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umiscripts2012-02-24 03:37 pm
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-02-24 03:37 pm
requiem of the golden witch; chapter twelve ( new days )
Chapter four, 'New Days'.
The months and years slid by.
In my new, more colorful life, I smiled at the spring sunshine peeking through the trees, gazed up at the column of summer clouds, enjoyed the piles of fallen leaves in autumn, and played in the winter snow the few times it did fall.
As these days passed one after another, there was a considerable change to my environment.
The servants coming from the Fukuin House had switched.
There weren't specific grades like in school, so there was no rule saying how long a servant could work before quitting.
Each servant made their own decision about when they would 'graduate' from Rokkenjima.
Some of those who couldn't stand the environment would quit in as little as three days.
After all, life on Rokkenjima was strict.
It was also strict in the Fukuin House, of course, but there were a lot of Rokkenjima-only rules, and Natsuhi, the one who supervised the servants, was also very authoritarian. It was probably easy to feel constrained.
That constrained feeling and the money sat on opposite sides of the scale that they used to decide the time of their graduation.
And sometimes, someone from the Ushiromiya family would use their influence to secure someone a new job, encouraging them to spread their wings and start a new life.
The cycle usually lasted two or three years.
No one decided this, but it was one of the goals most servants shot for, an unspoken rule.
However, I was an exception to that rule.
I continued to go to school in Niijima while still living as a servant...
That year, all of the Fukuin House servants quit at once.
`It wasn't at all rare for friends to quit at the same time as each other.
All of my fellow servants from the Fukuin House graduated from the island at once, leaving only me behind...
Of course, I wasn't on particularly good terms with them.
On the contrary, it was annoying to be treated like a kid and called Yasu all the time.
Even though some new servants had come after me, the older ones had already gotten them believing that 'Yasu loses things all the time', so it wasn't really any more pleasant to have new comrades.
Those unpleasant older servants, as well as the ones who started at the same time or after I did, all quit at once.
The Ushiromiya family had no quarrel with those who left.
Adult servants were easier to handle in the first place.
The Fukuin House servants were only accepted so that they could be trained.
So, all of the other servants left, and no one tried to stop them......
"Later, Yasu. Don't go losing stuff again."
"......I don't lose things anymore."
"Hmph, later. Make sure you listen to what Madam says. Don't you go troubling the next group of servants."
"......You know, it's still a mystery. Why did someone recommend Yasu?"
"It's even more surprising that Madam let Yasu stay this long."
"It must have taken some guts to not give up and run away.
Keep it up, Yasu."
"I, I......hate being called Yasu..."
At the very end, ......I finally said the one thing I'd always wanted to say to them.
However, they basically ignored me, and just picked up their things and left...
"............"
"......Guess you never got a chance to become friends with them."
"I wouldn't even want to."
"Yep. I'm sure they feel the same way, so you're even.
Let's just forget about those people. They no longer have anything to do with us. So, there's no reason to worry about it."
"......Yeah. ......You're right."
I felt just a bit disappointed.
I never got a chance to prove to them that I could take care of myself.
"It's hard for people to throw off their first impressions. ......That's just how it is.
No matter how wonderful a person you grow into, they would probably always call you Yasu and make fun of you. There's no reason for you to want their admiration."
"......Yes. Yeah, you're right, Shannon. I'll completely forget about those people."
"Good. You have two great friends, Kumasawa-san and me. And if you want to prove that you can take care of yourself, prove it to the new servants who are coming."
Shannon was exactly right.
Ever since that day when I held the key with the spiderweb charm up high, I'd regained my confidence and pride.
......I am now the most experienced Fukuin servant.
The new servants who come will still probably be older than me, but I need to teach them the ropes as the more experienced servant.
Genji-sama even told me to guide the newer servants...
Okay. ......I'll give it my all.
"That's the right attitude. Let's give it our all together."
"Yeah!"
Asne and Belne?
"My name is Asune (明日音). Pleased to meet you."
"My name is Berune (鐘音). Pleased to meet you."
............
The newly arrived servants looked......a bit superficial.
When I first joined the Ushiromiya family, I was incredibly nervous.
However, I couldn't see any trace of that nervousness on these girls...
"Yes. Usually, kids with good grades and behavior were selected."
"How were they selected? Who did it?"
"The board of directors came and interviewed them. And other things, like watching their everyday conduct..."
"So! As long as they acted like good kids in front of the adults, they could pass?"
"......Well,
ummm,
...there were times that they passed because the adults thought they looked suitable..."
"All of the children who came from the Fukuin House were highly individualistic. They polished that attitude while they worked as servants, and eventually grew to be servants that would not shame the Ushiromiya family."
"However, encouraging this behavior was the role of the more experienced servants. ......Since I was the only one with experience, it was my responsibility to guide them."
"What were the new kids like?"
"They were the elite, of course! Of irreproachable conduct!"
"......I think they were like that when Madam and Genji-sama were around.
However,
......when their superiors weren't around,
......well, they didn't take things quite as seriously..."
"Asune-san... Make sure you put your tools on the cart when you're done using them."
"Kyahhahahahaha!
......Huh? Su~re. So~rry."
I also have to be alert as a more experienced servant.
"And Berune-san, you shouldn't set your key down in a place like that. You'll lose it."
"I'm not gonna lose it. I never forget where I put things."
When I first arrived here, the older servants would often tell me off just as I had done now.
They would probably have been mean and obnoxious about it.
I had hated that, so I tried to be more gentle when admonishing them, but they wouldn't take me seriously...
"L, listen up. You know there's a witch living in the mansion, don't you...?"
"Oooh, Beatri~ce!"
"Kyahahahaha! That sounded just like him!"
"Don't tell me you believe in that too, Shannon-chan?"
"Y, yes, she really exists... If you leave things lying around, the witch will prank you and hide them..."
"That's right. It's gotten me into trouble many times..."
"A witch hiding things?"
"That's totally impossible."
"After all-"
"There's no way witches could exist!
Kyahhahahahaha!"
"There's no way they could exist. ......Witches."
"......I thought they were just pranks. No, ......it was just easier to think of it that way."
"Do you think the witch Beatrice actually existed...?"
"I don't believe it."
"......I don't know if it was Beatrice,
but I do think that something that wasn't human......really did exist in that mansion."
"Do you think there's a chance that this non-human thing was Beatrice...?"
"Ridiculous."
"......I wish I could say it was ridiculous."
"That must have been a prank of Yasu's. No, not a prank, revenge."
"I did think that at first, but......"
"Did something happen that couldn't be explained away as a prank...?"
"......It was persistent. ......And creepy."
"Specifically, what sorts of things happened?"
"Things I set down would disappear as soon as I looked away for a second."
"Didn't Yasu just hide them?"
"I thought so at first. It was only natural to think that. But I started getting this feeling that something wasn't right. I kept thinking...could such a timid kid really get away with something so obnoxious?"
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"......When my key ring disappeared, it was easy to think that Yasu snatched it when I wasn't looking. ......But when a single key disappeared off my key ring and reappeared somewhere completely different, I couldn't think of it that way."
"Maybe Yasu just pulled that one key off while you weren't looking...?"
"Is that even possible?! Practically speaking?! Hiding the whole ring is one thing, but if you really think about it, taking a single key off the key ring isn't that easy! The keys would clatter together. I was standing right next to them, facing the other way, get it? If you took your time removing a key when I was that close, even an idiot like me would've noticed!"
"But a single key just vanished without a sound. ......At that moment, I finally realized.
This wasn't Yasu trying to get back at me,
......it was something...
...worse..."
"And where did you find this disappearing key?"
"It was...
...in my locker."
"Berune is pretty careless herself... Are you sure you didn't just take that key off and put it in your locker......?"
"Why would I take that key off the ring?! Have you ever taken a key off or put a key on your key ring, Asune?! I tried doing it myself. It's really stiff! I would never go to all that trouble. There's no point in it! Am I a sleepwalker or something?! How could I not remember something I'd done?!"
"I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid! I don't forget about things I do that easily!! And anyway, I know I had my key with me when I entered the room! Otherwise, how could I have unlocked the door?!"
"......Okay then... Yasu, careful not to make any sound,
slipped the key off,
...and hid it in your locker. That has to be it..."
"That's what I thought at first! I jumped at Yasu, telling that kid not to mess with me! But even as I said it, I realized. Isn't there something completely wrong here?!"
"After all, on that day, we were cleaning that room with Yasu the whole time, right?! There couldn't have been time for Yasu to noisily remove a key! It was impossible for Yasu! In fact, that should have been impossible for anyone!!"
"M, maybe the ring was missing a master key when you got it..."
"I already told you!!
The key really was there in the beginning! I was the one who unlocked that room! So it must have been there! ......And then, I went into the room! I'm stupid, and since I hate having the keys clattering around, I placed the ring on the bed...!"
"Then, when we finished cleaning, I picked up the ring, tried to lock the door, and it was gone! I may have turned my back on the ring, but it was right next to me! So, if someone tried to pull a prank by removing just one key, I'd have heard the clinking! And yet, just the key for that room vanished and appeared again in my locker!!"
