The Witch's After Tea Party / One Wild Night Part 2 (魔女のアフターティーパーティー／One Wild Night 後編) is a side story featured in Monthly Comic Alive. It was later adapted in Tanpenshuu Volume 10.
Summary[]
In the cold basement of the church lay the body of an old man whose head was split in two, and the one at the center of the chaos there was a young girl. She smiled with slight amusement and let out an evil cackle, as she said that a murderer among the group in the basement may be plotting to kill them all. Suddenly, Palmyra rebukes Omega's comment for being insensitive while hugging Colette, their other companion. She asks Omega if the man had really died, prompting the pink haired girl to voice how most humans die when their heads cracked open and that the deceased man was likely not one of them. Her eyes moved towards a figure standing near the corpse. It was Podoso, a guard from the town on the other side of the mountain and the only person who may have had a connection to the church's owner from what they had previously discussed. She asks Podoso if the man was Pastor Coatl, receives an affirmation from him, then voices that the man they thought was absent had been dead and beneath them in actuality.
A young woman with brown hair and a pale face, Maqueena, addresses Omega as a half-devil, seizes her shoulder violently, and proceeds to question why she acted calm at someone's death and what her remark meant. The girl apologizes, noting that she should not have said what she did, but not before telling Maqueena to stop freaking out. A woman in black church vestments named Lysa intervenes by grabbing Maqueena's hand with considerable force. Lysa, an Itinerant Preacher, and Maqueena, a musician, were among a group of people who had visited a church to seek shelter from an ongoing blizzard. A travelling entertainer from the Multi-Arm Clan called Admonsah blocked the view of Pastor Coatl's corpse from Colette because she was a child. Behind him is Trellock, a peddler with ashen hair and a seemingly gentle disposition. The merchant expresses surprise at stumbling upon the body, but this causes Podoso to question the man's identity. Trellock reached the church just as Maqueena and Podoso had wandered away, making the guard wary of him.
Lysa interjects by saying they should do something about Pastor Coatl's body. Maqueena offers to get a sheet, and she takes one from behind Admonsah whilst pushing him out of the way. She covers the man's remains with it and shuts his eyes. Taking note of this, Omega alleges that people like Maqueena tend to sing about the dead's achievements and was not aware that she could feel respect for them. With teary eyes, Colette pleads the duo to cease their quarrelling in front of the deceased. Omega obliges to her request and articulates curiosity over a different subject. Palmyra inquires Omega on this, and the latter looks to Podoso, who stiffened at the her gaze. The Witch believed Podoso made an intriguing statement and knew more about the situation than he let on, so she raises a question about the extent of his awareness regarding it.
The day before everyone gathered at the church, an incident near the town Podoso worked at occurred. The purpose of his visit was to alert Pastor Coatl of it. Omega guesses the incident was a murder, and Trellock added that it was obvious after seeing the corpse. Nodding in agreement and covering his face with his hands, Podoso affirms their sentiment and divulges what happened to the victim: their corpse was in an appalling state, their face was unrecognizable, and all of their belongings had been plundered. Muttering, Omega thinks it is not enough. While consoling Colette, Palmyra glares at Omega and urges her to tell them what she means. She declares that the circumstances between Coatl and the murdered traveler did not match up, and she queries Podoso if there had been any other recent murders. He proceeds to compliment Omega's observations and discloses that seven people had been killed in recent weeks, making the pastor's death the eighth fatality.
Maqueena is startled upon learning how Podoso kept quiet about eight deaths. He tries to say he only knew of seven, though he realizes that it did not make their circumstances better. Terror and alarm begin to show in Maqueena's eyes, and Trellock calmly asks if she was suspecting everyone, which she vehemently confirms. The blood on Pastor Coatl's body had not been dry, causing her to believe the murder occurred after the snow began to fall. According to Lysa, had the culprit left the church, they would have needed to traverse through a large blizzard. Trellock evaluates it as a suicidal act and speculates that the murderer returned to the church, something he would have done if he were in the killer's position. These revelations made Podoso silent and Admonsah terrified.
