Beatrice (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endlesswitch) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
umiscripts2012-01-30 05:20 pm
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-01-30 05:20 pm
banquet of the golden witch; chapter 11 (coronation)
Sun, Oct 5 1986 10:00AM
".........This way? ......Go this way............? They are, ......inviting me to go this way........."
......!!!
My heart leapt.
...Because there, ............gaping wide, ...was an opened mouth in the eerie darkness.
"Wh, .........what's this... What is this......?!"
When I strained my eyes, peering into the darkness, I saw something that looked like a light switch.
......In addition, there was a switch with open and close written on it.
When I resolutely pushed the switch, rough lights, like you'd find in a coal mine, turned on sporadically, making a staircase that stretched underground come hazily into vision...
It was creepy how it now looked even more gloomy with the lights turned on.
Other than the light switch, there was also a switch with open and close written on it.
...It would probably open or close this, but on the slight chance that the open part might be broken, I might be closed up in this creepy underground area for all eternity...
So for the time being, I didn't touch the open/close switch, .....and as I readied my gun again, I slowly went down the stairs.
Because the ceiling was very high, it didn't feel cramped.
On the contrary, it felt as though a cool breeze was blowing upwards, and that creepiness even felt like an aura...
As I readied my gun, and carefully stared forwards, ......I went down the stairs......
The walls, the stairs, the lights, ...all of them were very old-fashioned.
...It's easy to suspect that this had been made at the same time that the mansion had been constructed on this island.
There were cracks in the ceiling, and water clung to the walls, constantly dripping down.
That water fell into a gutter that had been set up alongside the stairs, then quickly and silently flowed into the underground darkness.
As though it was telling me to go faster...
The staircase kept turning back on itself.
I don't know how far down I've gone, but I think it's much deeper than one floor.
And eventually, ............a rough, metal door showed itself.
And there, characters had been written in a dark red paint. ...They had probably been written a long time ago.
'At the tenth twilight, the journey shall end, and you should reach the village of gold.'
My heart, which was already about to explode, jumped about even more as soon as I recognized those deep-red characters...
There's no mistake... This is the last stop.
.........Father's, ......Golden Land...!!
I calmed my throbbing heart, somehow regained my composure, and readied the gun again.
...But since, in the end, I couldn't open the door with my gun held in both hands...
......I lowered the gun, carefully erased my breath, and opened the door......
"..................Th, ......this place, ......is......?!"
My first impression when I saw the room, ......was that it might be related to one of the rooms in the mansion.
That's right, it had exactly the same atmosphere about it as the forbidden honored guest room on the second floor.
But this was underground, so there were no windows.
There was only the solemn light of a grand chandelier.
But even though it was dimly lit by the faint light, the quality of the interior was more than enough to take your breath away.
A bed with a canopy, and a rocking chair that looked like it would be comfortable to sit in. An extravagant sofa and carpet.
The room was like a dream every girl yearns for at least once...
And yet, since it was an underground hidden room with no windows, how could you say it, it felt like it could be the hidden house of a witch.
I had never swallowed the legend of Beatrice, witch of the forest.
However, ......after being shown this room, ......it certainly became hard to doubt that she actually had existed, and had lived in this room.
".........Is someone, ..................there...?"
Even though I was completely shocked by this room, I carefully, ...no, timidly searched the interior with my gun raised.
And, ......in the center of the room, I found it.
"............Eeek, ............"
My gasp came out strangely, as though a bunny was being choked.
...Because, ......after finding something like this, ...no one would be able to stop that kind of stupid voice from leaking out...
"It's here............I, it's really here...............Father's, ......gold......!!"
On the opposite side of the canopy bed, it was piled up in a massive heap...
It was a mountain, a mountain of gold ingots!!
Of course, they weren't piled up carelessly in a way that would damage the dignity of this room.
A beautiful scarlet satin weave was laid on the mountain of gold, creating a beautiful three-colored mix between the red, the gold and the black of the deep darkness...
It was as though, when the witch slept on this bed, the gold would be a respectful chamberlain waiting on her.
Nobly, refinedly, gracefully, beautifully.
It was attentively piled there with an imposing air...
When I tried to grab a single gold ingot, I was surprised at its weight.
......It was probably about 10 kilograms.
......Just this ingot would probably be worth more than 10 million.
The Ushiromiya family crest, the One-winged Eagle, was lightly imprinted on it.
It was hard to tell whether it had worn away, or whether the impression had been made carelessly in the first place, but it was certainly the crest of the One-winged Eagle.
Just how many ingots were piled up here?
By just going from one part to another randomly and judging by the height, there was surely more than several hundred.
My mind is already blank, so I can't do a good calculation.
......Even a moderate guess would put it above several billion yen.
"That's right..., of course......After all, there's 10 tons of gold, right...? At the current value, that's more than 20 billion yen of gold, right...? I, ...I found it, .....before anyone else, .........I found it!! Ahaha, wahahahahahahaha, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
In front of the mountain of gold, I spread my arms and looked up at the ceiling.
A laugh without a trace of dignity flowed out from my entire body.
I had no intention of laughing in a weird way, ...but, but, I couldn't hold back the happy feeling that flowed throughout my entire body.
......My older brother probably wouldn't accept his loss just because I had found this gold.
...But from now on, there would be no changing the fact that I had been the one to find the gold...!
To steal the headship of the family, I would still probably need some subtle tactics.
But after everything I've gone through until now, that's a completely trivial problem.
Even if I lost out on the inheritance of the Ushiromiya family and everything...
...I already have 20 billion yen worth of gold!!
"Hahahaha, a-hah-hah-hah-hah-ha!! I did think that money was such a worthless thing. I'd thought that there are many things in this world that you can't buy with money. ...But now I understand that that's just a lie! That's just an excuse that those who don't have it make for themselves!!
In front of this mountain of gold, I've finally realized something so obvious...!! By using this money, I can give birth to all the happiness in this world! With this money, my husband's company is already fine. We will always be happy as a family. And I can even leave a vast amount of money to George...!!
The rest of the relatives will eventually be ruined and disappear. At that time, George will use this gold, and just like Grandfather did, he will revive the Ushiromiya family's lost honor. ......George is the true successor of the Ushiromiya family!!"
It happened!!! My wish was granted!!
That dream I have wished for ever since I was born into this world as Ushiromiya Eva, has been granted completely in this very moment...!!
My husband and I will be happy for all eternity.
And I can also give my only son, George, eternal happiness!!
There's no way I'll waste it on foolish pleasures!!
My older brother has chewed up the Ushiromiya family, but George and I will revive it!
And that means that I truly have succeeded the headship of the Ushiromiya family!!
"I was successful... I did it, ...dear..., George.........I, ......finally succeeded, ......as a mother.........After this, we won't be threatened by anyone... Whaaaaaa, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
That's right, after this, never again will we be smothered by sad nights.
Congratulations, me.
Congratulations, Ushiromiya Eva.
......Right here, right now, the sad half of our life will have its heart's desire granted.
"It's all thanks to you... I was given this chance because of your magic. Because of that chance, I was able to make it here...!"
...Thank you.
But my magic couldn't have been granted if we both didn't believe in each other.
So it isn't just the power of my magic.
This is our victory.
Because of that, congratulations, 'us'.
"Thank you, me... Thank you, Ushiromiya Eva.........I'm glad I didn't give in before now. I'm glad that I didn't drown in sorrow and forget to keep struggling............No, this is my magic. Our magic! Your magic was the real thing. Beatrice, the witch of the forest, is nothing more than an illusion. You are the real witch, who can use real magic. ......That's right. Right now, you are the Golden Witch, Beatrice!!"
Eva decided to leave that place for the time being.
When she climbed the stairs again, trying to leave this secret place...
......She saw a creepy, swaying human shadow blocking her path, and her dreamlike state was blown away.
"..................Who is it?!"
For an instant, ...she believed that the true master of this room, the real Beatrice, had appeared.
It seemed that the other person was also holding a gun.
The two of them were pointing guns at each other.
And eventually, they each realized who the other was...
".........Rosa.........?"
"...Nee-san............What are you doing in a place like this...?"
"That's my line. What business do you have in a place such as this?"
"......I shouldn't have given you that hint, Nee-san. If I hadn't, I definitely would have been the first to reach this place. .........Too bad."
