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But Rise was oblivious to Odilia’s gaze.

No, she didn’t even consider for a moment that Odilia would be wary of her.

Because the words she directed at Jinseong were in Japanese, not in English or Korean.

“….”

But unfortunately, Odilia could speak Japanese.

Perhaps even more fluently than Korean.

She was born in Germany, a place once swept by madness, where propaganda was once employed.

Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan were once allies, and they had a rather close relationship.

Because of this, Odilia had picked up a bit of Japanese and had attended many events where exchanges with Japan occurred.

An old memory from that time, vivid each time it surfaced.

That memory had firmly lodged itself in her mind, and the Japanese she had acquired seemed to insist that she not deny the past. Even long after the war, it remained a significant part of her, coming in handy when Japan rose again due to wartime circumstances, becoming one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

During Japan’s economic boom, they were feverishly focused on making money, earning the nickname ‘Economic Animal’, traveling lavishly around the globe with their profits. Seizing this opportunity, Odilia expanded into Japan or partnered with Japanese companies, establishing a significant business.

Even now, her business was firmly established in Japan, and in the case of a few brands, they were even mistakenly thought of as indigenous Japanese brands….

“….”

Thus, Odilia could grasp the nuances contained within Rise’s words.

She felt no burden when it came to engaging in terror.

Yet, she felt a sense of rejection at the thought of sharing the act of terror.

That’s what she understood from Rise’s words.

Odilia looked back and forth between Jinseong and Rise with a mix of surprise and caution.

Jinseong met her gaze as if it were nothing, locking eyes with Odilia and flashing a slight, eye-smiling grin. Though the smile appeared natural enough to ease tension, the thought that this was coming from someone talking about ‘terror’ made it look all the more dangerous.

“Witch.”

Jinseong said with a smile.

His deep voice declared her profession.

In English.

“Great Witch.”

And then, the next words came in German.

In a strong, regional accent one could hear around Berlin.

The strong accent seemed familiar to the Great Witch, but…

Why was it?

Why did that deep voice feel as if it were overwhelming her body and binding her with chains?

As if it were pressing down heavily and coercively.

The word ‘Great Witch’ seemed to squeeze her mind and force her gaze to Jinseong’s direction.

That illusion took form.

“Odilia.”

And finally, the sound with a distinctly Japanese pronunciation was heard.

A sound permeated with all the traits of a Japanese person speaking a foreign language.

Yet strangely, that very trait made Jinseong feel all the more unfamiliar and peculiar.

A thought flitted through her mind that the being before her was fundamentally different from her.

The feeling of unfamiliarity soon morphed into fear and caution. Yet still, she couldn’t turn away. Her eyes remained locked, staring into his, gazing at the flames illuminating his irises.

The flames flickered, flickered.

The flames, soaring up and appearing as if they were igniting her eyes as a sacrifice, danced alluringly within her vision, and the more she looked, the more dazed she felt….

“EEK!”

At that moment.

Odilia jolted, twisting her body.

Surprised, her expression resembled that of someone who had just woken from a sudden nap, and her body moved as if electricity had coursed through her. And the chair she sat on reacted to her sudden movement too….

“Oops! Eek!”

Crash!

She tumbled backward along with her chair, screaming like a girl.

Clunk.

As soon as Odilia realized she had fallen, she quickly righted herself.

She propped her chair back up and sat down again, returning to the very position she had just occupied.

As if to assert that nothing had happened at all.

But….

“….”

How could everything be as if nothing happened?

With two witnesses present.

Even she herself felt her ears burning from embarrassment at what had just transpired.

“….”

Odilia subtly averted her gaze from Jinseong and Rise.

Yet she gestured to Jinseong as if urging him to continue what he was saying.

An embarrassed insistence, urging him to keep explaining while pretending not to notice.

Jinseong, not ignoring Odilia’s desperate gestures, smiled and continued his story.

“The usage of words may be rough, but that’s not what I intend. There’s violence involved, but it’s not brutal. Yes, it’s more of an anime feel.”

Anime.

Upon hearing that word, Rise tilted her head.

Anime, huh?

The anime Rise knew had quite a few violent scenes.

Robots battling, ninjas fighting, capable people dueling, and even martial arts tournaments….

