Champignon Witch (シャンピニオンの魔女)

THE COUNCILOR

Well, it's good I found her, but what are they up to?

This reeks of a romantic rendezvous. Not a good look.

You know this won't fly, Miss Luna.

Oh, well.

Miss Luna. I was wondering where you ran off to, but what's all this?

It's a good thing I'm the one who found you,

but this sorta thing is gonna get you another council meeting.

Seriously, would you cut it out?

I hate those meetings, for real.

Are you even—

Lize!

Are you okay?

After the riot back there, the air got really thick with poison.

Lize!

Huh.

This is the kid? The cursed youngling?

What the heck, kid? This ain't gonna do.

Why are you still such a scrawny little runt?

I guess it's just like Flame said. No point in letting you live, really.

The cursed youngling. That label again.

A name I don't know, but one that damns me all the same.

Lize!

Whoa!

Luna.

Miss Witch—

Found him! He's over here!

He used some kind of weird fan to rip the prophet's body to pieces!

I saw the whole thing!

Wait. Is that the poison mushroom witch?

So they were working together.

Go get the authorities!

Looks like we're caught. I guess we should split.

We'll have to find a safer place to talk, Miss.

I know a safe place we could go.

Huh?

Isn't that Henri?

I didn't even need to summon him. My assistant was already here.

Does that mean...

this outlaw rabble before me is what everyone is up in arms about?

Isn't that the crown prince?

Okay, let's get goin'.

Henri! What are you doing?

Apprehend them!

Wind... magic?

Where did they go?!

They just disappeared!

You didn't smell like a liar,

and we were in a rush, so I decided to take your advice, but...

So, where the heck are we? Is this your home?

Actually, this is—

Man!

I'm so pooped!

First I had to blast The End of All Things,

then teleport four people and two animals.

I've been working so hard,

but nobody ever thanks me! I mean, c'mon!

Th-Thank you.

Every word he says is garbage.

And you-know-who never even offers to help.

I mean, would it kill ya to grab me a glass of lemonade or two?

No, more than a glass or two.

This room, with the way voices echo in here...

I'd need three, or four, or five, or six, or seven.

seems familiar for some reason.

Nah, I'd need more than lemonade. Maybe a really good meal instead.

Lize?

Ice cream, cake... something sweet. I wanna eat something nice and sweet!

I wonder why.

I really deserve a lot more praise than this!

And I'm starving! Get me some food!

Maybe I'll quit this gig. I just ain't cut out to be a black witch.

It's such a scam!

I don't want anyone to find out I know this guy.

I wish I could work from bed!

Wait, if I could work from bed, does that mean I would get to sleep all day?

Should I shut him up?

Lize, are you okay?

They brought some lemonade.

Oh, right. Gotta get down to business.

Like you guys were saying, I'm one of the council witches.

The Wind Magician.

And you... Lize, was it?

I'm the person sent to administer your surprise exam,

and decide your fate as a cursed youngling.

Basically, whether you live or die is all up to me.

Sucks to meet like this, but let's get it over with.

Recently, sometimes the things I write in my diary

don't match up with what I remember.

The magical paper that Miss Witch gave me is made from mushrooms.

When I write in it, the bad memories turn into yuck-shrooms.

I felt kind of sad and uncomfortable watching the yuck-shrooms float away

so I decided to secretly keep another diary, too.

Sometimes, I find things written in that diary that I have no recollection of.

Even feelings and memories that would seem unforgettable

feel like they belong to some other person that I've never met.

My legs get cold, like I'm on the verge of tumbling into a bottomless darkness.

Other things also don't add up.

I wanted to hurry and catch up to Miss Witch, so I measured my height every day.

Well, this is strange. I'm quite certain you were taller yesterday.

Why does it seem you've gotten smaller?

Suddenly, I remembered one time

when Miss Witch had removed an animal's poison and turned it into a mushroom.

Huh?

It seems like this fellow is smaller now that you've absorbed his poison.

Oh!

Stay away from that! He sure doesn't learn, does he?

It was strange when the rabbit went right back to the bug that stung him

as if nothing had happened.

Miss Witch looked like she realized she'd committed a sin.

Also, I can't explain how, whenever I was feeling bad,

I would wake up the next morning completely refreshed.

My questions became doubts, and as they collected deep inside,

I felt like they were starting to suffocate me.

Why could I only grasp a vague outline of these doubts?

Why couldn't I trace them back to their source?

There was something I had to hold close to my heart and protect,

no matter how painful it became. Something that I must not lose.

There was nothing more terrible,

more frightening than the thought of losing it.

I strained my eyes to try to see the source of this restlessness,

so I could confront it, and then...

And then?

Ah.

Lize just came to!

Are you okay, Lize?

Um, yeah.

The wind guy was such a jerk, it made you sick. We were worried!

What's your problem, bull?

I was unconscious?

Hey.

You make Luna manage your poison because you can't do it yourself?

What a pathetic kid.

Was Miss Witch trying to extract my poison just now?

I just got done saying "nice to meet you"...

No, you didn't.

but at this rate, it's already like "farewell." Forever.

I know you had a pretty generous grace period before I showed up.

What were you doing that whole time?

Lize, don't run. I've got to get the poison out.

Wow, would you quit looking at me like that?

Nobody's looking at you like that.

I mean, I'm really not doing this job by choice to begin with.

I happened to skip one little meeting and they stuck me with it.

Lize.

I can do it by myself.

Quit acting so stubborn.

We know you can't, that's why Luna's trying to help!

I mean, I already had plans I couldn't back out of, and they treat me like this?

I've got to do something.

It's true I kinda wasn't in the mood, though.

I can't let Miss Witch take away any more of my memories.

I never want to make her doubt herself like that again.

This is way rougher on me than you. Yeah, poor me.

So grin and bear it and don't hold it against me, Lize.

Just accept my judgment and die for me, okay?

Would you quit your endless blabbing for once, damn it?!

Shut the hell up!

What?! I'm a great magician here, ya crow-brain!

Show me some respect, moron!