"......So okay, let's say that Yasu managed to sneak it away. It's easier to think of that way. ......But still! How could Yasu have put it in my locker?! Yasu and I were together the whole time, right?! When I started yelling about it being gone and ran all over the place looking for it, Yasu was with me until the moment I found it in my locker, get it?!"
"I'm telling you it's impossible!!
Even as I jumped at Yasu, I began to feel it. I mean, Yasu's eyes seemed to be saying it silently.
......According to Yasu, the reason things used to go missing all the time wasn't because Yasu was forgetful, as everyone said, ......but actually...it was because...impossible things would suddenly happen, just like they had to me, ......and......and...!"
"......Yasu was with you the whole time, so there was no chance for Yasu to put the key in the locker?"
"Did other strange things like that happen?"
"Yeah, they did. Afterwards, other things happened...and not just things disappearing...over and over... ...Of course, I started getting nervous and made sure not to put things down in places like that, ......but that didn't help."
"......At first, I was angry at Yasu, ......but at some point, I began to realize that I was mistaken. One time, a key even disappeared from a ring that was in my pocket!
Then, I realized. ......These weren't Yasu's pranks. The same thing that happened to Yasu was now happening to me...!"
"C, calm down a bit... I think some of those were Yasu's fault, and the others were just you being clumsy. ......It's true that the mansion's always dark and eerie, ......and it does feel like the sort of place you'd find a curse. I'm sure that's what made you scared like that..."
"You saw it too, didn't you?!
Remember that vanishing white shadow we saw in the VIP room that rainy day?!"
"......Y, yes, I saw, but couldn't that just have been Madam or Milady wearing something white...?"
"What do you mean, something white?!
Have you ever seen either of them wearing something like that?! And besides, that VIP room is always locked! They don't have keys to it! That had to have been some kind of ghost......no, the silhouette of the witch!"
"...............Ha...hahaha...
So, right, ......Berune started acting like this at one point. Totally scared. ......I've got more street smarts than her, so the more scared she was, the more I thought that witches were stupid and couldn't exist."
"......Still, I had to be careful about what I said. ......I mean, I realized that this wasn't something I should talk about carelessly. ......All ghost stories and curses sound stupid to outsiders.
......But to the people who believe in them, it's absolutely not a joking matter. It really was...no joke."
"......Asune didn't believe a word of what I said. So, I eventually stopped telling Asune about it......and confessed to Yasu instead. I told Yasu 'I thought you were the culprit, but it couldn't have been you'.
I said that something...
...strange...was happening to me...!"
"......And what was that kid's answer?"
"Yasu said that the same thing happened many times already, but everyone Yasu told didn't believe any of it...! The older servants always made fun of Yasu, but that kid clearly wasn't as clumsy or stupid as they said. I hated being treated like an inferior by a younger person, so I always resisted, but Yasu always got the work done flawlessly. I've always thought it strange that people made fun of Yasu for losing things...!"
"I was then sure. It 'existed'! Some strange, inhuman thing 'existed' in this mansion!"
"And that was the witch Beatrice...?"
"If that's what you want to call it, I'll believe it. Anyway, something that couldn't be explained away by human actions definitely 'existed' there! People who didn't understand kept calling Yasu and me forgetful! They didn't get it... They just didn't get it!!"
"......B, but still, ......it did freak you out for a while, but then you got a lot better... After that, all that fuss about you losing things went away, right...? So it must have been your imagination all the time......"
"You're wrong!! I talked to Yasu, Shannon, and Kumasawa-san about it! And they said that the witch really did exist... The old servants all made sure to respect her! They said I had been cursed because I'd stupidly gone around saying that Beatrice didn't exist...! So I reformed! Yasu taught me how to give offerings to the doll in the VIP room! I asked Genji-sama and prayed at the shrine by the sea! And then it all stopped, all at once!!
You were okay, Asune, since you stopped making fun of the witch, but if you'd cluelessly gone on making fun of her, you would surely have been cursed next! Yes, I guarantee it! You definitely would have been cursed...!!"
"......It's true...
that it wasn't fun anymore... I stopped saying it aloud, but..."
"You just don't get it!
You really don't!! So, I made sure to teach all the newer servants well! A witch called Beatrice-sama lives in this mansion...! If you make fun of her, you really will be cursed...!!"
"............Berune..."
"When......things disappeared, that was a sign that the witch was close by and watching us... If you said it was a prank, or that witches couldn't exist, you'd be cursed even more...!! It was like that for both Yasu and me!
When the key disappeared,
......that was a sign that the witch had appeared...!!"
Berune-san carelessly tossed her key ring on the bed again, humming as she started to clean...
No matter how much I warn her, she doesn't change her ways. She's always making fun of me and calling me Yasu, so she won't listen to what I tell her......
Why won't she listen to what I say...?
You mustn't leave things lying carelessly about. If you lower your guard, the witch will prank you......
"......Ahyahhyahhya! Look at that delicious key ring......"
"St, stop it, please...! That's Berune-san's key! Keep your pranking to me alone. Let the others be......!"
"You've gotten so cautious lately that it's no fun anymore. ......*cackle*cackle*, just kidding."
"Still, how unpleasant these people are, refusing to listen to my friend's kindly advice. Any insult to my friend I take as an insult to myself...!"
"......Are you planning to steal Berune-san's key...? Please, don't do it...! She'll think I hid it again...!"
"She thinks my magic is naught but the scheme of a child like you...?! *cackle*cackle*, very well then. Let's just show her something that would be impossible for a human...!"
"Let's show her my magic!! Foolish Berune! I'll make you regret not listening to my friend's advice! This flimsy body is not enough! I'm borrowing yours!! It's been too long since I've shown you real magic! Let my body return to the land of the living for just a moment!"
`"Huh? Ah, ............!"
A shiver ran up my whole body like an electric shock.
From that moment onwards, ......I couldn't move any part of my body by my own will.
Like a moment of shock after a blackout, I could do nothing but accept the fact that I had lost control over my body......
All of the cells throughout my body felt tingly. ......It felt as though my body had been transformed into someone else's.
......I realized that the witch Beatrice was using my body as a vessel to revive for a short period of time...
"......Hmm, very nice. That ticklish feeling of the air on my skin... Having a body is simply wonderful!"
Wh, ......what are you trying to do?! Please, don't do anything mean......
This time, everything was backwards. My words were spoken inside my heart. And the witch's voice was coming out of my mouth...!
"Fear not. I'll give you your body back soon. I just need to teach her a lesson with a little prank. I won't do anything foolish that might make her suspect you...!
Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping?!"
Everything went completely white and my mind stopped.
Once again, that tingling sensation slid up my body.
I could feel it all gather in the fingers of both of my hands, ......and come out the tips of my fingers.
It was an incomprehensible,
undescribable,
......unknown sensation.
My head went blank, and I couldn't think at all.
I could do nothing but abandon my soul to the sensation.
I finally understood.
This is...
what it's like...
to use magic......
"Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping......?"
My finger was moved like a puppet's, and danced around as though I was conducting music.
I never knew that having my body move without my control could be so exciting...
When Beato lifted my finger as if a string was attached to it, the key ring lying on the bed stood on end.
......Berune-san...didn't notice. ......Neither did Asune-san.
They were fully occupied by their happy chat as they cleaned the room...
I doubt that either of them would have dreamed that a witch was right behind them, readying herself to use magic.
They probably couldn't even imagine the key ring doing a little dance right behind their backs.
It was like an anime fairy tale I'd seen once as a kid.
The happy way the keys danced and spun made it look as though they had a will of their own.
I could feel the fun of making those keys dance with my fingers wash over me...
Yes, this is...pleasure......
As I powerlessly watched the witch control me,
......I couldn't help but surrender myself to this new joy called magic......
"Whoops, that's no good. If the whole ring disappears, my friend will be suspected again. ......All we need...
yes, we just need the key to this room to disappear."
Beato controlled my fingers, controlling the magic. ...And thereby controlling the keys.
......and then just the mansion's master key stood on end.
"Well now, what shall I do with this? ......Just erasing it would be so boring.
So, ............*cackle*cackle*! Why don't I throw it into her locker?! That way, I'll give my friend, who's been working here with her the whole time, a perfect alibi!"
"Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping?! Yes, it was a warm, dark place..."
"The inside of Berune's locker!! *cackle*cackle*cackle*!!"
When Beato snapped her fingers, the key burst and became a gold butterfly.
......A gold butterfly...?
I see, it's gold because she's the Golden Witch, who gave the Master all of his gold.
And butterflies are scared of spiderwebs. ......So, it's a gold butterfly.
The minions of the witch Beatrice...are gold butterflies...
After flitting into the air, it burst into a shower of gold sparks and disappeared.
Then, the vanished key......went to Berune-san's locker......
Though it was far away, in a changing room locker, I could tell exactly how it had happened.
It wasn't by sight or by touch.
It was by some other sense inside my heart, which couldn't be explained by the five senses.
A completely new sensation that I'd never felt before.
It was the completely alien concept...called magic.
A completely unknown pleasure that left me in a trance.
