I and the Witch of Time Who Seeks the Past

Chapter 3 – The Magic Association (4)

The entire Magic Association was actually divided into three factions: the Neutralists, the Revivalists, and the War Party.

This standoff was shocking—I had never seen such a division before.

President Wolf was, of course, neutral. As the highest leader and decision-maker, he did not lean toward any side.

At present, the situation at the round table was: 10 Revivalists, 9 War Party members.

A perfectly balanced standoff, making it nearly impossible for the meeting to reach any conclusion.

"We've learned magic, yet we own nothing at all. We've mastered magic, so shouldn't we be standing at a higher position? And now? Now we're cornered, almost at the end of the road! If we keep acting with that pathetic weakness, if we don't seize this moment when the Academy of Sciences is unprepared and go to war, then once they properly organize their forces, how will we fight back? We must take this chance!"

One of the War Party's leaders in the second circle said this to the Revivalists. I could sharply sense his intent—he was trying to provoke complete division between the factions. I immediately thought of speaking up to warn the uninformed not to fall into this trap, but it was already too late. A shouting match broke out in an instant.

"What if we lose the war...?!"

"Are you saying we're weak and easy to bully?!"

"We can't possibly afford to fight on such a large scale!"

...

"Recruiting people isn't that easy! And even if we find them, would they return? They must have left because of their cowardice!"

"And while we're busy searching for people, what if the Academy of Sciences wages war against us? We won't be able to withstand it!"

"We—"

At that moment, President Wolf himself suddenly spoke.

"War... indeed. Recruiting people may prove fruitless, and we can't guarantee whether or not the Academy of Sciences will attack us."

The momentum immediately shifted. Within the Revivalists, part of their ranks began to waver.

"Yeah... that makes sense..."

"Even the President thinks so..."

...

The crowd had fallen into the trap; positions were hard to reclaim, and public opinion slammed down like a hammer.

“Bang!”

"Enough! I am utterly disappointed in all of you!"

Someone slammed the table and rose, their voice carrying an irresistible authority.

All quarrelling ceased. Everyone turned toward the person at the round table.

She was small in stature, but her gaze chilled the room.

It was—Lijedahl.

What was happening? Lijedahl?

This was the most surprising moment of the whole meeting for me.

"The meaning of magic has long since vanished from people like you!"

Her pupils glowed faintly red.

"How dare you—"

"Shut up!"

She spoke as if from a higher plane, looking down on those who opposed her.

"To you, magic is nothing but a glittering cloak, a scepter that marks rank, a weapon to kill enemies—merely a tool to satisfy filthy ambitions for status and power! You do not deserve the blessing of magic! You are unworthy to learn it!

Magic was once pure and noble. It should be a miracle used to help others, a body of knowledge handed down to unlock mysteries for future generations. Instead, in your hands, it has become an instrument for oppression, a means to humiliate and exploit. You have defiled magic's true purpose; you have turned education into mere utility!"

Her words struck like a lance, merciless and precise. I saw astonishment cross the faces of nearly all the high-ranking figures—President Wolf included—and even Mr. Igell's expression, usually inscrutable, changed subtly.

"Miss Lijedahl... such a pure conviction..."

"Mm..."

Anna and Jona murmured beside me.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. But then, some of the lower-tier delegates in the fourth and fifth rings—perhaps not grasping the full meaning of Lijedahl's words—murmured that the argument should continue. They wanted to keep organizing, to provoke fresh divisions.

How could I let them succeed? From watching this meeting, I had already learned enough about the plight of those at the bottom.

"You make such reasonable-sounding arguments, but can that solve our—"

"Shut up! Don't you understand what this means?"

Suddenly, all eyes turned to me. Damn—it wasn't my intention to draw attention.

I noticed Lijedahl looking at me—surprise and expectation in her eyes.

"Mr. Will?"

"You too—"

Anna and Jona muttered to themselves. I realized I had to join this war without weapons.

"Look closely. I am not one of those high-ranking elites. I am like you—an assistant, someone from the bottom ranks. I am one of you."

I stepped out of my seat and onto the central aisle.

The entire assembly watched me walk down the aisle.

"Think about it: does your mentor treat you well? How does your teacher regard you? Do they strut arrogantly, treat you as nothing, work you to exhaustion, and then discard you?"

Those in the fourth and fifth rings bowed their heads. Their lowered faces confirmed everything I had said.

“And now, a truly pure mage has appeared—one who sees magic as education, who is willing to teach you what she knows. She does not treat magic as a tool of oppression. She is not a vampire draining your worth. She is a true scholar, a genuine mentor—yet you seek to attack and discredit her. You would strike at a real mage, deny a true teacher!”

