White takes the child’s hand, and gently, playfully presses a kiss to the back of it. When I look at his figure, I can’t help but see him as a kind person. Even if he is a ghost. Even if he is a liar.

Our father was human, but our mother was a witch. She was known as the great witch Tiletta, and she was apparently quite famous. She passed away after she gave birth to Mitile, but she was a bright and cheerful witch.

What a kind person he is...... Even though his own mother, the Queen, abandoned him in the Northern mountains when he was a child......

...........God, what am I going to do about my restaurant.... No, I guess I can’t even work there anymore. They’ve probably caught on that I’m a wizard.....

One more word. I'm probably going to die soon.

It's fine, it's fine! I'm not feeling down about it or anything! I'm used to this sort of thing, anyway! .....But I'm an idiot, so I came up with all these ridiculous fantasies. Like, maybe if I give her this scarf, she'll put it on the next day, and come to say hi to me.

I never thought I would witness Mithra wiping his mouth with a napkin....

Of course! We're wizards, after all!

She was neither my mother nor my lover. Just an old, troublesome connection.

I don’t dislike what a stray cat you’ve become, but I do miss the man you used to be — the great philosopher Murr. Your ideas were the most progressive in the world, while your knowledge, the most ancient. You were so intelligent and noble that I even envied you.

I didn't even understand that I had been abandoned.... I kept crying, because I wanted to return to the castle. Gradually, I grew sleepier and sleepier. Before I knew it, I could no longer feel the cold. I was a child, but I realized that I was going to die.

It’s an incredible role! It means the wizards from other regions won’t make fun of us anymore! I won’t let anyone call us Southern wizards "soft, slow, and weak" anymore!

What great praise. If I'm the same as anyone else, there's no reason for me to be alive.

"Owen. Warning: handle with caution. Creepy. Talking with him makes you feel like you’re having a mental breakdown. Just make sure he never takes an interest in you and you should be all right."

I'm sorry. I'm not very good at talking. It takes me a while to gather my thoughts.... Rutile complains about this all the time.

I made money for myself. I ate for myself. I could go on living just fine, but those days meant nothing to anyone but me. But when I came to Blanchette, when I met Heath... The day I swore to protect this family, my life was given meaning.

.......I wonder if Father Priest knew about it. Have I unknowingly been in a trance because of these stones?

Don't touch it, fucker! It still needs to simmer. Want me to turn you into meat sauce?

I'm sure I'll wake up early tomorrow. I can’t wait to open my eyes in the morning. Thank you, Nero. Thank you for giving me a reason to look forward to tomorrow.

I...... I will protect you, Sir Oz. Just as you protected me from avalanches and wolves when I was little! I will definitely protect you!

Go, little sheep. Graze away at them like grass.

.......I came up with so many of those stupid fantasies, like the ones that play through your mind right before you fall asleep..... She was afraid it might be cursed.... Of course she was scared..... I'm such an idiot.....

I wandered through many lands. Though I’ve been in the South ever since I met Sir Figaro, the one who taught you magic.

You wanted to be saved too, didn’t you Owen?

The Known Ruins are situated on the edge of the southern plains — they’re the remains of an ancient city that existed over two thousand years ago. There are curious rumors about how it’s a place where wizards fall......

No. But the Valley of Storms is known to be a retreat for hermits. I don’t know what kinds of people live there, but perhaps they too loathe the human world and wish to be left quietly alone.

Why are you running away? I'm talking about you. Do you hate yourself so much that you want to run away? Is your true self someone you’d rather avert your eyes from?

I...... I will protect you, Sir Oz. Just as you protected me from avalanches and wolves when I was little! I will definitely protect you!

That’s right. The source of a wizard’s power is their heart. You simply need to follow your heart and do what you truly wish to do — do what you believe is right. No matter who makes fun of you, and no matter who you lose to — I will always love you, Mitile.

....That’s not true. I’m always grateful to you, Shino. Because you might be brusque, but you’re always kind. When I fell ill and was stuck in bed all day, or when I was feeling down because my tutor scolded me — you always brought me flowers and squirrels from the forest.