Mia Returns Crossing the River - Chapter 1
The Witch of the Ice Wall Has Returned.
“Is it true?”
“Have you been fooled all this time? Why don’t you go see for yourself!”
Even without the young informant urging him, Dieter was already planning to go. He slipped his arm into his coat and opened the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet. Snatching the folder with the red label, he dashed out without hesitation.
The drawer he left half-closed had a label that read “Unresolved Documents (Copy).”
There was a two-story house on a hillside neighborhood overlooking the sea. Narrow alleys were already gathering groups of onlookers. Rumors sure spread fast.
“Excuse me, coming through, thank you…”
Pushing through the crowd, Dieter raised his voice at the gate.
“Is anyone home? This is the Security Bureau.”
“The Security Bureau? Like the police?”
The gate opened, and a woman stepped out, frowning.
“You’re not shining a light from somewhere, are you?”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s just your face is glowing… When someone’s too handsome, it really is dazzling.”
This woman muttered this absurd comment. She looked about Dieter’s age, neither tall nor short, with her hair twisted into a bun atop her head. She wore pants made from cheap fabric.
‘Looks like the kind of cloth you’d use to make a camping tent.’
Since she suddenly appeared at the so-called “Witch’s House”, chances were high she was the new witch. According to tradition, witches always showed up out of nowhere in odd clothing like this.
‘If she really is a witch, that is.’
The witches guarding the Ice Wall hadn’t shown themselves to humans in over a hundred years. There had even been an impersonation incident a few years back, so letting down one’s guard was out of the question.
The woman felt uncomfortable under Dieter’s scrutinizing gaze and frowned.
“Hey look. People suddenly showed up and now someone in uniform, it’s all a bit overwhelming. Is there a problem?”
Her wary expression looked altogether ordinary. Her sharp, defined features were striking. She was quite a beauty, but…
But the Witch of the Ice Wall was clearly more than human. They were beings who could decide the fate of the world if they wished. Could mere beauty be proof enough that she was truly who she claimed to be?
‘Doubtful. A fake will be exposed soon enough.’
Anyone claiming to be a witch and staying in this house must also bear the responsibilities tied to it.
Dieter’s role was clear.
“I apologize if we startled you. The house has been empty for a long time, so people came out of curiosity. Are you indeed the one who came from the Ice Wall?”
“Well… that’s what happened.”
The woman’s vague reply drew a gasp from the onlookers.
“Just as I thought! It’s the witch!”
“She’s finally back. They haven’t abandoned us after all!”
Some ran down the hill to spread the joyful news, while others closed in around Dieter and the woman. The woman grew more tense. Dieter hushed the excited crowd and quietly asked.
“Since you’ve acknowledged your origin, may I ask about your relationship with Una, the twelfth witch who previously stayed here?”
“You mean the one who came before me? The aunts called her ‘that twelfth brat’. Since I came after, that makes me the thirteenth.”
She recited her background as if it was someone else’s story. Though her ambiguous tone might have seemed off, Dieter focused on the valuable clue.
“You said ‘aunts’? Are the previous witches your aunts?”
“Well, sort of.”
“Please be precise. Are you saying you are related by blood?”
“Why should I answer a stranger poking into my business like this?”
“This is an important matter for our city. Is it certain that you are currently the closest relative of Una? And she has no direct descendants other than you? We ask for your prompt cooperation.”
The pace of their exchange quickened, and her expression twisted.
“Look, I’ve only heard Una’s name. I’ve never even seen her face. More importantly, what exactly are you doing? Why am I being treated like a criminal? What kind of investigation is this? If you’re going to ask, shouldn’t you first identify your name, rank and title properly?”
She snapped sharply, crossing her arms and resting her weight on one leg. But Dieter knew well how to handle such a person.
“Fair enough. My apologies. I’m Superintendent Dieter, from the Central Office of the Portobice City Security Bureau.”
“…I’m Han Mia.”
The stiff official seemed unwilling to yield, but for a moment, Mia’s fierce demeanor softened. Dieter seized the opportunity.
“Please forgive the lack of explanation. I’ve come to deliver important unresolved matters related to this mansion you’re in.”
“What?”
“This house is one of six ancestral residences the witches of the Ice Wall have traditionally used when visiting human lands. The ownership naturally belongs to them.”
Dieter unfolded the documents he was holding so she could see them clearly.
“Your predecessor, Una, had taken out a mortgage on this house in the past but failed to repay the amount…”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
