This is about Witchly Truths

17 October 423

After roughly two weeks of tutoring Annerose, I could easily see how correct Miklotov's assessment of the girl was. Sharp, very polite but still open to behave in a childish but moderated way. The young bluette was definitely a gifted mind that stood out from many, but her current political importance made her also a target for those that sought to expand their power base with the non-negligible connection that the Miload had with the Mathers family. I had to be rather careful with my own precautions, mostly because too deep of an entrenched position would have been seen as my personal effort to keep the girl entrenched in my family- even though, by all definition, I had no political family to directly rely on except the royal one. And I had made plenty of statements that, despite the friendship I had with Fourier and other candidates, I had taken a full state of neutrality to avoid any 'pollution' of the rigorous process behind the election.

All these speeches spared me any unpleasant probing from esteemed members of the Sage Council, but it still forced me to genuinely spend less time with those I had been more prone to check on and talk to in the last few years. Quite unpleasant, but I could live with it for as long as the due process required to be properly completed. The addition of Annerose as part of my newest burdens helped a bit with the lack of interaction with the others, but I managed to still sneak hidden messages through either Felix or his mother to both Crusch and the Crown Prince, with both being mostly fine as they planned out the best way to make their faction stand up more to the other through some ambitious planning that was meant to have the people see them in an even more positive light. I was unaware of what those ideas were, and I decided against involving myself in those as I had taken the interest in dealing with a few problems that were affiliated to the Witch Cult.

Seven days ago I decided to outfit an expedition to annihilate the Hakugei. The White Whale that was powered by Gluttony wasn't the strongest among the big three, but it was the one I could currently see destroyed with a proper plan through the equipment currently available to us. The issue had reached my table when news of a sudden intensification of attacks in the prominent trading route that passed near the Elinor Forest. After spending a couple of hours studying the matter and the maps, some more to address officers of the military and blacksmiths which were slowly growing into the production of gunpowder weaponry. Nothing for standardized troops just yet, with the closest thing being hand-held mini-cannons for the grenadier regiment that had been created within the core of the army. Still, the idea behind this reunion was the creation of the first Anti-Air cannons. When one thinks of the guns aimed for this purpose, the first choices that come to mind are the Bofors 40mm or the Flak 20mm. Old guns that preceded missile-dominated AA constructions after the Second World War, but that now didn't make much sense due to the circumstances they were created for. The target in question was big and had a thick skin that couldn't be pierced not even with a 40mm explosive round. No, the idea that came out of it was… the 70mm SSS. The triple 'S' stood for 'Single Shot Sniper' due to the fact it could shoot a single bomb at a time and was given a proper sniping system. The project had been merely experimented on in the last few months, but now that the experimentation was drawing to an end, the creation of four 70mm SSS became priority to handle this kind of threat.

The officers were slightly awed by the potential of the canon since it was better-refined through advanced studies in runes and magic-based technology that started last year and had culminated to this kind of high craftsmanship. The SSS was also given the option to switch to a 'ground-tied' role when it came to possible enemies approaching through land rather than air. Something that rendered the SSS the effective 'mini-Flak 88' that I had idealized it as. Five days were asked for the completion of the order, and in those days I handled another element of this matter.

Who do I send to aid the cannons and provide for cover against the Whale's powers?

The first two that I signed down and spoke to as quickly as possible were Reinhard and his grandfather. Wilhelm's reaction to his role and his mission were easily some of the more 'visible ones' I had the chance to look at. He was interested by the chance he was going to be sent to aid a group which objective was the suppression of one of the top-three Mabeasts, and the one he thought killed his wife, but he was also mildly upset that he was sent there as an observer and to act as support while his grandson commanded the group itself. Reinhard was fine with it since it would be a good way to redeem the Astrea family from that years-old trouble that had almost torn them from each other.

