The Primordial Witch Takes a Stroll Through the Royal Capital - The Primordial Witch Takes a Stroll

The north gate of the royal capital, Artemis, shone white in the morning light. A twenty-meter-high wall encircled the circular sprawl of the city. Before the gate, a line had formed—merchants leading packhorses, farmers with scythes over their shoulders, women carrying baskets. At the very end of that line stood a single girl. Brown hair that fell to her shoulders, the ends curling slightly. Her large, amber eyes gazed fixedly at the cityscape beyond the gate. Her rough tunic was covered in patches, and her scuffed leather boots were caked in mud. Just a poor child from some ordinary family. That was what everyone thought. Half a step behind her, slightly to the side, stood a man in a black coat. His black hair was cropped short, and his jet-black eyes were deep, as if they swallowed the light. He made no sound when he walked. His shadow was darker than his body, and at times, that shadow alone seemed to move like a separate living thing. The man drew a silver coin from his sleeve. "Entry tax. For two." The young guard at the gate looked at the man's face, then at the girl. She smiled brightly. "Good morning. It's a lovely day, isn't it?" "A-ah... good morning." The soldier nodded, caught up in the girl's smile. In that moment, he couldn't even begin to wonder who this girl might be. No—there was no need to wonder. Just a child. Just a traveler. That was all. Taking the silver coin, the soldier stepped aside. "You may pass." The girl—Theresia—bobbed her head in a quick bow. "Thanks. You're a good person, you know." With that, she set foot on the cobblestones of the royal capital, Artemis, for the first time. ―――― The cobblestones were damp with morning dew. The air was a blend of baking bread, horses, and flowers. Somewhere in the distance a rooster crowed; nearby came the sounds of merchants opening their shops. Theresia drew a slow breath. "What a nice smell. Human towns always smell so nice." "Is that so, my lady?" Lorde answered quietly, walking half a step behind her. His voice carried strangely well, even through the morning bustle. "Mm. Wet earth, smoke, and something sweet. All mixed together. It's fascinating." Theresia spread both arms and spun around once. The hem of her tunic fluttered softly. A few passersby glanced at her, but quickly looked away. Just a child, excited in the morning. Nothing more. "My lady Theresia, where shall we go today?" "First, I want to see the market. Somewhere with lots of people." "The Silverstream Market, then. It's the busiest place in the royal capital. Along the street running east from the central plaza, hundreds of stalls line up every day." "Oh, every day? Humans are such hard workers. Let's go there, then." Theresia listened to Lorde's explanation as she set off at a brisk pace. Her walk was unhurried, yet utterly without hesitation. As if she held a map of the city in her head. No—she actually did. She was the Primordial Witch, a being who had lived eight hundred years. She had walked most of this continent on her own two feet. She had known the royal capital, Artemis, since the day it was built. Before the walls were raised, before the cobblestones were laid, she had known this place. And yet, her eyes sparkled like a child visiting for the first time. ―――― The Silverstream Market was positively overflowing with people. Wooden stalls lined the cobblestone street in dense rows. Shops piled high with vegetables, shops with dried fish hanging from the eaves, shops spreading out colorful cloth. The smoke of roasting meat and the scent of spices wrapped around the entire market. The shouts of merchants, the haggling of shoppers, the laughter of children, the neighing of horses. All the sounds blended together into one great wave that reached Theresia's ears. "Amazing. It's amazing, Lorde. There really are this many humans." Theresia's eyes shone as she surveyed the market. Only pure curiosity floated in those eyes. "Yes. The population of the royal capital, Artemis, is roughly one hundred twenty thousand. Several thousand people visit this market every day." "One hundred twenty thousand. That sounds exhausting to count." Theresia giggled softly. "My lady Theresia, if anything catches your fancy, please say the word. I will pay for it." "Mm. But looking around is the fun part, so let's take our time." "Understood. Please, take all the time you wish." Lorde followed closely behind Theresia. Even amid the market's clamor, his black coat was eerily silent, and the air around him alone seemed different. But no one paid it any mind. People were absorbed in their own shopping, and the pairing of a girl and a man in black vanished from their sight in an instant. Theresia stopped in front of a weapons shop. Swords, spears, and shields were crammed into the storefront. The owner was a thick-armed man well into his years, and the sign above the shop read "Gald of the Iron Arm." Theresia studied the displayed swords one by one with great interest. "Are all of these made of iron?" When she asked, the shopkeeper Gald looked up. "Yeah, lass. That's right. Finest iron around these parts, I'll have you know." Gald immediately saw that the girl was no customer. But the way she looked at the swords was strangely serious, and it didn't put him off. "Huh. Iron is cold, so I don't really like it." Theresia brought her finger close to a blade. She didn't touch it. She only felt the cold through her fingertip. "Cold's what a sword is, girl." "I suppose so. But I prefer warm things." Theresia smiled brightly and left the weapons shop. Gald watched her retreating figure in a daze. "My lady Theresia, did nothing catch your eye?" "Mm. Iron is cold. Besides, swords look heavy, and swinging them around seems like such a bother." "Indeed. You have no need of a sword, my lady Theresia." "That's right. But I think it's interesting how humans pound away at iron so earnestly to make things like that. Though I don't really understand what for." Theresia tilted her