Malefica walked forward, leaving Alicarde behind. He quickly followed, wary of what lay ahead.
"Now then, this spell has a weakness, mind you," she said, her voice carrying a practiced tone of mystery.
As if she enjoyed holding back pieces of the puzzle just to watch others struggle.
She turned her head slightly, casting a sly look over her shoulder as she walked. Her hair, dark as midnight, fell in gentle waves down her back, swaying with each step.
The forest around them was bleak, with bare trees and a thin veil of snow covering the ground, muffling their steps.
Her pale figure stood out in the monochro scene, a solitary witch in a frozen world.
"Do you want to take a guess?" she teased, her voice laced with the challenge.
Alicarde sighed, his breath creating a puff of mist in the cold air.
Shaking his head, he replied,
"Not particularly."
But it was clear Malefica wasn't going to let him off that easily.
"A lazy student is one who is unwilling to learn," she scolded, her tone scathing.
"Fine, whatever… Since you said it has a weakness, I imagine it's not just the bad deeds coming back with triple the intensity…?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, already feeling annoyed with her gas.
"But honestly, I got nothing."
Malefica's lips curved into a small smile, one that didn't quite reach her calculating eyes
. "Think deeper. It's all too obvious. A good witch—or mage—must learn to analyze their opponents' magic."
Alicarde groaned, rolling his eyes skyward.
"Ahhh, fine, sure… Is it that if you do too many good deeds, your body can't handle the power and you… explode or sothing?"
Malefica chuckled, shaking her head.
"A feasible argunt… but that's not it. Try again. It's obvious."
She gestured around them, as if the answer could be plucked from the air itself.
Slightly annoyed, Alicarde took a look around, focusing on her as he tried to puzzle it out.
'If it's so obvious, it must be sothing I can actually see or sense,' he thought.
His eyes drifted over her, noting her long, flowing dress and pale skin. She was beautiful, with an ethereal grace to her movents. Yet sothing was… off. As his gaze swept down, he realized with a jolt that she was barefoot, walking through the snow as if it were soft grass.
"Hey, where are your shoes? Hold on…" he trailed off, squinting at her.
"Now that I think about it… didn't you apply that weird mixture to your feet?"
Malefica paused, lifting her dress slightly to reveal her bare feet.
"Bingo. That is correct. My feet are my weakness."
Her voice was cool and calm, as if revealing a profound secret.
Alicarde blinked, processing this information. So, he'd figured out the weakness, but he still had no clue how to exploit it. Not that he'd admit that to Malefica—she'd probably start another lecture if she suspected he was still in the dark. And besides, she'd explain it soon enough; she always did.
'Intellectual types always like explaining stuff,' he thought to himself, smirking.
Malefica, Carrisa, even Elizalina—they all had a penchant for talking, their explanations layered with complex theories and terms he barely understood.
At least Ana was direct, though she'd usually keep quiet unless asked. And, well, Argint… Argint was a different case altogether. She'd throw him straight into the chaos, expecting him to either figure it out on his own or suffer.
No elaborate explanations with her.
Just as he mused over these thoughts, Malefica's voice cut through his reverie.
"If my feet aren't touching the ground, the spell's effects are weakened. And if they are covered, it is broken. That is the weakness of Triple Reload Goddess."
She looked at him, expectant.
"Do you understand now?"
Alicarde nodded.
"Yes, professor, I understand."
She raised her head with a smug look of satisfaction.
"Good. I have educated a young man and have cast away the fog of ignorance. Truly, this is a good deed… and I will now receive triple the reward."
Her aura flared around her, growing three tis stronger in an instant. Alicarde's mouth fell open, stunned by the shalessness of it all. She'd taught him the spell's weakness not for his benefit, but so she could treat it as a "good deed" and empower herself further.
'And what the hell is the fog of ignorance?' he thought, baffled by her self-important manner.
He scratched his head, feeling incredulous.
"Okay, madam 'Fog of Ignorance'... aren't you cold without shoes? And I imagine your legs must be killing you."
Malefica flicked her hair back, an indulgent smile on her lips.
"No, it is not cold. My magic protects , and my feet are in pristine condition."
She paused, placing her hand on the rough bark of a tree.
"Now, let us find more good deeds to perform. By the full moon, when the ritual begins, we will attack and stop them. And I shall claim the pentacle for myself."
Alicarde raised his hand, gesturing around them.
"Look around. We're in a forest. It's not like we're going to stumble upon a lost kid or so old lady who needs help finding her cat. There's no potential for good deeds out here."
Ignoring him, Malefica suddenly stopped, holding out her hands just in ti to catch a tiny, trembling hatchling that had fallen from its nest above.
She smiled down at it.
"This small bird was fated to die an unfair death, falling from such a height. But I have saved its life… truly a good deed."
Her voice was soft, yet Alicarde could detect the smug undertone.
He stared at her, deadpan.
"Really? Are you for real right now?"
Sure enough, her aura intensified, the spell's effect growing stronger yet again. She turned to Alicarde, extending the fragile bird towards him.
"Here, return it to the nest."
Alicarde took the hatchling carefully, still processing her "good deed" logic.
"If I return it, wouldn't that an I'm the one doing the good deed?"
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