It seemed that Rosa knew where this staircase went, and what was waiting ahead of her.
"So you say. .........Even though I reached this place before you."
".........I worried too much about the sweetfish river. The sweetfish part didn't really matter that much at all, did it?"
"That isn't true. It was an excellent hint, wasn't it? Well, of course, maybe there was no need for it to be sweetfish. ...But when I heard that sweetfish are fish that go out into the sea, I was able to figure it out."
"......What is inside?"
"Why not see with your own eyes? It definitely won't betray your expectations."
"..................Don't be afraid, Nee-san. I never had any interest in who became the head. I don't even care about the Ushiromiya family name. ......Honestly, I actually feel good about you stealing the position of head from Krauss, who was always swaggering around because of it."
"............Are you serious?"
"Of course. I am the outsider of the Ushiromiya siblings. ......Even if Father had named me as the next head, there's no way Nii-san would accept that. I try not to have such naive dreams."
"........................"
"Let me see too. The proof of your victory, Nee-san. ......As long as I receive the proper portion that the siblings agreed upon, I plan to actively accept you as the true victor in this 'game'."
"............If you shoot me, then you would have this gold all to yourself, right?"
"It's the same for you. If you shoot me, this gold would all be yours."
"........................"
For a tense moment, the sisters pointed their guns at each other.
Eventually, after they sized up the glint in the other's eyes, they lowered their guns.
...Eva removed her finger from the trigger, and held the gun upside-down.
It was a position that she couldn't quickly shoot from.
When she saw that, Rosa held hers the same way.
"......That's right. That plan of shooting the other and having all the gold to ourselves is fascinating for both of us. ...But if one of us suddenly disappeared on this island while it's isolated by the typhoon, there would be a huge uproar. ......If we hid the corpse here, it probably wouldn't be found easily, but that isn't for certain."
".........No matter how many billion yen worth of gold is on the line, it isn't worth the risk of committing murder. In the end, that would become an excuse for Krauss nii-san and the others to take advantage of us."
"I agree. ......It may have been a blessing in disguise that you were the one to show up, ......instead of Nii-san or Rudolf. ...I trust you the most of all the siblings."
"............Thank you. I also trust you the most of the siblings, Nee-san."
"........................"
"............I want to see the gold too."
"Do you? Now I also want to see it again. Even though I saw it with my own eyes, it still doesn't feel real. ...Unless I see it together with you and check once more that it actually exists, it feels like the gold will turn to fog and disappear."
Eva started descending the staircase once more.
......However, she didn't carelessly expose her back to Rosa.
Even though, at a glance, it looked like Rosa had lowered her guard, she definitely didn't show any signs of carelessness.
......And they reached that room of the witch once again.
Rosa also gasped, made speechless by the vast amount of gold...
......Rosa and Eva walked absentmindedly through the rose garden.
They had left the guesthouse secretly, so they had to be careful when they returned.
They had to regain their sense of tension soon.
"......Congratulations, Nee-san."
"Thank you."
"You decided it, didn't you Nee-san? 50% goes to the title of the successor to the head. ......It sure did work out well for you. Now, that portion isn't Krauss nii-san's. ...So your share is now 50% along with a quarter of the rest, for a total of 12.5 billion yen.
Isn't that an incredible share? ...I'm satisfied with 2.5 billion. Rudolf nii-san won't complain either. Krauss nii-san will probably be the only one to complain."
"......Yeah, you're right. ...After all, Nii-san is the practical manager of Rokkenjima. And since the gold was on these premises, even though I was the first to discover it, things might get complicated if I don't handle it skillfully."
"It won't get complicated. Didn't we give it our all in that discussion last night with that in mind?"
"............I wonder if it will really go that smoothly. I've already completely gotten over my excitement. How we regulate everything from here on is the real problem."
"...That is a problem for the new head of the Ushiromiya family. You should enjoy that problem, Nee-san. It has nothing to do with me."
"Hmm, so you say..."
"......I'll support you as the second person to find it. If you would at least give me the early payment we decided on. My 150 million yen within three months."
"Yes, that's fine. ......If you support me, I can graciously pay you that much. I am not Nii-san."
"Anyways, why don't we go and shock Nii-san and the others? Even if we cover up the actual location, I want to see Krauss nii-san's shocked face as soon as I can."
"........................Wait a second, Rosa. Wait a while before telling everyone about it."
"...............HuhHuh? ...Why?"
"...You idiot, isn't it obvious? ...This is that haughty Krauss nii-san and that sly Rudolf we're talking about. Even if we announce it eventually, it's still too early now.
Unless we carefully investigate how we should move things along first, it's possible that all of the gold we've finally found will be snatched away by Nii-san."
Eva had tried to say it as though it was completely obvious.
...So when she saw Rosa's expression suddenly cloud over, she was a little surprised.
"......What are you unsatisfied about? You should also know what kind of a person Krauss nii-san is."
"............Nee-san, that's against the rules."
"What do you mean?"
"......Didn't we make a rule that whoever found the gold would announce it immediately? If you hesitate, the foundation of the rules will be destroyed, and that could lead to something worse in the future. ...With Krauss nii-san as crafty as he is, that violation of the rules will grow worse with time."
"That's stupid. This is Nii-san's island. And that gold just now wasn't cash. We're talking about the liquidation of a vast 10 ton mountain, right?
It will take a significant amount of time to carry it off and turn it into cash. And that will only work in Nii-san's favor, since he has practical control over this island. Don't you even realize that?!"
"..................I don't like it when you search each other for weaknesses like that. I just want to clearly specify my 2.5 billion portion.
Of course, if you were to give me 2.5 billion in cash right now, whatever you did next would be up to you. But until I have my share in my own pocket, I will follow the siblings' rules."
"You're so naive... You don't understand Nii-san's craftiness at all!"
......It wasn't that Rosa didn't understand the craftiness of her older siblings.
In that sense, Rosa more or less understood Eva's caution.
But in her heart, she couldn't clear away her suspicion that Eva wanted to keep all of the gold to herself.
......Because she knew that Eva was at least as crafty as her other siblings.
In other words, Rosa wanted to put a stop to any chance Eva had to keep the gold all to herself, by quickly informing the siblings of the gold's discovery...
"..................Rosa. Sorry, but at least listen to me this once."
".........Are you saying that if I don't listen to what you say, you won't be able to prepare the 150 million?"
"...............That isn't the way I wanted to say it. ...But if you really need that money, it's more realistic to support me. ......If you talk to Nii-san and Rudolf, even that natural portion of yours might disappear. You don't want that, do you?"
"....................."
For a while, a severe expression that she had never shown to her sister before rose to Rosa's face.
There wasn't even a trace of her restraint as a younger sister.
......There was just the ruthlessness, no, the seriousness of a single human arguing about a vast sum of wealth.
Eva made light of it, chuckling.
"......My, my. How careless we must be to stand around here talking like this, even though a frightful murder case has just taken place, and the culprit still may be on this island."
"I'm sure it's just the servants' farce. No murder case ever occurred on this island."
"......Oh. So you really do think that?"
"It can be clearly explained by the manner of the six deaths. The closed room with those six people definitely couldn't be created by a crime from the outside.
......Doctor Nanjo said that they were all dead, but that was also a lie. This is all a complicated act that Father plotted. All of the servants are just pretending to be dead. ...A murder never occurred in the first place. There's no way that there's a murderer prowling around."
"...Aha. I'm surprised that you would notice that. You looked fairly frightened, so I hadn't thought that you realized that much."
"......I'm a person who can read between the lines in that kind of situation. Thanks to that, I've been well trained."
That's right. Come to think of it, now that the servants are 'dead', everyone on this island is a member of the Ushiromiya family.
And after Nanjo had proclaimed the 'deaths' of the servants, when the relatives had begun to discuss the riddle of the epitaph, he had disappeared off to the second floor as though he was in the way...
"Everything, is an act to get us to challenge that epitaph. ......Therefore, you need to proclaim that you are the victor, Nee-san.
There's no way that burnt corpse is really Father. ......He prepared a corpse with the right number of toes from somewhere, and went to all the trouble of burning it for his nasty hobby."
"......I'm sure he's hiding somewhere, watching to see how we'll behave. ...I'm sure he already knows that you have reached the Golden Land, Nee-san.
