The Parthun knights have me pinned firmly on the ground. I can't so much as reach for my satchel without having my arm stomped on.

"Cover her mouth, boys. Never know with these ones."

"Please— mmh!!" A filthy rag is stuffed into my mouth.

It would be a simple matter for Rio or the orcs to deal with them. But if they find out I'm in the company of demihumans, what would the kingdom think? 

Do I just accept this?

I don't want it…

I don't want their filthy hands on me…!

"My, my, my. Who are these insolent wretches that dare lay a finger on my precious Ellori?"

That voice. It couldn't be…?

"Kraaa! Kraa!"

A black bird— no, raven, with glinting red eyes soars just above the knights' heads. There's only one witch I know who has a red-eyed raven familiar.

Captain Wendall spins around, sword drawn. He trips on the trousers at his ankles. The other knights follow suit, but their swords clatter to the ground. They claw at their necks as a bubble of water envelops their heads.

"Ahh! Aaaaahhh!! Blurp… glurp…"

One by one the knights drop to the ground clutching necks. Sacs of water around their heads robs them of air, slowly drowning them in an unnatural bubble.

"I came to see my junior only to find her assaulted. My, oh, my. I knew I couldn't let you out of my sight."

"M-Mira?!" I cough out the rag, trying to catch my breath.

Dressed in the same Academy robes, short platinum hair framing pale porcelain cheeks and a sinister grin, another witch has come to my rescue. With eyes as crimson as the familiar perched on her shoulders, is none other than Miracella Dawncrest. 

She blows me a kiss and says, "Just a moment, darling."

"Mira, wait! They're—"

The silver-haired witch snaps her finger, silencing the knights and encasing their heads in a tomb of ice. I watch in horror as they drop to the ground with a hard crash, shattering on impact. The ground begins to open up, swallowing their limp bodies whole and then shutting them beneath the earth. 

All that's left is Captain Wendall, whose bubble of water has yet to freeze over. Mira kneels down before him and sneers.

"I shall let you live under the condition you bark. Blow one bubble for no  blow two for yes."

The captain, having turned blue in the face, vainly musters up what air is left in his lungs to blow bubbles.

"Good doggy." She flicks a wrist, popping the bubble of water.

"Cough! R...uff… cough… ruff…!"

Mira dangles a burning herb in front of his face and whispers, "Anu fel ra'ami. It's too bad a band of giants crushed your knights and feasted on their remains. Fortunately, Ellori took care of them. Now scram."

"Th— thank you… for your service." Are his final words to us before he walks off.

Mira throws her arms around me, knocking me to the ground again. "Ahh! It's so good to see you again!"

"Mm… Mira, you just slaughtered Parthun knights. The very kingdom I'm supposed to be protecting!"

Mira simply blinks, her long eyelashes fluttering in confusion. "Were they not brigands?"

"Were their plate armor emblazoned with the moon not a dead giveaway?!"

"O-oh… Headmaster is going to have my head for this…" Mira's bravado diminishes to a more subdued panic.

"I'm going to be sick… I can't believe you just killed them so casually."

"I couldn't help it! My mind's still on edge from the events over in Randover."

"You charmed him, but who knows how long that will last... More importantly, why are you here? I didn't receive any letters about you coming."

Mira brushes the dirt from my robes and returns my staff. She's always had a habit of spoiling me and going as far as treating me as family. Even though she's only two years my senior, it feels like she treats me an entire generation apart.

"I came as soon as Headmaster Anora got the approval. I was first and only one in line to volunteer." She says, seemingly pleased with her underhanded deeds.

"Hoo! Hoo!"

An ethereal owl perches on my shoulder and deposits a scroll into my hand before disappearing. The contents of the letter reads,

 

Ellori,

I've been given the okay to send a second witch to Parthun. Strangely, only

one applicant volunteered to go, the others were terrified to approach me. 

That idiot Miracella Dawncrest will be your backup. I know you two have 

history, so working together shouldn't be a problem.

 

Miracella's original ward is Randover Kingdom on the opposite side of the

continent. She should arrive, in haste, at about two weeks' ride. Make sure

to prepare some living arrangements for her.

 

Yours,

Headmaster Anora.

 

I have to go over the letter twice and double check if my eyes were deceiving me. "Mira, it says here it would take two weeks to get here." 

"Heh. I just got here a little early." She shrugs.

"A little? You arrived before the courier did!"

"Oh, that doesn't matter. What does matter is I'm here now, and you can rest your little— " Mira yanks my arm, pulling me behind her. She raises her staff eastward. "Reveal yourselves, lest you wish to fertilize the forest."

"It's okay, they're friendly!" I step between her and the demihumans emerging into view.

"Friendly… with orcs and goblins?"

***

"I see." Mira says after a long silence that followed after explaining everything leading up to now.

It's inevitable, and only right that Mira knows all that happened since she will be assisting me. Even though it was embarrassing to recount every single one of my sexual encounters, I had to for the sake of transparency. As witches bound to the covenant, we are to treat each sister as an extension of ourselves.

Mira removes her legs from Luugen's back, and then rests it on top of Fergus. The two of them have been prostrating head down since we came inside. Mira wouldn't have them in the house any other way.

Meanwhile, Gurk is fanning Mira with an oversized palm leaf she conjured from a sapling. It seems, and this is almost expected, her sentiment towards demihumans are less welcoming.

"So… so, as you understand, we may have no choice but to work with the other races."

Mira produces a pipe similar to mine, sprinkles a mix of herbs I don't recognize, and takes a long drag of its fumes. She gestures for Gurk to come closer and blows the smoke into his face, causing him to dry heave.

"I could kill the three of you filthy mongrels as easily as brushing dust from my shoulder. Give thanks to Ellori, for I grant you clemency by her kindness."

I receive an embarrassing round of thanks from both orcs and Gurk.

Parthun is my domain to begin with, and that extends to the Weeping Expanse. For Mira to show up here and prance around like she owns the place is infuriating. Worse yet, with her here, I won't get a chance to have sex with Gurk anymore.

"This is getting out of hand." I say, slamming the table. "You may be older than me, but this is my house, Mira. Don't go thinking you can treat my guests like they're beneath you!"

"But, Ell—"

"No buts! It was like this at the Academy, too. You scared away every boy that tried to get close to me. I thought I'd get my freedom here, but you just had to come and ruin everything!"

My words cut deep as Mira clutches her chest. "Kh— You're right, I'm sorry! Please, don't hate me, Ellori!"

She buries her face into my robes, clutching onto me with trembling hands.

This sharp change isn't unfamiliar to me. She always gets weak when I get angry. Usually what follows is…

"If it pleases you, shall I bring out the whip?"  She glances up, eyes dilated and panting heavily.

I try to push her off of me. "No whip! Argh!"

"It's been soooo loooonnggg! Ellloorrriiii!"

"Ah, goodness. Why you of all people?"