Time for Episode 4. Here, we finally get to another plot of another work other than Izetta. Well, the story will still follow Izetta, but it will not be the main focus for the next few chapters.

This will be separated into three parts again as usual.


Nighttime covered the nearby castle in Eylstadt. Two weeks passed since the battle at Coenenberg that devastated its green fields, but the nation recently returned to a normal state…if only it weren't for a special occasion.

The citizens gathered around a brightly lit up town square. A well-dressed Princess Fine kneeled before three old men by a church. Two men on the sides held a book and a scepter while the man on the center held a sword in front of her. The three Witches of the 501st watched the ceremony from behind as the man in the center began.

"Ortfine Fredericka, the Archduchess will be the Lady of Landsbruck, and guardian of its valleys and roads. She will be the liberator of the Alps and the ruler of Eylstadt. I ask you, are you prepared to receive that title?"

"I am."

"Do you swear to offer yourself up to the service of the land and its people?"

"I swear."

"Then kiss the blade that is the soul of our ancestors and make your vow."

And kiss she did. She took the sword in her hands as the old man congratulated.

"Blessings upon the new Archduchess of Eylstadt!"

The crowd roared with cheers as they praised their new ruler. Alice, on the other hand, stood by the corner with Tipler peeking from her pouch. While she gained the trust of the new Archduchess of Eylstadt and Izetta, she was still a stranger among the people of this country. Her presence would come out as odd, not to mention risk revealing Tipler.

Alice talked to the said Murlock as she observed.

"So she's finally done it."

"To think that her father died, right before she came home…"

"I was sure she would get over it at some point. From what I understand, he lived a long life running and protecting this country. Can't say I have anything against him."

"Why do you have to be so callous?"

"A-Am I really being that?"

"The girl must be suffering hard right now. She must be putting up a face just to calm the people."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Am I wrong?"

"No, but you're saying that like she was forced to serve the people at her own expense. I may not be royalty, but even I get the feeling she's doing this because she wants to protect the people. Just like how we want to save the world."

Tipler remained silent. He doubted that saving the world is what Alice desired, but he never thought about the princess being willing to sacrifice her life for the people either. And that's not all as Alice stated.

"We both know she's not alone. In fact, she could have the best friend anyone could have."

At that moment, Fine went to the crowd and called to the masses who gathered around her.

"Fellow people of Eylstadt, people of the Allied nations, and all of humanity. Hear me. As of now, humanity is being engulfed in the flames of war. Throughout the world, nations and cities are ravaged by the threat of the Neuroi, which consume the planet's land and attack indiscriminately."

Alice could visualize, like a black-and-white film, the Neuroi appearing as they did decades ago. They emerged from the black clouds resembling black planes before firing red beams from the red spots dotted around their craft that tore through historic landmarks and cities.

"Yet even with the power of the current Witch clans, madness and disaster continued. The people of the European continent can attest to that well, as the Empire of Germania abandons its kin in its quest for world domination. In this nation of Eylstadt, the loss of my father, the former Archduke, was a grave blow in such a dire hour. I'm sure that there are some who wonder if a young, inexperienced girl such as myself can take the helm of state in such a situation."

The next visual was the marching soldiers of Germania who invaded Livonia and Galia. She could picture the infantry and tanks firing their weapons at scores of civilians and outright executing them without hesitation. She snapped back into reality as Fine declared.

"But my people, be not afraid! We have a guardian who is every bit the equal of this ancient sword of our ancestors!"

The Archduchess raised her sword into the air.

"Let me introduce you. A Witch adored and honored by all Witch clans throughout the world. The descendant of the legendary White Witch, the guardian of Eylstadt! My friend, Izetta of Weisse Hexe!"

The sword in her hand hovered into the air and radiated waves of energy before the people. Alice smirked from the side as she anticipated what came next. Large cameras started flashing, and the reporters quickly replaced lightbulbs that burnt out.

They witnessed Izetta flying by with a large anti-tank rifle. Unlike the last time she made an appearance, Izetta wore a white gown that resembled the one used by the legendary Weisse Hexe. Her weapon was a creation from Suomus, customized with a seat and handlebars for her personal use. She stunned the reporters as she used the flying sword cut down the nearby stone pillars and sent them crumbling to the ground.

"Some of you may have caught wind of this. You have heard rumors or outright witnessed a single Witch who shot down the invading army's planes one after another and destroyed their waves of tanks, thus defending the fortress of Coenenberg. These rumors are true. Her power surpasses the latest of human-made weapons and outstrips that possessed by all other Witches."

