“I — AM — REALLY — ANGRY — !!!”
After breakfast, Alice grumbled irritably. Early this morning, her female consciousness had once again reclaimed the mental high ground.
“There, there… I’m sorry~ How about Big Sister makes you an apple pie today? I picked quite a lot of fruit yesterday,” Sophia said, playfully sticking out her tongue.
“It’s just because Alice is too cute. I’ve always wanted a little sister… Also, thanks for the treat with that kick this morning~”
Alice clicked her tongue in disdain, her face darkening. She hadn’t misjudged her; this older sister of hers had doubly awakened — both with the green-eyed trait from her past life and her current sister-complex.
Alice’s head began to ache, but there were more important matters at hand that required her full attention.
The two girls walked down the wooden stairs one after the other. The oak steps creaked beneath them as they reached the dining table in the hall and sat face-to-face. Alice assumed a standard pose, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers.
She then shifted the topic, saying seriously, “Sophia, we are now convening a Witch’s War Council. First, let’s open our character panels.”
They summoned their system panels, and lines of data appeared before their eyes:
[Status Window]
Name: Alice Omnia
Level: 10
Class: Apprentice Mage / Apprentice Priest
Sub-class: Intermediate Alchemist
Strength: 9
Constitution: 20
Agility: 16
Intelligence: 109
Spirit: 87
Luck: 5
HP: 210/210
MP: 539/539
Talents: Fire Magic Affinity (Medium), Light Magic Affinity (Excellent), Dark Magic Affinity (Unknown?)
Life Echo: Increases the effectiveness of healing magic and boosts the power of Light Magic. Healing effectiveness increases the lower the target’s HP.
???: ?????
‘Life Echo is great! With such high Light element affinity and the advanced Light Magic manual we have at home, I think I can do this! But what’s with this “Unknown” Dark affinity and the string of question marks below it? Is it a bug?’
Alice began to roast herself, as she had only managed to escape a narrow death earlier by exploiting a bug.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, Alice. After all, when we were in the beta, the game’s exploration progress was less than 5%,” Sophia replied with sudden rationality. “Look at mine, look at mine! A Magic Knight feels like it’s got maxed-out style.”
Alice glanced over at Sophia’s system panel:
[Status Window]
Name: Sophia Omnia
Level: 10
Class: Apprentice Magic Knight
Strength: 83
Constitution: 67
Agility: 65
Intelligence: 28
Spirit: 26
Luck: 30
HP: 586
MP: 167
Talents: Wind Magic Affinity (High), Lightning Magic Affinity (Excellent)
Mind’s Eye: Insight: Chance to parry enemy attacks and perform a counterattack. The higher the character level, the higher the trigger rate.
“Heh heh heh, see that, Alice? This is what you call a meat shield! This is what you call a counterattack storm! Also, my top two magic affinities combined have a higher rating than yours~” Sophia crossed her arms mockingly, looking quite proud of herself.
“Argh! Damn it, I chose Magic Knight during the beta; that’s a man’s true romance! How did it end up with you…” A hint of disappointment flashed in Alice’s eyes.
However, she immediately began to think, ignoring Sophia’s teasing gaze.
‘With a two-person party, we can look out for each other. I need to develop my alchemy, but for now, leveling up is the top priority.’
‘Having such low Luck really is a problem. It’s likely why I was transported near a human town while Sophia ended up right by the house… People really are born with different fortunes.’
‘My staff is broken. I wonder if I can craft a new one? Also, Sophia’s weapons are just a starter longsword and a dagger, both one-handed. Is it necessary to make use of her other hand? Maybe equip a one-handed shield?’
While thinking, Alice organized the bookshelf and eventually pulled out an introductory Wind Magic manual and an intermediate Lightning Magic manual, handing them to Sophia.
“Sophia, don’t waste your talent. Start studying hard from today. Lightning Magic is rare, and we’ll need to find more advanced manuals later.”
“Lame. Why do I still have to study even after coming to another world? I hate it! No way~” Sophia pouted.
Alice’s mouth twitched, a vein popping on her forehead. She gave a kind smile and said, “Do — as — you’re — told!”