With concern and doubt in her eyes, Colette plucked Omega's sleeve and asked if the murderer was really there. Omega found it likely, though there was an unlikely chance that they were hiding in another hidden room. She asks Podoso how he found the hidden basement. It turned out that Maqueena found the room. In the basement, there was a lagmite crystal that lit the room, and since it was still glowing, the crime must have been committed a few hours prior to their ongoing discussion. Trellock abruptly inquires Omega's group about what they were like, and Palmyra prompted to explain their circumstances. After he gained a general understanding of who they were, he ascertains the order of everyone who arrived. Maqueena was first, followed by Podoso, Admonsah, Omega's group, which was accompanied by Lysa, and lastly, Trellock himself. Besides the three travelling girls, each of them was a suspect. In Podoso's opinion, apart from the half-elf Omega, there was no means for Collete or Palmyra to have murdered the pastor. The blow to his body was too strong to have come from a typical woman or child.
Tilting her head at Podoso's conjecture, Omega requests that he share how the other victims were killed, since knowing could expose the killer's identity. The victims were outsiders—specifically, peddlers and travelers. Their faces were smashed in, their bodies were left on the road, and neither men nor women were exceptions. Podoso wanted to alert Pastor Coatl about the seven murders because he lived alone, which put him at risk of becoming a victim. Omega arbitrarily asked Podoso about the seventh victim's injuries. Unlike the other victims, his body was injured. The method used to split Coatl's head open did match with the seventh victim's body. Omega observes this and notes that, despite the abnormal behavior of killers, they still had a reason for their actions and had their own standards, just like Witches do. Maqueena was momentarily disturbed by the mention of Witches, but Omega disregarded her, turning to face Admonsah and getting ready to speak with him. She then expresses her suspicion that Admonsah may have been responsible for the murder of the seventh victim discovered close to Podoso's town and queries him for his thoughts.
The question startled Admonsah into silence, which made Omega ninety percent certain that she was correct. Maqueena and Podoso both expressed shock in response to Omega's rationale. However, she believed Admonsah had nothing to do with the other victims and found convenience in his relation to the seventh victim. In response, Trellock tries to affirm her logic by asking if there were three different incidents, then Palmyra follows his summary and divides the incidents between the serial murders, the murder in the town, and Coatl's murder in the church. Colette's eyes widened after hearing everything, and she glanced at Admonsah, who averted his eyes. The large baggage he had brought with him caught Omega's attention. She initially thought he was carrying it for an entertainment troupe, but she didn't see the one person who should have been with him: the slave owner. Admonsah's whole body shook upon hearing the word “slave”.
The logic confused Lysa, who tried to say that slaves were not allowed in Gusteko. Omega, however, cuts her off and reveals their existence. The reason why Admonsah wore a large robe was not due to the region's extreme cold, as the traditional garb of his clan was distinctive. The number of arms they had varied, and since they usually did not have any uniform garments, they tended to dress lightly. While Omega continued to talk, Admonsah asked her to stop. Even so, she continues, her eyes narrowing. The reason why he wore a robe was simple. It was to hide the scars from his abuse as a slave. She surmises that he is likely covered in wounds and may even have burns around his neck due to the side effects of a Collar of Submission, which could cause someone to lose the ability to speak if they were punished too often.
Admonsah raised his voice and sank to his knees, his head in his hands. He tore the cloak from his back, revealing a body covered in scars and a neck with white burns. Even fresh scars, likely from a whip, were adorned on him. While most of the others were shocked to see the man's abuse, Trellock took a Collar of Submission from Admonsah's belongings and held it up for everyone to see. The collar was fastened around a slave's neck, and an owner used it to administer electric shocks when a slave was disobedient. It was something Admonsah had worn for many years. Omega concluded that Admonsah must have killed his former master when he was found in an unfortunate situation, and Podoso guessed the state of the corpse was a reflection of the former slave's hatred. Hearing this, Admonsah's phase curled. As he tried to say something, Colette interrupted him, shouting and denying that Admonsah acted out of spitefulness. She turned to face him, their eyes level. His throat tightened, but Colette embraced him. She tells Admonsah that she understood how painful and lonely he must have been. Though she herself had had terrible thoughts in the past, she knew that feeling sorrow and hatred were different.
Speaking sincerely, Colette requests Admonsah to tell his story. After swallowing several times over, he tries confessing the truth, but Omega interrupts him. She finds the sentiment hinders the truth. To her, it was clear that Admonsah had not planned to murder his former master, as he used his fists to accomplish the deed rather than the knives he had demonstrated his skill in throwing before. In addition, the blades were clean and unstained. She presumes that Admonsah, as a traveling entertainer, only saw his knives as tools, and the thought to murder his master with them never crossed his mind, making the self-defense theory their only logical conclusion to slave owner's death. Omega also believed he was being sincere, since no one in the church was a match for his physical strength and he could silence them if he so desired.
