Witch's Forest Palace
Returning here once more, Yuuki's state of mind had subtly changed. There was a newfound calm in his eyes.
The so-called Apotheosis Ritual might sound insane, but to Yuuki, it possessed tremendous feasibility. With the complete ritual and records left behind by that elven clan leader, all he truly needed to do was take a calculated risk.
After leading Yuuki into the palace, Giselle moved to the Witch Queen's side and stood respectfully.
"It seems you've gained something,"
the Witch Queen said calmly, studying Yuuki with a thoughtful gaze.
Over the past two days, she had deliberately spent time divining the future of this man—an anomaly born from deviations in fate.
The result was… nothing.
Her divination was not flawless and could contain errors, but never before had it yielded absolutely nothing.
The only visions she could glimpse were of an extremely near future—so short that it held no real meaning to her.
"I did gain a little," Yuuki replied evenly.
"And for that, I have the Witch Queen to thank."
His gaze flickered briefly before returning to calm.
The Witch Queen did not seem inclined to continue idle conversation. Her voice was cold and decisive.
"The transaction is complete. You may leave the Witch's Forest."
Hm?
Yuuki paused slightly.
"So, the Witch Queen no longer requires me to replicate another copy of Fate Magic?"
He chuckled lightly after the brief surprise.
Rustle—rustle—
A breeze drifted in from outside the hall, stirring the vines and leaves that covered the walls. The green foliage brushed against one another, producing a soft, pleasant sound.
Seated atop the dark red, exquisitely carved wooden throne, the Witch Queen appeared languid. Her eyes—rimmed with black markings—cast a detached glance at Yuuki.
"No need."
Her tone was indifferent.
"In that case, very well."
Yuuki shrugged. This outcome had been within his expectations from the start. Reaching the Witch Queen's grimoire was never going to be easy.
He glanced once at Giselle standing respectfully beside the Witch Queen, then withdrew his gaze.
Originally, Yuuki had planned to retrieve the Fate Magic from Giselle after replicating it for the Witch Queen. Now, however, leaving it temporarily with her wasn't a bad idea.
After a brief pause—
Just as Yuuki was about to bring up his final objective in coming here—the magic stone—
The Witch Queen raised her hand first.
She removed the crystal-like magic stone hanging from her earlobe and casually tossed it downward.
The pale violet stone traced an arc through the air.
Yuuki caught it reflexively, looking at the Witch Queen with faint surprise.
"This thing is useless to me. Take it," she said dismissively, flicking her slender wrist.
Oh?
It seemed the Witch Queen had already discerned the true reason behind the Eye of the Midnight Sun's attack on the Witch's Forest.
Yuuki smiled softly. "Many thanks."
With that, he said nothing more and turned to leave the hall.
Though their exchange appeared relaxed—almost as if the Witch Queen had conceded and compromised on minor matters—Yuuki knew better.
It was only because of his strength, and the Fate Magic he possessed, that the Witch Queen exercised restraint.
Otherwise, given her temperament, she would never have been so accommodating.
Just as Yuuki reached the entrance, he seemed to recall something. He stopped and turned back toward the Witch Queen.
"May I ask—has the Witch Queen ever divined a future related to me?"
He was genuinely curious.
From what he knew, only Wizard King Julius and the Witch Queen possessed abilities capable of peering into the future.
Yuuki suspected his sudden appearance and the chain of irregular events surrounding him had undoubtedly caught her interest. It would not be strange for her to have attempted a divination.
After all, few could resist the temptation to glimpse their own future—especially now that Yuuki had obtained a ritual capable of inducing a qualitative transformation in magic.
The Witch Queen narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing down at Yuuki from above, but said nothing.
A short silence followed.
Yuuki shook his head lightly.
"Never mind. Knowing the future in advance would make things far too dull."
Turning away again, he continued walking out of the palace, a faintly amused smile appearing on his face.
The Witch Queen's divination abilities could not be compared to Julius's.
After all, Julius wielded Time Magic itself.
The Witch Queen's divinations likely revealed only fragments or hints of the future. Otherwise, how could she have failed in her attempt to seize Vanessa's Fate Magic in the original story?
Yuuki did not believe the Witch Queen was foolish enough to repeat an action she knew would fail.
Which meant—
She likely saw nothing about him at all.
Perhaps that was precisely why, despite her harsh tone, she made no underhanded moves.
After Yuuki departed, the Witch Queen vanished from the hall.
Thud.
With both Yuuki and the Witch Queen gone, Giselle felt all strength drain from her body and collapsed to the floor.
"T-That was terrifying…"
Her face was pale, her voice trembling.
In her understanding, no one had ever spoken to the Witch Queen in such a manner.
Throughout the entire exchange, her nerves had been stretched taut, half-expecting Yuuki and the Witch Queen to erupt into battle again at any moment.
Giselle had no desire to die a second time.
At that moment—
The vanished Witch Queen appeared within the archive where Yuuki had spent the past few days.
Her gaze settled on the corner where the elven documents Yuuki had examined were stacked.
A strange glint flickered in her eyes.
Elsewhere
After leaving the central region of the Witch's Forest, Yuuki did not immediately use Space Magic to depart.
He had sensed several familiar mana signatures lingering outside the forest.
"So, it's come to this already… I knew it wouldn't stay hidden for long, but this was faster than expected."
"Well, might as well meet them."
Yuuki looked toward the source of those familiar fluctuations. Taking a step forward, his figure vanished instantly.
Witch's Forest Border
Rades, Sally, and Valtos had once again gathered together—something that rarely happened.
As they stared at the Witch's Forest, ravaged by battle, and at the many witches patrolling the skies in a state of high alert, each wore a different expression.
"Hey, what exactly did Licht-sama send us here for?"
"I heard the Witch Queen has a magic stone, but even Fana-sama failed. With just the three of us, there's no way we can take it from someone like her!"
Fear flickered in Rades's single eye. Though arrogant by nature, he knew full well that the Witch Queen was far beyond his league.
"With just the three of us, of course we wouldn't be fighting the Witch Queen,"
Sally replied.
Sitting atop a rock, she gazed deep into the forest, red eyes glittering with curiosity. She swung her pale legs idly as she spoke with a grin.
"Still, fighting the Witch Queen sounds fun too. I'd really love to see what kind of magic a being like that can use."
She's insane.
Rades twitched at the corner of his eye and cursed inwardly. He turned toward the one who had remained silent all this time—Valtos.
Come to think of it, Valtos had been under suspicion from Licht-sama since before. It had been a long time since Rades last saw him, let alone the three of them acting together.
"Hey, you're the one who brought us here," Rades said sharply.
"You must know something, right?"
Sally's curious gaze followed.
"Licht-sama sent us to confirm something," Valtos finally spoke, his voice low.
"If that person doesn't appear by tomorrow, we're to withdraw."
"That person?"
Sally's red eyes lit up.
"Confirm what? And why specifically the three of us?" Rades asked, confused.
At that moment—
"Of course, it's to confirm my situation."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind them.
Sally, Rades, and Valtos stiffened and spun around.
There stood Yuuki, looking utterly relaxed.
"Yuuki?"
Sally's eyes widened—first in surprise, then in delight, followed by confusion.
"Why are you here?" Rades demanded irritably, voicing the question on both their minds.
Compared to Sally and Rades, Valtos remained eerily silent.
Yuuki did not answer them.
His gaze swept across the three—lingering briefly on Valtos.
The moment Yuuki's eyes rested on him, Valtos's entire body tensed, as if ready to activate Space Magic and flee at any second.
(End of Chapter)
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