Majo no Tabitabi - Volume 4 - Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Amnesia’s Forgotten Homecoming

A wispy cloud floating in the air seemed to follow the road creeping along the ground below. The path was surrounded by a meadow covered in wildflowers, and a cool breeze blew through them, sending the blossoms bobbing as we passed. In the distance, we could see a small river flowing at the same relaxed pace as us. The scene was permeated by the crisp lapping of water.

“…It feels so nice!”

I sensed a head plunking down onto my shoulder. Amnesia was nestling up against me, closing her eyes comfortably.

“Don’t go to sleep, okay?” I responded, turning back to face ahead. “I think we’ll be there soon.”

Farther down the road stood a city surrounded by a wall. The Holy City. I somehow, in some way, understood this to be true.

HOLY CITY, ESTO AHEAD.

……

By which I mean it was written right there. On a sign.

“Um, your hair is annoying me…,” Amnesia murmured in my ear. My ashen hair and her white locks had become entwined, and some of my strands were brushing against the tip of her nose. With her eyes still shut, she screwed up her face at the itchy feeling, then finally sneezed. “Ah…achoo!”

“I hope you don’t catch a cold.”

“I don’t think so…,” she said, letting out a sigh as she spoke. “How long do you think before we arrive?”

“Not more than an hour, I think.”

“Huh…”

“…Are you nervous?”

We would reach her hometown soon, after all.

“Hmm…I’m not sure. I don’t think we’re mistaken—the Holy City is my home—but I don’t really… I kind of just feel like we’ve made it, you know? I’m surprised that I’m so indifferent.” And then she said, “But I feel differently toward you, Elaina.”

“…? Toward me?”

She leaned her head on top of my shoulder. “I just met you this morning, but—but, how do I say this? It’s strange? I feel like I want this moment to continue forever.”

“……”

“Even I don’t understand my own feelings. But some part of me hopes we’ll never reach the city—”

“That’s enough of that,” I interrupted her. “When your memory comes back, you’re going to be terribly embarrassed.”

“……” After remaining silent for a moment, she chuckled. “You’re probably right.”

“…Yeah.”

—It’s not like I’m not drowning in my feelings about the end of our journey, you know.

My broom was floating here above the road as the breeze blew past us. It wasn’t simply to rock Amnesia to sleep, and neither was it to tantalize her with what lay ahead.

The two of us were probably harboring the same emotions.

Even so, the broom had to move forward.

We had to continue toward the Holy City down the same road.

The Holy City was a large city surrounded by a massive outer wall. The gate, however, was rather small, a forlorn little thing that looked like it could allow a single carriage to pass through at best. I thought it looked shabby. It was so small, I hadn’t even been able to see it from afar, and even now, I had a hard time believing my eyes.

We stood in front of that gate.

“Pardon me!”

Amnesia rapped on the door—knock, knock!

A few moments passed before the wooden doors were opened unsteadily.

“……”

The person who came out was obviously a mage. They wore a hood pulled far down over their head, but they didn’t say anything. They just stood there, stock-still.

“…Umm, my name is Amnesia. I’m from this country, and…” She looked up at the person nervously.

“……”

Now that I thought about it, we really didn’t have any kind of proof that Amnesia came from this city. She didn’t even remember her own life. It was possible this was all a simple misunderstanding and that she really didn’t have any kind of connection to this place.

Apprehension descended on us along with the silence.

“Who is the witch with you?” The mage standing before us was looking at me. “Are you Amnesia’s traveling companion?”

Oh, so it seems the mage has a mouth.

After a momentary pause, I nodded. “Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…Well then, you may enter. Please allow me to welcome you to our city.”

The mage stepped back from the gate, though it seemed that movement was directed at me and me alone. There wasn’t even an acknowledgment of Amnesia.

Something was strange about this.

“…Um.”

“Madam Witch. We would like to thank you. If you would be so kind as to go straight to the palace.”

“Thank me for what, exactly…? Is—?”

I was baffled and exchanged a glance with Amnesia, whose eyes were wide. She was clearly as confused as I was.

“We would like to thank you for bringing this criminal to us,” the mage said before pointing a wand at Amnesia.

It was a binding spell. Bluish-white strands of light stretched from the wand like snakes, encircling Amnesia.

“Huh…! Just a—What are you doing?! Hang on—”

Ignoring Amnesia’s bewildered protests, the magic user drew the blue-white restraints tight, completely binding her.

The mage yanked with the wand, forcing her to kneel. Amnesia looked up with frightened eyes as her captor glared at her.

“Fugitive Amnesia, I am placing you under arrest.”

We went to the palace, but apparently there was no monarch installed there. There was no monarchy in this country whatsoever.

Once I arrived, I was shown into a single room in the deepest recesses of the building. It was lined with fan-shaped tables and a podium and nothing else. In it were many adults wearing robes, so many that I couldn’t count them all.

Somehow or other, I understood this was a place where serious deliberations took place.

One person looked down at me indifferently from the podium. “Welcome to the Holy City. Your name is?”

“I am the Ashen Witch, Elaina. I am a witch,” I responded with detachment as well, looking up at them.

Low murmurs of admiration cropped up.

“You’re so young,” commented the person atop the podium, not seeming very interested. “When was it that you became a witch?”

As far as I could see, this aloof woman was the only other witch in the place.

“Three or four years ago,” I replied.

“…How old are you now?”

“I’m eighteen.”

“…So young.”

Looking less and less interested, she narrowed her eyes. Even if she wasn’t as young as me, she still looked quite young, though she could have been past her prime.

Though she was wearing a red dress, rather uncharacteristic of a mage, upon her breast was a star-shaped brooch like mine.

In this city, it seemed that dressing in a robe and pointy hat was not in fashion. There wasn’t a single person in the assembly wearing a similar hat to mine.

I suppose there’s no need to try to dress like a mage when every person in the city is one.

“We are grateful to you for bringing in that monster,” added the witch.

“……”

“Are you curious about why she’s being treated as a criminal?”

“Was it obvious?”

She nodded. “All of the monster’s traveling companions have been similarly concerned. Just as you are now.”

“……”

“But after they hear the situation, everyone scorns her. They come to loathe her from the bottom of their hearts. When they leave this country, they are glad to have forgotten everything about the place, particularly her. Just imagine having to carry the ghastly memories of a journey with a terrible criminal with you for the rest of your life. Wouldn’t that haunt you?”

“……” I offered neither affirmation nor denial. “What on earth did she do?”

I just wanted to confirm the truth.

She must have expected such a reply, because the witch pressed her lips together and smiled ever so slightly.

“About that…I think it best that you do your own research. You’ll have an easier time processing everything that way, rather than trying to listen to us explain it here. You’ll see for yourself the evil deeds perpetrated by that woman.”

“So you’re saying you can’t be bothered to explain it to me?”

“No need to snap at me… That’s not the case. If we were to spell it out, you would doubt us. You’d wonder if she hadn’t been falsely accused of her crimes and whether we were framing her, you see. You do look like the type to do that,” the witch said.

“…How can you be so sure?”

“I just know.” The witch nodded. “At least, I know all of the criminal’s traveling companions who have made it this far. That’s why it’s better if you investigate on your own rather than hear it from us.”

I see.

“So—you’re saying that once I know about her crime, I’ll scorn her from the bottom of my heart? That I’ll loathe her, just like her previous companions?”

“Yes. I suppose you will. Especially since her crime is so serious that it can never be forgiven. I bet you’re thinking it can’t possibly be true.” The witch shrugged in resignation.

Then she said, “Well, we are deeply grateful to you for bringing that woman back here. Lest you forget: You are like a hero to our city for bringing that monster back. And so, as a sign of our gratitude, please allow us to prepare you a top-rate room and meal.”

