Majo no Tabitabi - Volume 6 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Broom Racing

Our city isn’t like most other cities. You could say the thing that makes us unique is written all over the place, plain for anyone to see.

This is my hometown, where I was born.

It’s called Race City.

To a local like me, the odd scenery you see all over town—from the curving arcs of the rooftops to the ropes stretched like webs above roads and alleys—seems completely ordinary, but newcomers to our city are invariably captivated by the peculiar terrain, and it makes their eyes sparkle at the sight.

Elaina, walking along beside me, was no exception.

“I see… So hitting one of the ropes would be an instant disqualification. Is that right?” She was keeping up a calm, contemplative appearance, but I could tell that she was quite excited.

I nodded at Elaina. “Exactly right. So the jockeys have to pilot their brooms skillfully to avoid hitting the ropes.”

“But if they fly too high, they’ll waste too much magical energy, right?”

“That’s why everyone flies as low as possible, choosing to skim the ground, instead.”

“Huh…”

“Also, offensive magic is prohibited. This race is a contest of speed and nothing more.”

“I see…” Elaina nodded, her mouth hanging open.

Immediately after this exchange, mages flying on brooms passed directly overhead.

They dashed across the sky, cutting nimbly through the wind and avoiding the curved roofs—turning just in the nick of time—and disappearing off into town. They were athletes in the middle of practice.

And that’s why this place is called Race City.

Currently, the big craze is magical broom racing. Everyone in the city wagers money on the outcomes, shifting between joy and sorrow with every result. In other words, it’s simply gambling.

Anyhow, true to its name, Race City is just the place for that kind of competition.

Elaina watched after the competing mages high in the sky, then looked back at me, and said with a smile, “So what was it you wanted to ask me?”

“…Do you want to try entering one of the races?” I asked her directly. “With me, that is.”

These high-flying contests are known generically as broom races—BR for short—and I’m one of the jockeys. Meaning, I compete in the races. And I don’t mean to brag, but despite my age, I can hold my own against the other jockeys.

I’m, without a doubt, the youngest racer ever. And after I made my professional debut, I won nine consecutive championships.

So you’ll have to excuse me if I have a high opinion of myself. But too many hardheaded adults feel like it’s their mission to whittle down the ambitions of this young, talented outcast.

“This race is going to be different from the others. There’s a bit of a twist.”

When I went down to the racing grounds to register for that weekend’s competition, the man at reception told me something surprising.

I was struck by his words like a bolt from the blue.

“In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the broom races, we are holding a two-person team race. Accordingly, I must ask you all to enter as pairs.”

In other words, what you’re saying is…

“…You need another person with you to enter.”

At present, there are eleven people registered as broom jockeys—the exact number of active mages in the city. And five teams had already submitted their entries.

In other words, I didn’t have what was required to participate in what would have been my tenth championship. And the prize for a tenth consecutive victory was a sizable purse; a prize that no one had ever managed to claim.

The adults probably couldn’t stomach the idea of a young girl like me taking the prize. That’s why they’re conspiring to force me out of the race.

“Oh my. Were you planning on participating in the race, too?”

A voice called out to me mockingly from behind as I stood at the reception desk.

Without even turning around, I knew who the voice belonged to. It dug into me me like a splinter.

“…Sherry.”

“Hmm? Show some respect, little girl.” She sounded irritated. “You know that the deadline for entry is today, right? You don’t think you can show up at the last minute and still race, do you? Give it up.”

When I turned around, she was wearing a triumphant expression.

Sherry had been the reigning champion…at least until I started racing. Now, she hated my guts and constantly complained about me, as if her bitter curses could somehow break my winning streak.

“Ah, delightful. A race without you in it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to this!” She snickered and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Well, make sure you watch from the spectator seats, okay? Watch me win, that is.”

“……”

“……”

We glared at each other for a moment, and then Sherry snorted and strode off to the racing grounds to practice. After a moment, I also walked away…to go find a partner to race with me.

“……”

After my debut as a jockey, I became something of a pariah on the race circuit. Just imagine—a fifteen-year-old kid beating a field of adults in her debut match, then going on to defend the title. I think that if I were in their position, I would be feeling just as jealous.

I wasn’t so dull that I couldn’t tell that while people throughout the city were excited by my appearance, the other jockeys—as well as management—were not happy.

But…

Who could have imagined they would use such an underhanded method to end my winning streak?

There were only eleven mages in the whole city. Meaning that I would have to find an outsider, a foreign mage who knew their way around a broom, if I had any hope of entering the race.

As if such a person would just conveniently appear before me…

“Ah, hey, you over there. What’s wrong? You seem pretty bummed. Something bothering you?”

Suddenly, somebody called out to me as I trudged along.

It was a girl with long, ash-colored hair. She was wearing a black robe and triangular hat, and if I had looked, I would have seen a star-shaped brooch on her breast. She appeared to be a little bit older than me.

“If you want, I could read your fortune for you.” She was sitting quietly by the side of the road, holding a crystal and looking somewhat like a fortune-teller. “My predictions have a reputation for accuracy.”

