would be better to give up and go home. However,

he'd be mercilessly teased if he did so, and it would be a waste of the effort

the kids had gone through to sneak away from home in the middle of the

night.

Saye tried one more time, pushing as hard as he possibly could.

But just then, a young woman's voice cried out sharply from behind

them. "Hey!"

"Eek!" he yelped, wheeling around to see a beautiful woman of about

twenty standing there with her arms crossed.

Her onyx-black hair, porcelain-white skin, and dark eyes weren't

features one saw all that often in Farsas. She glared at the five of them, ill

tempered. "What do you boys think you're doing all the way out here?"

Saye was gazing admiringly at her until the question snapped him back

to reality. "Where did you even come from…?"

"Does it matter? What business do you have with the witch?" she

demanded.

"Well…"

Once Saye began to talk to the woman who'd appeared out of thin air,

the other four recovered from their shock. Determinedly, each started to tell

on him.

"Saye said that in the north, ice falls from the sky instead of rain."

"It's just a bunch of lies. There's no way that's true."

"So we told him to go ask the witch."

Tinasha looked puzzled when she heard the boys' claims. "Ice… Do you

mean hail? No—snow?"

Saye's eyes lit up. "Yeah, that! Do you know it?"

"Yes, I do," she answered.

Farsas was located deep inland, and its year-round temperate climate

meant that it never grew cold enough for water to freeze. There were no tall

mountains in the region, either, so those who lived in the castle city

wouldn't have seen snow. Some went their whole lives never seeing the

ocean. It was entirely reasonable that children doubted the mere existence

of snow.

Saye was delighted to hear her say that. He turned back to his friends

and puffed out his chest proudly. "See? I told you! Even our parents said it's

real. Just believe me already!"

"We don't know it's true just because grown-ups said so!" they

protested.

Feeling a keen wave of exhaustion sweep over her at this dispute that

had come to a standstill, Tinasha heaved a deep sigh. "I almost don't want

to ask…but is this the reason you've come here?"

"Yeah," they all chorused together.

Tinasha rubbed her forehead. But because she was dealing with children,

she had to be even more careful. After placing her hands on her hips and

sucking in a deep breath, she unloaded on them. "A pack of kids coming

out to a place like this all alone! What if the witch killed you? What if you

ran into demonic spirits or bandits along the way? You can't get carried

away and forget what you are!"

Four of them shrank back, abashed in the face of the woman's anger.

Saye didn't back down, however. "I know it's dangerous! But sometimes

you just can't give in! His Majesty went adventuring all over and got

stronger, didn't he?"

"So this is all his influence?!" Tinasha exclaimed.

Unbelievable. She really couldn't understand the apparent male need for

adventure.

But even Oscar wouldn't have come all the way out to the witch's tower

as a child without as much as a sword to defend himself with.

Restraining her utter exasperation, Tinasha bent down until she was at

eye level with Saye. "Listen to me. His Majesty didn't get strong because

he went out on adventures. He spent a long time training first. Acting

recklessly is no way to get more powerful. It would be best if you had good

judgment first. If you understand, then I'll take you back home."

Saye was silent and obedient in the face of Tinasha's lecture.

He knew what the beautiful woman said was correct. However, he didn't

think he was in the wrong. The boy wouldn't have come this far if he had.

Strength of will shone brightly in his eyes. Tinasha gave a rueful smile

when she saw it, reminded of Oscar.

Tinasha always scolded him over his brash behavior, but his judgment

usually was correct—to an extent. At least in the sense that he was much

better at getting everyone out of tough spots than his retinue of followers.

She understood that he wanted to do things himself so there wouldn't be

any unnecessary deaths. Still, she wanted him to realize that he shouldn't

keep it from his protector when he galloped off into danger. In the end,

Oscar was a boy who loved adventure, too.

Saye observed the faint smile on Tinasha's lips and hesitated for a

moment, but he finally gave a reluctant nod. He'd been worrying himself

over how they were going to get back home anyway. Now that he'd calmed

down, he felt grateful for the woman's offer.

Tinasha grinned and ruffled Saye's hair. At this, the boy scowled and

brushed her hand away. "Don't treat me like a kid!"

