Until a Witch Dies – Meg Raspberry’s One Year Left to Live

Everything had ended, and our world had returned to normal.

Afterward, when Mary and Jill woke up, I told them everything.

The sudden collapse of their family.

They couldn’t hide their shock.

Up until I had given them the tea, Ted had been their “perfect husband” and “perfect father.”

And yet, in just a matter of hours, everything had crumbled away.

They couldn’t believe it.

No… perhaps they simply didn’t want to believe it.

Had I done the right thing?

Looking at their expressions, that thought crossed my mind.

But if I had done nothing, Ted would have found some way to drag Jill and Mary into the basement.

Betrayed by someone they loved, gripped by the worst kind of fear, they would have died alone, without anyone ever knowing.

So surely—

This was for the best.

I chose to believe that.

Jill and Mary decided to leave their current home and return to Jill’s family.

Before moving, they came to see me and my master one last time.

Apparently, my master was familiar with Jill’s hometown.

“There’s a wizard I know who lives there. It’s a fairly developed place, so they shouldn’t have any trouble. It’s a town with a view of the sea. A nice place,” my master explained to me.

Hearing that, Jill bowed deeply.

“Master Faust, Meg, truly, thank you for everything.”

But there was still a shadow over her expression.

“Um… are you alright?”

I asked, and she gave a weak smile.

“To be honest, there are still parts of this I can’t fully accept. That he was trying to sacrifice us… But if you hadn’t been there, Meg, my daughter and I wouldn’t have survived, would we?”

“Well…”

That was true, but I hesitated to confirm it outright.

“No matter what, things were doomed. He was walking toward the edge of a cliff alone, all along. I forced him to endure too much… And I curse myself for not realizing it sooner.”

“You’re not to blame, Jill.”

Even as I said it, she shook her head.

“Maybe no one is to blame. Maybe we just didn’t notice the first button had been misaligned. Maybe that’s what fate is.”

“From now on, it’ll be just you and Mary. That won’t be easy,” my master said gently.

Jill nodded quietly.

“But it’s far better than losing Mary. Now, come on, say your goodbyes.”

But Mary, hiding behind her mother, pouted and glared at us.

“Mary, say goodbye to Master Faust and Meg.”

“No!”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

“I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna say goodbye to everyone! Why isn’t Papa here? Why do we have to leave? Why? I wanted to play with everyone more! I wanted to play with Meg more!”

With those words, Mary threw herself into my arms.

I could feel the warmth of her tears soaking through my clothes.

The heat of life overflowed from her.

At that moment, I thought—

From the bottom of my heart, I was glad I had saved this child.

“I’m sorry, Mary. It’s my fault that Papa is gone. If I were a greater witch, maybe I could have saved him.”

Before the devil, I had been utterly powerless.

I had caused so much trouble. My master had even lost a finger.

“Mary, can you promise me something?”

She nodded silently.

“One day, I’ll become an incredible witch. Strong enough, noble enough, and great enough to save people like your father. I want you to watch me do it.”

Mary, her eyes swollen from crying, looked up at me.

“Until then, I won’t disappear. So I want you to live, too. Help your mother, make lots of friends in your new home. And then, I’ll bring my friends from Lapis Town to visit you.”

Mary’s father had been swallowed by darkness and lost his way.

I didn’t want that to happen to her.

As people grow, they start to fear showing weakness, afraid to say when they’re struggling.

They hold too much inside, and then suddenly, they break.

I didn’t want that for Mary.

I didn’t want her to despair in life.

“Meg, will you really come visit me?”

At her words, I smiled and nodded.

“Of course. I promise.”

“Really?”

“Really. I never lie, do I?”

“But you always say you’re a beautiful lady.”

“THAT IS NOT A LIE!”

As I snapped, Mary laughed, even as tears still glistened in her eyes.

Her tears fell—not to the ground, but into a small vial.

My master and I watched them go until they disappeared from sight.

Even the familiars in the house joined us in bidding them farewell.

“Meg, don’t go regretting this.”

My master suddenly spoke.

“I know you. You’re thinking about my finger, about how that father ended up dead, about what the future holds for Mary and Jill.”

“Yes…”

“Don’t be arrogant. There are limits to what both humans and witches can do. You did your best within those limits.”

Faust, the ancient witch, looked at me with both kindness and severity.

“If you continue to follow your own sense of justice, people will get caught up in it. Some may even resent you. But even then, you must choose. Will you stay true to your convictions and uphold justice?”

“Yes.”

“There will be times when you have to make the choice to abandon something dear to you. If that happens, don’t regret it, Meg. Only you can decide whether your choices were right.”

“Yes.”

I looked at my master.

The charred, burnt remains of her left thumb were still painfully evident.

“All the great witches of history have made choices and seen them through to the end.”

My master had made her choices.

Not all of them had been the best.

She had surely chosen not to save people, too.

And yet, she had no regrets.

“One day, I’ll become the greatest witch in the world, with no regrets.”

At that, my master smirked.

“Well then, start by taking care of your familiars. They were terribly worried about you.”

“Fine. Today, I’ll smother both of them with affection. I’ll lick them like lollipops. No complaints, heh heh heh.”

“Hoo…”

“Kyuu…”

And just like that, our daily life returned.

I will survive.

So that I never regret anything again.