“……”

“Hmmmm…” I hadn’t asked her to, but the girl held her hand above the crystal and began making a prediction. “Ah, I see, I see. It’s all clear to me. Yes, perfectly clear. There’s something troubling you right now, isn’t there? Well? I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? My predictions often do.”

Anyone can see I’m upset just by looking at me!

“……”

“Oh, the fee for a fortune is one gold piece.”

“What a rip-off…”

“My fees are high because I’m a witch.”

“…A witch?”

Huh? A witch? Like, the highest rank of mage? That kind of witch?

“That’s right. Here, look at my brooch. See? I’m a witch, right?”

I didn’t notice until she pointed it out. Now that I got a proper glance, I saw that she was dressed in a robe, which showed she was a mage. She also had a star-shaped brooch, proof that she was a witch. I had been totally out of it, so I guess I hadn’t noticed.

“All righty, pay up.” The witch extended one hand toward me and demanded money.

If this person would be willing to join me… Well, winning the race wouldn’t be a long shot, would it?

“……”

And so, I grabbed hold of her hand with both of mine and stared into her eyes. “Um…I’ve got something I want to ask you…”

“Huh?!”

She suddenly looked terrified.

Her eyes went wide, and she shouted in a shrill voice, “H-huh?! Let me guess… You don’t have any money, so you want to pay me with your body… Is that it? I’m sorry, but that kind of thing is a little outside my area of expertise…”

She said some things that I didn’t really understand, so I ignored them.

Shortly after our exchange, the girl with very, very light purple hair tied up in bunches on either side of her head told me that she was fifteen years old. She then bowed, pigtails swaying, and formally made her earnest request: “Please enter the race with me.”

She kept her head down for exactly three seconds, then looked up at me with brilliant blue eyes.

She told me her name was Dorothy.

In order to compete in the next race, she needed a partner—a mage, to be more specific.

Do you mean me? I’m blushing.

I was grinning as Dorothy looked back at me earnestly.

“If we win the race, we’ll get paid…”

“Oh?”

“And if you help me out, I’ll give all the winnings to you, Elaina.”

So your plan was to lure me in with money, huh? Sorry, I’m not such a cheap date. And anyway—

“But then you get nothing. What’s in this for you?”

“Don’t worry. If I win this time, it’ll be my tenth consecutive victory, so I’ll get a special prize in addition to the usual winnings.”

“I see… Then I want that as well.”

“But if I do that, then I really won’t get anything out of this…”

“Well, you definitely won’t make any money if you can’t even enter the race, so what’s the difference?”

“You’re not going to enter?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Getting my hands on that money sounds pretty sweet, but…

With what little I knew of the situation, I thought it would be too careless to just nod along and agree to whatever she said.

That would really make me look like a cheap date.

“Please, find it in your heart… I’m begging you… Enter the race with me, please…” The girl bowed very deeply, three times in a row. “I have to win this race, no matter what… I couldn’t bear to lose to all the wicked adults around here…!”

My fortune-telling act must have put Dorothy in the mood to share, because she started telling me all about her life. She told me everything, from when she first became a broom jockey, right up to the present moment.

The more she told me about her situation, the crazier the story got.

She was the youngest jockey and possessed a real talent for the sport, and was well aware of that fact. Of course, she was resented by the adults around her, and she understood that, too.

Something about her story…seems awfully familiar.

“Why do you want to win the race so badly?” I asked out of curiosity.

She answered me without a moment’s hesitation, “There’s someone I need to beat, no matter what.”

This girl was being shunned for having ambition. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she was about to be shut down by the adults simply because of her youth.

Well then…

It was probably my imagination, but for some reason, I felt an affinity for this girl. Her situation reminded me of my own youth. Unfortunately.

And so, for one reason or another, I agreed to her request.

“Fine, I’ll help you.”

“Oh, you managed to find another mage to join you, huh?”

Dorothy had taken me to the racing grounds. The man at reception turned to us in surprise.

In addition to the receptionist, the athletes returning home after practice also looked surprised—or rather, those mages displayed their loathing openly, even spitting some rude words our way as they passed us by.

“Who’s this woman…?”

“Huh? You’ve gotta be kidding me! Who is this woman? There’s no way you’re gonna let someone like her participate, right?”

There was even one mage who was shouting hysterically, completely out of control.

Wow, Dorothy sure is unpopular…

But there’s something very nostalgic about this feeling, with everyone glaring at me…

“I’m going to race, too. Please allow me to enter,” said Dorothy confidently.

“Sure, I don’t mind if you participate. You followed the rules and brought a partner, after all.”

The man at reception spoke in a businesslike manner and handed us application forms.

As I was filling out my own, I noticed someone sidling up next to me. It was the mage who had been yelling hysterically.

She glared at me while completely disrespecting my personal bubble. “…Do you have any racing experience?”

“None at all.”

“Really…? Well, in that case, try not to embarrass yourself while racing with this little girl. Especially since we’re going to win.”

I suppose learning that I was inexperienced produced a sort of calm in her. And I suppose that she was looking down on me because I was young like Dorothy.