"I have that done to me all the time, even at my age," she responded

with a little shrug. Instead of tousling Saye's locks, she kissed his forehead.

After watching Tinasha and Saye's conversation in a daze, the other

children ran to lead over their horses, which were hitched to some trees.

Once all were prepared, Tinasha opened up a transportation array

without using an incantation. At her direction, the children entered it

nervously.

Saye was the last one left, and he turned to look back at Tinasha. As he

beheld her beautiful form, he hesitantly inquired, "Are you… Are you the

witch?"

"…Who can say?" she answered, widening her eyes a little and giving

him a sly grin.

The next day, Tinasha went out to inspect the temple and the road leading to

it. Then she conferred with Kumu and laid out a spell configuration

covering the structure and the path. It took a full day to complete the spell.

Once it was complete, its construction was a source of awe for the other

mages.

Doan whispered to Kav, "Weren't Miss Tinasha's powers supposed to

weaken, being a spirit sorcerer and all…?"

"Common rules don't apply to her," Kav breathed back.

The large spell the witch had woven sported two main effects.

First, it prevented anyone within it from using spells, excepting mages

with prior permission. Of course, it would also nullify any magic cast

outside it the moment it entered. Erecting this configuration had proved to

be a great ordeal, but when it came to proactive defensive magic, it was first

class.

Second, it allowed the spell caster to be aware of all that happened

within the boundaries of the spell. Most would consider such large-scale

surveillance magic virtually unthinkable to attempt.

The witch smiled as she winced at all the astonished mages. "The

surveillance part of the spell is going to be more troublesome on the day of

the procession than casting it was. But if I tried to devise something that

would automatically identify anyone suspicious, there would inevitably be

some who could slip through the cracks… So it's best if I keep an eye on

things myself."

On the day of the procession and ceremony, the witch would be aware of

everything that went on within her spell's boundaries. The load on her

brainpower would be extraordinary, far beyond the human capacity for

information processing.

But she had chosen this spell for its reliability. That was how much of a

toll the incident with the poisoned needle had taken on her.

Tinasha would never be able to forget the feeling of her blood

congealing within her when she rushed to suspend time in Oscar's body

after the poisoned needle had stuck him. Once she discovered who had

dispatched that assassin, she intended to give them all the retribution they

deserved.

Oscar heard Tinasha's briefing on the spell and approved it, though he

eyed her with concern. "Are you going to be okay doing the surveillance

like that?"

"It's not my first time. I'll be all right. But it will leave me a bit short

when it comes to my own self-defense."

"Stay near me. That ensures your safety, so it kills two birds with one

stone."

"Got it," Tinasha accepted with a weak smile, retreating over to the

study wall to let Kumu give his report.

She had actually hoped to be high in the air during the festivities,

avoiding any conspicuous locations, but Oscar's reasoning was sound and

convincing. In close-range combat, he was unmatched.

After Kumu gave his report and left the room, Oscar started to put his

documents in order. As he did, he recalled the events of the previous day.

"Oh right, what did those kids who came to the tower want?"

"Oh, so about that…"

Tinasha gave a succinct summary of what had happened. Oscar listened

to it as he completed his work. He frowned once he'd heard the full story.

"Ten years old, and they don't think snow is real? I've gotta reform the

education system."

"What? That's what you got from that?!"

"Well, that's what caused this," he concluded.

Public education was available in Farsas, but many children were too

busy with tasks at home to attend.

As Oscar began to contemplate making education mandatory, Tinasha

gave an innocent laugh. "I think it's a good thing to doubt what you hear.

Although too much of it will keep you from getting anywhere, I suppose…

Have you ever seen snow?"

"From far away, when we marched to Tayiri," he answered.

Located far to the north, Tayiri had plenty of tall mountains. The peaks

were snowcapped year-round.

The witch was the reason Farsas's forces had made for Tayiri; when she

heard Oscar's reply, the witch gave a vague smile. In haste, she turned to

make some tea.

Oscar observed her from behind. "So why don't you want to get

married?"

"Why that all of a sudden…?"

"Because I want to know. Am I the reason?"

After scowling for a bit, Tinasha finally let out a big sigh and spread her

arms wide. "Do you remember when I told you before that you have

magic?"