I nodded slightly. “Thanks for that.” Not that I was happy about it.

After all—I would immediately forget everything the instant I left. Nothing would stick.

And if I came to scorn or loathe anything—or anyone—well, that would be forgotten just the same.

The city surrounded by the wall was spacious, but you would hardly know all the residents were mages just from looking at it.

The buildings nestled close to the road were tall and all painted pure white. When I asked, I learned the buildings were lit up yellow at night to give the city an air of mysticism…or something like that. The older man at the roadside stall where I had just bought bread was rather enthusiastic when it came to sharing details about his city.

Tangentially, he also said something like this—

“You’re the one who brought in that monster, Amnesia. Oh, thank you! I’ll give you this bread free of charge! It’s the least I can do to thank you for doing your part in her execution.”

Without accepting my money, he pressed the bread that I was going to buy into my hands. I wondered exactly when he had found out that I had been the one to bring Amnesia in.

“……”

Put off by his gratitude, I lost my appetite.

After walking for a short while, I felt eyes on me from somewhere, as if I was being watched by someone or targeted by something. When I turned to look, a city in tumult stretched before me. People were coming up directly to thank me, or keeping their distance and telling their neighbors, “That person is the witch who brought in Amnesia,” or just giving me envious stares. It seemed like all eyes were on me.

“……”

I couldn’t help but feel like I was somewhat conspicuous, and not in a good way.

I went through the town for a while before catching sight of a crystal shop. All sorts of rocks, large and small, were lined up in the window facing the street.

“Hello, everyone. Today, I have some good news.”

Remarkably, all the crystals were displaying the same scene. The witch who had greeted me earlier at the palace was on the other side of the display, gesturing grandly and wearing a joyful expression as she delivered some kind of address.

“I imagine you are all aware that a major criminal has at long last returned to this city.”

“Um, what’s this?”

The residents watching me from a distance moved almost too quickly, forming a circle around me.

“Oh, Miss Witch, are you curious about these stones?”

“We call these mirror crystals. That means they can display distant images and sounds, like a mirror!”

“Amazing, huh? This magical technology is our biggest pride and joy.”

“Other places can’t manage to pull off a trick like this!”

“Uh-huh…is that so…?” I asked.

“The citizens transfer some magical energy to the country every month to keep things running.”

“Well, it’s like we’re paying out magical energy in place of taxes.”

“We do that, and in return, we get incredible technology!”

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“I wonder if countries in other places have stuff like this?”

“Obviously not, you dummy.”

“Uh, that’s enough.” I spoke up.

“By the way, the witch speaking on the other side of the mirror crystals is the Rose Witch, Elimia.”

“She’s our one and only witch.”

“Her powers are totally awesome!”

“The creation of the mirror crystals was also one of her great achievements!”

“No one knows her age. She’s been working in service of the city for a long time. Anyway, she’s an amazing witch and—”

“I said that’s enough. You’re so persistent.”

Even when I waved them away, the townsfolk continued blabbering.

What’s with them? Will they die if they stop talking? Stupid chatterboxes.

I was tempted to put them in their place, but the talkative townspeople were telling me many things I wanted to know.

“About the woman who you brought here—Amnesia.”

“She killed the witches in this city. All of them except for Lady Elimia.”

“Also, on top of that, she was the cause of a crisis in another country, bringing her poison with her.”

“She deserves to be executed! We need justice!”

“But anyway, about the wonderful Lady Elimia. She captured the fugitive and—”

On and on they went.

I had heard a lot that was difficult to believe, straight from the citizen’s mouths—but despite what they said, I simply could not imagine the Amnesia I knew doing that.

“We have determined the date and time of Amnesia’s execution,” announced the Rose Witch, Elimia, beaming down on us from the mirror crystals in the shop. “Tomorrow morning, that woman will be beheaded in the plaza in front of the palace. All citizens are expected to attend, so do be sure to make an appearance.”

The crowd around me broke into applause.

As if she knew I was there, Elimia added a final word from the other side. “Of course, any noncitizens are also encouraged to attend.” Then the projections went blank, the crystals becoming like ordinary mirrors.

Left only with my reflection, I stood there with a dazed expression.

Where was the best place to go to investigate something?

That’s right. The library.

“…Let’s go.”

Once Elimia had finished speaking through the mirror crystals, I had asked the townspeople there about the location of the library and headed in that direction right away.

This institution seemed to have been built well. It was cavernous, with a large spiral staircase that turned round and round as it stretched toward the high ceiling, and rows of bookshelves that seemed to go on forever.

However, I was not here to visit those neatly ordered stacks.

“Please show me the newspaper archives. I need to see every single one of them.”

I was here on an investigation. No further explanation was necessary.

I made my request to the librarian, who quickly released the back issues of the newspaper to me, going back about one year.

“Thanks,” I said and offered a shallow bow, then sat down in a nearby chair.

“……”

I pored over every page, searching for anything related to my investigation—searching for anything that seemed like it might be even the slightest bit connected to whatever had taken Amnesia’s memory.

It had all started a little more than a year ago.

One by one, four of the five witches in the city had gone missing. The only one left, the Rose Witch, Elimia, had proclaimed this was “treason against the Holy City!” and searched desperately for whoever was responsible. The Order of Holy Knights, which protected public safety, joined forces with Elimia, and together they hunted for the criminal who had killed the esteemed witches.

However, they didn’t even find any clues, much less apprehend any suspects.

Why had they gone missing? Why hadn’t their remains been found? Each discovery only raised more questions as the investigation continued, and everything seemed to lead back to the palace.

It had appeared as though the curtain would fall, leaving the case unsolved. As things stood, it seemed the spirits of the four murdered witches would never know peace. Both the witch Elimia and the Holy Knights were growing impatient.

That’s when it happened: The witch Elimia caught the culprit.

The criminal who killed the four witches was a member of the Holy Knights, a girl named Amnesia.

She was a blockhead who could barely use any magic, despite belonging to the Order of Holy Knights. She was a deadbeat. She couldn’t even fly on a broom. The girl had an inferiority complex that drove her to acts of brutality, murdering witches and stealing their magical energy—allegedly.

Elimia had left this statement in the newspaper:

“In this city, we have a system whereby we pay out magical energy instead of taxes for the government to use, right? I am the one who formulated that system, but—one day, as part of my investigation, I was working alongside Amnesia when I saw her using quite a bit of magic. She told me she had been practicing, but all of you know it’s difficult to improve your magic with just one or two days of training. When I looked into it, I realized she had made a system that imitated mine. Somehow it seemed she had stolen the witches’ magical energy and killed them.”

You could say Amnesia had always had difficulty in her relationships.

Without a strong handling of magic, she had been shunned by her own parents. She hadn’t so much come of age as been tossed out of the house. She didn’t have many people she could call friends and always operated alone.

She couldn’t use magic, but her swordsmanship earned her some recognition, and she was admitted into the Order of Holy Knights. However, even among the Order, she was considered little more than a nuisance. To make matters worse, she was quickly outstripped by her younger sister who entered the Order after her and was assigned to work as her sister’s underling.

She must have developed an inferiority complex.

The remains of the four witches had been discovered by Elimia, the Rose Witch. Their corpses had been cut to pieces, and the shape of the wounds was a match for Amnesia’s sword.

That was not her only crime.

When Amnesia had developed her version of the system that Elimia had created to suck up magical energy, toxic by-product had been flushed into the underground sewer system. That pollution went on to devastate the environment in a neighboring land, and Amnesia was held responsible.

The murders of four witches. And the spread of magical pollution.