Neither of those things really bother me, though.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t let them get away with such disrespect.

I glanced at the mages around us, and said, “You should all be careful as well, okay? Careful that me and this ‘little girl’ don’t walk all over you.”

Ignoring the mages as they grimaced at my words, Dorothy and I headed off to practice.

Apparently, the jockeys stored their brooms in lockers provided by the groundskeepers. With practiced motions, Dorothy took her own broom and hopped on.

“Okay, please get on.”

There was something wild about her gesture as she signaled with her thumb that I should board behind her.

“…Thanks.”

And with that, the curtain rose on our training montage.

Well, with a witch like me riding with her, I’m sure this broom will cruise right along.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

An adorable scream rang out over the city. Of course, I would never scream like that, so it wasn’t mine; it belonged to Dorothy.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

That one was mine. Not cute at all, right? I already know.

The two of us toppled from the broom simultaneously, got caught by the ropes waiting below, and eventually came to a stop, suspended in midair.

We were supposed to be practicing for the race, but…to put it plainly…it wasn’t going well. Our performance was beyond awful. We were so bad that we probably should have just thrown in the towel right then and there.

What happened to cruising right along? This ship is as good as sunk!

We talked such a big game before, so why are we so pathetic?

“…Elaina…could it be that you’re terrible at handling a broom?” Dorothy asked as she dangled from a line alongside some laundry that had been hung out to dry.

How rude.

“I’m a witch, you know! There’s no way I would be bad at it, is there? Are you underestimating me?” My cheeks puffed up with anger as I dangled from my own line.

“No…but I can fly more skillfully when I’m by myself.”

“Well, now that you mention it, I can also fly a lot better alone.”

But strangely, when the two of us flew on Dorothy’s broom, sitting one behind the other, it didn’t go well at all.

As exhibited a moment ago, the broom suddenly became impossible to control, and the two of us would fall off in perfect harmony.

But what exactly could be causing it…?

“I wonder if the broom is no good… Maybe it’s not suited for two riders?” Dorothy put a finger to her lips in thought, then nodded. “…Elaina? If it’s all right, could we try your broom?”

“Ah. My broom is designed for one rider, so…no.”

“You’re heartless.”

“…More importantly, my broom is the one I use for traveling, so if possible, I’d rather not send it out racing and stuff.”

Besides, it looks like the racing brooms have to be left on the racing grounds. If that’s the case, I’m even more inclined to refuse.

“……” As she swayed on the laundry line, Dorothy snickered, “Send it out racing? Sounds like you treat your broom like a person!”

That day was the start of our practice rides together, but in the end, it was a total bust.

What on earth could be going wrong…?

“Elaina, could it be that…you’re too heavy, or something?”

“Do you want to get your head smashed in?”

Collaborating with the girl had more than a little merit for me, too.

“Elaina, you’re a traveler, right? Would you like to stay at my house until the race this weekend?”

She was the one who proposed such an arrangement.

While she was at it—

“We have tasty food, too.”

And—

“Our bathtub is big.”

Plus—

“We’ve got an extra room, so you can sleep comfortably in your own bed.”

She tried several different tactics to entice me, and I was readily enticed. I went with her willingly. Allow me to amend my previous statement about not being a cheap date.

“Please, come in. Welcome to my home.”

Dorothy had led me to a housing complex on a corner lot.

There sat a common, middle-class house. The building wasn’t very old, but it wasn’t new, either, and it fit right in with the rest of the city’s scenery. We went in through a vestibule and up the stairs to the second floor, which was apparently where she lived. After we had climbed the stairs, she yelled, “Mom, I’m home!” then unlocked the door and went inside.

“Oh, welcome back.” On the other side was a woman with light purple hair, who came to greet her with a smile. “…And who is this?”

“This is Elaina. She’s going to enter the next race with me,” said Dorothy.

“Oh…”

Dorothy’s mother’s expression seemed to cloud over for a moment.

But as soon as I noticed it, she was back to normal.

“More importantly, Mama, you’re up today. Are you all right? Did you take your medicine?”

Dorothy’s mother smiled at her daughter’s words, but she did seem a bit tired. “I’m okay. I feel fine today.” Her skin was so pale and delicate that it looked like it might dissolve if you touched it, and her body was terribly gaunt.

It was clear she was suffering from some sort of illness.

“Wait just a moment, okay? I’ll get dinner started right away.”

Dorothy zipped around the apartment. She quickly located all the ingredients, donned an apron, and grabbed a kitchen knife.

As the small girl headed for the kitchen, she was the spitting image of a doting daughter helping her mom out with dinner. But in this instance, there was no joy in the mother’s eyes.

“……”

Anyhow, that was how I came to intrude upon their daily lives.

Starting the very next day, we began devoting our time to training. After waking up in the morning, we would head off to practice, only returning home after we were worn out and exhausted. It was a brutal routine.

We would always start out okay, but after a short flight, our broom would inevitably take a nosedive, and we would plummet. Again and again, we found ourselves dangling awkwardly from the safety ropes. After several days and many, many, many, many attempts, all we managed to accomplish was looking like a pair of clumsy puppets.