"Oh, that's right. I meant to ask you for more details about that."

The witch had informed him several times already that he possessed

magic, but the pair always had more pressing issues to deal with, and he

hadn't gotten the chance to hear more until now. Tinasha pointed to Oscar's

chest. "I think that when you were a child, a mighty seal was put on your

magic. That's why normal mages don't sense it… But you actually have an

incredible amount of magical power. If you'd trained as a mage, you could

have become an accomplished spell caster."

"…What?" Oscar blurted out, entirely taken aback.

Tinasha had told him before that his magic was locked away, but he

hadn't even thought about how much power he might have.

Evidently, this was a subject the witch would have preferred to avoid,

because as she continued, her expression soured. "We do say that magic

isn't necessarily hereditary, but that's when we're talking about a mage born

to parents who don't have magic. In your case, there is no doubt that any

child of yours will be an incredibly strong mage. Normally speaking, no

woman could bear a child with as much magic as a witch, and even if she

could, the baby would probably be stillborn. Obviously, things would be a

bit different if I'm the parent. If the child is a girl, she could very well be a

witch from birth."

The implication was clear. This was why Tinasha didn't want to carry

Oscar's child.

It was a possibility Oscar had never entertained. His child could be a

witch.

With the truth of the matter thrust before him, even the brash Oscar

found himself without a rebuttal for a short while.

He looked into Tinasha's dark eyes. Then his gaze dropped to his own

hands. After managing to absorb the shock of this revelation, he asked,

"What would happen if it's a boy?"

"He'd definitely inherit a fair amount of magic, but he'd wield Akashia.

So long as he bears that weapon, he won't be able to concentrate his magic

or cast spells. It's probably the same reason you took on Akashia so early."

"Do you mean my dad knew about my magic?"

"I pressed Kumu about this earlier, but he didn't know anything. This

means that your mother or someone close to her must have done the

sealing. I probably should have told you about it much earlier, but with the

curse, you weren't in a position to be taking a wife anyhow. And I wasn't

too sure about meddling too much in your affairs…"

"I see…," Oscar murmured, thinking of his late mother.

She had died when he was five years old, and he had almost no

memories of her.

Most people were able to recall some things from their early childhoods,

but Oscar found himself curiously unable to conjure up more than a slim

few. He certainly didn't know whether his mother had been a mage or not.

Perhaps his father could shed some light on the matter.

Oscar sighed, thinking about himself and the past, then turned his mind

back to the witch. He gazed at his beloved. "Do you think it would be bad

to have such strong power from birth?"

"It doesn't seem like a good thing, no. Even more so when the person in

question would be part of the royal family."

"But I have magic, don't I? And you were originally going to become a

queen," Oscar countered, beckoning Tinasha over. She walked toward him,

then sat on his lap with an unhappy look on her face. He embraced her

lightly. "Don't reject the idea of power right from the start. Your own

abilities have saved many people."

"And killed just as many, too," she said, eyes downcast. Her head was

hanging low, and Oscar stroked her hair gently.

"My decision to fight has resulted in deaths as well. Tinasha, power is

meant to be used. If this is a child that only you can bear, that means you

have the strength to raise them. You can teach them bit by bit about their

abilities and life—set them on the correct path. Don't throw out the

possibility from the start. Give this child a chance to be born."

Tinasha was silent.

She just closed her eyes, overcome with emotions she couldn't accept.

On the night before the New Year, the Farsas castle city was abuzz with

commotion and cheer.

No place was busier than the castle itself, however. Ladies-in-waiting

and magistrates dashed to and fro, all preparing for the ceremony and

celebration.

Tinasha knew little of Farsas customs and had thought that the rites

would take place early in the morning of the first day of the New Year.

However, things actually began late at night. The New Year was welcomed

at the temple.

Als was conducting final checks on the security inside the castle gate

while in formal attire. He caught the scent of alcohol and festival merriment

on the breeze and narrowed his eyes. "I wanna drink…"

"We're on the job," came a voice from behind him, accompanied by a

punch to his back. It was his childhood friend, her hair tied up today. It was

standard for women to grow their hair long, but Meredina had always kept

hers cut shorter than shoulder length for work. However, it had recently just

barely eked onto her back. She was wearing a formal, deep-red officer's

uniform with a long sword belted at her waist. "Looks like it might rain,"

she remarked.