"......That's enough, my friend. I'll give this body back to you..."
Nn, .........ah......
"............"
It felt as though I had been spinning through space until gravity suddenly came back and threw me to the ground.
Like when you're having a great dream, but you wake up suddenly, ......and all you remember about the dream was that it was fun. ......That sort of lonely feeling.
Though Beato had been borrowing my body, it was my own body that used magic.
I could still feel that sensation in my hands.
The key ring over there had danced along with the movements of my fingers.
No, that's not quite it. The key ring and my fingers had danced together.
That fun, that excitement......still tingled slightly in my hands...
"Whoops, that was close."
Saying this, Berune-san suddenly turned around and picked up the key ring she had thrown down on the bed.
She must have realized that I was staring at it.
"Almost had Yasu complain that I shouldn't leave keys lying about like this. I'd never put something down and forget about it."
With a grin, she put the key back into her pocket.
However, she still hadn't noticed.
She probably couldn't even imagine that just a single key had vanished while her back was turned for a second...
It's not easy for a human to do things like that.
......But, with magic...
With just a little dance of the keys and a butterfly popping, ......it had disappeared.
"Alright, fingertip inspection! Bed, okay. Curtains, okay!"
"Tools, okay.
And keys too!
`See?` Nothing wrong, right?"
"Y, yes, that's good...... Then let's go on to the next room. ......Ah, ......Berune-san. Could you......lock up this room for me?"
"Hmm? Su~re."
......Did Berune-san's key...
...really disappear by magic?
Was that fun magic just a daydream I had......?
I was so scared of that being true...that I tested it.
"............
.........Huh......?"
"What's wrong? Why're you taking so long?"
"......Huh? ......Huh? Huh?? ......Wait, are you kidding me?"
"What's wrong...?"
"......It's not this one. ......And it isn't this one.
......Huh? What the...?"
"What is it? Do you want me to lock it?"
"I, I don't get it? What's going on?
......My master key's gone. Just my master key is gone. Wh, why...?! This ring's so stiff... There's no way it'd come off......!"
I could faintly feel that tingling sensation run across my fingers again......
That night.
......As I gazed at the ceiling from the bed in my dorm room,
......I looked at my hands.
I couldn't sleep.
The excitement from the time those keys danced was still there in my fingers...
Is this...
how Beatrice...
how witches...
always feel?
......I have a friend who's a witch, called Beatrice.
She always used to pull pranks on me with her strange magic.
Because I saw this all the time,
.........I thought I knew what magic was.
But today...
......She had possessed my body and used magic with it.
The sensation of magic that I finally felt at that time......still held my heart entranced.
It was a completely unknown pleasure.
Because......
By moving my fingertips,
.........I could make the key dance as I wished.
It was a strange, strange miracle of magic, something humans could not do.
I still couldn't let go of that excitement...
............
".........Shannon. .........Are you awake...?"
"............`
Shannon was still awake.
Shannon is always early to bed, early to rise. By getting to bed early, all of her weariness disappears by the next day.
......She lives a model life, one that all servants should respect and admire.
......If I want to become a loved, respected servant like Shannon,
......I'll need to act that way too.
However, ......I wasn't confident that I could do that anymore.
"I guess.....I can't become like you after all."
"......What do you mean? This is a bit abrupt."
"You were my ideal. Always."
"......Yeah."
"Everyone in the Fukuin House loves you and is kind to you. ......Since you always played with me, you're the only friend I've ever had. And you're also a wonderful servant, who can carry out any task in the Ushiromiya mansion both flawlessly and gracefully. You were the target I longed to reach. ......That's...what you were to me."
"Yeah. ......Let's give it our all together.
As they say, perseverance prevails. Everyone will grow to acknowledge you more and more. So let's aim to become wonderful servants together."
"............`
......I'm...gonna stop being a servant."
"......Huh?"
"Instead of a servant,
......I'd rather be a witch."
"Wh, what do you mean by witch...?"
"I did...and still do...
wish I could be a servant loved and relied upon by everybody. ......But right now,
I want to be a witch...
even more."
"Well, that's...
...ummm...
...huh......?"
Shannon was confused.
It was hardly surprising. ......All this about quitting as a servant was at least understandable.
But she didn't know how to answer after hearing that her roommate wanted to become a witch...
"A witch. Beatrice. ......You see, today, Beatrice possessed me and used my body to do magic. That unknown world felt so...thrilling. It was much more thrilling than the time I learned that I'd been selected as an Ushiromiya family servant. It was like learning about a new world. ......As though I'd been living in a world of darkness all my life and thought I knew what the world was like, then finally learned what light was and saw the world for the first time. It was...joy. ......Excitement."
At that time, Beato had only used my fingers, made a key ring dance, and turned a key into a butterfly before hiding it in a locker.
But I had understood it with my body.
If I had moved my fingers a different way, the ring could have flown into the air instead of just dancing, and I could have turned it into a scurrying lizard instead of a butterfly. ......I could have done anything.
True, Beatrice's magical power was still weak.
It had all happened in the little world behind the backs of the servants filled with the anti-magic toxin.
However, inside that tiny, short-lived world, I could do anything at all.
Beato just happened to settle on making them dance and turning the key into a butterfly.
But if she wanted to, she could have done anything else!
The endless sensation of that free, unrestricted power...
I could still feel it in my fingertips.
Could it be that, along with that sensation, a fragment of that magical power might also remain...?
I can tell. It's still there. ......There's still just a bit of it there, along with that sensation.
I can do it. ......I can still......do it......
".........Ah......"
A single spot of golden light suddenly lit up in this dark room.
It was right between my clasped hands.
When I slowly opened them, ......I could see a single dot that sparkled gold.
"What...
......is...
......?"
Shannon didn't know what the light meant.
How could light appear from the palm of my hands?
And yet, even with this miracle right in front of her,
......she couldn't understand what it was.
She just sat there with her mouth open in disbelief.
However, to me,
...this was just the return of that bit of sensation in my fingertips.
The golden dot...
spread out...
...and became a small, gold butterfly.
It flapped its wings and scattered gold sparks about like a cartoon fairy.
To Shannon, it probably just looked as though a gold butterfly was flapping its wings.
......Of course, that alone was a miracle that she could hardly grasp.
But to me, it was like a remote-control plane in the shape of a butterfly.
I could control that gold butterfly however I wanted.
Not clumsily with threads.
......I could make it flap, dance, play through the air as I wished.
I was taking a walk through the air as that little butterfly.
The golden glint of it pierced the darkness of the small room as it danced about freely. ......It was an entrancing pleasure.
......However, that sensation in my fingers began to weaken.
I could tell that the few magic butterfly scales left in my fingers were going away.
Finally, the gold butterfly flashed and turned to dust like a firework run out of juice, falling down and disappearing without a trace......
"Wh, what on Earth just happened......"
"This is magic. ......It's really fun."
"M, ......magic........."
"Yeah. Magic. ......There was still some magic left in my fingers, so I just managed to use it. ......But if I became a real witch, ......I'd be able to use it whenever and however I wanted...to do anything. Now that I've learned how fun this can be, I don't want to go back to being human. Being a servant is just too boring. So, ......I'm going to become a witch."
"B, become a witch...
......w, wait......!"
"I've already made my decision, Shannon. It's been fun. I'll give you this room. You can use it by yourself. Later. Goodbye."
"W, wait...!!"
As Shannon called out repeatedly for me to wait, ......a massive planetarium swallowed me up.
In the sea of the pitch-black starry sky, I was alone.
I...we...are alone here.
"I'm done acting the part of the servant.` .........I'm going to...modify this world."
"......Hmm. Understood. In that case, what will you do?"
"Being a wonderful servant like Shannon wouldn't be bad. ......But now that I know how fun it is to be a witch, that feels like a boring dream. I can't go back anymore."
"What will happen to Shannon?"
"......Shannon can just be Shannon, and stay as a respected servant. She'll stay the same. But from now on, it won't be the two of us together, but her alone."
"That seems a sudden farewell. ......Ah, well. Being fickle makes life more entertaining. And what will you do?"
"I want to become a witch. I want to become Beato."
"But I am already Beatrice.
"You'll still be a witch and my friend. I'm modifying the world so that Beato is me."
"So, I'll be a witch who is a friend of Beatrice?"
"Pretty much. So, from now on, you're a different witch."
"I understand. Then, what will be my new name?"
".........I'll put that on hold until I can think of one. You'll be nameless for a while. Sorry about that."
"No problem, no problem. This is my precious name we're talking about. You'd better take your time and think carefully about it. *cackle*."
"You've been Beatrice's friend since she was young and couldn't use magic yet. When we first knew each other, you'd always hide my things and make fun of me."
"I see. And when Beatrice finally learns magic, I become a friend on an equal footing with her.
So, I should act like a big sister sort of friend."
"Yeah, like that. ......What should we do about how we talk?"
"It seems that 'warawa' has become pretty much set as the way Beatrice refers to herself. Should I give that to you too?"
"It seems that the cackle has pretty much become Beatrice's signature. Should I give that to you too?"
