Catherine Stuart stood amid the crowd, her heart trembling slightly. Her mind was blank. Even though she had prepared herself as thoroughly as possible, when her turn came, the feeling was still despairing.
Her Father had broken his leg in Silent Forest some time ago. Her mother earned one copper coin for folding a hundred paper boxes at the North District docks. She also had two young brothers, relying on her to bring home scraps from Genie's Hut.
"Catherine's family needs her more. Let me go." A male magician who had secretly admired the gray-robed girl rose to his feet and spoke timidly. "I still have an older brother at home. He can take care of our parents."
The gray-robed female magician, Catherine, looked at the rash young man with gratitude and helplessness.
"That isn't for you to decide." Outside the circle, the owner of Genie's Hut coldly and cruelly rejected the boy's request. "Every choice in the world has its reasons. All we can do is strive to do our best after making a choice."
"It's all right. I can do it." Catherine took a deep breath and nodded at Colmar.
Then she reached up, removed the headband from her hair, and tossed it to the rash young man. "Colin, if anything happens, I hope you can..."
At that point, she suddenly fell silent. She stared blankly at the floor, then gave a soundless, bitter laugh.
"Help take care of my two younger brothers," she finally said what she had left unfinished. "...Just three months. Take care of them for three months."
In three months, Father's injured leg should be healed.
The girl thought silently as she quietly stepped out of the circle and came before the owner of Genie's Hut. Raising her head, she looked at her bravely.