“Well now! Just as I suspected, you can’t even fly straight! Ha-ha-ha, how hilarious. Even if you end up participating in the race, that won’t change the outcome!”

Someone was there, laughing loudly and watching the two of us with contempt, even though we were spending our every waking hour training.

“…Sherry.”

“Huh? Say my name with respect, little girl!” Ptooie!—the woman spat on the ground. “If you two fly like that in the real match, your defeat is assured!”

She showered us with abuse from above before eventually returning to her own practice.

I couldn’t help but get fed up with her haughty attitude before the race had even taken place. But honestly, I couldn’t blame her for laughing at our pitiful performance.

I was miserable.

This whole situation was absolutely mortifying.

“…Why? Why don’t things go well when I fly with Elaina…?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the answer to that question.

“……”

Beside me, Elaina was simply staring up at the sky. She had her gaze fixed on the other mages and was staying silent.

I wonder what she’s thinking?

Ugh, I bet she isn’t thinking a thing.

I bet I’m the only one bothered by our poor performance.

I can fly well enough when I’m alone. I’m really fast. But when Elaina joins me, it doesn’t go well, no matter what we try. When I fly with her, I feel like I’ve been shackled. What could be causing this weird phenomenon?

One day after practice, Elaina and I returned home all beaten up, ate dinner, and relaxed in the dining room. It was the end of the day. Mom was already asleep, so the two of us were alone.

“I want us to start practice in the afternoon tomorrow,” I said to Elaina as we were drinking our after-dinner tea.

“Hmm? Is something going on?”

“I’ve got work. So I can’t practice in the morning,” I said flatly.

Elaina replied, “Well, okay then…” and nodded.

After that, we chatted for a while, then both of us went back to our rooms and that was that.

“……”

The night grew late, and my room was enveloped in total darkness.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a muffled sound. I could hear voices talking in the room next to mine—the room where Elaina was currently staying.

“Yeah, and so that’s—”

Could she be talking to someone? From the snippets I could make out, it didn’t sound like she was talking to herself.

“That’s right, so we…”

However, I found it a little bit strange that Elaina, who had only been in this city for a short while, would have invited anyone to her room.

Ever since meeting me, Elaina had remained by my side… Or so I thought. At least, I couldn’t imagine she had anyone else traveling with her.

If Elaina had any acquaintances here, it would have to mean she had already formed a relationship with someone before even meeting me.

“…tamper with the broom…”

What little I could hear from the conversation in the next room wasn’t very clear at all.

Tamper with the broom.

That’s when I had a realization.

Ever since I had met Elaina, since we had decided to enter the next race, this whole time, I had blindly trusted her.

But is she even someone I can trust? Is she really just an ordinary traveler?

My mind ran through other possibilities.

One was that Elaina was an agent planted by race management. Or maybe she was working for Sherry, and she’d been tasked with keeping tabs on me…

How do I know I can trust her?

Awful speculations swirled around and around in my mind, keeping me up late that night.

Early the next morning, I awoke before anyone else was up, prepared breakfast for two, and left the house.

I headed out to my part-time job. When I wasn’t practicing, I worked hard to earn extra money.

“I’ve still got enough savings, so you don’t really need to work, you know?” My mother was always telling me that, but I could imagine that if I didn’t have employment when my athletic career came to an end, in time, our finances would be scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I also took a job delivering newspapers since it would double as extra broom training. Dodging the ropes strung all across town as I flew, I went around tossing papers to each house.

After flying around for several hours, I headed for the doctor’s office.

“Please give me the usual.”

I was already a regular with the local doctor. When I said, “the usual,” the old man at the clinic said, “Here you go,” and handed me a parcel.

“How has she been, recently?” The man looked at me as he packed up the medicine.

“How has she been…?” I struggled to answer. “Well, my mother’s condition hasn’t changed. I would love for her to be cured, though… If only I had enough money…”

“I see… Well, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“…Sure.”

But if I don’t push myself, I won’t be able to cure her illness, so I absolutely have to win my tenth consecutive championship, right? Though the way things are going…who knows if that’s even possible.

After finishing my part-time job, I went home briefly, but Elaina was already gone.

“I was sure that I left her a message telling her to wait here because I was coming back in the afternoon…”

Maybe she didn’t notice the card I left along with the breakfast I made for her?

“If you’re looking for Elaina, she went on ahead. She said she had an errand or something to take care of before practice.” While I tried to make sense of what I’d heard, Mom continued, “She’ll probably be there if you go to the race grounds, I would think.”

“……”

What on earth could she have gone to do?

The incident from last night swirled around in my head, filling my mind with terrible thoughts.

From the moment I had fallen into this troubling set of circumstances—from the moment I had just so happened to meet Elaina—for some reason, I had placed my trust in her.

But was she really someone I could trust?

I wasn’t so sure anymore.

Eventually, with my thoughts in disarray, I dragged my feet all the way to the racing grounds.

And then, I saw it.

There was Elaina, facing Sherry and laughing with her.