Fine raised her hands to Izetta as she flew above. Gertrude also raised their arms to the side as the three Witches levitated in the air. Francesca and Erica were just as surprised as the reporters who witnessed them. They found their Striker Units and weapons coming towards them, grabbed their armaments and readied their legs for insertion. They sprouted their familiars' ears and tails as they started their propellers immediately in midflight.

"Even now, the Witch clans of Europe bow before her power and honor her wishes no matter what the cost may be, the defense of Eylstadt and its people!"

Izetta descended to the Archduchess as she offered her hand. The two rose up together as did the book and scepter in the other old men's hands. The new ruler of Eylstadt raised her sword as she announced.

"I say to my beloved people, and the world. Anyone who dares to threaten witch kind or this very principality is an enemy to all Witch clans, and shall face the wrath of the White Witch, the Witch among Witches and highest of all clans, Weisse Hexe!"

Alice remained confident throughout the entire ceremony. She was certain that this was going to go smoothly, especially with herself out of the way. However, it did seem off that she managed to pull this all off within a couple of weeks. She guessed that the now crowned Archduchess was really determined to make an impression for her people.

However, the Psionic girl noticed another woman peeking behind elsewhere. She was a woman with blonde hair tied to a bun with some red streaks at the front. Alice pointed her out well thanks to her black and red fur coat and large round glasses.

"That's perfect. Calm and composed, just like we planned."

Alice could hear those words muttering from the woman. She did not know what she meant and wanted to investigate, but she was a big yawn coming. Her mind switched to waiting for the ceremony to end, so she finally can get some sleep.


The sun shone over the capital of Germania. The original capital of what used to be Karsland became a hive for the Neuroi that made itself home in the nation's territory. Even with its presence, the fact it never touched the majority of the people meant an uneasy relationship between the two. That was especially so with the militaristic architecture of the new capital.

The palace of Neue-Berlin displayed its might with lines of anti-air batteries in the courtyard. Armed guards, armored cars, and tanks patrolled the streets. The Kaiser who ruled the nation was not alone either as lines of commanding officers and soldiers stood before him.

"Commander Grosskopf, I heard that you issued a full retreat from the Duchy of Eylstadt. Care to explain why?"

Kaiser Otto, the ruler of Germania, rested on the arm of his throne. He spoke to a bald army officer who bowed before him. The man was called upon to face the Kaiser a few weeks after he ordered the entire force to retreat.

"Your Majesty, we regret to inform you that the force responsible for invading Eylstadt…was annihilated."

"Annihilated?"

"Nearly our entire force was wiped out, and all forward bases fell as a result. We had no choice but to withdraw from the nation completely."

"And why is that?"

"It wasn't Eylstadt's troops, nor the Karsland resistance fighters. They apparently have some kind of secret weapon! No, two secret weapons at that!"

"Two secret weapons? Are you sure they're not standard Witches?"

"They weren't ordinary Witches, Your Majesty! Neither of them!"

"Oh? Care to explain."

"The first of which was a young blonde girl who manipulated fire and wind, wiping out soldiers with effort."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, she did not even have a Striker Unit, yet she destroyed a large portion of our force with her own hands! The infantry was burned alive, and her power easily crushed the armored battalion! She attacked our headquarters, too, and would have gotten all of us should we have remained there!"

The Kaiser remained silent, waiting for him to finish his report.

"And the other one?"

"Well…the soldiers say the other one was a little girl flying on a rifle. The Eylstadt soldiers seem to worship her as some kind of White Witch. Even the Karsland forces bowed before her!"

The Kaiser's silence made Grosskopf panic even more as he acted desperately.

"It's true! Everyone said the same thing! The Witches and Eylstadt soldiers called out her name. We even noticed a Morse signal telling them that she's the next of coming of Weisse Hexe!"

"Weisse Hexe..."

Upon hearing that name, it took a few seconds before chuckling. He burst into laughter as if he heard a joke. His hysterics made the bowing officer confused and nervous at the same time. After taking a moment to catch his breath, the Kaiser turned to his aide, a blonde man in a noble blue uniform.

"Did you hear that, Elliot? To think we actually found her, the legendary Witch of Weisse Hexe!"

"The reports already show she's the real deal."

"Of course, we already have the news right here."

The Kaiser took a stash of newspapers out from the side. Although it was an Allied newspaper, it showed photos of the Archduchess's coronation followed by the introduction of the White Witch. He faced the bald officer as he displayed the papers.