Amnesia’s crimes were grave.

The High Council of Esto took the matter very seriously, and Amnesia was sentenced to a “forgotten homecoming.”

It was a sentence given only to the worst criminals.

My research revealed the nature of the punishment—the convict was cursed to lose their memory every day and then be exiled from the city. But that was not the end.

What would the exiled individual do, driven into the outside world, unable to remember their own name? The people here knew perfectly well.

First, the convict would look for clues of their identity. Relying on the clothes they were wearing and whatever else was on their person, they would try to learn where they came from and where they should head.

Then, seeking their hometown, the convict would begin walking.

It might take one month. It might take two months. Perhaps it would even take a year. But they were sure to return. They would make their way back while repeatedly meeting and separating from other people and from their own selves, every day.

The curse would be lifted once the convict had returned to the city, just in time for their execution. They would regain their memories on the way up to the beheading block.

Just what kind of memories would the convict have of the time they spent outside? There would probably have been many who treated the amnesiac with kindness. There weren’t many disturbances to public order in this region, so citizens had warmly welcomed them into their homes. There must have been people worried over this criminal who was traveling with no memories.

Even if the reason for their memory loss was unclear, they would walk through the outside world with pining in their heart. In the end, those happy memories would only be made known to them on the route to the beheading block.

There, the convict would die, flooded with regret and despair.

Such was the sentence of a forgotten homecoming.

That is the sentence that would be carried out on Amnesia the following morning.

“……”

When I had finished reading that far, I felt eyes on me once again.

I covertly peeked around the newspapers and the stacks of supplementary materials on the execution policies of the Holy City. This time, there was no one there, unlike in town.

There’s no reason I should be feeling someone’s gaze, but…

“…Hmm?”

Wait a minute. There’s some kind of box.

There was a box sitting among the bookshelves, exactly the right size for a single person to squeeze inside.

“…What’s that?”

It was too suspicious.

Come to think of it, I didn’t recall there being anything like that in town. Even if it had been there in the middle of the road, it was nothing more than a simple box, and I wouldn’t have been suspicious of it, but this was a library, you know? What business did it have here? To serve as a step stool?

“……” I stood up, crouched down in front of it, and stared.

“……Gh!” The box rattled and shook.

This isn’t a step stool.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“……”

“I’m talking to you. Can you hear me?”

Knock, knock. I rapped on the top of the box.

“……” There was only silence. “Oh, don’t mind me.”

Oh, so it can speak.

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t mind me. This is, um…my hobby?”

Then why end with a question mark? Anyway—

“What kind of hobby requires you being in a box?”

“That would be…um…my hobby of tailing witches, and so on, I guess…?”

“Excuse me?” You mean you’re a stalker?

I was shocked, and the girl in the box continued. “You are the Ashen Witch, Elaina. You’re the person responsible for bringing the convict here.”

“…You know your stuff.” I imagined she’d learned about me on the mirror crystals.

“Only because I’ve been tailing you ever since you came to this city.”

“Are you a stalker?”

“No!” The box person sounded huffy. “I was trying to decide whether I could trust you.”

“Uh-huh.” I had already decided this box person was not the kind of person I could trust. “And? What do you think? Is my humble personage worthy of your confidence? Not that I care.”

I told her I had things to do and asked her to not bother me anymore. I stood back up.

“Wait, please!”

The person got to her feet, too. It looked like there was a pair of legs wearing a skirt protruding from the bottom of the box. A peculiar sight.

“Don’t you find the charges against Amnesia a little suspect? Isn’t that why you’re investigating them?”

Even though the girl’s face was hidden behind a box, her voice was desperate enough that I could easily tell how grim that face must be.

“……” I had been about to return to my seat, but I paused and answered her. “What of it?”

“Would you like…to collaborate with me?”

“…Um, before we get to that, who are you?”

It was a simple, clear question.

How do you expect me to trust someone before seeing their face? Especially if this someone has just admitted to stalking me?

“Oh, s-sorry! I should have told you earlier!” stammered the girl, and she threw off the box, revealing long, soft, white hair. A ribbon was wrapped through it.

Judging by her youthful face, I guessed she was about one or two years younger than me.

Looking closely, she was clad in a white robe and dressed the same way as Amnesia.

Something about her face also brought to mind Amnesia. They would have been identical if she had chopped off her hair and if the ribbon in her hair had been a headband.

“You are—”

She nodded.

“My name is Avelia.”

As the box fell over with a hollow thud, she added, “Amnesia is my older sister.”

After that, I went to Avelia’s house on her invitation.

For some reason, she kept wearing the box. Meaning I was following a walking box. I knew I was a part of this ridiculous scene as we tromped through town. According to Avelia, “All sorts of bad things would come of people finding out that you and I had met, Elaina,” and she did not remove her disguise.

Don’t you think worse things will come of you wearing a box on your head? You’re attracting a lot of attention.

“It’s fine. This way, the people will only recognize a moving box.”

Really?

“Oh, if it isn’t sweet Avelia.”

“What are you doing today, wearing your box? Tailing somebody, I suppose?”

“You sure work hard!”

“Is that the Ashen Witch beside you?”

“I wonder what on earth happened?”

“……”

We’ve already been found out.

Does that mean you always wear the box? Are you stupid?

“Craaap!” She threw off the box in frustration as we went through town.

She answered the townspeople, saying, “I’m taking Elaina to my place to ask her the details about bringing in my convict sister! It’s nothing to concern yourselves with!”

“……”

Seriously?

Before long, we arrived at her house. Apparently, the Holy Knights, or whatever they were, got paid a pretty penny. Her home was luxurious.

“Don’t mind the mess.”

In the spacious room, there were so many books and documents, articles and papers, plus all kinds of other things, that there was nowhere to stand. It was filled with all kinds of stuff, all of it related to her job. In a sense, it was a private room that didn’t feel lived in. The sprawling room was a total mess.

After looking around, I stared at her. “Um, where should I sit?”

“Over there.”

“……”

Over where…?

After an awkward moment, I stepped over the piles of paper scattered about and sat down on the floor, crisscross applesauce. There were both chairs and a table in the room, but they had long since become useless due to the mountains of documents piled on them.

“…All right then, let’s have a chat,” Avelia said, then plunked down in front of me. “…Elaina, how did you feel when you saw the state of this city?” She tilted her head inquisitively.

Hard to say…

“I feel like it’s a strange place, to say the least. Rumors seem to spread at lightning speed, you’ve got odd inventions like those mirror crystals, and on top of that—”

On top of that, you’ve deemed Amnesia a criminal.

“Is she really a monster? I’m having a hard time imagining that.”

I couldn’t believe it. Even if the newspaper reports and the popular opinion doomed her to the sentence of a forgotten homecoming. Even if her own journey had been nothing but a march toward death. Even if her travels with me had been all for nothing.

It was still a mystery to me.

I couldn’t believe that girl, the one who was happy-go-lucky despite losing her memory, who was never upset and remained mercilessly cheerful, could have been harboring a past in which she killed people and tried to steal their magical energy.

“To be honest, I lied back in town,” Avelia responded to me. “The truth is I wanted to know if you still believe in my sister, even after you brought her this far.”

“……”

“Are you on her side?”

“……” I stared into her jade-green eyes. “What about you?”

I was amazed she had the gall to interrogate me without revealing anything about herself. It was like she was still hiding in that box.

For a moment, she stared at me blankly, as if struck with surprise.

“Of course,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ve continued working at the palace as a Holy Knight, moving behind the scenes to someday help her.”

“But in the public eye, you treat your sister as a criminal.”

“Ah, but if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to gain the trust of the people.”

