“It definitely tastes better than the last place.”
Ain and Lillian sat back-to-back under a large tree in the night.
“You certainly know how to pick a spot. Great view of the stars, fresh air... though if you had gone any deeper, I probably wouldn't have been able to find you even after running out of potions.”
Ain chatted idly, but Lillian only kept her eyes cast down, taking tiny bites of the wrap in her hands.
“It's cold...”
“What?”
“The wrap. It's cold.”
“Well, by the time I got there, there was no one left in the cafeteria. Everyone had fled, so I just grabbed the two wraps left in the pot and ran over here.”
“I don't really want...”
“Eat it or don't. Give it here.”
Ain snatched the wrap from Lillian's hand and took a big bite.
Last time was the same, and so was this time. He really couldn't tell if she had a problem with him or a problem with the wraps.
Lillian just stared at Ain, quietly watching him eat the wrap, as if this were the most important thing in the world to her right now.
But being stared at like this only made Ain feel a bit self-conscious.
“How come you aren't saying a witch's saliva is poisonous this time?”
Ain let out a relaxed laugh and teased, “You don't actually want to kill me, do you?”
“Yes.”
“...”
“M-Miss Lillian, you don't actually want to kill...”
“Yes.”
Lillian nodded very solemnly.
Ain was stunned for a moment, then took another bite of the wrap.
Since things had come to this, he might as well finish eating first.
The two sat back-to-back under the moonlight once more, neither of them knowing what the other was thinking.
“Did the witches of history have this kind of coat too? It looks quite nice.”
As he toyed with Lillian's deep purple mana coat, Ain recalled the game's lore.
At the beginning of the story, the witch race had already died out.
Every witch in history shared one common trait.
They were bloodthirsty by nature.
A witch's power was not acquired through training, but rather stemmed from a foreign entity called the Seed of the Origin. It granted the host near-limitless mana and elemental affinity, giving them the most powerful strength in the world.
But it also had a fatal characteristic.
It would infinitely amplify the host's strongest emotions.
Anger became destruction, fear became madness, desire became obsession, and sadness became despair...
Every emotion would be infinitely magnified into negativity. The more the witches resisted, the stronger the backlash became; the more they surrendered to it, the more their power swelled.
Every witch that had ever existed in history was drowned by her own uncontrollable emotions, becoming the greatest calamities of the past.
“A girl...”
“What?”
Ain didn't quite catch that.
“There was a girl who initially lived in a small mountain village,”
Lillian said, her voice trembling involuntarily.
“One day, her parents offended a local noble. In order to survive, they chopped off her legs and sold them to a morbid potioneer for money.”
“That potioneer discovered the girl's unique nature—that her body possessed immense value for potionology.”
“And for her parents, that money still wasn't enough...”
“Her hands were chopped off as well, and one of her eyes was gouged out...”
This time, it was Ain's turn to continue the story. “Afterward, that girl had a dream.”
“In the dream, the village was reduced to ashes in an instant, and she watched as her parents were torn to shreds by a sudden mana storm.”
“In the end, the girl was subjugated by the Empire and died in that mountain village.”
“This is... the story of the First Witch, right?”
“Yes.”
Lillian nodded.
Ain looked up at the brilliant starry sky and spoke.
“Since then, witches became the most unforgivable taboo in the Imperial Code. Any infant carrying unusual mana would be subjected to forced testing, and once confirmed, executed immediately.”
“Those who were lucky enough to escape would still be hunted down once discovered.”
“This policy of extermination lasted for hundreds of years.”
Ain suddenly let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
“The irony is that the reason witches became increasingly violent was precisely because they were hunted from birth. Fear bred hatred, hatred triggered their power to go out of control, and that uncontrolled power, in turn, confirmed the prejudices held by the world.”
“'Witches are all demons.'”
At this point, Lillian suddenly asked,
“What do you think?”
“I think it makes sense. Nipping any evil existence that could threaten the world in the bud certainly aligned with the mindsets of the people back then. No one would allow a bomb with an invisible fuse to sit right next to them.”
“I see...”
Soon, Ain spoke again. “Hundreds of years ago, the Goddess of Light personally forged a Scale of Judgment. As the scale tilted, the last witch in the world was sent to the guillotine.”
“No god was willing to protect this race, nor was any demon god willing to extend a helping hand.”
“No pity from above the Divine Seat, and no help from beneath the abyss...”
“When the Goddess of Light forged the scale, she declared that witches were destined to be abandoned by the world.”