They seemed to be engaging in pleasant conversation.

And then…I saw those hands gripping my broom.

“…So that’s what was going on…”

From where I was hiding, I was at their backs. I could only imagine how heartbroken my face looked.

They’ve probably been working together from the very beginning.

Elaina’s secretly been meeting with this city’s other athletes.

She must’ve messed with my broom, and that’s why it won’t fly right.

So I won’t be able to perform…and I won’t be able to win my tenth championship.

That was her plan all along.

I should never have trusted an outsider.

I could feel the icy thorns of regret winding their way around my heart.

By the time I woke up the following morning, Dorothy was already gone, just as she said she’d be. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I headed for the dining room, where I found breakfast laid out, along with a message that read: Enjoy. I’ll return in the afternoon. Please don’t leave without me.

“Good morning.”

By the way, there was already someone in the dining room.

Dorothy’s mother was sitting in a chair, slowly eating her own breakfast. She noticed me and smiled gently, “Good morning. If you’re looking for my daughter, she’s already left for work.” Perhaps she understood that I was concerned about her daughter’s movements. She spoke as if she saw right through me.

“What does she do exactly?” I asked, taking a seat across from her.

She calmly pointed her finger out the window.

There was nothing outside but the scene of a town with ropes stretched from wall to wall.

But then, for an instant, a single broom passed by, slipping between the ropes. No sooner had I noticed it than I watched as a newspaper was tossed into a window on the other side of the street.

I see, I see.

“Newspaper delivery?”

You could say that’s the perfect job for practicing broom handling.

“That’s right. She’s been practicing broom handling ever since she was small. That’s how she got to be the way she is. These days, I think just about everyone in this city knows my daughter. She’s a very special girl, and the youngest broom jockey to win nine consecutive championships.”

Dorothy’s mother was gazing out the window, squinting in the bright light. “Many people here know how hard she’s worked. So many people are rooting for her from the bottom of their hearts. But you know, being a young and talented girl does attract attention, in good ways and bad.”

“I’m sure.”

Because the moment you show even a little enthusiasm, they say you’re arrogant or emotional or whatever. I understand that quite well indeed.

“I’m sure that among all the people cheering her on, there are more than a few who are secretly hoping that she fails. Just like the other jockeys who enter the races, they’re hoping that she’ll give in at some point—that her star won’t continue rising forever.”

“…And you don’t want that to happen, right?”

“Indeed. That’s why I want you to be a good ally for her.”

“……” I didn’t answer. “By the way, what kind of illness are you suffering from?”

It’s not like she’s trying to hide it or anything.

“Ah.” She made a small noise like she had just remembered something, then said, “It’s a heart condition. A terrible disease, really. It’s gotten so bad that I can’t even get out of bed without medication.”

“……”

“So my daughter does the housework instead of me, and saves up all her money. With my health being what it is, I can’t even fly a broom anymore. I’ve become so useless.”

“…?” At that point, I suddenly noticed something.

The corner of the dining room was decorated with many trophies. And not just one or two. There were so many I couldn’t count them, and they shone brilliantly.

Prominently displayed next to them was a single photo. It showed a shy-looking young girl and a woman holding a broom in one hand, smiling at the camera.

It was a beautiful photo that looked like it had captured a particularly precious moment.

“That’s an old photo of us.” Dorothy’s mother followed my gaze, and said, “I was a broom jockey myself, once. A long, long time ago.”

And then, bit by bit, she told me an old tale.

It was the story of a certain racer.

This racer was a young mage who made a spectacular showing on the broom handling circuit. While raising her daughter, she kept entering the races, and she kept winning.

Sure, she lost here and there, but she never let that stop her, and she enjoyed far more victories than defeats. However, the older she got, the harder it became for her to win.

She developed a heart disease. However, she hid it from the world, and carried on like all was well.

Apparently, her daughter was incredibly inspired by her.

“Someday I want to be like my mom!” she often said.

Even as things got more and more difficult, the woman continued to struggle. She continued to compete and win. And she even set an impressive record, something no one before her had ever done.

Nine consecutive championships.

However, as she was nearing a potential tenth consecutive victory, with the whole city watching, believing that she would win—

“Right in the middle of what would have been my tenth championship, the disease knocked me off my broom. I ended up losing my tenth competition.”

“…So now, your daughter is attempting to follow in your footsteps. Is that right?”

When I had first met Dorothy, she had said there was someone she wanted to beat, no matter what.

So this is what she meant.

But her mother shook her head slowly. “That’s not all. That girl wants to use the prize money to find a cure for my illness.”

“……”

In other words, Dorothy was pinning everything on the outcome of the next race. If she lost, not only would she have failed the one person she cared about, but she might also have missed her only opportunity to find a cure for her mother’s illness.

She’d only ever had one choice to begin with.

That’s why, even now, she was constantly putting in such hard work.

“By the way, you haven’t yet responded to what I said earlier,” Dorothy’s mother said suddenly.

“…What do you mean?” I tilted my head quizzically.

“I asked you to become a good ally for Dorothy.”

She stared straight at me.

