Episode Ten
We waited quietly for Verna in the room full of books. Rizett, with Kiaran there, probably found it hard to talk openly. She sat fidgeting with her hands, waiting for time to pass.
Where to begin.
We were supposed to have brought a monster, but with Kiaran turning out to be that monster, the situation had become considerably more complicated.
I was puzzling over it, frowning hard, when a sound from behind made me turn involuntarily.
“Hey. Still alive, I see.”
Verna swept past us with her black hair moving, the hooded woman at her heels. The moment she appeared, the air in the room drew tight.
“What’s with the gloomy faces. Something happen?”
She dropped into her chair with a thud and drained a large swallow from the glass someone had prepared. She’d apparently read our state in that single glance.
“We’re just a little tired, I think. Both Sion and I are unhurt.”
I followed Selene’s clear, composed answer and opened my mouth. This was where the real part began.
“She is the… mana-absorbing monster.”
I moved to Kiaran in the corner of the room and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. She didn’t seem inclined to resist.
“Huh.”
Verna narrowed her eyes, leaning both elbows on the desk, and watched us steadily. Whatever was moving behind those murky eyes, I couldn’t read it at all.
“Doesn’t look like you’re making it up.”
“The blonde over there reeks of mana something ridiculous.”
She went on, corner of her mouth lifting.
“You. Can you talk?”
“I’ve been sitting here listening quietly and you’re telling me I smell. Do you not have any manners, even for a human being?”
Kiaran glared at the large desk, irritation seeping into her voice.
“You speak fluently. No different from a person.”
“Interesting,” she murmured, and traced the rim of her glass slowly with one finger.
“I believe this concludes the commission. You’ll cooperate with Sion’s case as promised, won’t you?”
No longer the hollow eyes of a moment ago. Selene fixed a strong, confident gaze on Verna.
Verna didn’t answer. She tapped the desk with one long nail, eyes closed, thinking.
The silence stretched for what felt like a long time. Then she let out a long breath and looked around at all of us, opening her mouth slowly.
“A promise is a promise. I’ll look into Sion. And Selene, too.”
“But it’ll take time. That much is unavoidable.”
“Of course. I don’t expect it to be resolved immediately.”
I hadn’t thought she would go back on the promise, but the relief was real. And when had she learned our names?
“That said, blonde. Your name?”
“…Kiaran.”
Verna smiled with something like satisfaction and continued.
“Kiaran. Do you know why you’ve been brought here?”
“No. I was told to follow the witch ladies.”
“Right. I’ll skip the details, they’re a nuisance. If you want to know more, ask the witch ladies later.”
She recrossed her long legs with what seemed like mild discomfort, then turned a sharp gaze on Kiaran.
“I need to examine you for Sion’s sake. So cooperate. You don’t have a choice.”
I moved one step in front of Kiaran, gently rubbing her shoulder, which had begun to tremble slightly. The gaze Verna directed at me still wasn’t something I was used to, but the fear was gone from it.
“Kiaran may be a monster, but please treat her as a person. That’s the one thing I want to ask.”
“I absolutely don’t want her put in any danger.”
For me, unusually, the words came out without hesitation. Whether she was exasperated at me for defending a monster, or whether something else was there, I couldn’t tell. Verna’s gaze, still looking straight at me, nearly made me forget how to breathe.
“Fine.”
“Pardon?”
A sound came out of me, dazed, at the word I hadn’t expected.
“A mana-absorbing monster is a rare specimen. The Magic Association can’t afford to treat something like that carelessly.”
“That’s why I asked the name. If I were seeing her as a research subject, I wouldn’t need to know her name.”
I turned quickly on instinct, and met a pair of deep crimson eyes trembling in their sockets. An expression startlingly human in its surprise.
“That’s about it. Kiaran, this place is your home from today. We’ll talk about the rest as we go.”
“Answer?”
Whether the matter was settled, Verna announced it in rapid succession and started running her pen across the paper in front of her.
I stole a glance at Selene beside me. She was moving her lips as though she had something to say, then closing them again.
“H, hang on! You’re saying I live here — I have a place I already live!”
“Tell me where. I’ll have all your things brought.”
Still looking at the paper in front of her, Verna tossed it out casually.
“That’s impossible! I live with someone, and… I don’t know how to explain it.”
“The person you live with — is that Uno?”
“Yes. I can’t just tell her I’m moving into the Magic Association.”
“Wait — you were still living in the capital? I thought you lived at the old Association.”
The question forming in my head slipped out before I could stop it.
Even today, there hadn’t been much time between me falling into the trap and Kiaran arriving at the room. I’d assumed she must have been living there.
With Verna watching, Kiaran answered my question haltingly.
“That place was… just somewhere I went when I was hungry. About once a week. Otherwise I live with Uno.”
“Then bring that one here too. I’ll explain everything.”
Verna handed a single sheet of paper to the hooded woman, saying it without any particular feeling.
“That’s obviously impossible!! Telling Uno I’m a monster… I can’t say that.”
Watching Kiaran say it with her shoulders dropping and all the strength out of her, something in me grew urgent.
I have to say something. She’s willing to cooperate with the research, so I want to show Verna an approach that won’t hurt her. Selene doesn’t look like she intends to get involved in the Kiaran side of things, so I have to do something. No time to think.
I was just about to open my mouth and say anything at all, when Verna’s words changed Kiaran’s expression entirely.
“I’ll keep the awkward parts hidden. Your condition is interesting, so I’ll have you help with research. That’s all I’ll say.”
“Rationally it wouldn’t make sense, but with the grand title of ‘Research Director of the Magic Association’ behind it, your housemate should accept it.”
“And I’m not locking you up here. I’ll make time for you, so you can see her the same as always.”
“How’s that?”
