Chapter 109: Subjugation of the Floating Island (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109: Subjugation of the Floating Island (5)
Dorothy Gale had always preferred running to walking.
In the sprawling meadows of her rural village, she had been a child of peerless innocence. Though her mischievous pranks often caused minor accidents and headaches for the villagers… the moment the mud-covered girl flashed a bright, beaming smile, their hearts would instantly melt.
“…Ah.”
When she opened her eyes, a desolate landscape stretched out before her.
It was the village where Dorothy had once lived, yet it was utterly barren, looking as though life had never touched it. Her maternal aunt and uncle were nowhere to be found. Even her dog, Toto, was gone.
It had all begun with the tornado that struck one day.
Dorothy’s wooden farmhouse had been uprooted by the gale, soaring high into the sky until it crashed down in the Land of the Munchkins. In that strange, fantastical realm, Dorothy set out to find the Archwizard Oz—the only one said to grant any wish—in a desperate bid to return home.
As she followed the Yellow Brick Road…
She befriended a Scarecrow who sought a brain, a Tin Man who yearned for a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who craved courage. After surviving brush after brush with death and defeating the Wicked Witch, Dorothy finally reached the Archwizard Oz.
Having earned her wish, she asked to return home. But just as she was about to board the hot air balloon that would take her back to her beloved village…
A fairy, who harbored a secret affection for Dorothy, intervened and pulled her back to reality.
Only then did Dorothy realize that her adventures in that fantasy land were nothing more than an elaborate illusion designed to devour her life force. With the fairy’s help, Dorothy escaped the massive floating landmass and returned home.
However, by the time she arrived, the Floating Island had already swept her hometown away.
As the sunlight faded and a chilling wind began to howl, Dorothy—expressionless and silent as a scarecrow—stared at the wasteland that used to be her home. When she lowered her gaze, the cursed stigma engraved on her abdomen was visible through the tears in her maroon dress.
All that remained for Dorothy was an inevitable, looming death.
The lonely moonlight cast a sorrowful glow upon her. In the dead of night, through the falling rain and the breaking dawn, a rainbow appeared beyond the vast wasteland, stretching across the horizon.
Though the girl was soaked to the bone, she didn't care. She simply gazed at the shimmering rainbow. Up there, beyond the rainbow… was a place she had only ever heard of in lullabies.
As a heavy drowsiness overwhelmed her, the young girl quietly drifted into a deep slumber, wishing to wake up in that beautiful dreamland.
*
The nine-year-old girl with lavender hair, Dorothy Gale, blinked her eyes open and looked up at the vast sky.
She couldn’t tell when night had fallen, but enchanting starlight now densely adorned the navy-blue canopy above. Although she was surrounded by nothingness, her expression was remarkably serene—a stark contrast to the version of herself in her memories.
“Heup!”
She abruptly sat up.
“Well, what a nonsensical illusion!”
With a playful grin, Dorothy sprang to her feet.
“Hello? Is there nothing here but luggage?!”
She shouted into the void, her voice full of mischief, and began to twirl as if dancing. The hem of her maroon dress swirled in rhythm with her steps.
“How cruel! Isn’t it a bit much to enjoy this romantic scene all by myself? Even the night sky is this beautiful!”
The nine-year-old commoner girl shouted as if she were a Queen. Suddenly, she stopped, feeling a soft tuft of fur brush against her leg. Dorothy looked down, her face full of suspicion.
A dark brown puppy was looking up at her, panting with its tongue lolling out.
“…”
Dorothy’s face trembled. Her expression stiffened so rapidly that the lively laughter from a moment ago seemed like a lie. She knelt on the ground and pulled the puppy into a tight embrace.
“Toto.”
She closed her eyes and whispered the name of her beloved pet. The small dog fit perfectly in the young Dorothy’s arms.
Soon, a wave of familiarity enveloped her. When she opened her eyes again, the landscape of her hometown under the night sky began to manifest.
The villagers. The farmhouse with its red roof.
Standing before that house were Dorothy’s gray-haired aunt and uncle, gazing at her with profound affection.
Dorothy’s eyes widened. “Toto, wait a moment,” she whispered, gently placing the puppy on the ground before approaching the house.
Stopping a short distance away, Dorothy forced a weak smile.
“It’s been a while, Auntie, Uncle! Nihihi, it looks like I’ll be joining you soon.”
The fading flame of her life felt far more palpable than she had imagined. Dorothy was keenly aware that she was standing on death's doorstep. And just before the end, a flash of light passed through her mind. Was this a part of the world? Or the threshold to the afterlife?
“Hey, you know…”
Dorothy had no way of knowing, but it didn't matter. She just wanted to tell them her story.
“After everyone was gone, I thought… maybe I should just stop living, you know? But I couldn’t do it. So, I decided to live as hard as I could. Ah, but it was so difficult… It was so, so hard! I bet there’s never been a beggar as broke as I was.”
Recalling her past, Dorothy waved her hand in mock disgust.
“But even so, I earned some money working as an adventurer… made a decent living, got older… Then, for some reason, I felt like I wanted to experience something more fitting for my age. So, I entered the academy. Well, I was naturally talented, so I didn’t really need the classes, but still… it was so much fun!”
Before she died, she had wanted to live a life that suited her years.
That was why she had thought of the academy. Attending classes with friends her age, taking exams, bonding with peers… For Dorothy, who had struggled through every moment of her life, it was her greatest dream.
