Witch Hunt Chapter 5 part3

As promised, more Witch Hunt.

(Part 3)

After that, I spent the rest of the day normally until nightfall.

First, I returned to Guns & Bread and apologized to my boss, who had been minding the store by himself since I never returned no matter how much time passed. I spent the time until sunset handling the customers and tidying up the store. After I was done with my duties, I said goodbye to Mr. Bread, like I did with Cougar.

There was a chance I would never come back to that place.

I was planning on talking to my boss as normally as possible, but perhaps he noticed I wasn’t my usual self, since he asked many times if I was ok.

I’m glad my first job was in that bakery…in Guns & Bread, since that let me meet him and see that there are kind people in the world, besides my father. Ultimately, I smiled and deceived my boss until the end, then returned home without telling him the truth.

There was some time left before the sun completely sunk beneath the horizon, so I tried to read the novel Meyrin lent to me. However, the contents completely failed to enter my head. I had only read until the point where the female protagonist fell in love with the same person her friend liked. I had more than half of the book left. It didn’t seem possible I would finish the novel that day. It was yet another thing to add to my list of regrets.

When I slammed the book shut, suddenly I recalled a scene from one of the picture books my father used to read for me. Why then of all times, when I had almost forgotten about it, could I remember that image with such clarity? As I touched the back of the book with my fingers, I rushed back to those distant days.

A dark, dark forest that grew luxuriously in the distant southeast of Kings. I wasn’t aware of it until very recently, but those woods were fearfully called ‘The Forest of Death’ by the denizens of Kings. However, for me it was a place of cherished memories where I once lived happily with my father, just the two of us.

In the deepest heart of the forest… A ruined church lingered serenely. Inside, we lived a very quiet life.

“Your hair is just like your mother’s, Lucca.” Those were the words my father said each morning as he brushed my hair.

It made me truly happy.

My world was stuck half way between dreams and reality as I dozed off, but whenever he said his favorite phrase I felt such happiness that I shivered in delight from head to toe, and the drowsiness left me.

According to my father, my mother died from an illness soon after I was born. It was a condition that only affected magic users: Maboubyou, the Magic Burst Disease.  It’s a fatal disease where the magical powers of the sufferer run wild and their body is unable to withstand the density of the magical essence. Even my mother, who was supposed to be less powerful due to being half-witch and half-human, fell ill and died because of it. For pure-blooded witches, it was a very frightful sickness that left them no choice but to wait for death from the instant they contracted it.

My father had sworn an oath to live his life together with my mother after they eloped and fled their country; her loss had left him with an unfathomable sadness. If the most important person to me died… It that was me, I’d be crushed and perhaps I’d try to follow them in death. My mother’s fate had been incredibly cruel; however, my father didn’t despair. Every day, he cut firewood and raised crops in the depths of that deep and dark forest; sometimes, he ventured outside to trade. And all the while, he gently educated my younger self.

When I was young, it was a mystery to me how my father could be such an overachiever. One day, I asked him why did he work so hard.

“Because you are here, Lucca.” I still clearly remember how he said those words and smiled patting my head. “The woman I loved most left you in my care. You are the one being in this world I must protect no matter what,” my father stated looking at me fondly. It made my cheeks turn pink with excitement.

Being a small child, the ‘love’ my father was describing was a difficult concept to grasp, so I tried to tell myself it was like the affection I always felt for him. But naturally I didn’t succeed at a completely satisfying explanation.

Then one day, maybe due to the many years of excessive work... My father died. Even though he still hadn’t reached an age where he could be called ‘grandfather’, more than half the hairs of his beard had turned white. He was everything in life to me, so after he was gone I was left without a clue about what to do next. I yearned for him – I thought about going after him, but I instantly became ashamed that even for a second I had the impulse to readily throw away the mark of my father’s existence on this world.

After he passed away, I gripped the hand of my unmoving father and cried all night long. In the picture book my father used to read to me, it’s written that the tears of a witch have the power to bring back the dead. However, that was just a nursery tale.

“It’s not the tears, it’s the blood. The power of a witch rests inside her blood.”

The morning after my father’s death, a visitor came to the ruined chapel where we lived: Meyrin. She often came to the woods to collect materials for her potions. That day she was by sheer luck walking in front of my home, and when she heard my voice wrecked by sobs, she came inside the dilapidated building.

I had seen that mysterious witch from time to time in the woods since I was a child. Meyrin and I had exchanged greetings twice or thrice, but this was the first time I had a proper conversation with her. She helped me dig a hole and bury my father, giving him a simple but proper place of rest.

