Stone City. One of the largest cities of the modern world.

It was originally constructed on top of Iron Hill, a mount whose shape was reminiscent of a large wave in the sea, a gentle slope rising on one of its sides, ending in a sudden cliff.

Over time, the city covered the entirety of the big knoll, growing all the way to its foot and beyond. It grew so far it even connected to other villages and towns in the close vicinities.

However, there was more to this city than its imposing presence towering over the landscape. Its true core lay within the land, inside the mountain and on the earth below.

A large dungeon complex. One that connected multiple of them together, extending beneath the ground through an area that most certainly surpassed the entirety of the metropolis above. All of these caves, together, formed the largest underground composite known to the human race.

As one might expect, the city and this complex were intrinsically connected. Stone City grew to its current size and influence by exploring, studying, and even nurturing the dungeons below.

In less than a century, the region had made its way to the world's forefront of magical research and tool development. There is no respectable witch who hasn't heard of the name Stone City.

It was a grandiose location, filled with unknown tech and contraptions, interesting spots, curious food that may or may not be tasty. But above all else, plenty of knowledge could be found inside its borders.

Such an incredible place, and Dailah was forced to appreciate it through the window of a hospital. It had been a long time since she last came here and she had been looking forward to exploring it on her own.

Yet, due to many events, she was now stuck in a bed.

A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.

Should she count herself lucky for having survived everything, or cursed to have gone through it in the first place?

When the girl came to, she was already in this room. Her leg and head were properly bandaged. Her right ear was covered with a cloth muff and plugged, but thankfully she could hear from it again. According to one doctor, they had used healing arts on her eardrum and it needed to be shielded from loud sounds for a while before it was completely cured.

Not long after she woke up, some officers from the association came to ask her about the events that transpired. Naturally, she spilled everything she could remember.

The girl had a lot of questions of her own, but the nice ladies interviewing her didn't seem to have intentions of offering any further explanations or conjectures.

While staring out of the window, thinking of useless things, a knock came from the door of the room.

A woman entered, adorning a large dress that looked more like a robe, colored in a deep dark shade of blue. On her head, she wore the characteristical conical hat that witches were known for. It was so large that Dailah always wondered how she managed to walk around indoors without it getting stuck or knocked over.

Magic perhaps? She was a powerful witch after all.

"Teacher...."

"I'm not your teacher anymore Dailah. Just call me by my name."

Mariane of Stone. The woman who had served as Dailah's instructor when she was still living in the countryside, visiting her there a few times per year in order to progress her curriculum.

By her birthplace name alone, a simple and clean "Stone", not "Wuthering Rocks from Stone" nor "Rosemary from Stone", it was easy to tell she was no ordinary person. Very few could carry the name of an entire city, much less one as prominent as this. Was it really fine for an important individual like her to personally teach Dailah, some weak village witch?

Mariane pulled a chair beside the bed, sitting down. She placed the basket she was carrying on the nightstand.

Noticing as Dailah's gaze wandered on it, she explained.

"Naseberries. They became really popular recently."

The woman pulled one from the basket, a dirt-colored fruit the size of an apple. It didn't look apetizing at all. Following the fruit was a small kitchen knife and a plate. 

She skillfully began peeling the fruit as if she were cutting through butter. Dailah noticed the witch was reinforcing the knife with magic, probably to make the process easier and cleaner.

"They're a bit green but should be good to eat already...."

"...."

Dailah observed in silence as her teacher... or rather Mariane finished removing the peel and began cutting the berry into smaller pieces.

"...is your body ok? Does it still hurt anywhere...?"

"...i'm fine now."

Honestly, Dailah was shocked. Her teacher had always been a rather objective person, going straight to the heart of things without wasting words.

It was the first time she saw her acting like this. Almost meek. Did she feel guilty over what had happened?

She couldn't handle the awkward atmosphere any longer so she decided to start a conversation over more concrete matters.

There were a lot of questions she wanted answers for after all.

"...how is the investigation going? Did they reach any conclusion yet?"

There probably hadn't been enough time to wrap anything up given its been only a couple of days. Still, any news would be fine.

The woman lifted her head from the plate, hands still moving, her long black hair shook while reflecting a greenish hue. This time, she looked at Dailah firmly without averting her dark emerald eyes.

"...there was a third person on the scene besides the two kidnappers you met."

"....!"

Her blood ran cold. She had considered the possibility but still ended up acting on the assumption there were only two.

"That crew was already known by the law enforcement. Troublesome women. Always did shady jobs that bordered on illegality, probably some others under the wraps too.

"They were a group of three. The third woman likely remained behind in that abandoned town while the other two followed you to the sawmill.

"She was caught while trying to leave the city."

How would she have fared if the three of them went to capture her together? Or rather, what if the third woman caught her while her guard was off, blissfully unaware of her presence and existence?

Things can always get worse. Now she understood the saying.

"...was she the lady that kidnapped me?"

Mariane shook her head.

"No. Even if you couldn't give a proper description, the third member was a young woman not much older than you, definitely not a lady in her thirties."

Details on the woman that gave her a lift were vague inside her head. Not to mention the face of the lady had been covered by a transparent veil, dropping from her hat. Was it called a funeral hat?

"She's still being questioned, but based on her answers so far, we know they had a collaborator."

Mariane lifted the plate on her hands and offered it to Dailah. A sweet smell emanated from the evenly cut slices of the naseberry, now showing a more vivid brown color without the skin.