"Yeah. The cackle will be mine."
"Hmm, very well. Then I......no, it's not I anymore."
"*cackle*...uh, I mean, as you wish, heheh. ......Then I need to find a good way to sound like Beatrice's big sister-like witch friend."
"Yeah. ......Or should it be...
...very well."
"Ahahahaha. Now there's a nice, dignified voice."
"Heh, thanks... ...I mean, *cackle*cackle*, and just what were you expecting? ...And what of my appearance?"
"Good point. I've got a sort of blood-red witch look. Why not choose a different color for yourself?"`
"......When Beatrice wanders the mansion at night, she is often seen dressed in white."
"Of course, ghosts are classically white."
"A witch...
...in a white dress......
......Let's try putting it all together."
I need a different look than the witch in the demon-red dress.
A white, noble witch.
......Unlike the time with the red witch, I'm thinking about my own look now, ...so I'd like to make it beautiful and cute if I can.
A white dress. A noble look.
Like one of noble blood, but with a dark, sarcastic streak......
No, she's like a tomboy princess, so her voice is a mix of formality and rudeness.
Then the dress should be the exact opposite to make a nice contrast......
"..................And what of this form?"
Is this the form of the new Beatrice?!"
"How beautiful! Just like a noble princess!"
"Hmmm... ...I've taken a liking to this form. Not bad at all."
"......Looking good. That's wonderful, Beato."
"Hmm. I like it. I truly do like this form..."
"Now, if you can keep this up and give me a wonderful name, that'd be great. If I have to go around nameless for too long, I'll get all sulky."
Fear not, I shall find you a splendid name! But first, there is something I must consider. What shall be the form of my magic?!"
"Hiding objects and transporting them instantaneously is your theme. So, I must think of my own particular theme of magic. ......When I use magic, gold butterflies will flit about. I'm not backing down on that part...!"
"*giggle*. Splendid. Just perfect for the Golden Witch.
......Then the weaknesses such as spiderwebs and the sacred mirror in the shrine will also go to you?"
"Very well. Even an all-powerful witch needs a few small weaknesses to keep things interesting. Then let us do it like so. If I touch a spiderweb, it will burn me."
Silently, a silvery spider dropped down vertically.
Beato, now in her new form, lightly touched the silver spiderweb that trailed out behind it.
As she did, ......there was a faint sound of flesh burning, and a thin burn was left across her fingers.
Beatrice can't stand spiderwebs.
That was one of the weaknesses of the evil spirits Kumasawa-san spoke of.
Since the witch Beatrice had revived thanks to the power of those evil spirits, she also inherited their weaknesses.
So, the sacred mirror is also one of her weaknesses.
......However, that sacred mirror in the shrine isn't too likely to appear in front of me often.
That's not so fun.
"......Then, while mirrors with sacred power will obviously be a weakness, let us make mirrors themselves a weakness too."
"You often hear that mirrors have magical powers. Isn't that nice? Sounds just like a witch."
"If I look at a mirror, it feels as though my magical power is being sucked out, so I try to avoid it. Hmm, it sounds quite entertaining."
......If I really think about it, I'll be bad with mirrors whether I make that rule or not.
No matter who I want or strive to be,
......the only face that will ever show in a mirror...
is the heartlessly pathetic and realistic face of 'Yasu'.
Mirrors, which will always force me to face my shabby reality, are something I always want to avoid.
That's right. ......I hate mirrors.
......I don't want
to see
my pitiful self.
"You don't need to decide everything at once. It's fun to build up a world one little bit at a time."
"True. I understand. I shall enjoy life as a witch as I slowly expand my world."
"That tiny, dark room is no place for you to sleep now."
"Indeed. I am the Golden Witch! I am the ruler of Rokkenjima's night, and the nighttime mansion belongs to me. That is where I should be living, is it not?"
"A room for Beatrice? Haha, isn't it obvious?!"
"Yeah, that's right! That wonderful room on the second floor of the mansion......"
"The VIP room of the witch just has to be Beatrice's room!"
"Oh, that's right. From this evening forward, that room in the nighttime mansion shall be my dwelling place...!
Why didn't I think of that myself, hahaha, hehahahahahahahaha...!!"
"Then let's go, Beato. If we're going to drink tea together, we'll need a much better room than that cramped one."
"Indeed. That room is too crude to welcome friends to and serve tea in. We shall change rooms. Let us go, my friend...!"
"......So, this is goodbye to Shannon."
When I looked at my feet, ......I could see my own dorm room far beneath me.
I could see Shannon, who had dashed up to the bed I lay on and had been saying 'wait' at the moment time froze. She was as rigid as a doll.
Looking down at it from this height, it really did look like a small dollhouse...
"So long, Shannon. ......The days I spent as a human, with you as a goal and a constant comfort, were truly fun. ...If I had never learned the joys of magic and awakened as a witch, everything would doubtless have remained as it was."
......I was your only close friend too, wasn't I?
Please forgive me for erasing that friend so suddenly.
As a parting gift, ......I will erase 'me' from your world.
Starting now, this will not be a two-person room.
It will be a single-person room, with just you in it.
I hope you continue to strive for your ideal and try to become a kind, reliable servant loved by everyone.
Yasu, the stupid, clumsy servant who lost things all the time, doesn't exist anymore.
So long, Shannon.
When I mature as the witch Beatrice and stride through the nighttime mansion where I will, ......I may bump into you as you do your nighttime rounds.
However, when I meet you again, it will not be a reunion.
It will be our first meeting.
After all, though you have heard the rumors about the witch Beatrice, you have never met her......
So long, Shannon.
Let us meet again sometime and spin up some fun tale.........
"Wait......!! Wai...
......t...
...... ............"
............
.........What...
was I doing...?
Was I...talking in my sleep......?
Apparently, I had gotten out of bed, stretched my hand out towards it, ...and said 'wait'.
This isn't the first time I've woken up to find myself saying something strange, but...
......I don't remember ever waking up to find myself out of bed and standing up.
Could this be what they call......sleepwalking...?
Am I just tired......?
......Gotta sleep. Gotta get back to sleep.
I turned around to face my bed.
.........?
My bed wasn't there.
There was no bed in this room except the one I had just turned my back on.
If I'm the only one in this room, and the only bed is the one behind me, ......that must mean it's my bed.
......That feels wrong, for some reason.
The bed sheets are all disarranged, as though someone had slipped out of them.
Who did...?
`This is a single-person room with me in it, right?
So, that there is my bed, and the traces of someone crawling out...mean that I was just sleeping there until a second ago...?
......But, for some reason...
that bed......
doesn't feel like my bed.
However, though all the other kids shared rooms, I, Shannon, was given a single-person room.
So, there's only one bed.
And it must be mine.
............
"......Am I just...
...tired?"
I must just be half-asleep.
School starts early tomorrow morning.
And, when school ends, I want to go to the mansion, help out with some work, and talk to Kumasawa-san about the mystery novel I just read.
Time to sleep. I'm probably just so worn out that I'm imagining things.
......Goodnight, Shannon. Just crawl in bed and close your eyes......and you won't have to think about anything complicated......"
I went back into my bed.
It felt a bit uncomfortable to crawl into a bed that wasn't mine.
Still, it might just be because I'm getting so sleepy, but it's starting to feel as though this is my bed after all.
......I'm just half-asleep......
I am...Shannon.
A lonely servant.
I mess up from time to time,
......but I want to become a kind servant whom everyone loves......
.........Goodnight, ......me......
Oh, I am one yet many.
I've had enough of playing the servant. I've had enough of being human!
From this night forth, I am Beatrice!
The Golden Witch Beatrice, who has lived for a thousand years!
Praise me, servants. Have fear when you are chosen for the night shift!
On the nighttime island, the mansion is my place, and that is my time...!
Oh, I am one yet many!
Yes, let our world swallow up everything. It is like the raging seas!
Well now, let us drink the mysterious moon dry tonight, with this human book as a side dish!
So this is mystery?
So this is a closed room?
You call this 'a crime impossible for humans'?
Don't make me laugh! With all these holes and weak points, you call this a crime impossible for humans?!
Is there no splendid closed room magic that can do my name justice?
Oh, not here, not here, not there, not there either...all of them pathetic!
It's enough to make one giggle, but which is the side dish, the moon or the book?!
If I get tired of mystery, I can change myself into a butterfly! I can flit about the island, the mansion, the vast forest at will.
I'll follow those cowardly servants as they do their nighttime rounds, and when they check to see that a window is locked, they'll see me laughing at them in the reflection on the glass!
I can be fickle, and do as I please!
Pranks at night will probably be a lot of fun.
Okay, I've decided. Let's play like that starting tonight!
*cackle*cackle*, how pleasurable! Tonight will truly be pleasurable!
In the world of witches, the only limits to your fun are the limits of your imagination!
sMy imagination shall become the source of my magical power!
o, very well, it shall be fun! I shall expand it infinitely. And let it swallow the whole island. The island's night will be all mine!!
Oh, how refined and pleasant are the days of a witch!
Oh, I am one yet many!
Kihahahahahahhha, hyahhaha!!