"Lieutenant General, the information from you and your men is more than believable. No severe punishment will be conducted."

Grosskopf showed joy, which was crushed when the Kaiser continued.

"However, as the commanding officer responsible for the invasion, I'm taking away your lands. You will be demoted from your rank and set as the head of a prison camp."

The officer now sweated and the Kaiser noticed the man shaking over his punishment.

"What's wrong? Do you protest? I have three new camps being opened in Livonia, so you're free to pick whichever you choose."

"O-Of course not! T-Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Very well, you are dismissed."

The now-former Lieutenant General marched out of the room. It was now only the Kaiser, his aide, and his other generals. The ruler of Germania, however, only conversed with his aide.

"We'll have to reconsider many of our plans."

"From the tone of your voice, you must be very enthusiastic. First, you challenge the standing of Witches in the modern era, and now you are going against two new adversaries, one of them being the Witch who rules them all."

"My blood has been boiling since we confirmed her existence. I want this legendary Witch captured alive."

"Your Majesty, if I may speak."

"Of course. That's why you're here, Elliot."

"Our original objective in the invasion of Eylstadt was to secure a passage to the southern states of Romagna and Venezia, which have now fallen into civil unrest. That way, we will have an easier way to send troops into the Mediterranean and Africa. Please don't forget that."

"You are right. But with Eylstadt revealing the presence of the White Witch, the clans throughout the world obey her command and that of the Archduchess. Capturing the nation is no longer possible for us."

"Understood. Now that the Eylstadt is out of reach, we should prioritize defeating and capturing the Witch of Weisse Hexe."

"Our agent has already interrogated the soldiers who retreated from Eylstadt and is currently seeking recruits. It won't be long before we can make our move against the Witch."

Elliot nodded as he continued.

"If I may suggest."

"Go ahead."

"For now, only a few clans appear to support the White Witch. Even if Eylstadt gains support from those within their military, the Allies have not fully dedicated their support. It is likely that they'll send her away from Eylstadt to display her power."

The Kaiser went back to the newspaper as he eyed on the photos showing three girls kneeling before Izetta and Fine.

"Indeed, and the Witches appear to be Karsland agents."

"Gertrude Barkhorn, Erica Hartmann, and Francesca Lucchini. Former members of our old nation's military and allying countries."

"I always knew they would put a fight against our new force, but to think they would cast their lot with the White Witch immediately upon her discovery. This will an interesting fight indeed."

Kaiser Otto laughed once again as he gave his next order.

"Call back Major Berkman. We will postpone all operations regarding Eylstadt and suspend our offensive action against the Allies for now. We shall take this time to reorganize our troops and rebuild our forces for what is to come."

"And what if the Allies decide to take action?"

"That will not be necessary for they, too, are reeling from the recent attacks. And besides, we still have the backing of…them."

Elliot remained silent, understanding what he meant.


The next day, the newly crowned Archduchess and Izetta awoke within the main palace of Landsbruck. After the ceremony, they immediately returned to the capital, although they insisted in walking there instead of using Izetta's flight magic. Everyone else returned to the palace to sleep. The Psionic girl and her Murlock pet, which no one saw enter the building, were also given a room in the far corner of the palace.

"Do you think our guest is alright?"

The words came from another woman who stood beside Izetta and Fine. To all of Eylstadt, she was the commander of Eylstadt's royal guard, composed of all women who now served the Archduchess. They watched the door to the Psionic girl's given room for it remained locked throughout the morning. Fine wondered how Alice managed to sleep well past morning hours that she unknowingly missed breakfast.

"She has been asleep for a long time now, but she was up long past midnight, I would not expect her to wake up at a normal time."

"Shall I knock on the door then?"

"There is no need, Bianca. She is our guest here as much as Izetta, please do not intrude her."

But someone else thought otherwise. A young girl passed them, carrying a stepstool with towels on top of them. She banged on the door loudly to the anxiety of Fine.

"WAKE! UP! OUR! GUEST!"

"Lotte, please, do not…"

The door opened up with a loud slam. The girls flinched as a tired Alice appeared in front of them. She remained in the same clothes as before, not caring how much she likely dirtied the bed. The girl yawned out to them as she stretched her arms around.

"Boy, I never thought that staying up until midnight would make me ever so sleepy."

Her pet then hopped over to Alice's side as he complained.

"I kept trying to wake you up, Alice-sama. But even the maids here don't seem to hear me."

Fine jumped over how the Murlock simply showed himself without thinking. She could view the faces of Bianca and Lotte without actually seeing them.

