Gently stroking Rion’s head as she dozed off in my arms, I was peering into her sketchbook filled with the drawings she had made.

On the first page of the sketchbook was a drawing of a boy with white hair swinging a golden sword against a dark sky.

Though it was a tad crooked like a child’s drawing, it reminded me so much of the moment a few days ago when Yoon Si-woo struck down the monster with the Radiant Holy Sword, that I couldn’t help but recall that day.

Wasn’t it a bit too coincidental merely to be a coincidence?

This world is teeming with countless individuals with unique abilities, and I’ve heard that many reveal their powers unexpectedly in childhood.

So, it wouldn’t be strange if Rion possessed some fascinating abilities as well.

I flipped through the sketchbook again and once more examined the drawing she had made of me.

The drawing was filled with bright red flames, so much so that the crayons she had just unwrapped were already getting dull.

And right in the middle of this drawing stood a woman with red hair, boldly entwined in flames.

What could this drawing possibly mean?

No matter how much I scanned it, all I could find was that, even in a world full of flames, that woman was smiling.

Boom!

“…And thus, the most wicked and evil Witch of Gluttony was ultimately defeated by the great hero Aegis. Thanks to him, people could live peacefully for a long time.”

After a good while of playing, Sylvia was reading a storybook to the exhausted children.

The tale of the great hero Aegis.

It was a famous story, so it seemed many of the children had already heard about it. At first, a few of them didn’t show much interest, but who was Sylvia, after all?

Using her spirit magic, she depicted the journey of the great hero Aegis like a picture, which made the children cheer and focus intensely on the story she was telling.

When the story had ended, Sylvia closed the storybook, and as the children shared their impressions—“That was awesome! That was fun!”—one child raised his hand and asked Sylvia a question.

“But, Aegis is no longer here. So, who will stop the witch if she returns?”

“Oh, well, the other heroes that are here now…”

While Sylvia was trying to answer the child’s somewhat tricky question, a boy next to the questioning child suddenly shouted loudly.

“Idiot! We saw it on the broadcast yesterday! Yoon Si-woo will take care of all the witches!”

The kid, recalling the hero’s inauguration ceremony aired yesterday, jumped up and began waving a toy sword modeled after the Radiant Holy Sword in the air.

“With the shining sword, like this, like this! So, there’s no need to be scared of witches at all!”

Sylvia was momentarily surprised by the boy’s shout and then smiled, saying.

“That’s right. The strong Yoon Si-woo and the other heroes will protect all of you, so you don’t need to worry. By the way, it seems like you really like Yoon Si-woo.”

“He’s so cool! The headmaster told us that Yoon Si-woo grew up here too! So, I’m going to become a hero just as cool as him!”

“Hehe, I’m sure you will. By the way, I happened to sit next to Yoon Si-woo at the academy. Would you like to hear a few stories about him?”

“Really?! I want to hear!”

The kids reacted enthusiastically to Sylvia’s offer to share stories about Yoon Si-woo and refocused on her with sparkling eyes.

Watching this scene made me feel like I shouldn’t just sit there doing nothing.

It didn’t seem fair to let Sylvia handle all the children on her own since we came here for volunteer work…

Even amidst the ruckus of the children’s voices, Rion was sound asleep in my arms, so I considered laying her down and going to help Sylvia, but,

“Don’t leave me behind…”

Even in her sleep, Rion clung tightly to my collar, refusing to let go.

What should I do? Am I allowed to stay like this…?

As I fidgeted, the headmaster, who was watching Sylvia interact with the children with a satisfied smile, approached me.

I cautiously asked the headmaster, who sat next to me while holding Rion.

“Um, is it okay if I remain like this even though I came to play with the children…?”

“Of course, it’s more than okay. You’re truly helping us right now.”

The headmaster responded with a bright smile, gently stroking Rion’s head while she slept in my arms.

“I was worried because Rion seemed hesitant to open up to others. But it seems she has started to open up to you a bit, Scarlet. It’s a relief to know that she’s not completely shutting others out. I now have hope that she’ll quickly get along with the other children too. Thank you so much for coming today, Scarlet.”

Listening to the headmaster’s words of gratitude while looking down at Rion’s sleeping face, I thought.

So, you have already opened your heart to me.

You want to forge a bond with me.

