Lilac Gromwell, in her adolescent form, trotted on the desert sand with a bored expression. “Hey Karius.”

“What?”

“Where are we going?” Her purple skirt puffed up each time she exaggeratedly swung her feet forward to take a step.

“Don’t you get tired doing that?”

“I do, but I need the exercise.”

“That so.”

I released Sabre’s reins and stretched my arms, careful not to wake Hilde, who rode behind me. An odd sensation remained in my freshly healed right elbow, but it wasn’t bad enough to bother me. The rest of my body felt stiff from the lack of movement, a natural consequence of riding for half a day straight.

I wanted to hop off the saddle and stretch my legs, but Hilde’s hands were locked around my waist. Despite the inconvenience, her weight, a tangible sign of her trust in me, felt comfortable on my back.

A few horse lengths ahead of us, Felix kept a steady pace on his new steed. He glanced at us from time to time, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking because his long scarf hid half his face. My anima would’ve solved that mystery in an instant, but I didn’t want to abuse that power, especially on my comrades.

Gromwell clasped her fingers behind her head, not minding the sweltering heat despite her elaborate dress. “You didn’t answer my question. Where are we headed?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Such disrespect. Is that any way to speak to your teacher?”

“Teacher? I never agreed to being your student. You’re my former enemy.”

“Should you be saying that? Your anima allows you to beat third-rate foes, but you lack spell variety. I’ve only seen you use one type of spell per emotion. What’ll you do if you get in trouble with someone of Ricky’s level?”

My words caught in my throat. I tried imagining a fight with Richter but couldn’t find a way to win. In every scenario I could think of, my head flew off my shoulders the moment the master knight used his gravity enchantment to speed up.

An idea popped into my head.

“I can use illusions to defend against his speed.”

“You mean that subpar invisibility you tried to use on me? Your pathetic illusion didn’t even hide your footsteps. Remember how that turned out?”

Recalling the sensation of glass shredding my flesh made me frown. The little witch was right. My understanding and use of illusion magic was rudimentary at best. In our fight, she had easily seen through my spell and used it against me. Richter had wounded Gromwell despite her mastery of illusions. If an amateur like me used it against him, I would be defeated instantly.

Gromwell released a childish snort. “Besides, you have to channel my emotions to use umbra. You talk big for someone who needs help from a little girl.”

“You’re not a little girl.”

“I am, technically. I’m small and female.”

I glanced at the round bag hanging from Felix’s saddle and chuckled. “Well, you’re certainly small.”

“Oh shut it. Anyway, there are beings much more dangerous than Ricky out there. My extensive experience and magical knowledge make me the perfect instructor. I can teach you a vast array of spells, some you haven’t even heard of. I can also train your fundamentals. Your casting speed needs work. And if you don’t expand your mana pool-”

“Okay, okay. I get your point.” I slumped my shoulders.

Gromwell wanted me to learn magic so I could eventually free her from her curse. I didn’t plan on doing so, but making use of her information was the best course of action right now.

“Finally see the light, eh? Call me ‘Mistress’ from now on.“

“I’m suddenly in the mood for some volleyball.”

“Wait! Calm down! I went too far! I’m sorry! You can call me whatever you like, okay?”

“Very well, Lilac.”

Gromwell heaved a sigh of relief. “Wait, what did you just call me?”

“I can’t use your surname. ‘Gromwell’ is too infamous.”

“Then use Violetta like before. It’s insulting to be called by that name by someone who knows my past.”

“But Violetta isn’t your name. Not anymore.”

Lilac’s voice turned colder than the desert night. “Watch yourself, boy.”

“Your father gave you that name, and then he gave it to someone else. You’re nothing but a fake now. A pale, incomplete violet. A lilac.”

“How dare-.”

“But I like Lilac better.”

“What?”

“Why did you use the name your replacement gave you? Don’t you hate it?”

“Hate doesn’t even begin to describe it. I use it out of spite. And to remember what she did.”

“But it became infamous since then. Few don’t know the name Lilac Gromwell. There are even books about you. You’re usually the villain, but I digress.” I cleared my throat with a cough. “Think about it like this. The sum of your actions since becoming Lilac has gradually given that name value. To the point that it is now even more valuable than the word Violetta. In fact, aside from our party, no one knows who that is. Even I only know a glimpse of her after seeing your past.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that she exists. With my name. Lilac is nothing but an illusion.”

“According to you, my feelings for Hilde were born from an illusion. Even so, everything that happened after that was real. And mine. I get to decide if it’s meaningful. No one can take that away from me. The same goes for you and the name Lilac. Your father gave you Violetta, but you built Lilac, just like how I built my current relationship with Hilde. No one can take that away from you, not your father, not your replacement, no one.”

The tiny blonde stopped her feet, letting us get ahead of her by a few steps. Sabre paused her trot even before I urged her to.

Lilac studied my face, blinking a few times. “I’ve never thought of it that way. I guess even a teacher can learn from her student.”

“Then let’s go, Mistress,” I said with a provocative grin.

“Call me Lyla. Ricky used to call me that.”

“Will do.”

She formed a pensive expression, a faint blush on her face. “B-By the way, you said you personally like my name. What’s so good about it?”

“It’s shorter.”

“You little!” Lyla stomped on the sand as Sabre trotted away.

That was how I ended up becoming the immortal witch’s disciple. As to how that was even possible after our deathmatch, well, there was quite a story behind that.

