Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1

by Jougi Shiraishi

“Elaina, you’re serious about this, right?” my mother asked me.

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  “Then go see the world.”

  “Okay!”

  After a brief pause, my mother said, “However, I want you to make me three promises.”

  “…Promises?” I tilted my head in confusion.

  My mother turned to me and held up three fingers. “Yes. If you can’t keep these promises, there’s no way I can send you on a journey, witch or no. After all, it’s a dangerous world out there.”

  “…What do I need to promise you?” I sure wasn’t giving up now.

  “Well, listen up.” My mother folded her ring finger. “First, when it seems like you might be heading into a dangerous situation, that you will run away whenever possible. Don’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Otherwise, you might end up dead.”

  “Got it.”

  That’s just common sense. I’d do that even if you didn’t make me promise. I’m not ready to die, you know.

  My mother continued, folding her middle finger. “Second, never begin to think you are above everyone else; you may be a witch, but you will still be a visitor. You must not get arrogant, and never forget that you are the same as anyone else.”

  “Okay.” Thanks to my experience training under Miss Fran, the weirdly arrogant version of Elaina was already a thing of the past. I didn’t think there would be any issue with keeping this promise, either.

  “Third…” My mother dropped her loosely folded fist to her side and smiled. “…You must come back. Return, and let us see your smile again.”

  “……”

  “Promise?”

  “…Yes.” I nodded slowly.

  That’s when my father started crying. “A-are you really going, Elainaaa…?!”

  “Papa, she’s made her decision. Let’s give her a little push, okay? Besides, we’re the ones who promised her that she could go. Parents don’t break promises.”

  “I was sure Papa was going to a minute ago…,” I mumbled. Luckily, he didn’t seem to hear me.

  Wiping away his tears, my father said, “My precious only daughter is already leaving the nest, huh? I can feel a hole opening in my heart already…”

  “I mean, I’ll come back sooner or later.”

  “You’re going to die of shock when Elaina gets married, aren’t you, dear?”

  “Stop it! Don’t even talk about her getting married; it’s too early!” My father started crying again.

  ……

  So that’s roughly how it went.

  It was officially decided that I would set off on my journey.

  The following day, I dressed myself in a new outfit.

  “Yes, the size is perfect.”

  My black pointy hat and black robe were hand-me-downs from my mother.

  “Isn’t it a little too plain?” I did a twirl in front of the mirror.

  “Goodness. A plain appearance is perfect for a traveler. Plus, it suits you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You have money?”

  “Plenty.”

  “Don’t waste it.”

  “Of course not.”

  “And then…ah, that’s right. Just in case, take this with you.”

  “…?”

  She plopped a pointy hat down into my hand. It was exactly the same design as the other hat my mother had already put on my head a moment ago. …But why?

  “Just in case your first hat blows off in the wind, you can use this one,” my mother said to me as I stood there in confusion.

  In other words: “A spare?”

  “That’s right.”

  Okay, I’ll take it.

  And then, my preparations complete, I stood in the doorway.

  The two of them were standing there when I looked back.

  “Safe travels, Elaina.” My mother was waving good-bye with a smile on her face.

  “Uu, guw…waaahhh…” My father had burst into tears again.

  Stroking my father’s head, my mother spoke to me with a gentle smile. “Whenever you come back, be sure to tell us all about the Journey of Elaina.”

  “You can look forward to it while you wait.”

  “We will. Safe travels.”

  I tipped my hat, gave them my biggest smile, and said:

  “I’m off.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Royal Celestelia

  As I sailed over the field on my broom, a ripple ran through the flowers to mark my progress. Bathed in sunlight, the blossoms streamed past with a shimmer and a sound like a babbling brook.

  I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with air, and opened my eyes.

  On the other side of the field stood a country surrounded by a wall.

  Just how massive is this place?

  I thought about trying to fly around the outside on my broom, but I doubted I would make it back before sunset, so I gave up on that idea.

  More importantly, the gate was right in front of me, so there was no need to go out of my way to fly around. I kept straight on ahead, enjoying the scenery, and landed.

  A gate guard came out and quietly bowed to me. “Welcome to our country, Madam Witch. Pardon the intrusion, but may I have your name?”

  It was the usual immigration inspection.

  “Elaina.”

  “How long do you intend to stay?”

  “About three days, I think.”

  “What is your witch title?”

  “The Ashen Witch.”

  “…The Ashen Witch?” The guard stared at me.

  “Is something wrong?” I probably looked puzzled.

  “Ah, no, it’s nothing. Pardon me.”

  The guard looked flustered, but he left me without completely losing his composure.

  That seemed to be the end of the questions. I paid one silver for the entry toll and passed through the gate. Behind me, I heard someone say, “Welcome to Royal Celestelia.”

  I was wary because of the country’s formal-sounding name, but the city was bustling with energy.

  Royal Celestelia was just another strange moniker.

  The brick-patterned walkways were filled with people—happy-looking couples holding babies, older children chasing after one another, elderly folks out for a stroll. Everyone was going about their daily lives.

