Chapter: 242
“……”
I slowly etched the distant cityscape into my mind.
Why is that?
When I think about it, it hasn’t been that long since I fled the city, so why does it feel like a foreign land?
No, maybe it actually is.
The me from before I became a witch and the me now who has become a witch.
That city must be as different from the two as heaven is from earth.
So, if I were to go back, I already knew the chances of being treated properly were slim.
I could be watched closely, unsure of when I might cause some trouble, or they could put a leash on me, restricting my movement like a dog.
But still, as I looked at that city, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was ultimately where I needed to return.
Because surely, within that changed city, there are still things that haven’t changed.
When I fled the city, Dwight had told me.
He said we’d meet again.
I’m sure other friends would have said the same to me.
They surely hope that someday I will return.
Because I have grateful friends who still regard me as a friend, despite me becoming a witch.
Isn’t it natural that I feel a desire to return to the city, just like they wish?
As I was looking at the city, recalling the fireworks my friends launched that night and each of their faces in my mind.
Suddenly, Yoon Si-woo’s face came to mind.
At the same time, a heavy guilt shoved itself into the space left by longing.
I know.
I know that feeling guilty like this is foolish.
But even though I know it’s a silly thing, and I know Yoon Si-woo wouldn’t do that…
I can’t help but fall into it.
I wonder if Yoon Si-woo resents me for hurting him.
And the guilt of wondering if I truly have the right to return to the city after what I did to him.
And as that made my steps toward the city hesitate, Silvia seemed to sense my feelings and asked me.
“What’s on your mind? You look troubled. Are you worried they won’t let you in the city?”
“Well, there is that…”
“…Just asking, but it’s not because of Yoon Si-woo, right? Like feeling sorry, guilty towards him…”
Caught off guard by her pinpoint accuracy, I jolted and Silvia gave a wry smile as she muttered.
“I had a feeling that you’d be holding onto that. It’s true that Yoon Si-woo isn’t in good shape, so feeling guilty makes sense… But, do you know what this is?”
As meandering as she was, Silvia pulled something out and asked me.
Upon seeing what she took out, I could only be surprised.
“Isn’t that Yoon Si-woo’s…?”
What Silvia held was one of Yoon Si-woo’s holy swords, the Holy Sword of Truth.
Why does Silvia have that…?
As I was bewildered, Silvia nodded and said.
“Yep. It’s Yoon Si-woo’s.”
“How…? Did he wake up? I thought he was still unconscious…”
I heard that Yoon Si-woo’s swords wouldn’t lend their power to anyone else without his permission.
So I asked out of curiosity if Yoon Si-woo had woken up, but sadly, Silvia shook her head at my question.
“…He was still in that state when I left. It’s uncertain when he might open his eyes.”
Disheartened by her reply, Silvia then said to me.
“But despite being like that, Yoon Si-woo lent his power to help you, Scarlett. Without this, I wouldn’t have been able to come find you, so in a way, Yoon Si-woo helped you. Even in an unconscious state, he was trying to assist you, Scarlett.”
At her words, I felt a tightness in my chest and lowered my head.
In that situation, hearing that Yoon Si-woo helped me stirred up a whirlwind of emotions, causing the tears to well up.
Then, as I was bowing my head, Silvia spoke to me.
“So, Scarlett, if you do that, it’s a breach of etiquette towards Yoon Si-woo, who’s worried about you even in that state. If I were Yoon Si-woo, I wouldn’t want you to do that. So stop thinking like that. Got it?”
Nodding at her words, I collected myself and lifted my head slightly, only for Silvia to give me a playful smile and mutter.
“Aah, by the way, this is a big deal. I vowed not to lose to someone who cares about you, Scarlett. I have to step it up too. Hmm, I wonder if it’ll take about a day to walk back?”
Looking toward the city while musing about the distance, Silvia suddenly conjured a constellation of stars and hopped on, declaring,
“To not lose to Yoon Si-woo, I need to do something for you, Scarlett. In that sense, I’ll go ahead and persuade some people so nothing disrupts your return. The others can slowly accompany you back. Understood?”
“With pleasure,”
Said Silvia as she smiled at me, leaving me to look after her as she flew off toward the city.
As I stared blankly at her, I thought again how fortunate I was to have such wonderful friends.
*
Meanwhile, in the Northern Frontline Area.
“…Any further updates?”
“Ah, not particularly!”
“…Alright. Report anything that comes up immediately.”
It was a scene of chaos.
This was due to the sudden bright light erupting from the forest opposite the Northern Border Area.
While flames occasionally observed from the Fury Beasts in that area, this time was different.
It appeared as if the entire forest had been engulfed in light, prompting an emergency gathering of heroes.
As the heroes assembled, they couldn’t help but widen their eyes at the spectacle before them.
“…Hey, could that be grass growing?”
“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, then it seems that way…”
“Good grief, I’ve never seen grass growing outside the boundary area in my life…”
It looked like a forest, indeed.
It sounds strange, but the Northern Forest used to be a forest, so it was colloquially called that.
However, now, it had truly become a forest in every sense of the word.
What else could you call it but a forest, with lush trees all around?
As if that wasn’t enough, even the land far away from the boundary area barrier was sprouting greenery.
“What in the world is happening…”
The captain of the 4th Squad defending the North, Martina Ivanova, couldn’t help but question her senses.
The presence of trees and grass meant the absence of miasma.