The redhead was given the chance to study the equipment that I ordered him to bring as the main 'siege weapon', but he was also entrusted with the task of forming up the attack force from people he knew could work properly against a threat as the white whale. Long range weapons were preferred, with Mana users second to the guns and thus many recruited for this instance. After the commission was completed and the army had formed, Reinhard and Wilhelm were finally sent to handle the threat once and for all. The journey wasn't meant to be a quick one, and I was given some estimation about it being roughly three to four days of marching in the convoy that they were sent with. Speed had to be sacrificed to avoid entering the domain of the Hakugei without the chance of stopping and going into formation to face the difficult battle.

With that out of the window, it was time to handle… more internal politics. While the Royal Election had managed to keep away most of the minor quarrels among nobles, I still had to face a couple of verbal spars regarding some reforms I was trying to pass through regarding education and an opening to new jobs.

Starting with the first can of worms, the real issue for some of the more traditional members of society was that trying to 'educate the peasants' wouldn't do anything but create smarter rebels to face in the future. The dialogue was, of course, weak on their side as soon as I brought up the fact that said reform also spread onto the richer children by creating standardized schools that would be paid by the government to offer the top-quality to all noble kids. There was an attempt to prevent the first part and fully expand on the second one, but the argument that killed any hope of that rewrite to pass and overrule the original writing was that 'if the economy for the nobles had to improve, progress had to come to all classes within society. The system is like a cog, several smaller but weaker ones would just cripple the machine from ever reaching its full potential'. The moderates were conquered by this, and were keen to support my plan of reforms in that regard due to the fact I wasn't a radical and I wasn't trying to force change down their throat. All reforms had to have lengthy steps to ensure a proper change devoid of trouble, so I was pacing slowly but steadily into making Lugnica the first modern society of this world.

Public schools were going to open with a smaller budget compared to the Elite ones, but there were going to be more of those schools and with different and common teachers to sustain the subjects' requirements for an education based on preparing youths to handle everyday's work. There were also going to be special schools to gauge the capacity of some students through tests and see if they could be elevated into higher degrees of education. It was a taste of meritocracy that no nobles noticed in the first reading of the new law, but I was quite sure it was going to be a troubling issue the moment someone took offense at having one of their kids mention the poorer child doing better than them in mathematics.

The second matter was directly tied to creating new jobs within the capital and reorganizing some of the known ones into new opportunities for the unemployed. First, it encouraged the creation of a state-owned large plot of land through the acquisition of arable terrain from some nobles in difficulties (at the modest compensation to lift them off some of their debts). Farmers, fishermen, and hunters were hired by the government to create a national-based agriculture which could establish the model for many to follow. People liked to change their working ethics only when they noticed someone was better at a minimal effort compared to their current pace, so, by creating a successful system, others would follow to catch up with a better working situation. The next plan for the expansion of employment was the elaboration of a more complex system for the guilds.

The Blacksmiths were approached with a simple proposal. The state would offer an increase to the guild's economic status and request an expansion of bigger workshops to accommodate multiple blacksmiths and assistants to optimally keep the same quality but double the regular production of things created by the guild. Then a council was going to be created among the heads of the various 'important and renowned' workshops, and through an election a new leader would be chosen every four years. The leader had the main purpose of keeping the guilt working for the betterment of all and was connected to the lowest section of the workers through a small addition I had to be rather careful about to word and create as a lesser version of what I was more familiar with.

Unions could, by all means, be as useful for a company as they could destroy it if too radicalized. The solution to this matter was the altered and weaker version I decided to form. A single union for each guild, with the main purpose being to funnel any issue that workers found within the guilds' minor organizations or even within work itself. The union had an advisory role, and not one to press demands and reclaim any answers from anyone. Still, the presidents were meant to follow and listen to some warnings for the sake of preventing any violent retaliation at any lack of response to genuine threats. To avoid dangerous escalations in that front, I was quick to provide a simple clause that I didn't budge about when someone questioned its use due to the representatives' lack of grasp for future quarrels between workers and leaders. In case that was going to happen, I, or the Prime Minister that would have to face this matter, would have to work their best to restore the valuable bond between workers and President while also avoiding changing anything of the current system until it's needed due to the time period demanding any changes.