"Hope it holds out till we get back to the castle," Als replied. Both of

them gazed up at the inky clouds that concealed the starry sky. From time to

time, a sliver of moonlight would peek out from gaps.

Precipitation would quickly put a damper on the festive mood, but more

concerningly, security would be more challenging to enforce. Als prayed

that everything would wrap up before it started raining.

A little over half an hour remained until they set out. All the necessary

preparations had been made.

The mages had been divided into those stationed at the temple in

advance and those who would be making the march from the castle.

Soldiers and those mages who were still available had been stationed along

the route as bodyguards.

Clad in ceremonial dress, Kumu and Doan stood in the hall with the rest

of the party that would ride out. Before leaving, they checked in with the

witch's spell configuration to investigate how the route looked. Tinasha had

granted permission to use the spell to a select group of just under ten trusted

mages, including these two. However, what they could perceive fell far

below what the caster could. Thus the responsibility of surveillance fell

mostly upon Tinasha alone.

The two mages scanned the surveillance spell and exchanged glances.

"Looks like nothing suspicious at the moment," stated Kumu.

"There's nothing abnormal at the temple, either," reported Doan.

They breathed a sigh of relief. The summoner of the demonic spirits that

had attacked the castle a few weeks back was still at large. They couldn't be

too careful.

Just then, the door at the back opened, and the young king entered. As

he sauntered over, he checked on his gear and attire, then narrowed his eyes

at Kumu. "How are things?"

"No problems to report," the mage responded.

"Good," Oscar said with a nod.

Historically speaking, ceremonial attire for the king of Farsas entailed

military regalia. Oscar was clad in metal-plated armor and a deep crimson

cape, with Akashia affixed at his waist. The entire ensemble brimmed with

valor and majesty. When paired with his handsome features, he painted a

gorgeous picture indeed. A small dragon perched atop his shoulder like a

holy figurine, adding a layer of surreality to Oscar's appearance.

He looked around the room before cocking his head. "Where's

Tinasha?"

"I thought she would be with you," answered Kumu.

"No, I haven't seen her," Oscar admitted.

Just as he was debating whether to send someone to get her, the witch

entered the room. All three of the men sensed her presence and turned

around, only to be struck dumb by the sight of her.

She was wearing a mage's formal dress.

But not that of Farsas casters—she wore the ceremonial robes of a mage

of Tuldarr.

The long raiment was deep blue and white—the colors of the Tuldarr

royal family. Intricate sigils were embroidered all over the witch's

garments. Her long black hair was partially swept up, and a circlet and

earrings made from strings of crystals gleamed faintly.

She was the very embodiment of transparent mystery, and Oscar

couldn't hide his shock. "What happened here?"

"Sylvia and Pamyra got their hands on me," Tinasha explained. Even

her makeup was exquisite. The two women had gleefully brought back

mages' costumes and formal dress robes from the Tuldarr treasure vault for

Tinasha.

Perhaps she'd gotten used to being treated like a dress-up doll, because

Tinasha had let it slide with only a mild amount of pouting. Starting with

the crystals inlaid in her wrist bracers, nearly every aspect of her ensemble

seemed fashioned from ensorcelled implements.

Tinasha looked up, taking in Oscar's appearance, and said glibly, "You

were already so beautiful that an ensemble like that suits you very well."

Oscar grimaced at that. "It feels pretty strange having you call me

beautiful. That's not a compliment you give a man."

"Is it not? I only meant to give you a fair bit of praise," the witch

responded, head tilted to the side in some confusion. Then she went to stand

next to Kumu.

Oscar let out a held breath. "Well, let's be off."

All present bowed in response.

The hall door creaked open, and the procession strode out toward the

main gate.

The soldiers leading the way cleared the large main street that wound

toward the city's eastern section. Having been pushed to the edges of the

road, the populace crowded to catch a glimpse of their king.