The girl received the plate and picked up a slice in her hand.

"...what about that bear? What were they planning to do? And how do i fit in all of this?"

She carefully took a bite of the slice. It was very sweet, almost honey-like, with a subtle malted flavor. Was this fruit expensive perhaps?

"Not much on that yet. She spoke of some plan about releasing it in the forest south of the city. The whole thing sounded sketchy in my opinion. As for you...."

After chewing and swallowing the bite she took, she Immediately put the rest of the slice in her mouth. It was pretty delicious.

"Well, seems the bear hadn't been contaminated enough with what they had given to it, so...."

Dailah turned her head to Mariane, still chewing on the fruit, a questioning look on her face. Her former teacher seemed to be considering the next words.

"...you know how contaminated animals are attracted to magic... and how they can become stronger by... ingesting more of it, such as more mana, other contaminated animals, or...."

Dailah's face froze for a moment. Without realizing a piece of the fruit got stuck in her throat.

"....! *cough* *cough* *cough* ..."

"Hahhh...."

Mariane sighed, waiting for the girl's coughing bout to end.

"So..."

"*cough*... they were planning to make that bear eat me!?!?"

Dailah's loud scream echoed in the room. It was surprising no doctor came to the check, Mariane probably had asked to give them some privacy. 

"Well.... she insisted they weren't actually going to follow through with this plan, but..."

"Those sickos!! I can't believe i felt bad for them for even a moment!!! *cough* *cough* ...!"

"....we're not sure yet why they picked you up specifically. Probably just wrong place and time... or maybe you looked like an easy target."

It's true contaminated animals didn't eat people, normally that is. They were still attracted to mana or anything that had magical properties. That includes the flesh of witches, though cases of them being devoured are very rarely observed.

Mariane waited for the girl to calm down.

Once she was composed enough to start nibbling on the delicious naseberries again, the woman spoke up.

"Try not worrying too much about it. You made through everything in the end. And investigating this isn't your function, it's clearly a criminal case rather than a contamination incident.

"For now, just rest. I'll see you soon."

Mariane got up from the chair, preparing to leave. But then stopped, as if remembering something.

She reached for a pocket somewhere within her stuffy robe and pulled out a key.

"The keys to your new apartment. It was recovered from the scene, I left the rest of your things there.

"And..."

She pointed to the window.

"Your... friend is waiting for you outside the hospital."

With a clearer head now, Dailah turned towards the room's window.

She got up from the bed. Despite being told not to move too much by the doctors, she had no issue walking around. Leaning on the frame, she saw it just outside the yard of the hospital. Beyond the metal fence, on the street.

Letting out a sigh, she grabbed the basket that had been left behind and went out of the room.

XXX

Of course, she needed to ask permission from a nurse or doctor to stroll around the hospital. Seeing as her state was visually much better now, it wasn't difficult to convince them. They just told her not to do anything that could soak the muff in her ear with sweat or remove it.

Moving along the corridors and stairs, she realized this must've been a really good establishment.

It was big. Everything was clean and properly taken care of. The staff was nice and polite. The outdoor yard seemed like a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon in, with a beautiful garden and large trees casting cool shadows over the paved footpaths and benches.

There were even some male nurses around. Dailah knew it was easier to find men in the city compared to the countryside, where the male population was minimal to none. She just didn't expect to see them outside, working daytime jobs as if it's the most normal thing.

Was this the privilege of a witch? Or were all hospitals in Stone City this good?

...or maybe teacher- Mariane arranged to have her treated in this place. She was too overwhelmed earlier but she should give her thanks properly when she gets the chance.

On the other side of the fence, on the streets, her 'friend' was patiently waiting for her.

A big black creature, adorning dark eyes and a large beak, resembling a raven despite its name.

"...hello Mr. Crowley."

Sparing a single glance at the girl, it turned towards the basket in her hands. They were very honest creatures in a certain sense.

She reached towards the basket and pulled one of the naseberries that had been given to her. After checking it for a bit with a regretful look, she threw the fruit over the fence.

The bird grabbed it in midair.

She wondered if it was fine to feed it like that to the crowley. With skin, seeds and everything. Given how giddily it was eating it, she supposed there were no problems.

Once it swallowed the fruit, it peered at the basket once again.

"...fine, you deserved it."

These must cost a lot. She felt bad giving them to a bird that could barely appreciate any taste. But the creature had indeed saved her life, and Dailah had no intention of going back on her promises. Especially if the other party is a crowley.

Reaching out towards the basket, she kept throwing the berries one by one, watching the creature eating them with mild fascination.

There were some stares, from both inside and outside the hospital. While crowleys weren't an uncommon sight, this exchange between them, at this place, must've been quite the strange thing to witness. Dailah ignored them.

While feeding the bird, a small recollection crept up into the girl's mind. Something she had done during her escape, that looking back was indeed quite a weird course of action.

"Oh....."

Her traveling bag that had been left behind in the abandoned village was retrieved and returned. There were, however, a couple of things she took with her then.

"What a pain."

The girl held her head, imagining the headaches that awaited her in the near future, problems she would've avoided now if only she hadn't been so eager.

She looked at the beast in front of her, happily chewing away at its delicious reward. With how much she's giving it, it should be fine to ask some more of the creature right?

"Once i'm out of here, you're taking me to city hall. Got it?"

The bird looked at her while slightly tilting its head.

There were documents that needed re-emitting.