Chapter 18: The Other Side of the Little Witch
With this idea in mind, Liya went to meet an old acquaintance from Entak First Academy.
“Sister Liya… it really has been a long time. The last time you came to see me was seems like after the previous competition ended…”
Sitting in the luxurious office of Mary, the Vice Principal of Entak First Academy, Liya looked at the white-haired old lady in front of her, dressed in formal attire.
Since taking on the role of Vice Principal, Mary had been beloved by her students, dedicated to her research, and diligent. She held high prestige within the academy, and as no suitable successor could be found for a time, she continued to serve as Vice Principal.
Due to her advanced age, her body had somewhat shrunk. She was tiny, nestled in the Vice Principal’s large, soft chair, her eyes sunken into her wrinkled face. She leaned on a cane and wore a magic robe, along with a Great Witch’s Hat. Compared to the petite Liya, she looked more like the witch from fairy tales who would catch children to make soup.
—If it weren’t for her extremely kind smile.
“Um, um… please don’t call me ‘sister’ anymore, it’s a bit strange.”
Liya instinctively shied away from Mary’s smile and gaze.
Because they always reminded her of decades ago, when she first met Mary, with her fearless smile and clear, pure eyes.
Mary was actually a student of her mother. Witches rarely interacted with ordinary humans, but Mary, alone, had ventured into the forest. She wandered through the labyrinth of witches for a day and a night until she found their cabin, hoping her mother would take her in.
She repeated this process three times. Due to her persistence, her mother gained her first student.
They had also ventured into dungeons together in search of materials for Ancient Magic.
This wasn’t a particularly distant memory for Liya, but…
In the blink of an eye, the child who called her “sister” had become a mature Vice Principal…
And had also grown old.
While she remained the same child from back then.
Liya’s gaze shifted from her own small hands, which were shorter than the fingertips of even a teacher’s smallest robe.
Raising her head, she looked at Mary under the light, her white hair particularly striking in the warm glow.
Her excessive dedication to magic, her overworking for the school, and her disregard for herself made her appear to age faster than her peers.
Liya mused that perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, she would attend Mary’s funeral, and at that time, she would still look like a child.
She would stand among the students laying flowers for Mary, cast a silent glance, and treat it as the departure of an ordinary friend she wasn’t particularly close to.
This was probably the reason their mother had repeatedly taught them… why they, as witches, always had to face loneliness.
“…You must have come here for a reason. There are only a few days left until the competition, and I’m still curious what surprises Sister Liya will bring us this year.”
Mary extended her right hand and picked up the small teapot beside her, intending to pour tea for Liya across the table.
“Don’t mention last year. Ah, ah… I wish I could erase the memory of last year…”
As she spoke, Mary had just lifted the handle of the pot, but her right hand, so thin that only wrinkled skin remained, trembled and lost its grip.
However, the moment her hand slipped, Liya’s small palm, as if waiting, took over and caught the handle of the teapot.
“Still as careless as ever. Don’t trouble yourself, Vice Principal, with pouring tea. I can manage perfectly fine myself.”
Liya pouted slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.
Facing Liya’s slightly reproachful tone, Mary smiled with relief:
“Sister Liya, you know my right hand was injured… it sometimes loses strength, so you’ve been watching, ready to take the pot if I’m careless, haven’t you?”
Liya lowered her head, the hat brim obscuring her expression. She not only poured tea for herself but also filled Mary’s cup.
“Sigh… I actually forgot myself. I injured my right hand back in the dungeon. The injury was quite serious back then, and for a long time, Sister Liya helped me with heavy tasks.”
“Oh? Is that so? I don’t remember that.”
“Just like before, Sister Liya. You say you don’t remember, but in reality, you remember every little detail about everyone you’ve met.”
“No, how could I remember so much? Trivial matters just slip through my mind.”
“So, Sister Liya, what is it you’re looking for me for?”
“Actually, it’s just… there’s… there’s an elite class that I’m very, very interested in… it’s probably the one where that child from Hysterm is…”
Mary’s eyes, sunken into her wrinkles, lit up.
“Oh? Sister Liya… are you finally planning to integrate into the school? Congratulations, congratulations. And you’ve finally taken an interest in a student, haven’t you? You never recruit students.”
She gently clapped her hands. Due to her age, her clapping produced no crisp sound.
“I’ve always looked forward to seeing what kind of student Sister Liya would choose. After all, I put in a lot of effort to get the teacher to choose me. As the teacher’s daughter, Sister Liya must have very high standards.”
“No, there are… there are other motives!”
“It’s alright. I’m very happy that Sister Liya is taking the initiative to do this. These years, I’ve kept thinking that perhaps, as witches, you and the teacher could try to interact more with ordinary humans…”
Mary slowly bent down and reached out, pulling out an approval form from her cabinet and slowly signing it.
Liya watched her, replying in a way that both convinced herself and denied the implication:
“There’s… no need.”
“Actually, I think our school has quite a few outstanding students. Sister Liya, despite how long you’ve lived, I think your state of mind is more similar to that of my young students.”
Mary signed, as if truly treating Liya as a student and helping her overcome her emotional hurdles.
“You’re just finding a way to call me childish.”
“Oh dear, what I mean is, our school doesn’t prohibit teacher-student relationships. Perhaps you and our students would be quite a good match? These young men are all strong and vigorous after three years of graduation, like wolves and tigers.”
“Hey!”
Before Liya could speak, Mary quickly handed the form to her, effectively silencing her.
“Yes. I’ve filled out the form for you, but even so, don’t forget about the competition.”
“Speaking of which… Mary… can I not participate in the competition? The book left by my mother is, after all, something of ours as witches. Shouldn’t it be given to me directly…”
“No. Sister Liya, that is something the teacher specifically entrusted to me. She said it was a gift for future geniuses who achieve great success in Fire Magic, because only top Fire Mages need to research more powerful Ice-attribute defenses.”
Mary’s tone was gentle, but her words were precise and serious.
“The teacher said, especially you, you particularly need to pass this trial… no, or rather, the condition she set and wants to test is only you.”
“Alright, alright, I get it. It’s not something that can stump this genius witch like me, just wait and see!”