***

“Monster!!!” I screamed while pointing at the talking head.

I had managed to scramble away earlier due to sheer terror, but my wounds prevented me from going any farther. Despite his injuries, Felix quickly stepped forward to protect me. Hilde summoned her ornate greatsword and took a battle stance, ready to crush Violetta’s skull at the drop of a hat.

“Wait! Calm down!” shouted Violetta. “I’m just a head!”

“That’s the problem!”

“Uh, good point.”

Violetta screamed in terror as Hilde swung her thick blade. The witch’s chin pushed off the ground, causing her head to roll to the side. The greatsword missed her by mere inches and slammed into the ground. The head tumbled down a dune before coming to a stop face down on the sand.

“Lhishen to me!!!” Violetta coughed. “Ugh! I shwallowed shum shand!”

“She’s faster than I thought!” said Hilde.

“I think she just kinda rolled by accident.” I lowered my hand and tried to calm down.

“Be careful, Miss Hilde!” said Felix. “It might explode!”

“Ih’m nhot ah bhomb!”

Hilde turned to me. “What did she say?”

“I think she said ‘I’m not a bomb.’”

“What’s a bomb?”

“It’s an ancient tool that, nevermind. I’ll tell you later. First we have to deal with Violetta.”

“Okay. I’ll kill her right now.”

“Wait, like Felix said, it might be a trap.”

The talking head remained face down on the sand. “I’m nhot a traph. I jush whanna mhake a dheehl.”

“Shit. She lost me.”

Sabre, who had kept a good distance from us during the battle, came over and observed the ruckus. Sensing my frustration, she approached the witch and gently bit her blond hair. After lifting the head off the ground, Sabre vigorously shook it to dust it off.

Violetta made weird noises while getting tossed around. “Stop! Please stop!”

Sabre granted her desperate request with a dissatisfied neigh. The witch hung from Sabre’s teeth by the hair, swaying gently from the remaining momentum.

“If I had a stomach, I’d have emptied it by now…” Violetta’s face looked paler than snow.

“How can you still be alive?” I asked.

“What a stupid question. I’m the immortal witch, remember?”

“Okay. Let’s test that immortality one more time. Hilde, please.”

The Valmaz warrior raised her greatsword and took a step towards the talking head.

“Just kidding! Don’t be so tense, Karius. Has anyone ever told you you have no sense of humor?”

“I have,” said Hilde. “Twice, I think.”

I scrunched my eyebrows at her. “Now isn’t the time.”

“Sorry, force of habit.”

“Talk fast, Violetta. We’re not exactly in a good mood right now.”

“Okay, okay. I want to make a deal. I have several healing stones stashed inside my skirt. Felix’s bones will heal by themselves with time, but Karius’s frozen limbs will never regain full function if left like that. My rare encantus can fix that for you. Maybe not fully, but that’s better than losing your limbs. I’ll tell you where they are if you spare my life and take me with you.”

“This smells fishy,” said Felix. “We would’ve left you for dead if you didn’t speak up. Why would you reveal yourself?”

“Because I don’t wanna be marooned in the middle of a desert. I can’t exactly walk around like this, so I’ll be stuck here until who knows when without your help.”

“How do we even know those stones exist? If you had such convenient items, why didn’t you use them to heal the gashes on your arm and thigh?”

“Those stones are extremely rare. They’re even more expensive than the jewels I offered to Karius back in the cave. I can’t make them myself either. I’m not the healer type.” She displayed a mischievous smirk. “I got them from a bunch of priests a few years ago. I can’t just restock them whenever. They’d be wasted on tiny cuts I could barely feel. As you can see, I’m rather hardy.”

She had probably robbed and killed those priests, but that wasn’t anything surprising for the cruel witch.

“Tiny cuts that eventually led to your defeat,” I said.

“True. Believe me, if I knew you’d figure out my identity from those cuts, I would’ve used up a stone to fix them before showing up as Elar.”

“What’s stopping us from just getting the healing stones from what’s left of your body and leaving you behind?”

“Nothing. Except you won’t be able to use them. You need the spell to activate the magic. Only I know the incantation.”

That was certainly plausible. Encantus activation methods varied greatly. While some only needed to be applied directly, like healing ointments, others required specific chants to be used. Still, I wasn’t stupid enough to just nod to everything the witch said.

Felix relaxed his guard. “Sounds like a good offer, Master. You’ll lose your legs due to frostbite at this rate.”

“No, we can’t be sure yet. What if she uses those stones to fix her own body?”

“Healing magic can only restore so much,” said Violetta, looking fed up. “Recreating an entire body with just a few healing stones is beyond impossible. You know enough about magic to understand that. I know it’s difficult to trust a former enemy, but don’t disappoint me, Karius. I refuse to accept that the mage who defeated me is ruled by an irrational fear of the unknown.”

“You expect me to trust conventional magic knowledge while negotiating with a severed head?”

“...Point taken. What can I do to make you trust me?”

“Tell me how you’re still alive, for starters.”

“I don’t exactly enjoy telling this story, but fine.” Violetta averted her eyes in annoyance. “My body is a little special. To put it bluntly, I’m not human.”

No duh.

“I’m what some would call a homunculus, a humanoid artificially created using true sorcery, the highest level of magic. Most of my body functions are just for show. I don’t eat, drink, age or fall ill.”

“But you dined with us many times.”

“To be more accurate, I can eat and drink, but I don’t need to. Sleep I need just like any other human. That’s how I replenish mana to keep my body working.”

