In the still and cold air of the night, the two red moons peering down on a clearing, in the middle of the sea of black barked trees, a woman listlessly lay on a stone dais. The sounds of twigs and branches snapping were heard in all directions, the irregular rhythm of their footsteps that could only be made by something on all fours made the figure's ear twitch, opening her eye as she closed the other one.
The long white hair caressed the ground where she rested, her long legs slipped out of her worn dress, crossing them together as she sat up. Wrinkling her nose as she pinched her nostrils, the stench from the thing in front of her made it impossible for the woman to look at it directly. After the increasing sounds of heavy footsteps suddenly stopped around her, she decided to look with dulled eyes, but she quickly regretted it as she turned her head.
"Why did the author have to give you such a god-awful smell… I could barely breathe the air… Dammit give me some personal space?!?"
Vainglorbia said to a giant hairless dog in front of her. Having a large stinger behind it, it panted like a dog while its pink tongue lashed through its blackened and chipped shark-like teeth, its drool and spit fell on the ground where it fizzled on the grass. The proximity of the fallen saliva made the surrounding greenery rot and decay. It was death personified; even the odor around it reeked of rotting corpses. Vainglorbia, who was closest to its mouth, where the stench of rotting eggs and fish was the strongest, made her wish that the Ghoul Hounds would just rip her apart instead of making her smell their grotesque fragrance. If it were only one, maybe she could endure it, she thought, but looking at her surroundings, it only made her fall into a pit of despair.
"A horde of Ghoul Hounds…. This smells worse than a room filled with rotting eggs…"
Still pinching her nose, she craned her neck to see a horde of witch familiars, she couldn't count them all as more and more Ghoul Hounds started to appear. The once open and chilly clearing is now teeming with the smell of rotting bodies and sounds of cried wheezing as the over-sized labradors hung their tongue while they rapidly panted.
"I don't like dogs or any other pet, they always seemed to hate me when I was still back on earth… Although it seems like this world gifted me a troublesome ability…."
She sighed as she looked at the sky. She felt grateful that Glass Ego was constantly active, even though that ability didn't enable Vainglorbia to block any unpleasant smell, it still protected her entire body, and even the stench didn't reach her eyes. The irritation that came from the smell of Ghoul Hounds would make any experienced warrior teary-eyed, so she felt lucky to have the ability to counteract it. A frown formed on her beautiful and painteresque face, looking back at the horde of Ghoul Hounds, she held her chin as she mulled something over.
In the novel, it was stated that the Detested Witch, Vainglorbia, has three main abilities: Glass Ego, Broken Mirror, and Vain Eyes. This ability was derived from the Right of the Weak. This ability, as if the world gave this right as a way to compensate for an incomplete individual. Like the world pitied their weakness, it gave them this 'Right'. Although it seemed that 'New Departure' hadn't explicitly shown her entire ability roster…"
Vainglorbia looked at her palm, as if trying to visualize her power, but nothing happened. She didn't seem disappointed, looking up again to see the dopey face of the Ghoul Hound, she seemed to conclude. She gulped down her saliva, sweat poured down her hand, as if to steel herself, her nails bit her palm. Reaching out a hand toward the head of the witch familiar, her hand hesitantly moved, shaking and twitching, her eyes strained, looking at every movement and reaction that the Ghoul Hound makes. Her heart beat out of her chest, it sounded even in her ears, it continuously throbbed in her eardrums as her fingers reached the hairless head of the Ghoul Hound. And as if to encourage Vainglorbia, the Ghoul Hound nudge its head to her hand, her eyebrows raised as the witch familiar started to rub against her palm, she let out a faint sigh, she wanted to collapse in relief as she thanked her intuition.
"As I expected, this ability has to do with animals… no, most likely it has to do with anything with a will."
As if to prove her theory, she reached out another hand to scratch its neck. The Ghoul Hound that was supposed to be emotionless let out a dog-like squeal as she patted and caressed the witch familiar's head and neck. Its stinger wagged like a dog's tail as it let out a shrill of joy. Vaiglorbia swore she saw the ends of the Ghoul Hound's mouth twist up in joy, but it lacked the lips or even any facial features to make such an expression. The Ghoul Hound that was the enemy of all living creatures of this world, a monster feared even by dragons, is now reduced to a mere pet, like a dog; it wagged its stinger rapidly in front of its owner. A mental image of the description of the Ghoul Hound in the novel she read overlapped with the real thing in front of her. Vainglorbia's eyebrow twitched, disappointment evident on her downcast face.