So I stared straight back at her.

“You don’t need to hear my answer.”

Because I, too, have only ever had one choice, from the very start.

I wasn’t just going to wait there for Dorothy, so I wandered over toward the racing grounds.

I feel like her message said something about waiting here, but why sweat the small stuff?

I cut across the grounds, heading for the locker where Dorothy’s broom was stored.

“Well, if it isn’t that little girl’s friend! What are you doing in a place like this? Don’t tell me you’re practicing. Why bother when you’re so bad?”

A strange voice called out to me.

Umm…if I remember correctly, that woman is…

“Sherry?”

“Hmm? Say my name with some respect! So much disrespect lately, my goodness!” Sherry spat on the ground and glared at me. “So, why did you come here? And where’s your friend?”

“……”

I ignored her.

“Hey! Wait just a second!” She started after me. I opened the locker door to block her from my sight, took out the broom, and turned to leave.

But she stood right in front of me, blocking my way.

“…You’ve got some nerve, ignoring me.”

At the sound of her deep voice, I lowered my eyes.

But not because I was scared.

I looked down at Dorothy’s broom.

At first glance, it was just a worn-out old broom. Nothing strange about it. When I traced my fingers along the coarse wood of the handle, I could feel a smooth patch where the rider held on, polished by the touch of many fingers over the years.

However, when I took a closer look, I saw that it was full of tiny cracks, too small to sense just by touching it.

Brooms are sensitive objects. Mages apply magical energy to them and make them float through the air, but when the handle develops cracks or the brush end starts to split, then a broom will stop flying as expected. It’s possible this damage had upset Dorothy’s broom so much it was refusing to fly.

In fact, the previous evening, I had animated my own broom to ask her opinion, and she had said, “If the girl can ride her broom okay alone, but there’s trouble as soon as you get on with her, then it’s natural to conclude that there is some problem with the broom itself. For example, that it has been tampered with, or something.”

Tampering with the broom.

Of course. That’s it.

Upon further investigation, there were, without a doubt, traces of sabotage all over Dorothy’s broom.

“Are you the one who did this?”

I smiled as amiably as I possibly could while asking her the question, but Sherry just snorted and played dumb.

“Whatever could you mean?”

“I’m only going to ask you one more time, okay? Are you the one who did this?” I asked again.

As expected, she just laughed and didn’t answer.

That’s when it happened.

“……”

I heard a sound behind me.

When I glanced back, I saw a girl running away.

She had light purple hair close in color to my own, bound up in pigtails on either side of her head. Her tiny, helpless back was to me.

“……”

I chased after her as soon as I was done dealing with the wicked woman.

After fleeing the grounds, I found myself at the place where I had first met Elaina. It was just an ordinary street corner, with nothing special about it.

There was hardly anyone around when I arrived at the place where, just several days ago, Elaina had been performing her suspicious fortune-telling. People were just passing on by.

They looked at me with puzzled expressions as they went.

“……Nguh. Uwa…uwaahh…”

That was when I realized that tears were spilling from my eyes. Pitiful sobs escaped my mouth, and wretched tears fell to the ground.

What am I so upset about?

“What are you doing?”

I was surprised.

When I turned around, Elaina was peering down at me, looking concerned.

I tried to turn away to keep from showing her my pitiful face, but Elaina put a hand on my cheek and prevented me from doing so. “…Are you crying?”

I covered my face with my hands again.

“……” Somehow or other I could tell that beyond the barrier of my fingers, Elaina was wearing a troubled expression. She said, “Dorothy, that wasn’t what you thought it was.”

“I know what I saw.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do.”

“I’m telling you, you don’t.”

“…And I said I do, didn’t I?!” I was surprised. I didn’t know I could yell like that. “Turns out you’re just like the other racers, Elaina, laughing at me behind my back, huh? ‘She’s just a kid,’ they say. ‘She’s so arrogant,’ they say. The truth is, no one knows how hard I work!”

“……”

“It’s not like I made it this far by accident! I practiced more than anyone, until I couldn’t lose, and finally made it this far! Before I knew it, I had lost all my friends and anyone else I could trust! But… But still, I never gave up, and I struggled all the way here! Why does everyone get in my way?!”

“…I’m different.”

“You’re not different! You were there laughing with Sherry, weren’t you…?!”

“……”

Elaina looked troubled again and went quiet.

I guess I made her feel bad.

Well…good!

Elaina placed a hand on my shoulder as I sobbed and said only one thing.

“Why don’t you give your broom another try, okay?”

“…No way. I’m not racing anymore.”

“Well then, what will you do? You’re really going to let it end like this? Are you sure that’s okay with you?”

“……”

I was at a loss for how to answer, and Elaina let out an exasperated sigh.

And then…

“…Excuse me for just a sec, okay?” she said calmly, as she went around behind me.

“Ah, hang on… Elaina, what are you—?” In my bewilderment, I forgot my sadness. Elaina ignored my protests and pulled me down onto the broom beside her. Then suddenly, we were gently lifting into the air.

“Wh-what are you doing?! Let me go! I said I didn’t want to race anymore, didn’t I?!” I kicked and struggled against Elaina.