“This race simply doesn't deserve happiness.”
“...”
Ain poked Lillian's cheek and smiled. “Done listening to the story?”
“You know so much...”
“Hey, hey, I just made all of that up.”
Lillian didn't play along with Ain's joke. Instead, she spoke with a hint of relief, “You're right.”
“The monsters in the academy all fell into chaos because of me.”
“I can feel this mana on me slowly blanketing the entire forest.”
“I... can't control it.”
Lillian hung her head low, her voice gradually breaking into sobs.
“Actually, I've known all along.”
“I can hear everyone's inner thoughts.”
Ain was taken aback. This was a unique ability of historical witches.
“Every time in the cafeteria, they would secretly scoop extra food onto my plate.”
“But in truth, they were just terrified. They were afraid, cautiously trying to please a monster, praying that when I finally lost control, I might remember this tiny bit of kindness.”
“During class, the teachers would never call on me to answer questions.”
“They knew I didn't pay attention, and they knew I wouldn't be able to answer. They didn't want to embarrass me, and they didn't want me to harbor resentment toward them.”
“And the other students, they would always act friendly whenever they saw me.”
“But that was only because Erylin was by my side. They didn't want to embarrass Erylin. I was nothing more than an accessory.”
“But...”
Lillian suddenly laughed. Her smile was so bright it was almost dazzling, pure and untainted by a single speck of dust.
Yet, the more unguarded and brilliant it was, the more fragile it felt.
“Ain, I'm really, really happy.”
“My parents didn't dismember my body like they did to the First Witch.”
“And I didn't let my out-of-control power ruin the rest of their lives.”
“I didn't have to suffer being hunted by the Empire.”
“I've lived here for two years, and I've met so many people.”
“I met Erylin, got to know many kind teachers, and lived a life those historical witches couldn't even dream of. I've tasted wraps, and eaten food they had never even seen...”
“I would fret over my studies, panic about oversleeping, fear being scolded by teachers, and confide my grievances to my friends when I was sad.”
“Actually, what the Goddess of Light said... is wrong, isn't it?”
Lillian laughed happily, yet her eyes were brimming with tears.
A single tear silently slid down her upturned lips. Her smile didn't fade, but the tears had already fallen.
“Ain, I'm actually... quite happy, aren't I?”
“I really... am very happy...”
Lillian laughed and cried at the same time.
“And at the very end of my life, you were still able to find me.”
“I'm really, really glad...”
With that, the girl gently flicked a wisp of mana, which sank into Ain's body.
The girl smiled again.
“This is the antidote. From now on... you won't get to taste a witch's saliva anymore.”
Ain remembered the Lillian from the original plot.
She had stayed in the Echo Forest for seven whole days, without food or water.
Even though she had lost all consciousness by the second day after completely transforming into a witch, she still didn't let her power harm this academy. Even if she had to imprison herself in endless darkness, she refused to hurt the people she loved.
Lillian was kinder than anyone could have ever imagined.
“I didn't turn into a bloodthirsty monster in agony like the witches recorded in the history books. I found the happiness they never had, and with this happiness, I can peacefully meet my end without hurting anyone.”
Lillian placed both hands on her head, took off the hat that symbolized her witch status, and held it out to Ain.
“Ain, none of the witches in history had names. The world only ever called them monsters.”
“Being able to let this body create one last bit of value for this world... I suppose this can count as my way of repaying it.”
The girl smiled as she spoke her final wish.
“So, I hope you'll remember me.”
“Remember... Lillian.”
Ain took the hat with his left hand and slowly stood up, while a scale materialized in his right hand.
【Tier 6 Magical Tool: Scale of Astral Judgment】
Holding the scale out in front of the girl, Ain said, “This is the very scale forged by the Goddess of Light.”
“And the weapon that killed the last witch in the world.”
In the face of the pressure emanating from the scale, Lillian's mind went completely blank. An instinctive terror stemming from her witch bloodline instantly seized her.
She could clearly feel that her heart was suspended over the tip of a blade, liable to be pierced at any moment.
“Are you planning to...”
Ain nodded and continued, “I don't want Erylin to be sad.”
“So, I'm making the choice in her place.”
Lillian hung her head and replied with a bitter smile, “Thank you.”
The girl decided to accept her death peacefully.
If she could start all over again, would she still be a witch?
But none of that mattered anymore.
Being able to live the life she truly wanted was enough.
Though, did Erylin really hear her apology?