"T-Tipler?"

"Please forgive her, miss. Even I did not know…hm?"

The Murlock turned to what was why Fine jumped. He caught the eyes of the young maid girl who left her eyes wide open. She dropped her stool, which slid its towels towards Tipler as it fell over.

"A-a-a-a…"

After a few moments, Lotte let out a loud squee. She immediately wrapped her arms around Tipler and hugged him right up to her chest.

"Whaa?"

Alice also jumped over what the little maid just did.

"Tipler!"

"Lotte, what are you doing!?"

Lotte ignored Alice and Bianca as she continued cuddling the little being.

"It's a cute little rabbit!"

Fine intervened first as she placed her hand by her arms.

"Lotte, please let him go!"

The maid jerked to the Archduchess in anxiety. She spontaneously dropped Tipler onto the rug as she ran away.

"Forgive me for not knowing you had a pet! Please let me get a bed mat right away!"

"Lotte…"

Tipler shook in frustration as he stood back right-side up. He could not understand the maid's infatuation with him. Since when did people find him so cute? Even Alice did not understand either as she gazed at the maid beside Fine.

"What's with that girl?"

"Lotte is my personal maid. Forgive her for being…"

"A little airheaded?"

Fine nodded as she turned to her commander of the royal guard.

"Bianca, please get Lotte to calm down. We will take care of things from here."

"U-Understood, Princess."

The royal guard bowed before walking down the hallway. Now it was only Alice, Tipler, Fine, and Izetta together again. The Archduchess and White White turned to Alice as she picked up Tipler and placed him her pouch.

"In any case, that sure was a nice sleep! I never had such a soft bed in my life! And you, Tipler?"

"Yes, it was…very nice, Alice-sama."

For once, Fine gave a little smile to the duo.

"Do you ever have any beds like this? Guess not since technology seems nonexistent in your world."

Tipler shook his head.

"On the contrary, my former master had one during the time she took care of me."

"Former master? I guess that's how you manage to come from the future. What was life exactly like before then?"

"It was…miserable."

"I mean…how miserable?"

Everyone listened in on Tipler as they went down the hallway together.

"To know that, you must understand the system that traps the Murlocks in a terrible cycle. You see, my entire species operates as a hive. My former master told me to think about ants or bees."

Fine was the only one who could figure that out easily.

"Ants and bees…You mean like a queen bee, right?"

"She breeds many of us male Murlocks who do all the hard labor. That includes harvesting, digging, and mating with the Queen to make more of us, including the next Queen to take her place. She is also the only one who can outlive the rest of us."

Izetta wondered what Tipler meant by that.

"How long exactly?"

"Over 60 years."

The other girls jumped over that statement. For normal rabbits, they would only live for at least a couple decades at best. But now, they see a creature who outlives them more than four times. Alice was the most shocked as someone who did not learn much about nature while Fine was even more intrigued.

"60 years!?"

"And how long do you normally live for?"

Tipler did not understand why they jumped over his sudden life expectancy but went to Fine's question.

"Around the same amount. However, due to circumstances, we only live for around for 20 years."

"Why is that? Did the Vilag do something to you people?"

Tipler nodded in regret.

"The Vilag use us for all sort of things. Above all, they use us as slave labor…and food."

Alice felt odd about the last part. Perhaps that's why Tipler stuttered over that last part.

"Food? You don't look like much for a meal."

"Not at my age, no. Even now, I'm still a child at around seven years. If we were to grow old enough, we would stand as tall as that maid girl who picked me up."

Alice wiped the sweat off her head. The others were just as surprised as she was.

"Sorry, that's beyond my comprehension."

"Forgive me; I never thought you would understand."

Fine continued in pressing the matter.

"Setting that aside, you say they use you for slave labor. What kind of labor?"

"They used us only for the basic needs including farming and creating paper. At an age of 30 years when we can no longer mate, the Vilag farm and slaughter us for food. And with their control of the queens and my people, none are even missed."

Izetta felt the most pit of the group.

"That's horrible..."

Fine felt the most anger among them.

"You may look like a little rabbit, but you have many characteristics close to a…human. And you're saying these Vilag just treat you like a bunch of….cattle?"

Tipler responded in shame.

"We had no other choice. Our kind is conditioned to treat the Vilag as if they were just like this White Witch. Otherwise, they would feed us to the Hunterbeasts and easily slaughter us, just like they did in their rebellion."

Alice twitched over the last word Tipler said.

"Rebellion?"