“That’s one convenient body.”

“It also has its problems, but that’s irrelevant right now. Anyway, I’ll survive as long as my head, which houses my cor, is intact. That said, most of my mana is generated and stored in my body, so I can barely use any magic right now, certainly nothing capable of harming you and your comrades. Moreover, if you smash my head, I’ll die for real. Hilde can kill me in a snap if I try anything funny.”

Even though my anima was unreliable against the deceptive witch, I read her emotions anyway. I sensed competing mortification and resignation, the latter winning out. She seemed to be telling the truth, assuming she wasn’t using illusion magic.

“Deal,” said Hilde.

I unintentionally raised my voice. “What’re you saying!? We can’t trust her.”

“But we have no choice. We need her to fix your body. Felix too.

“Great,” said Violetta. “Let’s get to it before you change your mind. Felix, can you bring me the small pouch in my skirt?”

“Shouldn’t Miss Hilde do that? I am a man.”

“There’s very little left of my body to feel embarrassed about.” Violetta giggled. “Besides, weren’t you aiming to be a legendary thief? You shouldn’t bat an eyelash over looting a dead body.”

“Tarnation!” Felix held his head. “You are absolutely correct, Miss Violetta. I shall now pour my heart and soul into ransacking your mutilated remains. I swear that by the time I’m done, nothing shall be left unravaged, be it your most personal belongings or chastity!”

“Scratch that. Karius, can you go instead? I beg you.”

“In case you forgot, I can’t walk. Thanks to you.”

“Then Hilde! For the sake of my dignity!”

“No, Hilde is the only one who can move properly. She needs to watch you in case you try something. Felix, please get the stones. Don’t go overboard, okay?”

“Understood.” Felix limped over to the bloody scraps and searched them. He eventually found a small pouch and brought it over.

“Can you check how many are left?” asked Violetta.

He emptied the bag into his hand, revealing ten small round white stones.

“Eight should be enough for both of you,” said Violetta. “Before we begin, can you set me down on a piece of cloth or something? Felix’s scarf should do. I’m at the limits of my endurance, hanging from my scalp like this.”

“Isn’t that a minor issue compared to the gaping hole below your neck?”

“My pride is more delicate.”

Felix unraveled his scarf and set it down on the sand. Sabre placed the slobber-soaked head onto the singed fabric.

Violetta sighed with a crestfallen look. “I’ll never be able to live this down, will I?”

“You will if you’re telling the truth. You’re immortal, right? You’ll outlive us eventually.”

“I better get to fixing you up then. First, melt the ice on your limbs with simia.”

“I can’t control it that well. I’ll probably burn away my legs in the process.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you. Use the spell on that rock over there. Then move your limbs close to the smoldering rock to warm it up. That’s easier than targeting the spell to melt away just the ice coating your flesh. Use the smallest amount of mana possible. Simia is too powerful and generally melts anything it touches. We want the rock smoking, not liquid.”

Using the last drops of my mana, I channeled fury from Violetta and cast simia. With Felix’s help, I approached the glowing rock and hesitantly extended my frozen right leg towards it.

“It’s fine even if the heat burns you a little. The healing stones can easily fix a bit of burned skin.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one getting roasted alive.”

“I’ve been through that and worse, boy. Stop being a sissy and do it. The longer your limbs stay frozen, the harder they’ll be to fix.”

I gritted my teeth and inched closer to the heated rock. The ice numbed my senses, so I didn’t really feel any pain during the process. I defrosted my limbs in a matter of minutes.

“Felix, Karius, take four stones each and come closer. I will activate say the activation spell, so repeat after me.”

Felix carried me to the talking head and sat down beside me.

“Light will surround your body, but please don’t panic and kill me when that happens. The healing process will take about an hour due to the severity of your injuries.” Violetta closed her eyes with a serene expression strangely fitting a decapitated head. “Oh seed of origin, absolve us of our sins. Let holy light embrace, and bless us with your grace. Light the path to the root, return all lies to truth.”

Felix and I repeated the incantation word for word, even copying her meditative expression. A warm light enveloped us. Feeling slowly returned to my shredded calves, reminding me of the gravity of my injury. I groaned in agony.

Hilde raised her greatsword. “I knew it was a trap.”

“Hold it!” said Violetta. “Karius is just regaining feeling in his limbs. I called them healing stones for the sake of simplicity, but the magic stored in them is actually closer to material restoration. The spell fixes the body from the outside in. Deep cuts will get fixed last, so Karius has no choice but to endure until the pain until his legs are fully restored.”

“I’m okay, Hilde,” I muttered while taking shallow breaths to manage the pain. “Please lower your sword.”

Hilde stabbed the greatsword into the sand. After defeating Violetta earlier, her blades had instantly disappeared, which implied that keeping her weapons corporeal chipped away mana. I didn’t know how large her stock was, but I hoped it was enough to keep the greatsword solid until the treatment ended.

Then again, Sabre could just stomp on Violetta’s skull if she tried to pull anything.

Hilde glared at Violetta. “Why is it taking so long?”

“Didn’t I say the process will take an hour?”

“Back in Arthas, Kari healed my burned leg in seconds.”

The witch’s purple eyes focused on me. “Karius, what magic did you use on her?”

“Cura.”

“Hmm… Unlike the stones, that spell boosts the target’s innate regeneration. The speed of healing will vary depending on the mage’s skill, intensity of the emotion used, and mana allocated. Karius is a joke of all trades, which means he used a lot of mana to heal you that fast.”