Here's to the wonderful world of witches!!
The months and years slid by.
In my new, more colorful life, I smiled at the spring sunshine peeking through the trees, gazed up at the column of summer clouds, enjoyed the piles of fallen leaves in autumn, and played in the winter snow the few times it did fall.
As these days passed one after another, there was a considerable change to my environment.
The servants coming from the Fukuin House had switched.
There weren't specific grades like in school, so there was no rule saying how long a servant could work before quitting.
Each servant made their own decision about when they would 'graduate' from Rokkenjima.
Some of those who couldn't stand the environment would quit in as little as three days.
After all, life on Rokkenjima was strict.
It was also strict in the Fukuin House, of course, but there were a lot of Rokkenjima-only rules, and Natsuhi, the one who supervised the servants, was also very authoritarian. It was probably easy to feel constrained.
That constrained feeling and the money sat on opposite sides of the scale that they used to decide the time of their graduation.
And sometimes, someone from the Ushiromiya family would use their influence to secure someone a new job, encouraging them to spread their wings and start a new life.
The cycle usually lasted two or three years.
No one decided this, but it was one of the goals most servants shot for, an unspoken rule.
However, I was an exception to that rule.
I continued to go to school in Niijima while still living as a servant...
That year, all of the Fukuin House servants quit at once.
`It wasn't at all rare for friends to quit at the same time as each other.
All of my fellow servants from the Fukuin House graduated from the island at once, leaving only me behind...
Of course, I wasn't on particularly good terms with them.
On the contrary, it was annoying to be treated like a kid and called Yasu all the time.
Even though some new servants had come after me, the older ones had already gotten them believing that 'Yasu loses things all the time', so it wasn't really any more pleasant to have new comrades.
Those unpleasant older servants, as well as the ones who started at the same time or after I did, all quit at once.
The Ushiromiya family had no quarrel with those who left.
Adult servants were easier to handle in the first place.
The Fukuin House servants were only accepted so that they could be trained.
So, all of the other servants left, and no one tried to stop them......
"Later, Yasu. Don't go losing stuff again."
"......I don't lose things anymore."
"Hmph, later. Make sure you listen to what Madam says. Don't you go troubling the next group of servants."
"......You know, it's still a mystery. Why did someone recommend Yasu?"
"It's even more surprising that Madam let Yasu stay this long."
"It must have taken some guts to not give up and run away.
Keep it up, Yasu."
"I, I......hate being called Yasu..."
At the very end, ......I finally said the one thing I'd always wanted to say to them.
However, they basically ignored me, and just picked up their things and left...
"............"
"......Guess you never got a chance to become friends with them."
"I wouldn't even want to."
"Yep. I'm sure they feel the same way, so you're even.
Let's just forget about those people. They no longer have anything to do with us. So, there's no reason to worry about it."
"......Yeah. ......You're right."
I felt just a bit disappointed.
I never got a chance to prove to them that I could take care of myself.
"It's hard for people to throw off their first impressions. ......That's just how it is.
No matter how wonderful a person you grow into, they would probably always call you Yasu and make fun of you. There's no reason for you to want their admiration."
"......Yes. Yeah, you're right, Shannon. I'll completely forget about those people."
"Good. You have two great friends, Kumasawa-san and me. And if you want to prove that you can take care of yourself, prove it to the new servants who are coming."
Shannon was exactly right.
Ever since that day when I held the key with the spiderweb charm up high, I'd regained my confidence and pride.
......I am now the most experienced Fukuin servant.
The new servants who come will still probably be older than me, but I need to teach them the ropes as the more experienced servant.
Genji-sama even told me to guide the newer servants...
Okay. ......I'll give it my all.
"That's the right attitude. Let's give it our all together."
"Yeah!"
Asne and Belne?
"My name is Asune (明日音). Pleased to meet you."
"My name is Berune (鐘音). Pleased to meet you."
............
The newly arrived servants looked......a bit superficial.
When I first joined the Ushiromiya family, I was incredibly nervous.
However, I couldn't see any trace of that nervousness on these girls...
"Yes. Usually, kids with good grades and behavior were selected."
"How were they selected? Who did it?"
"The board of directors came and interviewed them. And other things, like watching their everyday conduct..."
"So! As long as they acted like good kids in front of the adults, they could pass?"
"......Well,
ummm,
...there were times that they passed because the adults thought they looked suitable..."
"All of the children who came from the Fukuin House were highly individualistic. They polished that attitude while they worked as servants, and eventually grew to be servants that would not shame the Ushiromiya family."
"However, encouraging this behavior was the role of the more experienced servants. ......Since I was the only one with experience, it was my responsibility to guide them."
"What were the new kids like?"
"They were the elite, of course! Of irreproachable conduct!"
"......I think they were like that when Madam and Genji-sama were around.
However,
......when their superiors weren't around,
......well, they didn't take things quite as seriously..."
"Asune-san... Make sure you put your tools on the cart when you're done using them."
"Kyahhahahahaha!
......Huh? Su~re. So~rry."
I also have to be alert as a more experienced servant.
"And Berune-san, you shouldn't set your key down in a place like that. You'll lose it."
"I'm not gonna lose it. I never forget where I put things."
When I first arrived here, the older servants would often tell me off just as I had done now.
They would probably have been mean and obnoxious about it.
I had hated that, so I tried to be more gentle when admonishing them, but they wouldn't take me seriously...
"L, listen up. You know there's a witch living in the mansion, don't you...?"
"Oooh, Beatri~ce!"
"Kyahahahaha! That sounded just like him!"
"Don't tell me you believe in that too, Shannon-chan?"
"Y, yes, she really exists... If you leave things lying around, the witch will prank you and hide them..."
"That's right. It's gotten me into trouble many times..."
"A witch hiding things?"
"That's totally impossible."
"After all-"
"There's no way witches could exist!
Kyahhahahahaha!"
"There's no way they could exist. ......Witches."
"......I thought they were just pranks. No, ......it was just easier to think of it that way."
"Do you think the witch Beatrice actually existed...?"
"I don't believe it."
"......I don't know if it was Beatrice,
but I do think that something that wasn't human......really did exist in that mansion."
"Do you think there's a chance that this non-human thing was Beatrice...?"
"Ridiculous."
"......I wish I could say it was ridiculous."
"That must have been a prank of Yasu's. No, not a prank, revenge."
"I did think that at first, but......"
"Did something happen that couldn't be explained away as a prank...?"
"......It was persistent. ......And creepy."
"Specifically, what sorts of things happened?"
"Things I set down would disappear as soon as I looked away for a second."
"Didn't Yasu just hide them?"
"I thought so at first. It was only natural to think that. But I started getting this feeling that something wasn't right. I kept thinking...could such a timid kid really get away with something so obnoxious?"
"Can you tell us what happened?"
"......When my key ring disappeared, it was easy to think that Yasu snatched it when I wasn't looking. ......But when a single key disappeared off my key ring and reappeared somewhere completely different, I couldn't think of it that way."
"Maybe Yasu just pulled that one key off while you weren't looking...?"
"Is that even possible?! Practically speaking?! Hiding the whole ring is one thing, but if you really think about it, taking a single key off the key ring isn't that easy! The keys would clatter together. I was standing right next to them, facing the other way, get it? If you took your time removing a key when I was that close, even an idiot like me would've noticed!"
"But a single key just vanished without a sound. ......At that moment, I finally realized.
This wasn't Yasu trying to get back at me,
......it was something...
...worse..."
"And where did you find this disappearing key?"
"It was...
...in my locker."
"Berune is pretty careless herself... Are you sure you didn't just take that key off and put it in your locker......?"
"Why would I take that key off the ring?! Have you ever taken a key off or put a key on your key ring, Asune?! I tried doing it myself. It's really stiff! I would never go to all that trouble. There's no point in it! Am I a sleepwalker or something?! How could I not remember something I'd done?!"
"I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid! I don't forget about things I do that easily!! And anyway, I know I had my key with me when I entered the room! Otherwise, how could I have unlocked the door?!"
"......Okay then... Yasu, careful not to make any sound,
slipped the key off,
...and hid it in your locker. That has to be it..."
"That's what I thought at first! I jumped at Yasu, telling that kid not to mess with me! But even as I said it, I realized. Isn't there something completely wrong here?!"
"After all, on that day, we were cleaning that room with Yasu the whole time, right?! There couldn't have been time for Yasu to noisily remove a key! It was impossible for Yasu! In fact, that should have been impossible for anyone!!"
"M, maybe the ring was missing a master key when you got it..."
"I already told you!!
The key really was there in the beginning! I was the one who unlocked that room! So it must have been there! ......And then, I went into the room! I'm stupid, and since I hate having the keys clattering around, I placed the ring on the bed...!"
"Then, when we finished cleaning, I picked up the ring, tried to lock the door, and it was gone! I may have turned my back on the ring, but it was right next to me! So, if someone tried to pull a prank by removing just one key, I'd have heard the clinking! And yet, just the key for that room vanished and appeared again in my locker!!"