After that, Meyrin remained at the church with me. She was having difficulty locating an uncommon mushroom called Devil’s Tail which was the reason she came to the woods, so she asked me to let her stay for a while at my home. I gladly accepted, since I was happy to have anyone by my side given how lonely I felt after being left alone so suddenly. Thinking back on it, I believe I wanted to know more about witches; my father had said little about them. Meyrin fulfilled both wishes and was perhaps the perfect person for a brief cohabitation.

Each day we wandered the woods and searched for medicinal ingredients. Each night we lied on the roof of the ruined church and sent our thoughts to the stars peeking at us from beyond the thick foliage.

I talked about many things with Meyrin: my life until then, how Meyrin could live in the human world, the death of my mother due to Maboubyou, the correct use of magic… There was little I could say in comparison to Meyrin due to my isolated upbringing; however, although I had nothing but silly things to say, she seemed genuinely interested when she interrupted me with her questions.

The sixth day since Meyrin’s arrival, we were having a little celebratory toast, overjoyed at finally getting our hands on the Devil’s Tail mushroom.

The sparkling green liquid we were pouring into our cups was a drink called Magic Brew that Meyrin had brought along with her. When I fearfully tried it, the taste was sweet and yet sour. The sensation in my mouth was smooth and dry thanks its thickness. It was truly a strange phenomenon, to feel drunkenness set in even though the drink wasn’t alcoholic.

After guzzling down that magic drink, Meyrin asked me bluntly, “What are you going to do from here on?”

“What am I going to do… I wonder that myself…”

“If it was me living alone in this dark forest, I’d die out of sheer loneliness.”

“But this is the only place for me.”

“That’s not true. You should come to Kings.”

“…I can’t go to the city. My father told me humans are scary beings.”

“Why yes, it would be bad if you get outed as a witch, but staying here is no good, is it? Besides, once you get used to it, the city is a pretty good place to live.”

I could do nothing but speak backward-looking words full of uncertainty. In contrast, Meyrin had been living tenaciously in Kings.

What’s the city like? What’s the building like? If there’s kind people there, are there scary people as well? “Every day there all sorts of things going on, so it’s very entertaining.” She continued talking for a long time with a jovial expression.

Despite her efforts, I couldn’t nod in agreement.

“I’m sorry… I just can’t do it.”

“I see. I won’t force you, then.” Meyrin wasn’t saddened nor angry at me for finally rejecting her invitation… She gave up completely, as if her previous persistence had been an act. All the while, she smiled slightly, dismissing my attempts to apologize.

Meyrin moved a finger in circles and, to my surprise, the contents of her cup went from green to red. She then handed it to me.

“What a pretty color…”

“It’s my special blend. Give it a try.”

Inside the cup I held with both hands, the liquid glowed crimson. My face was reflected in the surface, swaying and warping mysteriously.

When I boldly took a mouthful of the magic drink, the varied sensations I felt weren’t just confined to the inside of my mouth. It was like spring roses, like autumn leaves, like summer sunlight, like winter snowmelt… With just rolling the liquid a bit on my tongue, the taste changed subtly, overtaking my palate.

“What’s this, it’s incredible.”

“isn’t it? Go on, drink your fill. Let’s talk about something fun!”

The day-to-day life of the city that Meyrin described left me with an impression that was quite different from the things my father had said. In retrospect, maybe that was to be expected. My father despised the people around him that wouldn’t accept his relationship with my mother, so he abandoned his country. In contrast, Meyrin chose freely to live among humans. Even if two people saw the same things, the results would be different depending on the lens they used to peek through.

I still had my doubts on whether I could go there and surrounded by people… But as I listened to Meyrin’s words, I begin to consider seeing with my own eyes what the human life my father had rejected was like.

Thinking back on that day, I think it’s likely she used her magic on me. Surely, that fashionable woman must’ve used a spell meant to imbue cowardly witches like me with courage. I completely fell for her trick. I don’t think I can thank her enough for her cunning. At that time, she brought about such a big, big change to my life.

“I’ll go with you.”  The morning after drinking the night away, I stood behind Meyrin and told her my decision as she washed her face. Finally, I had made up my mind.

“Right, then get everything ready. I’ve got a recommendation, a bakery. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

After wiping her face, she threw me the towel. The fabric obscured my vision and I was enveloped by darkness. Caught by surprise, I let out a cry and fell. I looked upwards as I rubbed my bottom to alleviate the pain and saw Meyrin pointing and laughing, seemingly in a great mood.

“Jeez!” I pouted and yet in a manner of minutes I was laughing along with her.

That’s how I left behind the only place I had ever known, the Forest of Death.

(to be continued)

Chapter end