Two political battles that easily left me tired, drained, and modestly regretting the acceptance of the job I had to now brawl to survive about. Really dreadful considering how fierce some nobles were, but I was nonetheless making big changes across the country. With the hunt for both the Witch Cult and the more dangerous Mabeasts, it was going to take a couple more months before the kingdom was in the conditions to properly feel the full spectrum of the reforms and… I had to still take some time off from my current job. As I had promised to Satella, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to finally check on her and handle the matter that I had been so troubled to ponder about. The idea had stirred once again inside my head as soon as I realized that it was about time I visited her once again… and I was worried. A lot worried.

While I did think a lot about it, that didn't translate in me having a clear solution to the matter as I myself finally found something that I couldn't outmatch by mere planning. And that was genuine love. It was a similar case as Priscilla, yet a little more complicated and stemming from a longer connection I had with someone. Satella never gave much hint of ever growing away from Flugel, but her decision to see me in a possible romantic light caused me to wonder if that would actually work. I wasn't even questioning if I returned the feelings because I did, and I could feel that the bond I had with her wasn't the usual romance that I was more familiar with. It was… so transparent. Purer, if I had to go into the various shades of intimacy that comes out of love itself.

Where Priscilla's affection and Crusch's admiration converged into a form of romance I was accustomed to, I could tell that Satella's own brand of romantic feelings stemmed by the concept of trust. Ironically enough, her own sin was barely connected to romance itself, and it mostly originated from the concept of wanting or desiring something that isn't within reach. Trust was the ultimate object that one could be jealous and envious about, but it wasn't something that Satella never worried about due to my willingness to keep with my promised visits.

She learned that I wasn't a liar and that I kept giving her what she wanted. Company, conversations, news from beyond her idyllic prison and… something to dream on. Part of me tried to excuse her romantic feelings as nothing more of an extension of her desire to be free, but I knew well enough that this wasn't the truth. Satella wasn't just that kind of person… anymore? I couldn't say if she had been in the past, but from meeting her to that point, I could assess she meant well for others and… little for herself.

With the excuse of checking Erindor and going through my 'duties' to check on the sealing ground where Satella was being kept, I took this brief vacation with the twins and the others to clear my mind from the intrigue at the royal court and shift my attention to this very important point I had to eventually face.

With the confusion still there, but a light grasp on the matter slowly forming over my mind, I knew that the truest answer would come out when I could speak to her face to face.

The day before had been spent getting to see how Erindor was doing. Orestes had done a fine job preventing any issue and any opposition to my commands, mostly through dialogue and barely through armed force as there were cases of 'revolts' happening within some criminal-owned houses that were trying to exploit the system to improve their standings and devalue those of the other inhabitants. We were greeted by a large presence of people that had come to see the 'return of the Prime Minister Mayor'. Someone, which I had yet to identify and find, had taken the amusing route of starting the nickname which ended up becoming the best way all denizens of Erindor were quick to call me as when in a non-formal situation.

After a little parade around which allowed Beatrice to get accustomed to the place where 'I started my career', I was ultimately taken to the mayor's home. The place was as pristine and well-cared as I had left it as, and I was slightly disappointed when I was once again reminded by Orestes that the man hadn't followed through my offer to come and live in the house instead of leaving it to only the servants working there. Sparing a quick look over the office, I took the papers needed to make the next day's trip and, after leaving Beatrice to study the library of the manor with Alice acting as her guide, I took the twins for another tour around Erindor so that they could better remember the place where we started from. With the day coming to an end as peacefully as it had started, the next one proved to be a little more complicated due to the schedule I had set myself to.

