A few days later, it was now Aoi who was bound in that same plaza.
 
Light white snowflakes danced about. The chill air froze her skin, her exhaled breaths turned stark white. Yet the crowd surrounding the plaza was far greater than at the witch trial days earlier.
 
The previous trial had sent massive ripples outward. The fact that the judge had wielded magic, inadvertently causing many to light candles without fire, had spread to surrounding regions – drawing multitudes hoping to witness the notorious witches themselves.
 
While many were averse to being accused of witchcraft … Read the rest

“Put your hand on this magic circle. If you don’t, I’ll kill you. Understand?”
 
“……!”
 
Aoi ordered the presiding judge to place his hand on the magic circle drawn on the parchment.
 
The presiding judge was terrified of touching what the witch had prepared, but with a knife at his throat, he had no choice but to follow her instructions.
 
Trembling, he placed his hand on the magic circle.
 
“What…!?”
 
“Kyah!?”
 
“……”
 
Then, the presiding judge’s hand faintly glowed, and the candle placed on the magic circle lit up. Everyone present was astonished. It seemed as if the presiding judge … Read the rest

At the end of a year-long harsh journey, remembering the faces of her companions from the village who had sacrificed themselves, Aoi just cried and cried. Her tears fell on the grass wet with morning dew, mixing with the dewdrops on the leaves.
 
“Uuugh…! Uuuuuuuugh…!”
 
Aoi’s arduous journey had now borne fruit.
 
After calming down, she entered the city. With the little remaining money, she tidied herself up and had a meal at a small diner. The warm meal soaked into her hungry body, tasting exquisite. This country wasn’t one that would make a fuss just because someone had red … Read the rest

“A witch…”
 
“…”
 
The man muttered, but there was no response from the woman. However, she stared intently at the bearded man who had entered the room. With only moonlight for illumination, the room was mostly dark, but the woman’s red eyes gleamed.
 
As the man’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see various things. Bandages were wrapped around the woman’s arms, matching the reports of being shot with an arrow on the first day. Her chestnut hair appeared almost black in the darkness of the night. And the witch sat huddled in the back of … Read the rest

 
“I’ll… be the decoy.”
 
Aoi said, and everyone looked at her in surprise.
 
“Eh? Aoi…?”
 
“I’ll cause a commotion near the checkpoint and distract the attention of the checkpoint and guard post officials. During that time, everyone can cross the fence without being found, right?”
 
“…………”
 
Everyone’s faces turned pale at Aoi’s proposal. Decoys, hindrances; those who did that did not survive.
 
“N-no, no, you can’t do that, Aoi…!”
 
Irias screamed in a voice like a scream.
 
“I-it’s, it’s true! Stop any method that sacrifices someone…!”
 
“Aoi, big sister… No, it’s not good. I don’t want to see that anymore…”… Read the rest

Verdi’s arrow pierced the head of the leading guard. The man fell limp, never to rise again. The blood flowing from his body was absorbed into the ground.
 
While holding another arrow, Verdi quietly spoke to Aoi and the others.
 
“I’ll buy you some time. You need to let everyone escape.”
 
“…B-but! Verdi has to get away too. ……! “
 
“Being stupid was my complex…”
 
“…?”
 
Verdi lowered her voice, but started speaking a little faster and more calmly.
 
“I couldn’t keep up with your magic talk at all. I’ve known since I was a kid that I was stupid. … Read the rest

 
Among the more than thirty fugitives were small children, who were exhausted from days of fleeing. With several horses in tow, they could carry the children instead of making them walk. However, because the horses carried supplies like food, there were not enough of them to accommodate everyone.
 
As fatigue accumulated, even the adults grew weary. They could cover less distance in a day, and breaks became more frequent.
 
Their destination was beyond the country’s borders. With a new king in power, the entire country had begun to prioritize witch hunts. So everyone was trying to escape … Read the rest

Witch Hunt

The days of peace suddenly come to an end.
 
One day, the return of a man who had gone out for work was late, which became a problem within the village. Like Aoi and Irias, he went to the village outside the village for work and earned compensation for his work.
 
It was usual for him to not come back for nearly a week after going out of the village. However, this time, he was one day late than scheduled, and he still hadn’t returned.
 
Worried? No, he’s a grown man. If there’s a party or something in … Read the rest

“W-what about you two……!? Do you have any plans to get married properly!?”
 
“Do you think we could build proper families?”
 
“To think there are men who’d want us as wives……”
 
“……Sorry.”
 
Irias didn’t deny it.
 
She sighs, and a brief pause falls over the conversation.
 
“Haa~, the tea Irias made is delicious……”
 
“What about the meat I caught?”
 
“That’s delicious too.”
 
“Right, right?”
 
Drinking the still-warm tea, Aoi lets out a white breath from her mouth with a “fuu.” In the dimly lit room with only the lamp’s light, white warm breath wavers faintly.
 
“Hey, Irias, Verdi.”
 
“Hm?”
 
“What?”… Read the rest

 
At night, stars shine in the dark sky. The mountains that had been colored with autumn’s red and the green of tree leaves have turned completely black, and the darkness of the sky faintly illuminated by stars and the blackness of the mountains envelop the village. The village is mostly asleep, with only small lights from inside houses leaking out slightly.
 
“A, Aoi? Are you still awake?”
 
“Oi, Aoi~. We’ve come to play~.”
 
Perhaps because it was night, Irias timidly opened the door to Aoi’s room, while Verdi entered energetically without much concern.
 
A red flame from a lamp flickers … Read the rest