  I walked on.

  Tall buildings lined both sides of the street, with ropes stretched between them. Clothes were draped over the ropes in the sunlight; someone had put laundry out to dry.

  I took a deep breath, and there was a slightly sweet smell. I spotted a flower vase on a windowsill, filled with beautiful multicolored blossoms.

  The city before me was so wonderful that it seemed like I might lose track of the time.

  I was wandering aimlessly around town when I happened upon a very elegant building. It had a tall clock tower, and the place was so large that I thought it might be a palace. The expansive grounds were enclosed by an iron fence, so I couldn’t get close to the building itself.

  Gazing at the clock tower, I walked along the fence and discovered the entrance.

  ROYAL MAGIC ACADEMY

  That’s what’s written on the gate, so I suppose that’s what this is. Interesting to find a magic academy here… There had been no such thing in my country. Certainly nothing this fancy.

  It was enough to make me jealous of the children who lived here.

  …I’m a little curious about the inside. Is it all right to go in? Should I go in?

  Well, I’m going in anyway.

  I stepped onto the grounds.

  “Hey, you. What’re you doing?”

  I hadn’t made it far when someone grabbed me firmly by the shoulder.

  “It’s prohibited for unauthorized persons to enter. It’s fine to look, but I’m going to have to ask that you stay outside.”

  When I turned around, there was a brawny man standing there. His clothing was stretched tight over bulging muscles. He seemed to be the gatekeeper.

&nbs
p; “……”

  “…Oh.” He looked down at my chest, and his attitude changed completely. “Beg your pardon. I didn’t realize you were a witch… Please excuse my rudeness.”

  “No problem.” I shook off his hand and walked toward the school again.

  “Terribly sorry, but please don’t go in there.” I was stopped again.

  “Ah, so it’s prohibited?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even for witches?”

  “My orders are that anyone from outside is absolutely forbidden.”

  “Who gave you those orders?”

  “The great witch who runs this Academy.”

  “…Huh.”

  “She doesn’t want the secrets of the Academy’s curriculum to escape. She couldn’t bear to have our methods stolen by an imitator.”

  “Well then, how about closing the front gate?”

  “We can’t do that. It’s almost time for the great witch to arrive.”

  “…Huh.” I left reluctantly.

  Too bad.

  It’s still too early to find an inn for the night, hmm?

  I continued walking aimlessly. It was fun just wandering around this country.

  “……”

  I looked up and saw a broom flying above the houses, but it didn’t look like it was just drifting around. The man atop it was zigzagging over the houses, dropping things as he went. When I saw someone come out on their veranda and open it, I realized the man was delivering newspapers.

  I walked down the main street and found a street packed with stalls on either side: fruit stands, grocers, butchers, and more. There was also a bread stall, with a sign that said FRESH BAKED!

  No bigger lie than that, huh? I bet it’s all stale.

  “Excuse me. I’ll have one loaf of bread, please.”

  The friendly-looking woman behind the counter grinned at me. “That’ll be one copper.”

  I took a copper coin out of my wallet and handed it to her.

  The woman grabbed my loaf and thrust it into a bag…with her bare hand.

  “Here you go. Thanks.”

  “Yeah…thanks.”

  I took it and wandered the shopping district munching on bread. The long, thin loaf was clearly not freshly baked, as it was stiff and hard. I continued on, grappling with it, and eventually left the commercial area.

  Then I saw another mage. This man had a large bundle tied to his broom, and he was speaking with the proprietor of a café.

  “Deliver this to the home of Miss Amana, who lives on the west side of town. Carry it carefully! It’s got her lunch inside, okay?”

  “Roger!”

  “Oh, I’m not so sure about this…”

  Giving the café owner a sidelong glance, the man slowly rose up on his broom and flew off somewhere.

  So they’re doing deliveries by broom, I see. This country must have a lot of mages for some reason.

  I guessed it was because they had a school teaching magic.

  Mages weren’t just handling newspapers and package deliveries, either; some were carrying people, too, in buggies attached to their brooms. Of course, it wasn’t practical for one person to carry such a heavy load alone, so they worked in teams of two. One person appeared to be in charge of operating the broom, while the other seemed to be lightening the buggy itself using magic.

  There were mages not only in the sky, but on the ground as well. Some were demonstrating magic on the shoulder of the main street, to the delight of the people around them. They were creating puppets with magic and putting on a play.

  Some were singing as they livened up the place with magic effects (producing snow and the like), keeping the crowds excited.

  All of the mages were working energetically.

  By the way, there was something weighing on my mind a bit.

  I think it’s great that the mages here can enjoy their lives, but isn’t it taxing?

  So I decided to ask. Asking someone is the quickest way to find out something you don’t know, right?

  “Excuse me.” I spoke to a mage girl who was sitting on a bench reading a book (she had neither a brooch nor a corsage, so she was probably a novice). I was in a plaza I had found by coincidence.

  “Yes? What is it?” She turned toward me with a soft expression.