She jumped over the barrier to browse around, took a deep breath, and let out a small chuckle.
The air was incredibly fresh.
Breathing in, I felt a refreshing sensation you couldn’t easily experience even in places with air purification magic. That place, just yesterday filled with miasma, had turned into this.
How was I supposed to comprehend this?
It was certainly not a bad thing.
The disappearance of miasma harmful to humanity was good news.
However, Martina couldn’t fully rejoice.
She couldn’t understand the cause behind this phenomenon.
She was worried that it could be some sign of an impending disaster.
“Captain, over there…!”
“Hmm…?”
But that worry was disrupted.
“Excuse me. May I come in?”
A girl with silver hair landed before her amidst the bright light.
“…Miss? What in the world…”
“You seem to have a lot of questions, but could you hold a meeting first if you want to hear?”
However, because of that girl…
“I also have a lot to say.”
While my worries were slightly eased, new concerns were set to arise.
*
“……”
The emergency meeting was called.
The leaders of each squad, Eve, and the headmaster of the Academy, Mark, alongside others, all sat silently, as if a mouse had died in the room.
They were struggling to process the tale of the hunting party, demonic beasts, and the World Tree that Silvia had just shared.
Even impossible to believe, the happenings in the North made it hard not to accept this narrative, cluttering their minds.
However, what ultimately troubled them was one factor.
It was the issue regarding Scarlett Evande’s treatment.
In fact, for a moment, they had all tried to put the matter out of their heads.
As Astra had sent a hunting party, that was meant to be the end of it.
But who would have guessed?
The hunting party that had gone out with the intention to kill Scarlett would return having her support and now in a position to defend her.
Moreover, with the World Tree at stake.
It may be beneficial for humanity, but it was troubling that this was done through the help of none other than a witch.
At Silvia’s words, they were consumed by confusion.
“Is it really okay to trust that witch…?”
Someone murmured.
It sounded like nonsense.
To trust a witch, no less.
But now it was a thought they had no choice but to entertain.
Ultimately, the only individual Scarlett Evande had directly harmed was Yoon Si-woo.
Yet even that was said to be unintentional, making it sound like a compelling argument.
Yet no one spoke up boldly.
After all, who would dare say to believe in a witch?
So as everyone was enveloped in silence, out of nowhere,
“…What do you think? It sounds like if you shared your thoughts on Evande, it might help come to a decision.”
Eve spoke up.
Her question was directed at the gathering of captains.
Leon, Natalia, and Martina.
They had all taught Scarlett at some point at the Academy.
That’s why she asked the question.
The captains hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“……I thought she was someone who acts desperately at everything. I believed she would become a great hero someday.”
“……She had a horrifying level of willpower. Truly, she was dedicated.”
“She’s exceptional in her spirit of sacrifice. That’s what I thought…”
Positive answers were given.
It was a father’s gaze towards a daughter’s precious junior.
It was a mother’s gaze towards a friend her daughter praised.
And it was a superior’s gaze towards a cherished subordinate.
However,
“Yet if you’re asking if it’s okay to trust her… Honestly, I don’t know.”
“……I can’t say that we should believe her either.”
“……No matter how you cut it, that’s a tough call.”
Despite that, none of them could say they should trust her.
Eve, who had been listening, asked them.
“…Why?”
Their answer was the same.
“…Because she’s a witch.”
The reason being, because Scarlett was a witch.
Moreover,
They were men who had long lost their wives to demonic beasts.
They were a wife who cried every time she saw her husband, injured by a witch.
They were heroes haunted by nightmares of their comrades being taken by those beasts.
And in response to their answers, Eve let out a smile as if to say she understood.
“…I see.”
Such was the perception of witches.
Even those who looked highly upon Scarlett found it difficult to trust her because she was a witch.
No one could easily declare that a witch could be trusted.
“…That’s right. In the end, we cannot trust witches. Witches are ultimately foes of humanity.”
Someone remarked.
Throughout history, witches had always been enemies of humanity, so that had become their common belief.
And at that, Eve said,
“…Still, I don’t want to be a teacher who can’t do anything when her student is in trouble.”
She murmured as she subtly glanced at Mark, who was sitting beside her.
Seeing something in her gaze, Mark was startled and shook his head.
However, upon meeting Eve’s unwavering eyes, he sensed that he could not refute her and lowered his head.
With that unspoken consent, Eve smiled apologetically and turned to the others, bowing her head.
“…Everyone. Can’t we just give Evande one more chance? Can we not believe in her? I ask.”
As Eve bowed, the people were taken aback.
She was the master to all heroes in that room.
She was also the benefactor to most of those present.
Thus, no one could be comfortable with her bowing.
But that was that, and this was this.
“…No matter how much you ask, we cannot trust a witch.”
A firm refusal was flung towards her.
Eve turned to the one who rejected her.
“Is it because witches are enemies of humanity?”
“Yes, because witches are enemies of humanity.”
To the reply declaring witches as enemies, Eve asked,
“Why is it that a witch could not also be on humanity’s side?”
“…Where on earth would you find such a witch?”
Right away, the response came back, as if to suggest she was speaking nonsense.
There had never been such a witch before.
Witches were always enemies of humanity.
And to those making such claims, Eve softly smiled, as if she were about to cry.
“Hey.
Right in front of you.”
Long ago, there was a witch who, consumed by jealousy over humanity, longed to be human.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.