Majo no Tabitabi - Volume 10 - Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

On the Road: Fire Rising in a Dark Sky

In the dark, distant night sky, I could see small lights rising in ones and twos.

It looked just like the stars were being sucked up into the night sky, and my big sister and I spent some time just marveling at the spectacle.

“It’s beautiful…,” my sister whispered.

All I could do was nod.

From our position, we had a full view of the scene, which was lovely enough to make us forget we were high up in the sky.

Looking down, the city was spread out under our eyes. The flying castle, which was in the middle of slowly, slowly sinking down to the ground, afforded us this very beautiful sight as it made its final descent.

The Lantern Festival.

I had heard rumors about it. Supposedly, at that time each year, the people in the neighboring city held a festival where they launched lanterns up into the sky.

My big sister and I wanted to participate in the festival, but in the end, we didn’t make it there in time. Just before we arrived at Trocolio by the Sea, when it was just a stone’s throw away, we had taken on the job in Orotorinne.

If possible, I would have liked to participate in the festival, but we’ve got work to do, so there’s no helping it—I and my sister both had more or less given up on it.

“We managed to find some premium seats, huh?” I said to my sister, who was standing beside me.

In exchange for missing the festival.

In exchange for taking on that job.

The very, very beautiful sight dissolved into the stardust-scattered sky.

“So we did.” My big sister nodded. Then she mumbled sadly, “But we’ll never be able to see it from here again, will we?”

The castle was slowly returning to earth. Once it sank all the way to the ground, it would probably never rise into the air again.

This would likely be the last time such a sight appeared before our eyes.

It was a beautiful once-in-a-lifetime view.

We would never get the chance to see it again.

“…………”

I’ve heard that in the tradition of the Lantern Festival, people place their feelings for distant loved ones into lanterns and then launch them into the sky.

They entrust their feelings for others under the same sky to the lanterns and send them off.

But right now, we’re up in the sky.

From up here, who on earth would ‘distant loved ones’ refer to?

Long ago, while I was waiting in our home city for my big sister’s return, I always felt regretful.

I regretted not being able to trust in my sister, and I regretted the part I played in my sister’s exile—I regretted my own foolishness the whole time.

There was no need to think too hard about just who my special person might be.

“…Big sister?”

I stretched out my hand toward my sister.

When my fingers brushed against her warm hand, she chuckled and smiled awkwardly and squeezed my hand back. “…What is it?”

My hand was enveloped in warmth.

“Nothing at all.”

Gazing at the distant sky to avert my eyes, I made a wish.

Don’t ever let this hand leave mine again.

Immediately after the boat that Fran had boarded departed the country, I smelled a familiar stench.

It was bad enough to make me unconsciously grimace, and no matter how many times I smelled it, every time I felt like poison was being deposited onto my body. It really, really stank; it was awful, and yet it was a nostalgic smell.

I knew perfectly well whom the owner of that stench was.

“Elaina.”

“Hmm? Yes?”

Elaina had been gazing absentmindedly after the ship, but when she turned toward me, she grimaced slightly.

Maybe her nose was as keen as mine, or maybe she remembered the owner of the stench just like I did—she immediately looked around and then said out loud, “That stinks!”

Even though I couldn’t see her, I knew that if I followed the smell, I would find her location soon enough.

“So I’ve…kinda…gotta go.”

“Sure.” Elaina nodded at my words. “Take care.”

She smiled at me.

In her hands, she was still holding her lantern with care.

There was only one person in the whole city who would be smoking in the middle of all this hustle and bustle, and after walking a short distance, I was able to quickly locate the culprit.

“…………”

When she made eye contact with me, she frowned awkwardly and let out a smoky sigh.

“…You noticed me?”

The Midnight Witch, Sheila, was standing there.

“I know you by your stench.”

She may have thought I wouldn’t notice her, but I could see the clouds of smoke billowing up from her hiding place from the other side of the crowd, and actually, I could see her pointy hat as well, plus we even made eye contact.

But more than anything, I could smell her stench the whole time.

There was no way I wouldn’t have noticed her.

“How did your job go?” I asked.

Sheila said, “…The job was to seal up packages for transportation, but apparently there was a mix-up and the packages disappeared.”

That was the only answer she gave me.

She didn’t go so far as to tell me what she was doing in this city.

Maybe the packages that were in transit had originated from Trocolio, and she had to come to search for the cause of their disappearance. Or maybe she had simply accepted her next assignment and come to where the job was.

But at that point, none of it really mattered.

I was overjoyed that she had come here to meet me face-to-face.

I had heard everything from Elaina.

I knew that Sheila had gone personally to Emadestrin, a Town Where People Live, and recovered Monica’s diary for me, and I knew she had entrusted it to Elaina.

I had heard everything.

Including the fact that she had been worried about me all along.

“…Sorry.”

Sheila looked up at the lights that were visible in the dark sky.