......Therefore, you should proclaim that you are the winner soon. I'm sure Father will appear out of nowhere and proclaim that you are his successor while clapping his hands."
"............................................."
"...Well, still. ......I have to pester you for 150 million, so I can't work against you in anything."
".........So you'll listen to what I say, and be quiet about this to Nii-san and the rest...?"
"........................"
"......Make your position clear. ...Rosa."
"............I want to tell them. We just made that rule last night. We shouldn't just throw that away."
"Of course, I will announce it in front of the siblings. ...However, I want to closely inspect the situation first. Carrying out 10 tons of gold, converting it into money, and a fair distribution.
......Until I have proof that I can carry that out without Nii-san getting in the way, I want some time to think. I only want to hold off my announcement until then. .........I'm definitely not keeping it secret because I want it all for myself."
"...............You'll definitely announce it to everyone sooner or later, right?"
"...Yes, of course. I also want to rub it in Nii-san's face as soon as I can."
".........About how much time will you need to think?"
"I won't know that until I've thought about it."
"............Would one night be enough?"
"I can't promise you that it will take only one night...!"
"Out of respect for the next head, I will support you for one night. ......This year's family conference will end tomorrow morning, when the typhoon passes and a boat comes to get us. ...That's right, when the seagulls cry. ......I will remain silent until then.
If you think that you need more time to think after that, ...let's talk about it again at that time, alright?
.........I will support your position
as much as possible・・・・・・・・."
"...........................You, ......really are cunning, aren't you? ...I'm surprised. Were you always this sturdy?"
"......It's true that women become stronger when they have a child. I realized that in myself when I had Maria."
"............Understood. I thank you for your cooperation for the time being. ...We can talk about tomorrow when it comes."
"Yes, that's right. ......I believe that you will be a fair-minded successor to the head, who wouldn't even think of taking all of the gold for herself."
"...Isn't that obvious! ......I will split the gold evenly among the siblings."
No way. I found this.
Because I, we solved the riddle of the epitaph!
So this gold is all mine...!!
"I won't give it up to anyone! I am the head of the Ushiromiya family! I am, "I" am!!"
The witch inside Eva claimed exclusive possession in a loud voice.
...Of course, that didn't reach even close to Rosa's ears, and it probably didn't reach Eva's either.
"......Hmm. I shall acknowledge that. You are the true head of the Ushiromiya family, chosen by the witch's epitaph. Now, I shall acknowledge that upon my name."
"...Y, .........you are.........? That outfit, you couldn't be, ......really, ...Beatrice......?"
Maybe Beatrice was happy that Eva had called her by her own name.
She cackled pleasantly.
In concert with that laugh, gold butterflies crept up as though a storm of gold dust was spinning around the room, and the room shone the color of gold...
"Indeed. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice. ......*cackle*cackle*, there is nothing that should frighten you so. I am praising your exploits. ...Truly excellent. Imagine that you would spectacularly solve that riddle of the epitaph... It is worthy of my admiration...!"
"...You were the one who sent that letter? So I'll succeed all of the gold and the Ushiromiya family inheritance, right...? You wrote that in your letter. And I overcame that challenge...!"
"Hmmm. I shall acknowledge it. Now, all of this piled up gold, everything of the Ushiromiya family, is for you to do with as you please. After all, from this moment on, you are already the Ushiromiya family head."
"R, ......really? It's true, right? Right?!"
"Do not be agitated. I am openly praising you. As proof, I shall grant you this."
Beatrice took a ring off of her own finger, and held it out to Eva.
She fearfully accepted it, ......and realized that it was a ring.
"......C, ......could........., this be............"
"Hmm. It is the proof of the Ushiromiya family headship, returned to me from Kinzo, the Golden Ring. From now on, it is yours. You may put it on your finger and display it high before your siblings. No one should doubt that you have now succeeded the Ushiromiya family inheritance."
Eva stared closely at the ring.
...It certainly wasn't a fake.
...Without a doubt, it was the real thing.
She had dreamed of receiving this ring someday, focused on this day over and over again, and it was now finally a certainty.
This ring, had now designated her as the head, ......and had been handed over to her......
And timidly, ...she put it on the middle finger of her left hand...
In that instant, ......she felt a deep emotion piling up inside her that she had never felt before.
Her mind grew blank.
Both eyes were opened.
That ring, ...was on her own finger.
Not in a dream, in reality............!
"That ring is also pleased. Because it was able to come to you and fit itself on your finger as it dreamed of doing."
"......The ring.........Father's......ring............!"
"How many nights have you dreamed of putting that on your own finger as you have done now? ......The strength of those feelings became your magic and materialized itself. Now, you are worthy of calling yourself a great witch."
"............W, ...who are you? ...Are you really, ......Beatrice......"
"*cackle*cackle*. I am the Golden Witch Beatrice! Alchemist to the Ushiromiya family! Following my contract with Kinzo, I will now pass everything on to you. ...All of the gold I entrusted Kinzo with. And all of the wealth he built up through that. And the honor and inheritance of the Ushiromiya family. And, I will pass on my power and the title of the Endless Witch."
"......The title, ......of the witch......"
"I will pass on all of my magical power, and the title of the Golden Witch, the Endless Witch. ......Following my Predecessor, I will hand over my name, Beatrice, along with that title. ......You may now call yourself by that name!"
Eva gulped.
The chandelier light, which had seemed dim, now felt too bright.
"By my name, I shall now carry out the succession of the Golden Witch...!"
The instant that Beatrice made that proclamation, everything was buried by a golden sparkle, ......and changed into a majestic place that looked like an audience hall.
In the audience hall, there was a crowd of Beatrice's family and brethren, as well as countless gold butterflies celebrating this first succession ceremony in a thousand years.
When she looked, she saw Beatrice in the throne that only the Endless Witch was permitted to sit in, holding a golden staff, reigning with a dazzling dignity.
Without being ordered by anyone, Eva automatically kneeled, hanging her head...
A goat attendant respectfully handed Beatrice a golden staff in the shape of the One-winged Eagle.
After Beatrice stood up and received that staff, she lay the tip of it on Eva's shoulder and spoke. It was a proclamation one thousand years in coming.
"Ushiromiya Eva. You have spectacularly solved the riddle of the witch's epitaph, and reached the Golden Land. ......I praise that accomplishment, and hand over all of the Endless Magic as well as the titles of the Golden and Endless Witch.
From this point on, you may take my name, Beatrice...! Come, raise your face. Then stand and accept this staff...!"
"I, ......I am most grateful..."
Eva stood up dizzily and took the magic staff from Beatrice's hand. Her hand was trembling slightly.
As soon as she grasped that staff.
......She was wrapped up in the brilliant sparkle of gold.
As though gold butterflies were flowing out from inside of her.
In the instant she succeeded the Golden Witch, Eva felt something in the depths of her soul be reborn.
To describe it in a word, it was energy.
Energy with a gold color.
It felt like she was waking up, ......as though she had been half asleep since she had been born and was opening her eyes for the first time.
It felt as though her true eyes inside her eyes were opened for the first time in her life.
".........Hmm. A fitting and beautiful outfit for the Golden Witch. Come, you may show yourself to all of these people. You may show them that you are now the new witch...!"
Eva, ......no, the new Beatrice turned around timidly.
When she did, the witch's family, which filled the vast audience hall, honored her with an applause that sounded like the roaring of the sea......
"Come, everyone. Replace all of the portraits of Beatrice with the new Beatrice! Lift up words of celebration for the new Beatrice...!!"
"New Beatrice. Congratulations on the succession of the Golden Witch. ...I hope that you will become able to stand on your own as a proud Golden Witch, and as the Endless Witch."
"Y, .........yes, ...I will do my best..."
"I expect a composure fitting for the Endless Witch from you, unlike your naughty predecessor. Hoh-hohohohoho."
"Teacheer, we're in the middle of a serious ceremony, so please, enough of that."
"Congratulations on the succession of the Golden Witch. New Beatrice-sama. ......I am called Ronove. I am one of the 72 demons permitted to serve the Golden Witch.
From now on, I will always be waiting at your side. If there is ever any inconvenience, please say so at any time."
"......Th, ......thank you......"
"Ronove is rude but reliable. If you speak to this man of anything that confuses you in your new days as a witch, he should be able to help you."
