At a café in Richmond, Lord El-Melloi II held a cup of coffee as he examined the information in his hands.
"Witch... If I remember correctly, the report said that person called herself the 'Ashen Witch,' didn't it?" Sitting across from Lord El-Melloi II was his disciple, Gray.
Lord El-Melloi II rubbed the corner of his eyes with a headache.
"Disregarding the principle of secrecy and openly performing magecraft... What exactly is this 'witch'?" Lord El-Melloi II felt a headache coming on.
A girl called the "Ashen Witch" not only called herself a "witch," but also performed magecraft in public.
Oh, that girl claimed she was performing "magic."
The title "witch" had drawn the Clock Tower's attention to the matter.
The Clock Tower had a Department of Botany, and its founder had been a witch. Though the witch later left the Mage's Association, there was no denying the unique nature of witches themselves.
Gray raised her hand. "Master, I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Ordinary magi wouldn't call what they use 'magic,' would they? Could the other party actually be... an outsider?"
Magic was not something so simple.
Magecraft was not something that could be publicly displayed.
Likewise, "witch" was not a title one could casually claim.
—Then the answer was obvious.
"An outsider... Ah, indeed, the Mage's Association also considers it highly likely that she is an outsider who happened to acquire magecraft," Lord El-Melloi II said. "But we cannot rule out the possibility that she truly is a witch. Magecraft may have a principle of concealment, but witches themselves may very well disregard the rules of human magi."
"In other words, either possibility could be true?" Gray nodded thoughtfully.
[Woohoo, Type-Moon fans are feasting—the new work is here!]
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