I could feel panic spreading among the people in the first three rings; I had ripped off their fig leaf of shame.

Before they could craft their counterattack, I shouted toward Lijedahl, who I could see at a glance.

"Miss Lijedahl! If I am wrong, punish me—I will accept it!"

Lijedahl seemed taken aback for a moment. Then she stood, moved to the edge of the round table, and called back with firm conviction.

"Assistant—your words are entirely correct. You have perfectly expressed what I meant."

Suddenly, a roaring wave of applause burst from the Revivalists in the fourth and fifth rings. The tide of opinion turned; we had wrested control of the narrative.

I slipped back into my seat, feeling a measure of relief.

"Mr. Will, you were brilliant just now!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

Anna and Jona showered me with approving looks, which made me a little embarrassed.

The War Party's faces grew darker—of course, I had exposed them, and I would earn their hatred. Moreover... even among the Revivalists, some glared at me with thinly veiled resentment.

"I am deeply ashamed today."

At last, the president spoke, his voice carrying authority through the chamber.

"I never imagined that under my leadership the Magic Association could sink to such depths."

Several second-ring members stood and objected.

"No... you are not—"

"Silence!"

He erupted in anger, hair bristling with indignation. He rose and scanned the higher-ranked delegates. Some avoided his gaze; others turned away. I could see everything clearly from my seat in the outer ring.

Then President Wolf's eyes landed briefly on me. He picked up his cane.

"Today's matters are too complex. We will—"

He slammed the cane down and, with a roar of authority, declared.

"Adjourn and reconvene at a later date!"

...

December 24, 1920 — 18:41

Night had fallen. Lijedahl and I lay in our own beds.

"Will, I didn't expect you to step forward like that."

"You were the one who surprised me. You shocked me so much I could barely speak."

"... Really? I think you're exaggerating more than I am."

"Your speech was overwhelming—absolutely crushing."

"You're exaggerating again."

"All right, all right. But still... I never knew you were such a pure person."

"Eh? Didn't you once say I seemed like a true mage?"

"The Tarot card... you're right."

"Hah, then you already knew."

"... Lijedahl, I think we've drawn too much attention."

"Mm... I know."

"And yet you still act like this."

"I just think magic should never be defiled. Besides, without me, you wouldn't have been able to sway those lower ranks, right? Honestly, the way you sorted through all that information so quickly and convinced them with a speech... are you some kind of expert at this?"

"Something like that."

"My, how mysterious."

We teased each other like that for a while.

"Oh, by the way, Will."

"What is it?"

She handed me a card.

I rubbed my tired eyes and read the English word on it: The Hermit.

"You have Tarot cards now?"

"I asked Mr. Igell for them. He gave me his old apprentice deck."

I studied it carefully—the card was decorated in black and gold: a black background with golden patterns. In the center was a shining lantern, as if illuminating something unseen.

"Well, it looks beautiful. So, how do you use it?"

Lijedahl sat up, stretched, and tilted her head toward me.

"First, I'll let you feel your own magic... No, actually—my magic."

She gave a light wave of her hand, and suddenly my body lifted and drifted toward her bed.

I steadied myself, puzzled.

"Wait... I thought you could only use magic if you were in contact with me?"

"Didn't you notice? My magic is gradually recovering."

Only then did I realize why she had been able to perform some spells recently.

"Your progress is that big already?"

"Part of it is because the magical fluctuations of this era are stronger. My body's been unconsciously absorbing magic."

She extended her hand.

"Take it. I'll help you adjust the flow of your own magic."

I did as she asked, grasping her right hand.

Immediately, I felt a warmth coursing from my arm into my chest, spreading slowly to my shoulders.

"This..."

"Warm, isn't it?"

She smiled gently, maintaining the flow.

"Mm... your magic flow is quite stable. The control is tricky, but still—you've never used magic before. Judging by your faint reserves, you should be a complete novice. And yet, this stability... it means your body is remarkably well-conditioned. Were you a soldier?"

"No. I was just a translator."

"A translator? With a body like this?"

"My work was a little... special. Sometimes I had to act as a bodyguard or even a temporary combatant."

"I see. So even translators in your era had to go to the battlefield?"

"... Maybe. Maybe not. Compared to other times, mine was relatively peaceful. But international relations were tangled and tense—an era always on edge."

"Mm... it seems every era has its hardships."

"Yes."

As I spoke, the warm current traveled up my neck, flowing steadily into my head.

"Almost done... Though this is a good chance, you know. I could take the opportunity to control you."