" A monster capable of eradicating life on this planet… Even a horde of them would be equivalent to a natural disaster… Truly, I felt their terror even through the book. Anyone who comes across a Ghoul Hound would have their life in danger. If one came across a hoard alone, the only thing that they can do is pray that a hero, or a witch, would come…"
She said to the Ghoul Hound that was wagging its stinger, another one approached her, having its head lowered while peering up, it looked pitiful, like a puppy wanting to be petted as well. She was assaulted again by the mental image she had about Ghoul Hounds, being unable to recover from the whiplash she had after seeing the real thing completely subverting her expectation in the worst way possible, she stood. Retrieving her hands from the Ghoul Hound, it looked disappointed as it lowered its head.
"Get out… I said Get out of my sight…I said Scram, you pathetic mutts! You're supposed to be a creature that was feared in this world! But look at you!!! There's no difference between you and a dog!!! How am I supposed to cope with this?!? You already tarnished the image of the witch familiars in my mind, how am I supposed to look at another witch familiar the same again?!? Vanished before my sight, or else I have to make you disappear myself…"
She yelled while twisting and turning, looking like a teenager throwing a tantrum. The threat she made wasn't a bluff, as if to back up her threat, she held a hand in front of her, the Ghoul Hound seemed to understand her warning as they sprang their body up, their stiffened stingers rose.
"Huh!?! Didn't you understand what I said?!?"
Vainglorbia swung her hand down vertically, the Ghoul Hounds, as if sensing the dangerous aura that her hand emitted, dodged at the last second, and if they didn't, the ground that was sliced would be the result. Not metaphorically, but quite literally. The slash didn't stop at the ground as it continued forward as if not bound by any laws; it even cut through the canopy of trees. The Ghoul Hounds that didn't evade in time were mercilessly split in the middle, letting out pitiful cries as the blade of wind sliced through anything that stood in its way.
"So, what do you want to do? I'll cut every single one of you, I'll turn ya'll into sashimi if you don't scram like rabbits."
She posed her question, yet the witch familiars around her stood silently. This reaction made her feel anxious, are they going to attack me? She thought, as she readied her hand. Even though she knew they couldn't even touch her, she was still uncertain how things differed in this world from the novel she had read. Although a part of Vainglorbia was overjoyed. Despite the situation, a single corner of her heart was trembling in bliss. Revealing the feeling of superiority against the horde of Ghoul Hounds. The feeling of destroying something that was annoying her was undeniably liberating to her. As if the power within her was overjoyed that it was used by its wielder.
An uncharacteristic frown was displayed on her face. It felt natural. That's what disturbed her the most.. I inhabit the same body as Vainglorbia… maybe the reason for the weird feeling in my heart is because of Vainglorbia's character…
Being deep in thought, but Vainglorbia herself didn't notice the tension reaching its climax, the Ghoul Hounds seemed to make their decision. As Vainglorbia blinked, she watched the Ghoul hounds scatter like ants as they desperately fled. When the silence of the forest returned, she was alone, except for the bodies of the witch familiars that lay lifelessly on the ground, the quiet and still atmosphere returned in the clearing.
"At least they didn't attack me, that's fortunate. I finally discovered the effect of that unknown ability, so I guess it wasn't much of a waste."
Vainglorbia relaxed her body as she once again lay on the stone dais, her eyes reflected the two red moons that jeered at her, the starless sky accompanied her view, and she was alone again by herself. An uneasy thought floated in her head. I'm in control, right? Even if it was an unproductive question, she couldn't help but think about it, even if it made her feel uncomfortable.
She stood up from the stone dais and flopped onto the ground, yet she didn't feel the blade of grass brushing against her feet. Trying to think about what she discovered, those uncertain thoughts were put on the edges of Vainglorbia's mind as she tried to articulate her thoughts, especially after discovering another ability.