".........And, predecessor Beatrice-sama, it is a shame that I was not permitted to serve you further, even though we have finally been reunited like this. ......These last thousand years have been very entertaining for me. I deeply thank you."
"Hmm. ......One thousand years with you wasn't boring. ...Please, take care of the new witch."
"Yes. I, Ronove, ...will certainly listen to the predecessor Beatrice's final order."
"Thank me, alright? I signed to recommend you for the succession of the witch, alright? In other words, if I hadn't signed, you wouldn't have been able to become the witch. So thank me a little, alright?!"
"This is the Witch of Certainty, Lady Lambdadelta. The recommendation of a witch from the senate was required for your succession as an Endless Witch. Lady Lambdadelta recommended you, and became your guardian."
"Th, ......thank you......"
"......He-y, Beato-! This kid isn't grateful enough! I'll stop recommending her!"
"The person who recommended her shouldn't act like a child, right? If you've signed, then just take responsibility."
"Lady Lambdadelta is also the Witch of Certainty. ......The Witch of Certainty prefers to make fate firm, to create a fate of Certainty. She really liked and highly valued your efforts until today."
"Well, a misfortunate childhood, unrewarded effort...I can sympathize ju-st a bit with that. It's not like I felt sorry for you or anything, don't be so full of yourself! Tsu-n!"
"......From my point of view, your succession, well, it's more of a coincidence than a miracle. It isn't worthy of my recommendation."
"*cackle*. This is Lady Bernkastel. She's a very hard-to-please person. Still, you could say that just having her participate and celebrate is very fortunate."
".........I only came because this is a rare event after one thousand years. And I heard that there would be some delicious sake."
"New Beatrice-sama. Please, greet us as well."
"Huh, ...ah, ...I'm pleased to meet you..."
The Seven Sisters of Purgatory were gathered in a line.
The eldest sister, Lucifer, took a step forward and kneeled.
"These are furniture who serve me. As a gift in celebration of your inheritance, I will send them to you. ......After you succeed the Golden Witch, you will also need to perform the resurrection ceremony for yourself. The Seven Sisters of Purgatory perform an essential role in that ceremony. ......They're a villainous group, but they serve their purpose. Have them do whatever you wish."
"We will always be by Beatrice-sama's side. Please order us to do anything you wish. We will certainly show that we can accomplish our task...!"
Even after that, various nobles and relatives visited and offered words of congratulation for the new witch.
As she responded to them confusedly, she felt as though she was getting light-headed due to lack of oxygen.
......She couldn't tell if this was something real or unreal.
But there was just one thing she could understand.
A feeling of achievement at being permitted to call herself the Golden Witch.
...That alone was a truth she could definitely understand...
"............What, ......is all this? Of course, I'm not going to swallow this story, ...but what in the world does it mean?! Eva oba-san is the new Beatrice? Are you saying she's become a witch? ......What the hell...!!"
"I was also surprised. Imagine that someone would be able to solve that riddle. ......However, that is the rule. I must follow it, and pass on the position of Golden Witch and my name."
"It is hardly something to be surprised about. From the beginning, Milady wrote that rule in a letter and announced it. ......Eva-sama was the first to be successful. That is all there is to say."
"......Virgilia, are you there?!"
"Yes, here I am..."
"What does this farce mean?! Even if this depiction of strange witches showing up one after another is some of her bullshit...! ......Isn't this like Eva oba-san has become a witch?!"
"Calm yourself. She has simply received the title of 'Endless Witch', and might call herself that in the future. ......This succession ceremony is certainly nothing more than an act to promote that child's 'explanation'. Don't fall for the same move again."
"Th, ...that's right... That whole grand ceremony was all phony. But it's at least a fact that Eva oba-san solved the riddle of the epitaph. ......And at the same time, that means that she succeeded the Ushiromiya family inheritance.
......And by obtaining 10 tons of gold, ......it means that Eva oba-san might as well call herself the 'Golden Witch'..., is that it...? Damn, it's as complicated as ever...!!"
"...My, my. Is a boorish human unable to comprehend the grandeur of this ceremony? ......Oh, well. Being unable to read between the lines is what makes you human. I pity you, but I do not blame you."
"Damn it... Don't look at me like you feel sorry for me............Still, for the time being, there's something I need to check.
And that's regarding this younger version of Eva oba-san, ...in other words, the definition of this new Beatrice. ......What is that?!"
"Even if I tell of it, you will just persist in your disbelief in magic and witches, right? So there's nothing in particular for me to explain. You may believe that things are as you think they are."
"......The way I think things are...?! Then, then how should I interpret this...?!"
"For now, grasping it as a visualization of a different being inside Ushiromiya Eva may not be a hinderance, I believe."
"...Of course, you cannot blindly accept it, but it is probably appropriate for you to think that way now."
"............I, in other words, I should think that Eva oba-san and her are the same person? ......Damn, ...this is starting to feel bad..."
"In that case, from now on, my name is not Beatrice. Because I have passed it on to Ushiromiya Eva. ......Which means that I am nameless! Battleer, isn't there some name that is fitting for me? I shall take your recommendation! Isn't there a name that's refined, full of elegance, and make it a little cute if you can...!"
"...It's fine if you stay as Beato. There's probably enough of a difference between Beato and Beatrice."
"M, ...muu. Stay as Beato, is it... It doesn't feel odd, but it's boring for some reason. Muu."
"Pu ku ku ku ku... They say the temperature of black tea and a woman's heart are difficult in any time period."
".........Battler-kun. Anyways, be calm after this. Compared to when this child was Beatrice, now that we can tell her apart from Ushiromiya Eva, the situation is advantageous to us."
"......And it's exactly because of that, ...that I like it even less. ......What is she thinking of? That Beato........."
Over there, the witches formed a long line to bless Eva oba-san, who had the figure of her younger days and who now possessed the name Beatrice.
It was like a witch's coronation.
The countless gold butterflies flapped their wings, directing this fantastical, gold-sparkling space.
They were all praising her.
As I stared from the distance, I looked at the reborn Beatrice, who had a slightly embarrassed smile on her face.
......Her expression, which had been confused at first, seemed to be full of a happiness that she had finally become aware of.
In that expression, there wasn't a trace of the insane laugh from standing before the gold.
There was just an innocence which reflected upon her own joy.
Since I denied witches, I couldn't put on a joyful expression at this witch succession ceremony and accept her...
......However, when I looked at that innocent smile, it made me feel like I wanted to bless that, just for now.
The moment when a strong effort is successful and rewarded is always beautiful.
Eva oba-san, who had always yearned to succeed the head, and had worked hard since she was young without being rewarded, ......had spectacularly taken hold of the chance given to her by the riddle of the epitaph, ...and had finally gained that position.
How divine is the smile of a person whose childhood dreams have been granted?
I definitely won't accept witches.
But, ......Battler put his hands together, making a small sound.
*clap*. *clap*.
......It didn't reach her ears, ...but it did bless her.
".........Congratulations, Eva oba-san."
You spectacularly solved the riddle of the epitaph before anyone else. It's your victory without any complaints.
.........I won't accept all that about the Golden Witch and so on, but I will accept you as the new head of the Ushiromiya family and I will celebrate honestly.
"............Hmph."
As though dragged along by Battler's applause, Beato also clapped.
...It was a slightly odd scene.
Because Battler and Beato, who opposed each other, were standing next to each other, applauding for the same person.
"I'm not applauding for a witch. ...I'm applauding for all of Eva oba-san's efforts up until now."
"I am too. I am honestly applauding as a blessing to Eva, who spectacularly solved that epitaph."
".........Hmm. ...I don't like applauding with you. ...But, well, I've decided that I won't worry about it now. ...Divine punishment won't fall on me just because I applaud with you every once in a while."
"Hmm. It isn't bad once in a while. ......Still, it is fun to applaud. Even though it was Eva who was successful and not me, for some reason, I'm starting to feel happy too."
"That's because blessing someone means the same thing as sympathizing and sharing with them."
"I see. Then, I have even shared this irrational happy feeling with you. ......Since we are a pair of enemies trying to make each other surrender, it is an odd experience."
"Well, ......just for now, let's have a truce and clap, alright?"
Beato laughed impishly, playing around and applauding even louder, as though eagerly trying not to lose to Battler as she clapped.
Battler went along with her, and clapped even louder.
When he did, as though some ceremony had ended, everyone applauded and highly praised the reborn Beatrice.
