I Picked Up a Witch from a Novel

Episode 3-b. The Black Mage Subjugation.

A small and insignificant snowball.

The little snowball rolled by an unremarkable adventurer began to roll away.

The city’s secrets were finally revealed, as the black mages who had been lurking under the dazzling lights came to light.

What they were up to or what kind of trouble they were planning was still unclear.

But at least they left behind a clue that could unravel the city’s blessing and curse.

People flock to the new news surrounding Tevriss.

Veteran mercenaries hoping to make a big score and retire.

They may not be grand magicians or swordsmen, but they were surely skilled mages and knights.

Numerous adventurers had already arrived even before the news broke.

And among them, the vagrants who despaired at never being able to leave the city again.

They coveted the treasures of the underground ruins and sought out the rewards to be gained by lifting the city’s curse.

Or they desired the research journals of the black mages that had been compiled over a century and hoped for something created from a hundred years of experiments.

And.

There is a woman stepping into the already started black mage subjugation.

The ash-gray magician, Asha.

She entered the chaotic city, her identity completely concealed by her robe, necklace, bracelets, and anklets, seeking to obtain something her beloved desired.

Will the woman be able to safely seize it?

In the gathering darkness, among the crowd of numerous people.

Can she conceal the identity of ash-gray?

As the moment of decision approaches, will you be able to make the right choice?

Asha.

Please make the right decision.

A choice that meets expectations.

********

The carriage rattled as it moved along.

Eileen said she had only been in the town waiting for her letter for about ten days, asking if she couldn’t just wait a bit longer.

“That’s too much.”

“I feel like I’ve heard you say that you’ve had enough a thousand times already. Isn’t it about time to stop?”

I flatly rejected her request and immediately turned the carriage toward the city of Tevriss.

I wouldn’t know what problem I was supposed to solve until I got there, but I thought it would be best to follow the prophecy for now.

Because of that.

The only sounds that could be heard from the carriage, which went on for several days with barely any rest, were Eileen’s mutterings of how it was too much.

“I wanted to get a letter too…”

“…”

“That’s too much…”

So, I had no choice but to say the words I absolutely did not want to.

Honestly.

The way things were going, I felt I would be in a state of combat incapacity before even arriving in the city of Tevriss, so I gave her the words she wanted to hear.

“Ugh…, once I have some free time, I’ll definitely stop there again and stay for ten days, so please stop now.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ll surely come back even if it’s a bit late, so stop whining.”

I often think about how bringing Eileen along and talking with her feels somewhat like raising a child.

“Really…?”

“Yes, really.”

“Wow! Asha, they say Tevriss is a city of tourism. Isn’t that exciting?! A city where night never comes! A place where dazzling lights shine, and all kinds of entertainment can be enjoyed! If only night returns, I could become a billionaire?! It’s completely a land of opportunity! Let’s hurry and go become rich and return home!”

“…”

Just with that promise, Eileen’s eyes, which had been gloomy for days, sparkled again.

Opposite of her mutterings of how it was too much, she poured out all the various words she had kept bottled up inside.

So.

Since she’s not yet an adult, it’s alright to treat her like a child, but perhaps I had really hit the jackpot with the most childish girl possible.

“Hmm, what should we do first? Oh, thinking about it, since the prophecy said to solve a problem, we should probably focus on that, right?”

“Haah…, yes. I’ll likely resolve that issue quickly and leave the city. It’s a place with many people, so I don’t want to stay long.”

Despite being so lethargic, she quickly regained her spirits, tugging at the hem of my clothing on the carriage and babbling excitedly.

“Ah, then after resolving the problem, just two days, no, just one day! I really want to wander around for just a day and sightsee!”

“I got it, so be quiet.”

“Yep!”

Eileen looked at me, smiling brightly as if she was filled with anticipation.

She nodded her head, keeping her mouth shut while the corners of her lips lifted in a grin.

However.

“But Asha!”

“Shut up.”

“Yep.”

Her cursed mouth couldn’t hold out for even five minutes, and I was forced to let out a curse.

Well.

Even up until our carriage reached near Tevriss.

Eileen’s playful words and actions did not cease at all.

“Hey, the carriage is… Asha, this line looks ten times longer than Literra’s…?”

“…”

It was a bit absurd to see that the line to enter Tevriss began from where the tips of the city walls were visible.

So, I turned back to Eileen, who was tugging at my clothes tightly.

“Should we ask the carriage in front or behind why there are so many people?”

“Please do.”

“Okay!”

As soon as I nodded, I watched her dash off cheerfully toward the carriage behind us.

It seemed she was chatting with the coachman, nodding her head, expressing surprise with an impressed expression, and bouncing around excitedly, creating a big fuss.

The way she rushed back, yelling “Amazing!” was just like a dog excited to receive a treat, and I had to stifle a laugh.

But the news she brought was anything but amusing.

“Asha! Asha! Right now, the city’s secrets are coming to light, and they’re forming a black mage subjugation team expected to be behind it! It seems everyone is gathering to participate in that subjugation team!”

“Then…”

“Yes! Isn’t this something we should resolve?”

“…”

What Eileen and I thought was likely correct.

There had been definite changes wherever Ain had passed, so if the change in that city was this, it was certainly so.

I bit my lips.

If so many people had gathered for the same reason I had to, wasn’t that a bit dangerous?

“Asha? Why do you look like that? Having a subjugation team would be a huge help in resolving it…, ah.”

“…”

Eileen seemed to belatedly realize the issue, as she suddenly stopped talking and looked around at me and the surrounding carriages with a startled expression.

In short, two problems arose.

Firstly, even though I was disguising my identity with tools, the possibility of it being discovered had increased significantly.

And secondly, would I really be able to seize whatever Ain wanted among all these people?

So even carrying two issues, could I reach the conclusion that both Ain and I desired, as per the prophecy?

Even after a long time of deep thought and contemplation, I could find no suitable answer, and that made me a bit afraid.

As the line gradually decreased and our carriage moved forward, I had to tightly pull down the hem of my robe.

Anyway.

Our carriage safely entered the city.

Due to the chaotic and noisy situation, perhaps the inspection wasn’t being conducted properly, as the guards merely glanced at our adventurer registration and swiftly let us through.

“Wow…, the sky has brightened up. It was definitely becoming dark.”

“…”

As Eileen entered the city, she muttered blankly while staring at the brightly lit sky.

It was indeed a fascinating phenomenon.

In a city where night never visits for a hundred years, people cannot sleep and yet do not feel fatigue.

All who entered this city, experiencing such a bizarre phenomenon, were heading in the same direction.

“Asha, it seems that big building in the distance is the gathering place.”

“Yes, I see it.”

It seemed there would be no chance to take a breather anytime soon.

Since it was a place where people did not feel fatigue in the first place, there was hardly any need to rest.

So.

To follow the procession of the other carriages, I lightly tapped the reins.

In an attempt to hide my uneasy feelings, I subtly fidgeted with the ends of my robe and tightly grasped the shimmering sapphire necklace.

And quietly, a voice came from the cargo area.

“Asha, it’s alright.”

“What do you mean all of a sudden that everything is alright?”

“If we get discovered, we can just swipe the reward and escape!”

Eileen, bouncing around in an odd way with a bright smile, was there.

“That would be a crime.”

“Well, but isn’t getting hunted down also somewhat romantic?”

“… You really are a strange person.”

“Of course! Even if you become a criminal, I’ll go along with you! That too is surely romantic! You know!”

Eileen kept tugging at the hem of my robe.

Because of that, I couldn’t help but break into a smile.

After all.

Even until the carriage reached the gathering place, Eileen’s playful words and actions did not stop.

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