"......So okay, let's say that Yasu managed to sneak it away. It's easier to think of that way. ......But still! How could Yasu have put it in my locker?! Yasu and I were together the whole time, right?! When I started yelling about it being gone and ran all over the place looking for it, Yasu was with me until the moment I found it in my locker, get it?!"
"I'm telling you it's impossible!!
Even as I jumped at Yasu, I began to feel it. I mean, Yasu's eyes seemed to be saying it silently.
......According to Yasu, the reason things used to go missing all the time wasn't because Yasu was forgetful, as everyone said, ......but actually...it was because...impossible things would suddenly happen, just like they had to me, ......and......and...!"
"......Yasu was with you the whole time, so there was no chance for Yasu to put the key in the locker?"
"Did other strange things like that happen?"
"Yeah, they did. Afterwards, other things happened...and not just things disappearing...over and over... ...Of course, I started getting nervous and made sure not to put things down in places like that, ......but that didn't help."
"......At first, I was angry at Yasu, ......but at some point, I began to realize that I was mistaken. One time, a key even disappeared from a ring that was in my pocket!
Then, I realized. ......These weren't Yasu's pranks. The same thing that happened to Yasu was now happening to me...!"
"C, calm down a bit... I think some of those were Yasu's fault, and the others were just you being clumsy. ......It's true that the mansion's always dark and eerie, ......and it does feel like the sort of place you'd find a curse. I'm sure that's what made you scared like that..."
"You saw it too, didn't you?!
Remember that vanishing white shadow we saw in the VIP room that rainy day?!"
"......Y, yes, I saw, but couldn't that just have been Madam or Milady wearing something white...?"
"What do you mean, something white?!
Have you ever seen either of them wearing something like that?! And besides, that VIP room is always locked! They don't have keys to it! That had to have been some kind of ghost......no, the silhouette of the witch!"
"...............Ha...hahaha...
So, right, ......Berune started acting like this at one point. Totally scared. ......I've got more street smarts than her, so the more scared she was, the more I thought that witches were stupid and couldn't exist."
"......Still, I had to be careful about what I said. ......I mean, I realized that this wasn't something I should talk about carelessly. ......All ghost stories and curses sound stupid to outsiders.
......But to the people who believe in them, it's absolutely not a joking matter. It really was...no joke."
"......Asune didn't believe a word of what I said. So, I eventually stopped telling Asune about it......and confessed to Yasu instead. I told Yasu 'I thought you were the culprit, but it couldn't have been you'.
I said that something...
...strange...was happening to me...!"
"......And what was that kid's answer?"
"Yasu said that the same thing happened many times already, but everyone Yasu told didn't believe any of it...! The older servants always made fun of Yasu, but that kid clearly wasn't as clumsy or stupid as they said. I hated being treated like an inferior by a younger person, so I always resisted, but Yasu always got the work done flawlessly. I've always thought it strange that people made fun of Yasu for losing things...!"
"I was then sure. It 'existed'! Some strange, inhuman thing 'existed' in this mansion!"
"And that was the witch Beatrice...?"
"If that's what you want to call it, I'll believe it. Anyway, something that couldn't be explained away by human actions definitely 'existed' there! People who didn't understand kept calling Yasu and me forgetful! They didn't get it... They just didn't get it!!"
"......B, but still, ......it did freak you out for a while, but then you got a lot better... After that, all that fuss about you losing things went away, right...? So it must have been your imagination all the time......"
"You're wrong!! I talked to Yasu, Shannon, and Kumasawa-san about it! And they said that the witch really did exist... The old servants all made sure to respect her! They said I had been cursed because I'd stupidly gone around saying that Beatrice didn't exist...! So I reformed! Yasu taught me how to give offerings to the doll in the VIP room! I asked Genji-sama and prayed at the shrine by the sea! And then it all stopped, all at once!!
You were okay, Asune, since you stopped making fun of the witch, but if you'd cluelessly gone on making fun of her, you would surely have been cursed next! Yes, I guarantee it! You definitely would have been cursed...!!"
"......It's true...
that it wasn't fun anymore... I stopped saying it aloud, but..."
"You just don't get it!
You really don't!! So, I made sure to teach all the newer servants well! A witch called Beatrice-sama lives in this mansion...! If you make fun of her, you really will be cursed...!!"
"............Berune..."
"When......things disappeared, that was a sign that the witch was close by and watching us... If you said it was a prank, or that witches couldn't exist, you'd be cursed even more...!! It was like that for both Yasu and me!
When the key disappeared,
......that was a sign that the witch had appeared...!!"
Berune-san carelessly tossed her key ring on the bed again, humming as she started to clean...
No matter how much I warn her, she doesn't change her ways. She's always making fun of me and calling me Yasu, so she won't listen to what I tell her......
Why won't she listen to what I say...?
You mustn't leave things lying carelessly about. If you lower your guard, the witch will prank you......
"......Ahyahhyahhya! Look at that delicious key ring......"
"St, stop it, please...! That's Berune-san's key! Keep your pranking to me alone. Let the others be......!"
"You've gotten so cautious lately that it's no fun anymore. ......*cackle*cackle*, just kidding."
"Still, how unpleasant these people are, refusing to listen to my friend's kindly advice. Any insult to my friend I take as an insult to myself...!"
"......Are you planning to steal Berune-san's key...? Please, don't do it...! She'll think I hid it again...!"
"She thinks my magic is naught but the scheme of a child like you...?! *cackle*cackle*, very well then. Let's just show her something that would be impossible for a human...!"
"Let's show her my magic!! Foolish Berune! I'll make you regret not listening to my friend's advice! This flimsy body is not enough! I'm borrowing yours!! It's been too long since I've shown you real magic! Let my body return to the land of the living for just a moment!"
`"Huh? Ah, ............!"
A shiver ran up my whole body like an electric shock.
From that moment onwards, ......I couldn't move any part of my body by my own will.
Like a moment of shock after a blackout, I could do nothing but accept the fact that I had lost control over my body......
All of the cells throughout my body felt tingly. ......It felt as though my body had been transformed into someone else's.
......I realized that the witch Beatrice was using my body as a vessel to revive for a short period of time...
"......Hmm, very nice. That ticklish feeling of the air on my skin... Having a body is simply wonderful!"
Wh, ......what are you trying to do?! Please, don't do anything mean......
This time, everything was backwards. My words were spoken inside my heart. And the witch's voice was coming out of my mouth...!
"Fear not. I'll give you your body back soon. I just need to teach her a lesson with a little prank. I won't do anything foolish that might make her suspect you...!
Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping?!"
Everything went completely white and my mind stopped.
Once again, that tingling sensation slid up my body.
I could feel it all gather in the fingers of both of my hands, ......and come out the tips of my fingers.
It was an incomprehensible,
undescribable,
......unknown sensation.
My head went blank, and I couldn't think at all.
I could do nothing but abandon my soul to the sensation.
I finally understood.
This is...
what it's like...
to use magic......
"Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping......?"
My finger was moved like a puppet's, and danced around as though I was conducting music.
I never knew that having my body move without my control could be so exciting...
When Beato lifted my finger as if a string was attached to it, the key ring lying on the bed stood on end.
......Berune-san...didn't notice. ......Neither did Asune-san.
They were fully occupied by their happy chat as they cleaned the room...
I doubt that either of them would have dreamed that a witch was right behind them, readying herself to use magic.
They probably couldn't even imagine the key ring doing a little dance right behind their backs.
It was like an anime fairy tale I'd seen once as a kid.
The happy way the keys danced and spun made it look as though they had a will of their own.
I could feel the fun of making those keys dance with my fingers wash over me...
Yes, this is...pleasure......
As I powerlessly watched the witch control me,
......I couldn't help but surrender myself to this new joy called magic......
"Whoops, that's no good. If the whole ring disappears, my friend will be suspected again. ......All we need...
yes, we just need the key to this room to disappear."
Beato controlled my fingers, controlling the magic. ...And thereby controlling the keys.
......and then just the mansion's master key stood on end.
"Well now, what shall I do with this? ......Just erasing it would be so boring.
So, ............*cackle*cackle*! Why don't I throw it into her locker?! That way, I'll give my friend, who's been working here with her the whole time, a perfect alibi!"
"Come, try and remember. Where have you been sleeping?! Yes, it was a warm, dark place..."
"The inside of Berune's locker!! *cackle*cackle*cackle*!!"
When Beato snapped her fingers, the key burst and became a gold butterfly.
......A gold butterfly...?
I see, it's gold because she's the Golden Witch, who gave the Master all of his gold.
And butterflies are scared of spiderwebs. ......So, it's a gold butterfly.
The minions of the witch Beatrice...are gold butterflies...
After flitting into the air, it burst into a shower of gold sparks and disappeared.
Then, the vanished key......went to Berune-san's locker......
Though it was far away, in a changing room locker, I could tell exactly how it had happened.
It wasn't by sight or by touch.
It was by some other sense inside my heart, which couldn't be explained by the five senses.
A completely new sensation that I'd never felt before.
It was the completely alien concept...called magic.
A completely unknown pleasure that left me in a trance.
"......That's enough, my friend. I'll give this body back to you..."
