The International Magic Conference of the Seven Sages being held in North America
has been dominated by talk of recent changes in the ecosystem and magical disasters.
The conference concluded with a joint statement urging expert field surveys
to be conducted as soon as possible.
Oh, it's over?
In response, governments have sent investigation teams...
One Week Earlier
Meg, I'll be gone for a while.
Where are you off to this time?
North America.
The Seven Sages are meeting at the Council of Magic.
...guidelines for large-scale surveys.
Cooperation between nations will likely become the focus.
My brief respite is already over, huh?
And now for our next story.
At a festival in South America,
Ms. Sophie Hayter of the Seven Sages put on an impressive parade.
Why?!
She's my age and a witch like me!
The whole world calls her a princess, and she's all anyone talks about online!
So why am I not one of the Seven Sages?!
Answer me.
That's the worst reaction I could've had!
I'm going to bed.
I'll sulk for awhile.
Wake up.
That's an order.
That stinks! Wh-What the hell?
Rude. My feet don't stink that much!
You've got some nerve.
Once Upon a Witch's Death
Wisdom Visits From the East
Yes. I am Inori, one of the Seven Sages and the Witch of Wisdom.
The Witch of Wisdom?
Yes. I am Inori, the Witch of Wisdom and one of Seven Sages.
Huh. Really?
I heard the Witch of Wisdom was easily over 100 years old.
So what's the Witch of Wisdom doing here?
You don't watch the news?
Magic is currently causing changes to the ecosystem.
Your mistress is off investigating the matter.
Oh, that news story.
Since her return was delayed, your mistress asked me to check on you.
Oh, please. I'm 17 now. I can do household chores fine. No need to worry about me.
It's the house she's worried about.
Oh, that.
So yeah, I'll be staying for a few days.
Uh-huh.
Oh, right. Ms. Inori, there is one thing you can do for me.
What's that?
Could you wash your feet? They stink real bad.
I'm going to kill you.
Did you prepare those herbs?
Oh, yes. I didn't think you'd notice.
Granny Faust doesn't dabble much in pharmaceutical science these days.
Hm, that's true.
My mistress is deeply versed in a variety of magics, which makes her a busy person,
especially since she's been dedicating her time to researching time magic lately.
Smells nice.
I made them recently. They're analeptic and good for the body.
You must be tired after the conference.
I'll make tea with them. Want some?
Perhaps I will.
It's good.
I blend it with black tea and cast magic on it to adjust the flavour.
Huh. You sound fairly competent.
Do you already have a nickname?
Oh, no, not me.
I'm just the world's greatest apprentice.
And you brag about that?
Skilled mages have nicknames.
Inori The Witch of Wisdom
Faust The Eternal Witch
My mistress's and Ms. Inori's nicknames were given to them by the Council of Magic,
and serve as proof that they're first-class witches.
An apprentice, huh?
You know, I'd like to see more.
These herbs are homegrown, aren't they? Show me.
What a coincidence! It just so happens that I need to go to the garden, too.
Are you going to pick something?
An infusion of mint oil will make the soles of your feet smell lovely!
Do I really smell that bad?
Listen closely, Meg Raspberry.
Starting today, taking care of these woods is your job.
No!
No objections! This is your job in this home.
No, no, no! I'm busy!
The only thing you're busy with is playing.
That was the first job my mistress gave me.
Over the next ten years, I tended to these witch's woods, and...
This is my herb garden.
You take good care of it.
It takes skill to look after the land.
Especially with the climate and the environment in the state they're in.
I wonder what the problem is.
We've meddled with nature too much.
We polluted the air and cut down forests.
The land is no longer how it should be.
But the people in charge think we can fix what they've done with magic.
Mistress, the mint... The mint is overwhelming the patch!
Mint is just a weed when it grows too much. I told you to be careful.
The witch's woods are done for.
I'll set fire to it and burn it all down to the roots.
Don't do that.
Listen to me, Meg. Everything has a life, unique features, and a way of living.
You must understand what you're dealing with and adapt.
Witches understand the laws of nature and exist alongside them.
Don't try to brute force everything.