"According to my former master, there was a time when one of our own tried rebelling against our Vilag masters. It failed and resulted in a cruel punishment to those who did not bow to them."

"Do you know what kind of punishment?"

Tipler shook his small head. As much as Fine wanted to contain her anger, she had another question in mind.

"If I may ask, how did your former master find you?"

Tipler was hesitant at first. But the Archduchess and Witch could tell it was not easy for him to explain.

"My former master said she found me when wandering in our colony grounds. She said that I was very precious to her and raised me like a friend. She would teach me things from this very language I speak to the civilization of the Vilag."

Alice merely gave a positive reaction as he petted the Murlock.

"Almost sounds like she wants to liberate you, just like how the Karsland girls want to liberate their land and protect our little White Witch. Isn't that right, Archduchess?"

"Well…"

As per speak of the devil, four more figures came up. Gertrude Barkhorn led the group, flanked by her two squadmates.

"Weisse Hexe, we have finally found you."

They gave way to the other woman as the Lieutenant turned to Fine.

"Forgive us, Archduchess, but we found someone who wishes to speak to Weisse Hexe."

Alice and Tipler both gazed at the woman. She was the same one they found peeking around during the coronation ceremony. She gave off a far friendlier vibe compared to her more skeptical action last night.

"Looks like our girls are all ready to go. That was a perfect performance out there, more than enough to convince the people of your spectacular might!"

Alice was still unsure who exactly this girl was. Fine stepped forward to introduce the woman.

"This is Elvira Friedman, my personal tutor. She is a journalist who works with various newspapers and radio stations throughout Liberion. She is also the one who handles the advertising of Izetta as the second coming of Weisse Hexe."

"Advertising?"

Alice answered to Izetta as she patted her head.

"It means that you're a world celebrity now. Everyone around the world knows of your existence, including your power as a Witch."

"Celebrity?"

Elvira instead focused on the Psionic girl and her little companion. She sized up the girl and went as far as measuring her breasts to her embarrassment and poking her finger around Tipler.

"And look at we have here? We got a real talking bunny laying around here!"

"Excuse me, miss?"

Elvira ignored Tipler as she then rubbed her chin front of Alice.

"We got the girl from Liberion, too, who came into the mix."

"H-How did you know?"

"I know a cowgirl whenever I see one."

"Cowgirl!?"

Erica joined in with a joke. Francesca also rested behind her back with a smug smile.

"She does look like one. She's just missing a hat."

"And no Liberion cowgirl is better than our dear Shirley!"

"Officer Erica and Lucchini! That is not proper conduct!"

Alice ignored the squabble between the Witches from the 501st. Elvira was more than enough for her.

"Shirley?"

"They're talking about Charlotte Yeager of the 501st, the recently promoted Lieutenant and Liberion's top ace."

Francesca jumped over someone saying the full name of her best friend.

"Y-You know her, too?"

"Of course, she does. She works with us all the time. Or perhaps you've slept on the job for far too long."

Fine ignored the dueling glares between Francesca and Erica. She conversed with her tutor.

"You must be here for Izetta."

"Of course. She's the star player of Eylstadt, after all. I make sure she's well-polished and ready to go out when she faces the enemy and greets the other Witches."

"Tell me about it. She's just a young, adolescent girl with no military rank, yet they worship her like she's some kind of goddess."

Alice's comment provoked a glare from Lieutenant Barkhorn.

"Our respect for Weisse Hexe is per ancient tradition of our Witch clans. That does not mean we worship her!"

"Well, uh…"

Fine looked at the time on a nearby clock. There was already little time for them to stay around.

"In any case, we must get going then."

"Huh?"

Fine faced Alice to clarify.

"This afternoon, we will hold a meeting about the world's response to my coronation and Izetta's debut. We would like you to attend as well."

"Guess I have no choice then."

Alice scratched her head as they went along.


"So they finally revealed her presence. And now Karsland…no, the Witch clans are casting their support for her."

Berkman and Rickert read the newspaper at a bar within Germania. Rickert was the who felt pathetic over the crisis before them. Berkman still kept more than his composure.

"They want her to fight in front of the reporters and display her overwhelming power for the cameras. They even included the Karsland Witches to show the clans' support for the White Witch. Then the world will fully acknowledge the military, cultural, and political power of the Weisse Hexe legend."

"Nonetheless, the article is exaggerating. She only has support from three Witches. And only an armored battalion was defeated, not a division."

"Nonetheless…Our army has gone from an unstoppable force that rivals Witches to mere fodder for the one who leads them all. I can't blame the Allies for getting excited."