Nn, .........ah......
"............"
It felt as though I had been spinning through space until gravity suddenly came back and threw me to the ground.
Like when you're having a great dream, but you wake up suddenly, ......and all you remember about the dream was that it was fun. ......That sort of lonely feeling.
Though Beato had been borrowing my body, it was my own body that used magic.
I could still feel that sensation in my hands.
The key ring over there had danced along with the movements of my fingers.
No, that's not quite it. The key ring and my fingers had danced together.
That fun, that excitement......still tingled slightly in my hands...
"Whoops, that was close."
Saying this, Berune-san suddenly turned around and picked up the key ring she had thrown down on the bed.
She must have realized that I was staring at it.
"Almost had Yasu complain that I shouldn't leave keys lying about like this. I'd never put something down and forget about it."
With a grin, she put the key back into her pocket.
However, she still hadn't noticed.
She probably couldn't even imagine that just a single key had vanished while her back was turned for a second...
It's not easy for a human to do things like that.
......But, with magic...
With just a little dance of the keys and a butterfly popping, ......it had disappeared.
"Alright, fingertip inspection! Bed, okay. Curtains, okay!"
"Tools, okay.
And keys too!
`See?` Nothing wrong, right?"
"Y, yes, that's good...... Then let's go on to the next room. ......Ah, ......Berune-san. Could you......lock up this room for me?"
"Hmm? Su~re."
......Did Berune-san's key...
...really disappear by magic?
Was that fun magic just a daydream I had......?
I was so scared of that being true...that I tested it.
"............
.........Huh......?"
"What's wrong? Why're you taking so long?"
"......Huh? ......Huh? Huh?? ......Wait, are you kidding me?"
"What's wrong...?"
"......It's not this one. ......And it isn't this one.
......Huh? What the...?"
"What is it? Do you want me to lock it?"
"I, I don't get it? What's going on?
......My master key's gone. Just my master key is gone. Wh, why...?! This ring's so stiff... There's no way it'd come off......!"
I could faintly feel that tingling sensation run across my fingers again......
That night.
......As I gazed at the ceiling from the bed in my dorm room,
......I looked at my hands.
I couldn't sleep.
The excitement from the time those keys danced was still there in my fingers...
Is this...
how Beatrice...
how witches...
always feel?
......I have a friend who's a witch, called Beatrice.
She always used to pull pranks on me with her strange magic.
Because I saw this all the time,
.........I thought I knew what magic was.
But today...
......She had possessed my body and used magic with it.
The sensation of magic that I finally felt at that time......still held my heart entranced.
It was a completely unknown pleasure.
Because......
By moving my fingertips,
.........I could make the key dance as I wished.
It was a strange, strange miracle of magic, something humans could not do.
I still couldn't let go of that excitement...
............
".........Shannon. .........Are you awake...?"
"............`
Shannon was still awake.
Shannon is always early to bed, early to rise. By getting to bed early, all of her weariness disappears by the next day.
......She lives a model life, one that all servants should respect and admire.
......If I want to become a loved, respected servant like Shannon,
......I'll need to act that way too.
However, ......I wasn't confident that I could do that anymore.
"I guess.....I can't become like you after all."
"......What do you mean? This is a bit abrupt."
"You were my ideal. Always."
"......Yeah."
"Everyone in the Fukuin House loves you and is kind to you. ......Since you always played with me, you're the only friend I've ever had. And you're also a wonderful servant, who can carry out any task in the Ushiromiya mansion both flawlessly and gracefully. You were the target I longed to reach. ......That's...what you were to me."
"Yeah. ......Let's give it our all together.
As they say, perseverance prevails. Everyone will grow to acknowledge you more and more. So let's aim to become wonderful servants together."
"............`
......I'm...gonna stop being a servant."
"......Huh?"
"Instead of a servant,
......I'd rather be a witch."
"Wh, what do you mean by witch...?"
"I did...and still do...
wish I could be a servant loved and relied upon by everybody. ......But right now,
I want to be a witch...
even more."
"Well, that's...
...ummm...
...huh......?"
Shannon was confused.
It was hardly surprising. ......All this about quitting as a servant was at least understandable.
But she didn't know how to answer after hearing that her roommate wanted to become a witch...
"A witch. Beatrice. ......You see, today, Beatrice possessed me and used my body to do magic. That unknown world felt so...thrilling. It was much more thrilling than the time I learned that I'd been selected as an Ushiromiya family servant. It was like learning about a new world. ......As though I'd been living in a world of darkness all my life and thought I knew what the world was like, then finally learned what light was and saw the world for the first time. It was...joy. ......Excitement."
At that time, Beato had only used my fingers, made a key ring dance, and turned a key into a butterfly before hiding it in a locker.
But I had understood it with my body.
If I had moved my fingers a different way, the ring could have flown into the air instead of just dancing, and I could have turned it into a scurrying lizard instead of a butterfly. ......I could have done anything.
True, Beatrice's magical power was still weak.
It had all happened in the little world behind the backs of the servants filled with the anti-magic toxin.
However, inside that tiny, short-lived world, I could do anything at all.
Beato just happened to settle on making them dance and turning the key into a butterfly.
But if she wanted to, she could have done anything else!
The endless sensation of that free, unrestricted power...
I could still feel it in my fingertips.
Could it be that, along with that sensation, a fragment of that magical power might also remain...?
I can tell. It's still there. ......There's still just a bit of it there, along with that sensation.
I can do it. ......I can still......do it......
".........Ah......"
A single spot of golden light suddenly lit up in this dark room.
It was right between my clasped hands.
When I slowly opened them, ......I could see a single dot that sparkled gold.
"What...
......is...
......?"
Shannon didn't know what the light meant.
How could light appear from the palm of my hands?
And yet, even with this miracle right in front of her,
......she couldn't understand what it was.
She just sat there with her mouth open in disbelief.
However, to me,
...this was just the return of that bit of sensation in my fingertips.
The golden dot...
spread out...
...and became a small, gold butterfly.
It flapped its wings and scattered gold sparks about like a cartoon fairy.
To Shannon, it probably just looked as though a gold butterfly was flapping its wings.
......Of course, that alone was a miracle that she could hardly grasp.
But to me, it was like a remote-control plane in the shape of a butterfly.
I could control that gold butterfly however I wanted.
Not clumsily with threads.
......I could make it flap, dance, play through the air as I wished.
I was taking a walk through the air as that little butterfly.
The golden glint of it pierced the darkness of the small room as it danced about freely. ......It was an entrancing pleasure.
......However, that sensation in my fingers began to weaken.
I could tell that the few magic butterfly scales left in my fingers were going away.
Finally, the gold butterfly flashed and turned to dust like a firework run out of juice, falling down and disappearing without a trace......
"Wh, what on Earth just happened......"
"This is magic. ......It's really fun."
"M, ......magic........."
"Yeah. Magic. ......There was still some magic left in my fingers, so I just managed to use it. ......But if I became a real witch, ......I'd be able to use it whenever and however I wanted...to do anything. Now that I've learned how fun this can be, I don't want to go back to being human. Being a servant is just too boring. So, ......I'm going to become a witch."
"B, become a witch...
......w, wait......!"
"I've already made my decision, Shannon. It's been fun. I'll give you this room. You can use it by yourself. Later. Goodbye."
"W, wait...!!"
As Shannon called out repeatedly for me to wait, ......a massive planetarium swallowed me up.
In the sea of the pitch-black starry sky, I was alone.
I...we...are alone here.
"I'm done acting the part of the servant.` .........I'm going to...modify this world."
"......Hmm. Understood. In that case, what will you do?"
"Being a wonderful servant like Shannon wouldn't be bad. ......But now that I know how fun it is to be a witch, that feels like a boring dream. I can't go back anymore."
"What will happen to Shannon?"
"......Shannon can just be Shannon, and stay as a respected servant. She'll stay the same. But from now on, it won't be the two of us together, but her alone."
"That seems a sudden farewell. ......Ah, well. Being fickle makes life more entertaining. And what will you do?"
"I want to become a witch. I want to become Beato."
"But I am already Beatrice.
"You'll still be a witch and my friend. I'm modifying the world so that Beato is me."
"So, I'll be a witch who is a friend of Beatrice?"
"Pretty much. So, from now on, you're a different witch."
"I understand. Then, what will be my new name?"
".........I'll put that on hold until I can think of one. You'll be nameless for a while. Sorry about that."
"No problem, no problem. This is my precious name we're talking about. You'd better take your time and think carefully about it. *cackle*."
"You've been Beatrice's friend since she was young and couldn't use magic yet. When we first knew each other, you'd always hide my things and make fun of me."
"I see. And when Beatrice finally learns magic, I become a friend on an equal footing with her.
So, I should act like a big sister sort of friend."
"Yeah, like that. ......What should we do about how we talk?"
"It seems that 'warawa' has become pretty much set as the way Beatrice refers to herself. Should I give that to you too?"
"It seems that the cackle has pretty much become Beatrice's signature. Should I give that to you too?"
"Yeah. The cackle will be mine."