Next marched the officers commanded by Als. Following them was the

group comprised of Oscar and the mages. It was late, and the excitement in

the city had hit a fever pitch. Perhaps this was because the Farsas royal

family tended to produce legendary talents generation after generation, or

maybe Oscar was just that popular with his citizens.

As Saye peeked at the procession from between gaps in the crowd of

adults in front of him, he noticed a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse

right behind the king and gasped. The steed proceeded steadily, though she

was not holding the reins, and she had her eyes closed.

Because the woman was wearing different clothes, there was an air of

curious intensity and awe-inspiring majesty that had been absent the first

time Saye had seen her. There was no mistaking the lady's striking looks,

however. She was indeed the woman he had met at the tower. Saye was

wholly convinced that she was the witch, but when he thought back on it,

she had spoken as if she knew the king. So maybe she was a court mage and

not the witch.

Once the parade passed by, the road filled back up with hordes of

people.

The king would come through again one hour into the New Year. Saye

left and ran off to tell his friends about the woman he'd seen.

Oscar and his entourage reached the temple without incident. Everyone felt

somewhat relieved.

The ancient building in the middle of a grassy plain was constructed of

alabaster. This spacious temple was another side of Farsas that generally

went unnoticed. Its tranquility masked a long history stretching back to the

early Dark Age.

While it was called a temple, the structure was mostly bereft of

ornamentation. The interior was a single wide, large room. At its rear stood

seven stone pillars with densely packed letters carved into them. Each post

was dedicated to one of the seven gods of Farsas.

As the ceremony began and the priests offered blessings and prayers,

Oscar unsheathed Akashia before the altar. His attendants stood behind him,

watching solemnly. Tinasha was near the entrance. Her eyes were shut

while her consciousness was linked to the spell.

At long last, the priests concluded their recitations. Oscar then started

into a speech dedicated to them. As he listened, Als checked the time.

Things were right on schedule. Soon the New Year would be upon them.

Priestesses started to pass out cups of red wine to the ceremony

participants. The king finished another address and then took up a wine

bottle that had been prepared for him. He divided its contents among three

glasses on the altar.

After setting down the empty bottle, Oscar then took the first glass and

poured it on the earth. The second he scattered skyward. Then he took the

third glass and drained it into his mouth.

Following that, his retinue partook of their own glasses. Happy cries of

celebration for the New Year rang out.

Tinasha observed the proceedings with her eyes cracked open.

She was not a citizen of Farsas, so she didn't consume the wine. The

witch had a low tolerance for alcohol and had no desire to consume any

while connected to the spell.

Admittedly, that was just an excuse, however.

Mixing with this group still gave Tinasha some pause. She couldn't

shake her anxiety and fear over whether it would be right for her to stay

past her contract and grow close to them.

Did his mother feel this uneasy too…?

As that sudden thought popped into Tinasha's mind, she winced at her

own uncontrollable imagination.

Time moved ever on and on, carrying with it the fates of all sorts of

different people.

The 527th year of Farsas history had begun, under its twenty-first king.

"Thanks for all your hard work. Let's finish out the second half," Oscar

said, expressing his gratitude to his guard convoy. They all nodded, a

variety of expressions on their faces.

The procession departed from the temple and made its way slowly

across the ebon grasslands, with magic lights to lead the way. The air now

felt damp, and it seemed likely to rain at any moment.

Oscar looked back to check and make sure the witch was right behind

him. She still had her eyes closed to sense everything flowing into her

mind. He was debating over whether to speak to her when he suddenly felt

something.

Without a word, he had Akashia unsheathed. At the same time, the witch

began an incantation.

"Let it be defined—I summon and control you. Thunder, appear and

follow my command!"

The rest of the entourage gaped, wide-eyed.

In the next moment, a gigantic bolt of white lightning shot up from the

earth toward the sky. An earsplitting sound rent the air as a blinding light lit

up everything around.

When all that faded away, the world returned to darkness and silence

once more.

Pale faced, Kumu asked Oscar, "What happened?!"

"Someone was watching us," Oscar answered grimly, stowing Akashia.

The rest of the retinue began to buzz at this distressing revelation.

Oscar checked on the witch. Her eyes were open, and she gave him a

chagrined smile. "They got away," she stated, snapping her fingers in

frustration.

