Arrival in Saroyan: A Witch’s Aftermath

“Welcome to Saroyan, the most international city in the empire. Under the theme of coexistence, development, and shared prosperity, Saroyan has become a second home for countless dream-chasers. Here, you can…”

Just stepping out of the teleportation array, they were greeted by the pleasant broadcast of the array’s ‘airport,’ a polite female voice making them feel instantly welcome.

Unlike Juneburg, whose teleportation array was merely a platform, perhaps with a few protective railings at most, Saroyan’s teleportation terminal was a true hub, complete with extensive facilities, spacious halls, and numerous service points offering souvenirs and refreshments.

Nina and Yuna, pulling their suitcases, marvelled openly as they walked.

““Now *this* is a proper city!””

The spacious, pristine teleportation hall, the impeccably organized service counters, and beyond the main exit, the bustling streets teeming with convenient alchemical railcars—it was all a spectacle.

However, by the time they arrived, dusk was already setting in, and being entirely unfamiliar with Saroyan, they decided to rest for a few days at a nearby inn.

By the standards of her previous life, this would be termed an ‘airport hotel,’ a place specifically designed to offer temporary lodging for incoming travelers.

The group rented their rooms, settled in, arranged their bedding and luggage, and Nina even managed to prepare a quick dinner amidst their unpacking.

Seated at the dining table, the two maids exchanged subtle glances, their expressions inscrutable as they watched their young mistress.

““Young mistress, you’ve been quite forlorn this entire journey. Is something truly bothering you?””

Iordera sighed, “Am I really that downcast again? Is it as obvious as it was at the very beginning?”

““Not quite,” Nina replied earnestly. “Before, your despondency was truly subtle, almost imperceptible without close observation.””

““And now?” Iordera prompted.”

Yuna interjected, “Now, your unhappiness is written plainly across your face, an expression that screams, ‘My feelings are hurt, please come and help me.’””

“…”

Nina blinked, as if a sudden realization had dawned upon her. “Young mistress, are you truly heartbroken?”

““Pish posh, it’s not as serious as you two are making it out to be. I’m merely a little disheartened,””

Iordera propped her small hand against her cheek, releasing a wistful sigh. “I had believed she helped me so extensively, providing all sorts of information, because she agreed with my views and aspirations. Who would have thought it was all just manipulation in the end.”

Life, she mused, was truly challenging; the loli (TL Note: A common internet slang term, ‘loli,’ referring to a young, typically cute, female character.) sighed, feeling a pang of genuine distress.

So that was the root of it. Nina pondered for a moment, then offered her consolation: “Young mistress, look on the bright side. Perhaps she didn’t just want to use you; she might have also wanted to dispatch you with two fingers.”

Iordera rolled her eyes at her. “My sincerest gratitude, truly.”

‘These two maids of hers truly were heartwarming, masters of comfort.’

““But seriously, if we follow that line of thought,” Yuna suddenly interjected, “if the Witch’s plan succeeded and she escaped from prison, wouldn’t she come looking for you?””

The hand holding her chopsticks trembled imperceptibly.

““No, surely not,” Iordera’s lips quivered. “The world is vast; why would she specifically seek me out?””

““It’s hard to say. She is a Witch, after all,” Nina said with a straight face. “Someone whose mind works differently from ordinary people is called a Witch. Perhaps she just wants to keep an eye on you.””

Iordera whispered, “But she can’t just come looking for me. She doesn’t even know my name is…”

Her voice trailed off mid-sentence, abruptly silenced by the sudden memory of that loli (TL Note: A common internet slang term, ‘loli,’ referring to a young, typically cute, female character.) who had glanced back in the prison cell, so undeniably cool in that moment—

‘My name is Iordera, Iordera!’

Iordera nearly slapped herself. Why had she been so arrogant back then? Why reveal her name for no reason, just for the sake of looking cool?

““Still, young mistress, you needn’t worry too much,” Nina reassured her. “This is Saroyan, an international metropolis, and with the United Academy located here, hosting scions of royalty and nobility, the Witch surely wouldn’t dare to show her face.””