It was just as though Battler's and Beato's applause had been the final thing needed for her succession......
".........This way? ......Go this way............? They are, ......inviting me to go this way........."
......!!!
My heart leapt.
...Because there, ............gaping wide, ...was an opened mouth in the eerie darkness.
"Wh, .........what's this... What is this......?!"
When I strained my eyes, peering into the darkness, I saw something that looked like a light switch.
......In addition, there was a switch with open and close written on it.
When I resolutely pushed the switch, rough lights, like you'd find in a coal mine, turned on sporadically, making a staircase that stretched underground come hazily into vision...
It was creepy how it now looked even more gloomy with the lights turned on.
Other than the light switch, there was also a switch with open and close written on it.
...It would probably open or close this, but on the slight chance that the open part might be broken, I might be closed up in this creepy underground area for all eternity...
So for the time being, I didn't touch the open/close switch, .....and as I readied my gun again, I slowly went down the stairs.
Because the ceiling was very high, it didn't feel cramped.
On the contrary, it felt as though a cool breeze was blowing upwards, and that creepiness even felt like an aura...
As I readied my gun, and carefully stared forwards, ......I went down the stairs......
The walls, the stairs, the lights, ...all of them were very old-fashioned.
...It's easy to suspect that this had been made at the same time that the mansion had been constructed on this island.
There were cracks in the ceiling, and water clung to the walls, constantly dripping down.
That water fell into a gutter that had been set up alongside the stairs, then quickly and silently flowed into the underground darkness.
As though it was telling me to go faster...
The staircase kept turning back on itself.
I don't know how far down I've gone, but I think it's much deeper than one floor.
And eventually, ............a rough, metal door showed itself.
And there, characters had been written in a dark red paint. ...They had probably been written a long time ago.
'At the tenth twilight, the journey shall end, and you should reach the village of gold.'
My heart, which was already about to explode, jumped about even more as soon as I recognized those deep-red characters...
There's no mistake... This is the last stop.
.........Father's, ......Golden Land...!!
I calmed my throbbing heart, somehow regained my composure, and readied the gun again.
...But since, in the end, I couldn't open the door with my gun held in both hands...
......I lowered the gun, carefully erased my breath, and opened the door......
"..................Th, ......this place, ......is......?!"
My first impression when I saw the room, ......was that it might be related to one of the rooms in the mansion.
That's right, it had exactly the same atmosphere about it as the forbidden honored guest room on the second floor.
But this was underground, so there were no windows.
There was only the solemn light of a grand chandelier.
But even though it was dimly lit by the faint light, the quality of the interior was more than enough to take your breath away.
A bed with a canopy, and a rocking chair that looked like it would be comfortable to sit in. An extravagant sofa and carpet.
The room was like a dream every girl yearns for at least once...
And yet, since it was an underground hidden room with no windows, how could you say it, it felt like it could be the hidden house of a witch.
I had never swallowed the legend of Beatrice, witch of the forest.
However, ......after being shown this room, ......it certainly became hard to doubt that she actually had existed, and had lived in this room.
".........Is someone, ..................there...?"
Even though I was completely shocked by this room, I carefully, ...no, timidly searched the interior with my gun raised.
And, ......in the center of the room, I found it.
"............Eeek, ............"
My gasp came out strangely, as though a bunny was being choked.
...Because, ......after finding something like this, ...no one would be able to stop that kind of stupid voice from leaking out...
"It's here............I, it's really here...............Father's, ......gold......!!"
On the opposite side of the canopy bed, it was piled up in a massive heap...
It was a mountain, a mountain of gold ingots!!
Of course, they weren't piled up carelessly in a way that would damage the dignity of this room.
A beautiful scarlet satin weave was laid on the mountain of gold, creating a beautiful three-colored mix between the red, the gold and the black of the deep darkness...
It was as though, when the witch slept on this bed, the gold would be a respectful chamberlain waiting on her.
Nobly, refinedly, gracefully, beautifully.
It was attentively piled there with an imposing air...
When I tried to grab a single gold ingot, I was surprised at its weight.
......It was probably about 10 kilograms.
......Just this ingot would probably be worth more than 10 million.
The Ushiromiya family crest, the One-winged Eagle, was lightly imprinted on it.
It was hard to tell whether it had worn away, or whether the impression had been made carelessly in the first place, but it was certainly the crest of the One-winged Eagle.
Just how many ingots were piled up here?
By just going from one part to another randomly and judging by the height, there was surely more than several hundred.
My mind is already blank, so I can't do a good calculation.
......Even a moderate guess would put it above several billion yen.
"That's right..., of course......After all, there's 10 tons of gold, right...? At the current value, that's more than 20 billion yen of gold, right...? I, ...I found it, .....before anyone else, .........I found it!! Ahaha, wahahahahahahaha, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!"
In front of the mountain of gold, I spread my arms and looked up at the ceiling.
A laugh without a trace of dignity flowed out from my entire body.
I had no intention of laughing in a weird way, ...but, but, I couldn't hold back the happy feeling that flowed throughout my entire body.
......My older brother probably wouldn't accept his loss just because I had found this gold.
...But from now on, there would be no changing the fact that I had been the one to find the gold...!
To steal the headship of the family, I would still probably need some subtle tactics.
But after everything I've gone through until now, that's a completely trivial problem.
Even if I lost out on the inheritance of the Ushiromiya family and everything...
...I already have 20 billion yen worth of gold!!
"Hahahaha, a-hah-hah-hah-hah-ha!! I did think that money was such a worthless thing. I'd thought that there are many things in this world that you can't buy with money. ...But now I understand that that's just a lie! That's just an excuse that those who don't have it make for themselves!!
In front of this mountain of gold, I've finally realized something so obvious...!! By using this money, I can give birth to all the happiness in this world! With this money, my husband's company is already fine. We will always be happy as a family. And I can even leave a vast amount of money to George...!!
The rest of the relatives will eventually be ruined and disappear. At that time, George will use this gold, and just like Grandfather did, he will revive the Ushiromiya family's lost honor. ......George is the true successor of the Ushiromiya family!!"
It happened!!! My wish was granted!!
That dream I have wished for ever since I was born into this world as Ushiromiya Eva, has been granted completely in this very moment...!!
My husband and I will be happy for all eternity.
And I can also give my only son, George, eternal happiness!!
There's no way I'll waste it on foolish pleasures!!
My older brother has chewed up the Ushiromiya family, but George and I will revive it!
And that means that I truly have succeeded the headship of the Ushiromiya family!!
"I was successful... I did it, ...dear..., George.........I, ......finally succeeded, ......as a mother.........After this, we won't be threatened by anyone... Whaaaaaa, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
That's right, after this, never again will we be smothered by sad nights.
Congratulations, me.
Congratulations, Ushiromiya Eva.
......Right here, right now, the sad half of our life will have its heart's desire granted.
"It's all thanks to you... I was given this chance because of your magic. Because of that chance, I was able to make it here...!"
...Thank you.
But my magic couldn't have been granted if we both didn't believe in each other.
So it isn't just the power of my magic.
This is our victory.
Because of that, congratulations, 'us'.
"Thank you, me... Thank you, Ushiromiya Eva.........I'm glad I didn't give in before now. I'm glad that I didn't drown in sorrow and forget to keep struggling............No, this is my magic. Our magic! Your magic was the real thing. Beatrice, the witch of the forest, is nothing more than an illusion. You are the real witch, who can use real magic. ......That's right. Right now, you are the Golden Witch, Beatrice!!"
Eva decided to leave that place for the time being.
When she climbed the stairs again, trying to leave this secret place...
......She saw a creepy, swaying human shadow blocking her path, and her dreamlike state was blown away.
"..................Who is it?!"
For an instant, ...she believed that the true master of this room, the real Beatrice, had appeared.
It seemed that the other person was also holding a gun.
The two of them were pointing guns at each other.
And eventually, they each realized who the other was...
".........Rosa.........?"
"...Nee-san............What are you doing in a place like this...?"
"That's my line. What business do you have in a place such as this?"
"......I shouldn't have given you that hint, Nee-san. If I hadn't, I definitely would have been the first to reach this place. .........Too bad."
It seemed that Rosa knew where this staircase went, and what was waiting ahead of her.
"So you say. .........Even though I reached this place before you."