I left by that morning on my own, mentioning that I had enough certification to hold the role of seal-checker without any magic user coming with me. It was a bit of a risky take on the situation, but many had just ruled this behavior out as me trying to be 'righteous' by taking on the mayor's role this seriously. I had considered taking Bea and Alice to my destination, but I had a distinct notion that if I brought them and Majima in this realm, the chances of the Witch of Envy snapping and reacting negatively at the presence of women tied to me were… well, high enough to warrant some concerns from me.

Lime was accustomed to this road and he seemed rather calm as I left it in front of the entry of the seal with some food and with a couple of spells meant to protect him from any animal trying to attack him while I was away. With that sorted out, it was time to enter inside and face the music… and I was quickly brought to a detail that highlighted to me how this wasn't going to be the usual visit. As I trailed the path that led right to Satella's prison… I noticed that someone was missing.

"Where is the Witch?" I muttered quietly, the surprise gaining voice as I really felt confused by this development. It wasn't the first time it happened, but generally there would be a reason for her to not be around. Something that got Satella angry at her or worse… but I would have thought she would have been there due to the importance of this meeting I was having with her original self. Still, she wasn't there but I didn't give too much weight to it… until I was through the last entrance and into Satella's prison.

The sky was… a light green, the grass was a dark blue, the sun was white and… Satella was lying on the lone bench as something was influencing these details all at once. And I knew it was somehow tied to the pain the woman was in. I dropped the bag with the food and the book that I had brought with me for the planned picnic before bolting towards the girl. It was clear that the plans had gone awry with the situation and I swiftly went to check what was going on with her.

Satella was in pure and agonious pain. I tried to stop her from shivering but I felt an electric zap pushing me back as I tried to get too close. Her magic was going crazy, as if something had caused her gates to react this violently at anything around her, thus influencing the environment created by the seal from her own magic. It was odd that I didn't feel any difference from the external seals but… that was the easiest way I could explain this phenomenon.

"What is going on?" I asked with a serious but mostly concerned tone as I tried to approach the woman again. "Satella-"

"I-I wanted to- to make a surprise. For- For you," She replied distractedly, her gaze aimed at the surface she was lying on with her left cheek, her shivering never stopping. "I- I tried to b-bound back the Witch but- but she is fighting back."

As she was done with that stuttered explanation, I was there to hold her arms. My magic was, for some reason, reacting negatively with hers and I could say it had to do with the Witch Factor that was running within her body. Holding her hand tightly, I felt the unpleasant acidity of the corrupted mana reaching out towards me but… failing to breach through the sliver of mana I had over my palm.

"What did you do specifically?" I asked with a quiet voice, gaining a shudder from her.

"I-I tried to- to bring her back. I can- I can do that but… but she always fought it. She never wanted to be back."

I blinked over this discovery. She had that power… and had used it before. But it never worked properly due to the fact the Witch rejected her. Which was odd considering the Witch depended on Satella and should be more open about going back to her. It would return her to have more control over the original and… yet she preferred autonomy. Was this tied to Subaru? I hoped not, or else it sure was going to be a hassle getting through this new issue.

"Can you tell me more about this rejection? Do you know why she doesn't want to go back?"

"I-I think… I think she is angry."

Quite curt for a response.

"Towards who?"

…

"Satella-"

"M-Me. She is angry a-at me for- for refusing her."

That was actually very confusing. Wouldn't a call to union be the opposite of a refusal? Could it be that she was actually bitter because of previous rejections or… or maybe the refusal isn't tied to what we were both thinking right now. It isn't the refusal to a union- it's the refusal of her existence as part of her.

"Satella, I need you to give me your most honest answer: what do you think of the Witch?"

Her lips twitched, and her eyes closed in the growing pain.

"I-I- She- She is the one that caused my- my pain- Everything going so bad- she is the fault- she is-"

"Part of you."