Fair point.

“…So was your sister falsely accused?”

Avelia nodded meekly. “There’s no doubt. Everything was arranged by that witch.”

“…That witch.” I was about to ask which one, but it occurred to me there was only one left in this country. “The Rose Witch?”

“Yup.”

“…So you’re saying Elimia set up Amnesia. That she’s responsible for her exile?”

“Yup, yup.”

“…And that Amnesia is going to die because of Elimia.”

“Yup, yup, yup.”

“……” All that yup-ing is getting annoying.

“I know it was sudden and you probably can’t trust me, but that’s the truth.”

“…Well, it’s not really that I can’t believe you.”

I’m strangely satisfied with that explanation. I guess this was what I was expecting.

I mean, you could tell that witch was suspicious just by looking at her. And what was with her lazy drawl? She’s definitely shady, all right.

“But in that case, what on earth is the truth? Why was Amnesia set up?” I asked.

Avelia answered, “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Make it brief, please.”

“Humph.” Avelia puffed out her cheeks, making it clear I had hurt her feelings. “It’s impossible to shorten my big sister’s story.” She began to spin a tale.

…But by the way—

“You really love your big sister.”

As expected, Avelia answered me in a tone that suggested it was only too natural.

“Obviously.”

After I heard everything there was to know about Amnesia from the mouth of her younger sister Avelia, I left the room for a moment and hunkered down, cradling my broom.

“……”

It had been an unfortunate tale that made my chest feel tight.

It was the story of a girl who had not been particularly blessed in life.

What did she do to deserve this? Why did they have to treat her this way, just because she had been one of the rare few in this country without the ability to use magic?

Even though she’s such a nice person—

“What do you think?” I asked the broom in my arms.

She wasn’t in human form right now. She was standing there idly, just a normal broom, but she answered me in my mind with an indifferent attitude.

“What do I think? …Why are you asking me that? Is it to know if you ought to collaborate with Mistress Avelia? Or are you trying to determine whether her story is credible?”

“Both.”

“In other words, you don’t intend to cooperate with Mistress Avelia until you have ascertained the truth.”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, I don’t feel the need to answer.”

Biting words.

“…Someone is in a bad mood today.”

“I’m fed up with acting like a good little broom when you only summon me in crisis.”

“……”

“Just kidding.”

If she had been in her human form, I imagined she would have been smiling.

“As far as I’m concerned, I think the story that Mistress Avelia told you is the truth. That’s what I believe.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you know how I know?”

“……”

Even though we’d taken the same journey, my broom was apparently holding on to some information I didn’t have that gave her some insight into Avelia’s story. It was clear something had happened when I was not around.

Like, for example, an incident in the city that was covered in ice, or something.

“…Please tell me. What happened while I was frozen?”

After we had left that place—once I had seen Amnesia despondent, seen her panic and fear and bewilderment—I had never been able to bring myself to speak of it.

I had hesitated because I had thought I would find myself crying if I knew the cruel truth.

“Of course.” I thought I could feel her smile. “But before that, can I ask you one thing?”

“…What?”

“Mistress Elaina, weren’t you always leaning toward rescuing Mistress Amnesia? Even before you asked for my help with the incident in that other city? Even before this sequence of events?”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

I shrugged as if she was talking nonsense.

My broom ignored my attitude. In fact, I wasn’t sure whether she could even see me in her current state. “You summoned me in my broom form precisely because you’ve already decided to cooperate with Mistress Avelia. Because this way, you can conserve your magic.”

No way. Listen to yourself.

“I left you in that form because it would shock the people around us if a broom were to suddenly change into a human.”

“I think you startled the people as soon as you began speaking to a broom.”

“……”

“And there’s no one around us.”

“……” I let out a sigh. “You’re in a mood today.”

My broom answered yes in a tone that suggested it was obvious. “Because I am my lady’s humble possession.”

I had known the answer all along.

I promised to cooperate fully with Avelia’s plan.

From the very beginning, there had been no need to deliberate or verify the facts.

It was only obvious that I would help her.

“My big sister’s execution is scheduled for ten in the morning tomorrow. As for the place, it’s going to be in the plaza in front of the palace, according to Elimia’s announcement in the mirror crystals.”

When I had come back inside and told her I would collaborate with her, Avelia had embraced me.

“Ah! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! With your help, I just know we can save her!”

Then she had regained her composure and pulled away. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just devoted to my sister.” After that, she had shared her strategy with me.

What’s with the extreme mood swings?

“The plan can only be tried once. First, I’ll wait in the plaza for the exact moment when my sister’s memory returns. Elaina, you’ll sneak into the palace and deal with Elimia.”

“What makes you so sure that Elimia will be inside the palace?”

“She’s the one arranging for my sister to be beheaded. I imagine she’ll be deep inside the edifice until it happens—uh, in the council hall that you went to yesterday. She should be waiting in that room. I think.”

Uh-huh. “So, your plan is to stall for time before the execution? Then what? How on earth are you planning to save your sister?”

Seems like a slapdash plan.

“When Elimia doesn’t make it for the appointed execution time, I will be entrusted with the duty of cutting off my sister’s head.”

“…Why is that?”

“Because the duty of the beheading is passed down through those people who shared a deep bond with the convict before losing their memories.”

Elimia had publicly played a very active part in capturing Amnesia.

Avelia had publicly been on bad terms with her sister.

Okay. So their bonds are deep.

“Her memory will return to normal as she ascends to the beheading block. That means that’s our best chance. If we rescue her from the execution right at that moment, we can escape with her memories intact.”

“And after that?”

“We leave the country. I’ll give you a signal after I rescue my sister, and then you can forget about Elimia, and after that, just go with the flow.”

“…And then?”

“Huh? That was the outline of the plan.”

“But if we follow it to a T, there’s about a million ways for it to end in disaster.”

Um, hello? Everyone in this city is a mage. Even if we were able to run away, everyone who leaves the city has their memories of Esto erased. Did you forget about the fact that nobody outside knows what it’s really like in the Holy City?

“Fine. Then what do you suggest?”

“Uh, there’s no need to sulk.”

Avelia had her cheeks puffed out. They looked like they would pop if I stuck them with my finger.

“I worked so hard to come up with that plan…”

“…I have a feeling that your Order of Holy Knights is going to see right through that.”

Since she had been boasting about her job in the palace, I had assumed she had come up with a strategy that employed her knowledge of the building, her professional contacts, her personal relationships, and even the local magical techniques.

But it seemed she was trying to get things done with raw force.

“…In that case, what should we do? Elaina?” Avelia had her eyes narrowed at me.

“What should we do?” I parroted. “If we can take down Elimia, that would be the end of it.”

These are my memories—all my fleeting memories.

“Big Sis, look! This box! If I use this, I can go undercover!”

My younger sister Avelia held aloft an odd-sized box, just about big enough for one person to squeeze inside. She beamed proudly. That was exactly the same day that she had been accepted into the Order of Holy Knights, I think.

She had suddenly come to my house, doing something truly bizarre…

“We don’t really do any undercover work in the Holy Knights.”

“Really?”

“We mainly do odd jobs around the palace. And there aren’t that many criminals in this city.”

The duties of the Order of Holy Knights are very, very plain, and basically confined to the palace. They included the management of the mirror crystals, preparation of materials for assembly meetings, and the cleaning and maintenance of the palace. Aside from that, they involved escorting important people and guarding the palace, et cetera. If there was ever an incident or accident, we were sent out to investigate, but there weren’t any flashy battles or anything.

It was ordinary. Totally normal.

“Then…what should I do…with…this box…?”

“Well, you won’t have a chance to use it.”