“As expected of me, I racked up a ton of demerit points too, nihihi! But I’m still pretty popular. I have a cute fan club President and lots of fans. Somehow, everyone seems to like me so much! I don’t know why, but they just can’t get enough of me!”
Dorothy placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes, speaking triumphantly. Her tone was thick with pride. Her aunt and uncle listened in silence, their faces wearing gentle smiles.
There were no sad tales. Dorothy only shared the joyful stories—the ones she could laugh and chatter about. She spoke endlessly of exciting adventures, delicious foods, and delightful incidents from the academy. She even mixed in dumb jokes and erupted into uncontrollable laughter.
She painted a vivid picture of her life, showing them how much fun she’d had.
As she spoke, her eyes gradually moistened and her voice slowed, as if time itself were stretching toward infinity. Tears began to trickle down Dorothy’s smiling face. Even though she was only sharing mundane, everyday stories, her throat felt tight. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, the tears fell.
She wiped them away with her palms and wrists, maintaining her mask of a smile as if it were just another beautiful, joyful day. Having finally reunited with her aunt and uncle, she didn't want them to see her sorrow.
Suddenly, her throat constricted so tightly that the happy stories could no longer escape. She began to sniffle as if she had a cold, then let out a sudden burst of laughter at her own ridiculousness. Despite her efforts, the sobs began to spill out.
Dorothy covered her face with both hands, her head drooping low. Struggling to find the strength to speak, she took a ragged breath before finally uttering the words she had wanted to say most.
“…I missed you.”
Dorothy’s heart crumbled. Whenever she tried to find the beauty in the world, she saw them. And as she watched their lovely smiles peering down at her… she couldn’t help but hope that one day, she could return to their embrace.
It was a serene night. The cold, bright moonlight and the twinkling stars looked down quietly at the young girl, who was now shivering and sobbing. In this desolate memory of her hometown, the girl prepared to fall into a slumber from which she would never wake.
Reality was different from the fantasy world of dreams, romance, and unending adventures. In reality, Dorothy had nothing. No family. No home. All that remained was a stigma marking her deadline; she had less than ten years left to live.
However, the girl still desired to shine.
Even if nothing but despair remained in her dull life, she had decided to live like the protagonist of a play. She had decided to savor every beautiful moment of her remaining years.
And so, she endured. If life had taught her anything, it was how to endure.
Dorothy’s aunt and uncle stepped forward and embraced her tightly. In that impoverished countryside village, these were the people who had loved her even when she was just a nameless orphan.
Dorothy lowered her hands and forced herself to smile once more. Her aunt reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes. Dorothy tried to engrave her aunt’s face deep into her soul.
But suddenly…
In the far distance where the rainbow had risen, the opposite side of the world became flooded with dazzling, multicolored starlight. As if in direct contrast to Dorothy’s current location, half of the world was enveloped in a brilliant radiance.
Watching the world change with a surprised expression, Dorothy soon realized what was happening and let out a wry laugh.
“Well then~.”
Dorothy smiled innocently and kissed her aunt, uncle, and Toto on their cheeks before standing up.
“Auntie, Uncle, Toto! I’ll come join you a little later! After all, someone said he would come and save me!”
With the starlit world at her back, the nine-year-old girl clasped her hands behind her and beamed.
“He’s the president of my fan club. He’s a total training fanatic who pours all his time into self-improvement. Sometimes he seems smart, but he’s actually a complete fool… Even so, he’s incredibly cute. Since he said he’d come to save me, I’ll gladly let him. Nihihi.”
Her aunt and uncle wore subtle, knowing smiles.
How were they so lovable? How could she not miss them with every fiber of her being?
Dorothy suppressed her overwhelming emotions and began to step backward.
"That's why... I'll be coming a little later... I love you."
With those final words, Dorothy Gale turned around and walked toward the radiant world of starlight.
As she set foot in that brilliance, the nine-year-old girl transformed into a dignified student. Wearing a witch’s hat and the uniform of Märchen Academy, she stood as an incomparably unique and rare genius. She was the ‘Witch of Stars’.
She was Dorothy Heartnova.
“I’m already excited.”
With footsteps as light as a bouncing rabbit, Dorothy pressed down on her blue witch hat and let out a genuine laugh.
She couldn’t wait to see Isaac.
*
The frosty silver wind, [Frostwind], blew fiercely.
The Floating Island’s yellow mana gas, capable of rotting anyone to death, exploded, obliterating the Emerald Palace into smithereens. However, [Frostwind] swirled rapidly, dispersing the toxic gas.
A male student with silver-blue hair easily deflected the threat of death using [Ice Sovereign’s Majesty]. Then, using a rock gauntlet formed from a partial summons of his golem familiar, Eden, he shattered the black spherical barrier with a single blow.
With the clear ring of shattering glass, the barrier collapsed.
Inside, he saw a lavender-haired girl, half of her body absorbed into a black pillar. Black spots, flickering like dark flames, were blooming across her skin.
The boy dispelled Eden and stood still before her.
Beams of light poured into the space as she weakly opened her eyes. Slowly lifting her head, she silently stared at the student who had come all this way to find her.
The man, framed by the light behind him, looked very familiar.
“…”
Suddenly, she realized how ridiculous it all was. She, who had once given up on everything and accepted death, now had so many things she wanted to do—all because of a few words from this man.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world to come and save her, the man spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“Let’s go back.”
Though her body was devoid of strength, Dorothy managed to squeeze out every last drop of her energy. She looked at him and, with great difficulty, let out a weak smile.
After all, if it was at all possible, she wanted to face Isaac with a smile.