Snow Witch'S Journey
Evidences

After finishing all the business in the city, we also rented an inn to rest. On my bed, I sat down while enveloping my body a blanket from the inn.

We take off all our belongings, such as hats, robes, scarves and sling bags to release the load on our bodies. The warmth of the fire from the fireplace between our mattress and the blanket made my tired body more relaxed.

“You make me very curious ...” Suddenly Vestia said as the fire gritted in our midst. Either aimed at me or at the fireplace he was staring at. “Your magic power is already at the level of an elite magician when you are young. How do you do it?”

I'm a little confused. His face that was illuminated by the red light from the fire did not show that he was joking. “By casting magic as usual.?” answer me for what it is.

Vestia's eyes turned from the fire towards me. “Are you serious? You don't even have any trouble doing magic without a wand. Most talented magicians prefer to use tools to cast magic rather than through the body directly. Controlling magic without media is difficult. Especially if you are not learning from an experienced teacher. Where did you learn magic?”

“Ibuku. He's the strongest witch. It's only natural that I became a powerful magician because I was educated by him.”

“Hah?” Vestia's eyebrows raised one. ““Do not joke! The strongest magician there is only one. And that is the official title of the head of the order, the Great Witch of Saulmandria. It was an honorary title that was recognized by the whole world and not to be given to just anyone living in the middle of nowhere,” his rebuttal.

“I don't know who the Great Witch of Saulmandria is, but I'm sure my mother is much stronger.”

“Listen, yes. If your mother was the strongest witch, I would have known who she was. Surely many people know him. You must also be known for being his daughter. The elders must have given your Mother a position in the order and you cannot stay here anymore. Anyway don't make it up, deh.”

I responded casually. “Then your Great Witch or those guests must have never met my mother.”

His eyes exuded an aura of competition. He had no intention of giving up. “Are you not too proud of your mother? Who is your mother really?”

If he intends not to give up, then so do I. “The one greatest witch and the woman I love the most, her name is Aena. My mother had an invisibility body. No one could hurt him or touch him. He also had one of the magic gems and was hundreds of years old. My mother was half Ardus. The power of Ardus flowed in his blood. He can control the weather and nature according to his heart. Your great witch is where maybe—”

“Wait!” Vestia suddenly stood up from her bed. Blanket's slumped. His eyes opened in disbelief looking at me. “You said Ardus? Magic gem and hundreds of years old?”

I nodded stiffly when I saw his surprised reaction. “Iya. I said it just now.”

Vestia then approached me quickly as if being chased by time. He leaned over and looked at me very closely. His hand gripped my shoulder as if trying to hold me back from continuing to stare at his red eyes.

“You're not lying, are you? Lying is a big sin, you know. You will bear the consequences if you lie.”

“For what I lied?”

Three seconds, five seconds he kept staring at my eyes without blinking. He continued to glare as if he was trying to read my mind. His grip on my shoulder is getting stronger. As the seconds passed, his face grew closer.

Did I say something that broke the law? I'm sure I'm telling the truth without offending anything.

Vestia's head hung down, along with her wheezing breath. Vestia let go of her grip, then returned to her bed to reach into something in her bag. “Do you know about Magic Gems?”

“That's exactly what's hard to believe.” He took out a metal plate like a silver medal, then threw it at me. “Magic Gem is the nine strongest magic artifacts created by one of Ardus. Because of its strength, the nine gems could not be in the same place because it would create a friction of magic energy that could explode at any time. Therefore, nine people were chosen to guard and store the magic gem which is referred to as the Magic Gem Holder. But, that's an old story. Now the holders are dead and the Magic Gems have all been destroyed so that no one else wants to master them. That's history that's been common.”

The medal has a carving of three female figures and one male standing lined up in the middle of a circle with nine gems. When I observed it, I could tell one of the women was my mother despite the silhouette. I can feel it and I'm sure it's my mom. Then, the other three mean my mother's brothers and sisters.

“No. My mother is alive. The eyes are still there too. He showed it to me.”

“Cannot be. If the gem was still there, the order would have kept it. Plus Ras Ardus is no more in the world since thousands of years ago. They all decided to isolate themselves in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a very distant ocean. No more news about them.”

Why is he so insistent? Is he trying to insult my mother? I don't care if he insulted me, but I don't accept that my mother was insulted. “I lived eighteen years with my mother. I'm not stupid!” my reply. I don't care anymore about my loose blanket.

Vestia sneered mockingly. “You don't believe it? I'll prove it to you.” He took his sword against the wall. The sword was drawn to me.

“A-what do you want to do?” manya restless.

With the sword that had a cross-shaped wing, he approached me again. This was the second time he approached me, but this time with a sword. His sharp blade was pointed at me. I looked into his eyes and saw the seriousness. I held her shoulder, but it pushed me backwards. My body became unmoved when there was a sharp sword heading towards me.

I have to do something before it's too late. The silver glint of his blade was already in front of my eyes.

Suddenly, he smiled. I don't get it. But, he smiled with satisfaction as I reopened my eyes. After that, I could feel a stinging sensation and something flowing down my cheek. I touched my cheek with my hand. Red liquid stuck to my fingers. It smells like iron. It happened so fast, I didn't even feel anything before blood finally flowed out of my cheek.

“You—!” My voice shook, but I realized it was out of anger and fear.

“I've proven,” he said.

Vestia lowered her sword, then touched my injured cheek. His hands were warm even though they were rough. A yellow light appeared that not only added warmth but also calmness. The pain is gone. Lukaku's healed. What the hell is going on? Why did he do that while smiling as if he had achieved a victory?

“An Ardus has golden blood, while yours is red. You're not Ardus. That means your mother wasn't either. Your mother is human,” she explained.

So, he's proving my blood. Confusion still filled me even though he explained his point. I am human and my blood is red. I never said I was Ardus. The Ardus is my mother. And I'm not his real son. I was only found and adopted by my mother. However, after I thought about it, I never saw mother's blood. Indeed, he cannot be hurt. But what if my mother is a human?

Not likely.

“Alright, because it's been proven. There is nothing to fuss about anymore,” he said casually.

His stubbornness appeared again. But, if you want to continue, it will be useless for me. I don't have anything to prove him wrong. I myself just realized that so far there are still many mysteries about my mother that I do not know. I don't know which is right and which is not. I only believe one thing that my mother is still my mother.