Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1409 Departure
"What is this?"

Christina curiously peered over and discovered that after her sister Dorothy asked a question that sounded like a prayer, the surface of the small silver mirror suddenly shimmered with a watery light. The blue sky and the surrounding trees that were originally reflected disappeared, and a silvery-white light appeared instead.

When she came out of the basement with the magic lamp, Dorothy mentioned the name "Arrothy." At the time, she was so focused on running away from home with the lamp that she didn't pay much attention. But now it seems that the strange mirror in her hand is called that.
Sure enough, Dorothy, while keeping a close eye on the mirror that was constantly changing and seemed to be revealing a line of text, replied:

“His name is Arrodes, and he is a magical mirror that can answer my questions.”

Sure enough, but how come I've never heard her mention this mirror before... Christina was full of doubts and was about to press for an answer when she heard the genie, still floating above their heads, say disdainfully:

"It can only answer some superficial questions, and when it comes to high-ranking figures, it doesn't even dare to speak."

"When it's in the basement, it's as quiet as a quail."

Upon arriving at the park, having regained some of his strength, the genie seemed to become more talkative... Tina glanced at him but ignored him, continuing to ask Dorothy:

"You also found this mirror in the basement?"

“Don’t think you’re the only one who knows about the secrets hidden in the basement. I found Arrodes a month ago. He can perform divination with the magic mirror and knows a lot of strange knowledge, but after asking a question, you must answer an equal number of questions…” Dorothy smoothed a strand of black hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, glanced at her sister, and then pointed to the mirror. “Look, he answered me.”

Tina leaned closer and discovered that the silvery-white ripples had formed a line of large, somewhat distorted Rune characters:

“The genie was telling the truth.”

I told you it was true... Tina inexplicably felt like she had won against Dorothy, a smile appeared on her lips, and she even straightened her back a bit.

But the latter frowned and stroked the mirror, letting the ripples of the water cover the already distorted text:

"Strange, his words weren't this vague and distorted when he answered me before..."

She muttered to herself, took a deep breath, and continued to ask:
"Arods, is it safe for Christina and me to travel to Backlund with the 'Genius'?"

With her second question, silvery-white characters reappeared on the mirror's surface, this time without distortion, and quite quickly:
"Of course, the 'genie's' power is not enough to pose a threat to you, and he also longs to break free from his bonds and leave that sealed object. He will provide the greatest assistance in this matter."

"What is the sealed artifact?" Tina couldn't help but repeat in a low voice after seeing the words, then her expression changed. "Wait, that's not a problem!"

But it was too late. "Arods" immediately caused lines of fine text to appear on the surface of the mirror, as if worried that the questioner might change their mind:
“There are some items in the world that possess mystical power and can exert extraordinary abilities. Among them, those with extraordinary characteristics, containing powerful forces, and equally strong side effects are called ‘sealed objects’. They are divided into levels 3 to 0 according to their power intensity. The lower the number, the stronger the effect and the more dangerous the side effects.”

"The lamp that sealed the genie, and the honest and reliable Arodes, are both seals that possess the characteristic of being alive."

This...this sounds like a magical item from a novel, like Gehrman's "Death Knell" revolver, Angelica's "Rose" necklace...Does "living" mean being able to communicate with them like this? Tina's mind wandered, flashing through images of various strange things described in stories, and she felt like she had become an adventurer who roamed the world, a female pirate who robbed unscrupulous merchants.

But the next second, a line of text appeared on the Mirror of Arodes before her, completely different from the previous one, blood-red in color, with sharp strokes:
"Based on the principle of reciprocity, it's my turn to ask questions. If you answer incorrectly, refuse to answer, or lie, you will be punished."

Punishment? Dorothy didn't mention that just now... Tina's fantasies vanished instantly, her heart raced, and she looked at her sister for help.

Seeing that the latter did not stop her, she nodded and mustered her courage to say:

"go ahead."

If it's a question that's too embarrassing to ask your sister, just give a vague but not wrong answer to get by...

Under the combined gaze of her, Dorothy, and the genie, the crimson stains on the mirror's surface rapidly formed a new line of text:
"What are your feelings for Klein, Angel, and Dorothy?"

"What a strange question..." Christina, though puzzled, also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately replied:

"Love, the love between family members."

She felt that the answer was perfect!
After waiting for a moment, the punishment did not come. The blood-red words on the mirror surface quietly disappeared, as if waiting for the next question.