“I almost died from mana drain, actually. And don’t you mean jack of all trades?”

“With your level of mastery? Joke fits you perfectly.”

“What should I call the one who lost to a joke?”

“Outnumbered and unlucky?”

“Nice excuse.”

“Also true.” Violetta flashed a look of realization. “So that’s why you didn’t accept my proposal back in the cave. You believed your use of cura to heal Hilde’s leg authenticated your love for her.”

“That’s a big part of it, yeah.”

“Sorry to break it to you-”

“I know. I know the impetus of my feelings is a lie. I thought it was love at first sight, but it was just resonance, like what happened between us in the cave.”

“Exactly. Another perk of being a homunculus is my sensitivity to mana flow. Hilde constantly releases a faint aura, affecting everyone around her regardless of her will. It’s probably her anima.”

“Hilde has one too?”

“Of course she does. Did you really think a slim girl like her can jump around while carrying you without any magic? You’re small, but not that small. She’s stronger than Felix, a man a foot taller than her, for crying out loud.”

Now that I think about it, I realized how stupid I was for not questioning Hilde’s abnormal physical prowess. Normally, ignoring such a strange thing was unthinkable for me.

Ignoring the complicated expression on my face, Violetta continued, “Her anima probably boosts her physical ability to inhuman levels. Maybe cura worked faster on her because of that too. Aside from that, she has a magical charisma that attracts people. She was under interrogation when you first met, right? I bet she unconsciously boosted her aura’s effect as a self-defense mechanism to keep her from harm. Her aura resonated with your anima, resulting in what you thought was love.”

Maybe Hilde’s anima had compelled me to overlook all the peculiar things surrounding her. Everything made sense in that case.

With pleading eyes, I stared at my secretive partner. “Is that true?”

Hilde looked down, breaking eye contact. “I don’t know anything about anima. I only know one spell, the one I used to generate this sword.” She tightened her grip on the hilt. “My skill was forged through training and combat, but I’ve always been abnormally strong since I was a child.”

A wave of relief washed over me. If Hilde had been manipulating me all this time, I would’ve lost my ability to trust people.

“If what the witch said is true…” Hilde bit her bottom lip with a pained expression. “Then I’ve wronged you, Kari. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I thought you were just mean by default, so I didn’t really mind.” I forced out a smile, but I failed to scrub away the bitterness coating it.

As if to match me, Hilde also made a pained expression. “Not just that. I ruined your life. If you hadn’t met me...”

What was I doing?

Hilde was as honest as they came. She wouldn’t intentionally manipulate me. In fact, many things she did, the insults, the punches, wouldn’t make sense if she had been plotting anything. She was just caught up in a string of odd coincidences, like me. Whether I love her or not, I couldn’t let someone, much less a comrade, suffer from something that wasn’t her fault.

“Hmm… You’re right. Then how about you make it up to me?”

“Okay. What should I do?”

“How about a kiss? Just to be clear, not on the cheek or forehead. On the lips.” I poked my bottom lip with my index finger.

“Okay. Let’s do it after you’re done with treatment.”

“...”

What did she say?

Violetta looked at me in disgust. “What a pervert.”

Felix clenched his fists in a fit of excitement. “That’s my Master! Your lack of morality knows no bounds!”

“I was clearly joking! I expected Hilde to get pissed or give me the cold shoulder. I’m just trying to blow away her guilt and lift the mood!”

Violetta raised an eyebrow. “You expect us to believe that?”

“It’s the truth!”

The edges of Violetta’s lips curled into a sneer. “Then are you saying you don’t want to kiss Hilde?”

Two opposing answers, one fueled by instinct, the other reason, clashed in my head, delaying my answer. Before I could respond, Violetta continued her attack.

“Hmph. You can’t even answer. Hilde, are you okay kissing this creep?”

“Of course.”

“R-Really..?” I muttered.

“A kiss is just touching lips. I made him drink water from my mouth twice now. What’s the big deal?”

I slumped to the ground.

Violetta chuckled. “You should’ve seen that coming miles away.”

“I know! But can you blame me for being hopeful? She used magic to save my life! She didn’t even use it when her own life was in danger. She has to care about me a little!”

“Oh that?” said Hilde. “More swords wouldn’t have helped in the forest battle. I already snatched weapons from the guards. Other than that, I was never really cornered enough to use magic. If I didn’t use that spell to save you from this witch, I would’ve died next. I can’t beat her alone.”

“I gotta ask, do you enjoy raising me up just to drop me at the last second?”

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

“Of course you don’t.” I emptied my lungs with a long sigh.

Tired of getting my emotions tossed around, I decided to shut up and focus on healing. My injuries hurt less as time passed. About an hour later, the pain was completely gone.

“That should do it,” said Violetta. “How do you guys feel?”

“Brand new,” said Felix.

After rotating my right shoulder twice, I hopped a few times to check my legs. “Amazing. I’ve never heard of healing encantus this effective.”

“Like I said earlier, those stones are crystallized restoration magic. Each one is worth a fortune.”

“Thanks for the treatment. Now you can die. Hilde, please smash her head with your greatsword.”

“““Eh?””” Everyone looked at me in shock.

“You’re joking, right, Master?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?” Hilde pointed her blade straight to the sky. All she had to do was let gravity take its course.