".........I worried too much about the sweetfish river. The sweetfish part didn't really matter that much at all, did it?"
"That isn't true. It was an excellent hint, wasn't it? Well, of course, maybe there was no need for it to be sweetfish. ...But when I heard that sweetfish are fish that go out into the sea, I was able to figure it out."
"......What is inside?"
"Why not see with your own eyes? It definitely won't betray your expectations."
"..................Don't be afraid, Nee-san. I never had any interest in who became the head. I don't even care about the Ushiromiya family name. ......Honestly, I actually feel good about you stealing the position of head from Krauss, who was always swaggering around because of it."
"............Are you serious?"
"Of course. I am the outsider of the Ushiromiya siblings. ......Even if Father had named me as the next head, there's no way Nii-san would accept that. I try not to have such naive dreams."
"........................"
"Let me see too. The proof of your victory, Nee-san. ......As long as I receive the proper portion that the siblings agreed upon, I plan to actively accept you as the true victor in this 'game'."
"............If you shoot me, then you would have this gold all to yourself, right?"
"It's the same for you. If you shoot me, this gold would all be yours."
"........................"
For a tense moment, the sisters pointed their guns at each other.
Eventually, after they sized up the glint in the other's eyes, they lowered their guns.
...Eva removed her finger from the trigger, and held the gun upside-down.
It was a position that she couldn't quickly shoot from.
When she saw that, Rosa held hers the same way.
"......That's right. That plan of shooting the other and having all the gold to ourselves is fascinating for both of us. ...But if one of us suddenly disappeared on this island while it's isolated by the typhoon, there would be a huge uproar. ......If we hid the corpse here, it probably wouldn't be found easily, but that isn't for certain."
".........No matter how many billion yen worth of gold is on the line, it isn't worth the risk of committing murder. In the end, that would become an excuse for Krauss nii-san and the others to take advantage of us."
"I agree. ......It may have been a blessing in disguise that you were the one to show up, ......instead of Nii-san or Rudolf. ...I trust you the most of all the siblings."
"............Thank you. I also trust you the most of the siblings, Nee-san."
"........................"
"............I want to see the gold too."
"Do you? Now I also want to see it again. Even though I saw it with my own eyes, it still doesn't feel real. ...Unless I see it together with you and check once more that it actually exists, it feels like the gold will turn to fog and disappear."
Eva started descending the staircase once more.
......However, she didn't carelessly expose her back to Rosa.
Even though, at a glance, it looked like Rosa had lowered her guard, she definitely didn't show any signs of carelessness.
......And they reached that room of the witch once again.
Rosa also gasped, made speechless by the vast amount of gold...
......Rosa and Eva walked absentmindedly through the rose garden.
They had left the guesthouse secretly, so they had to be careful when they returned.
They had to regain their sense of tension soon.
"......Congratulations, Nee-san."
"Thank you."
"You decided it, didn't you Nee-san? 50% goes to the title of the successor to the head. ......It sure did work out well for you. Now, that portion isn't Krauss nii-san's. ...So your share is now 50% along with a quarter of the rest, for a total of 12.5 billion yen.
Isn't that an incredible share? ...I'm satisfied with 2.5 billion. Rudolf nii-san won't complain either. Krauss nii-san will probably be the only one to complain."
"......Yeah, you're right. ...After all, Nii-san is the practical manager of Rokkenjima. And since the gold was on these premises, even though I was the first to discover it, things might get complicated if I don't handle it skillfully."
"It won't get complicated. Didn't we give it our all in that discussion last night with that in mind?"
"............I wonder if it will really go that smoothly. I've already completely gotten over my excitement. How we regulate everything from here on is the real problem."
"...That is a problem for the new head of the Ushiromiya family. You should enjoy that problem, Nee-san. It has nothing to do with me."
"Hmm, so you say..."
"......I'll support you as the second person to find it. If you would at least give me the early payment we decided on. My 150 million yen within three months."
"Yes, that's fine. ......If you support me, I can graciously pay you that much. I am not Nii-san."
"Anyways, why don't we go and shock Nii-san and the others? Even if we cover up the actual location, I want to see Krauss nii-san's shocked face as soon as I can."
"........................Wait a second, Rosa. Wait a while before telling everyone about it."
"...............HuhHuh? ...Why?"
"...You idiot, isn't it obvious? ...This is that haughty Krauss nii-san and that sly Rudolf we're talking about. Even if we announce it eventually, it's still too early now.
Unless we carefully investigate how we should move things along first, it's possible that all of the gold we've finally found will be snatched away by Nii-san."
Eva had tried to say it as though it was completely obvious.
...So when she saw Rosa's expression suddenly cloud over, she was a little surprised.
"......What are you unsatisfied about? You should also know what kind of a person Krauss nii-san is."
"............Nee-san, that's against the rules."
"What do you mean?"
"......Didn't we make a rule that whoever found the gold would announce it immediately? If you hesitate, the foundation of the rules will be destroyed, and that could lead to something worse in the future. ...With Krauss nii-san as crafty as he is, that violation of the rules will grow worse with time."
"That's stupid. This is Nii-san's island. And that gold just now wasn't cash. We're talking about the liquidation of a vast 10 ton mountain, right?
It will take a significant amount of time to carry it off and turn it into cash. And that will only work in Nii-san's favor, since he has practical control over this island. Don't you even realize that?!"
"..................I don't like it when you search each other for weaknesses like that. I just want to clearly specify my 2.5 billion portion.
Of course, if you were to give me 2.5 billion in cash right now, whatever you did next would be up to you. But until I have my share in my own pocket, I will follow the siblings' rules."
"You're so naive... You don't understand Nii-san's craftiness at all!"
......It wasn't that Rosa didn't understand the craftiness of her older siblings.
In that sense, Rosa more or less understood Eva's caution.
But in her heart, she couldn't clear away her suspicion that Eva wanted to keep all of the gold to herself.
......Because she knew that Eva was at least as crafty as her other siblings.
In other words, Rosa wanted to put a stop to any chance Eva had to keep the gold all to herself, by quickly informing the siblings of the gold's discovery...
"..................Rosa. Sorry, but at least listen to me this once."
".........Are you saying that if I don't listen to what you say, you won't be able to prepare the 150 million?"
"...............That isn't the way I wanted to say it. ...But if you really need that money, it's more realistic to support me. ......If you talk to Nii-san and Rudolf, even that natural portion of yours might disappear. You don't want that, do you?"
"....................."
For a while, a severe expression that she had never shown to her sister before rose to Rosa's face.
There wasn't even a trace of her restraint as a younger sister.
......There was just the ruthlessness, no, the seriousness of a single human arguing about a vast sum of wealth.
Eva made light of it, chuckling.
"......My, my. How careless we must be to stand around here talking like this, even though a frightful murder case has just taken place, and the culprit still may be on this island."
"I'm sure it's just the servants' farce. No murder case ever occurred on this island."
"......Oh. So you really do think that?"
"It can be clearly explained by the manner of the six deaths. The closed room with those six people definitely couldn't be created by a crime from the outside.
......Doctor Nanjo said that they were all dead, but that was also a lie. This is all a complicated act that Father plotted. All of the servants are just pretending to be dead. ...A murder never occurred in the first place. There's no way that there's a murderer prowling around."
"...Aha. I'm surprised that you would notice that. You looked fairly frightened, so I hadn't thought that you realized that much."
"......I'm a person who can read between the lines in that kind of situation. Thanks to that, I've been well trained."
That's right. Come to think of it, now that the servants are 'dead', everyone on this island is a member of the Ushiromiya family.
And after Nanjo had proclaimed the 'deaths' of the servants, when the relatives had begun to discuss the riddle of the epitaph, he had disappeared off to the second floor as though he was in the way...
"Everything, is an act to get us to challenge that epitaph. ......Therefore, you need to proclaim that you are the victor, Nee-san.
There's no way that burnt corpse is really Father. ......He prepared a corpse with the right number of toes from somewhere, and went to all the trouble of burning it for his nasty hobby."
"......I'm sure he's hiding somewhere, watching to see how we'll behave. ...I'm sure he already knows that you have reached the Golden Land, Nee-san.
......Therefore, you should proclaim that you are the winner soon. I'm sure Father will appear out of nowhere and proclaim that you are his successor while clapping his hands."
"............................................."