“But look, if I use it all the time, it might be useful to launch surprise attacks! Someone might be all like, ‘Hmm? What’s with that box?’ and then I’ll emerge from inside. Or they might think Avelia of the Holy Knights is over there by the box, while I creep up from behind. Or something.”

“But there’s no occasion to use it in the first place…”

“…Hmm…”

She was looking at me like she needed me to find a use for this box. I wished she wouldn’t.

“Oh, by the way, Big Sis. I left home.”

“Huh?” What is this girl talking about?

“You left home when you joined the Holy Knights, right? So I thought I would go off on my own, too.”

“……”

I had left because I didn’t like being treated like a burden, but Avelia had always been adored by our parents, so I didn’t think there was any need for her to do such a thing.

“I don’t remember getting myself a box when I moved out of the house.” I chuckled.

Avelia pouted.

Thinking about it now, it’s just a silly memory.

Avelia became my superior about one year later.

“Starting tomorrow, she’s going to be your boss. Obey her well.”

That had been my instruction, and they brought in my younger sister. I could hardly use magic at all, and any kind of promotion was a distant, empty dream.

Instead of magic, I had honed my skills with the sword, but a member of the modern Order of Holy Knights rarely had any need for those kinds of talents, so I was still considered little better than a loser.

Now it was like I had been slapped in the face by the Order.

“Big Sis—” Avelia was looking at me with concern in her eyes.

“…It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Somehow, I answered her, and stroked her hair.

The truth was that my stomach was churning, and I wanted to scream. Until this point, I had blamed myself and my lack of magical ability for my poor treatment. However, it was unforgivable that the Holy Knights were using my little sister to harass me.

From that day, my relationship with my sister grew distant.

Avelia was always in a daze, often making careless mistakes, but she was also a genius at magic, and she shot through the ranks of the Holy Knights.

As she was flourishing on center stage, my existence in the background was losing value by the day.

After about a year had passed since my younger sister joined the Order of Holy Knights, we no longer even made eye contact.

No one had forced this on us. It wasn’t even something we’d really decided on. It was simply too painful for either of us to look at the other’s face. I think it must have been bad for her morale to see me clinging to my position among the Holy Knights.

However, I knew that if I were to hang up the uniform, I would have nothing left, so I kept my post, day after day. Even when I suffered, I pretended nothing was wrong and kept up appearances with a smile.

Then one day, it happened.

“…Huh?”

I had been tasked with processing letters sent from outside the city as part of my routine duties. That said, since I didn’t have a bit of interest in the world outside this country, basically I had been ordered to “Open the envelopes and sort the contents into the keep pile and trash pile,” and that’s just what I was doing, nothing more.

Well, to make a long story short, I found something strange mixed in with that bundle of letters.

“Damage Report on the Pollution Coming from the Holy City…? What is this?”

It was a letter from someone named the Great Witch Rudela, or something along those lines, living in a nearby city.

In summary, it was a direct appeal to our government, stating that “Toxic pollution is coming from your city. It’s destroying our environment and causing chaos in our city. This is an urgent matter! Please take immediate action!”

Toxic pollution—that phrase had drawn my eye.

The Holy City was extremely isolationist and went to great lengths to avoid disputes with any outsiders. If the city was the source of this issue, that would be a very serious problem. It was the kind of thing that the city should have been on guard against.

Of course, investigations of this sort would have been entrusted to the Holy Knights.

In any case, the spread of toxic pollution was a matter that could not go overlooked. And so I reported it immediately to my direct supervisor.

“…I’m sorry, Big Sis. I’ve got no time for that right now.”

My boss—by which I mean my little sister—said she had her hands full with another matter. In short, she obviously couldn’t spare the time to look into something so trivial.

You’re joking.

I didn’t know where my sister’s true feelings lay. In her heart, I was sure she wanted to help me. But when I had shown my sister the letter, there were other subordinates around her, and they shouted abuse at me.

“Avelia is busy investigating a murder right now.”

“She’s not just a wage thief like you, sorting letters!”

“Yeah, you layabout.”

“Could you not add needless work to her day?”

They were trying to get a reaction out of me. I didn’t know how she really felt.

“…All right, I understand. I’m going back to letter sorting,” I said as I took the report back from Avelia, ignoring her underlings.

I had lied.

If no one was going to do anything, I intended to do something myself. I would just investigate on my own terms.

“…I’m sorry.”

Ignoring Avelia as she whispered an apology with her head hung low, I walked out.

To be honest, the investigation was surprisingly simple. Once I put my mind to it, it was so easy that I finished it in one day, working alone, with time to spare.

The Great Witch Rudela, whoever she was, seemed to have made up her mind that if the people of this city didn’t realize they were the cause of the pollution, they must be a bunch of idiots. She had conveniently enclosed with her letter some mysterious strips of paper that would change color only in the presence of a toxic substance.

“All right. Basically, I’ll go search the sewers, then follow the trail to the source.”

With that, I snuck beneath the Holy City.

It was gloomy, so dark that I wouldn’t have been able to see an inch in front of my face without my lantern. The walls and ceiling were made of crimson brick. Beside the narrow walkway, the city’s waste flowed by in a sluggish stream. Perhaps because I had only my dim light, or perhaps because it reflected the dark red of the brick, the color of the water was very murky, and it looked exactly like blood.

“…Nnh.”

I wanted to get out of there quickly, so I immediately stuck a strip of paper into the flowing water and looked at the color.

“Oh, it turned blue!”

Only the wet part of the white paper had changed colors. According to Rudela, “If it turns blue, that place is flush with the toxin, so please take note.” That must have been the case here.

After that, I kept checking the color as I worked my way upstream through the sewer. All the strips turned blue. It was enough to make me think all the water coming out of this city must be polluted.

But the truth was different.

“…Huh?”

It was about an hour after I had begun my investigation.

The color of the paper that I stuck into the water did not change. I just had a soggy, wilted strip of paper in my hand.

“……”

I raised my head, and when I turned to look behind me, I saw that there was a single door near me.

In the sewer. In a place where people shouldn’t be coming and going. In a place for sewage.

What’s this? Confused, I stuck a piece of paper into the water flowing right below the door.

It turned blue.

But if I went upstream, the color didn’t change.

“…Seriously?”

It seemed there could be no doubt that the toxic substance was flowing out of whatever was behind this incredibly suspicious door.

I eyed the sketchy door.

I was quite torn as to whether or not I should enter. But nothing would get done if I kept standing there.

After some hesitation, I eventually opened the door.

And a world even gloomier than the sewer, a black abyss, opened its maw.

“……What…is this…?”

I had found corpses. So many dead bodies.

They were surrounded by what looked like lab equipment, strange chemicals, and glass jars containing internal organs that I supposed had been taken out of the cadavers.

IMMORTALITY. ETERNAL YOUTH. EVERLASTING MAGIC.

Among the jars were scattered stacks of paper with words like something out of a fever dream.

A moment later, I noticed the stench of decomposition enshrouded the whole room. I also realized the dead bodies belonged to witches who I recognized.

I had encountered a problem I could not possibly handle on my own.

“Oh no—you’re trespassing.” A sluggish voice echoed from behind me—from right behind me.

“Wha—?” I squeaked as I tried to turn around.

“I know. Since you’re down here, I may as well use you as a scapegoat for my crimes—”

I knew that voice.

It belonged to the Rose Witch, Elimia—

—and then I lost consciousness.

The very next day, the rumor that my big sister had killed four witches and stolen their magic spread like wildfire.

The outline of the incident followed the materials Elaina had read in the library. However, I couldn’t help but find it mysterious.

Did they really think she could pull off such a thing?

