A wall of dust roiled in the distance, a tide of people surging toward the only path that led to Veronan Castle.

That was a gorge carved into a natural deathtrap on purpose.

Anyone who went in wasn’t coming out in one piece.

Up on high, Winnie sat with one leg dangling and swore under her breath. “Bunch of idiots.”

Beside her, Imoxiu sat stiff as a board.

Winnie glanced at the army crawling along at a turtle’s pace, then lazily lay back. She shot Imoxiu a sideways look. “Hey, what’re you so nervous about? You think that mob of ants down there can actually threaten you, or are you scared I’m gonna eat you?”

“I’m not, I just want to know if you really are Mom’s…”

“Mom?” Winnie blinked, then snapped her fingers. “Oh! That damn brat likes to play the whole tender mother–daughter act, huh… kinda twisted, actually.”

She’d already lost face in front of those people earlier; at this point, Winnie had decided to just let the pot shatter.

She plucked a wild blade of grass, stuck it between her teeth, and spoke around it. “Yeah, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. I’m that bastard disciple’s teacher. The previous Pride Witch.”

“T-then… that means Mom is…”

“Tell me, are you actually that bastard disciple’s Witch Heir or not? Are you actually the Pride Witch’s heir or not? Do you even want the seat of the Pride Witch or not, huh?” Winnie stared at Imoxiu like she was utterly hopeless.

After getting hit with three questions in a row, Imoxiu flushed in embarrassment. “I am…”

“Then say it with a spine! Don’t mumble like some kid who just learned to talk! I know you’re a lot older than you look.”

Imoxiu glared at Winnie, face burning red with anger, but didn’t dare talk back.

If Winnie really was Cecile’s teacher, then her strength was definitely nothing to scoff at.

“Mad now? All worked up?” Winnie watched her with interest, then crooked her middle finger in a blatant taunt. “Come hit me.”

It took a long moment before Imoxiu managed to choke down the urge to swing. She turned her head away, sulky. “Mom called us here, not to make us fight each other…”

“Heh. Heh. Hahaha!” Winnie burst out laughing. “You really don’t deserve to be called the Pride Witch’s Witch Heir. Useless.”

“What did you say?!” Imoxiu could accept any other insult from Winnie, but not being worthy of being the Witch Heir—that, she couldn’t swallow.

“Now that’s more like it~” Winnie slapped the patch of grass beside her. “People should have at least a bit of anger in them. You know why Mother Dearest told you to come with me?”

Imoxiu sat down next to her and turned to look. “Wasn’t it so I could learn what it means to be a Witch…”

“Learn what it means to be a Witch?” Winnie suddenly rolled, pinning Imoxiu flat on the ground. “How long have you been with Cecile?”

“Less than a hundred years…”

“Give me a definite answer.”

Imoxiu froze, thought for a second. “Ninety-seven years.”

“Ninety-seven years and you’re still like this? No wonder Cecile can’t be bothered with you.” Winnie’s face was full of disdain.

“You know what I was doing in my ninety-seven years under my Witch?”

“I don’t know…”

Winnie leaned down, bringing her face close to Imoxiu’s. She stared into the girl’s slightly frightened eyes with a twisted grin and hissed, “Don’t let me hear another uncertain answer. Otherwise, when I go back, I’ll just tell Mother Dearest you died down here with that crowd.”

“If you get it, nod once. And next time you open your mouth, think first. She sent me to crush those ants, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything to you.”

“Now, answer my last question. Do you know?”

“I don’t know!” Imoxiu squeezed her eyes shut and yelled.

Her cheek was tapped lightly a few times. Imoxiu, nervous, opened her eyes again—only to meet Winnie’s cold, emotionless gaze.

“No closing your eyes. No dodging my questions. Yes is yes. No is no. Otherwise…”

Winnie’s hand slid to Imoxiu’s slender neck. “You won’t see tomorrow’s Sun.”

Imoxiu swallowed hard, then nodded firmly and shouted, “Got it!”

The sharp look in Winnie’s eyes told her she absolutely would do it.