In her mind, ‘anime’ mostly referred to adaptations of boy’s comics.

So when she heard ‘non-violent anime,’ it was hard for her to envision that image.

However, she couldn’t help but gasp at Jinseong’s next words.

“Think of it as something you’d see at a movie theater, where children hold their parents’ hands tightly, watching. Isn’t it such a delightful atmosphere?”

Movie theater.

Hearing that word allowed Rise to recall what Jinseong was trying to say.

3D animation.

Where toys move and come to life, spaghetti falls from the sky, swarms of anchovies soar into space, embarking on adventures far beyond the galaxy, and a cyborg whale from the past rides a time machine to team up with dinosaurs to stop a meteor!

“Witches can animate inanimate objects and alter life. I can make a vacuum cleaner move by itself, let a tree walk on its roots, have penguins flying in the sky, or turn a whale’s fin into legs to stroll on land. Witchcraft is such, and life force is akin to that.”

And Jinseong’s continued explanation indicated that what Rise had imagined was indeed correct.

“Therefore, if we utilize this witchcraft in a more refined manner, we can create entertaining situations. For some, it may be terror, for others, a protest; for some, a trick, and for others, mere fun. It all depends.”

As he said that, Jinseong looked at Odilia.

Emphasizing the word ‘fun.’

“…Can I hear more details?”

Upon hearing that, Odilia displayed a far more cooperative attitude than before.

Was it perhaps because the word ‘fun’ had reduced her resistance?

Or was her rationality slightly dulled by the embarrassment of her earlier blunder?

Or was it due to the bizarre incident that had just occurred?

The reason was unknown.

Perhaps even Odilia herself didn’t know.

Yet one thing was certain.

“Now, listen closely. If life force is like a vessel, then divine power is akin to the liquid contained within. Thus, we merely need to mold that vessel for a moment….”

Odilia would engage in this task.

As per Jinseong’s intent.

* * *

Nature is indeed frightening.

The overwhelming riot of green seems to engulf one merely by looking, and plunging into that sea of green creates an illusion that everything around becomes an enemy. In dense forests, one may imagine a beast lurking among the trees, a monster hiding, or some terrifying being that skins human flesh, fueling a dreadful imagination, making one yearn more and more for bright light, inevitably grasping for a flashlight.

Then, when reaching a place to rest, one might light a campfire to illuminate the surroundings, thereby clinging to the fear that warmth and light are essential for survival in nature.

“That forest….”

Thus, he hated the forest.

He despised the dense trees, the shadows cast by them, and the unexplored spaces created by the woods.

Even in broad daylight, gazing at a place untouched by light evokes the illusion of two flickering flames dancing. And one might wonder what creature possesses those glittering eyes. Perhaps a wolf or a puma? With that thought in mind, he naturally grips the hunting rifle hanging on the wall and aims it at that spot.

But as he points the rifle, the light vanishes.

As if he had seen a figment of his imagination.

Or perhaps as if mocking the man.

Just like that, without a trace, it disappears.

To the man, that was intensely displeasing.

Thus, he cleared the entire forest.

“Leave some trees standing. The timber will serve as insurance to help you rise again if you fail….”

Despite his father’s dying wish.

Even knowing that the trees in that forest were valuable assets.

He was left with no choice but to clear the woods.

“It’s bothersome….”

He disliked the forest.

He hated feeling threatened every time he looked at it.

Disliking the notion that he felt like a child, fearing the woods.

He disliked the thoughts that arose every time he gazed at the forest, wondering if there was a beast threatening his family.

He simply detested the forest.

Yet, despite that disdain, there was something beyond his control.

That forest.

The forest he couldn’t clear.

Because it lay beyond the farm, he couldn’t clear it….

That forest was, truly.

Truly bothersome to the eye.

Hence, the man looked disdainfully at that forest, a menace to his sight –

And then gazed upon the wide expanse of his own farm, boasting a scale far more significant than that mere remnant of a forest –

“Ugh. Well, someday an opportunity will arise….”

Thinking that one day, he would buy the land with that forest and clear it away, he turned his back on the woods.

And after the man departed, the forest, left alone, didn’t feel lonely at all.

 

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