As far as I knew, my older sister had a mean sword hand, but she was too nice to kill a bug. She only used her blade to scare off any would-be troublemakers.

And not to come across as rude, but could she even kill those witches when she only had her sword to fall back on?

I thought it unlikely.

However, she was tried and judged at the palace, sentenced to a forgotten homecoming.

Of course, she maintained her innocence through the trial. My older sister, who seldom cried in front of other people, had broken down in tears, glaring at Elimia as if to imply, “It wasn’t me! You’re the one who killed them!”

However, the witch produced one piece of damning evidence after another and silenced any argument.

The judges and magistrates at the trial readily accepted Elimia’s proof and swiftly handed down the sentence of a forgotten homecoming.

Even now, I think it was a total farce.

Everyone in the room had already decided that my sister’s words were empty delusions and didn’t even bother to listen to her testimony. Everyone except me.

Somewhere in my heart, I believed her words were the truth.

I was certain it had all been arranged by Elimia.

I didn’t care about the proof.

My older sister had gone to investigate the sewers alone after I had refused to listen to her. And there, she had seen something she wasn’t supposed to see. That was why she was being passed off as a murderer. That must have been it.

That was why I needed to save my sister.

My chance was coming—when she ascended to the chopping block and her memory returned. That would be the only opportunity.

After I told her the truth, Elaina said, “Um, I’m going to go get some air,” and left the house. I could hear her talking unintelligibly with someone. When I stole a glance outside, I caught her carrying on a conversation with her broom.

Who is she? A manic pixie dream girl?

Wait, hold on. The broom is talking back to Elaina. But it’s got her voice… Is it ventriloquism? Manic pixie dream girl, confirmed.

After coming back inside and telling me that she would cooperate, Elaina had dismissed my plan flatly. “Um… What? We would never rescue your sister like this. Are you an idiot or a fool or just plain incompetent?”

Damn it!

On top of that, she surprised me by acting with composure. “If we can take down Elimia, that would be the end of it.”

Don’t be absurd, please.

I shook my head. “She’s a powerful witch. Plus, she’s been an important figure in this city. It’s been that way for a long, long time. There’s no way you can win.”

Honestly, the real trouble with the Rose Witch, Elimia, didn’t have anything to do with her abilities. It was that she was always protected by a loyal cadre of Holy Knights.

Confronting her directly would mean facing all of them as well.

“That’s why I’ve made my sister’s rescue the only priority.”

“We need to strip Elimia of her power,” Elaina said. “Otherwise, even if we were to save Amnesia, there’d be no guarantee we’d make it out of the city.”

Elaina was strangely confident.

And then she put up her index finger. “There’s only one missing puzzle piece to carry out this plan. I need you to tell me just one thing. Once we’ve got that, the rest will follow.”

I told her what she wanted to know, and then we spent a long time working and reworking the rescue plan. After that, we fell asleep. It was the first good night’s rest I’d gotten in a long, long while.

I wondered if it was because we would be able to save my big sister.

“I think it’s because I’ve cleaned your room for you.”

“……”

“At last the time has come!”

A mirror crystal displayed the cheerful crowd gleefully gathering to witness Amnesia’s execution. They were showering her with all kinds of abuse, and their jeers sounded just like hoots of joy as she crossed the plaza toward the beheading block one step at a time, dazed and confused.

When she reached the stairs and began her ascent, her memory would return.

“It’s about time, I suppose.” Elimia, who had been gazing at the mirror crystal alone in the conference room, stood up slowly as if her hips were lead and picked up her wand.

She started walking but didn’t make it very far.

“Where might you be going?”

She was quite surprised when I suddenly appeared from a corner of the room, but she managed to keep her cool. “Just how long have you been there?”

“Since you sat down, looking bored.”

“…I’ve been sitting the whole time.”

“I’m saying I’ve been here from the beginning.”

Though I don’t suppose you recognized me, since I transformed into a mouse.

“You shouldn’t make a habit out of ambushing people.”

“Says the one framing an innocent girl.”

“I suppose you’re talking about Amnesia.” Staring at the mirror crystal, Elimia tilted her head, looking bored. “Are you implying that she hasn’t killed anyone?”

“She’s not the type of person to do such a thing.”

“I wonder how you can be so sure, seeing as you’ve only known Amnesia without her memory.”

The Amnesia I knew was someone who prioritized the well-being of others before her own, even though she didn’t know who she was. She was like a sheltered child, weak, and well aware of her own shortcomings, but she worked hard to never show that to anyone. She was cheerful with a tendency to bear painful things all by herself. She was perhaps a little happy-go-lucky, and, to put it unkindly, kind of a dummy, but made the choice not to cause harm to anyone, even in hopeless situations. She was an incredible person.

To imagine she was secretly building a strange device to absorb the magical energy of four murdered witches, all for her own selfish reasons… Well, it was unthinkable. Obviously.

“…You’re the one responsible for Amnesia’s scheduled beheading today in the plaza.”

She nodded. “Yes. I am the last remaining witch, so it’s only proper. I must clear all grudges for the sake of my fallen brethren.”

I was standing in the way, blocking her path as she spoke in her usual drawl.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” I said. “I must humbly stand in your way.”

And then I took out my wand.

Elimia stared at me for a moment, like she wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. After a pause, her eyes opened wide, and she snorted at me. “I suspected you would support Amnesia through thick and thin.” She thrust her wand out and walked forward—as if she wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the fact that I was standing in her way. “You’ve been very worried about that girl ever since you arrived. Who on earth put that idea into your head? That I somehow framed Amnesia for her crimes? Could it have been the convict herself?”

“I’m under no obligation to answer you.”

I suppose if I tell you, you’ll try to kill that person after you’re finished with me.

“…Well, I don’t really care.” Elimia came to a halt in front of me, looking down at me with a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.

“I don’t have the time to play. Right now, I’ve got an errand that I mustn’t fail to complete. Would you be so kind as to move aside?”

“Why don’t you try and make me?”

“……”

“Of course, I’m not going to step aside that easily. I’m a witch, just like you. Worst case, I’m prepared to fight to a draw. Though I think it’s likely that I will win.”

“……” She sighed once, as if in utter amazement. “That’s too bad. You became a witch so young that I thought you must be something special—but it seems you’re a hopeless idiot.”

“Is that how you see me?”

“I mean, you’re supporting a criminal, aren’t you?” Elimia, who was still clinging to the illusion that Amnesia was a felon and that she was delivering justice, snapped her fingers. “…But allow me to amend the terms of our engagement.”

Mages popped out from all around the room, dressed in the uniform of the Order of the Holy Knights.

They must have been hiding the whole time—since when?

“Since yesterday, when I first met you in this room, I thought you definitely had your fangs out for me. After all, you seemed to have a lot of faith in Amnesia.”

Is that what it looked like? But I was trying to wear the most sober face possible.

“And you ambushed me.” She smiled, looking deeply happy for the first time. “I thought for certain you would come for me—after all, I’m a witch, too, so you guessed you could win against me one on one. But what will you do in this situation?”

White uniforms as far as the eye could see.

The mages wore their cowls pulled down low over their heads so that even their genders were a mystery. They had me surrounded, wands at the ready.

The pressure was overbearing, as if even a single misstep would be enough to disturb the hornet’s nest.

Ah, I see—so that’s why she chattered on for so long. That’s why she kept her true motives concealed and continued this charade against Amnesia.

I got it.

“—Well?” I tapped the floor with my wand.

Immediately, ice spread out from that point until everything in the room was encased in it. Just like a certain city. As far as I could see, everything was painted over white and blue—even the mages, in their white uniforms, were covered over by a second layer of white frost.

