A Ballad of Witches

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Even amidst such a grim scene, for her, the more important thing was still to fight the Snow Woman to her heart’s content. Her barrage of attacks completely drowned out the groans of the other Cradle members on the ground, and the continuous, dazzling explosions before her were like a series of magnificent fireworks displays.

Ice and fire. Regardless of which side one looked at, both were utterly mad. Especially… without a care in the world, in this battle, she was unleashing and displaying the full extent of a witch’s power.

Just as… just as all the legends about “witches” mentioned.

Witches were indeed powerful.
Witches were indeed skilled in fire.
Witches were indeed utterly mad.

She was worthy of the name “witch,” showering the Snow Woman’s castle with grand explosions, with suppressing firepower, with reckless damage that made even “friendly” adventurers gasp in horror.

Thump.

Wald, the captain of Shadowflame Variation, who had been staring up at the scene, dropped to his knees.

…

At least, after witnessing that day, on the 70th floor, the witch who unleashed countless ancient spells they had never even heard of—the newly promoted S5 rank Shadowflame Variation—never again wanted to clear the 70th floor of the Abyss of the End. Their captain not only gave up on the raid but also decided to move his entire family to another dungeon once their injuries healed.

Because… even that witch… even with such insane attacks, in the end…

She couldn’t break the Snow Demon’s ice wall.

…

“Tch. If… if it were me from a few months ago, she wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

Sitting at the Adventurer’s Guild’s healer’s station, Leah exposed her arm, complaining. Although she also needed healing, her injuries were almost negligible compared to her “invited” teammates, who lay on beds, their ice still unmelted.

“P-Please, little girl, don’t move. Frostbite requires continuous treatment…”

“Who are you calling a little girl? I’m probably… probably older than your grandmother.” The first half of Leah’s sentence was agitated, but the second half softened slightly.

“Um… is… is that Teacher Leah?”

At the Adventurer’s Guild’s frostbite aid station, Hunter, who also had some injuries, saw the witch he had long suspected—his teacher from Entark Academy. Although she looked much “gentler” now compared to when she was their homeroom teacher, she was no longer the mysterious professor. Back at school, he was Will’s junior. Naturally… Leah, as Will’s mentor, and her undeniably unusual relationship with Will, were all observed by him.

But… Leah was clearly not with Will’s adventurer party now, and Will was nowhere to be seen—it was as if he had vanished from this world at some point. Even the royal family hadn’t mentioned his existence since announcing the postponement of the wedding.

And… her somewhat strange right ring finger, adorned with two rings.

“I thought… I thought Teacher Leah had already formed a party with Brother Will, and now you should be…”

Whoosh.

Leah picked up her staff, aiming it at Hunter’s head. Flames already flickered at the tip of her staff. Her blood-red eyes blazed with fury, sorrow, and resentment. This expression was even more terrifying than the madness she had shown earlier against the Snow Demon. Her eyes looked as if they wanted to devour him whole.

“Now you should be… enjoying a… a happy life for two, with him.”

Hunter’s eyes and body weren’t quick enough to react to Leah’s murderous staff, yet he still finished his sentence.

“…I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have said that name.”

Leah said no more, glancing at the healer attending to her. The healer was also terrified. But that single glare made the healer intensify her treatment, not daring to be negligent.

“N-No, it’s fine. So Will… he must have some purpose, that’s why you’re specifically with Cradle, after all, he’s the kind of person who…”

“He’s dead.”

Hunter seemed to finally understand the source of Leah’s terror. She was now… incredibly, incredibly obsessive, consumed by her regret. So, truly, no one could stop her.

“I will defeat the Snow Woman of the Abyss of the End.”
“I will twist her head off.”
“I will complete… Quest 513.”

…

“What kind of witch is the most terrifying?”
“The lamb says it’s the witch who hasn’t eaten, her parents spinning on her spit.”
“The songbird says it’s the witch who hasn’t slept, her sisters turned to charcoal at her door.”
“The fox says it’s the angry witch, her children falling into infernal flames, just for stealing her berries.”
“Only the exiled prince says, it’s the witch who has lost her beloved.”
“Because she is always hungry, always sleepless, and always angry.”
“More importantly, no one can control her anymore—not even the king, if he were alive.”
“After all, no one can be crazier than a witch.”

…

The Bard hopped and sang his tune. In this town, which now had a genuine “witch,” singing such a creepy ballad seemed like a death wish.

But… the adventurers now were too rushed. Even with him trying to cash in on the hottest trend, few adventurers passing by heard him from beginning to end, let alone threw a few coins into his hat.

Except for…

Clink, clank, clink.

His only listener, completely hidden beneath a black hood and wearing a black mask, looked even stranger than the story itself. He didn’t even crouch down, holding his hand out, coins clinking and clanking as they fell from his fingertips into the plate.

“Alright, alright, thank you, esteemed guest. Would you like another song?”

“No. I just want to tell you…”

His voice wasn’t loud, but his completely masked appearance and ragged, dirty adventurer’s clothes certainly didn’t look like a freshly graduated student. It made his identity hard to guess.

“A witch who has lost her beloved isn’t so terrifying, you know.”

The poet seemed to hear him from beneath his mask.

“Rather, in many ways, she’s quite cute.”

“That’s not right!”

The Bard was always stubbornly insistent on his creepy ballads.

“The most important part of this ballad is the terror brought by a witch’s love, that combination of love and madness… do you understand? You must not understand…”

The Bard looked up, only to find that the person had vanished after speaking. He hadn’t even noticed how he left.

And… the coins he gave.

Every single one… was a counterfeit coin!

Each one was imprinted with the face of a Big-Hat Witch!

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