Clearing plants away or reducing their numbers
leaves magic in the land with nowhere to go.
As a result, that magic flows towards large objects.
If the power becomes too great, it can go out of control.
Maintaining the world's equilibrium is an ironclad rule for mages.
What would you do with power?
Acquire wealth and fame, and build a harem made up only of handsome men!
You're hopeless.
Discussing heavy subjects just isn't my thing.
People can die at any time.
Our lives are short, so I believe we should fill them with as much fun as possible.
What do you think of as "fun"?
Alcohol, tobacco, delicious food, women.
You middle-aged man.
Your legs are so smooth, miss.
Stop that.
Still, this is wonderful.
I can't recall the last time I took it this easy.
You must've been exhausted.
Seriously. It's not good to work too much.
Now that I think about it, I've been too busy to even bathe the last few days.
I'll draw you a bath later, so you can get clean.
Promise me you'll get in it.
Shut up. Being so meticulous will make you go bald.
Meticulous?
You've got a lot of nerve, looking at someone's face and laughing.
I like you.
Once you finish up your apprenticeship, you should come be my assistant.
Assistant?
We'll develop medicines together as partners.
We'll work with pharmaceutical companies to search for medicinal ingredients
and research their effects.
I was just thinking I'd like an assistant with good plant knowledge.
I mean, this is all a bit sudden.
B-Besides, what would my mistress say?
That's why I said once you've finished your apprenticeship.
Youth is for going on adventures.
When I was ten, I travelled all around the world.
Talking about your childhood like that makes you sound like an old woman.
An old woman?
Going out into the world, huh?
If you have no particular goals or dreams for the future, why not consider it?
Dreams or goals?
Do you have any?
World domination.
Huh.
C'mon now. Don't leave me hanging.
You meditate at night? You're a serious student.
You don't, Ms. Inori?
Never have. After all, I'm the Witch of Wisdom.
I'm a genius who developed her magic using only knowledge and inspiration.
Blow your own trumpet much?
Ms. Inori, what would you do if you were told you only had a year to live?
Why? Are you dying?
It's a hypothetical question.
You don't have to hide it. I can tell.
Your reaction seemed a bit flat when we were discussing the future.
Can't get anything past one of the Seven Sages.
So what's gonna kill you?
A curse.
I see. So you need immortality from a seed of life to fight the effects of sudden aging.
How many teardrops of joy have you gathered so far?
Four. But only two are pure teardrops of joy.
Well, that's no good.
It's terrible.
Since I swore to Granny Flare that I'd go on living for her, I've been doing my best, but...
I have no excuse. I'm a total failure.
You're unbelievable.
My mistress said seeds of life are made of joy,
so I should start by gathering fragments of emotion.
Are fragments of emotions really that powerful?
Who knows? I don't really know myself.
What? Even though you're the Witch of Wisdom?
Emotions aren't really used in modern magic.
But since the olden days, tears have been said to possess a mysterious power.
Well, it's all dreams and fancy. Not really my thing.
You stop dreaming when you get old, huh?
I'm going to kill you.
Hey, can I see that bottle?
What? Uh, sure.
If you give me all your money, you can even break it if you like.
Not on my life.
Fragments of emotion, huh?
It's a new one on me.
But I do sense a mysterious power in them.
If you were told to collect a thousand teardrops of joy in a year, how would you do it?
Hm, let me think...
First, I'd gather data to determine what makes something a "teardrop of joy."
Then, I'd design medicines or spells to recreate those conditions and find test subjects.
That sounds so mechanical.
That's what a scientist does.
But it'd probably be difficult to do in practice.
Figures.
In all honesty, when you invited me to be your assistant, I was elated.
I've only ever lived in Lapis, so, uh... How should I put this?
I was excited to stand in front of a door leading to the rest of the big wide world.
Meg...
It's been a few weeks since my mistress told me to collect teardrops of joy.
People say that I'm monstrously positive,
but even I know collecting a thousand tears of joy in one year is close to impossible.
Are you giving up?
I see now.
I was close to giving up.
At some point, I'd been working on accepting death instead of trying to live.
