Chapter 77.1

Haran’s Curse (3)

Ah, my beloved master, Haran.

She was a sincere scholar and an idealist.

I had always known that, having watched her closely from her side.

But… she lacked a sense of reality and had no talent for politics.

Even so, purely through her magical talent, she rose to the rank of Grand Witch.

“Isabelle! Go! Hurry! At least you must survive!”

“Master! Please, come with me! Please?!”

“I said I’m not going!”

This oblivious, stubborn master of mine didn’t notice a single shred of the feelings I had for her.

Then again, it was this same stubbornness that led her to create the Witch Assembly and turn every witch in the world against her.

“There are still witches in the Assembly who are loyal to you, Master! Not just a few — a full 100 witches! We can gather them and establish a new, independent force somewhere no one will find us! We can start over!”

I exaggerated as much as I could, desperately trying to persuade her.

“…100?”

“Yes!”

“Are you certain, Isabelle? 100 witches?”

Master, so focused on writing the spellbook, was unaware of the situation outside.

“Yes! So… please believe me, Master. You didn’t make a mistake!”

I succeeded in reigniting hope in her eyes, which had been dying out.

“That many… there are still that many witches left…”

I shouldn’t have done that.

I should have searched for another way, even if it was more difficult.

“I can’t just sit here as the head of the Witch Assembly, doing nothing.”

Master finally stopped writing the spellbook she had been stubbornly focused on and rose to her feet.

“One or two witches is one thing, but with 100 at our side, I can’t betray their trust.”

“Yes! That’s why we need to leave right now, Master! I’ll handle the witches of the Assembly!”

Pushed by my urgency, Master closed her eyes and scanned the situation beyond the barrier.

And then, with a grim smile, she spoke.

“Isabelle… it seems we’re too late. The Witch Assembly has already been completely surrounded.”

“Th-then…!”

“But it’s not like there’s no way out.”

That was the last time I saw that gentle, warm gaze from my master.

“Others mocked me for accepting worthless visions, but there is no such thing as a useless spell in this world.”

Master gently stroked my head, just as she had done when I was a child.

Fwoosh!

The spellbook she had been writing — the culmination of countless visions — was suddenly set ablaze.

“!!”

Before I could even register my shock, I felt a surge of overwhelming magical energy.

Vrooooom…

Master had begun casting a colossal spell.

The spellbook she had just burned… It was the catalyst for the enormous magic she was now weaving.

“She’s gained enlightenment by compiling the visions!”

I instinctively realized what had happened, and I was utterly stunned.

“That’s why it’s all the more heartbreaking. If we had just worked together, we could have grown so much more together…”

“Master…”

“101.”

“…What?”

“Including you, Isabelle, I will prepare a teleportation spell for 101 witches.”

“What…?”

“So go! Go and bring back the 100 witches you spoke of!”

“!!”

Her words left my mind blank.

A hundred witches?

Did we really have 100 witches who still trusted and followed Master?

Even 10 would have been a miracle at that point.

“Remember this sound.”

Ding-ling-ling. Ding-ling-ling.

The sound of a small bell echoed.

“When you hear this bell, stop whatever you’re doing and come back here immediately. Understand?”

“Do… Do we really need exactly 100 people?”

“Why? Did you change your mind? Do you think you won’t be able to gather that many?”

“We… we might get even more than that!”

“Haha, you might be right.”

Master smiled sadly as she stroked my cheek.

She must have known. She must have realized I was lying from the very start.

“Don’t worry about the number, Isabelle. This is just a contingency plan.”

“……”

“But just in case… if we do manage to gather 100 or more, I’ll be ready for it.”

“…Okay.”

“So, Isabelle, when you hear the sound of the bell, stop whatever you’re doing and come back here. I can’t activate this large-scale teleportation spell by myself.”

“You want me to go outside, gather as many witches as possible, and then return as soon as I hear the bell, right?”

“That’s right! And until you hear the bell, do not let anyone inside. No matter who it is.”

“Yes! I’ll protect it with everything I have!”

“I trust you.”

With those words, I turned my back on Master and headed to the corridors of the Witch Assembly.

The inside of the Witch Assembly was utter chaos.

“Everyone! Witches of the Witch Assembly, please listen to me!”

“It’s Isabelle!”

“It’s Isabelle, the Witch of Spring! What’s going on, Isabelle?!”

“We’re completely surrounded!”

“Where is Lady Haran? What is she doing right now?!”

Inside were several witches who had been isolated, unable to escape.

‘About 50 witches total.’

Many of you looked at it one way, but too few if you looked at it another.

These witches were the ones who hadn’t betrayed Master in the end.

More accurately, they were the “fence-sitters” who had been too indecisive to choose a side.

“Lady Haran is preparing a large-scale teleportation spell! Until it’s ready, we must protect the entrance and gather the witches!”

I relayed the key parts of my earlier conversation with Master.

“That’s… suspicious.”

A witch raised an objection.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Who’s ever heard of a spell like that? No one enters until a bell rings, then everyone suddenly gathers for a mass teleportation?”

The witch, who had sharp, cold eyes, was far too calm for the desperate situation we were in.

“Is large-scale teleportation even possible? Did Lady Haran secretly acquire a spellbook from the Golden Age?”

“Sh-she gained enlightenment while compiling the visions, that’s why…”

It wasn’t until 100 years later that I realized why no one was allowed to enter until the bell rang.

A large-scale teleportation spell must remain completely undisturbed during the casting process. Otherwise, the coordinates could be thrown off.

“Do you believe that?”

“What?”

“Do you actually believe that story?”

“……!”

At that moment, I had no idea how to counter her argument. I was young, inexperienced, and unable to provide a proper response.

“We’ve been abandoned by Haran. You, me, all of us.”

“That’s not true!”

“Then let’s check. Lead us to Haran right now. Let’s see if your dear master has escaped through some hidden passage.”

For reference, the central chamber where Master was located was protected by a powerful barrier. Only I had the authority to open it.

“Open it, Isabelle!”

“Yeah! Open it and let us see!”

Urged on by the sharp-eyed witch, the other witches began to pressure me.

“No! I’m not letting anyone in! No one can enter until the bell rings!”

I clenched my teeth and refused.

Then, suddenly, I noticed something.

I stared carefully at the witch with the sharp eyes and calm demeanor.

“Who… who are you?”

Her expression stiffened.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. I’ve never seen you before.”

“……”

“You… You’re not a witch, are you?”

The cold, sharp-eyed “witch” let out a small, chilling laugh.

“Tch. So you figured it out, huh?”

In the midst of the chaos, I realized it was far too late.

That woman… She was not a witch.

“Reveal your true identity. Before I attack.”

I readied an attack spell as I spoke.

“Wait a second… I really don’t smell the presence of a spirit.”

“Who are you?! Answer me!”