Act 0. Exiles Under the Moonlight (3)

Witches place tremendous importance on their witch hats. Fundamentally, they're seen as a core part of a witch's identity, and they provide a certain degree of correction to the power and stability of spells. Without a witch hat, you're not a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠witch; with one on, you're treated as one. That's the current perception and reality.

Of course, Priscilla and most witches rarely took theirs off. They wanted to hold their heads high as witches, and the difference in power with and without the hat was more pronounced than you'd think.

But when your life was on the line, what mattered more? Escaping openly in a group was practically impossible, so we disguised ourselves as a merchant caravan to slip out of the empire.

We loaded black carriages with crates. High-ranking witches who had the mana for it used transformation magic to alter their appearances, while mid- and low-ranking ones ditched their hats and crammed themselves inside the carriages, hiding their true forms.

As a player, I just used the avatar function to conceal my hat, so I equipped the one I'd gotten from the underworld.

"Whoa..."

As I put on the avatar—which looked like an ornate hairpin—Selia, blindfolded as always, looked up at me in awe.

"...You're actually impressed, right?"

"Of course. I can't see your exact appearance, but... I can sense the change in your form."

If Selia's words were true, she perceived the world as a grid of spaces. She couldn't make out human shapes, but more like a collection of geometric forms. Honestly, I had no clue. I'd majored in computer engineering but only got through the basics before taking a leave of absence, so I didn't know much about it.

Lately, I'd been sticking close to Selia, and we'd grown surprisingly close. She reminded me of Asella somehow, making me want to look out for her even more, and her plucky spirit just made her all the more endearing.

"Alright, you too—hop in the carriage."

"Okay."

After loading Selia into the last carriage, Priscilla dispelled her illusion magic and stepped out of the Moonlight Pavilion.

Priscilla used transformation to become an elderly man and took the reins of the first carriage. There were three in total: Priscilla on the first, Asella on the second, and me on the third.

I was a bit worried about Asella, but she'd used transformation to bulk up her body, so it should be fine. Honestly, I'd never driven a horse before, but they pretty much went on their own as long as you held the reins.

We hadn't gone far from the Moonlight Pavilion when we encountered people. Along the road, we saw witches' corpses scattered everywhere—some burned to skeletons, others dying from stoned skulls, blood streaming down their faces.

"..."

I wanted to rush over and heal the dying ones, but that would've doomed our mission, so I forced my eyes away.

Asella seemed furious too. I could feel her unique mana waves surging ahead. The current Asella wouldn't show such agitation, but the one I was seeing now was younger.

Soon, the waves calmed—Priscilla must have sensed it and soothed her.

"Unni must be really mad."

Selia peeked out from behind the carriage curtain and whispered to me.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"Aren't you mad, unni?"

"Of course I am."

"Impressive. Your mana waves barely fluctuated."

"I've always been good at controlling my emotions."

I'd never been one to get swept away by feelings—I kept them in check. Especially after my body changed. Was it the boosted mental strength? Or maybe becoming a game character had something to do with it. I'd always hated seeing cruelty, but now I could handle it better, stay calm in crises.

"Why did you become a witch, unni?"

"...Who knows."

I couldn't say it was because the character was pretty, so I put on a wistful expression.

"What about you? Why become a witch at such a young age?"

"Well... I actually don't remember anything before a certain point. When my memories start, I was already a witch."

"...No memories?"

"Yeah. They say I'm so smart that I remember everything I see and hear."

"...Is that why looking hurts your head?"

"Yep."

I'd heard of it before. A condition where everything you see and hear gets stored in your frontal lobe like a video. Hyperthymesia, I think.

"...Well! On the bright side, they say my mana sensitivity is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exceptional."

"...I see."

I gently stroked Selia's head as she forced a smile. To live her whole life blindfolded because of that illness at such a young age... I felt deep pity for her cheerfulness despite it all.

"Will you tell me your story someday, unni?"

"Sure. After we escape."

"Heehee..."

By then, the carriages were nearing the empire's walls.

"Get back inside now."

"Okay."

Selia ducked back behind the curtain.

Just one step left to clear the quest. Pass the knights guarding the final gate, and we're done.

Things had gone too smoothly so far—I felt a twinge of unease.

...No way it's this easy.

We hadn't faced a single interruption. In stories like this, it was usually one of three: complacency, a trap, or an ambush at the end.

The first was unlikely. They knew witches were in the empire; their top priority would be sealing escape routes.

...No. Can't back out now.

We pressed on toward the barrier. Knights blocked our path.

"Halt."

"Colt Merchant Group. Transporting various fruits."

"Colt... Colt... Ah, here it is. We'll inspect the goods."

"Go ahead."

The knights started with Priscilla's first carriage, opening crates to reveal apples, tangerines, unfamiliar fruits.

"Hm. All clear."

Next, Asella's second one.

"Lots of fruit. Must've been tough hauling it."

"Ah, yes... A bit strenuous."

The knights tilted their heads at Asella's stiff demeanor but finished checking.

Finally, my carriage.

"With everyone seeing red over catching witches lately, trading at a time like this takes guts unless you're suicidal."

The knight probed blatantly. I smiled calmly, unflappable.

"We've gotta eat too. Day laborers like us merchants scrape by like this."

"...Fair enough. You're good."

Priscilla had cast illusion magic on each carriage, so they'd overlook the witches unless they were sharp mages. Her illusions were top-tier.

"All clear. Sorry for the suspicion. Safe travels."

"Haha, leaving the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠empire now? Totally understandable. Take care."

...This easy?

No fights, just cleared? It felt off.

Then a blue window obscured my view.

A golden barrier activated about 1km from the gate.

...Right. Quests like this exist too—

"Unni! I suddenly feel an enormous energy from behind..!"

Selia peeked out and whispered urgently.

Enormous energy?

Glancing back, I saw a figure hurtling toward us.

"...Wait, that's..."

No way, she's popping up here?

A woman with long white hair streaming behind her, crimson eyes fixed on us as she flew. The pinnacle of mages, strongest of the Five Heroes. A once-in-ten-thousand-years demonic talent.

Hera.

The empire's—no, Bellanova world's—greatest magus smiled as she sped toward us.

"Ah."

Priscilla sensed her mana too and whipped the reins, galloping off. Asella and I followed, but horses couldn't outpace a grand magus.

Hera laughed, drawing a massive red magic circle blotting the sky. Priscilla felt it, dropped her transformation, and leaped from the carriage.

The cloud-filled sky split open, brightening the night.

"Run!!!"

At Priscilla's desperate shout, Asella and I gripped the reins tight, urging the horses to max speed. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Priscilla expanded a massive, sturdy shield against the incoming catastrophe.

The landscape behind us warped instantly, sucking the meteors in. But it couldn't block them all—the blasts reshaped the terrain around Asella's and my carriages.

300m to the golden barrier. Priscilla was still focused on holding off Hera's magic.

"Please... just a bit more..!"

100m to clear.

Whiiiiiing—!!!

BOOOOM!!!

An arrow streaked in, embedding in the carriage and exploding it to oblivion.

"You crazy bastards!!!"

Bellanova world's strongest archer. The elf called peerless in one-on-one among the Five Heroes. Every Shot Hits True.

Serne had arrived to hunt the witches.