“Too bad,” she said. “If you really hate it, you can always jump off, you know? Though if you fell from this height, I don’t think it’d end very well. There aren’t even any safety nets below us.”

Not to mention that I have someone whispering threats into my ear.

This woman turned out to be a lot worse than I thought…

“……” About the time the broom rose among the rooftops, I gave up completely. We were drifting slowly toward the race grounds, as if Elaina wanted to get right to practicing.

“Try channeling a bit of magical energy into the broom, please.”

Elaina was a bit of a pushy person. Right after she bluntly said that to me, she took my hands in hers and forced me to grip the broom.

“…But if I do that, we’ll fall again.”

“Just trust me. I took care of it.”

“……” Having already come this far, I did as I was told. After all, if I defied her here, Elaina would probably just boot me off the broom, and that would be the end of my protests (and more).

And so, as hesitant as I was, I channeled some magical energy into the broom.

My magical energy mixed with hers, and the broom once again began losing altitude…

…Except this time, it didn’t. The broom cut cleanly across the sky and continued rushing through the city at a speed I had never experienced before. Before I knew it, the pleasant breeze had completely dried my tears.

“I knew as soon as I touched it,” Elaina said. “This broom was your mother’s, right? It’s quite old and has seen a lot of use, but…see these unusual cracks in the handle? Someone put them there to hurt your broom, and that’s making it hard for it to carry two people. So treat it carefully from now on, okay?”

I smiled again.

“You mean, treat my broom like a person, right?”

It was race day.

The race grounds buzzed with excitement, perhaps because of the fiftieth-anniversary celebration. It was like a festival.

The streets were teeming with tightly packed throngs of people, the windows of the houses along the course all stood wide open, and citizens were sticking their faces out, waiting eagerly for the race to begin.

“Whoa…it’s totally packed!” I gawked at the lively scene.

“Looks like there are more people today than usual.” Beside me, Dorothy spoke with the ease of experience. “It’ll start soon. Elaina, we’d better get going.”

Lightly grabbing hold of my sleeve, she pulled me along as we crossed the racing grounds.

The other mages were already assembled at the starting line.

The racers were adjusting their brooms, or gently floating in place trying to warm up, each doing their own thing, but all of them completely ignored us, like we didn’t even exist.

Of course, since the race was just about to begin, she was also there.

“Sherry.”

The mage who hunched her shoulders in surprise and turned around when Dorothy called her name was Sherry, the one who I was sure had tampered with the broom.

“…Ah, well…if it isn’t Dorothy. Is something wrong…?”

She had clearly lost her brazen energy from the day before. You could say she seemed disheartened. It was almost like she was frightened of something.

“Hmm? What happened? You’re not angry today like you always are.” Dorothy looked puzzled.

“Y-yeah…today I’m a little…well, I’m nervous, so…” Sherry’s gaze darted over to me. She seemed like a totally different person.

After cocking her head curiously at Sherry, Dorothy said, “Well, whatever. Let’s do our best in today’s race, okay?” She put on a smile, and walked away, leaving behind me and Sherry.

“…Let’s do our best, okay? Sherry?”

“…S-sure.” Sherry looked frightened, just like a small animal that had been cornered by a hungry predator. To calm her down, I put an arm around her shoulder.

“During the race, we’ll be on equal footing, so I really won’t mind if you come at us with everything you’ve got, you know?” I leaned in and whispered into her ear, “But outside of the race, I won’t look the other way if you use any of those dirty tricks of yours.”

“Ah, y-yes… I’m so sorry…”

“Are you? If you do any of that stuff again…”

You won’t get off so easy…, I thought, then followed after Dorothy.

I felt confident that no one, not even Sherry, would threaten Dorothy, or try to sabotage her ever again. I had made sure of that.

“…What did you talk about?” Dorothy asked, tilting her head sharply.

“It’s a secret.” I smiled.

A single shot from the starting gun was the signal for the race to begin. The sound made my heart leap in my chest. Looking like birds scattering in surprise, six brooms flew away from the starting line.

The brooms, each with two riders sitting one beside the other, streaked in straight lines over the city. Directly below us flowed the scenery of the city and the sounds of cheering.

The handling of our broom had been fully entrusted to Dorothy, though I could only see her back situated on the broom in front of me. As for my role, well, I sat in the rear, channeling magical energy into the broom. In other words, it looked like I was just sitting there doing nothing. That was how it felt, anyway.

Dorothy, on the other hand, was amazing.

There was no one who could keep up with her.

The long straightaway ended, and as we came into a curve, Dorothy pulled the broom sharply into a slant, and we cut the curve without dropping speed, blue sky spread out above us.

I turned to look and saw that the other brooms were gradually falling behind.

No one could catch up with Dorothy.

The cheers from the city grew louder as we approached the finish line. I could see people waving their hands. From the windows of houses, from the middle of the road, the voices of the people drove her along.

Dorothy’s house was near the finish line.

From the window, I could see a single person, her mother, waving slowly.

