I Picked Up a Witch With Amnesia

7. Dream of a butterfly – 04

old, dream

Now, no one remembers, but the only one in the world, she draws a scene at that time. She looks back on the brilliant memories she values more than anything else in the world.

What do you live for? How long will I have to live like this? Why was he born into this world?

She didn’t know the answer to any of those questions. If I had to answer, I had no choice but to answer.

just.

There was no reason. She really had no purpose in her life, no will, no hope.

because it was pointless. It’s because I realized that it’s such an insignificant life that I will live as a tool and end my life as a tool anyway. It is because he realized that he would not be given the same happiness as other ordinary people.

Before I knew it, I got used to the people around me who treated me as a tool. I got used to the fact that it was all given to me. In the long journey of life, he realized too easily that happiness is a reward that would not be given to the person he is.

…okay. One day, if I hadn’t faced him like fate.

Just like that, the fate surrounding her was reversed. On that day, she became a person from a machine that hid her humanity. More precisely, the boy had led her that way.

– Hey, we’re talking about it. Will we meet again next time? No, can we meet? right?

– Well, what’s so difficult about meeting? If you put your mind to it, we can meet anytime.

I learned how to promise to meet someone like that.

– …Yeah, I know. But still…

– Oh, is it because the adults notice it? don’t mind. Your heart is the most important thing. Why are you looking at other people’s eyes?

That’s how I learned to care for myself and love myself.

– It was fun. Actually, I don’t think hanging out with you was that bad. how about you?

– …good. I woke up. It’s the first time I’ve talked like this and played with someone. everything was good

I have learned to be happy with someone.

I didn’t tell him, but I was really, really happy. I was so happy that I was worried that something like myself could taste this kind of happiness.

Even after that, he and she faced each other a few more times. Each time they met, memories piled up, and the number of jewels to cherish in her heart increased even more. It was small and unattractive to others, but to her it was such a beautiful time that it burned even her own retinas.

And the boy and girl shared a promise at their last meeting. We held each other’s little fingers tightly and made a firm promise. It was such a promise that we were able to share because we were immature and childish children.

It was a promise that was more precious to the girl than any other promise in the world and had to be kept. So, I waited. Waited, waited, waited, waited again.

…However, that promise was forgotten. The price of endless waiting would only come back as bitter regret.

Eventually, the girl let out a sigh. If he had been him at the time he met her, if he had been an innocent boy back then, if he had remembered his promise to her and cared for him, he would not have left him alone like this, lamenting. ended up

what was wrong You must have been the first. He must have been the first to face him, be with him, make a promise with him, and make a promise to share a future with him. She must have been the most worthy woman to stand by him. Why does he abandon himself, the first one, and go with another woman?

It was boring. Now everything was just boring. The existence of all the obstacles that stood in the way of progress between him and himself now gave him goosebumps. I even thought that I would have been happier if I hadn’t had anything on my back.

…And right there, a devilish idea came to mind.

What if, although it is only in the realm of what-ifs, if he only looked at you like he did when you first met him?

What if he forgets everything in the world and only knows her?

What if only you were by his side who couldn’t remember anything?

Even then, will he still not accept himself?

…Or, wouldn’t he really love her then?

****

“…You’re late.”

Standing in a deserted clearing quite a distance from the Marquis of Castana, Iris muttered those words in a gloomy tone. She was in a hurry to hurry in her own way, but doing too much to deal with the ‘Bronze Bird’ and ‘Giant of the Rock’ that Bianca del Castana had scattered ended up working as a mistake.

The cost of recreating a far-off level of swordsmanship with an incomplete body could only be described as horrendous. It wasn’t the maximum output, and it was suppressed by suppressing the power in its own way, but Iris ended up fainting for more than a full day as a reward for swinging the Celestial Sword.

The result was this shape. When she opened her eyes, everything was already over. I couldn’t even attend Cain and Bianca del Castana’s engagement ceremony, and I couldn’t appreciate Cain’s splendid performance at the time.

…Just a day ago, when Cain and Bianca del Castana disappeared from this place without a trace, she couldn’t do anything in the end.

“…..”

She couldn’t help but frown at the sight of an enormous crater wide open in the middle of a desolate clearing. Even considering the diameter, it was likely to exceed 100 meters, and the depth was a huge crater that seemed to be about 10 meters no matter how small it was. Even more surprising, this crater was not created naturally, but was artificially created by someone last night.

“…Hmm.”

Iris touched the cross section of the crater with her hand. The cross section of the crater was only smooth like glass. As if a flame of super-high heat, the temperature of which I dare not measure, had reached the soil.