Once he processed the circumstances of Admonsah's case, Podoso decided it was grounds for consideration, much to Maqueena's shock. He regarded the one who abused Admonsah as being in the wrong and voices that he wish he could have sent the slave master flying with his own fists. This upset Maqueena, for she saw Admonsah's actions as murder. Despite that, Lysa deems that Maqueena should hate the crime, not the person. The itinerant preacher then turned to Admonsah, who was still in Collete's embrace. She extends a hand out to him and declares that although Admonsah murdered someone, every action is judged by the Silver Blessing, and even if he receives a punishment she believes he does not deserve to be hurt. The giant man was impacted by Lysa's declaration of forgiveness, while Colette proclaimed that she would have his back. Touched by the young girl's words, he began to sob as she continued to soothe him. Omega, talking to Palmyra, suggests that she must be happy to see this sight. Palmyra responds her companion truly has no remorse, but Omega retorted by claiming she should be receiving praise for purportedly learning to understand people's hearts.
With Admonsah's case settled, it was determined that he could not have been responsible for Coatl's murder. He agreed to descend the mountain with Podoso and turn himself in, though the extenuating circumstances would likely prevent him from being treated too badly. The murder in the church and the serial killings remained unsolved. Palmya recalls Omega's notion that the murders were unrelated and remarks that they only needed to solve the pastor's murder. Omega refutes her, contending that everyone could submit themselves for questioning. But this would be inconvenient for the culprit, and they could attempt to silence everyone, which she deems their main concern.
Omega then asked if there were any valuables in the church. According to her logic, the clearest motive for attacking an old man was to rob him. As the pastor used his own money to rebuild a town struck by an avalanche, it was clear that he had his own savings. Podoso came forward and said he had no knowledge of Coatl's funds. The pastor, for as saintly as he was regarded, had likely not supplied enough charity to endanger his livelihood. Omega believed this meant that he had a rough idea of how much money he owned, meaning it should be somewhere within the church, in some place like a secret room. Trellock made a joke about such a room being a dream come true, conjuring an epiphany in Omega's head. She glanced toward the hall with the basement and decided inspect the body there once more, much to Palmyra's dismay.
Filled with uncertainty, Maqueena questions what Omega needed to check in the basement. While she was scared, she did not want to be left behind and murdered herself. Returning to her investigation, Omega hits the lagmite crystal in the room to light it up once more, though she would need to keep hitting the crystal every so often to continue examining the corpse since the crystal's light faded over time. She determines that Coatl was tortured. His split head was the foremost injury of his, but his fingers and the inside of his mouth were in terrible shape. She began searching his breast pocket, much to the horror of those watching her, who she paid no mind to. Omega believes that Coatl must have had something like keys on his person that were stolen by the murderer. The pastor made the effort to set up a secret basement out of caution, and furthermore, chafe marks on his neck signified that he usually wore something around it. Trellock concludes that it was the key to a safe that held the pastor's assets.
Taking the information in, Lysa verifies if Omega believes that Coatl's murderer is carrying the keys on them. The girl responds by passing it off as mere speculation, saying that like how Witch hunts go, a reason is needed to accuse someone. Omega's usage of Witches in yet another example of hers temporarily irritated Palmyra. But suddenly, Omega felt a weight on her head and quickly realized it was caused intentionally. At the exact same time, nearly everyone there collapsed while feeling a sense of exhaustion caused by a faint scent that stimulated their noses. A trembling voice tinged with sorrow blamed the half-devil for saying too much. Hearing the words directed at her, Omega closed her eyes slowly, feeling like her body was heavy enough to the point where doing anything was exhausting.
Once she verified that everyone was asleep, Maqueena brushed away the nearby remains of the sleeping flower, more commonly known as Muskrim, a flower that can induce a could sleep in humans. She stepped over Omega's sleeping body and tore away a discolored floorboard with Coatl's safe under it. Using a key she held in her breast pocket, she opened the safe. Within were a dozen small bags filled with magic stones, each worth a fortune by itself. She pulled a sheet from a wooden crate, bundled up all the bags together, left the basement, and grabbed her belongings. Peeking outside the church, she judged the strength of the blizzard and left.
