The Two Empresses
The Story of the Witch Girl

Careol City, 5 years later

The tense atmosphere and heavy air filled the room of 30 square meters. The participants, consisting of ten parents and a curly red-haired girl, focused on the speaker with a half-face covered in burns with a tone that was less pleasant for the girl.

"So the conclusion of our conversation is how to get the humans half-animal dead and..."

The witch girl could only yawn and put on a drowsy face, trying to listen to the lecture delivered by the source, making the old woman annoyed and hitting the table with a pile of books nearby.

BAM

"Arakawa Saciel! How dare you ignore me? Didn't your parents teach you manners?" rough jolt. The girl almost fell out of her chair, but managed to gain control of herself. He got up from his seat and looked at the old woman who was standing quite far away from him. He just stood up and gave a faint smile.

"I'm sorry, Elder Erika. My parents were killed on the battlefield, so no one taught me manners," he replied cheerfully. Everyone inside was shocked and offended.

"Are you mocking us?" erika asked while holding back the anger. Slowly the red-haired girl's smile turned into a sinister smile.

"Oh, am I impressed to offend you? I was just telling the truth. Elder Erika, if you are often angry, your wrinkles will increase, you~," he said spicy.

"Bad!"

"Shameful!"

"Basic rubbish!"

"Junk? You calling me trash?" he asked, turning his eyes to a frail man of small stature. "The person you call this trash is the strongest among you. In fact," he said, raising his left hand, "he could have burned your body with just one flick."

All were silent, even some lowered their heads. Elder Erika was silent, but her face was red. He put on a triumphant smile, then walked out without even looking. His steps came to a halt when a lonely man blocked his path.

"Oh, please step aside, Arlestine. I want to go home," he scorned. The one called out only raised his brow sideways.

"Isn't the meeting still going on? Why are you here, Saciel?" tanyakanya. Saciel just sighed and flicked his wavy long hair.

"They piss me off, so I'll leave," he replied casually, "than that, what are you doing here, Phillip?"

"I work here, remember? I was just about to deliver the necessary files, "he replied lightly. He frowned hearing it

"Is that? Let me see," he said, grabbing a piece of paper and reading it quickly, but all he found was empty paper without a stain.

"But a lie" he said with a laugh. He snapped his finger and disappeared without a trace. Saciel just laughed and burned the paper with fire from his hand.

"Fuck you," he meant. He walked up the stairs and down to the ground floor. His eyes caught the figure of Phillip in front of the receptionist with his ignorant face. He ran and kicked him until the young man was thrown and hit the wall.

"Aduh~ is very sick," he complained while stroking his head. The perpetrator just laughed and puffed out his chest.

"Eat him, don't challenge me stupid. You must have lost," he said. "Hey, it's the Red Sun festival soon, isn't it? Let's go to the temple."

"Awhile, to the temple? Don't tell me you want to meet Cerlina. The elders told you not to see him, didn't they?" ask Phillip.

"They have no right to stop me. She's my sister, my only living family" she replied. Phillip sighed and stroked Saciel's head gently.

"All right, let's go. You know best to make me obey you, right?" insinuations.

"That's how it is" she replied with a smile. They walked towards the front yard and a luxurious horse carriage stopped right in front of them.

"Where is your goal?" ask the friendly driver.

"Oorun Temple" replied Phillip. The coachman frowned.

"I'm sorry, won't it be any second..."

The coachman immediately got off and opened the door of the carriage elegantly. Both of them went up and sat down without a word. Slowly the horses ran away from the building.

"How long have we not seen him?" remember Phillip.

"I think it's almost 20 years. Before the war I was not allowed to meet him, even give him his beloved doll" he replied. "I don't understand why they made Cerlina the Great Priest."

"I agree with you. Sometimes we are still blinded by the elders about our race. There are many other races out there in need."

"We witches have a fairly long lifespan, though not as long as the elves and demi-humans" she lamented. "I heard there are some of us who are of the human race."

"really. There's a village far away that's entirely human, but I've never been there either" Phillip said. The two again dissolved into silence and enjoyed a journey filled with mountains and vast plains.

The horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of a temple building with Roman architecture. Saciel frowned looking at him.

"My feeling or this temple changed completely?" tanyanya while getting off the horse carriage, followed by Phillip who immediately paid the cost of his horse carriage.

"That's because they asked the elders to rehabilitate their ancient buildings" he replied. Saciel just laughed mockingly and walked in. His steps were stopped in front of the gate by two monks with a hood covering half of the face.

"Welcome, Archduchess Arakawa and Marquess Arlestine. It is an honor to welcome you to our temple" said one monk.

"Yes, thank you for the welcome. Where's Cerlina?" ask Saciel.

"The Great Priest is meditating for the celebration of the Red Sun. I suggest going back another time" said another.

"Oh? You expelled me? How brave," snapped Saciel. Phillip held him back and gestured for silence. He turned to the monks and put on a smile. The two looked and nodded, allowing them to enter.

"Ba...how can it be?!" scream Saciel.

"Ra-ha-si-a," Phillip replied. Without waiting for long they passed through the gate quickly, but were stopped again by two nuns on the steps.

"OK, what else is this?" lamented Saciel.

"You must be cleansed before you meet the Great Priest. Since you are coming before the holy day, we cannot allow a sinful guest to enter before being sanctified" said a nun. Saciel groaned in protest, but could not resist the rules. The two nuns pulled Saciel east, while the monk and Phillip went the other way. The three stopped not far from the statue of the woman carrying a jug over her head. The two nuns quickly removed Saciel's clothes until no thread was left on her body.

"Do you guys have to strip me?" his question held back the raging emotions.

"For the sake of this ritual is basic, so please cooperate" said one of the nuns. Saciel gave his deathly gaze, hoping for the nun to shut up. Another carried a bucket of water with some spices in it.

"Please close your eyes and reflect on your sins" he said kindly. The red-haired girl complied, inwardly condemning the ritual that lasted quite a long time. One nun watered it, while one recited prayers. Finished the ritual they gave her a large dark brown hood.

"Where are my clothes?" Saciel asked.

"Your clothes are safe in the locker. Wear this to get in" said the nun.

"Without underwear?! I won't!" his protest.

"Then you can't go in" said the friendly nun. Saciel snatched the robe and put it on quickly. The two nuns lead her to the main temple, where Phillip has been waiting in the same clothes as her.

"Finally came too. I thought you were in trouble" Phillip said.

"No, not now" Saciel said sarcastically. The monks opened the door and invited them in.

"The great priest will be here soon, please wait here" said one monk, closing the door. The two men only looked at astonishment.

"Darling the material of this robe is quite thick. Though I would love to see your body without a thread though," Phillip said with an ignorant smile.

"You're lucky we're inside the temple, asshole. Otherwise I might have burned your future assets" he replied sadistically. Phillip gulped in fear, then turned and caught the shadow of someone walking in from behind the throne of the Great Priestess.