Everything except for me and Elimia.

Aside from us, everything was pure white.

She had her mouth slack open, dumbfounded, and I responded with a sigh. As my cloudy white breath danced lightly through the air like smoke, I simply continued glaring at the witch before my eyes.

“It’s been one against one since the very beginning. Can’t you see our surroundings?”

Could it be that your vision is weak because you’re old enough to have to dress to look young?

I suggest reading glasses.

In that moment, I remembered everything.

What I had seen in the sewers. How I had been framed by Elimia. How no one had listened to my side of the story. How no one had stepped in to save me. How I had been expelled from the country. How I had kept losing my memory every day after that.

I remembered days of wandering, not knowing who I was. Days spent unable to sleep, fearing the coming of the morning sun. I remembered sleeping anyway, then walking around searching for clues of my identity and scribbling in my notebook.

I remembered meeting Elaina.

I remembered bringing her here; telling her of my hope that I would understand everything if I could just reach my hometown.

“Ah…ahhh…ah…!”

Everything, everything, everything. Everything. Everything—I remembered it all.

I am Amnesia, a member of the Holy Knights, who has a younger sister, and I…and I…I—

I remembered all of it.

I stood there in a daze, bound hand and foot, looking at a huge guillotine.

I wasn’t sure whether my splitting headache was from the sudden riot of chaotic memories or the cheers of the crowd that packed the space.

I couldn’t tell.

“All right, Amnesia got her memories back! Off with her head!”

It looked just like a festival.

There was a government official standing next to me, running the event. This was the first time I had seen one of them wearing such a happy expression.

“W-wait—”

Wait!

I started to say something, but the jumble of words from the crowd cut me off.

“Oh no—I really wanted Lady Elimia to come, but…it sounds like she’s sleeping in today. Shall we call up the substitute?”

Substitute? Who? I looked around as if this was somebody else’s problem.

Immediately after it was suggested, one name was repeated throughout the crowd.

Avelia.

My younger sister.

“Avelia! Where is Avelia?” shouted the official, who was acting as MC. “She should be the one to execute the convict!”

However, she did not appear.

It was almost like she was keeping them in suspense.

Before too long, the crowd split. The throng parted, revealing a single, small box, just about the right size for one person to get inside.

Everyone knew what it really contained.

“Oh, Avelia! That’s where you were!”

From the day she had entered the Order of Holy Knights, Avelia had carried that stupid box around with her. She was always spouting some dumb nonsense like: “As long as I have this box, no one will find out my true identity.”

The government official descended from the guillotine, rushing over to the box with a little jog. “You don’t have to make such an elaborate production of it.”

He had a pleasant demeanor. It was difficult to imagine that someone so cheerful was about to lead an execution. “Come, it’s time to put an end to this criminal.”

And then the official lifted the box.

“—?”

There was no one inside.

Never mind my sister, there wasn’t anyone in there at all.

The box was empty.

“—Hiyaaaaah!”

It happened as they were checking on her.

First, her disembodied voice filled the air; then a second too late, they realized she had burst out from a different spot altogether.

By that point, I was already up in the air.

“Ah, hang on—huh? What’s happening—?”

“Big Sis, you stay quiet and hang on tight! You’ll fall if you don’t!” she warned.

She faced the front, while I looked down at the city. She activated her wand as she continued steering the broom, untying the ropes that bound my hands and feet. Free from its knots, the rope tumbled away, looking as if it was being sucked up by the city.

“Avelia—”

I clung to the broom.

“Even though no one in the country believed you, Big Sis, I believed you. I’ve been waiting and waiting for this moment.”

That was when she turned to look at me.

“So I guess I found a use for that box.”

Avelia grinned impishly.

Swords, spears, and all sorts of other weapons were scattered about the room now covered in ice. They were just scattered on the floor, not stuck into anything.

Even though the knights had launched them with power, even though there were so many of them, they had all fallen, the same as their weapons.

I had conjured up magical ice that did not melt—something I had seen another time in another city. However—

“…You don’t seem concerned for the lives of your friends.”

I looked at Elimia, who wore a cool expression in the corner of the room.

“Suppose not,” she said and let a smile slip. “I was planning to pin the blame for everything on you once our fight was over. Then it wouldn’t matter if you were reckless—though it looks as though there was no need to worry about that.”

“……”

“More importantly, where did you learn that I framed Amnesia? Would you be kind enough to tell me, for my own edification?” Elimia said, blasting hellfire from her wand.

“That’s a secret.” I froze the thick jet of raging flame in time and conjured up a wall made out of more unmelting ice.

“How about I try to guess?”

Something on the margins of my vision moved. With a clatter, innumerable spears came whizzing toward me. I barely noticed them before they could skewer me.

“If you think you can, go ahead.”

I knocked the spears out of the air.

Elimia cast another spell in my direction as I ducked out from behind the ice wall I had conjured, as if she had known where I would be going.

“…Tch!”

Extra gravity. I was certain that was what she had hit me with. Pain spread through me like a great weight had been dropped on top of me.

“Ah—I finally caught you, eh?” she mumbled, sounding very bored, and slowly walked toward me. Tak, tak, tak—her heels struck the ice.

“Avelia was the one who told you about my plan. Amnesia’s younger sister.”

“……”

Bull’s-eye.

I was not about to confirm it, so I stayed silent.

“That little sister of hers always seemed to be sneaking around in the background—it’s no wonder she would make a move now, when Amnesia is about to be executed.”

“……” I kneeled, fighting against the crushing weight, and managed to choke out a few words. “…If you knew so much…why did you…leave her alone?”

“Because I don’t have the time to spare to go out of my way to monitor every insect that crosses my path.”

And because you’re not the type to get worked up over an opponent who’s the very picture of ignorant bliss, the type of girl who wears a box over her head regardless of the situation.

You do have a point. However much I hate to admit it.

“On top of that, the idiot residents trust me from the bottoms of their stupid little hearts. At this point, she can’t change the future. Amnesia’s trial is finished, and I will continue my research into eternal youth.”

Elimia had gotten strangely talkative all of a sudden. She was obviously getting carried away by the sound of her own voice.

I suppose she’s convinced of her victory. I guess she thinks she’s beaten me.

…That said, I’m unable to move a muscle because of this weight.

She crouched beside me and stroked my cheek. “You have lovely skin. I’m jealous… What’s your skin care routine?”

“……”

“Oh, don’t scowl. How scary!”

“…Why did you frame Amnesia?”

The hand touching my face stopped in place.

“If it got out that I killed four witches in pursuit of eternal youth, the people’s faith in me would take a nosedive. Is that too hard to understand?”

“……”

“Don’t you know? The blood of witches is supposedly a source of everlasting youth. That’s why I killed them,” she told me in a calm demeanor.

“…You killed four people just for that?”

“I don’t expect a child like you to understand. Youth is the asset that is the most difficult to replace. You don’t understand how awful it is to watch your brilliance fade with each passing day.”

“…Maybe, but I don’t think I would ever be willing to commit murder just to stay young.”

“You’ll change your tune in a few years.”

I think I might have angered her.

Her tone of voice had changed completely. It had grown sharp and cold. I could feel the enhanced gravity pressing down on me even harder.

“And you see that you can’t keep blabbing on forever.”

I was certain she would read my answer as a bluff.

“How long do you intend to keep up that charade?” she asked, looking triumphant.

Suddenly, the doors to the conference room burst open, and an uncountable number of Holy Knights rushed in. They trampled in noisily over the ice, every one of them holding a wand.

“……” Elimia was relatively composed, faced with these sudden intruders.

Her demeanor changed completely. “My. What’s the matter? I suppose you came to assist me? But everything is all right. I’ve captured the fool who sided with Amnesia.”

