𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟗
“. . .Don’t cry.”
ㅤ
“Huh?”
ㅤ
“. . .Come on, calm down?”
ㅤ
Told by Chris, and having my cheek wiped by Kyle, I realize I am crying.
Even after realizing it, I can’t stop the tears that keep spilling.
ㅤ
“Huh? I didn’t plan to cry. . .”
ㅤ
“Ah, I know. You’re filled with emotion.”
ㅤ
“You can talk once you’ve calmed down. Take your time.
After all, we won’t reach the royal palace for two more days.
Here, can you drink some water?”
ㅤ
“Y, yeah.”
ㅤ
I’m handed a water bottle, and I drink it down in one gulp
.
Without realizing it, my mouth had become dry.
My throat moistens, and I take a deep breath.
ㅤ
“. . .I’m okay now.”
ㅤ
“That’s good, but don’t rush.”
ㅤ
“You don’t have to push yourself, just talking is enough.”
ㅤ
“Yeah. I understand.”
ㅤ
Where should I start? . . .At least they won’t change even if I tell them I was a witch.
That’s reassuring, so I began talking about Lilia.
ㅤ
“I was born as the eldest daughter of the Count family in this country nearly three hundred years ago.
My father served as the vice-captain of the royal knights, and my mother was the exclusive maid to the queen.”
ㅤ
“Three hundred years ago. . . there’s hardly any record of that time.”
ㅤ
“It probably isn’t preserved.
Soon after I was born, the queen gave birth to a prince.
That was Nikola, the first prince. The future king.
I became Prince Nikola’s playmate and went to the royal palace.
I thought of the prince, who was a year younger than me, as a dear younger brother.”
ㅤ
Prince Nikola, with silver hair and purple eyes, was shy and initially would not approach anyone.
He began to talk to me and the other noble children,
And when it was decided that we would part ways because Prince Nikola’s education as the crown prince was beginning,
I remember him crying and resisting.
He was a crybaby and timid, but he had a strong sense of responsibility as a prince.
I think the pressure of being a king must have been painful and harsh for Prince Nikola.
ㅤ
“I was at the royal palace as a playmate to the prince until I was eight.
After that, proper friends and fiancée candidates take over.
That was as far as someone from the Count family like me could go.
I didn’t mind that.
But then, when I was nine and had my magical power evaluated at the church,
I was told I had an unprecedented amount of magical power.
At that time, all I thought was, if only I had been a noble boy.”
ㅤ
“Why if you were a noble boy?”
ㅤ
“At that time, noble boys with magical power were valued and could excel in the knight order.
As wizards or researchers who create magical tools.
But noble daughters couldn’t use their magic for anything.
Only witches can be taken to the battlefield, and noble daughters don’t become witches.”
ㅤ
“Why only witches? Witches are women too, right?”
ㅤ
“That’s not it.”
ㅤ
They probably have questions since they don’t know what witches were like at that time.
Now, it’s not uncommon for there to be female knights in the knight order.
To enter the knight order of this country, you need at least two magical attributes,
And some proficiency in magical skills.
Noble daughters can join the knight order and excel.
ㅤ
“What’s different? And what exactly are witches?
Doesn’t it just mean women who can use magic?”
ㅤ
“Most witches are commoners or orphans.
At that time, it was mandatory to have magical power evaluated at the church between the ages of eight and ten.
Boys with magic go to the knight order, girls with magic are taken into the witches’ house.”
ㅤ
This part should be understandable.
During wartime, those with magical power become forces. That’s natural.
The country protects and trains them to become war assets. But. . .
ㅤ
“When a girl is taken in by a witch, she undergoes the witch’ ritual.
There’s a reason why magical assessment is done by the age of ten.
The witch’ ritual turns a woman’s reproductive function into a power that produces magical energy.
If she has already become a woman, she cannot become a witch.
So, all witches are in children’s bodies, and they never grow any larger.
You saw it earlier. The bed was for a child.”
ㅤ
“That’s what it was. . .”
ㅤ
“Stopping growth with a child’s body just to sleep in such a small bed. . .”
ㅤ
Probably, Chris must have realized.
After a startled look, he shut his mouth.
Perhaps, the fact that Chris doesn’t grow as a man is because of this.
Even being part of the Duke family with royal blood, Chris’ magical power is too much compared to other family members.
ㅤ
When I asked the master what the witch’ ritual is,
There are those who naturally have such bodies and hold a lot of magical power.
They mimic that with magic, and turn the body into one that produces magical power.
Unlike Chris, who naturally is like that,
The witch’ ritual of forcibly changing the body with magic may also shorten the lifespan.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“Ordinary witches, even after becoming witches, do nothing.”
ㅤ
“Do nothing?”
ㅤ
“Yes. Eat, sleep. Just live normally.”
ㅤ
“What does that mean?”
ㅤ
“They’re treated the same as magical stones. Living only to supply magical power to magical tools.”
ㅤ
“”Huh?””
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Quitting Your Waifus Cold Turkey: Can You ACTUALLY Choose Adulting Over 2D?
- Lost in Translation: When Your Brain Goes on a Tangent While Reading Light Novels
- Are You Lowkey an Emo Kid, But Like, in a Good Way?
- Lacus Clyne: The Ultimate Waifu? A Gundam SEED Freedom Deep Dive
- Eren Yeager vs. Gundam: Who Would Win in a Titan-Sized Showdown?
Leave a Reply