"To think this unknown ability has these effects… I need to do more research. Although in the novel, Vainglorbia did display odd abilities from here and there that weren't fully explained. The author didn't chalk it up as an ability from her previous three in a Q&A, so the only thing that made sense is…. There's another ability that Vainglorbia hasn't revealed… I think I have a fitting name for it… the name of this ability is—Damsel In Distress… I doubt anyone in this world would get the reference, but it's based on animated films focusing on heroines. The ridiculous name that I gave this ability refers to a trope where the main protagonist, mostly a woman, would break into a musical number, where everyone around her would dance, even animals… Though I can barely sing, so I doubt that my singing would give the same result…"
Vainglorbia coughed loudly, although nothing was caught in her throat; even if something did, her Glass Ego would prevent it. Looking around, as if anyone was watching her in the middle of a forest, she still checked out of habit.
"Good… They still haven't noticed… Even if they did, I doubt they have the resources to have someone check the commotion earlier."
Looking relieved, she remembered the moments before leading to this. Vainglorbia looked at the distant, trying to jog her memory.
"I think they were resting over there, the one thousand men that were marching into the village were now left a few hundred, well, due to the horde of Ghoul Hounds from earlier. Although I cannot tell if I am to blame due to my Damsel In Distress, or the misfortune of the group that they attracted the attention of the witch familiars due to them clumping up in one space and filling the air with a high concentration of mana. Maybe it was a combination of both…"
Crossing her arms as she thought, memories surfaced as she recalled the skirmish between the men and the horde of Ghoul Hounds. Those memories were still vivid, like a video saved in a phone; she replayed the events in her mind. Vainglorbia rewound time in her mind by a few hours, returning to the moment when the Ghoul Hounds ambushed the group of men.
" …"
"…"
"…"
The two red moons followed the group of men. Their bickering and laughter would occasionally fill the silent night, but it was quickly silenced by their superior. This repeated as they soundlessly marched to a nearby settlement. The group of armed and experienced mercenaries would never know that someone was stalking them in the distance.
"This is more difficult than I anticipated…"
Vainglorbia said as she stealthily followed the group, even though Glass Ego helped her regain her normal athletic ability, each step was heavy, not a drop of sweat on her body, yet she was ready to collapse on a soft bed. Walking down the dreary path. Barely being able to see in front of her, it was only helped by the dim lighting that the two blood moons provided, yet she stepped forward, slowly but steadily following the group in front of her.
"Ugh! At this point, I'll talk to an animal, even an object… Although I always talk to my imaginary audience but that isn't cutting it anymore… I might lose my marbles if I don't talk to a real person…"
The tireless march of the men continued, their rhythmic footsteps were mixed with the croaking of frogs, and insects chirping, harmonizing together in Vainglorbia's ear as a part of the ambient noise in the background. Each step she took was emphasized by the feeling of emptiness on her soles, a cold air passed through the path, making the men in armor shiver, their protective gear clinked and clank as they walked, but when it reached her, it passively brushed against her, not even feeling the breeze on her snow white hair. Vaiglorbia's sense of discomfort was evident on her face, but as if to distract herself, her step became more forced, digging into the ground and forcing her feet to move forward.
"I wonder if someone would notice that I'm gone… I know I never give people a strong impression, even in class, I barely interact with anyone… Though I think my roommate will notice first, but I really can't say that for certain, after all, I can't tell if time flows the same in this world and my previous world…"
She distracted herself with trivial thoughts to pass time, and every pang of boredom she experienced, a memory of her past life flashed in her mind.
"I wonder if Sensei had already released the latest volume… they did say they wanted to end the series at volume fifty, so their still four volume left before it ends… A bit saddening, but I can't wait for the ending, I hope they land it, so many light novels, heck even a lot of series fumble the ending, though the editor of Sensei would prevent any half-assed conclusion, I'm sure the ending would be great."
She snuck behind a boulder along the path as the group of men stopped and rested. Vainglorbia couldn't tell what they looked like, but the sound of numerous metals clanking together made her imagine the weight they were carrying.
"I hope my roommate washed the dishes this time, I swear, if it's still there even after I returned, I'll give a word or two."
The memories are not anything special, it was just the mundane and dull life she had, filled with memories of going to classes and studying. As she thought about people in her previous world, the group of men noisily rose, their armor creaking as they stood, and she can hear them lifting numerous heavy objects.
"A bit early for them to resume. Did something happen?"
