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"Is there anything else Klee wants to do?"
"Klee also wants to go see the circus!"
"The circus again?"
Last time, their one-day outing had ended at the circus as well. But if a child wanted it, there was no helping it.
The circus' afternoon show had already ended, and there was still some time before the evening performance began. Victor Wang first took Klee to the Cat's Tail Tavern to play cards for a while, then they had dinner, and only afterward did they head to the circus.
Midway through the performance, Victor Wang stood up and said, "Klee, watch on your own for a bit. I'll go buy two cups of milk tea."
"Okay!"
Victor Wang pretended to leave, circled around, and instead found another seat in the back row.
"Hi, miss. You've been following us since the Cat's Tail Tavern. Is there something you need?"
Seated in front of Victor Wang was a woman wearing a gray-black felt hat. Hearing him, she very proactively turned around. A hint of surprise flashed in her ice-blue eyes. "Oh my, I've been found out already?"
"You're not even going to deny it? Then would you mind telling me what you've been doing by following us?"
"I was just curious what Lady Alice's child would be like. A little curiosity—surely that's not bad enough to cause a conflict, is it?"
"A little curiosity?" Victor Wang replied calmly. "Coincidentally, I also have a little curiosity. For example, how much do you know about the Hexenzirkel?"
Upon hearing "Hexenzirkel," the woman narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I suppose it's only natural for someone accompanying Miss Klee to bring up the Hexenzirkel. I'm not surprised at all."
Victor Wang pressed on. "So, what's your answer?"
The woman sitting in front of him was none other than Scarlett—the successor of the witch codenamed "J," 'I. Ivanovna N,' of the Hexenzirkel, in this generation.
This Windblume Festival, everyone's search for the Hexenzirkel's tea party island would begin with this very Scarlett placing a prophecy inside a certain fairy tale book.
"My answer…" Scarlett remained smiling as she rattled off a tongue-twister-like string of words. "If you know enough about the Hexenzirkel, then you'll understand that I actually don't know very much about it. And if you don't know much about the Hexenzirkel either, then I can explain why it is that I don't know very much about it."
"Then explain," Victor Wang said, not getting led astray.
"Hehe, then listen closely."
Scarlett's words carried a faint intention to seize conversational initiative. Seeing Victor Wang remain silent, she continued.
"The Hexenzirkel is an ancient women's gathering. Each of its members uses a letter as a codename. I am the successor to Witch 'J.' You may call me Scarlett.
However, Witch J once chose to leave the Hexenzirkel due to marriage. After J passed away, her title was left to her successors. By the time it reached my generation, several hundred years had already passed, yet not a single successor has ever been acknowledged by Lady Alice.
So, people like us have never truly entered the Hexenzirkel. The information we know was all passed down by J from centuries ago. When it comes to matters concerning the Hexenzirkel, I'm largely an outsider myself.
I don't even know how many witches the Hexenzirkel actually has. The only thing I truly possess is a prophecy—a prophecy the witches of the Hexenzirkel gifted to J—
Find 'the flower that does not exist in the world,' find 'the guide who never loses the way,' find 'one who does not lie,' find 'the legend that never ends.' Once these are completed, you may light the 'lantern of utmost joy' and thereby obtain a supreme blessing."
After finishing, Scarlett asked with interest, "Well? Are you interested in fulfilling this prophecy?"
Interested?
Victor Wang was unmoved—he even felt like laughing.
This person had not only revealed very little useful information, but was also trying to coax him into searching for the tea party island as well… What she didn't know was that the tea party island was already gone.
Sometimes, a little schadenfreude felt pretty good.
Victor Wang directly countered, "Why bother searching? This Geo flower in my palm is 'the flower that does not exist in the world.' I have an excellent memory, so I am 'the guide who never loses the way.' I never lie to my own heart, so I am 'one who does not lie.' My works are 'the legend that never ends.' So, tell me—where is the 'lantern of utmost joy'?"
"One who never lies to their own heart… hehehe… hahahaha!"
"Is that funny?"
"Sorry, sorry. It's been a long time since I've met someone as interesting as you!"
Victor Wang was well aware that Scarlett couldn't answer his question. Not only did she not know the tea party island had disappeared—she didn't even know where it was in the first place.
She did seem to have some divination ability, though. That was why she had tucked the prophecy into a fairy tale book called Glory of the Wind. In two days, or perhaps three, when Collei, Tighnari, and Cyno came to attend the Windblume Festival, Collei would see the prophecy. Then Lumine and Sucrose would help her fulfill it—and help her find the tea party island.
If Victor Wang hadn't been here, that was likely how things would have unfolded.
Now… it was hard to say.
Victor Wang glanced toward Klee sitting further ahead. He had left her alone for a bit too long; she had already begun to look around anxiously.
"Klee is just a child. She doesn't understand anything. Don't do this again."
"Rest assured. There won't be a next time."
Victor Wang left his seat and walked toward the circus' rear exit corridor. On the way, he greeted Rosaria, who was seated even further back, then truly left the circus to buy milk tea.
…
"Did you have fun today?"
"Today was really fun!"
"That's good. Then, about what we agreed on earlier?"
"Mm! The Dodoco Communicator—Klee will start a call with Mom right now!"
Klee took out a plump, ball-shaped red Dodoco. After a series of operations, a distinctive busy tone sounded from within. "Dodoco—Dodoco—Dodoco—dear Klee! Mommy is busy right now. If you have something to say, please leave a message after the tone. Mommy will reply as soon as she has time!"
"Mom seems busy right now. What should Klee leave as a message?"
"No time, huh… Then leave this message: 'Where did the tea party island go?'"
"'Mommy, Brother Victor is asking where the tea party island went!' Okay, the message is left."
"Klee, how long does it usually take for your mom to see these messages?"
"Even though Mom is very busy, she checks them at least once every day!"
"…Then let's meet at the library tomorrow."
The next day.
"Mom replied. She said: 'The tea party island is still in the old place.'"
"Still in the old place… Could it just be that the incantation was changed?"
"Mom also said that if Brother Victor mentions the incantation, I should answer like this: 'The incantation is something you absolutely won't guess.'"
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