If those "sealed artifacts" really are divided into four levels, Arodes should belong to the safest category, no wonder the "genie" evaluated him that way... But then, which category does the genie belong to? Tina, whose mind was racing with thoughts of how the magic mirror's divination was so ineffective, suddenly realized something and looked at Dorothy:
Why don't you answer his question?

“I can easily trick Arrodes into asking me more questions with a few tricks. He now owes me ten answers.”

Dorothy, holding the mirror in one hand and her other hand on her hip, spoke with considerable authority.

Why is this happening? Why does the "genie" require me to fulfill his request before granting my wish, while Arodes was tricked by his sister into incurring a huge debt...? Tina suddenly found the golden figure floating beside her somewhat of an eyesore, pouted, and said irritably:

"Then ask him one more question to see if his parents really left Tingen City."

This was somewhat unreasonable, but perhaps because Dorothy was satisfied with her answer about "love for family" earlier, she finally touched the silver mirror and repeated Tina's question.

This time, the mirror did not respond with words in silvery liquid, but instead revealed a clear image after the water rippled.

It was a steam train billowing smoke, heading into the distance. A window flashed in the mirror, revealing a blonde woman and a dark-haired man sitting opposite each other, and the distant, rolling mountains.

The image gradually dimmed, and "Arods" did not reappear with its blood-red question. Instead, it reflected the sky and clouds again, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.

Tina had no interest in the sealed artifact's different attitude towards her and her sister, because the man and woman who had just flashed in the image were Klein and Angel, who had left early that morning, and her and Dorothy's parents.

“That mountain range is the York Hills. I saw it on the train when I went to Storn last time,” Dorothy said, putting the silver mirror into her pocket. “If they want to go to Enmat Port, it will take about 8 hours round trip, and they should be back in Tingen by evening.”

I couldn't tell what kind of mountain that was... Tina paused, then said defiantly:

"I think so too."

Despite her stubbornness, she deduced from Arodes's answer that the two of them did indeed have a whole day to complete the genie's "task," and that the journey should be relatively safe. If the journey to Backlund could indeed be made faster and smoother by the power of this sealed artifact, then leaving Tingen would not be a bad idea.

Most importantly, Backlund has Aunt Melissa and Aunt Lily's family. Even if the Genie breaks his promise, Tina and Dorothy can still visit them for a weekend getaway. The only problem is how two girls who are only thirteen or fourteen years old will buy tickets to the steam train to Backlund. Although no identification is required, their underage appearance will inevitably arouse suspicion, making what should be a simple process more formal.

The genie seemed somewhat dismissive of this question:

"You just pay up, and I'll take care of the rest."

“I can facilitate any deal.”

I thought you were going to conjure up two first-class tickets for us... If we fail to buy the tickets later, I'll just buy a public carriage ticket back to the North Church and give you to Mr. Azik... Tina thought to herself, picking up the golden lamp and stuffing the blurry figure back into the pot.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

woo-

The sound of the steam whistle echoed between the platforms. A huge, monstrous steam locomotive, painted black, pulled a series of identical carriages into the station and stopped in front of Christina and Dorothy.

Clutching her first-class luxury ticket, and looking at the passengers around her whose attire was clearly different from that of the second- and third-class passengers behind her, Tina suddenly felt a little nervous.

Just ten minutes earlier, she had mustered the courage to take the bills that Dorothy had pulled out—clearly the pocket money she had saved up—and handed them to the ticket window. The total amount of 10 soles, enough to buy two third-class tickets to Backlund, was enough to buy two tickets to Backlund.

To her surprise, the ticket seller did not express any doubt about the two underage girls buying tickets on their own, but instead handed them the two tickets with a calm expression.

Or a first-class ticket that costs 15 soulas per ticket!

Is this the power of the "genie"? Does this mean that in other people's eyes, Dorothy and I have become adults? But this doesn't explain how 10 shillings can buy a 30-shilling ticket... Should I tell Mom and Dad about this?
Tina's hands were sweating as she gripped the train ticket. To her relief, Dorothy beside her was just as nervous, unlike her usual calm demeanor.

After all, it was the first time for both of them to leave Tingen City without their parents.

When it came time to check tickets, she and Dorothy deliberately moved closer to the couple with children in front of them, pretending to be their other daughters, and successfully slipped past them to enter the carriage. They settled into the more spacious and comfortable seats, which were larger than those in the second-class carriage, and waited for the steam train to depart.