The group of men had a routine that she memorized. For about thirty minutes, they would march. After fourteen minutes, they would slow down. After a couple of minutes, they would take a fifteen-minute break. It wasn't too accurate, but she was confident that it wasn't far off as she counted in her head. Wondering what caused their sudden change of routine, she felt worried that she was somehow found out.
Vainglorbia's face distorted in confusion, as she saw the group of men was in a commotion, yelling and cursing sounds in the group, peaking into the turmoil, she heard two distinct voices after perking her ears, they were arguing with one another in the middle of the group.
"I told ya! That merchant is suspicious! Why would he want us to go into random villages and ask about a witch? Do you still believe in those fairy tales? Kaj?"
A slender, ashen gray-haired man shouted at a larger man with scars all over his body as the group parted while they walked through them.
"Can you shut it?!? Those are the orders of our client, we are the ones that follow orders, they already paid us upfront, do you think we should just bail out?! This isn't a game, Tim…"
The larger and taller man spat out, with his gray hair tied in a ponytail bouncing at every word he said. Vainglorbia memories resurface, reminiscing about the characters in the novel.
"Gray hair and three-lettered names… And their armor was built for a colder climate… There's no mistaking it, those people are from the north, specifically one of the tribes that ruled the northern countries. The tribe of Xle…"
As she thought, memories flooded into her about certain twins that came from this tribe.
" Pat and Tay, those girls, I wonder if they were born at this point…"
Reminiscing about the twin girls, a certain part of her wanted to look for them, but quickly let go of the idea.
"I need to find a way out of this place as soon as possible. Although it would be cool to see at least one of my favorite characters in person, so I might as well take advantage while I'm here."
Peaking out of the boulder, she saw the two men, Kaj and Tim, walking away from the group of men. They seemed to be in an argument, she noted. The wire-thin man walked with a limp, even though he looked healthy, he was equipped lightly, only having a leather vest over a black hoody, she was reminded of a stereotypical image of a thief in a fantasy world. Vainglorbia wouldn't be even surprised if he had hidden daggers in his sleeve. On the other hand, the large man walked with a wide stride, he looked like a typical knight with his heavy metal armor clinking against each other. On his waist, a helmet with its visor open dangled at his side. A long sword sheath strapped against his back, being tied with a black and red rope.
"They don't look like any important characters I know… Maybe if I re-read the novel, I might see a character with a similar description, but at least they wouldn't bypass my Glass Ego, so that's at least good to know."
As the two men walked a good distance away from the group of men. The two face each other, seemingly trying to have their argument where they didn't rope any other person in the group.
"We've been kicked out of our clan, this is the only thing we can do! No matter how dirty the job is, we still need to put food on the table, Tim."
"But—But that doesn't excuse ya for not honoring your dignity! Were the proud warriors of Xle! We're not cowards who would attack people who aren't warriors! Did ya also lose your pride as a knight from Xle!"
The frail man said adamantly, his eyes not wavering, although his sickly physique and pale face didn't make his words sound more convincing. Instead, it looked like a person trying desperately to patch up the holes in a ship that is already sinking.
"How long are you gonna say that, Tim! Those old geezers have already lost hope in us. Why do you think that they left us on that island to die?! We're just damaged goods, our usefulness has run out. So only thing to do with trash like us is to throw it away!?! So even if we try to come back, their no place for us to stay there! The only thing we can do is to run away and make a new start in the kingdom of Angspire!"
The large man howled, his face flashed red as he forcefully yelled those words out. The face of the sickly man froze, but only for a moment, as he clenched his fist into a ball.
"Then—Then… How about those girls?! They wouldn't survive without us there! They can't even use magic, how do ya think they can survive in the Northern Provinces without us!? We need to go back for the sake of those poor things!? Didn't you promise her to give her a gift after you return?!"
His body was shaking, he looked directly at the eyes of the man across from him, at the edge of his eyes was wet. For the first time in the conversation, the large man in his metal suit looked directly at the thin man's eyes. Lost for words, he left his mouth agape.
"What do you think we can do… We can't go back to our country, they practically put bounties on our heads!? We don't even know if we'll see tomorrow?!? You still worried about those two?!? Stop dreaming you dumbass, we can't save someone that can't be reached!"
The metal armor clanked against his shaking body, his gauntlet raised as if to hit the man across him.