Only then did Winnie smile. “After ninety-seven years, I was already plotting how to snatch the Witch’s seat. As for Mother Dearest—guess when she started planning to kick me off mine?”

“Sixty years after she became your student?” Imoxiu made a cautious guess.

“Heh. You really underestimate your Mother Dearest.”

Winnie raised her hand and traced a cross in the air.

“That insolent brat hadn’t even been with me ten years before she started thinking about how to boot me from the Witch’s seat and take it for herself.”

“Ten years?!” Imoxiu’s jaw dropped.

“You mean, you knew Mom wanted to dethrone you, but you didn’t do anything?”

“Why would I? She couldn’t beat me anyway. I just had to stay on guard.”

“But stuff like that is normal for us Pride Witches. For our heirs, talent can be average, they can end up doing nothing with their lives—but they must have the ambition to overthrow the Witch. Our pride would never let us step down willingly…”

Talking about it, Winnie let out a bright, delighted laugh.

“I’m glad she turned out that way. I’ll hate her for stealing my Witch’s seat. I’ll get revenge for her kicking me when I was down. I’d love to slice her into a thousand pieces, grind her bones to dust, then eat her alive, bite by bite. But I’ll still be proud that she managed to dethrone me and become the Pride Witch.”

“If I weren’t the one being dethroned, I’d throw her a grand banquet. I’d announce her growth and her success to the whole world. After all, she’s my Witch Heir… That’s how the Pride Witch’s inheritance works. Pride so absurd it defies reason.”

“That’s… really self-contradictory.”

“Yeah. Totally contradictory. But that’s reality. A magical kind of reality. Sometimes you just have to admit that real life can be more unbelievable than all the ridiculous stories you’ve heard.”

Winnie looked a little wistful, then pushed herself off Imoxiu with a disgruntled huff.

“Honestly, no Witch would ever teach you this. You’re supposed to figure it out yourself. And clearly, you’re dumb as bricks. Otherwise Mother Dearest wouldn’t have asked me to come knock some sense into you…”

“Ugh, what a pain. I’m not even a Witch anymore and I still have to do Witch work. That damn Mother Dearest… Seriously, what am I doing this for? You rotten disciple!”

Listening to Winnie grumble beside her, Imoxiu sank into thought.

Yeah… what had she been so afraid of all this time?

Back then, Mom brushed her off every chance she got. Imoxiu just wanted to get her attention.

She wanted Mom to see that she could actually help her.

She didn’t want to be invisible at her mother’s side anymore.

She didn’t want to lose even to her own sister.

She refused to be Mom’s burden… a useless thing who couldn’t do anything on her own.

She wanted Mom to acknowledge her.

Once she’d worked it through, Imoxiu suddenly laughed, a clear, relieved sound.

Then she stood and looked at Winnie.

“Winnie, I want to ask you for a favor.”

“Got a bit of fire in you now. Not stuttering as much.” Winnie slapped the back of her own neck with mild annoyance. “Say it. What stupid thing is it?”

Imoxiu took a deep breath, as if adjusting her emotions.

“I want you to help me become a qualified Witch Heir.”

“Oh? I refuse.” Winnie shrugged.

Hands clamped down hard on her shoulders from behind. Imoxiu’s voice came, deadly serious. “I’m not asking you. I’m ordering you. You don’t have the right to refuse.”

Winnie turned her head. The violet-haired girl’s eyes no longer held that skittish cowardice from before.

She met Winnie’s gaze directly, without the slightest hint of backing down.

Rare seriousness. Firm resolve.

Winnie’s lips curled up.

Good. That’s it…

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll tell Mom you’re going to betray her.”

“Before that, I can kill you. It’d be as easy as crushing a random ant.”

“And then? You’ll die even worse. I’m sure Mom won’t let the person who killed her Witch Heir off easy.”

Only now did Winnie fully turn around. She walked up to Imoxiu, fingers brushing the girl’s delicate neck, squeezing lightly as if it might spill water.

“So, tell me. What exactly do you plan to do?”

This time, Imoxiu didn’t hesitate at all. She ignored Winnie’s threat like it was nothing.

“I’m going to dethrone the Pride Witch.”