Although the wind was chilly and the frost ate at her skin, the blizzard had weakened from when it was at its peak. Descending the mountain could endanger her life, but since she thought staying in the church would mean her death, she chose the path that gave her higher survival odds. Maqueena, with the white light of the lagmite stones from the church, began walking through the darkness and ice, a skill that was necessary for her job. The Muskrim, which had saved her, was also a provision for her work. She wails that it Coatl's fault for being foolish, and a voice responds to her lament, adding that they would love to hear her story. The gentle voice's remark surprised Maqueena and she turned to face the direction it came from, only to be met with a kick to the gut that sent her tumbling through the snow. The pain and horror accelerated her breathing, her ears' ringing added to her confusion, and the thought of what was going on appeared in her mind. The voice answered her thought, explaining that what had happened was simple. No mediocre drug or poison could affect a Temple Knight, or an Itinerant Preacher, as they were blessed. Looking down on Maqueena as if she were a child was Lysa, wearing her black church vestments.
There were coverings made of dark-grey steel on each of Lysa's hands, which could effortlessly shatter a person's head, as had happened to Coatl in the church's basement. Lysa confesses that Maqueena will not be tormented for very long, to which she is met by an offer for the magic stones. However, after denying Maqueena's offer, she reveals that she was really after the pastor and the supposed bard's lives because of Leanotte. The town of Leanotte once existed in the past until it was destroyed by the Ice Thieves, which Coatl was a member of. They created an avalanche in their attempts to retrieve their buried treasures, causing the deaths of Lysa's family and neighbors. After surviving, she joined the Gustekan Church and waited for the moment she could exact her revenge.
When Lysa finished detailing her past, she asked Maqueena to apologize to her family and to the “Silver Blessing”. Attempting to scream, Maqueena found her throat choked in fear as Lysa began to wordlessly raise her fist. At that moment, a flash of light came flying from out of nowhere, landing on Lysa's fist and bouncing off. She spun around in surprise to glance in the same direction as Maqueena, finding that the light's source came from a small shadowy figure in the middle of the blizzard. Pointing a finger at Lysa, thus stalling her chance to exact revenge, the Witch interrupted, adding, “…Sorry to disturb, but could you hold off on making a second corpse, Lysa?”
The sleeping flower made Omega feel nostalgic. She intended to pretend to fall unconscious, but she failed to cover her mouth and passed out, having made it there just in time. Maqueena was not someone that Omega had any attachment for, yet she did not want to see the bard dead. Making clear that she is aware of why Lysa's past and why she wanted to kill the affiliates of the Ice Thieves, she divulges that Maqueena is not a target, surprising the Itinerant Preacher. In return, Lysa questions how Maqueena could have known about Coatl. Omega makes the truth clear: Maqueena was a con artist who perceived the connection between Pastor Coatl and the Ice Thieves, using it to extort him for money. With this, Lysa stared at Maqueena, who frantically nodded her head. The pastor regretted causing the avalanche, sought to restore Leanotte as a form of atonement, and lived the rest of his life in penance. This was Omega's deduction. She adds that Maqueena may be taking advantage of her deductions and hoping she misses something, much to the bard's sudden shock.
Omega raises a finger glowing with the same light from before. A friend had told her to be mindful of causing too many deaths for the sake of the two she travels with, advice she now takes to heart. She is also grateful to Lysa for saving her, so she is willing to overlook Coatl's murder. However, she announces that she refuses to ignore a second death, and that if Maqueena dies, the third death will be Lysa's. Itinerant Preachers had comparable power to the executioners of the Gustekan Church, the Temple Knights. With the responsibility of travelling across the Holy Kingdom to spread their teachings came the need to administer punishment to anything that contradicted them. Although Lysa had power that contradicted her appearance, even she would not dare to cross Omega, a Witch. Omega then inquires Lysa for her decision, commenting that whatever happens will be of great interest to her.
Back at the church, a man begins to slowly move his body. The bard, the clergywoman, and the strange young girl had disappeared from the room. The man found that the young girl was concerning because of her strange and dangerous air. His limbs were still heavy from the effects of the sleeping flower, which were gradually wearing off. The man had not fallen completely unconscious, having pretended to so he could see the the events unfold. He did not expect to be implicated in two murders he had no involvement in, and found it unusual that someone could apply reasoning to something they could not understand. But even the man did not murder people by random. He only destroyed the faces of those he yearned for, and employed their personas after removing their faces. The owner of the personality he currently employed was a wary individual. He could not tear off the face of the sociable peddler he found on the road, making his persona imperfect.
