The flying dwarf appeared, clutching the Little Witch in his arms.
Just as I noticed the mysterious dwarf’s body beginning to distort, he transformed into a white-haired woman.
Her hair, as deep white as freshly fallen snow, fluttered and billowed in the wind. A large triangle hat with cat ears was perched upon her head, looking every bit like a witch’s hat.
Even his clothes—originally a man’s outfit—had morphed into a white dress before I could blink.
Between the white hat, the white dress, and the white hair, she looked as if she’d been dipped in pure white paint from head to toe. From her physique to her attire, not a single trace of the dwarf remained.
The distortion was identical to the Little Witch’s transformation. Add to that the levitation magic used to fly through the sky, the iconic triangle hat, and that same shock of white hair.
I wasn't certain yet, but I was damn close to it.
This woman in white was a witch.
She had been using magic to pose as a dwarf. I’d assumed transformation magic was limited to animals, so seeing someone turn into a different human was a shock.
This was the third witch I’d encountered since becoming an Alraune. She seemed distinct from the one I’d met at the Demon King’s Castle, though. The witch I’d seen in the Flame Dragon Lord’s room had blonde streaks in her white hair.
If I recalled correctly, that witch had called herself the Witch's Village Queen’s Assistant. I never imagined I’d run into three separate white-haired witches, counting the Little Witch. The identical hair color was so confusing! Was there some unspoken rule that every witch had to be a platinum blonde?
Regardless, even if she wasn’t the same woman from the castle, there was no mistaking her presence in Big Sister Dryades’s memories from fifty years ago. Her face was the spitting image of the female swordsman who had been in the Hero’s party.
I couldn’t believe that a total stranger who just happened to look identical would appear at this exact moment.
I gathered my resolve and spoke up.
"You’re the female swordsman... the Hero’s ally from fifty years ago... aren't you?"
The white witch’s mouth fell open in a performative gasp. "Nyaha! Now why would Crimson Flower Princess-chan know about that, I wonder?"
"Why? Why is that?" She leaned in, her eyes boring into mine with intense curiosity. "Could it be? You didn't just eat the Saint, you ate Vergissmeinnicht too? And absorbed her memories along with her? Nyaru-hodo, nyaru-hodo. I see, I see."
She nodded to herself, satisfied with her own logic. Unlike the Little Witch, this woman wore her emotions on her sleeve—or at least, she was incredibly expressive. And her guess was pretty much spot on.
I wasn’t the only one who recognized her, either. Lady Dryades—the younger sister—stepped forward, unable to mask her agitation.
"It is as the Alraune says... Are you not Fidessa, the female swordsman who died in this forest fifty years ago?"
"That’s right! I’m the Fidessa from back then. And you’re the Dryades' little sister, aren’t you? It’s been ages~"
She admitted her identity without a hint of hesitation. I’d expected her to say something cliché like, "Now that you know, I’ll have to kill you," so her breezy attitude left me feeling a bit deflated.
"Fidessa was a fake name, obviously. And faking a corpse? Easy as pie for me."
The female swordsman Fidessa had never died. Her true identity was this white witch.
"Why... did you... join the Hero’s party?"
"I don’t really have any obligation to tell Crimson Flower Princess-chan that, do I?"
Her eyes suddenly bulged. For a split second, she released a wave of pure, unfiltered bloodlust. I felt like a frog pinned by the gaze of a snake. A chill raced down my spine.
—She’s strong.
It was just my intuition as a Former Saint talking, but I could tell this white witch’s power was on par with that Golden Birdman stalker of mine or the Spirit Princess herself.
Even without an explanation, it was clear she’d been the one pulling the strings fifty years ago. By using transformation magic to impersonate humans, she’d played the Hero and the Dryades sisters against each other. She had sown discord with malicious intent, leading to the Hero’s death and Big Sister Dryades’s fall into darkness.
"I know you were the one... pulling the strings... fifty years ago!"
"And what does Crimson Flower Princess-chan plan to do about it?" the white witch taunted, clearly enjoying herself. "Are you going to avenge the Hero? If you’ve inherited Vergissmeinnicht’s memories, I suppose I couldn't blame you for feeling that way."
"No... I’m not... interested in that."
That was ancient history. I’d admit that seeing Big Sister Dryades’s memories had made me a little sentimental, but I had a much higher priority right now.
"Give... the Little Witch... back!"
She was still clutching the Little Witch. No matter what, I had to get her back!
"Oh, her?" The white witch stroked the girl's head with mock tenderness. "I can’t do that. She’s my precious daughter, after all."
—Daughter!?
Wait, wait, wait... are you her mother? But the Little Witch told me her parents were dead. What was going on here?
"Nyahaha! I didn't give birth to her, obviously. But in the sense that I'm the one who turned her into a witch, I suppose I am her 'parent.'"
The Little Witch had been six when she changed. That meant this woman was the one responsible for her transformation. Now that I thought about it, I had no idea how witches were actually made. At the very least, this woman had the power to turn humans into her own kind. Who was she, really?
"It doesn't... matter... who you are."
I didn't care about her identity; the Little Witch was my family. And since the girl had never even mentioned this woman, I was certain she’d rather be with me.
"If you won’t give her back... I’ll take her... by force!"
"............How fascinating. Truly fascinating. This might be a first."
She flashed a quiet, eerie smile. "Nyahaha! In all my years as a witch, I've never been threatened by a mere plant. I'm delighted. I suppose there really is a point to living so long."
She smirked, her eyes appraising me like a piece of merchandise. Our gazes locked in a silent standoff. Then, her focus shifted.
"Ah, finally," she muttered, looking past me.
High in the sky, a silhouette was approaching on a broomstick. Another witch. And wouldn't you know it—she had white hair too! This one had blonde highlights, though. I recognized her immediately as the Queen’s Assistant I’d seen at the Demon King's Castle.
The newcomer hovered beside the woman in white. "There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You said you’d be at the Adventurer Guild—what are you doing in this forest?"
"Things changed. My apologies."
"Sigh... Well, as long as I’ve found you, Witch Queen-sama."
—Wait.
Did she just say "Witch Queen"?
I knew the woman in white was dangerous, but hearing it from the Queen’s Assistant made it official. This cat-eared woman who had transformed the Little Witch... she was the Witch Queen herself, the ruler of the enemies of mankind.
The Adventurer Dwarf and the female swordsman Fidessa from fifty years ago were both the same person. They were both the Witch Queen.