Questions and answers

“Break into the royal palace? Are you out of your mind!? That doesn’t sound any better than what we had planned!” I burst out at Aldo, clenching my fist tightly.

“Now, now. Calm down, will you? This is a heist that has been in the works for years. It’s the guild master’s little pet project, and he’s a thief without an equal, so let’s put our faith in him. We have detailed plans of the entire palace and patrol routes, and a team has already been assembled. All we needed was a way to get in unseen. Before you tell me off again, let’s hear what miss witch herself has to say, okay?” Aldo gave me a reassuring pat on the back.

Chiyo still sat uncomfortably on her barstool, wriggling around.

“Well… it does sound hazardous, but I’d like to meet this guild master of yours first before I decide to place my trust in him. We came here to learn more about witches and the Devil, and we knew from the start that we would put ourselves in danger. You’ve done much for us, but I’m unsure whether we can follow you on your heist.”

Chiyo was surprisingly levelheaded for once. Even though she looked uncomfortable, her eyes were focused and calm. When we’d initially set out to the capital, she wouldn’t shut up about how much danger we were putting ourselves in, but she probably realized that getting information was a critical step to going home.

“That’s good enough for now, I’d say,” Aldo happily nodded, “I can’t expect you to put blind faith in our abilities. Anyway, why don’t I read a bit from this book here and maybe pique your interest?”

He turned the pages until he came to a passage that was interesting to him. He scraped his throat and started reading animatedly.

Witch hunter Aurelius Severus conducted the following interrogation against a witch captured during the final days of the Great Holy War. She claims to be named Colette and has the Devil’s brand on her stomach. The marking is identical to all known witches; see the attached sketch.

Aldo turned the book over to us to show the Devil’s brand.

愛

Chiyo shot up in surprise. “Hey, that’s written in my language!”

We were all flabbergasted at Chiyo’s statement, even Aldo didn’t know what to say. I recovered and shook my head.

“No, you’re probably wrong, Chiyo. This is simply a marking that the Devil used to identify witches. It’s unlikely that it has any real meaning a non-demonic being could understand.”

“I’m serious! Oliver, Aldo, this mark means “love”. It’s not a random scribble, it’s a word.”

Of all the possible meanings the Devil’s brand could have, it turned out to be love. How was Chiyo even able to read it? That reminded me that I should ask her about how she learnt our language. I already knew Chiyo was different, and I’d heard in the village that she carried the Devil’s brand as well. Her making a contract with the Devil should've been impossible, as he was supposed to be long gone.

I tried to complete the puzzle in my head, but too many pieces were still missing to string everything together. Instead of giving answers, this book was only raising more questions.

“That’s very interesting, Chiyo,” Aldo interjected, interrupting my train of thought, “but there’s little use pondering on it with such little information available. Maybe you’ll learn more if I finish reading this passage.”

Severus asks Colette how she obtained her powers. Initially, she spits in his face and refuses to speak, but after applying some enhanced interrogation methods, she confesses.

“I was nothing but a normal farmer’s daughter, living a life I could never choose for myself. My path in life was already set out for me by my father. Even my future husband had already been picked out for me. There was never a moment that I thought, ‘I’m doing this because I want to.’

That was the case until a handsome young man appeared at our doorstep with a talking goat. The rest of the family was in town then, so I hesitated to let a stranger in. He didn’t mind waiting outside but never said a word to me. Instead, his goat gave me an offer.

I was told I would gain the power to leave my oppressive family behind if I came into the service of the ‘new king of the human realm.’ He only took required one thing from me: the ability to love. I gladly accepted, he touched my hand, and they left again. I fled from home and started practicing these newfound powers I’d received together with the Witches Guild until the day came that we rose against this unjust world.”

Aldo suddenly slammed the book shut. The sound echoed through the room, making us jump up in response.

“That’s enough for a teaser, don’t you think? If you help us, this entire book or any other one can be yours.”

My mind was once again spinning at all this new information, to the point of getting dizzy. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Why would the Devil give a mark saying “love” in exchange for one’s ability to love? Was it some kind of sick irony? Chiyo was focused on something else however. Her eyebrows came together in a frown as she put her hands on her hips. She started pouting.

“This doesn't answer any questions at all! And there’s a Witches Guild? Why haven’t I heard of this before?”

“Because nobody is supposed to know about it! It’s as secret a society as they come. Only the Thieves Guild is in the know, as always!” Said a booming voice from right behind us.

I turned around and was met by a tall man with slicked-back brown hair. Across his forehead ran a broad horizontal scar. It was an imposing figure whose sudden, loud voice had left my heart racing.

“It’s good to finally meet you. My name is Elegast.”

He made a little bow. A warm, genuine-looking smile was plastered on his face, as if he was welcoming old friends. He continued his introduction.

“I have the honor to be leading this guild.”