I was so happy about this, yet at the same time, I was anxious about creating a new connection.

I remembered how I had almost lost my rationality when facing the Witch of Sloth, half consumed by the witch’s ego within me.

Fortunately, I managed to get through that moment, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen again.

Could I pull through safely next time?

What if, next time, I got devoured by the witch’s ego and ended up burning my precious loved ones?

That thought worried and frightened me.

Burn.

The witch’s faint whisper echoed in my ears.

I made an effort to ignore it as I closed Rion’s sketchbook.

*

After sleeping in my arms for quite some time, Rion finally opened her eyes just as it was time to wrap up the volunteer work and head home.

I gently bid her farewell, with her still looking groggy from waking up.

“I have to go now. Take care, Rion.”

Rion looked up at me, slightly gripping my sleeve.

In her trembling eyes, sadness and wistfulness shone through.

Perhaps because of that, the small hand that clung to my sleeve felt as heavy as a mountain.

It doesn’t take long for someone to become attached to another.

If she were to ask me not to go, it would be too hard to refuse.

But what came from her tiny lips was an even more difficult request to turn down.

“…Sister, can we see each other again?”

Rion asked with a desperate expression.

But how could I tell a child who had already experienced a farewell without return that getting close to me might not be a good idea?

“…Yes, I will come again. I promise.”

So I hooked my pinky with hers and made a promise.

The radiant smile that bloomed on the child’s face beyond that promise felt infinitely more important.

I could think to myself that that was enough.

*

That night, after finishing up other schedules, Sylvia suddenly came into my room.

“Um, what’s going on?”

“…Do I have to come only when something’s wrong?”

“No, it’s not like that at all!”

As she answered me, looking somewhat hurt when I asked why she had come, I waved my hands to dismiss it.

In a situation where I was living off someone else’s hospitality, how could I complain about when Sylvia decided to visit?

Shrinking back, Sylvia plopped down on my bed and lay back, tilting her head to look at me.

“…Scarlet, there’s something I’m curious about. Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Why do you speak to me formally? You don’t do that with other people.”

I tensed slightly at her question and replied.

“…It’s because you speak to me formally.”

“I do this out of habit with everyone, but you only do it with me… Remember that time you spoke casually? I actually liked that. It felt really friendly, like we were friends… But ever since then, you’ve only used formal speech again…”

…She was probably referring to just after we had met the Witch of Sloth.

That was a mistake.

In a hurry and depending on her, I had absentmindedly slipped out of the respectful speech I usually used.

Sylvia, sitting up slowly, murmured with a sad expression.

“…Is it because I’m not like Yoon Si-woo, who is your friend? Is it because you don’t consider me a friend?”

Her sad face made my heart ache.

The reason I spoke formally to her was that I wanted to remind myself not to get too close to her, not to rely on her.

At first, it had simply been out of guilt for using her talents but it had slowly morphed into a habit.

Sylvia was a girl who strongly desired friendship.

She would probably do anything for a friend’s request.

So, if I considered her a friend and opened my heart to her…

I felt that I would inadvertently request something that could make her sad.

Ah, to be honest, I was anxious and very much desired to ask her for help.

Just like I had once asked Yoon Si-woo, to kill me if I ever harmed my precious relationships.

But I had seen the expression on Yoon Si-woo’s face when I made that request.

Though it was a necessary insurance, I did not want to make anyone wear such a sad expression ever again.

That was why I had struggled not to give her my heart until now.

But feelings are not something that can be freely given or withheld because one wishes not to share.

“…No, Sylvia, it’s because you are precious to me.”

Her eyes widened at my words.

It was so hard to see someone looking sad.

Affection is a truly terrifying thing.

“As you know, I am not a normal person. I might end up harming those around me… So I was uncertain if it was safe to get close to anyone.”

Not knowing when I might be consumed by the witch’s personality.

It was like living with a ticking time bomb, always a stressful experience.

But if there were a way to prevent that bomb from hurting others, if one day I could live without fear…

Then I would be able to talk peacefully with Sylvia.

With that thought, I held Sylvia’s hand and made my request.

“…Will you wait until I can speak to you comfortably in casual speech?”

Sylvia smiled brightly and replied.

“…I’m good at waiting.”

Seeing her smile, I thought that it was enough.