"Hmm, very well. Then I......no, it's not I anymore."
"*cackle*...uh, I mean, as you wish, heheh. ......Then I need to find a good way to sound like Beatrice's big sister-like witch friend."
"Yeah. ......Or should it be...
...very well."
"Ahahahaha. Now there's a nice, dignified voice."
"Heh, thanks... ...I mean, *cackle*cackle*, and just what were you expecting? ...And what of my appearance?"
"Good point. I've got a sort of blood-red witch look. Why not choose a different color for yourself?"`
"......When Beatrice wanders the mansion at night, she is often seen dressed in white."
"Of course, ghosts are classically white."
"A witch...
...in a white dress......
......Let's try putting it all together."
I need a different look than the witch in the demon-red dress.
A white, noble witch.
......Unlike the time with the red witch, I'm thinking about my own look now, ...so I'd like to make it beautiful and cute if I can.
A white dress. A noble look.
Like one of noble blood, but with a dark, sarcastic streak......
No, she's like a tomboy princess, so her voice is a mix of formality and rudeness.
Then the dress should be the exact opposite to make a nice contrast......
"..................And what of this form?"
Is this the form of the new Beatrice?!"
"How beautiful! Just like a noble princess!"
"Hmmm... ...I've taken a liking to this form. Not bad at all."
"......Looking good. That's wonderful, Beato."
"Hmm. I like it. I truly do like this form..."
"Now, if you can keep this up and give me a wonderful name, that'd be great. If I have to go around nameless for too long, I'll get all sulky."
Fear not, I shall find you a splendid name! But first, there is something I must consider. What shall be the form of my magic?!"
"Hiding objects and transporting them instantaneously is your theme. So, I must think of my own particular theme of magic. ......When I use magic, gold butterflies will flit about. I'm not backing down on that part...!"
"*giggle*. Splendid. Just perfect for the Golden Witch.
......Then the weaknesses such as spiderwebs and the sacred mirror in the shrine will also go to you?"
"Very well. Even an all-powerful witch needs a few small weaknesses to keep things interesting. Then let us do it like so. If I touch a spiderweb, it will burn me."
Silently, a silvery spider dropped down vertically.
Beato, now in her new form, lightly touched the silver spiderweb that trailed out behind it.
As she did, ......there was a faint sound of flesh burning, and a thin burn was left across her fingers.
Beatrice can't stand spiderwebs.
That was one of the weaknesses of the evil spirits Kumasawa-san spoke of.
Since the witch Beatrice had revived thanks to the power of those evil spirits, she also inherited their weaknesses.
So, the sacred mirror is also one of her weaknesses.
......However, that sacred mirror in the shrine isn't too likely to appear in front of me often.
That's not so fun.
"......Then, while mirrors with sacred power will obviously be a weakness, let us make mirrors themselves a weakness too."
"You often hear that mirrors have magical powers. Isn't that nice? Sounds just like a witch."
"If I look at a mirror, it feels as though my magical power is being sucked out, so I try to avoid it. Hmm, it sounds quite entertaining."
......If I really think about it, I'll be bad with mirrors whether I make that rule or not.
No matter who I want or strive to be,
......the only face that will ever show in a mirror...
is the heartlessly pathetic and realistic face of 'Yasu'.
Mirrors, which will always force me to face my shabby reality, are something I always want to avoid.
That's right. ......I hate mirrors.
......I don't want
to see
my pitiful self.
"You don't need to decide everything at once. It's fun to build up a world one little bit at a time."
"True. I understand. I shall enjoy life as a witch as I slowly expand my world."
"That tiny, dark room is no place for you to sleep now."
"Indeed. I am the Golden Witch! I am the ruler of Rokkenjima's night, and the nighttime mansion belongs to me. That is where I should be living, is it not?"
"A room for Beatrice? Haha, isn't it obvious?!"
"Yeah, that's right! That wonderful room on the second floor of the mansion......"
"The VIP room of the witch just has to be Beatrice's room!"
"Oh, that's right. From this evening forward, that room in the nighttime mansion shall be my dwelling place...!
Why didn't I think of that myself, hahaha, hehahahahahahahaha...!!"
"Then let's go, Beato. If we're going to drink tea together, we'll need a much better room than that cramped one."
"Indeed. That room is too crude to welcome friends to and serve tea in. We shall change rooms. Let us go, my friend...!"
"......So, this is goodbye to Shannon."
When I looked at my feet, ......I could see my own dorm room far beneath me.
I could see Shannon, who had dashed up to the bed I lay on and had been saying 'wait' at the moment time froze. She was as rigid as a doll.
Looking down at it from this height, it really did look like a small dollhouse...
"So long, Shannon. ......The days I spent as a human, with you as a goal and a constant comfort, were truly fun. ...If I had never learned the joys of magic and awakened as a witch, everything would doubtless have remained as it was."
......I was your only close friend too, wasn't I?
Please forgive me for erasing that friend so suddenly.
As a parting gift, ......I will erase 'me' from your world.
Starting now, this will not be a two-person room.
It will be a single-person room, with just you in it.
I hope you continue to strive for your ideal and try to become a kind, reliable servant loved by everyone.
Yasu, the stupid, clumsy servant who lost things all the time, doesn't exist anymore.
So long, Shannon.
When I mature as the witch Beatrice and stride through the nighttime mansion where I will, ......I may bump into you as you do your nighttime rounds.
However, when I meet you again, it will not be a reunion.
It will be our first meeting.
After all, though you have heard the rumors about the witch Beatrice, you have never met her......
So long, Shannon.
Let us meet again sometime and spin up some fun tale.........
"Wait......!! Wai...
......t...
...... ............"
............
.........What...
was I doing...?
Was I...talking in my sleep......?
Apparently, I had gotten out of bed, stretched my hand out towards it, ...and said 'wait'.
This isn't the first time I've woken up to find myself saying something strange, but...
......I don't remember ever waking up to find myself out of bed and standing up.
Could this be what they call......sleepwalking...?
Am I just tired......?
......Gotta sleep. Gotta get back to sleep.
I turned around to face my bed.
.........?
My bed wasn't there.
There was no bed in this room except the one I had just turned my back on.
If I'm the only one in this room, and the only bed is the one behind me, ......that must mean it's my bed.
......That feels wrong, for some reason.
The bed sheets are all disarranged, as though someone had slipped out of them.
Who did...?
`This is a single-person room with me in it, right?
So, that there is my bed, and the traces of someone crawling out...mean that I was just sleeping there until a second ago...?
......But, for some reason...
that bed......
doesn't feel like my bed.
However, though all the other kids shared rooms, I, Shannon, was given a single-person room.
So, there's only one bed.
And it must be mine.
............
"......Am I just...
...tired?"
I must just be half-asleep.
School starts early tomorrow morning.
And, when school ends, I want to go to the mansion, help out with some work, and talk to Kumasawa-san about the mystery novel I just read.
Time to sleep. I'm probably just so worn out that I'm imagining things.
......Goodnight, Shannon. Just crawl in bed and close your eyes......and you won't have to think about anything complicated......"
I went back into my bed.
It felt a bit uncomfortable to crawl into a bed that wasn't mine.
Still, it might just be because I'm getting so sleepy, but it's starting to feel as though this is my bed after all.
......I'm just half-asleep......
I am...Shannon.
A lonely servant.
I mess up from time to time,
......but I want to become a kind servant whom everyone loves......
.........Goodnight, ......me......
Oh, I am one yet many.
I've had enough of playing the servant. I've had enough of being human!
From this night forth, I am Beatrice!
The Golden Witch Beatrice, who has lived for a thousand years!
Praise me, servants. Have fear when you are chosen for the night shift!
On the nighttime island, the mansion is my place, and that is my time...!
Oh, I am one yet many!
Yes, let our world swallow up everything. It is like the raging seas!
Well now, let us drink the mysterious moon dry tonight, with this human book as a side dish!
So this is mystery?
So this is a closed room?
You call this 'a crime impossible for humans'?
Don't make me laugh! With all these holes and weak points, you call this a crime impossible for humans?!
Is there no splendid closed room magic that can do my name justice?
Oh, not here, not here, not there, not there either...all of them pathetic!
It's enough to make one giggle, but which is the side dish, the moon or the book?!
If I get tired of mystery, I can change myself into a butterfly! I can flit about the island, the mansion, the vast forest at will.
I'll follow those cowardly servants as they do their nighttime rounds, and when they check to see that a window is locked, they'll see me laughing at them in the reflection on the glass!
I can be fickle, and do as I please!
Pranks at night will probably be a lot of fun.
Okay, I've decided. Let's play like that starting tonight!
*cackle*cackle*, how pleasurable! Tonight will truly be pleasurable!
In the world of witches, the only limits to your fun are the limits of your imagination!
sMy imagination shall become the source of my magical power!
o, very well, it shall be fun! I shall expand it infinitely. And let it swallow the whole island. The island's night will be all mine!!
Oh, how refined and pleasant are the days of a witch!
Oh, I am one yet many!
Kihahahahahahhha, hyahhaha!!
Here's to the wonderful world of witches!!