"When you think about it, it's frustrating to think that we let her go."

"On the contrary, His Majesty is enjoying the situation."

Rickert jerked to Berkman as he flipped over another page. The Major then turned to a man who their eyes on them.

"We've been told to start recruiting fellow soldiers for our upcoming battles against the White Witch. And with the delays to the offensive on all fronts and reorganization of our forces, we're allowed to use as much manpower and resources as we like."

The approaching man was Captain Bassler, who took a seat left of Berkman.

"Were you the one who called me?"

"Captain Bassler. We never met, yet you figured out it was me."

"I just looked for the shadiest guy at the bar. I'm more concerned about what the Special Unit wants with me."

Berkman nodded as he signaled the bartender for a glass of beer. He handed it over to Bassler along with the newspaper. They eyed on Izetta with contrasting emotions while Berkman went down to business.

"I want to hear what you have to say. You did not put it in your report, but I assume she was the one who shot down your men."

"Not just her."

"Oh?"

"Long before she appeared, there was another girl who fought beside her. A girl who used fire and air as a weapon and to propel herself."

"I heard the rumors myself. Another girl fought alongside the White Witch who managed to burn countless infantry divisions and blow up several tanks with mere fists and balls of fire. She is certainly something beyond a regular Witch."

"I shot her in the arm during our engagement. She's not as though as the other one. However…"

"That's when she showed up."

Bassler gulped his beer before confirming Berkman's assumption.

"Nobody would have believed me if I said it then. But now that the White Witch has gone public, I guess it doesn't matter."

Rickert's eyes widened in awe.

"Then it really was…"

Berkman continued to interview the Captain.

"So what do you think of her power? The White Witch, that is?"

"It's insane. Both she and the fire-wielding girl both decimated our men. Nothing we thought we knew helped. They were going 400 kilometers per hour, with the White Witch riding on a rifle with another girl, and they maneuvered like a barn swallow."

"That rifle was supposedly customized from the Imperial Armory, I'm told, though they certainly never gave it the ability to fly."

"She's not inside a vehicle, which makes her small and hard to hit, and she does not wear a Striker Unit. The fire girl may have lost the ability to fight well with an injured arm, but you can't just shoot the rifle to make her fall off. Clearly, they outmatched anyone in a dogfight."

"The Witch must sound invincible then."

Berkman shook his head in confident denial of Rickert's words.

"Of course, she isn't. If that were true, then Witches would be ruling the world already. Though in a sense, they already are."

Berkman chuckled at the irony as he eyed the newspaper photos with the Witches from 501st Joint Fighter Wing. Bassler glared at the man.

"That's not funny."

"No, but I mean what I say that Witches are not invincible, and I have two reasons to show it. You said that you confronted her from the Alps the day before the battle of Coenenberg."

"I can never forget that and…wait…"

"If she flew there, then it would have taken her and the princess a few minutes. They would have arrived long before the battle even began. But she did not appear until the last minute when the Eylstadt troops were on the verge of defeat, now why is that?"

Bassler had some doubts. She still appeared to be falling the last time he glimpsed the girls. The height they appeared would still be enough to seriously injure, let alone kill a person. It would take a while to reach Coenenberg under such injuries, especially with needed medical attention in mind.

"And the other reason?"

"The newspapers here are trying to propagate her power. A wiser move would have been to keep her presence a secret until she appeared in the heart of Neue-Berlin."

"You wouldn't…"

"If she were to do that, she would have killed the Kaiser and his cabinet. That would end the war with Germania immediately. So why did they instead go out of their way to display her prowess?"

Despite reacting to the Major's dangerous words, he agreed that it was a much stronger point. Eylstadt blew their chance to keep the Witch's presence a secret, which they could have used to strike a crippling blow to the Empire. The fact they chose not to was strange as Berkman summarized.

"The Witch of Weisse Hexe may be powerful, but she is not invincible. I have reason to conclude that there are times or places where her magic is fairly weak or completely unusable. If we can figure that out, we can exploit her vulnerability and show the world the Weisse Hexe myth that the Witches worship is not as powerful as they believe her to be. And besides…"

Berkman eyed on Bassler to finish his reasoning.

"If either girl were unstoppable, then that fire girl would have already toasted you, and we would not have this conversation. You said you managed to graze one of them and leave her vulnerable to attack if it wasn't for that Witch."

"Those women were something else, nothing like any of the normal Witches who opposed us. No one has ever rivaled them in a dogfight…except for me."