In the next second, the hat was placed back onto the girl's head.
“I told you, I made all of that up just now.”
Ain smiled confidently as the scale in his hand shrank to the size of his palm.
“When the Goddess of Light forged this scale, it wasn't to hunt down and exterminate the witches.”
This was a truth that players would only discover in the late stages of the game.
And it was precisely where the game's dark sense of humor lay.
“The Goddess's kindness gradually eroded through the retellings of mortals.”
“She watched generation after generation of girls consumed by hatred and fear, unable to find salvation in the light. Thus, the Goddess of Light created a secret phrase for this scale.”
“Pardonado.”
Instantly, both sides of the Scale of Astral Judgment returned to a perfect balance. The needle pointed dead center, leaning neither toward the right side of guilt nor the left side of innocence.
The terrifying pressure dissipated in an instant, replaced by waves of warmth that nourished Lillian's heart.
“...Huh?”
The girl was stunned.
This was the third function of the Scale of Astral Judgment—the secret phrase that players would only discover in the late game.
It turned all mana into controllable emotions within the user's heart.
And it converted all uncontrollable emotions into manageable mana.
It was a function practically tailor-made for witches.
The Goddess of Light had already paved a path of survival for the witches, yet mortals had slaughtered them all in her name.
“Sorry. Should I have stayed by your side sooner?”
These words were like a bullet, piercing straight through Lillian's heart.
The girl stared blankly at Ain, her tears sliding down silently, completely unstoppable.
She instinctively reached up to wipe them away, but the moment her fingertips touched her cheek, new tears welled up like a burst dam, impossible to dry.
“Wait, why...”
Why wouldn't these feelings stop...
A tidal wave of emotions surged in her chest. Lillian wanted to respond, but the words wouldn't come out.
Only after a long while did Lillian finally manage to speak in a soft whisper.
“What are you... trying to do?”
Ain't right hand remained outstretched, as if waiting for the girl's response.
“Didn't you say you wanted to buy me a wrap earlier?”
“No, I...”
“How about tomorrow instead? Remember to buy a few extra; I have quite the appetite.”
“To...morrow?”
The girl seemed to understand what Ain meant.
“But why...”
“Why would you save someone like me...”
“Am I really worth your...”
“Hey, hey, hey.”
Ain cut her off.
“Didn't I tell you? I like doing things that give me a sense of accomplishment...”
“Whether it's making a pretty girl call me 'Master' in front of others, or...”
“...reaching out to pull back a child who's about to fall into the abyss.”
Lillian began to cry even harder.
“But I'm... not good at all!”
“I fall asleep in class, I fail my exams, I cause trouble for Erylin, and I drag innocent people down into the mud with me...”
“I will... I will...”
The girl choked on her words.
She wanted to live.
More than anyone else.
Her own flesh and blood had abandoned her, and the academy she lived in day and night had heartlessly cast her out.
If witches were destined to never know happiness, who else in this world could serve as her final sanctuary?
Just then, Ain spoke.
“Say it.”
The girl stared blankly at Ain.
She wanted to take his outstretched hand.
She wanted to hold that scale.
But she couldn't say the words.
Just like that time in the infirmary.
She had wanted to call out to Ain, but he had closed the door first.
Her plea had gone unanswered.
Hurry up, I have to say it right now!
Lillian desperately urged herself in her mind.
If I don't say it now...
Will he...
But do I really deserve his affection?
The girl forgot one thing.
This time, they weren't in the infirmary.
“I'm not leaving.”
Ain chuckled softly.
He answered for her.
Lillian burst into tears once more. Throwing herself into Ain's arms, she placed her left hand onto his scale.
“Please...”
“I beg of you...”
“Don't go...”
“Don't leave!”
“Don't abandon me...”
“I really... have no one left but you...”
None of the witches in history had ever found a home.
They were either abandoned or slaughtered.
Forgotten by the world, they would never again grace this pitiful realm.
But now, the ending of history was about to be rewritten.
【Scale of Astral Judgment is converting mana values】
【Conversion Target: Lillian Knight】
【Current Progress: 1%】
“Yeah, I hear you.”
With that, Ain wrapped his arms around Lillian, feeling her body tremble. He wanted to offer a few more comforting words, but he heard a faint footstep from the forest behind them.
Once he saw who it was, Ain's eyes filled with nothing but coldness and hostility.
“Though I expected someone to try and stop me.”
“I really didn't expect...”
“...that you'd be playing both fucking sides.”
“Wes... ley.”
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