" Wha—Wha… What the hell is that?!?"
A hushed voice was heard in the group, even Kaj that was about to slug Tim stopped. The gazes of the people gathered at the side of the path, where a large hill stood. Even Vainglorbia looked perplexed while staring up. The group of armed men didn't have a single light source on them, only relying on their natural vision to see the path in front. Even with Vainglorbia's below-average sight, she can see a dark silhouette on top of a hill.
"You gotta be kidding… is that a witch familiar?!"
The distant shadow was large, even from a distance, and it loomed menacingly. The armed men stood still, and even Tim and Kaj were motionless. The first thought she had was. It's a Ghoul Hound. The blank face of the witch familiar looked down with hostility, showing its fangs while raising its stinger. It let out a low growl while it lowered its body, seemingly ready to pounce.
"Everyone in formation, we've got a crisis on our hands!"
As if the Ghoul Hound reacted to Kaj's loud command, it roared at the red moons. The lone Ghoul Hound was suddenly accompanied by another one, and another five, and another sixteen, then another sixty-eight. The number of ghoul hounds continued to grow until they completely covered the large hill. A small horde of Ghoul Hounds appeared; they were capable of destroying a small city on their own, now they bear their malice onto the group, making up only a thousand. A single Hound was strong enough to kill ten skilled warriors in a frontal assault. So, when facing a horde of Ghoul Hounds, it was more accurate to face them as if they were multiple armies. The group of only a thousand would meet their fate in a gruesome fashion of gore as they get torn to pieces. The disparity in their strength against the small horde of Ghoul Hounds was clear to see, as if Kaj sensed their unquestionable defeat, he screamed another order.
"Run!!! Retreat like rabbits! We have no chance against those things."
Kaj pushed Tim out of his way while running full sprint. The other men were confused and stood still, but when they saw the horde of Ghoul Hounds running towards them. Their feet stirred to move, the group of men ran, not going in a particular direction, their armor clanked as they dropped their weapons. A cloud of dust formed as the Ghoul Hounds chased the fleeing men. Vainglorbia was also unsettled, but for a different reason. Only reading about them in novels, she always imagined them as menacing creatures, but when she saw a horde of Ghoul Hounds approaching, she could only feel one emotion. Boredom. She can imagine a single Ghoul Hound rip apart a grown man, but when she imagined if she faced them herself, the only image produced in her head was a bloody and dead witch familiar next to her feet.
"Even my mental is affected… Maybe because of the Right I possessed, I don't feel a bit threatened by those oversized dogs."
Vainglorbia stood idly against the boulder. She let out a deep yawn while tears formed in the corner of her eyes, the sound of screaming men was echoing through the silent night, howls of the Ghoul Hounds muffled the gurgled cries of the armed men while they were torn limb from limb.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Vainglorbia quietly followed the remaining men, only a few hundred were left, led by Kaj, who was mostly uninjured, and another man, and Tim, who wore countless cuts and lacerations on his already frail body. The numerous men apathetically followed behind, their downcast faces and dark eyes told anyone who saw them knew what they went through.
"And now we're here… After they fled, they ran into a broken carriage at the side of the road, although there was a man who ventured off into the dirt trail alone that traveled to the village. I think his name was Tim… "
Recounting the events in her mind, she seemed troubled, her brain remembering the events that had happened earlier.
"After Tim left, it seemed the leader of the group was planning to do something as the rest of the men, including the leader and the people who weren't injured, went and went in the same direction as the thief-like man."
Furrowing her eyebrows as she racked her brains, reminding herself about her priority list.
"First, I need to get out of this world, that's what I should always think about. The second is to gather more information, and verify if I'm still in the same light novel I read, and the last one, avoid conflict. I don't know what would happen if I cause a scene, but I'm not invincible. If I raised the ire of a powerful character that can counter my Glass Ego, then I would be dead before even the main protagonist was summoned here. There is not only pure strength and power that can counter my ability, but there are many ways to counteract my Glass Ego, and many more people that can overturn it. So the safest option I have is to lie low while gathering more information."
