Until The Witch Dies

Section 7: A City at Sunset and a Small Determination

Translated by AmaLynne

「Thank you, sister.」

By the time the magic wore off and the cherry blossoms returned to their original green leaves, the sun had completely set and the shadows were getting longer.

I walked back to Anna-chan’s house, and they saw me off.

「Was I right to do that?」

「Yes, I did. I’m sure she’s happy.」

「Even though they’re not real cherry blossoms?」

「That’s, well… yeah.」he answers.

As I sighed, Hendy-san bowed his head and said,「Thank you, Meg-chan.」

「After my wife died, my daughter and I seemed to have been feeling down. But then I realized that she wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully.」

「I wish you would be a more dependable father. After all, you even skipped work.」

「I wonder if my patients will forgive me today.」

Hendy-san scratches his cheek with his usual troubled smile, and then his expression suddenly changes.

「But Meg-chan, are you sure?」

「Hmm? What?」

「No, it’s already evening, and I thought you might be helping Master Faust or something.」

「Ack.」I had forgotten all about it.「Then, I’m off now…」

As I turned on my heel,「Sis!」Anna-chan shouts out.

I’m in a hurry.

「Sis, will you be like Master Faust someday?」

「Eh?」

「You will, won’t you? I promise.」

「Err……」

I can’t say.

I never thought that I would die in just one year.

As I was at a loss for words, Hendy-san hugged Anna-chan from behind.

「You can do it, Meg-chan. You can become a future great mage.」

Hendy-san and Anna-chan’s faces were filled with sincere trust as they said this.

I was somewhat embarrassed and involuntarily sniffed.

「That’s a given. You can count on me.」

I wave to Anna-chan and Hendy-san and leave.

The evening cityscape is one of my favorite things about the city.

The market is bustling with people on their way home from work and housewives, and the smell of stew comes from the brick houses.

At the end of the day, everyone looks a little tired and a little relaxed.

Such a scene is a little tender and a little sad.

As I was walking along, something warm touched my feet unexpectedly.

A carbuncle was scratching my leg.

「Oh, by the way, you’re here. I forgot all about you.」

When I lifted it up, the carbuncle squeaked. He seemed to be angry.

When I patted its head, it seemed to be pleased, and it made a muffled「gyuu……」sound, which silenced the carbuncle.

I put it on my shoulder and walk around town.

「Oh, Meg, are you home now?」

「That’s right.」

「Sister Meg, good job.」

「You too―.」

「Meg-chan, here’s what I brought you for dinner.」

「Thanks.」

As I walk the streets, I hear the voices of many people.

What is it about their smiling faces that strangely stays with me today?

「Become a great magician someday…… huh…」

I looked up at the sky, which was mixed with the colors of the evening, and the brightest star was shining.

I looked at the sky and scratched my head with a sigh.

If I say that, I can’t die yet.

I muttered,「Kyu」, and the carbuncle chirped.

「You look kind of happy, dude.」

「Gyuu?」

「Cheeky son of a bitch.」

I gently stroked the carbuncle.

◆◇◆◇◆

Night.

As soon as master saw me back home, she said,「What is it?」

「I thought you would come home looking like a dead fish, but you have regained a lot of your light.」

「I beg you not to mix people with fish.」

I show master what looks like tears in a bottle.

「Are these tears of joy?」

「It’s not.」

She said so with a snap.

「These are tears mixed with sadness. These are not tears of joy.」

「Dirty tears that won’t do a damn thing?」

「You’ve got to do something about that mouth of yours.」

「What a load of crap.」

「Totally, I don’t know who you’re like……」

Master sighed in disgust, then stared at the bottle seriously.

For a master who sees through everything, she seemed quite interested.

「They’re not tears of joy, but they’re tears of purity.」

「Purity?」

「Yes, it’s a clean, clear, gentle emotion.」

「So you’re saying the bottles collected the wrong ones?」

「Maybe.」

Master seemed somewhat pleased when he said that.

「Um…… are you pleased with something?」

「You are a witch who can open people’s hearts.」

「That’s not going to do any good, is it?」

「Why don’t you take that as a compliment?」

「Why are you talking about the curse now, after all of a year ago? If I had at least five or six more years, I would have……」

I was at a loss for words there.

「You’re saying if you had five or six years, you could have accomplished it?」

「No……」

I know my character very well.

Even if I had been told at such a time, I would have done nothing, saying,「I have time」, and perhaps I would have gone straight to my last days.

「It’s been a year since I began to see the death sentence. That’s the first time I know that you have a chronic illness and you will die at eighteen.」

「Even a mage as great as master?」

「Yes, that’s right. No exceptions. All causality is rewritten. That’s how powerful the curse is. And you know that.」

Master laughed softly as she said this.

「Because you are what you are, you have both the value of saying and the power to resist fate. Try as hard as you can, Meg Raspberry. Put your whole life on the line for a year from today.」

I gulped softly and―――

「I understand.」

That’s all I said

This is the miraculous story of my life as an inexperienced witch who was told she had only one year to live.