"Hah?"

I looked at her in confusion—only to see her playful smile closing in on me.

"Frightened?"

"Sigh, I give up."

"Haha, don't worry. I'm not very good with mind magic either—I can barely control small animals, let alone something as complex as the human brain."

A warm current wrapped around my mind, so comforting that it made me feel a little lightheaded. There was no discomfort, and slowly, I began to get used to the sensation.

After a moment, the warmth faded, and my body felt back to normal.

"All done. I've adjusted it for you!"

Lijedahl said as she let go of my hand. I shook my head slightly—everything felt fine.

"Your magic flow is very stable. I couldn't guide the magic I left in you directly to your brain, but because it's flowing so smoothly, the magic will linger there. That means casting magic will become much easier for you."

As she explained, she handed me the Hermit tarot card.

"Want to try now? Just don't use it on me."

I felt a surge of excitement. Maybe it was the childish dream I'd had back when I was younger—the fantasy of using magic. I thought I'd grown past those feelings, but now, a spark of that old thrill returned.

"Uh... but I don't know how to activate it."

"No worries. Just hold it up and imagine it working."

So, I picked up the card and faced it to the side.

Suddenly, the lantern on the card glowed faintly gold, and everything around me dimmed.

Huh?

I tried to turn my head to ask Lijedahl what was happening, but to my shock, my movements became painfully slow—as if even turning my head was almost impossible.

Yet... my mind was crystal clear. Sharper than it had ever been. I could calmly sort through any thought with absolute clarity.

But my ears heard nothing. My skin felt nothing. The world had gone silent.

Then, the dimness receded. I stood in place, dazed.

"Hm? Didn't you just activate it? What happened?"

"Uh... I'm not sure. I just felt... really clear-headed. Everything looked gray, my body moved so slowly, but my mind was unbelievably calm. Honestly, I don't even know how to explain it. Lijedahl, what did I look like to you?"

"You? You activated the magic, and... nothing happened. That's all."

Strange. What was that supposed to mean?

I couldn't figure out what kind of magic this was.

"How long did that feeling last for you?"

"Two... maybe three seconds?"

"From my perspective, you didn't zone out that long."

She glanced at the card, then suddenly looked back at me as if realizing something.

"It must have slowed time for you."

Slowed time...? Of course. Why didn't I think of that?

"Yeah, that makes sense. What an incredible experience."

"Oh, looks like we've just discovered a new ability."

"New? Can't your time magic do something like this?"

"I used to be able to stop time, but the problem was my own body stopped as well. Completely useless. If I wanted to move while time was stopped, I'd need more research. But I eventually switched to studying the Chronomantic Clock, so I didn't continue down that path."

She said it casually, as if it were nothing.

"Your ability actually sounds pretty good," she added.

I thought it over, but honestly, I couldn't see much use for it.

"Still feels kind of pointless to me."

"Not at all. Tarot magic is just a support system—it usually doesn't give highly practical abilities. But in special situations, even small effects can make a huge difference."

She explained seriously, teaching me about the function of tarot magic.

"And besides, you're still at the beginner stage. As you train, you'll likely be able to extend how long you can slow time, and maybe even move more freely within it."

With that, she flopped onto the bed without a care.

"But how far it develops... that depends on your effort."

"Heh, fair enough."

I was about to put the card away when I suddenly remembered—it belonged to Mr. Ken. I should probably return it.

"Oh, right. Mr. Ken said it's a gift for you!"

Lijedahl interrupted, as if reading my mind. "Consider it thanks for your help at today's meeting, and also a Christmas present."

I smiled, slipping the card into my coat.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three knocks came from the door. We both looked toward it.

I walked over and opened it. Standing outside were Anna and Jona.

"Good evening, Mr. Will."

"Huh? What brings you two here?"

Lijedahl asked curiously as she came over.

"It's Christmas Eve! There are lots of fun events outside tonight. Come with us!!"

Jona said cheerfully.

"Where's Mr. Ken?"

I asked Anna.

"He said he has matters to attend to. If we wanted to go out, we should ask you and Miss Lijedahl to accompany us. Would you be willing...?"

"Oh, I see. Alright then... shall we go?"

"Yay!"

Jona was as lively as ever, excited for anything fun. Well, it made sense—after living in the isolated Morory Manor, everything about London must seem fascinating.

Lijedahl and I exchanged a glance and smiled.

"Looks like we'll be keeping them company tonight."

"Yeah. Somehow I feel like I don't have half their energy."

"Haha, feeling old already?"

"I've lived over four hundred years. What do you think?"

"I was joking—don't take it so seriously."