As she said it Verna rose from her seat and began gathering the papers in front of her.
Kiaran’s gaze was moving back and forth between the book-stacked floor and Verna. Perhaps she hadn’t expected to be treated like this, in her position as a monster.
“…Is this really all right? I attacked people. I almost… killed the witch lady.”
At Kiaran’s words, Selene’s fist trembled slightly. She must have been desperately holding back the impulse to cast something then and there.
“Not my concern. My job is research. Talk to the guild or the government about protecting people. The witch lady’s alive, so that’s fine.”
She said it without interest, flatly, and gave a big stretch. Watching her, words I hadn’t meant to say slipped out.
“…You’re kind, aren’t you.”
“Hm?”
Watching that well-shaped eyebrow go up, a cold sweat seeped into my palm.
“No, I didn’t mean — well, I did mean it but… um…”
It had been about to end on such a nice note and I had to go and ruin it. No good excuse was coming.
“The Research Director is kind, and so is Sion! And Selene, who’s always right there for Sion, too! Isn’t that a good thing!”
Rizett wrapped an arm around both our shoulders as she spoke, as though savouring the words. Once again her brightness had saved me.
“Research Director Verna, thank you so much for your time when you’re so busy. Please let me add my thanks as well.”
Rizett bowed lower than anyone, and I followed, dipping my own head. Selene was probably doing the same.
With an exaggerated sigh, Verna spoke in a voice with the edges softened.
“Heads up. I don’t need thanks. They brought me Kiaran, I examine her in exchange. It’s a trade.”
She folded her arms and turned her face away from us. Somehow, it looked as though the corner of her mouth had loosened.
“Time. Kiaran, come.”
With that, Verna stood and buttoned her shirt as she rose, stepping to face us.
Selene was tall, I’d always thought — but Verna was taller. Standing right in front of her, the pressure she gave off only seemed stronger.
“Inside the Magic Association I’m quite high up, but I’m taking you somewhere with even more authority.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t go badly.”
As she said it, the corner of Verna’s eyes eased, just slightly. I couldn’t trust her entirely. Even so, she was someone I felt I could leave this in the hands of.
“…Okay.”
“Black Witch. Give me some time, later. I want to apologise properly.”
“White Witch too. I don’t think you’ll forgive me, but — hear me out.”
“…It made me happy. That you said I wasn’t a monster.”
She murmured it small, then took hold of the hem of Verna’s robe and followed after her.
“Kiaran!”
The exclamation came out before I could stop it. Every eye in the room found me.
“Um — we’re friends! Still!”
“Let’s hang out again. All four of us, you and Uno and Selene and me.”
I said it, and smiled at her. For someone who had nearly been killed, it was probably far too soft of me. Selene might scold me later.
But I’d thought I might never see the old Kiaran again, and the words had burst out on impulse.
“…Yeah. Thank you.”
A small voice, not quite like her. Even so, I think it carried a warmth that was genuinely human.
“Witches, come back here again. We’ll talk about what comes next. I’ll send a letter to the redhead when the time comes.”
The two of them disappeared into the transfer circle, and quiet settled over the room.
The time spent here felt like forever, but how long had it actually been?
“Sion, Selene. You really worked so hard. Well done.”
Rizett, eyes glistening, wrapped both Selene and me in her arms.
Whether it was the tension leaving me, or the reality of the commission being finished, I couldn’t tell. Her tears drew mine out with them, and my own eyes filled.
The commission was done, but Verna was only just getting started. When the research would end, no one knew. It might be a week, it might be ten years. For a while, things would probably go back to how they were before.
But we had taken one step forward. And we had taken it with Selene. So for now at least, being glad and crying seemed all right.
For a while, pressed between Selene and Rizett, I simply let the tears fall.
The capital at sunset was full of people moving through it. People finishing work and hurrying home to waiting families. Merchants calling out to those people at the tops of their voices. Adventurers pushing through guild doors with dirty robes swinging.
We were among them, walking slowly down the main street. There seemed to be room to talk to Selene about Verna’s research another time, and tonight at least, some kind of celebration felt right.
“Selene, is there anything you want to eat? It’s a special occasion — let’s splash out tonight.”
I said it to Selene walking beside me, letting my eyes drift over the stalls on either side of the road.
Splurging on a fine cut of meat we wouldn’t usually touch and making steaks. Or a soup overflowing with so many ingredients the pot couldn’t hold them. Selene would almost certainly make tomorrow a day off, so maybe even trying wine, not really my thing but still.
All of that moving through my head as I walked, and still no answer came. I knew she was tired, but she’d been like this for hours.
It wasn’t far to the house, but I wanted to hold her hand. I wanted to thank her for saving me. I wanted to tell her about this strange feeling in my chest. But the Selene of right now wasn’t someone I could say any of that to.
I threw a pointed look at her and put a little more edge in my voice.
“Hey, why are you making that face? This is a special occasion — can you at least look a little happy?”
“It’s not much fun, honestly.”
I said it, mouth turned down, and still she only cast her eyes down and said nothing. There was so much I wanted to talk about. Something murky and unsettled was churning in my chest.
“What if a fan saw you like this? The White-Black Bulletin will run something weird again.”
I said it flatly, turning my back to her and walking ahead. If Selene wasn’t going to be the White Witch, I didn’t need to be the Black Witch either.
“…Sion.”
A voice barely there, quite unlike her, calling my name.
“…Let’s go home for now. I have something I want to say.”
The moment I turned and looked at her, a sense of having seen this before moved through my mind.
A scene from long ago, the day she lost her parents. That day had been a sunset sky too, I think. In front of my house, she had been sitting with her small knees pulled to her chest, crying for a long time.
We’ve both grown up so much since then.
And yet the Selene before my eyes right now looked to me exactly the same as she had back then.