Vainglorbia seemed satisfied as she reminded herself what to do, although she was worried about what to do next. The plan of action she would follow was still vague in her mind, but she was certain that her main goal was to find a way out of this world. Now she faced another roadblock, the decision to follow the men or find another village that wasn't born under a troubled star. The remaining group of men that survived the witch familiar attack had an air of eeriness; the once loud and boisterous group turned into a silent husk. Vainglorbia predicted the unforeseen tragedy that was about to unfold in the village, yet she couldn't care less. A hollow stillness settled over her as she contemplated the village's fate, like watching an anthill drown beneath a storm. What did it matter if a few grains of sand shifted? What meaning was there in counting each tiny life as it vanished? None. The thought alone was exhausting. Her gaze remained fixed on the distant smoke, her mind tracing the unseen threads of suffering woven through those soon-to-be ruins. Screams would rise, homes would crumble, and yet... nothing. No flicker of remorse, no twinge of satisfaction. Just the same vast, echoing silence where empathy should have been. She exhaled, watching her breath mist in the cold air. Once, such thoughts might have unsettled her. Now, they barely rippled the surface of her consciousness. The realization should have been alarming. Instead, it just was.
Like the rain over the ants. Like the fire soon to consume the village.
Meaningless.
"There's no benefit for me to go in like a hero. I don't know what the basic consensus about witches in this world is, but digging through the memory of Vainglorbia, it seemed like witches in general are hated in this country. I doubt the villagers would reciprocate the same kindness after learning that I'm a witch, especially in what country I am in. This country practically pioneered 'Witch Hunts.' So I'm practically in enemy territory. Although I could curry favor with the villagers if I decided to save them, there's a high chance they'll rat me out as soon as they find out that I'm a witch. The most practical action to call is to go into a country where their beliefs weren't based on killing my kind, or in other words, going to a country filled with witches."
Another thought formed in her mind after double-checking with information within the novel and the memories of Vainglorbia. She felt amused that this world, being far from modern technology and society, still had the concept of primary and secondary education. The king himself also made it mandatory that children go to school, although mostly what they taught was about magic, the history of this world and other countries, and specifically about the witches and Leceath, the goddess of darkness. It seemed like the country itself was very literate; she couldn't tell what percentage of the populace could read and write, but she was confident that villagers from the outskirts of the country still had basic and rudimentary literacy skills.
Brushing her idle thoughts, she placed her full attention on the metaphorical fork in the road. Vainglorbia continued to mull and rack her brain until her head was about to explode, yet she couldn't come to a conclusion; it was completely hopeless, she thought. Without anyone beside her to nudge her in a particular direction, she was lost. Vainglorbia moved away from the clearing and leisurely strolled down the dirt trail that led directly to the village. The night was silent, except for the occasional groans and moans of pain that came from a carriage nearby, and it was serene. After letting herself be dissolved into the calm atmosphere, it almost felt as if nothing was wrong, yet the lingering decision was still unanswered. Facing the direction of the village, she can see numerous billows of smoke in the distance, her ears picking up faint cries, she seemed to be too late to decide.
"Aren't they quite energetic? It seemed like they had already started to pillage them, so I guess it's already too late for me to intervene."
She stared down at the village with eyes devoid of warmth—hollow, unblinking. Vainglorbia couldn't quite tell if this chilling indifference came from the foreign body she now occupied, or simply from the fact that this place meant nothing to her. Either way, the cold void she felt made her uneasy.
The village burned, screams echoing faintly in the distance, but her heart remained silent. Not a flicker of pity, not even a ghost of concern. It was human nature to care, to feel sorrow in the face of ruin—but whatever part of her had once been human, it no longer stirred.
She stood still, a quiet specter among the shadows, her thoughts circling like vultures around the realization: something inside her had changed. Or perhaps... something had awakened.
"My heart seemed to stand still, like freezing time on it, what a bizarre feeling. Although it doesn't seem like it would pose any problem for me for now, at least."
Vainglorbia absently thought while looking in the direction of the village, nothing stirred inside her heart to move and save the villagers' predicament. Even if she did, they would cry out to her with the question, "Why didn't you come sooner?" If that were to happen, the only thing she could do is to hang her head.
"I'm sure they will throw stones and sticks at me, I'm sure after I rescue them, they would only lament by the fact they were saved by a witch… It wouldn't lead to anything good, good karma only exists for heroes, not only am I not one of them, but I'm one of the villains in this world. So it's better for me to not interact with anyone."