“Yeah, I’m sure. We can’t let someone this dangerous live. She’ll definitely get revenge or force me to lift her curse. It’s better to kill her here.”

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Violetta regained her wits. “We had a deal, Karius! You’re supposed to take me with you in exchange for the stones!”

“I lied.”

“Wait a minute! You don’t need to take me with you! Just leave me here, okay? I’ll be stuck in the desert for years. I won’t be able to find you by the time I get my body back, so I can’t get revenge or anything!”

“Sorry.” I signaled to Hilde with a nod.

Felix stepped in between the Valmaz warrior and the talking head. “Master, we don’t need to go this far.”

Hilde glared at him. “Get out of the way. This has to be done.”

“Felix! Please! Don’t let them kill me! Who cares about revenge or freedom!? I just wanna live!”

“But-”

“Please Felix,” I said.

Felix looked back and forth between us before lowering his head in resignation. “Understood. A thousand apologies for my interference.”

“You fools!” screamed Violetta. “This isn’t over! I swear I’ll come back and kill each and every one-”

Hilde swung her sword. The massive metal beam cleaved through blond hair and scorched cloth before sinking into the desert sand.

Violetta slowly opened her eyes. “Huh? I’m still alive.”

She hung by the hair from Sabre’s teeth. Per my instructions, my trusty ecus had saved her by snatching her from behind.

“And you’ll stay that way, for now.” I gave Hilde and Felix a pat on the shoulder. “Great acting guys.”

Felix turned to Hilde. “That was an act?”

“No idea.” Hilde pulled her sword from the ground. “I just wanted to crack the witch’s skull.”

These people…

I approached Violetta and gently took her head from Sabre. “I needed to know if you were really powerless right now.”

“You tested me.” Her childish face crumpled in anger. “Remember this, Karius. You’ll pay for this humiliation someday.”

“That’s fine. I’m a sinner, just like you.” I dusted off her silky golden locks. “I’m just relieved to know ‘someday’ isn’t today.”

“Stop touching me, you perverted virgin.”

This ungrateful bitch.

Something snapped within me. Time to teach her a lesson.

“Hilde, Felix. Have you ever heard of ‘beach volleyball?”

The two of them shook their heads.

“It’s a contest I read about in an old book I borrowed from the Arthas library. Nations sent representatives to fight against each other in various events to decide their gold, silver, and bronze allocations.”

Felix crossed his arms and nodded. “What an amazing contest, to decide the economies of countries like that.”

“Probably. But it’s very simple to play. If I remember correctly, you can practice with just a sand arena.” I tossed Violetta’s head two feet in the air and caught it with one hand, causing her to squeal through my parted fingers. “And a ball.”

“I see.” Hilde made a rare, albeit sinister, smile.

“Felix and I need to check our physical conditions. A little exercise is perfect.”

“You bastaaaaaaardddd!”

***

We continued our journey to Aurum, the merchant city Felix mentioned. Along the way, two caravans had allowed us into their camps and sold us supplies. Lyla had a decent amount of coins on her when she died, which we used to buy food. Sabre didn’t seem to mind carrying me and Hilde, so we had bought only one horse to save money.

Hilde was sound asleep on my back, while Felix rode ahead of us.

“Lyla, wouldn’t the head priest notice if you keep using magic like that?”

“Nah. It’d be one thing if I manifested another fire dragon, but even that annoying curse can’t detect basic illusion magic from this far away. Look.” She pointed at her feet. “I’m not even leaving footprints. That jerk, I mean the high priest, isn’t nearly as skilled as his predecessors. He’s totally convinced by my report. The parts about my defeat and injury are true, so it’ll be no problem if he tries to confirm. That should buy me some time until you free me from the curse.”

“I never said I’ll do that.”

“Why not?” Lyla’s illusion directed puppy-dog eyes at me.

“Because you’re a ruthless immortal monster.”

“And?”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“What a stickler.”

Felix lined up his horse with Sabre. “Master, I was wondering, why do you call her Lyla?”

“She asked me to call her that. Easier to say than Lilac.”

“I see. So that’s why you stopped calling her Violetta. That was indeed a mouthful.”

I glanced at Lyla’s illusion and smiled. “You can say that.”

She puffed her cheeks and turned away.

“Miss Violetta, is it okay if I call you Lyla as well?”

“No, only Karius, who knows what it’s like inside me, is allowed to call me that.”

“Master is as unscrupulous as always. Even an immortal witch is no match for your seduction.”

“I didn’t want to let him inside, but he didn’t care. Even in sleep, he had his way with me and trampled all over my heart.”

“I was the one asleep.” I urged Sabre closer to Felix and flicked the bag hanging from his saddle with my finger.

“Ouch! That’s my eye!”

“Liar. I didn’t feel any pain feedback.”

“Forgot you had that.”

“Is that another characteristic of your special body?”

“Yes. I can shut off my senses at will, including pain. It’s not a good idea in combat because it dulls my reaction speed and awareness of the battlefield, but I can’t exactly survive the pain of being a decapitated head otherwise.”

“So that’s why I didn’t feel any feedback when Hilde chopped you up.”

“I shut down my sense of pain before it happened. The feeling of getting minced isn’t something I ever want to experience again. Playing the role of a ball also falls into that category.”

I laughed. “You looked pretty sick after one game. Why don’t you just shut off your ability to get dizzy?”

“I can’t, at least not yet. Manipulating my senses requires practice. In my long life, I’ve never needed to cut off my sense of motion.”