**[System Notification: After Level 10, characters receive 5 free attribute points for every level gained.]**
A standard, customer-service-like voice suddenly rang out, instantly catching the sisters’ attention.
“Oh, now that’s more like it. This is exactly how a high-freedom MMORPG should be.”
Sophia’s interest in playing the game was revitalized by the familiar system voice.
“Alice, just watch your sister Sophia enter ‘OP Protagonist Mode’ and slay everything in her path! You can just be the cheerleader mascot on the sidelines!”
“Ha, keep dreaming. We’ve only just formed a rough idea of how to proceed in this world. Can you, with all that brawn and no brains, let me finish?”
Alice began to explain, “Sophia, when we were in the beta, no one chose these two witches. You should know why, right?”
Sophia didn’t seem to care. “I know~ It’s because the growth difficulty is high, resources are limited, and they get targeted in most of the main story events.”
“Oh? It seems Miss Sophia already has a plan to break through then?” Alice asked, her eyes showing a hint of surprise as she tried to bait her.
“Nope. Don’t I have you, my dear high-achiever childhood friend?” Sophia said in a playful tone.
‘Tsk, as expected! I can’t rely on this woman!’
Alice felt helpless and said solemnly, “We are indeed in the same boat now. More accurately, we are sisters. It’s a given that we’ll support each other and progress together.”
“Let’s stick to our old ways. I’ll be the commander after we party up. Don’t worry, Sophia, I’ll take responsibility for both of us. I’ll gradually set our future plans in motion. For now, let’s start by exploring the Arden Forest.”
Sophia, who had been listening silently, raised an eyebrow. She then walked over with a smile and hugged Alice from behind.
“Alice, I trust you unconditionally. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. Why would I ever hesitate or refuse you?”
‘Eh? Why does that sound a bit strange? A direct confession?’
Perhaps because Sophia was too close, the girl’s scent mingled with the air. Alice blushed, becoming so nervous she began to stumble over her words.
“Huh? W-what did you just say! Stop joking around! Of… of… of course! Also, don’t have any indecent thoughts about me!”
“Ahem, I forgot to mention this earlier. You must be careful of the Knight Princess, Christina Paricio. That woman is dangerous.”
“Dangerous, huh…” Sophia also began to ponder. “She was the most popular female character before the beta started, after all.”
“A righteous, blonde Knight Princess. In a role-playing game, isn’t that exactly what every geek wants for a waifu?” Sophia said with a mischievous grin.
“I agree. Unfortunately, that character was locked and unplayable after the official beta started. When that news broke, the player comment section was a sea of mourning…”
After acknowledging Sophia’s joke, Alice stated a fact that was far from optimistic for their current situation.
“According to the official lore, Christina’s father, Grand Knight Master Marcus, was killed by me… by Alice.”
*****
“Your Excellency, I am deeply sorry. It seems we have lost the witch’s trail.” A fierce-looking man with a scar on his face apologized to the young woman in the tent.
“It doesn’t matter, Captain Shawn. We have all witnessed the witches’ cunning over the years,” the tall, blonde, blue-eyed girl said coldly.
The girl slowly stood up. She reached out to smooth the wrinkles in her skirt armor, her fingers giving a slight tug to her black stockings to adjust them into a comfortable position. She then picked up her knight’s sword and sheathed it at her waist.
Night had fallen over the Sarlan Plain. The dark sky soaked the horizon, and the grass, which glowed golden-brown during the day, was now dyed a hazy silver-gray by the moonlight. The evening breeze rustled through the grass, sounding like the earth whispering in its sleep.
Christina Paricio, despite her beautiful and delicate face, gazed at the distant moon with eyes full of hatred and coldness.
That chilling aura seemed capable of heartlessly freezing anyone who approached her with ill intent.
“The witch who appeared on the Sarlan Plain recently, the one skilled in ice magic, certainly gave the Witch Hunt Squad a hard time,” Christina stated.
“That Ice Witch successfully escaped using a teleportation scroll. The witch you encountered a few days ago likely possesses a similar item.”
“My fellow comrades, we are the sword in the Pope’s hand. Adhere to your code of conduct.”
“Do not let a single witch go easily.”