When the people saw a pillar of lightning suddenly illuminate the eastern

sky, a wave of murmurs rolled through the city.

Cries of concern for the king's safety erupted all over. Those who

remained inside the castle were frantic with worry, too, but a report came in

via magic informing them that the king was safe. A momentary relief

spread throughout the castle.

However, Saye and his four friends had snuck out of the city and were

on their way to the temple when the giant bolt of lightning struck, petrifying

them with fear. They didn't know if they should keep going and check on

things or head back to the city.

"What should we do, Saye?"

"You're the one who said we should go."

"Shut up. It'd be awful if something happened to His Majesty."

As the boys fell into argument, the king's party came into view.

While the children felt relieved, they also scurried to hide themselves.

They didn't want to find out what kind of punishment they might get if

anyone knew a bunch of kids had left the city to go take a look at the king.

Managing to sneak into a nearby patch of brushwood, they dropped onto

their bellies and held their breaths.

However, right when the procession passed in front of the brushwood,

the beautiful woman spoke in a voice that rang out across the grassy plains.

"Saye, come out from there."

When the boy heard his name, he almost jumped right up. He managed

to suppress the urge, but the other four nudged him out anyway. The king's

procession stopped, and everyone stared at him.

The woman in the center frowned at him. "Did you not understand my

lecture? What are you doing out here?"

"…I'm sorry," he said, dropping his head obediently. He didn't think

offering an excuse would do any good here.

Tinasha waved him closer. He came right up next to her, and Oscar

watched the scene with amusement.

Saye was so nervous he went stiff as a board as he bowed deeply to

Oscar. "Your Majesty, I'm very sorry. I just got curious."

"I don't mind, but you need to be careful," replied Oscar.

Tinasha reached out and pulled Saye up onto her horse. She didn't forget

to shoot a warning at the bushes. "The rest of you come out, too. It looks

like it's going to rain, so let's all head back together."

At the command, the remaining quartet of boys came stumbling out, all

with guilty looks on their faces. Other members of the retinue picked them

up, and the journey resumed.

Saye whispered to Tinasha from his position next to her on the horse,

"Miss, how did you know we were there?"

"Because I'm monitoring the route. I can tell if anyone gets close," she

explained.

Saye let his head sag, crestfallen. He'd come all the way out here in the

first place because he wanted to know if she was really the woman at the

tower, and although he'd accomplished that goal, he still felt like a failure.

The boy sighed. Then he felt something cold graze his cheeks and

looked up at the dark sky. As if echoing his emotions, droplets had started

to fall from the sky.

At the vanguard, Als gazed up at the rain. "Looks like we didn't make it.

Your Majesty, should we find some shelter…?"

"It's fine," Oscar dismissed.

The city was already in sight. It wouldn't take them much longer.

Oscar felt more worried about the witch catching a chill and turned to

check on her, only to find her whispering about something with the boy

riding with her. She noticed his gaze on her and looked back at him with a

mischievous glint flashing in her dark eyes.

Tinasha's lips quirked up in a grin as she spread her arms wide.

"I wish for a transformation. Let it fall without changing in form. May a

frozen sigh be the turning point."

A spell took shape within her hands. It leaped up from her arms and

slowly expanded in size as it rose higher and higher.

Once it reached the skies and disappeared, the rain stopped.

Puzzled, everyone looked up at the sky only to see white specks come

fluttering down.

The snow looked like little feathers. While the others were left

speechless, Saye was thrilled and shouted to his friends, "Look, see! I told

you!"

Tinasha giggled as she watched him. But it wasn't just the children; all

present stared up at the sky with their jaws hanging.

As Oscar watched a snowflake fall onto his palm and melt away, he

looked back at the witch. "How did you do it?"

"I just froze the moisture up in the clouds. It only affects the area around

me, but it'll get us less wet than rain if we just brush it away."

"So that's how it works…," he marveled, brushing away the snow that

had fallen on his knees just as she said. Once the snow fell on the ground, it

vanished into the grass. The sight of the white flakes wavering down in the

darkness was like a gorgeous illusion.

"The world just opens up whenever I'm with you," Oscar said, which

made Tinasha's eyes crinkle up into a smile.