“Great. That’ll be an effective way to discipline you for a while.”

“And you call me ruthless?”

“Miss Violetta, I’ve been wondering,” said Felix, “will your head be okay left like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Won’t it rot?”

“R-Rot!?”

I put a hand on my chin. “Now that you mention it… Maybe we should check. Felix, can you take her out of the bag?”

“Yes, Master.” He nimbly untied the bag and gently unveiled the blond head.

“Don’t I have a say in this matter!?”

Felix curiously touched the severed part of her neck. “It’s still warm. That’s so peculiar…”

“Don’t touch that!”

Copying Felix, I reached out and felt her open wound. I chuckled as I poked around the warm, fleshy surface. “This is so gross.”

“Don’t call me gross!”

“It feels wet, but there’s no actual liquid.” I rubbed my thumb and index finger together to confirm their dryness. “How does this work?”

“My body is created by sorcery. A hundred years of research has gone into it. So to answer your questions, no, I won’t rot. I can keep myself warm without blood, and I can talk without air. Why is it like that? I don’t friggin’ know! It just is! Are you happy now!?”

“Really? I smell something funny.” I moved my head closer to her and sniffed. “Smells like spoiled meat.”

“N-N-No way!?”

“I thought you weren’t gonna rot?” I made a wry smile.

“I won’t! At least I don’t think so…” Anxiety clouded her face. “I’ve never been reduced to this state before…”

“Just kidding.”

She bit my nose.

“Shiiiitttttt!”

“You deserved that,” said Hilde, woken up by our antics.

“Quit the commentary and get her off me!” I flailed my arms around in panic.

Hilde unclasped the witch’s jaw from my nose and studied at it. “This really does feel gross.”

“Stop saying that!!!”

***

I walked in front of Sabre, guiding her by the reins along the streets of Aurum. Felix pulled his horse beside me, while Hilde followed a few paces behind. To my surprise, Lyla behaved in her bag. She had erased her illusionary self when we arrived at the city’s ornate gate ten minutes ago.

Unlike Portus and Harena, Aurum stood above the sands, protected by a thick wind barrier. Entry to the city had been easier than expected. According to Felix, the lax security made the city more inviting to visitors. A lot of famous warriors visited Aurum to buy rare equipment, so troublemakers were rare. Merchants and energetic shoppers bustled around the stall-lined roads. Their clothes varied greatly, reflecting their origins and the state of their wallets. Stone, wood, and colorful woven fabric formed the buildings behind the marketplace.

A small boy with fuzzy hair pointed at us while bouncing up and down. “Look, Mommy! The heroes who defeated the immortal witch!”

“Oh my! You’re right, honey.” The full-bodied mother sent us a grateful smile.

I scratched my head. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

Gossip and greetings bathed us the moment we stepped into the town square. For some reason, our group had become famous for defeating Lilac Gromwell. Some people even shouted our real names.

A hazel-maned girl about the same age as Annie blocked my way. “The Lamia once burned down all the livestock in my village.” She shook my hand vigorously. “Thanks for punishing her evil ways!”

“Excuse me Miss, but how do you know about us?”

She pointed at Felix. “He told me all about your epic battle when your group camped with our caravan last night.”

“It was you!?”

“Indeed.”

“Don’t indeed me, you… you… Argh!” I grabbed my hair in exasperation. “But why do so many people know?”

The girl smiled proudly. “Our group left early this morning while your pretty lady friend was still asleep, so we arrived in Aurum before you did. I did my best to tell everyone about your heroic deed! My brothers did too! Surprisingly, some people already knew about it. The representative of the other caravan you camped with went ahead of his group to negotiate accommodations in the city. He had heard the same story from your friend and told everyone about it when he got here the last night.”

I pulled Felix away from the girl. “You weren’t satisfied blabbing about us once!? Why are you spreading rumors about us!? You even used our real names! We’re not exactly aching for attention!”

“I figured we’d be known as truly despicable villains if I tell people about how we brutalized a small girl three against one. I used our real names to establish a villainous reputation, a big step towards my dream of becoming a famous thief.”

“The small girl we beat is named Lilac Gromwell. She’s infamous for being an evil monster.”

“Hey, I heard that,” said Lyla.

I glared at the bag slung on Felix’s saddle. “Burning livestock isn’t exactly saintly behavior.”

“Those animals were spreading disease!”

“I’ll listen to your excuses later. Where was I? Right. Felix, what do you think people who defeat terrifying villains are called?”

“Hmm… Heroes?”

“Exactly, Mister Aspiring Thief. You singlehandedly made yourself famous as the exact opposite of what you aspire to be. Tarnation!”

“Tar-, Hey, that’s my line.”

“No, considering how you screwed us all, it’s completely mine!” I grabbed his scarf and pulled his annoyingly handsome face close. “How did you even convince those travelers to believe your story?”

“I kept some of Miss Violetta’s personal effects, like the extra healing stones, her socks, and the like. Among those was the bloodstained Gromwell badge. Apparently, it was quite famous among those who have encountered her before.”

“Her socks..?” I shook my head. “Whatever. I didn’t see anything like a badge on her.”

“I kept it hidden,” said Lyla. “I was undercover. And you, fake thief, I remember keeping that badge somewhere private. Don’t tell me you even went through my… that place.”

“Apologies. If it’s any consolation, there was practically nothing left of that place when I checked.”

“Oh, that’s fine then.”

