The Witch Hunt

“Feels like… I’m dreaming again?”

Sometime after falling asleep, Daisy once again drifted into that strange state between sleeping and waking.

Another hazy dream.

Another fragment of the past.

Inside the dream, Daisy still couldn’t see her own appearance or hear her own voice clearly.

She could only vaguely tell that the place around her resembled Baron Bolus’s mansion somewhat… except far grander and more magnificent, despite somehow also feeling less warm.

And as expected—

Viola was there again.

“All we did was save that human count by chance and accept his invitation to stay for a few days.”

Dream-Viola stood nearby with an odd expression.

“So why are you this excited?”

This Viola looked different from before.

She no longer deliberately kept dragon horns, wings, and a tail on her human appearance.

Instead, she looked exactly like she did now—

Black dress.

Entirely human appearance.

No visible signs of being a dragon.

The room around Daisy bounced up and down.

Even Viola’s figure moved with the motion.

Only after a moment did Daisy realize—

The dream version of herself was happily jumping up and down on a luxurious bed.

Just like when she’d first stayed at a human inn with Katie.

Daisy still had no idea what her old human self had looked like.

Male or female.

Young or old.

Nothing.

But apparently…

Past-her had also enjoyed jumping on beds.

“…W-What are you saying all of a sudden?!”

Dream-Viola suddenly blushed and looked shocked.

“You actually said living peacefully in a mansion like this with me wouldn’t be bad?!”

She stomped angrily.

The whole room shook.

The bouncing Daisy lost balance and flopped onto the bed.

Before she could recover, Viola marched over.

“You? The adventure addict who calls themselves a traveler?”

“And you’re talking about living peacefully?!”

“If you could give up wandering, why didn’t you do it sooner?!”

“We’ve already come this far—”

“We’re already almost at that place…”

“At this point, turning back and abandoning the truth would…”

She suddenly stopped.

As if she’d almost said something forbidden.

“…No.”

“…Forget it.”

Dream-Viola slowly walked toward a large sunlit window.

Her voice became quiet.

“Even if we hadn’t already come this far…”

“It’s too late to turn back.”

“And besides…”

“There was never any place in this world for dragons.”

“Peaceful lives don’t exist for us.”

“Wuu…”

Daisy slowly opened her eyes.

Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains.

She was still lying in Baron Bolus’s mansion.

Still wrapped in Viola’s feathered wing blanket.

Today was the fourth morning after arriving at the estate.

And it was already fairly late.

Normally Viola woke early to find food for her.

But since arriving here…

Food appeared on its own.

No hunting needed.

No early mornings needed.

So Daisy had begun sleeping in too.

‘That dream just now…’

Daisy lay there blankly under the feathers.

The dream felt distant.

Yet strangely vivid.

She wanted to ask Viola about it.

But when she turned over—

Viola wasn’t beside her.

“Viola?”

Daisy blinked.

“…Not here?”

Then she froze.

“…Wait.”

“The wing’s still here.”

She stared blankly.

Viola was gone—

Yet the giant wing still covered her.

Confused, Daisy sat up.

“Viola?!”

Two strange things happened.

First—

Her voice echoed strangely, as if she were inside a tiny enclosed room.

Second—

The wing covering her stretched impossibly far across the room like a giant feather carpet.

Following it with her eyes—

She found Viola.

Standing by the window.

Already dressed in her black dress.

Apparently Viola had simply extended her transformed wing while standing elsewhere.

“You’re awake, Daisy?”

Sunlight behind her made her figure seem strangely unreal.

For a moment, she looked just like the Viola from the dream.

As if she’d disappear if Daisy blinked.

“Viola! Don’t leave!”

Daisy suddenly panicked.

Barefoot, she jumped from bed and ran over, throwing herself into Viola’s arms.

Viola looked surprised.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not leaving.”

She gently rubbed Daisy’s messy white hair.

“At least…”

“…not for now.”

Then she snapped her fingers.

The strange echo disappeared.

The soundproof barrier around the room vanished.

And immediately—

Noise flooded in.

“Hand over the witch!”

“If you protect the witch, you’re heretics too!”

“Let us in!”

“We’ve come under divine authority to punish evil!”

“Bring the witch out and burn her!”

Dragon hearing was excellent.

But right now nobody needed dragon hearing to hear this.

Daisy widened her eyes.

Together with Viola, she looked outside.

The mansion grounds were packed with people.

Crowds.

Hundreds of them.

Maybe more.

Many held wooden crosses.

All of them shouted furiously.

None looked like they had come with good intentions.

What… was happening?

**

Outside Baron Bolus’s mansion, the estate had been completely surrounded.

Compared to the soldiers who had attacked before—

This crowd was even more frightening.

Because they had righteousness on their side.

Or rather—

They believed they did.

“Stop pushing!”

“Who are you people?!”

The farmer-soldiers under Baron Bolus finally had all hands on deck.

Armed with sticks, broken shields, and wooden boards, they desperately formed a defensive line.

But against angry civilians—

They could do almost nothing.

“We’re children of God!”

“We’ve come to purge heretics!”

“The priest received divine revelation!”

“There’s a witch hiding here!”

“Bring out the witch!”

“Burn her!”

The exhausted crowd looked terrible.

Dark circles.

Tired faces.

Apparently they’d traveled through the entire night.

Exhaustion mixed with religious excitement and mob mentality.

A terrible combination.

Then—

Baron Bolus himself stepped out.

“Everyone, please calm down!”

He looked pale but forced himself forward.

“There must be some misunderstanding—”

Thunk.

A stone hit his forehead.

Then another.

And another.

Glass shattered around the mansion.

“If there isn’t a witch, let us search!”

“You old pervert!”

“The witch bewitched you!”

“Burn the witch!”

The crowd had gone completely mad.

Then suddenly—

A wooden cross rose above the crowd.

Silence gradually spread.

A middle-aged priest in robes stepped forward.

“We aren’t suspicious people, Baron Bolus.”

He smiled politely.

Then his expression darkened.

“Last night, God gave me revelation.”

“He told me a wicked witch hides here.”

“A witch responsible for Viscount Clyde’s death.”

“So we have come to purge evil.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Allow us to search.”

“Or…”

“…are you planning to oppose God’s will?”

“If so…”

“Your entire family becomes heretics.”

“Should we simply burn down your mansion too?”

It was a direct threat.

Bolus turned pale.

He couldn’t argue.

Couldn’t fight.

Couldn’t resist.

Then—

A cold voice suddenly sounded beside him.

“Witch?”

“Are you talking about me?”

Viola stepped forward.

Black dress fluttering.

Calm.

Composed.

Countless eyes landed on her.

Shock.

Fear.

Anger.

Excitement.

She met the sea of ignorant faces with complete indifference.

“I think…”

“…you’re jumping to conclusions a little too quickly.”