My voice shook the world, literally. I felt the ground shake as soon as I said this but… I knew this had to be said. "You're a good person, Satella. But you are as flawed as I and others are. I might not know the reason that brought you to the breaking point, but the Witch of Envy constitutes part of you. It was always there and… it wasn't the one that caused everything. She was the one, within you, that reacted the most."

"Y-you mean that- that I was… the one that caused all of this?"

…

"No."

Her eyes opened and she looked at me. Her shivering was lessened and… I saw something form above her. A familiar shadow, I could feel she was looking down at me- judging my words and my expression as she ruled over what to do.

"Why?" She inquired with an empty voice, the veil of darkness covering her face.

"Because I know that with all that envy in her, Satella would have never let anything bad happen unless there was something bigger behind it. Someone hurt her to the point to go through this extreme gesture and… I want to tell me what or who caused it," I remarked with a serious tone. "I want the truth."

For a moment there was quiet, then, much to my surprise, the shroud that had been for so long hiding away her face vanished to reveal quite a surprising sight on the other side. Even the original Satella stared in shock at the view she was presented as the Witch revealed herself with her own appearance… except a grief-stricken look on her face as her sclera and tears were colored a bloody red.

"He- HE LIED TO US! HE WASN'T HIM! HE HURT HIM! HE KILLED HIM!"

The increase in tone terrified me as I could feel her voice switch to a more demonic one the more she spoke. Satella was shivering again, this time in a frightened state before that condemnation.

"So you- you weren't at fault. Both of you."

My voice felt so quiet after what I was subjected to, but the Witch nodded.

"We… We reacted. Like you said," She replied with a broken voice. "You didn't lie to us, you are you and you didn't hurt us. But… will you kill him?"

"Who?" I asked, but the witch ignored me as she spoke again.

"Will you kill him? For us?"

…

I drew a tired sigh but nodded. "Yes."

A sad but relieved smile appeared on her face. "Then… thank you."

Her form disappeared in dark mist… which subsequently rushed back onto Satella. The woman braced for renewed pain but… something else happened. The world around us slowly regained its former appearance and Satella… sighed in relief as nothing bad happened to her.

"I-I think It's done. We- We're finally… whole again."

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh of relief at this development. "Glad to hear that and..."

Pausing just a moment, I noticed how tired the girl was and how a normal picnic wouldn't do. Instead, I decided to offer her a little idea to help her rest on a warmer and softer surface instead of the sturdy bench and… she was blushing a tad bit when I explained to her what I was planning for.

"John… I'm sorry. For what happened," Satella muttered tiredly, eyes still closed as she enjoyed the warmth of our closeness. Lying onto my chest and snuggling her face the closest possible to me. "I-I should have told you that… that I was doing something so stupid."

I chuckled, fixing some of her frontal bangs away to see her lovely face. "I believe I've been told many times I'm the one that does that. So I can relate."

She sighed happily at my mirthful words, cracking one eye open to stare at me in a silent stare. Soon she spoke back to me, her tone growing more serious for a moment.

"John?"

"Yes, Satella?"

…

"I love you."

I stared back at her for a while, but she didn't seem willing to budge without a response.

…

"I love you too."

And yet, as we enjoyed a pleasant time together, my interest about the Witch's last words remained. Who was she talking about? Who is… him?

Afterthoughts:

A lie, an impostor, a broken heart- a fake history.

...And now, an Omake!

Omake 23: Capella's Fix (2)

For a brief moment in her existence, Capella's own understanding of her sin was shrouded by a sudden curtain of uncertainty as she felt a new element play a major role within her daily life. At first she didn't pay much attention at it, but the new weekly delivery of interesting things that kept her entertained definitely made her consider the chances of Greed being somehow her secondary sin. Or something of the same tone, of course.

