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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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Chapter - 10: An Epilogue of a Certain Witch
“Why did you spare the witch? I never expected you to show mercy to the very source of that destruction.”
“I didn’t save her. It was more like a test, trying to kill her until the very end.”
When the hero of justice stormed in to kill the witch.
If she hadn’t tried to protect her mother.
If she hadn’t abandoned her witch’s power.
If she had still clung to life and dodged the hero’s strikes.
Priscilla would have died.
Saying that I spared her out of mercy—well, maybe there's some truth to it, since I did deceive the hero with illusions.
But it’s not exactly accurate.
“Priscilla saved herself.”
In the end, a witch’s story only ends when the witch willingly gives up immortality.
That is something no one else can do for her.
And Priscilla succeeded magnificently in proving her change.
That’s all there is to the story.
Killing everyone for no reason would just disturb my sleep.
"Then… I suppose the witch’s story ends here."
“The witch’s story ends here.”
She is no longer a witch.
The witch’s fate is only tragedy.
All that awaits is a brutal death.
‘Happily ever after’ ending is never granted to witches.
But since she chose to give up her witch’s power.
She can now decide her own fate.
That ending could be tragic, or it could be a happy one.
“...Ugh. Using my powers for days really tires me out. I think I’ll get some sleep.”
“Shall I read you a fairy tale?”
“Not a bad idea. A fairy tale with a witch would be nice.”
“A witch? That probably won’t be a very pleasant story.”
“I want to fall asleep listening to a story about an evil witch dying horribly.”
“You’re a nasty piece of work.”
He practically collapsed onto the bed.
Kanaria perched on the bedside and began reading.
It was a tale about children abandoned by their parents, lured into a gingerbread house by a witch who would eat them.
The story ended with the witch being baked in an oven.
“Please don’t project the fairy tale scenes telepathically. It’s making me nauseous.”
“It’s fun.”
As the illusion manipulated the scene, the oven door where the witch was being baked suddenly swung open, and something moved inside.
The two siblings who had baked the witch looked on in fear.
Amid the chilling tension that felt like the air itself was freezing, the oven door opened on its own and a giant figure stepped out.
-“You fucking idiot. Can’t even tell the difference between a person and flour dough?”
“Why is Gigachad coming out of the oven?”
-"It’s the same principle as when you bake dough and get cookies."
-"I, Gigachad, will teach you how to properly use an oven."
Wearing an apron, Gigachad baked cookies using the various doughs left in the witch’s house.
The plain flour dough transformed into colorful, beautifully decorated cookies.
The two siblings who tasted the cookies were amazed.
And so, Gigachad and the two abandoned siblings lived happily ever after.
==========
A few minutes after Priscilla woke up, her unconscious mother finally regained consciousness.
Her mother gasped, surprised to see the broken walls, then looked at Priscilla.
“Huh? Why did the wall collapse...? And who are you?”
A witch’s spell that erases a loved one’s memories.
In her mother’s mind, there was no memory of Priscilla.
She was naturally confused.
After a moment of silence, Priscilla carefully introduced herself.
“Hello. I’m Priscilla. I’m blind... I think I accidentally wandered in here while feeling my way around. I’m sorry.”
“Priscilla? Somehow... that name sounds familiar.”
Her mother nodded blankly while staring at Priscilla.
Was the explanation reasonable enough?
Or perhaps her mind was a little hazy from the aftereffects of the witch’s spell.
“I’ll leave right away. I’m sorry.”
Having confirmed the spell had properly taken effect, Priscilla stood up.
There was a faint hope that maybe the spell hadn’t fully worked... but miracles didn’t happen so conveniently.
She was no longer her mother’s daughter.
So she had no reason to stay there.
Priscilla passed through the broken wall and headed outside.
After walking for a few minutes.
"Wait, dear!"
Her mother’s urgent voice stopped Priscilla’s steps.
Priscilla turned around.
Though she was blind and couldn’t see her mother, she could feel her presence as though seeing with her eyes, at least when it came to her mother.
“Take this.”
“...Huh?”
“It’s a stick. You’ll need it to find your way.”
The stick was sturdy and long enough to serve perfectly as a cane for a blind person.
It was likely a gift prepared by her mother before she lost her memory.
“Since you can’t see ahead, it could be dangerous.”
“...Thank you.”
