Hearing the sound from the edge of the clearing, Miss Feliana and the Giant Tree Witch looked up together. They first saw the Moon Witch appear holding a torch, followed by Shade behind her.
This place had barely changed since Shade last left. Rings of powder had been scattered across the ground around the bonfire, and beside the scarlet-gold flames stood two small tents, a kettle, a small mirror, a wooden box, a basin with clothes soaking inside, and all sorts of miscellaneous clutter. The only difference was the addition of some wood, apparently stockpiled for the fire.
"You're back."
The Witches by the bonfire rose to their feet, all smiling upon seeing Shade.
"Good evening, Miss Feliana. I came back alive, thanks to your advice. Oh, and this is the information I found."
Shade followed the Moon Witch to the bonfire and handed the suitcase containing the documents to Miss Feliana. The writing inside was all from the Sixth Epoch, but presumably the Witches had ways to translate it.
It was obvious that the Witches wanted to ask Shade how exactly he had faced a god in the future, but in the end, none of them spoke.
"May I ask how long I was gone? A few hours? A few days? Or a few weeks?"
Shade asked curiously, but Miss Feliana shook her head and said with some regret:
"We cannot answer that question either."
"Why?"
"Because this forest is an unusual place in both time and space. Time here is not fixed, and the flow of time as one perceives it is inaccurate, so I cannot answer your question."
When he had asked the Old God about Hope Town, he had received the same answer. In other words, this place was similar to Hope Town. Shade immediately used