All these new books, these 'manga', the shirts tied to the books she received, more audio, more amusing things. There were piles forming in her private room. Those objects meant to keep normal mortals entertained somehow tickled at her in a good mood. Smile on her face, Capella had memorized the precise timing when those packages of goodies would be sent to her. The timing was so precise, so accurate, and she had picked up the proper timing when those would come to her to give her a new rush of delight.

She was hoarding all those delightful objects due to how impressive those felt to her. Her own organization… took notice of this, but instead of questioning her wisdom and ruthlessness due to her distracting new hobby, they seemed to appreciate the change of pace and keep quiet about any protesting matter. Which was good for… them. Because there was no way the blonde would have allowed them to live if there were any problem. She might be merciful, but mercy would stop being part of her the moment they tried anything 'funny' that she would find abhorrent. With that in mind, her focus right now was… more goodies.

Sitting by the edge of her own bed, butt wagging as if it had a tail onto it, the capricious Archbishop waited like a patient mutt that wanted to be given some treats from her mysteriously-faced friend. It didn't take long for her giddiness to be met with the temporary closure she was waiting for, with the newest package of fascinating things dropping right in the middle of the room. Without wasting time, the girl was already opening the fun crate and checking what was inside of it.

Red eyes widened in pure surprise as she noticed that beyond the usual tower of manga, there were also… clothes? No, she quietly thought as she decided to check better what those were. These… were 'coplay outfits', the dresses that were used by some of the cooler heroines. Amusement doubled at this discovery and she soon decided to put on 'Ryuko Matoi' one first. It was the 'transformed form' and… surprisingly enough, it was quite pleasant to put on and try out. She really felt 'in touch' with the character as she browsed further deep into the box. More things to read, more 'culture' to gain out of this and she was cackling in pure delight when she stared at the signature of the one behind this all. Capella was now incredibly invested in this Bukharin, and she was definitely going to pay a visit to him eventually.

But for now the blonde enjoyed the plethora of goodies that had reached her, and she knew she would have to 'behave' and keep her calm out of pride than else. She might be fierce and demanding, but what if the goodies ceased to come if she took a mistaken approach when it came to getting even more of those. Right now the status quo was truly a win for her, so she didn't see any reason.

The main theme for the package this time was Kill La Kill. Last week she received her 'initiation' to it through the previous batch of Manga. She had been surprised by how enticing some of the scenes were, but she was nonetheless pleased that those weren't the main focus of it. A focus of it? Yes, but the plot had priority and it was simple, silly, but still easy to follow. After roughly two hours, she also ended up uncovering one of the outfits that she couldn't actually wear. There was a piece of paper tied to it that said that it was better used by a 'little helper', and there was a suggestion about offering it to Meili.

While Capella wasn't one to give away anything for free, she knew she couldn't do much with the outfit herself due to how small it was. She knew it was tied to a… 'Illya'? And that it was supposedly a school girl outfit, so it was quite clear a beautiful young woman like her shouldn't be trying to put on this kind of clothes anyway. In an act driven more by pragmatism than charity, she decided to offer it to the faithful little brat and present it as a gift.

Meili was actually unsure of what to do. The boss had given her a pretty dress but… she wasn't exactly sure if she should be happy or worried, mostly because this could have been cursed. After quickly running to Elsa, the woman took a moment to study the fabric of the cloth and any mana that could have been applied to it but… the outfit was devoid of any tricks. The simple shirt, hat and skirt were just cute if donned all at once, and she was pleased with the ending result as, after giving a twirl with her newest set of clothes, she got a giggle out of the now-amused Elsa. Yes, this was sure a pleasant day to spend together with her big sis- senior associate. Yes, she totally meant 'senior associate'.

Deep down, the little girl was more delighted at the chance of hearing people call them both sisters, so much that she was smiling eye-to-eye when the two decided to check in the nearby settlement for the reactions of the inhabitants. With a cute contrast to Elsa's mysterious but deadly atmosphere, it made it easy for them to hear how they quietly praised the little girl's newest outfit.