Who laughs at someone talking about life and death?
Sorry, my bad. You're just so stupid.
You'd almost given up and still hadn't figured it out.
You must be stupid.
It sounds like you really want to go to war with me.
I'm sorry, all right?
Then, since you're prepared to die, I'll show you something special.
I'll show you why I'm one of the Seven Sages.
Did you know that tonight is the peak of the meteor shower?
It is?
I don't see any shooting stars.
That's because it's a full moon. The sky is clear, but it's too bright.
That's a shame. I would've wished upon a star if I could see any.
What would you wish for when you're prepared to die?
Money.
Can't you sugarcoat it a little?
Behold the power of one of the Seven Sages.
Whoa.
You'd probably have to travel to the ends of the world to see a sight like this.
But that's not all of it yet.
Come.
Wow.
How'd you do all this with a single gesture?
I simply changed the path of the meteors a bit.
Doesn't seeing all these stars make your own worries seem really small?
You're right. Not that I was worried about anything.
You should be.
I'd given up.
I'd given up and was trying to accept death.
But I realized something after seeing this meteor shower.
The potential of magic is limitless.
Make a wish, Meg. For whatever you want most.
World domination?
Not that.
To survive. To not die.
To become a witch who goes out into the world.
Isn't that what you should wish for?
Ms. Inori.
Very well.
At first, I thought it was strange that Granny Faust took an apprentice.
Isn't that just how things turned out?
Meg, you'll make a good witch.
Mith-treth.
Wel-fum 'ack.
What's wrong with you two?
Don't greet me with food in your mouths.
Thank you for looking after her, Inori.
It's fine. I had a pretty fun time, too.
By the way, Granny Faust, I'd like to discuss something with you.
That's unusual for you, Inori. What is it?
Can I make this girl my future assistant?
Ms. Inori, you win!
I submit! I submit!
She's still an apprentice.
But should the time come, perhaps that's not such a bad idea.
Then, it's decided.
Listen up, Meg. You'd better not die.
You'll be my right-hand woman, so you have to live even if you die.
That's a crazy demand to make.
Well?
Okay. I swear I won't die.
After all, I'm gonna become a greater witch than you or my mistress.
I like your spirit. Now that's what you call monstrously positive.
What? Who's monstrously positive?
Uh, you called yourself that.
You two are just like sisters.
You hear that, Meg? You can call me "big sis" if you want.
What?
I believe the Witch of Wisdom gave me a dream.
One waiting for me once I have overcome this year.
A dream of possibilities and a world I haven't seen yet.
So for now, I think I'll do all I can about what's in front of me,
while dreaming of a day that will someday arrive.
Several Weeks Later
The Otherworld Festival is just one week away.
Lots of tourists have descended on Lapis
to interact with the inhabitants of the other world this year.
The Eternal Witch, Ms. Faust, who will begin the festival by opening the gate to the other world,
sat down with Mayor Carter.
Yes, everything's coming along nicely.
Ouch.
I got in touch with Mr. Hendy. You should rest up for a while.
Well, this isn't good. How will I open the gate in a week?
Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten.
The Otherworld Festival, Lapis's biggest annual festival, is just around the corner.
Maybe they'll cancel it this year.
We won't be able to release the magic power.
Right.
Magic tends to gather in Lapis. The excess needs to be consumed.
Opening the gate to the other world is an important ritual for doing that.
What are we doing to do?
Perhaps I'll call in a substitute.
A substitute?
So cold.
It's chilly today, isn't it?
That's toasty.
Hey.
What are you doing?
I could ask you the same thing!
I-I-It's...
It's an illusion of Sophie! A ghost!
Mistress, the substitute you mentioned...
Yes. In exchange for allowing Sophie to stay here for a few days,
she'll open the otherworld gate.
My back will have healed after that.
You really are one of the Seven Sages.
What do you mean by that? Ouch.
Listen to me, Meg. You will accompany Sophie until I can move around again.
Me?!
You know more about the town and the otherworld gate, don't you?
What?
Sophie's a genius. Learn what you can from her.
Oh, uh, okay.
Blessings With the Opening of the Gate