"...Well, still. ......I have to pester you for 150 million, so I can't work against you in anything."
".........So you'll listen to what I say, and be quiet about this to Nii-san and the rest...?"
"........................"
"......Make your position clear. ...Rosa."
"............I want to tell them. We just made that rule last night. We shouldn't just throw that away."
"Of course, I will announce it in front of the siblings. ...However, I want to closely inspect the situation first. Carrying out 10 tons of gold, converting it into money, and a fair distribution.
......Until I have proof that I can carry that out without Nii-san getting in the way, I want some time to think. I only want to hold off my announcement until then. .........I'm definitely not keeping it secret because I want it all for myself."
"...............You'll definitely announce it to everyone sooner or later, right?"
"...Yes, of course. I also want to rub it in Nii-san's face as soon as I can."
".........About how much time will you need to think?"
"I won't know that until I've thought about it."
"............Would one night be enough?"
"I can't promise you that it will take only one night...!"
"Out of respect for the next head, I will support you for one night. ......This year's family conference will end tomorrow morning, when the typhoon passes and a boat comes to get us. ...That's right, when the seagulls cry. ......I will remain silent until then.
If you think that you need more time to think after that, ...let's talk about it again at that time, alright?
.........I will support your position
as much as possible・・・・・・・・."
"...........................You, ......really are cunning, aren't you? ...I'm surprised. Were you always this sturdy?"
"......It's true that women become stronger when they have a child. I realized that in myself when I had Maria."
"............Understood. I thank you for your cooperation for the time being. ...We can talk about tomorrow when it comes."
"Yes, that's right. ......I believe that you will be a fair-minded successor to the head, who wouldn't even think of taking all of the gold for herself."
"...Isn't that obvious! ......I will split the gold evenly among the siblings."
No way. I found this.
Because I, we solved the riddle of the epitaph!
So this gold is all mine...!!
"I won't give it up to anyone! I am the head of the Ushiromiya family! I am, "I" am!!"
The witch inside Eva claimed exclusive possession in a loud voice.
...Of course, that didn't reach even close to Rosa's ears, and it probably didn't reach Eva's either.
"......Hmm. I shall acknowledge that. You are the true head of the Ushiromiya family, chosen by the witch's epitaph. Now, I shall acknowledge that upon my name."
"...Y, .........you are.........? That outfit, you couldn't be, ......really, ...Beatrice......?"
Maybe Beatrice was happy that Eva had called her by her own name.
She cackled pleasantly.
In concert with that laugh, gold butterflies crept up as though a storm of gold dust was spinning around the room, and the room shone the color of gold...
"Indeed. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice. ......*cackle*cackle*, there is nothing that should frighten you so. I am praising your exploits. ...Truly excellent. Imagine that you would spectacularly solve that riddle of the epitaph... It is worthy of my admiration...!"
"...You were the one who sent that letter? So I'll succeed all of the gold and the Ushiromiya family inheritance, right...? You wrote that in your letter. And I overcame that challenge...!"
"Hmmm. I shall acknowledge it. Now, all of this piled up gold, everything of the Ushiromiya family, is for you to do with as you please. After all, from this moment on, you are already the Ushiromiya family head."
"R, ......really? It's true, right? Right?!"
"Do not be agitated. I am openly praising you. As proof, I shall grant you this."
Beatrice took a ring off of her own finger, and held it out to Eva.
She fearfully accepted it, ......and realized that it was a ring.
"......C, ......could........., this be............"
"Hmm. It is the proof of the Ushiromiya family headship, returned to me from Kinzo, the Golden Ring. From now on, it is yours. You may put it on your finger and display it high before your siblings. No one should doubt that you have now succeeded the Ushiromiya family inheritance."
Eva stared closely at the ring.
...It certainly wasn't a fake.
...Without a doubt, it was the real thing.
She had dreamed of receiving this ring someday, focused on this day over and over again, and it was now finally a certainty.
This ring, had now designated her as the head, ......and had been handed over to her......
And timidly, ...she put it on the middle finger of her left hand...
In that instant, ......she felt a deep emotion piling up inside her that she had never felt before.
Her mind grew blank.
Both eyes were opened.
That ring, ...was on her own finger.
Not in a dream, in reality............!
"That ring is also pleased. Because it was able to come to you and fit itself on your finger as it dreamed of doing."
"......The ring.........Father's......ring............!"
"How many nights have you dreamed of putting that on your own finger as you have done now? ......The strength of those feelings became your magic and materialized itself. Now, you are worthy of calling yourself a great witch."
"............W, ...who are you? ...Are you really, ......Beatrice......"
"*cackle*cackle*. I am the Golden Witch Beatrice! Alchemist to the Ushiromiya family! Following my contract with Kinzo, I will now pass everything on to you. ...All of the gold I entrusted Kinzo with. And all of the wealth he built up through that. And the honor and inheritance of the Ushiromiya family. And, I will pass on my power and the title of the Endless Witch."
"......The title, ......of the witch......"
"I will pass on all of my magical power, and the title of the Golden Witch, the Endless Witch. ......Following my Predecessor, I will hand over my name, Beatrice, along with that title. ......You may now call yourself by that name!"
Eva gulped.
The chandelier light, which had seemed dim, now felt too bright.
"By my name, I shall now carry out the succession of the Golden Witch...!"
The instant that Beatrice made that proclamation, everything was buried by a golden sparkle, ......and changed into a majestic place that looked like an audience hall.
In the audience hall, there was a crowd of Beatrice's family and brethren, as well as countless gold butterflies celebrating this first succession ceremony in a thousand years.
When she looked, she saw Beatrice in the throne that only the Endless Witch was permitted to sit in, holding a golden staff, reigning with a dazzling dignity.
Without being ordered by anyone, Eva automatically kneeled, hanging her head...
A goat attendant respectfully handed Beatrice a golden staff in the shape of the One-winged Eagle.
After Beatrice stood up and received that staff, she lay the tip of it on Eva's shoulder and spoke. It was a proclamation one thousand years in coming.
"Ushiromiya Eva. You have spectacularly solved the riddle of the witch's epitaph, and reached the Golden Land. ......I praise that accomplishment, and hand over all of the Endless Magic as well as the titles of the Golden and Endless Witch.
From this point on, you may take my name, Beatrice...! Come, raise your face. Then stand and accept this staff...!"
"I, ......I am most grateful..."
Eva stood up dizzily and took the magic staff from Beatrice's hand. Her hand was trembling slightly.
As soon as she grasped that staff.
......She was wrapped up in the brilliant sparkle of gold.
As though gold butterflies were flowing out from inside of her.
In the instant she succeeded the Golden Witch, Eva felt something in the depths of her soul be reborn.
To describe it in a word, it was energy.
Energy with a gold color.
It felt like she was waking up, ......as though she had been half asleep since she had been born and was opening her eyes for the first time.
It felt as though her true eyes inside her eyes were opened for the first time in her life.
".........Hmm. A fitting and beautiful outfit for the Golden Witch. Come, you may show yourself to all of these people. You may show them that you are now the new witch...!"
Eva, ......no, the new Beatrice turned around timidly.
When she did, the witch's family, which filled the vast audience hall, honored her with an applause that sounded like the roaring of the sea......
"Come, everyone. Replace all of the portraits of Beatrice with the new Beatrice! Lift up words of celebration for the new Beatrice...!!"
"New Beatrice. Congratulations on the succession of the Golden Witch. ...I hope that you will become able to stand on your own as a proud Golden Witch, and as the Endless Witch."
"Y, .........yes, ...I will do my best..."
"I expect a composure fitting for the Endless Witch from you, unlike your naughty predecessor. Hoh-hohohohoho."
"Teacheer, we're in the middle of a serious ceremony, so please, enough of that."
"Congratulations on the succession of the Golden Witch. New Beatrice-sama. ......I am called Ronove. I am one of the 72 demons permitted to serve the Golden Witch.
From now on, I will always be waiting at your side. If there is ever any inconvenience, please say so at any time."
"......Th, ......thank you......"
"Ronove is rude but reliable. If you speak to this man of anything that confuses you in your new days as a witch, he should be able to help you."
".........And, predecessor Beatrice-sama, it is a shame that I was not permitted to serve you further, even though we have finally been reunited like this. ......These last thousand years have been very entertaining for me. I deeply thank you."