When the procession reached town, they dropped off the children. The

king's return and their first sight of snow whipped the citizens into an

unprecedented frenzy. Saye waved good-bye to the witch, looking reluctant

to see her go, and she smiled back at him.

Oscar and his entourage made it back to the castle safely in the end, with

no other disturbances aside from the suspicious gaze Tinasha had sensed in

the grasslands.

Oscar made his way through the hectic, bustling castle to a balcony from

which he greeted the people and gave a speech.

Exhausted from maintaining and monitoring such a vast spell, Tinasha

collapsed onto a couch at the back of the room. Sleep beset her, but she still

kept up a three-layered barrier around the balcony.

Once the king finished giving his remarks and came back inside, he

looked down at her with concern. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. My nerves are just a little on edge," the witch admitted.

Als and Kumu, who were acting as the king's guards, breathed sighs of

relief that everything was over.

Oscar turned to them with a smile. "Thanks for all your hard work. Als,

you can go have a drink now."

"…Thanks, Your Majesty," replied Als with a bow. He left the room

looking like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He probably

planned to invite Meredina to go out and join the party in town. Kumu

checked to make sure the aftermath of Tinasha's spell was fully dealt with

before he took his leave as well. The other guard soldiers retreated to their

usual posts.

Finally, Oscar picked up one very listless witch. Her eyes fluttered open

as she protested, "I can walk on my own…"

"Eh, just let me spoil you," he said. She pouted at that, but gave a little

nod and buried her face in his chest. He left the room and carried her down

the hall. Lulled by the comfortable rocking motion, she let out a shallow

exhalation.

Before, she was never able to stand being carried like this.

But now she was completely fine. It was hard to say whether that was

because she had settled her debts from four hundred years ago or because it

was this man carrying her.

Fighting her sleepiness to stay awake, Tinasha murmured to him,

"About what we discussed the other day…"

"Which part?" he asked.

"About getting married."

"Ah. What about it?"

"I need you to give me a little more time to think. Until the end of the

contract…"

"Okay," Oscar agreed immediately.

Tinasha felt relieved.

Their contract was actually supposed to end soon after the New Year

began, but both of them had tacitly agreed not to count the month and a half

Tinasha had spent in Cuscull.

As a result, the remaining time came to just shy of two months.

Hopefully, it would be enough for Tinasha to determine what she wanted

going forward.

Oscar looked down at the witch in his arms. In her formal robes, she

radiated a sense of elusive unreality. A vision of her disappearing from his

arms flashed across his mind, and he winced.

"You know, I talked to my dad about it," Oscar began, and Tinasha

jerked. Her dark eyes turned to stare at him. "He said that he was selfish in

his choice of a wife, too, so he didn't intend to make me do anything he

didn't have to just because of magic or the like. He told me to do what I

want."

"I see…"

"I'm glad he followed his heart. It's the reason I'm here now," Oscar

stated.

The witch gave him a somewhat sad smile in return. She looked down

and away, murmuring, "I'm glad, too."

Separated by four hundred years, Oscar and Tinasha would ordinarily

have never met. They were grateful for the moments they'd had together,

while continuing to build up more time with each other. It was still too early

to say whether that time would be brief or something more long lasting.

Joys and tragedies did not present themselves until they were right

around the corner.

Dazzling moonlight streamed into the dark room.

Outside the window, there was not a cloud in the sky. In the spacious

room, a woman purred with amusement, "And how was she?"

"Just as she always is. But…her spell seemed a little different. Her

magic may have weakened. I'm not sure if it was my imagination…,"

answered the man.

At that, the woman's eyes widened. "Has she fallen for someone? How

foolish of her, seeing as she was just on the brink of death. Although things

will be much more interesting if she has shed her life as a spirit sorcerer."

The woman laced her hands together. Eyes lowered, she fell into

thought. A cruel sort of delight flashed in her green eyes, which also

appeared blue from certain angles.

"Very well. We'll kill if the opportunity arises. I think we've reached a

stopping place in this game."

"As you wish," the man replied, bowing his head deeply in response to

his master's order.

No others were present to hear them.

The woman's words were those that had been shunned since ancient

times, for they were the words of a witch.