Grasping this, the man decided to search for a new face. No appropriate faces remained in the basement, leaving the face of a pure young lady as his next best alternative. Afterwards, he would pursue the face of the young girl who seemed to conceal infinite knowledge. Wondering what such a face would bring him, he pulls a glove with attached razor blades over his hand. The man approached the lady, protectively wrapped by the arms of a stronger girl. Scoffing at their relationship, he speculated how the strong girl would react upon discovering that the one she had tried to protect was dead in her arms. Suddenly, as the man had his palm over the young lady's face, ready to remove it, a powerful impact abruptly stroke his right arm, shattering it completely. Slowly rising her body, the young lady unleashed a roar reminiscent of a beast.
The night of the blizzard was over, and morning had finally arrived. Omega smiles as she details the effects of Colette's Beast Protection Bracelet, which turns the user into a beast in exchange for their rationality if it senses danger, to an irritated Palmyra. Half of the church was destroyed, two people were missing, and a certain con artist turned herself in. Podoso felt skeptical at the circumstances. According to Omega's story, Trellock was the murderer, and Lysa took him down the mountain to serve him justice, leaving Maqueena as a parting gift. She asks the guard of his plans for Admonsah, and Podoso replies that his crimes may be mistaken as part of the serial murders. This went against Omega's initial impression, since she had expected Podoso to be more obstinate and was prepared to persuade him if necessary. Admonsah had nowhere to go, so Podoso plans to have the multi-armed man assist in his job at Leanotte. Afterward, Omega says her goodbyes to Podoso. Colette and Admonsah, who grew close together in a short time, also bid farewell to one another. Before leaving, Omega tries speaking with Maqueena about the prior night, only for the bard to immediately swear that she will live a simple life from now on as a bard.
Both groups of three have finally parted ways. As they trudged through the snow, Palmyra asks Omega about what had actually taken place. In the end, a saint was murdered by a victim born from his sins, and a con artist who pieced this together was caught up in the victim's revenge. Trellock, the serial murderer whose presence was unanticipated, had also been unlucky. He was defeated by Colette when she transformed into a beast through her Beast Protection Bracelet. Although his body was never found, the trail of blood he left suggested that his survival was unlikely. However, if he did survive, he would certainly refrain from troubling Omega's party again. Believing Omega's story, Colette laments that they were unable to say goodbye to Lysa and express their gratitude to her. The meteor used in the incident took Colette's parents from her, so she did not like to use it. The most sensible member of their party, Palmyra, thought that it was better to leave it be if Colette could believe the story.
Omega adds that a man who was forced a crime he did not intend to commit was given a second chance at life, thanks to the serial killer. Palmyra rebuts her by insisting that adding the Witch element as as a secret ingredient did not a stew. Her annoyed face was one she made often. It almost reflected her pessimistic nature, so it would not ever change. The nature someone is born with can not change. For a Witch, that was just as true. Suddenly, Colette's eyes widened when she saw a figure standing in the snowy road. She runs to the woman, Lysa, and begins to thank her. Palmyra stopped for a second, but Omega nodded her head. Lysa embraced Colette and glanced at the other two, who were viewing their awkwardness.
Speaking up, Palmyra queries Lysa about what she was doing. She had a reason to rush down the mountain, until it disappeared, and she was left without a path. She solemnly mumbled that her job and her life's purpose were gone. Her motive behind becoming an Itinerant Preacher crumbled after Pastor Coatl did not divulge the names of his peers. All that remained was the empty shell of a woman named Lysa Conwell. Colette swiftly offers Lysa to join their group. At this, Palmyra tries to object, but Colette proposes that Omega would not get hurt if Lysa joined them. The two of them pondered Colette's proposal, while Omega is left wondering why she was used as a persuasive factor. Upon being asked by Colette for her thoughts, Omega says that they did not have to decide instantly and could think about it as they trudged down the mountain. She awkwardly shrugged, producing laughter in Colette and Palmyra. The sight put a smile on Lysa's face. Gazing up at the blue sky, Omega, exhaling a misty breath, surmised that the number of people she travelled with was about to increase.