As far as Iris knew, there was only one magic in the world that could create such a huge crater and accompanied super-high heat flames.

“…is it the sigh of the white flame?”

Ten years from now, Bianca del Castana developed her own unique magic that only she can use in the world. At Bianca’s boldness, who didn’t even think to hide the traces of her magic, Iris involuntarily burst into laughter.

“You are really blatant. No, did you partly leave such traces?”

Iris felt Bianca’s thoughts flicker. At this point, White Flame’s sigh is a magic that doesn’t exist ‘yet’ in this world. In other words, it was in line with Sonn’s statement that no one in the world could look at this crater and find a trace of Bianca del Castana.

…Yes, in other words, you will never find a trace of her unless you are a person who, like Bianca del Castana, regressed 10 years later.

“…like a cunning woman. It’s not my taste to roll my head like this.”

In a nutshell, this huge crater was no different than a message left by Bianca del Castana. If he wanted to find himself and Cain, he would have to risk the fact that he had returned 10 years later, which was like a declaration of war.

Of course, Iris, the princess of the empire, was not frightened by this ridiculous bluff. The essence of the woman Iris el Devhart was and still is the same. Backdoor slander was not her hobby. No matter what kind of tricks the opponent uses, he just smashes it from the front.

Just as Iris was staring at Crater in agony, a figure appeared behind her and bowed down with respect toward her. None other than Chris, the princess’s escort knight, had arrived here.

“Lowering. As you instructed, we have gathered information from the Marquis of Castana.”

At Chris’ words, Iris nodded.

“First, recite the testimony of the witnesses as to what the hell happened here.”

At Iris’s words, Chris slowly opened his mouth.

“There were no traumas or injuries on the bodies of all the attendants who were heading to the Estel duchy. They didn’t remember anything. It’s just that everyone lost consciousness at some point and fell to the floor. However, there is one exception.”

“exception?”

“Yes, this is a little girl named Aria whom Cain-nim took as his personal maid.”

“…aria.”

The moment she heard that name, Iris raised her eyebrows involuntarily. Because she, too, was familiar with the white-haired girl named Arya. A brash girl who called Ariel ‘Auntie’ when the words were exchanged between her and Ariel Thiers at the banquet hall. A perky girl whom Cain always takes with him and loves. and-

‘…No, it’s not certain.’

In an instant, Iris denied any assumptions that popped into her head. Still, it wasn’t certain. There was no conclusive evidence. It could just be that their faces looked similar. So, I just decided that it was better to refrain from hasty judgments.

…yes, not yet.

“What is the child’s current condition?”

Iris spoke to Chris in the most blunt tone to hide her inner feelings.

“…That is, although there is no trauma at all, it is said that he is currently experiencing symptoms of magical exhaustion. According to the doctor, these symptoms appear when you deal with magic that exceeds the limit of your magical power and exceeds your limit.”

“It’s a symptom of magical exhaustion.”

Iris looked at the huge crater spreading out in front of her eyes and nodded as if in agreement. It was because at this point, it was easy to realize that he had struggled quite a bit against Bianca del Castana, who was undoubtedly one of the strongest people in mankind. No, considering the fact that Bianca didn’t have any damage other than the symptoms of magical exhaustion, it must be seen that Bianca really didn’t intend to cause any casualties.

“…umm.”

The clue was enough. Based on the various information she heard from Chris, Iris began to draw a composition for the truth of the incident as if putting a puzzle together.

‘Human Memory’, a major theme studied by Bianca del Castana in the Black Tower

Cain and Bianca’s engagement ceremony was abruptly canceled due to a surprise attack by raiders.

Cain and Bianca disappeared leaving only a huge crater behind.

The clues were all there. And, the one correct answer pointed to by a series of clues was so clear, that it was absurd.

I knew very well that Bianca del Castana was a crazy bitch, but I never imagined that it would work on such a large scale. Or, it was a situation where I was mentally concentrated enough to have to make this choice.

“…Chris, how long did it take for that child named Arya to wake up?”

Despite Iris’ somewhat out of the blue question, Chris gave an answer without hesitation.

“I heard that it’s not a serious symptom, so I think I’ll open my eyes this evening at the earliest.”

Upon hearing Chris’ answer, Iris pondered as if she were measuring something, and then slowly opened her mouth to Chris.

“First of all, let’s go back to the Castana marquis family. When that child named Arya wakes up, there is something I want to hear from her.”

Having concluded that, Iris turned away from Chris. Then, he sighed in a very small voice that Chris couldn’t hear.

Apparently, I only had an ominous feeling that I would have to play hide and seek with Bianca del Castana for a while.