Chapter 1 – The Witch and Her Apprentice (2)

Ṛėɑ​ԁ ȯ​ɴ​ ＫａţＲｅа​ɗ​ίηɡḈаϝҽ

What is a Witch?

Sometimes, a witch is the final boss, obstructing the protagonist’s path. Other times, she becomes an ally, blocking the enemies standing in the protagonist’s way.

The seemingly capricious actions of witches have been a popular element in stories across time and cultures.

Witches ride broomsticks, exploit protagonists through unfair deals, and, when angered, wield dark magic to become obstacles in their love lives.

Yes, I had become a witch.

If someone were to ask why I became a witch, I would surely answer:

“Because pure love exists there.”

Hmm. Excellent, truly excellent.

Even I can’t think of a better answer than that.

No matter the drawbacks of being a witch, no matter the challenges of an immortal life, imagining the happiness that will come 200 years from now brought a smile to my face.

“Have you finally gone senile? Please, go insane somewhere else.”

Senile? In witch society, 100 years old is still young, like a baby!

I puffed out my cheeks in silent protest at Josie, who casually made such hurtful remarks.

Josie sighed deeply as she cleaned the cave with my beloved broom, Triceratops.

“My dear assistant, Josie. It’s good that you’re cleaning, but do you know what kind of broom you’re using right now?”

“Your broom cleans better than any other broom, Lady Witch.”

It is a premium broom, enhanced with alchemy and layered with dark magic.

The material used as its base is of a rarity that can’t be found anywhere these days—a true masterpiece among masterpieces.

Josie had a good eye.

Using Triceratops, cleaning was a breeze. Just a light touch, and it did the work on its own. When infused with mana, it even eliminated dust without needing a dustpan. It was incredibly convenient.

Perhaps it was time to start teaching Josie dark magic. At 10 years old, she was the same age I was when I became a witch’s apprentice. If she learned magic as my assistant, she wouldn’t even need a broom to clean.

I cleared my throat to get Josie’s attention as she neatly put the broom back in its storage.

“Ahem, ahem!”

“Lady Estelle, did you eat something wrong?”

Is this not working…?

Well, at least I got her attention. The fake cough doesn’t matter now.

“Josie, come here. I’ll teach you about dark magic today.”

“Dark magic?”

The mana that composed the world and the divine power originating from the gods.

Dark magic distorted the natural order, transforming mana.

Using it in crowded places would immediately label you a heretic, but there was nothing better for self-defense.

A small black whirlwind wrapped around my wrist, forming a beautiful quadruple helix.

The mysterious and alien rings of the helix gathered together, transforming into the shape of a butterfly that landed on Josie’s shoulder.

“How is it? Cool, right? Pretty, right?”

“It is, but… if I learn dark magic, won’t I become a witch? I don’t want to become a witch.”

I thought kids were easily impressed by things that are cool and pretty, but…

Though her eyes sparkled as she looked at the black butterfly made of dark magic, she soon shook her head with a pout.

“Learning dark magic doesn’t automatically make you a witch. To become a witch, you first have to pass the witch’s trials.”

Learning dark magic alone won’t make you a witch.

There was something called a class-change quest, after all.

“What kind of trial did you take, Lady Estelle?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Meanie.”

I sat Josie on my lap as she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. She didn’t want to change her class, yet she’s curious about the class-change quest? No matter how cute and adorable my assistant was, I can’t reveal industry secrets!

I never planned to raise Josie as a witch, but if she learned dark magic, alchemy, and herbology to some extent, she’d have the means to survive on her own.

In the world of Aria Chronicle, the best outcome for a powerless girl was to become a farmer’s or lumberjack’s wife.

I deeply hope that the girl I’ve grown to care for will have the strength to survive on her own.

Even if Josie didn’t want it, safety measures are necessary. If she gets angry later, I’ll deal with it then.

“Josie, what do you think dark magic is?”

“Something dirty and gross.”

“Oh no, that’s not the answer I wanted. Then, what about darkness?”

“Something scary.”

