"Gustav?"
That was clearly the true name of the elderly human witch, and coincidentally, Daniste's surname was also Gustav. But the present time was so far removed from Year 1855 of the Sixth Epoch, and Daniste had never mentioned having an ancient paternal lineage, so Shade considered it a coincidence.
"Don't come any closer!"
Seeing Shade study them for a while before actually walking over, the three witches immediately said:
"What are you?"
Even as they spoke, all three were ready to attack. Divine Radiance lit up in the old human witch's hand, the Halfling Witch held two Alchemical Handguns, and the Pink Dragon Witch blew out a string of bubbles. The bubble barrier at the entrance to the Sanctuaries had evidently been created by her as well.
More than his gender, what concerned them amid their panic was Shade's true nature. Fortunately, the three still gave him a chance to explain himself:
"Stop. If you really are a normal person, tell us your most profound childhood memory, name three of the most famous tourist destinations of this era, and finally describe in detail the physical traits a normal humanoid creature should possess."
"You think I'm some kind of monster wearing human skin, don't you?"
Shade asked, recalling what he had seen in the factory buildings outside. He could roughly guess what they feared:
"My most profound childhood memory was hearing the story of the Match Girl. It was about a starving, freezing girl who saw different visions as she lit three matches, before finally dying happily."
Shade had told the story of the Match Girl in Hope Town in the year 1068. That had been two thousand years ago, so the story was most likely still being passed down in this era.
Seeing that the three witches huddled in