head slightly. The gesture looked genuinely, truly puzzled. ―――― Farther into the market, the scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the air. Beneath a sign reading "Martha the Baker," a plump woman was arranging baskets full of bread at her storefront. Dark bread, white bread, sweet rolls glazed with honey. Steam rose from them, scattering a sweet fragrance all around. Theresia drifted toward the scent as if pulled by it, and came to a stop before the shop. "What a wonderful smell. I'll take one of these." She pointed at a white loaf. "One white loaf, coming up. That'll be one silver coin." Martha glanced at the man in black standing behind the girl. He silently held out a silver coin. "Much obliged." Martha took the coin, wrapped the warm white loaf in paper, and handed it to Theresia. Theresia accepted the bread with both hands, blew on it a few times, and took a small bite. She chewed thoughtfully. "Not bad at all." "Does it suit your taste?" "Mm. Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. It tastes of wheat. Human food is always so clever. It's fascinating." Theresia ate the bread happily. In that moment, she looked like nothing more than an ordinary girl whose bread had been bought for her at the market. When she finished, Theresia turned her gaze toward the market plaza. There, several children were playing tag. Theresia slipped a hand into her pocket. And casually pulled out a few candies. Small, colorful drops. Just candy she always carried with her. "Hey, you kids. Want some?" When Theresia called out, the children stopped dead in their tracks. "What's that?" "It's candy. It's sweet. Go on, try it." Theresia held out her palm. The children stared at the candies, wary but curious. One boy reached out hesitantly. "...Can I really have one?" "Of course. I'm giving them to you. I have plenty." The boy took a candy. The other children followed suit. "Whoa, it smells so sweet!" "Thank you, big sister!" The children popped the candies into their mouths, and their faces lit up with smiles. Theresia watched them with an amused look. "Sweet things make human children smile. How strange." "Indeed. Sweetness is a symbol of happiness for humans." "A symbol of happiness. Hmm. So if I give out candy, can all humans be happy?" "I wonder. Perhaps only children can be made happy by candy." "Maybe so. Adults seem to need something more complicated." Theresia put one of the candies into her own mouth. "Sweet. This really is the best." ―――― A crowd had gathered in the central plaza of the market. A street performer was putting on a show. A man in a gaudy red-and-yellow costume tossed five balls into the air, catching and throwing, catching and throwing. Around him, townsfolk clapped and children cheered. Theresia watched from behind the crowd. "Wow, that's amazing. The balls don't fall." "That is called juggling. A staple of human street performance." "Juggling. He has five balls, and not one of them drops. Human hands are so clever." Theresia watched the performance with shining eyes. The performer added lit torches to the five balls. A murmur rose from the audience. "They're on fire! Amazing—if he drops one, he'll burn!" "He is a skilled performer. He will not fail." "I see. But if he did fail, that would be interesting too." Theresia giggled softly. Her laughter blended with the laughter of the crowd around her, dissolving completely into it. No one suspected who this girl might be. She was just one girl among the crowd. ―――― In a corner of the market, in the shadow of a fruit stall, a woman stood frozen. Long silver hair tied back in a single tail, gray eyes scanning the market. Her white coat stood out strangely amid the market's bustle. Shiera, the White Witch, was searching the crowd for Theresia. (That presence is definitely approaching this market.) Her magic power was sending out warnings without pause. That unfathomable presence. The presence of the girl she had faced in the forest at night. But there were too many people in the market. The shouts of merchants, the laughter of children, the neighing of horses. Every sound disrupted her senses. That presence had blended completely into the crowd. (Damn... where is she?) Shiera clenched her fist. Amid the market's liveliness, she alone was tense. The people around her laughed, shopped, and enjoyed their everyday lives, knowing nothing. Their innocence was maddening right now. (You people know nothing. Not who that girl is, not what crisis the royal capital is in right now.) She walked through the crowd. But she could not find Theresia. ―――― Lorde sensed a sharp gaze for just a moment amid the market's bustle. Without letting Theresia notice, he quietly glanced back. In the crowd, he saw a woman in a white coat. Silver hair. Gray eyes. The White Witch who had pointed her sword at Theresia last night. Lorde said nothing. He simply gave a quiet command to his shadow. The shadow wavered unnaturally for just an instant. A single black bird rose soundlessly from the shadow and soared into the sky above the market. "Lorde, what's wrong?" Theresia turned to look at Lorde. "Nothing at all. My lady Theresia, where shall we go next?" "Let me think. Let's wander around here a bit more, then I'd like to climb the city wall. I bet you can see the whole city from up there." "Understood. The path to the wall is just up the stairs ahead." "Oh, I can't wait. I love high places." Theresia set off again. Lorde followed behind her. Above, the black bird gazed down at the woman in the white coat. ―――― The great hall of the royal castle, Grandrein, was wrapped in a heavy silence. Shiera knelt on one knee before the throne, her face raised. Her silver hair clung to her forehead with sweat. She had run at full speed from the market to the castle. On the throne sat Ordis Rein, King of the Kingdom of Artemis. Short black hair n

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Episode 2

Name: The Primordial Witch Takes a Stroll Through the Royal Capital
Author: Novelia

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