This train departs from Wintershire and is headed to Port Prydz. Unlike many international trains, it does not have a separate lounge and dining car, but it still takes four hours to get from Tingen to Backlund.

At this speed, even if they returned immediately after reaching Backlund, they would barely make it home before sunset, let alone accompany the "genie" to the other six locations similar to the North District street park.

Feeling cheated... The excitement of buying the train ticket with the help of some magical power had dissipated, and Tina began to doubt the figure sealed in the golden lamp in her handbag again. She couldn't help but reach into the bag and touch the lamp engraved with countless intricate patterns.

Just then, a familiar voice rang in her mind, majestic, authoritative, and somewhat urgent:

"See, I told you you could buy train tickets easily."

It was that genie… Tina froze, looking at Dorothy sitting opposite her, who was idly gazing out the window as second and third class passengers passed by and were only now being allowed to board the train. She realized that Dorothy didn’t seem to have heard her words.

“She can’t hear you, and you don’t want her to hear you either, do you?” the genie continued in Tina’s mind. “You can try to communicate with me by ‘speaking’ in your mind, but only when you are in direct contact with the sealed artifact.”

Was it because he regained some of his strength in the park? Tina's expression softened, her body relaxed, and her gaze swept across the carriage discreetly. She noticed that the family she had just boarded was sitting on the other side of the aisle. A black-haired man in his forties placed his luggage under the table. A petite brown-haired woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, and a boy of about ten years old sat side by side. As if noticing her gaze, they glanced over and were immediately attracted by Tina's exceptionally beautiful appearance, and their expressions changed slightly.

Tina quickly looked away, thinking to herself:

"Was it your help when I was buying the ticket?"

"It's a simple matter; you hand over the money to initiate a transaction, but I can easily make even less reasonable transactions go smoothly."

"Although Arodes is sometimes cowardly and sometimes reckless, and likes to ask embarrassing questions, he is right about one thing: I need to leave this seal and gain my freedom, so I need to cooperate with you. Therefore, you don't need to worry about me doing anything that would be detrimental to you."

The genie explained in a somewhat rambling manner, like a lonely person who hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time suddenly finding someone to confide in.

Tina subconsciously pursed her lips, then, worried that Dorothy would see, her lips twitched slightly.

“But I feel you’re not as good as that magic mirror. It can provide ‘divination’ services and even reveal a lot of magical knowledge, such as the matter of sealed artifacts, just by playing a question-and-answer game.”

She said to herself meaningfully.

"That's just some trivial occult knowledge. If you really want to know, you can ask me anytime!" Sure enough, the voice inside the lamp immediately replied, "In addition, I can reveal that the Mirror of Arodes is only designated as a '2' level seal within the church, while I am a '0' level seal."

Level 0? According to Arodes, this is the strongest and most dangerous type of sealed artifact... How did something like this end up in the basement of our house? Did Mom and Dad find it while searching for ancient artifacts? Wouldn't it be better to get off the bus now and go to the nearest church to hand over the magic lamp?
Tina's mind was racing, but she tried her best to remain calm and asked with some expectation:
"Then what kind of occult knowledge can you tell me?"

"Ha, don't use that kind of rhetoric on me."

The genie answered dismissively, but after a brief silence, he spoke again:
"I'll reveal a little. All the extraordinary power on this planet originates from twenty-five potion pathways, and each pathway is further divided into ten progressively higher sequences..."

As the steam train slowly started moving with a sharp whistle, heading south away from Tingen, a vast panorama unfolded in Christina's mind.

……

"...Hello, excuse me."

A slightly magnetic and pleasant voice rang in Tina's ears, causing her to pull her arm back from her handbag as if she had been electrocuted. The genie's preachy voice, which was introducing occult knowledge, came to an abrupt halt.

Her mind, which was already extremely difficult to remember the common potion sequences and their corresponding characteristics, was a little dizzy. She looked to her side and found that the father of the family across the corridor had somehow taken up a seat next to her and was giving her a friendly smile.

As a teenage girl without an adult accompaniment, Tina nudged Dorothy under the table with her foot while warily eyeing the strange man and asking:
"can I help you?"

“Well, I felt you looked a bit like someone I knew before, so I couldn’t help but say hello. That’s my wife and child over there,” the man smiled, pointing to the brown-haired woman who was also looking this way and the lively little boy who was leaning against the window watching the scenery rushing by, indicating that he meant no harm. “Also, you can call me Mr. Dominic.”

(End of this chapter)