  “I am a traveler, and there’s something that’s been bothering me. If it’s all right, could I ask you about it?”

  “My, what a cute traveler you are.” She giggled. “All right, what is it? I’ll tell you if I know.”

  I paused for a moment, then said, “Isn’t it difficult for the mages in this country to fly?”

  She tilted her head in confusion. “Difficult to fly…? No, not really.”

  “Even with those?” I pointed to the ropes strung between the tall buildings and the clothing hung from them.

  Her gaze followed my finger, and she let out a knowing sound. “Ah… Those were put up on purpose.”

  “On purpose?”

  “Yes. This country has many mages, right? That’s why we make it so difficult to fly around.”

  “…?” I didn’t know what she meant.

  “Oh my. Was that not enough to explain?”

  “Yes, if you could walk me through the logic…”

  She laid her book to the side. “The farther you get from the ground on your broom, the more exhausting flying becomes, right? So everyone wants to fly as low as possible.”

  “Right,” I agreed.

  “But if everyone flew low to the ground, it would get congested. And someone might even crash into a house trying to avoid the other people passing by. That’s a real risk when there are so many mages.”

  Ah, I see now. “So to keep people from flying in between the houses, you’ve put up ropes and clothing to block the way?”

  She said with a smile, “Exactly. In this country, we believe mages must be considerate of those who cannot use magic.”

  “…And none of the mages have a problem with that?”

  “Can’t you tell just by looking at how things are here?”

  I pulled my broom out and flew up into the sky. I wasn’t going anywhere in particular. I just wanted to see the place from above.

  “…Wow.” The view from the air was totally different from the view from the ground. The multicolored roofs were lined up at about the same height in a pattern of red and blue, aqua and yellow. The wind blowing past me was pleasant, and I thought about how great it would feel to lie down on one of those roofs and gaze up at the sky.

  It would be a good idea to search for tonight’s inn from up here, too.

  I flew around aimlessly, nodding greetings to the mages I passed and waving back to the children who waved at me from the insides of buggies.

  I was passing the time pleasantly enough when a thought came to me. This reminds me, in one of the countries I visited earlier, didn’t a girl suddenly crash into me as I was flying through the air? I wonder what she’s doing right now? Maybe she’s in training to become a witch back in her hometown.

  “……”

  I stopped my broom in midair, yanking the handle up sharply. I had gotten sentimental remembering Saya… No, that wasn’t the reason, of course. In fact, the two people who had pulled up in front of me had reminded me of Saya.

  “Um, can I help you?”

  A boy and girl were blocking my way, apparently on purpose. They wore black cloaks, white dress shirts with red ties, and either black pants or a skirt. No brooches, meaning they were both novices.

  “Good day. You are the Ashen Witch, I presume,” said the boy.

  “Uh, w-we’re students at the Royal Magic Academy,” said the girl.

  The Royal Magic Academy. Interesting. They’re from the school that wouldn’t let me in?

  “Do you need something from me?”

  “Um… Could we ask you to please come with us, without asking any questions?” The girl’s voice was very timid for such a bold request.

  This is about as suspiciou
s as it gets. “Why?”

  “Oh, I said don’t ask any questions…”

  “Absolutely not,” I answered right away.

  “Huh?! Why not?!” the boy was overly surprised.

  “Something feels wrong about it, so I’m not going.”

  I may have revealed my identity, but why do I suddenly have to go with you? And without asking any questions? That’s doubly suspicious, isn’t it? Forget it.

  “Um, but…”

  “First, let me hear your reasons. Then I’ll decide whether or not I’ll go with you,” I said firmly to the very shy girl.

  “That’s…not possible.”

  “Well then, I can’t possibly go with you.”

  The boy interjected from beside me, “Oh, come on! We’re begging you, Ashen Witch! Come with us and please don’t ask why!”

  “I told you—if you won’t tell me why, then I can’t go. You’re awfully persistent.”

  ……

  I could see that this was going nowhere. If we continued the conversation in this vein, we would simply keep talking past one another.

  Time to run away?

  Yes, I do believe so.

  I abruptly wheeled my broom around. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just remembered I have something very urgent to take care of,” I lied. And then I flew away from them.

  “…Huh?!”

  Well, I tried to, but my way was blocked again by mages. There were a number of boy-girl pairs dressed exactly the same as the first one.

  Oh, what do we have here? Things are getting stranger and stranger. Looking left and right, I could see quite a few pairs of students in the same outfits closing in on me, one after another. Suddenly, I was completely surrounded by a mysterious group of about twenty students.

  “Hey, you guys. Let’s gang up on her.”

  “Yeah.”

  “If we all work together, we can catch her, probably.”

  “Okay.”

  “Got it.”

  “Don’t hog all the glory.”

  “Same to you.”

  The students were swaying back and forth. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but I knew one thing for certain. If I stayed here, they’d catch me. And I didn’t know what might happen if I got caught.

  “……”

  I slowly tilted my broom downward, and then…