The soldiers did not reply.

They spread out to surround her.

Not me—they circled around Elimia.

“…What on earth are you all doing?”

The wands of the soldiers were all facing her.

“…How do you explain what you said earlier?” someone asked. “Do you understand what you have done?”

“…?”

She didn’t seem to get it, based on her expression.

“We’re taking you into custody on four counts of murder.”

Then a bluish-white light streamed from the wands of the Holy Knights.

“Wha—?”

It only took them a moment to restrain her. Her arms and legs were completely bound by chains of light from every direction, and her wand clattered to the floor.

“Haah…”

At last, I, too, regained my freedom.

My shoulders felt incredibly stiff. I stood up. When I tried moving my arms, pain shot through my body.

“You… What…what on earth did you—”

Elimia’s voice shriveled as if she was being pressed down on by an extra gravity spell. She looked up at me.

Oh, how the tables had turned.

“I just got her to teach me.”

I revealed how it had all been done by tapping my wand on the floor.

In an instant, the ice that covered the room faded away to nothing, freeing Elimia’s underlings who had been frozen in time. They looked around them. I could almost see the question marks hanging over their heads. Elimia’s fire spell started moving in time again, so I summoned some water to quench it.

I had only frozen this room. This room, and almost everyone inside it.

Neither I nor Elimia had been frozen.

Nor had the mirror crystal.

—I just got Avelia to teach me how to use the mirror crystals.

“Good work on that confession.”

As I planted a hand down on her shoulder, I flashed her a cheeky grin.

Elimia had come right out and divulged the whole story straight from her own chattering mouth without having the slightest clue that the mirror crystal in the room was still active. Needless to say, she was judged by her fellow citizens.

As to what sort of sentence they had in store for her—well, it was not for me to know what would happen. I am a traveler, after all, and it is not in my nature to stay long in a single country.

Amnesia was cleared of all charges and set free.

However, the wounds she had endured from being entrapped by her hometown and set up by Elimia would not be so easily mended.

Even if she received an official apology from the city, all that would remain the same.

The Holy City did not know what to do with Amnesia once she had been suddenly transformed from a major criminal to a target of pity.

The citizens did not detest her, but neither did they feel any real sympathy for her. They simply watched her carefully from a distance. Several days passed that way.

Eventually, the government of Esto promised to grant her whatever she wished. They had even admitted it was the least they could do.

“…Anything, huh? Hmm…”

In front of the important people who had gathered in the conference room, she hemmed and hawed, tapping her fingers on her cheek as she thought.

“Our country could support you so you can live your whole life without wanting for anything. We could make it so you never receive discriminatory treatment again. We will grant your wishes no matter what,” said a representative from the city council.

Eventually, she nodded. “Okay. In that case, could I make just one request?”

And then she smiled.

It was as beautiful as a blooming flower.

The following day, she left the Holy City, Esto. She had no further business in the city, and anyway, isolationism wasn’t a terribly interesting way to live.

The green fields greeted us, looking just as they had several days earlier.

—Us.

“…Are you sure you’re happy with your request?” I looked at Amnesia, standing next to me.

She nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, this is good, right?”

She’d had only one request.

That Amnesia and I and her younger sister Avelia could leave the Holy City with our memories intact.

That was it.

“Well, I got something out of it, too, but…”

Since I had kept my memory, I still knew a little bit about life in the Holy City.

I should be able to do good business… I think making and selling those mirror crystals could be lucrative.

In the end, Amnesia had decided to leave her hometown.

I suppose it was because she found all her memories of the time when she was wandering as a traveler to be happy ones. On top of that, it might have been because all her memories of the Holy City were painful and sad.

“…You know, I don’t particularly hate this city,” she admitted, squinting up at the huge wall like she was being blinded by the glare. “I’m sure if I was able to use magic, and there had been someone who couldn’t, then I would have probably behaved like most of the population.

“And if public opinion claimed this person had killed four witches and spread magical pollution, I’m sure I would have believed, just like everyone else,” she added.

“Because people accept the obvious explanations. That’s how humans are. I can’t go against my nature,” she continued defeatedly.

“Well, it’s best to hurry up and forget the sad memories. That’s how I’ve been living up until now. That’s how I’m so carefree.” Something about her face looked relieved. “Besides—while I was losing my memory constantly, I made so many people worry about me… I really owe them an apology. That’s why I wanted to go out into the world again, this time with my memories.”

“……”

“After I do what I need to do, I should be able to search for a new hometown!”

“……”

“By the way.” Avelia cut into the conversation from where she stood beside us, as I had remained silent. She had her cheeks extremely puffed out. “Big Sis, can I go with you, too?”

“Huh? Yep. I mean, it’ll be easier to travel with a broom.”

“…You’re mean.”

“…J-joking. I was kidding… Don’t get upset…”

A gloomy shadow fell over Avelia, and Amnesia started to panic.

I had a hunch that these two were headed for some interesting adventures.

I was sure that no matter what happened, they would be fine as long as they were together.

“…Hey, Elaina?” Suddenly, Amnesia turned toward me. “What are you going to do now?”

“I’ll continue my travels.”

I am a traveler, after all.

“…Then this is good-bye, isn’t it?”

“……”

I didn’t answer her.

She didn’t wait for me.

“Hey, Elaina. I’m going to find a new hometown, and when I do, I’ll write to you. Will you come visit me? I’m definitely going to live in an amazing place and have a spectacular life that will make you terribly jealous.”

And then she said, “So this is good-bye until then.”

This doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again. I won’t feel lonely, because we’re going to meet again.

I could almost hear her saying that…or maybe that’s what I wanted to hear.

“…Okay.” I nodded.

“……”

“……”

Those few seconds of silence felt like an eternity. We stared at each other for a long, long time as a gentle breeze brushed against our cheeks, urging us on.

It was time for us to part.

“……” Amnesia let out a little giggle at this point. She seemed just a little bit embarrassed. “If we’re going our separate ways, this would be the part where I would give you some kind of gift, I suppose.”

“…I don’t really need anything.”

My tone was probably a little sharper than I intended.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have anything to give right now.”

She embraced me.

She squeezed, as if to remember how I feel, and wrapped her arms around my back, hugging me very tightly.

“…This again?”

“Do you dislike it?”

“…Not particularly.”

Oh, fine. I wrapped my own arms around her back, as if I had no choice. When I cast a quick glance past Amnesia, I saw Avelia grumbling to herself. “…No fair.”

What’s not fair?

Amnesia must have heard Avelia, because she let out a quiet chuckle. “Thank you for believing in me when no one else did,” she said. “Thank you for coming with me this far.”

“Sure,” I replied.

Don’t worry about it.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“…Sure.”

“Thank you for being my friend.”

“……Sure.”

“I love you.”

“Su—Huh?”

What did she just say?

While I was lost in confusion, she pulled away from me and turned her back. “Well, I should get going.”

I could see her bright red ears between the strands of her beautiful white hair.

I’m sure my chest was hot because of her lingering body heat. I’m sure my face was hot because of her warm breath.

“Hey, Elaina?” She spoke with her back still turned to me. Her voice trembled ever so slightly. “I’ll never forget you, okay?”

I turned my back on her as I answered.

“I won’t forget either. I promise.”

A wispy cloud floating in the air seemed to follow the road creeping along the ground below. The path was surrounded by a meadow covered in wildflowers, and a cool breeze blew through them, sending the blossoms bobbing. In the distance, we could see a small river flowing at the same relaxed pace as us. The scene was permeated by the crisp lapping of water.

And we went slowly forward.

Each on our own journey.