NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3 Part 6
“Did you know that tonight is the peak of the meteor shower?”
Gazing up at the night sky, Inori spoke softly.
“Is that so? I can’t see any stars, though.”
“It’s because of the full moon. The sky is clear, but it’s too bright. Makes it hard to see the stars. The viewing conditions aren’t great tonight. But actually, quite a few are streaking across the sky.”
“That’s a shame. If I could see them, I’d make a wish.”
“You’re prepared to die, and yet, what would you even wish for?”
“Money.”
“Could you at least try to be subtle about it?”
Inori let out an exasperated sigh before stretching her hand toward the sky.
“Watch closely. This is the power of a Sage.”
And then, she clenched her fist.
In that moment—
The entire sky filled with stars.
For a moment, I was left speechless.
The moon dimmed, and the stars, which should have been invisible, emerged into view.
A regular magician would need to prepare a magic circle, construct a twelve-verse incantation, and use their knowledge to cast a spell. Yet, she had accomplished it all with just a single movement.
Countless stars—tens of thousands, millions, perhaps even billions—shimmered across the sky.
Where once the night was bathed in moonlight, now the stars themselves illuminated the heavens.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, painting the night in vibrant splendor.
The Milky Way stretched across the center, and I could even make out the colorful interstellar gas of deep space.
“You’d have to go to the ends of the earth to see a sight like this.”
“This is insane.”
“Well, I’m not done yet.”
Inori traced letters in the air with her fingertip.
“Come forth.”
The instant she whispered those words, light streaked across the sky.
A meteor.
One after another, meteors shot through the night, creating a rain of light.
No sooner did one vanish than another appeared, only to disappear again.
If magic could take form, surely it would look something like this.
“How… how did you do that?”
“I just altered their trajectories a little.”
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It’s said that shortening a single spellcasting motion requires over a decade of training.
Yet, in that brief moment, she had caused this entire phenomenon.
Only those who pursued the path of magic could truly grasp how incredible that was.
“Seeing all these stars, doesn’t it make your worries feel insignificant?”
“Yeah. Well, I wasn’t really worried to begin with, though.”
“Worry.”
But as I watched the meteor shower, one thought dawned on me—
The potential of magic is limitless.
I had given up.
I was ready to accept my fate and die.
But with magic, even the impossible could become possible.
No matter how dire the situation, there had to be a way.
This dazzling spectacle before me was proof enough.
Maybe I could use magic that brings joy to people to collect tears of happiness.
Maybe there was another way to break the curse.
Maybe there was even a method to create the Seed of Life itself.
Because magic… is limitless.
“Make a wish, Meg.”
Inori’s voice was gentle.
“Wish for what you desire most.”
“Wealth, power, and fame.”
“Not that.”
She looked at me with a serious expression.
“To live. To survive. To become a witch who ventures into the world. That’s what you should wish for.”
“Inori…”
Her sincerity made me nod quietly.
“Alright.”
I made my wish upon the stars.
That next year, and the year after that, and ten years from now, I would still be alive, seeing the world with my own eyes.
That I would continue expanding my horizons.
That I would witness the fate of the world I loved.
If I could defy my death sentence—
Then I would set out into the world.
And I would return with so many stories that my master would be utterly astonished.
This dream was my hope, the reason I would never give up.
“You really are something else. No wonder the old lady doesn’t want to let you go.”
For some reason, Inori smiled happily.
Two days later, my master returned in the morning.
“I’m back.”
I heard her voice from the entrance.
Inori and I went to greet her, still munching on bread.
“Don’t come running over with food in your mouths, you two.”
“A sound mind resides in a sound body.”
“Hush.”
“Master.”
“What?”
“Welcome home.”
“Ah, I’m home.”
A small smile played on her lips as she turned to Inori.
“Sorry to trouble you with looking after her.”
“No worries, I actually had fun. So, how did the request go?”
“There was a plant species multiplying in excess. It had disrupted the ecosystem. I took care of it, so things should settle down soon.”
“That’s good to hear. Oh, by the way, Faust—”
Inori suddenly grabbed my head and pulled me into a headlock.
“Can I take this kid as my assistant in the future?”
My master’s eyes widened.
“I’ve taken a liking to her. Her magic control is excellent. You’ve raised a fine student.”
“She’s still only halfway there. She has a long way to go.”
But my master hesitated.
“Though… perhaps, someday, that time will come.”
Inori had another job to get to, so she left soon after.
Under the bright blue sky, we watched her mount her broom in the garden.
“Thanks for everything. …Meg.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t you dare die. You’re going to be my right hand. Even if you have to defy death itself, live.”
“That’s completely unreasonable.”
“No backtalk. What’s your answer?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Heh, you two really are like sisters,” my master said, smiling warmly.