She looked like she was turning her face away, like she was just feeling embarrassed.

So, still holding one small light in my hand, I gave her my best smile and tugged at her hand.

“How about we watch the Lantern Festival from somewhere a little brighter?”

The little lights got sucked up among the stardust in the night sky.

From the deck of the calmly rocking ship, I watched as the lantern lights grew smaller and smaller, fading into the faintest of glimmers.

Eventually, they would disappear from sight.

So I stretched out my hand.

Toward a sky brimming with memories.

“What are you doing, Fran?”

The very first time I made that particular ocean voyage, my teacher had tilted her head quizzically at me as I reached my hand out toward the sky.

“How pretty!” she said, and I was certain that she didn’t understand what I was doing.

To me, the spectacle in the sky looked like something entirely different.

It was a beautiful sky, filled with the memories of lots of different people.

So I answered her, “I’m trying not to forget someone I adore.”

I stood on tiptoe, stretching toward a sky I could never reach.

“So we meet again.”

I heard the name of my teacher’s daughter, saw what she looked like, gave her a hug, and understood everything.

I understood who it was that had saved me all those years ago. I understood what kind of girl she was going to grow up to be.

My fate was intertwined with hers.

So I extended a hand to the girl.

“…………?”

She was young enough that it still took all her effort just to stand up on two legs. She gazed at my hand wonderingly and then looked up at me.

She had ash-gray hair and clear, lapis-blue eyes.

The girl’s name was Elaina.

She extended her own hand slowly and gently gripped mine.

Her hand was so soft and small.

“Time to say good-bye already, huh?”

Back at the harbor, I extended my hand, and Elaina took it.

Her hand still seemed small and unsteady.

But compared to back then—

“…You’ve really grown, haven’t you?”

That was the only heartfelt impression I was able to offer, and I barely managed to speak the words before getting overwhelmed by other feelings that were welling up out of me.

Elaina smiled shyly.

“I probably have, yeah. But—,” she continued, “I’ve got a lot more growing to do.”

Then she slowly released my hand.

The cool night air stole her unforgettable warmth from my fingertips. A sense of loss spread over my hand. Immediately after that, a warm feeling leaped into my chest.

“Let’s meet again someday.”

I said those words and threw my arms around Miss Fran.

I’m overcome with emotion. What on earth am I doing? This isn’t like me.

I thought I could hear a voice of reason whispering inside me, but on this one occasion, I surrendered to my desires and wrapped both my arms enthusiastically around my teacher’s back.

I was willing to bet Miss Fran was probably a little surprised by my actions.

“My goodness…” I heard her voice above my head. But since I currently had my face buried in my teacher’s chest, I had no idea what kind of expression she was wearing.

But I didn’t need to see it, either.

I knew that if I looked at her face, I would probably feel another wave of loneliness.

“Elaina…”

Finally, Miss Fran put her arms around me and said slowly, “Did you get a little bit taller?”

“Ah, sorry, I’m standing on my tiptoes.”

“…………”

“I’ve got to do this if I want to be just the right size to give you a hug, so…”

I had no other choice.

If I didn’t force myself up onto my toes, with our present difference in height, the hug wouldn’t feel perfect. A little effort is necessary in order to create the right kind of mood.

Miss Fran gently patted me on the back.

“But still, you’ve really grown, compared to long ago.”

“…………”

Have I, now?

“I’m sure I have, yes.”

But of course, I didn’t intend to let this be our last hug.

Miss Fran squeezed me gently with both arms.

Then she whispered into my ear.

“Let’s meet again someday.”

As it departed for distant shores, the boat swayed gently, gliding across the water’s surface.

I was sure I was staring at it the whole time, and yet before I knew it, the shape of the boat had transformed into a small, faint thing. Surely it would soon be obscured by the darkness, and I would lose sight of it.

I felt like there was still a warmth lingering in my chest.

Although maybe it was the flame in the lantern I was still holding that was making me feel warm.

Undoubtedly, I would lose sight of the boat Miss Fran was on in a moment.

I wondered whether she could see the city’s lights from where she was.

I wondered whether she could see the spot where I was standing.

I wished that somehow my light would reach far and wide.

“Farewell.”

Then I released the small lantern from my hands.

“Until we meet again.”

The light I had been holding in my hands whirled softly through the air, joining with all the other ascending lanterns. I wondered whether Miss Fran was looking for my light.

Alone on the harbor, a single girl released her lantern up into the sky.

With ash-gray hair and lapis-blue eyes, the girl, dressed in a black robe and triangular hat, was a witch and a traveler.

As she wandered from place to place, this girl experienced many meetings and partings.

It had always been that way, and would always be so, as she continued her travels.

Who could that girl be, who stretched out her hand toward a dark sky glittering with the lights of so many memories, trying to burn the image into her mind so that she never forgot the many meetings and partings?

It goes without saying, doesn’t it?

That’s right, it’s me.