Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Witch - [1]
I wasn't in a cold iron-barred cell, nor a damp underground prison.
The stark interrogation room's hard chair and blinding magical lamp were nowhere to be seen.
The scene unfolding before my eyes felt less like a place to confine a criminal and more like a parlor for entertaining honored guests.
'This feels nicer than my own house.'
Sitting across from me was a woman dressed in red, as her name suggested, staring straight at me.
That was the witch. Up close, she had a somewhat youthful, innocent air about her?
"Nice to meet you. I'm Aiman. I heard you were looking for me."
"They call me Hwarin."
Feeling like I should show some manners, I bowed my head politely.
To my surprise, the witch flinched a little and bowed her head in return.
'It's strangely comfortable around her.'
What should I say? I licked my lips with my tongue first... and decided to just blurt something out.
"So, what do you see in me?"
"Nothing at all."
"I heard Hans's evaluation. He said he came across as utterly insignificant."
"Of course, that's how he must have felt."
Silence fell once more. How should I put it? Her eyes were clear.
Like she was gazing at the world with complete transparency?
"Your name is Aiman, right?"
"Yes, speak freely."
"I see fates. But with you, I see nothing."
"I see. Is that a good thing?"
"That's impossible to know."
The same exchange repeated itself. When I didn't respond, she added,
"It's the first time in my life. Meeting someone whose fate I can't see."
"What is it you want to say?"
"I suppose it's that you intrigue me greatly."
"Let me tell you one thing."
"Speak."
I looked steadily at Hwarin and let it out bluntly.
"How about showing some manners before speaking?"
At my words, the witch looked flustered and spoke awkwardly.
"Uh... um. Sorry. I'll try. My speech habits are hard to fix."
Surprisingly unimpressive? I recalled the events from a few hours ago, wondering how it had come to this.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I had explained the situation to Rozina, Serika, and Haruna, and told them I wanted to meet the witch.
Naturally, Rozina and Serika opposed it. Haruna seemed to be gauging whether she should chime in or not.
Well, Serika was the heir to the Mage Tower, and Rozina was a noble. Haruna, on the other hand, just felt like a craftsman.
Serika had clung to my arm.
"Oppa, are you in your right mind? Curiosity has its limits."
"Indeed, Lord Aiman. Please just rest."
Rozina had chimed in too. I felt bad for them, but I really did want to see the witch at least once.
"I'm sorry, my lady... I want to go myself. There's something I need to confirm."
I admit I was being stubborn.
"There's something I need to confirm. I have to see it and judge for myself..."
Serika and Rozina fell silent. I apologized to Serika, and to Rozina as well.
Haruna had pretended to try stopping me while watching their reactions, so I didn't apologize to her.
And so, I boarded the investigator's carriage. Of course, I wasn't alone.
"Wait, why am I coming along?"
Hans grumbled with a thoroughly annoyed expression.
The carriage rattled as it left the mansion, and the investigator visibly relaxed, instructing the coachman to pick up speed.
Of course, that relief didn't last long. Midway through the transfer, the carriage came to an abrupt halt.
Screeech—!
Kyle opened the door curiously, but waiting for us wasn't an assassin.
Well... actually, maybe it was an assassin. Because it was a being powerful enough(?) to warrant the term.
A cold and noble figure? It was Anna.
As the investigator panicked, she declared—? Or rather, stated facts in a flat tone.
"From this moment, I am taking custody of suspect witch Hwarin and witness Baron Aiman."
"Who are you...!"
"Don't argue."
The investigator froze at Anna's icy voice.
Then, the magical communicator in the investigator's pocket rang loudly.
[...This is the chief. Just hand them over. They're out of our hands now.] Kyle's face hardened. He clearly didn't recognize Anna, which was understandable.
But even so, he could tell she was someone beyond his reach.
Anna gave a curt nod. The investigator grimaced as he stepped out of the carriage, and Hans wisely followed suit.
The coachman got down too, of course. Now it was just Anna and me. Only two of us.
"Lord Aiman."
"...It's been a while, Anna."
"You're heading to meet the witch, I presume? Was it curiosity about the elixir? The Empire will handle obtaining that..."
Ah. She doesn't know I already got the elixir.
"Well... let me just say this."
"Please do."
"I've already obtained that elixir. It was sitting right by my bedside."
Anna blinked. She clearly hadn't anticipated this.
Anna seemed to communicate with Elise, asking for a moment.
"Lady Elise asks why you wish to meet the witch, then."
"...Hm. It's an artist's duty."
Anna gave a slightly incredulous look at my words. She reported that too, apparently.
"Lady Elise's words."
"Please, speak."
"We'll change the location. The place for you to meet the witch will be the Imperial confinement chamber."
And that's how I ended up having a private meeting with the witch in this luxurious confinement room.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ My recollection ended, and I returned to the present. The witch was still gazing at me with a smile.
"You... don't appear? No, you don't, do you...?"
She reached out into empty space as she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"The tangled red threads."
Her fingers mimed plucking at something in the air.
Could the witch be a string theory enthusiast, by any chance?
"The threads of causality connecting people to people, events to events... No, connecting events?"
"...Just speak casually."
At my words, the witch sighed in relief.
"Then I'll speak casually now. Or just speak."
"Sure."
"They say even brushing sleeves creates a bond... but even sitting face-to-face like this, I feel nothing. It's truly astonishing..."
The witch's speech was remarkable. A fatally half-formal tone.
"Fate is like flowing water."
The witch murmured, staring into the whirlpool in her teacup.
"Rivers naturally flow to the sea, but sometimes they backflow and flood the mountains. I seek out those moments."
"Certainly..."
I nodded. Hm... just go along with it.
"That kind happens occasionally. Nature is full of wonders."
The witch clapped in admiration.
"As expected, you understand."
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned toward me.
"You have the same eyes as me."
The academy dean came to mind. Even if I spouted nonsense, he'd interpret it grandly... No, he'd twist it into something profound on his own.
No matter what I said, she seemed ready to take it as 'We're connected, aren't we?'
'Well, not bad.'
We spent quite a while chatting about vague fate theories and philosophy, until the teacups ran empty.
Seizing the lull in conversation, I brought up the main topic.
"By the way."
I set down my empty teacup and said,
"You came all this way to hear my performance? From the newspaper interview."
"That's right."
The witch nodded.
"Chasing the threads of fate led me to you at the end. Your music called to me."
"Since we're here, I'll play for you."
I stood up.
"You've had a hard journey getting here."
"Really?"
"In return, tell me exactly what that elixir does."
In the corner sat the piano Elise had provided in advance. I sat at the keys and lifted the lid.
'What piece should I play?'
I pondered. The witch lacked a sense of reality; she was dreamlike.
A dreamer immersed in her own world, unconcerned with worldly rules or laws.
She had a childlike purity, in a way? A character defined by her strikingly half-formal speech.
'There's the perfect piece.'
The boundary between reality and fantasy. A fairy-tale yet eerie atmosphere. A tale of adventure in a dream.
🎼 Piece Selection 🎼 Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker I'd played this for Rozina before too, I think. Hm. I stretched my fingers and turned to the witch.
"I invite you to a world of fantasy."
"What's the piece called?"
"Nutcracker. It's a piece for you."