"Very well, you pass. You'll be given the order soon, so we're counting on you, Captain."

Berkman's words confused the captain as he rose from his seats.

"We are currently recruiting soldiers defeated at Eylstadt in the presence of the White Witch and that fire-and-wind girl. You're going to work for me. Together, we will hunt down both girls before we recapture Eylstadt."

Bassler raised his glass to his new commander.

"I am honored, Major."


"Is everyone here and accounted for?"

Muller called for everyone who attended the meeting. He sat in the middle on the far side of the conference room table. On his left was General Schneider, and to his right were Bianca and Lieutenant Barkhorn. Facing opposite of him on the window side was Fine, who also sat behind a large bulletin board with newspapers and maps of troop movements. To her right was Izetta, and to her left Elvira and Alice, with Tipler still in her pouch.

Alice felt the most alien out of those in the conference, wondering why they invited her in the first place. She rested her shoulder on the table as she faced Muller from the corner.

"Never thought I'd be in a real conference."

"You're just a guest in here for now. Please be respectable for what we discuss in this meeting."

"Interesting how I would get involved. I didn't think I'd be important."

Fine shared the same opinion as Alice. Muller learned about the Psionic girl's existence the same way he did with the White Witch, although he did not know of Tipler's. Fine thought that if it weren't for her power, she and Muller would never have allowed her to attend such an important conference.

"Currently, the public is more interested in the White Witch. Unlike you, Izetta directly affiliates with a legend that caught the world's attention. Rumors of your existence are still out there, but they dwarf in comparison to the Witch's popularity."

"And now, we have to figure out what our next move should be."

Fine nodded to Muller's words as they faced the bulletin board.

"Ever since they failed to conquer Eylstadt, the Empire of Germania ceased all campaigns against its neighbors. They are in the middle of reorganization after realizing they cannot conquer our nation thanks to the White Witch. For now, they seem to be more focused in the north, aiming its guns at Britannia."

"So I guess the fighting in this country is over then, huh?"

Fine and Muller countered Alice's point. Like the others, they saw Alice as someone who did not grasp the whole situation, especially Fine.

"It's too early to call. Germania still has a large force up in the north near Veile and Xern. They may have retreated to their homeland, but they might attack us if we falter. And we still don't know if we can block them at Coenenberg again."

"And there's the reality regarding the Witch clans."

General Schneider jerked to the aide's words as he continued.

"Gertrude's unit may have cast our support as per tradition. But we'll need to acquire the help of every Witch the next time our country is threatened."

"Are you saying we do not have full approval from the other Witch clans? Muller, did you recommend that…"

"That is my job."

Even Fine felt awful for declaring it in public.

"I would not want to say things yet to come true, and it's cruel to exploit a tradition among cultures for personal gain. But we need to secure aid from the Allies for the future of our nation, and the Witch clans' respect for the legend makes way to gain their support."

The Archduchess turned to the White Witch, who looked in down in guilt.

"Besides…Izetta helped us out of pity. I can't force her to do anything. And there's her power…"

The last sentence prompted Muller to question her.

"What about her power?"

"As amazing as her power can be, I fear she may have limits to when and where she can use it. Her power is not like the other Witches, which doesn't seem to come from within herself. And she's not like Alice, who has powers beyond our comprehension. One must wonder, if she cannot generate her own magic, then where exactly does it originate?"

"So you think we might not be able to use her at some dire hour when we need her?"

Fine nodded to Schneider's question. The old General laid back and sighed in frustration.

"To think we had an invincible weapon for once."

Muller ignored the general's misgivings as he turned to the representative from the 501st.

"Lieutenant Barkhorn, has Commander Wilcke said anything?"

"We sent a telegram to the Commander when we finished the battle of Coenenberg. She replied twice regarding the matter, a week before the coronation and an hour after the White Witch went public."

"And what does she think regarding the White Witch and the clans' traditions? From the soldier's point of view, your subordinates didn't recognize her until you ordered them to kneel."

"It was a spontaneous act, even if it was due to traditions. However, she seems to approve."

"If I recall, Commander Wilcke is a major leader of the Karsland movement and one of your closest friends."

Gertrude nodded as she recalled memories of that experience. That included another girl precious to her who was injured during their escape.

"We have been long acquaintances since the Kaiser took over the homeland and we together avoided persecution. She is also aware of the Weisse Hexe legend, which is why she disregarded our act."

"Are you certain that she will support the White Witch as the tradition suggests?"