“This might sound a bit strange but if you have nowhere to stay, it’s okay to stay at our house for a few days. Although the walls of my bedroom collapsed, there are several rooms.”
For a moment, Priscilla almost nodded without realizing it.
She wanted to stay at her mother’s house, to feel her warmth just a little longer.
But that was a path she had already given up.
“...Thank you. But I have someone I need to find.”
“Is that so? I see… Sorry for saying something odd.”
In truth, staying there was an option for Priscilla.
She could have made new memories, felt affection for each other again and after living together for a month.
She could have asked her mother to become family.
Surely, that life would have been very happy.
Maybe that kind of life was the new path suited for Priscilla, the one who was no longer a witch.
But she didn’t choose that.
“I’ll definitely come back with a proper thank-you gift for this stick.”
Because she had to move forward.
She had already deceived her once, she couldn’t play the part of an innocent and clueless daughter a second time.
She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
She was no longer of an age to throw childish tantrums.
She had promised Gigachad she would walk on her own.
"You’re welcome anytime, dear. No need to bring any gift.”
“Okay...”
With that, she left the village and headed into the forest.
Soon, a swarm of insects came to greet her.
“Oh my, you’re still here.”
They were the familiars she had created.
Now, having lost her witch’s power, no contracts remained between them.
The insects made rustling sounds as they fluttered near her ears.
“My contract with you is over. You’re free to live as you wish. I no longer have the magic to hold a feast for you. And I burned all the cauldrons.”
But the familiars didn’t leave.
Instead, they rustled around, clearing a path for her.
Maybe they saw her as a kind of mother.
“...Thank you.”
Priscilla went into the forest, escorted by her familiars.
She planned to head to the cave where the bandits once hid—there were still supplies and tools left behind.
.
.
.
-“What a miraculous morning, Pippy.”
“Gigachad?!”
Priscilla woke up from her dream hearing a familiar voice.
She hurriedly looked around for Gigachad.
“Ah… it was just a dream…”
Priscilla suddenly felt that this cave was extremely cold and chilly.
Priscilla hugged her knees, bowing her head, and began to sob.
She felt lonely.
The world was pitch black, there was nothing to see.
The only light she had was gone now.
‘Gigachad... you said you’d always be waiting somewhere closer to my own heart... but I can’t feel you anymore…’
“Liar…”
‘Gigachad, I still need you. I’m a coward. I’m still scared of getting hurt. ‘
‘If this was how it was going to be. If you were going to disappear like this. You shouldn’t have saved me. You shouldn’t have pushed me forward. You shouldn’t have changed me.’
-“Pippy, I’m not the one who changed you. The only one who can change you is yourself.”
“I know. That’s what you’d say.”
-“You seem lost in thought. How about we go for a walk?”
“...”
Gigachad’s voice was still so clear in her mind.
If it were only a hallucination, then it would be no different than just talking to herself.
Even though she kept hearing Gigachad’s voice in her head.
She couldn’t feel him.
It was like there was a hole in her heart.
Her lungs felt damaged, making it hard to breathe.
“Ugh… Gigachad…”
After crying in the cave for hours, a voice came from the cave entrance.
“Oh. Lucky me. No beasts, and it looks like someone lived here before. I should rest here for now…”
“...”
A familiar scent of sunflowers.
It was the hero.
“Oh my, a wanderer.”
“...”
“Hey? Are you asleep?”
Priscilla didn’t answer.
She didn’t even have the strength to respond.
Today, she just didn’t want to do anything.
If Gigachad were here, he would have shouted, ‘Get your heavy butt up right now!’ but Gigachad was gone.
She wanted to waste this one day like this.
“Hmm… doesn’t look like you’re asleep…don’t be so wary. I’m the hero chosen by the
‘The god of Libra.’ I swear I won’t harm you.”
“...”
“I came to this forest because of a vision. The priestess asked me to bring her the ‘hero material’ from here.”
“...”
The hero glanced around awkwardly for a moment. Then smiled brightly at Priscilla.
“Maybe you’re that very material.”
“...Nonsense.”
“Ha! So you’re not mute.”
"What kind of hero is a blind person..."
“Come to think of it, the one who gave me the vision also told me to pass this along.”
“...”
“You can be anything. Set your goals high. Well, it’s a cliché but some heroes are one-armed or blind too, so don’t worry too much…”
“Hey, are you crying? I didn’t make you cry, did I? Ow! Something bit me—ahh?! What are these bugs?!”
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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