I cut in between them. “Putting aside the strange moral compass you two have, we’re in trouble. I wanted to rest a few days in this city, but we can probably stay only a night, two at most. Hiding in a crowd is meaningless if everyone in it knows about us. I’d rather leave immediately, but the steeds need food and rest, and we need to buy maps.” I looked around to check the growing audience surrounding our party. “Huh? Where’s Hilde?”

Sabre pointed with her nose. Hilde stood in the middle of a group of children, panic clearly showing in her usually stoic face.

A boy tugged on her scabbard to get her attention. “Are you really the Silver Tempest? Were you really the one who beheaded the immortal witch?”

Before she could reply, a pigtailed girl jumped up and down in front of her, arms waving to catch her eye. “Where are your friends? Where’s Crimson Lightning?”

That probably referred to the redheaded Felix. Their intimidating titles fit them perfectly. Hilde looked adorable as she frantically tried to answer the kids one by one. Maybe becoming famous wasn’t all bad.

A teenage girl in spectacles pointed at me. “Is he the Scrawny Schemer? He’s even smaller than rumors say.”

Scrawny.

Schemer.

“Felix, were you the one who came up with these titles?”

“No. I just told travelers about our battle with Miss Violetta. I think the people made them up based on my story.”

“What exactly did you tell them about me?”

“I told them despite your small size, you outsmarted the immortal witch with devious tricks and lies, deceiving even your allies for the sake of victory.”

“T-That’s all true, dammit!”

Although the men in the crowd threw glances at Hilde, none of them approached, wary of her rumored lethality. However, the number of children pushing against her kept growing. Hilde found me beyond the stream of kids and sent me a peculiar look, one I’d never seen on her before. I decided to read her emotions using my anima.

Uncertainty.

I squeezed my way through the mass of noisy children without hurting them, an easy task because of my damn scrawniness, and grabbed Hilde’s hand.

“We’re getting outta here.” Learning from my mistakes, I didn’t try to act cool or confident. I just let my concern show naturally.

Honesty worked best with Hilde, and it did. She nodded and let herself be dragged away from the chaos.

We joined up with Felix, who was busy trying to fend off rabid fangirls. Life was so unfair.

“We’re leaving,” I said. “Let’s find a place to rest first.”

“Ladies, my master calls. I’m afraid I have to bid farewell for now.”

A busty brunette hurled a prickly glare in my direction. “Master? This scrawny kid?”

“Shh!” said a raven-haired lass with a finger over her lips. “That’s the Scrawny Schemer! He’ll rape you with his magic!”

I was relieved my magical ability made it into the rumors, but my personality somehow got twisted horribly in the process.

Felix waved goodbye to the flock of girls and approached me. “Where to?”

“Where’s the largest inn in town?”

“Four blocks that way. Please follow me. We can lose the crowd in the backstreets.”

We rushed into an alley and took a few turns. Fortunately, the crowd wasn’t persistent enough to chase after people clearly fleeing from them.

While making our way to the inn, Felix raised a concern. “I believe Master and Miss Hilde are being pursued by Arthas soldiers. Is it wise to stay at the largest inn? I fear it’s too conspicuous.”

“Stupid idea, right? That’s what our pursuers will think too. Hopefully, that’ll throw them off our trail. More importantly, the people working in such a busy inn won’t remember every guest. They won’t be able to point the soldiers to us.”

“But we’re sort of famous.”

“Thanks to you! Anyway, I think we should split up into two groups and go in disguise. Hilde and I can take a room while pretending to be siblings. You can pose as a lone traveler. Once our pursuers hear about the rumors, their focus will switch from finding a pair to finding a trio. The townsfolk recognized us right away because we were all together. From here on, we need to avoid moving as a group as much as possible. How’s the security in the inns here?”

“Entry to the city may be lenient, but security in the private establishments is quite strict. Guests value privacy and security, so guards are stationed at the main door and the lobby.”

“Good. We don’t have to worry about Arthas soldiers forcing their way in to search the premises. Let’s go with this plan.”

“I object,” said Hilde. “Why do I have to stay in a room with you?”

“A woman traveling alone stands out, especially with your looks. I’m also afraid you’ll accidentally reveal yourself if I don’t keep an eye on you.”

“If you ask me, Felix needs more attention.”

“...You have a point.”

I wanted to stay with Hilde in case anything unforeseen happened. As a group, our main objective was to escape pursuit. However, my personal goal was to stay with Hilde. Even though I owed and liked Felix, his well-being was a far second to Hilde’s. I had honored the agreement to take Lyla along because of the last traces of chivalry inside me, but I wasn’t about to risk my life for that.

After careful consideration, I shook my head. “I still think Hilde and I should stick together. Felix can find us by himself if he gets separated. But if one of us gets lost, reuniting becomes an impossible task. We aren’t exactly the best navigators in the world.”

It was a flimsy excuse, but I was desperate.

“In that case, Kari and the witch should stay together. I’ll room with Felix.”

“Eh!?” I hadn’t even considered that arrangement.

That was actually the best option to avoid detection. Felix was much taller than I was, so soldiers looking for the fugitives from Arthas wouldn’t suspect them based on appearance. However, I didn’t like the idea of letting Hilde sleep in a room with another man. Even I hadn’t gone that far.

“W-Why? Do you dislike staying with me that much?”

“Yes.”

Brutally honest with no hesitation. Just like Hilde.

“Is it because I’m a mage?”