I hit a roadblock right from the start. Her quick answers made it seem like she had no intention of learning, and I broke into a cold sweat. It seemed I’d have to change her perception of dark magic first.

Light and darkness. The duality of these two forces, along with an understanding of both, was necessary. First, I needed to help her form an internal familiarity with darkness so she could accept it without aversion.

“Josie, do you know why the sky is blue during the day?”

“Hmm… because the god who created this world made it that way?”

“It’s because of Rayleigh scattering.”

“Huh?”

I’m screwed.

A memory from over 100 years ago in my past life suddenly surfaced, and I worried I might have crushed the child’s innocence.

Think, Estelle.

How can I make Josie unafraid of darkness…?

After much thought, I decided to adapt a fairy tale from my past life about siblings who became light and darkness, emphasizing that darkness was actually a good kid all along!

“And so, the siblings who became light and darkness divided the day in half, embracing the world in their arms.”

“Oh…”

The only entertainment Josie had in the witch’s cave were the fairy tales I’d rewritten as a hobby. Fortunately, the fairy tale approach seemed to work, as Josie cautiously poked at the dark magic butterfly on her shoulder.

“Also, dark magic isn’t just about casting terrifying curses or harming people.”

Depending on the user’s mental state, it could be applied in various ways.

I extended my hand, and a black tentacle stretched from my fingertips, picking up a potion and placing it in Josie’s hand.

“Now, close your eyes. Try to feel the mana around you.”

“Mana?”

“Don’t overthink it. You’ll feel something tickling you. That’s mana.”

I scattered mana to increase its density in the cave, making it easier for Josie to sense.

“Are you tickling me on purpose?”

“Do I look like the kind of witch who would play such pranks?”

“Yes.”

This is why perceptive kids are annoying. I wasn’t not thinking about it, but if I played a prank and she ended up stubbornly refusing to learn, it would be a problem, so I quickly dismissed the thought.

I slowly guided the flow of mana around Josie so she could feel it. If a human with low mana affinity stays in a place with high mana density, they could suffer from mana poisoning, so I took it slow, ensuring Josie wouldn’t be startled.

Precise mana control wasn’t my specialty, but this time, I did my best to showcase the finest mana manipulation I could.

“Something’s swirling around me… Is that what’s always been around me?”

“Y-you’re already…!?”

I had planned a 10-year curriculum starting today, but in less than 10 minutes, she’s already sensing the flow of mana…?

Considering it took me 7 years to sense mana, does that mean Josie has been sensing it all along?

I wondered if I’d been making things harder than necessary, but there’s no way Josie, a complete novice to magic, would have known what she was feeling was mana…

Josie, you’re a scary kid.

What if she decides she doesn’t belong here and leaves for the Magic Tower to become a great sorcerer…? Pushing aside such foolish thoughts, I quickly moved forward with the lesson.

“Now, you’ll feel that tickling sensation in your heart too.”

“It feels weird…”

“Imagine grasping it in your hand.”

Though it’s just a basic mana exercise, in my mind, Josie was already a genius destined to take the top seat at the Magic Tower.

Teaching her one thing, I watched in pride as she manipulated mana in various forms, as if painting a picture. No wonder parents become so doting. A motherly smile spread across my face, and I couldn’t bring myself to close it.

Was I becoming one of those moms? I would never do that! It must be your fault!!! Terrified by the thought of turning into that kind of adult, I watched as Josie traced beautiful patterns with mana.

“Lady Estelle, look at this!”

As Josie clasped her hands together, mana surged above them, forming the silhouettes of a woman resembling me and a cute girl with bangs covering her face.

“How lovely.”

As I absentmindedly stroked Josie’s head, she initially flinched but soon closed her eyes, seemingly enjoying the touch.

The mana-formed woman also stroked the mana-formed girl’s head.

I had been worried about how to wait out the next 200 years, but with Josie by my side, the next 100 years seemed like they’d pass in a flash.

If this is how she reacts to her first lesson, I can only imagine how much more fun it’ll be to see her reactions to the rest of her training.

Lucent