She continued to talk on, and on, as if talking to invisible onlookers. She continued to walk forward; she didn't know what compelled her to move her limbs, but she did anyway.
"Plus, a village like this was insignificant; even if the villagers were to disappear, it wouldn't affect the plot of the world, even if it was important, then the novel should have mentioned it once."
The cold air answered with silence as she continued on her unending rant. The ground beneath her cracked and loosened as her feet tried burying themselves in the ground each time she took a step.
The seemingly far away village started to grow bigger with every step taken, growing impatient, she decided to take a shortcut to the village.
"Nobody acknowledges my existence in my past life, why would I expect something different in this world… But it doesn't sit right with me that I do nothing…"
Her knee curled toward her chest as she squatted, as if ready to jump vertically. Vaiglorbia murmured something under her breath, her body seemed to have undergone an invisible change, and as if waiting for a signal, she finally jumped. The ground disintegrated, and a deep roar disturbed the air. The wind around her screeched as she rapidly ascended the atmosphere. Then Vainglorbia shifted her body, her feet facing in the opposite direction of the village, and then she stomped on the air. She didn't find it strange or feel uneasy that she was so high in the sky, as if she had done this before; she was indifferent about it. Her sudden stomped launched her across the sky, toward the village, yet she didn't feel the thrill of flying this high, she didn't feel the wind caressing her.
The white hair lazily flew down her body, it acted if the howling breeze never existed. Going beyond the speed that a normal person can withstand, Vainglorbia shot out like a shooting star, her elevation didn't change as she continued to go straight forward. All around her the scenery rapidly moved in a dizzying pace , but she only focused her attention below at a singular point, the village was directly above her.
Stopping at mid-air, the wind behind her as if it had finally caught up to her, howled behind her, yet it didn't brush her hair, her clothes rapidly flapped and violently folded under the pressure of the gust of wind. As her Glass Ego was only capable of covering her physical body, so Vainglorbia's clothes were at the mercy of the law in this world; it endured the current of wind, yet she didn't give it any mind as she looked down on the village. Indignation reflected in her golden iris, as if the notion of the village had insulted her in some way.
"If I let the village get destroyed, then it would be the same as saying that I am Vainglorbia, if I was truly her than I would let my selfishness dictate my action, but that's the same thing of admitting that I would be trapped here, playing the role of the villain in this story… But I'm not Vainglorbia, I am Satsuki Naako!"
Even though the name itself didn't have any deep meaning to Naako. Vainglorbia…No. Satsuki Naako only thought about his name as something that his parents gave to him after he was born. The life that Satsuki Naako led was dull, only being filled up by memories of studying and reading his favorite light novel; no notable events in his life came to his mind as he remembered his previous life. Yet he refused to be trapped in this new world. Naako can't remember a single good memory or a person he was eager to meet again in his previous life, but the eyes of the woman that fell from the sky like a meteorite showed an ember light like lights of determination in her golden iris that was uncharacteristic of the aloof and indifferent Vainglorbia.
"Rejoice, insects, as I arrived to greet you're pitiful party."
Something fell from the sky and crashed onto the ground with a large explosion, and debris and rubble flew down like rain as everyone in the village gathered their attention in the middle of the village. A figure stood in the middle of the crater; the once beautiful fountain was now reduced to chunks of unrecognizable stone wreckage. Being surrounded by flumes of smoke, yet it didn't detract from her otherworldly beauty. As their attention was stolen by the woman in a brown tunic dress, her ivory white hair flowed down her body, her skin glimmered like jewelry, and her golden eyes observed her surroundings. Her unnaturally perfect lips moved quietly, yet sounded loud in the silent atmosphere in the village.
"Grovel, you ugly insects! You undeserving worm should be grateful that I'm the one who is personally going here in this filthy settlement of lowly beasts."
An arrogant voice echoed in everyone's ears—dulcet, yet deeply unsettling. Her words soothed like honey and stung like venom. Those who met her gaze felt a chill crawl up their spine, their hair rising with primal fear.
The Detested Witch made her first appearance in an unremarkable village. From that moment on, the world would learn what a true witch was capable of. The catastrophe that followed—razing multiple villages and a city— history would name it the First Plague—not a sickness of the body, but a corruption of fate itself.
And it was only the beginning.