“...No. You’re also a victim of magic. You’re different from the other mages.”

Also? Did that mean she was a victim of magic too? Judging from her fervent dislike of mages, that was the obvious conclusion. My curiosity twitched to life, but I killed it before it took a breath. I had bigger things to worry about.

“Then why?”

Hilde’s eyebrows furrowed. “I feel… more comfortable with Felix.”

Her words ripped my heart to shreds. Even so, I did my best to smile. I didn’t have to look at a mirror to know it was the most broken smile I’d ever made.

“Heh. Is that so. So that’s it.” I chuckled weakly.

Everything I had done for her only amounted to this.

Getting angry or lashing out would’ve made me feel better, but I desperately held on to what little pride I had left.

“Fine. You stay with Felix. I’ll just put Lyla in the closet or something.”

“The inn is just outside this alley,” said Felix.

“Then let’s split up.” I handed a piece of cloth I bought from one of the caravan travelers a few days ago to Hilde. “Here. Wear this around your head to hide your silver hair. It stands out too much. Felix, check in with her first. I’ll go after I find a suitable disguise from one of the nearby shops.” I shooed them with my hand. “Hurry. We don’t have time to stand around.”

I practically drove them away. I couldn’t help it. The sight of them together squeezed my heart like a vise, bleeding it dry.

“Understood, Master.”

They left, taking Felix’s horse. While trying to shake off my dark emotions, I hung Lyla’s head, still in a bag, on Sabre’s saddle. Large inns generally had stables, so bringing steeds posed no problem. I led Sabre out of the alley and looked around the nearby stalls for a hat or scarf. Sabre occasionally glanced at me, sympathy in her gentle round eyes, but she left me alone in fear of incurring my anger.

A certain someone wasn’t as considerate.

“Are you okay, Kari?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“But Hilde calls you that. And you call me Lyla.”

People looked at me funny, thinking I was talking to my ecus, but I didn’t have the energy to care. I was used to being made fun of for chatting with Sabre anyway.

“Whatever. Call me what you want.”

“No resistance? You must really be hurting.”

“Can you blame me? The girl I sacrificed everything for wants to get it on with the cool guy. And I couldn’t stop her.”

“Is that what you think? Didn’t you read her emotions?”

“Hilde is always honest. Using my anima is pointless.”

“Ah, youth. Let me teach you something, boy.”

“I’m not in the mood for magic lessons.”

“Not magic. Love.”

“You’ve lost me.”

“Did you forget who I am? I’ve experienced anything and everything this barren world has to offer. Giving romantic advice is a piece of cake.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“You don’t believe me? Now I have to help you whether you like it or not.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“Hilde likes you more than you think.”

That piqued my interest.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t forget, she found out you can read emotions while listening in on our conversation from outside the cave. Despite that, she hasn’t said a word of complaint. She didn’t even ask you to stop doing it.”

“Maybe she simply thought I don’t use it on her.”

“Possible but unlikely, considering your personality, which she knows only too well by now.”

“...Right.”

“This is my theory. She didn’t complain because she didn’t mind, partly because she always speaks what she thinks, yes. But I believe the main reason is her trust in you.”

“Trust? She wouldn’t even stay in a room with me.”

“But she rode behind you all this time, asleep even.”

“...That’s probably a different thing in her mind. Besides, you agreed that Hilde always speaks what she thinks or nothing at all. The only lie I remember her saying is her fake name. She meant what she said about being more comfortable with Felix.” I clicked my tongue. “Really. What’s with that?”

“I never said she was lying about that, but you misunderstood what it meant. Honest words aren’t always true.”

“That’s like the most confusing gibberish you’ve said so far.”

Lyla laughed. Despite being in a bag, her voice felt close to my ear, likely an application of her illusion magic.

“Let me put it more simply. Just because Hilde thinks she is telling the truth, and she probably does think that, doesn’t mean you should take her words at face value. The girl doesn’t understand what she’s feeling, a common thing for maidens her age. The truth is slightly different.”

“...Go on.”

“I should really be charging you for this, but very well. If my eyes don’t deceive me, and they never do, one of your wishes has already been granted. She doesn’t want to sleep in a room with you because she sees you as someone from the opposite sex, something she doesn’t feel for Felix. Congratulations, Kari.”

The witch’s words were strangely convincing. The more I thought about it, the more her explanation made sense.

My mood lifted, I nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Lyla.”

“I’m just glad you’ve come to see my unparalleled wisdom.”

“To be honest, I thought you were trying to trick me into doing something. Sorry.”

“I was. I’m earning your genuine affection so that you can use recreo to fix my body.”

Recreo was a high-level healing spell, which like cura, required genuine affection for the target to activate. I didn’t know how to use it, but this little witch probably planned to teach me from the start.

I laughed. “You sure you should be telling me that?”

“Naturally. You value honesty, despite, or precisely because you lack it yourself. This is the best way to gain your trust and friendship.”

“How about this, I’ll think about it if you promise to mend your ways.”

“I have nothing to mend.”

A muffled female voice came from behind me. “Excuse me. You’re the Scrawny Schemer, right? Can I shake your hand?”

The title grated on my ears, but the girl wasn’t to blame for that. Deciding to get it over with, I turned around while extending my hand.

A hazel-haired girl stood before me. I froze, my hand hanging in the air like a dead branch. She enclosed it with her soft fingers, exerting surprising strength for a girl her size.

“I’ve finally found you, Brother.”

Volume 1 END