Episode Five

“Everyone — your rooms are ready.”

When the discussion had reached a natural pause, a woman arrived with the headwoman.

“Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner — I run the inn here in the village. I’ve come to show you to your rooms, but there’s something a little awkward I need to mention first…”

The innkeeper, a generously built woman, scratched her cheek and let her eyes wander.

“I’m afraid I could only prepare three rooms…”

For just a moment, the air in the room seemed to stop.

Word had come through the guild that four of us were coming, I’d have thought — but unexpected guests must arrive sometimes too. Getting four rooms free in a village this size probably wasn’t easy.

“Uhhh… so how do we—”

“Sion and I will share a room. Please take the remaining two for yourselves.”

Selene gripped my arm firmly and turned a pleasant smile on Kiaran and Uno.

…What?

“Innkeeper — could you show us to the rooms?”

“Se — Selene! Just a moment—”

The grip on my arm tightened, saying as clearly as words: don’t make this complicated.

Sharing with Kiaran sounded exhausting. Sharing with Uno was — harder to picture. If I could only manoeuvre those two into the same room and keep separate rooms for Selene and me—

“STOP!! I want to share with the Black Witch!!”

“That won’t be possible. Sion is—”

Kiaran looked ready to launch herself across the room. Selene fell silent for just a moment, then let her eyes soften with the faintest curve.

“She can’t sleep without me if she’s somewhere unfamiliar.”

…Excuse me?

“No — no, no, no. That is not true! I sleep perfectly well on my own!!”

My voice was clearly reaching her, yet the innkeeper only managed an apologetic smile. The headwoman, for her part, was looking at me with the fond indulgence of someone watching a grandchild.

“P-please, I really mean it…!”

Not being able to sleep alone was ancient history. These days I was perfectly fine. On stormy nights, maybe — those could be a little frightening. But still.

If something like this found its way into the White-Black Bulletin, I’d never be able to walk outside again. And surely Selene minded this too?

“…Sele x Shio! Sele x Shio!”

At the edge of my vision, Uno was gazing up at me with eyes shining brighter than I’d ever seen them.

I needed her to be quiet for just a moment.

“That is so unfair!! I want to sleep next to the Black Witch too!”

“Let’s all three share!! Black Witch in the middle, me and the White Witch on either side!!”

“…Kiaran. Don’t interfere. If you do…I’ll be angry.”

Selene was pulling one arm. Kiaran had the other. Uno was saying something I couldn’t quite follow.

I gave up. Do whatever you want.

I kept my eyes down and waited for time to pass, because looking at the innkeeper’s flustered face was more than I could bear.

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The innkeeper, with a helpless smile now permanently affixed to her face, showed us to a small room that still held a faint smell of wood. Two beds, at least — that was a relief.

The moment the door closed, I turned a sharp look on Selene.

“Why did you say that?! Now she thinks I’m completely hopeless…”

In the mirror by the entrance, I could see myself, hunched and pitiful.

“Bear with it. If you’d ended up with either of those two, what would we have done about the supply?”

“Uurgh…”

A sound that wasn’t quite a word escaped me. I had nothing to say back to her — which made it all the more infuriating.

“Still. Sharing a room means — after the supply — being here together — it’s awkward, and I don’t like it.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I mind!!”

If she was going to be like this, I wished she’d just stay in White Witch mode at home too.

I let out a long sigh, put as much distance between us as I could, and made my way to the empty bed.

“Should we do it now?”

Selene had folded her robe neatly and set it aside. She asked the question with her eyes cast down.

“Not yet. I barely used any magic today.”

One enchant. One crystal. My head was a little heavy, but nothing unbearable.

“I see.”

She answered briefly and began organising her things, talking as she worked.

“…About today. I let my guard down. I’m sorry.”

She was still thinking about that.

“That’s done with. It was the same for both of us.”

“…Thank you. I’ll be more careful.”

Her back was turned, so I couldn’t see her face. Hiding her expression at a moment like this felt unfair to me.

“I’m going to have a bath.”

She said it and left the room at a quick pace.

Nothing to do until she came back — I might as well get ready for tomorrow. I reached for my dagger, and my own face looked back at me from the dull gleam of the blade.

How should I handle things tomorrow? Four of us or not, I didn’t think I could fight through this without magic. That was exactly why I needed to think about how much to use. If I pushed too hard and couldn’t move, I’d be letting down not just Selene but Kiaran and Uno as well.

I set the dagger on the desk and let out a small breath.

It really was wrong of me to keep being an adventurer.

I’d only survived this far by luck, and tomorrow was as uncertain as any other day.

If I died — what face would Selene make? Would she look composed, the way she always did? Would she cry? I thought I’d be glad if she cried — but I didn’t want to see her crying.

My shoulders had finally loosened, and now I was thinking myself into a dark place again. I cleared my head and spent the time until Selene returned sharpening my dagger in silence.

When she came back, her face was faintly flushed from the bath — the heat still in her cheeks. We passed each other in the doorway, and I took my change of clothes and headed for the bath myself.

The tub was larger than the one at home. I soaked until the warmth settled into me, and felt something shift — a kind of reset. I didn’t run into Kiaran or the others, but I hoped they were resting just as well.

“Selene. This is from the innkeeper.”

I came back to the room with two cups of warm milk the innkeeper had pressed into my hands at the door.

“Thank you. It’s a good village, this.”

“It really is. I might take a little walk tomorrow while it’s still light.”

We’d arrived as the sun was going down — I wanted to see the village properly in daylight, just to clear my head.

“Don’t tire yourself out.”

She closed the book she’d been reading quietly and came to sit on the edge of my bed.

“Shall we?”

“Yes. But—”

I cleared my throat and pointed at her, as firmly as I could manage.

“Just holding hands tonight. I haven’t used that much — and if Kiaran or someone came in…”

We weren’t the only ones in this inn. Kiaran and Uno were here, and the innkeeper or headwoman might come to the door with something. Selene cared about appearances more than anyone — surely tonight, of all nights, my case would hold.

She seemed to think it over for a moment — then stood, crossed to the door, and turned the key.

The click of the lock sounded unreasonably loud in the quiet room.

“Now no one can come in.”

A soft, unhurried smile — the kind she wore for the White Witch’s admirers — and a cold shiver ran straight down my spine.