Iordera calmed herself and nodded.

““You’re right.””

‘And Nina was actually offering genuine comfort, which was rather surprising.’

““Right, I’m off to wash up and sleep,” Iordera announced, setting down her chopsticks. “Tomorrow, we’ll gather some information, then seek employment!””

****

The people of Juneburg had been living through truly harrowing days.

From the great explosion of that ‘Last Night,’ to the truth surfacing the following day, it struck like a bolt from the blue.

Then, a few days later, a second explosion, physical in nature, rocked the city, far exceeding the intensity of the first.

Boom—!!!

The entirety of Juneburg trembled at that instant, its foundations cracking, and several blocks near the prison saw their very ground collapse into craters. While other areas narrowly escaped the direct impact, their floors were riddled with precarious structural damage, effectively turning them into dangerous zones.

As for the epicenter of the blast, the basalt prison—reputed as one of the most resilient structures in the world—had been utterly annihilated, with only scattered fragments buried deep beneath the ruined soil.

A dense mushroom cloud slowly ascended, painting the already dim sky an even deeper shade of black.

The people of Juneburg had never witnessed such an explosion, and they believed no one in the entire empire had either.

Indeed, this was true.

Everyone was convinced that no one could have survived such a blast.

Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

A half-blood unicorn, bearing a knight enveloped in a radiant glow, galloped furiously towards the teleportation array.

As Julius’s personal guard, he had grasped his captain’s desperate intentions just before the explosion. Without a moment’s hesitation, he burst from the prison, mounted Julius’s unicorn, and fled.

Ultimately, by burning away his life force, man and beast became one, pushing the unicorn’s speed to its absolute limit, barely managing to escape the residual shockwave of the explosion.

From a distance, the personnel at the teleportation array spotted a streak of light hurtling towards them and, in a panic, quickly shut the railings.

Bang!

The unicorn smashed through the railings, charging onto the teleportation platform. The sole surviving knight tumbled from its back, coughing up a large mouthful of blood.

The secret technique, which had overdrawn his life force, had left him utterly depleted. He clung to his last breath, solely because his captain’s mission remained unfinished.

Crushing the emergency communication crystal, he knew that the Imperial Capital would be alerted to the major incident here, without a single word needing to be spoken.

Then, he raised his longsword high.

““Aaaaaaaah!””

When Hecate arrived beside the teleportation array, enveloped by swirling elemental winds, she found nothing but utter devastation.

The surviving knight, having used his last ounce of strength to destroy the teleportation array, now lay nearby, barely breathing.

Yet, his eyes held a look of profound satisfaction, mocking Hecate as if he had single-handedly turned the tide of battle.

““Destroying the teleportation gate, to prevent me from quickly escaping to a distant place,” Hecate murmured. “Allowing subsequent reinforcements to pinpoint my location and gradually encircle me, is that it? What a clever idea.””

The dying knight grinned, but his eyes instantly widened in disbelief.

Hecate’s delicate fingers waved a few times, like a conductor’s baton for an orchestra. The elements obeyed her command, dancing as if to a melody.

Wind swirled the remnants of the teleportation array, earth separated various fragmented materials, and Aether acted as a binding agent, reassembling them.

Finally, a vast surge of magic illuminated the broken magic circle.

““Teleportation, you see, though invented by my teacher, is something I’ve also dabbled in,” Hecate said, smiling faintly at him. “To put it simply… I’ve picked up a thing or two.””

The knight choked on his last breath, dying with eyes wide open in indignant disbelief.

On the other side of the teleportation array, the scenery of Saroyan shimmered into view.

Hecate pondered for a moment, then tilted her head. “Or perhaps, let’s be a little more direct: Waiting for the rabbit by the tree stump (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘shǒu zhū dài tù,’ meaning to foolishly wait for a stroke of luck rather than actively seeking it, or to cling to outdated methods.)”

With a light tap of her finger, the other end of the teleportation array shifted to the United Continental Academy.

Saroyan, it turned out, possessed more than one teleportation gate.

““Good night, my dear. See you in a bit.””

****

——————End of Volume One——————