"Hmm. ......One thousand years with you wasn't boring. ...Please, take care of the new witch."
"Yes. I, Ronove, ...will certainly listen to the predecessor Beatrice's final order."
"Thank me, alright? I signed to recommend you for the succession of the witch, alright? In other words, if I hadn't signed, you wouldn't have been able to become the witch. So thank me a little, alright?!"
"This is the Witch of Certainty, Lady Lambdadelta. The recommendation of a witch from the senate was required for your succession as an Endless Witch. Lady Lambdadelta recommended you, and became your guardian."
"Th, ......thank you......"
"......He-y, Beato-! This kid isn't grateful enough! I'll stop recommending her!"
"The person who recommended her shouldn't act like a child, right? If you've signed, then just take responsibility."
"Lady Lambdadelta is also the Witch of Certainty. ......The Witch of Certainty prefers to make fate firm, to create a fate of Certainty. She really liked and highly valued your efforts until today."
"Well, a misfortunate childhood, unrewarded effort...I can sympathize ju-st a bit with that. It's not like I felt sorry for you or anything, don't be so full of yourself! Tsu-n!"
"......From my point of view, your succession, well, it's more of a coincidence than a miracle. It isn't worthy of my recommendation."
"*cackle*. This is Lady Bernkastel. She's a very hard-to-please person. Still, you could say that just having her participate and celebrate is very fortunate."
".........I only came because this is a rare event after one thousand years. And I heard that there would be some delicious sake."
"New Beatrice-sama. Please, greet us as well."
"Huh, ...ah, ...I'm pleased to meet you..."
The Seven Sisters of Purgatory were gathered in a line.
The eldest sister, Lucifer, took a step forward and kneeled.
"These are furniture who serve me. As a gift in celebration of your inheritance, I will send them to you. ......After you succeed the Golden Witch, you will also need to perform the resurrection ceremony for yourself. The Seven Sisters of Purgatory perform an essential role in that ceremony. ......They're a villainous group, but they serve their purpose. Have them do whatever you wish."
"We will always be by Beatrice-sama's side. Please order us to do anything you wish. We will certainly show that we can accomplish our task...!"
Even after that, various nobles and relatives visited and offered words of congratulation for the new witch.
As she responded to them confusedly, she felt as though she was getting light-headed due to lack of oxygen.
......She couldn't tell if this was something real or unreal.
But there was just one thing she could understand.
A feeling of achievement at being permitted to call herself the Golden Witch.
...That alone was a truth she could definitely understand...
"............What, ......is all this? Of course, I'm not going to swallow this story, ...but what in the world does it mean?! Eva oba-san is the new Beatrice? Are you saying she's become a witch? ......What the hell...!!"
"I was also surprised. Imagine that someone would be able to solve that riddle. ......However, that is the rule. I must follow it, and pass on the position of Golden Witch and my name."
"It is hardly something to be surprised about. From the beginning, Milady wrote that rule in a letter and announced it. ......Eva-sama was the first to be successful. That is all there is to say."
"......Virgilia, are you there?!"
"Yes, here I am..."
"What does this farce mean?! Even if this depiction of strange witches showing up one after another is some of her bullshit...! ......Isn't this like Eva oba-san has become a witch?!"
"Calm yourself. She has simply received the title of 'Endless Witch', and might call herself that in the future. ......This succession ceremony is certainly nothing more than an act to promote that child's 'explanation'. Don't fall for the same move again."
"Th, ...that's right... That whole grand ceremony was all phony. But it's at least a fact that Eva oba-san solved the riddle of the epitaph. ......And at the same time, that means that she succeeded the Ushiromiya family inheritance.
......And by obtaining 10 tons of gold, ......it means that Eva oba-san might as well call herself the 'Golden Witch'..., is that it...? Damn, it's as complicated as ever...!!"
"...My, my. Is a boorish human unable to comprehend the grandeur of this ceremony? ......Oh, well. Being unable to read between the lines is what makes you human. I pity you, but I do not blame you."
"Damn it... Don't look at me like you feel sorry for me............Still, for the time being, there's something I need to check.
And that's regarding this younger version of Eva oba-san, ...in other words, the definition of this new Beatrice. ......What is that?!"
"Even if I tell of it, you will just persist in your disbelief in magic and witches, right? So there's nothing in particular for me to explain. You may believe that things are as you think they are."
"......The way I think things are...?! Then, then how should I interpret this...?!"
"For now, grasping it as a visualization of a different being inside Ushiromiya Eva may not be a hinderance, I believe."
"...Of course, you cannot blindly accept it, but it is probably appropriate for you to think that way now."
"............I, in other words, I should think that Eva oba-san and her are the same person? ......Damn, ...this is starting to feel bad..."
"In that case, from now on, my name is not Beatrice. Because I have passed it on to Ushiromiya Eva. ......Which means that I am nameless! Battleer, isn't there some name that is fitting for me? I shall take your recommendation! Isn't there a name that's refined, full of elegance, and make it a little cute if you can...!"
"...It's fine if you stay as Beato. There's probably enough of a difference between Beato and Beatrice."
"M, ...muu. Stay as Beato, is it... It doesn't feel odd, but it's boring for some reason. Muu."
"Pu ku ku ku ku... They say the temperature of black tea and a woman's heart are difficult in any time period."
".........Battler-kun. Anyways, be calm after this. Compared to when this child was Beatrice, now that we can tell her apart from Ushiromiya Eva, the situation is advantageous to us."
"......And it's exactly because of that, ...that I like it even less. ......What is she thinking of? That Beato........."
Over there, the witches formed a long line to bless Eva oba-san, who had the figure of her younger days and who now possessed the name Beatrice.
It was like a witch's coronation.
The countless gold butterflies flapped their wings, directing this fantastical, gold-sparkling space.
They were all praising her.
As I stared from the distance, I looked at the reborn Beatrice, who had a slightly embarrassed smile on her face.
......Her expression, which had been confused at first, seemed to be full of a happiness that she had finally become aware of.
In that expression, there wasn't a trace of the insane laugh from standing before the gold.
There was just an innocence which reflected upon her own joy.
Since I denied witches, I couldn't put on a joyful expression at this witch succession ceremony and accept her...
......However, when I looked at that innocent smile, it made me feel like I wanted to bless that, just for now.
The moment when a strong effort is successful and rewarded is always beautiful.
Eva oba-san, who had always yearned to succeed the head, and had worked hard since she was young without being rewarded, ......had spectacularly taken hold of the chance given to her by the riddle of the epitaph, ...and had finally gained that position.
How divine is the smile of a person whose childhood dreams have been granted?
I definitely won't accept witches.
But, ......Battler put his hands together, making a small sound.
*clap*. *clap*.
......It didn't reach her ears, ...but it did bless her.
".........Congratulations, Eva oba-san."
You spectacularly solved the riddle of the epitaph before anyone else. It's your victory without any complaints.
.........I won't accept all that about the Golden Witch and so on, but I will accept you as the new head of the Ushiromiya family and I will celebrate honestly.
"............Hmph."
As though dragged along by Battler's applause, Beato also clapped.
...It was a slightly odd scene.
Because Battler and Beato, who opposed each other, were standing next to each other, applauding for the same person.
"I'm not applauding for a witch. ...I'm applauding for all of Eva oba-san's efforts up until now."
"I am too. I am honestly applauding as a blessing to Eva, who spectacularly solved that epitaph."
".........Hmm. ...I don't like applauding with you. ...But, well, I've decided that I won't worry about it now. ...Divine punishment won't fall on me just because I applaud with you every once in a while."
"Hmm. It isn't bad once in a while. ......Still, it is fun to applaud. Even though it was Eva who was successful and not me, for some reason, I'm starting to feel happy too."
"That's because blessing someone means the same thing as sympathizing and sharing with them."
"I see. Then, I have even shared this irrational happy feeling with you. ......Since we are a pair of enemies trying to make each other surrender, it is an odd experience."
"Well, ......just for now, let's have a truce and clap, alright?"
Beato laughed impishly, playing around and applauding even louder, as though eagerly trying not to lose to Battler as she clapped.
Battler went along with her, and clapped even louder.
When he did, as though some ceremony had ended, everyone applauded and highly praised the reborn Beatrice.
It was just as though Battler's and Beato's applause had been the final thing needed for her succession......