Dorothy may have been shunned by her fellow competitors, and someone may have tried to sabotage her, but from the very beginning, none of that would have been able to stop her.

Because there was someone cheering her on.

“Elaina…”

When the goal was right before our eyes, Dorothy said my name quietly, without turning around.

Amid the clamorous cheering, amid the ceaseless flow of the wind, her voice alone was very, very clear.

“Thank you so much.”

I’m not sure what those words are for.

But there was only one thing to say in return.

“You’re very welcome.”

And then the flag came down on the race, marking the moment when a certain girl won her tenth consecutive championship.

“And she’s just taken her tenth consecutive championship! Incredible! It’s the first time anyone has accomplished that since this city’s founding!”

The announcer stirred up the crowd wildly, and the cheering got louder, and louder still. It was impossible to distinguish it from outright screaming.

After crossing the finish line, we hovered there, floating above a city that had been turned into a race course. It felt like we had become famous. The city below was engulfed in cheers. And so, we waved down at them, and before we knew it, both of us were grinning.

At last, I said, “Dorothy, you did it! Now your mom’s illness—”

I had been about to say something, when she interrupted me a little sheepishly. “…You heard from Mom? Well, now, finally, I think I can give my full attention to Mom’s treatment. We’ll have plenty of money,” she said, still waving at the city below.

Well, about that…

“By the way, about the prize money…”

“Huh? Talking about money so soon…how rude…” Dorothy narrowed her eyes at me.

No, no, no. You don’t understand what I’m trying to say…

“I was going to say that I don’t need it, but…”

“Huh?”

“The prize money, and the big championship bonus, too… You should keep both. I don’t need any payment. Don’t worry about it.”

“……”

Dorothy looked bewildered. She wore a faint smile, yet at the same time, her eyebrows were raised in shock. “But in that case, you…”

“I’m not the kind of person who would take money from a little girl with a sick mom.”

Before I knew about her situation, I had considered taking the championship bonus from her… Like, slightly considered it. No really, I only thought about it a tiny bit, and then I’d also thought about getting some of the regular prize money, but…after I met her mother, any desire to do that completely evaporated.

“Is this the same Elaina who was running a scam in town saying that…?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Anyway, it wasn’t like I was that in need of cash. Even making money in town had been a temporary thing. Now it seemed to me that there was no big hurry. I didn’t need to take her money. Though perhaps that feeling was enhanced by the rush of our recent victory.

“You’d better go ahead and use the money before I change my mind, you know.”

“In other words, you’re saying to hurry up and find a cure for my mama?”

“You can take it any way you like.”

I looked away, and Dorothy let out a little giggle.

It had absolutely none of the gravity one would expect from someone who had just wiped the floor with her competition.

She was just one little girl, laughing like she was enjoying herself.

“Elaina,” After laughing for a little while, she said suddenly, “My objective was to break Mama’s record. My goal was to cure Mama’s illness. I’ve achieved both my objective and my goal. I’d call that a success.” Dorothy looked reinvigorated somehow.

“So, are you going to retire from racing?”

“Of course not.” She smiled as she spoke. “I’ve only achieved one goal, to break Mama’s record. I won’t be done for a long time yet. From now on, I’ll make a fresh start.”

Well then.

One way or another, and it could have just been my imagination, I felt like something about this girl’s new start had something in common with my own journey. It was just a feeling.

“That’s right.” I nodded.

And so, from here on, it begins.

“Heh-heh-heh…”

By the way, there was a good reason that a person like me, always eager to make some extra cash, had boasted about not needing the prize money.

That day, after we finished the race and I parted ways with Dorothy, I made my way back to the race grounds. Not for the purpose of racing. Obviously.

“Cashing these in, please.”

I submitted several slips of paper to the reception counter at the grounds.

They were tickets.

Tickets that I had filled out with my prediction for the winner of the race.

It was just something I had heard, but apparently you could place wagers on who you thought would win. Meaning that if your predictions proved to be correct, you could take home a lot of money.

Well, there was no way that I could have passed up such a tasty opportunity, you know? Especially because I was almost certain that we were going to win.

Is it really all right for there to be such an easy way of making money as this? Oh-hoh-hoh!

“All right, sure thing!” The girl at reception took the papers from me, and then, after looking back and forth from the tickets to my face, she went rather pale.

That’s only to be expected. I invested a huge amount of money into these tickets, so the returns must be unimaginable. It’s probably too much to dream that I might be a billionaire! Ah, what should I buy first? Hmm, maybe I’ll start by buying my very own bakery, eh? Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!

And so on. I was ballooning up with wild ideas, when the receptionist said, “Umm, miss…the rules state that competitors cannot bet on the race…” Her tone was deeply apologetic. “…And so these tickets are invalid.”

“……”

“Um…miss…?”

“…And refunds…are those possible…?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but the regulations state that we’re unable to give refunds…”

“……”

“Um…miss…?”

“…Is there nothing you can do…?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“…No matter what?”

“Those are the rules.”

“……”

“……”

And so, the witch who had tried to run a filthy money-making scheme found herself out of luck once again.

Happily ever after.