Gertrude paused for the moment. The others could tell it was not a "yes," not yet at least.

"She is deeply interested in the Weisse Hexe. If possible, she would like to see her power at first glance."

Fine sighed over the outcome. Despite the performance at the coronation, she did not expect it to gain their support immediately as Gertrude continued.

"Showing Izetta's power through the media must not be enough for her. But to show her power in front of the 501st, she will have to leave Eylstadt for someplace else. More likely at our Dover base in Britannia."

"Then why don't we just go and accept it!?"

All eyes went Alice, who slapped her hand onto the table. The loud outburst disturbed everyone at the table, which prompted her to explain.

"I mean, the 501st and Karsland girls are giving you something rare on the platter! An idealistic leader saving her country is never going to pass it up!"

Schneider wiped the sweat off his head.

"That's true, but…"

Muller gave a short nod before answering to the shock of the general.

"We'll accept."

"Sieg!"

"The last time we attempted to gain the Allies' help was a futile act of desperation. Getting their help and that of the other Witch clans is a certain window of opportunity we cannot miss. And besides, there is also another enemy we have to consider. Now that Germania has attacked and we have a Witch affiliated with our nation, we have to look out for them as well."

Everyone including Alice knew the other threat that Muller hinted, much to Schneider's groans. They faced the map again and eyed on the large black hexagons that surrounded Eylstadt, except for an opening through Romagna.

"They never attacked us yet, but the fact remains our country is surrounded by several Neuroi hives including the enormous one in the heart of Germania. If we don't accept their power now, we will have more than just the Empire to confront. Moreover, the Empire started concentrating troop movements up in Galia, close to the Neuroi Hive in that region. By no means, this can be a coincidence."

Muller then turned to Fine to make a request.

"Archduchess, please send me to Britannia with the White Witch. Next month, there will be a conference between governments-in-exile and all the Allied nations. A representative from Liberion will be at the conference as well. This is a chance more than we could hope for."

"Wait, Sieg. Regarding Lieutenant Barkhorn's report, Commander Wilcke will likely be there as well. Considering her goal, isn't it likely they all want to know about Izetta's power?"

Fine's objection made Muller silent. There was no hiding his real intentions regarding such a move. Although she trusted her well and would allow him under other means, that was no longer necessary.

"In that case, allow me to go with Izetta."

Everyone turned to Fine as she pressed the idea.

"What do you all think? It's the best way to show that we're serious, isn't it?"

Elvira gave some thought to favor the princess.

"It would certainly be effective, but…"

On the other hand, Bianca slapped her hands onto the table.

"No way! We cannot let you be in danger again!"

"Bianca, calm down."

Alice also stood before the royal guard commander.

"Don't be so scared, will you? Remember that she's got us, and three Witches from the 501st will stand behind her! It's not like we'll let them go alone."

"You…"

Bianca glared the Psionic girl. She may have gained the Archduchess's trust, but she only knew for a short time. That's also not mentioning how the girl was bold enough talk against the leader of the royal guard. However, Muller tended to agree, much to Bianca's ire.

"Very well. I'll let you go."

"Sieg!"

"However, besides sending an escort like before, you should be very particular about the routes you take. I'll let Lieutenant Barkhorn know so you can get to Britannia with protection in case of an enemy attack. Bianca, are you up to the task?"

Bianca was reluctant before she nodded with a sigh of defeat. Muller then turned to Fine as he adjourned the conference.

"It's settled then. We'll prepare a boat for your departure. Make sure you're ready by tomorrow."

Nearly everyone in the conference stood up from the table. Alice stretched her arms again before checking on Tipler. Muller and Schneider were about to leave, but they noticed that Izetta was not standing up. Alice noticed this first hand as she patted her shoulder.

"What's the matter, Izetta? You don't think you're capable of fighting above water?"

"It's part of it."

Izetta turned to Fine, who was also concerned about Izetta's passive and timid behavior.

"Um, Archduchess. There is something I must confess. Something I must tell you before we go."

"Izetta…"

"First, I want you to come with me. There's something under the castle that I want to show you all."

Alice was the most intrigued among the group, while Schneider looked surprised. Gertrude and Bianca did not show much emotion but were also curious. However, Muller could understand the anxiety from the White Witch. Perhaps this was what the Archduchess was worried over all along.


And that's the prelude to the upcoming battle. Next one will be the battle against who knows what, though it's an easy guess what it might be. There will be a little bit more conversation, but that's in a location right where the battle begins.

Either way, hope you enjoyed the chapter.