Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

Witchcraft

Something very different from just the alchemy-like thing where the old-looking or hot-looking witches puts questionable things in large pots and mix the weird, colorful substances.

Different from the process done behind closed doors in the form of sacrificing rituals where innocent lives are taken.

Something even different from the famous concept of the magic or dark magic used to harm others from my previous world.

It is not the evil magic of the pure evil that the witches make contact with or control in this world.

No.

The concept of witchcraft and witches in this world is one of the oldest things known to the beings of today.

Witches aren't the evil creatures who were killed or excommunicated or exiled or mostly burned at the stake in this world.

The witches aren't the evil creatures who kill others, spread devastation, and are the center of chaos and carnage.

Witches in this world... have the same standing as the holy churches and priests.

Many times even greater than them and they are even worshiped in many faraway villages, towns, and separated places.

They have a high standing in society from birth and just the fact that any household has a witch among them makes them a prominent family of the nation they are affiliated with.

Witches in this world... aren't just the variant coming from a human bloodline but, a species that is born in any intelligent race irrespective of their form or identical to humans.

Same with wizards, but they are different from witches. Very different.

And wizardry is not as deep as witchcraft, as wizardry is just the pure, premier power and ability to command the element itself.

But witches and witchcraft are special, far more rare and magical than wizardry.

I can't do wizardry. Even if I want to, there's nothing much to it than pure power and the unreal high ability to command the element.

But, witchcraft... I can do that despite not being a special being like them.

The origin of witches is believed to be [The Genesis].

They are creatures who were among the first beings to come into existence and were part of the (High races) who came along with (Divine beasts), and (Demonic beings).

The [Genesis] in this world is something with countless stories and theories.

Even grandma didn't know the actual thing. At least she never told me a specific one or the most probable ones.

I had read and heard hundreds of stories that could be the 'real start' of this world and I don't know what the real one is just yet but, most of them have one thing in common.

Witches.

They were present at that time, and they are present today too.

Some of the longest-surviving beings that appear among any race, for some unknown reason, defy the things I know about bloodlines and genetics.

But using logic here was meaningless.

Witches... creatures who have the same physical structure as their parental race, have a very high affinity with the element they possess, and have some kind of special innate power that might or might be related to the [[( Witchcraft )]] they can use.

The racial traits are mostly similar to the parental side but, there are exceptions.

Though not Rein, there definitely were some other witches in this capital as well as in this very hexagon building of adventurer association, who were of human origin but had somewhat different physical features.

Some could have elven pointed ears as well as the look, or long fingers with sharp nails or a childlike body despite being very old… yes, lolies, as well as some 'mommy' like ones who were actually far younger than their looks.

The racial characteristic charm and beauty they all possessed were real, though. All witches, young or old, are mesmerizing.

But the ones here weren't the reason this person 'looked' old.

The reason he was like that was definitely witchcraft, and the one that cast it on him was some of the most well-known witches in this world.

How he became like this was a long story for some other time but, in short, the reason was her witchcraft.

Considered be one of the strongest kinds of magic on par with [[( Grand Arcanums )]], high-level [[( Rune magic )]], and even high-stage origin skills in some cases.

Witchcraft at its finest is almost world-class magic.

And the one cast on him was one such most powerful spell.

Angering a witch is naturally asking for a punishment worse than death, and this was the best example.

Witchcraft is actually a [(< Truth >)].

Watches, like the ruler beasts like Taiga, are enlightened about one of the truths at a certain time in their life.

When they learn it is random but, all the witches learn the same thing at its core.

And this power, this 'truth' is… 'reality'.

The power they gain has the potential to grant them the ability that can alter the whole of reality.

They can add something to this world, even if it is unreal, or has partial restrictions of 'existence'.

They can remove something that's already here, in this reality, in this 'realm'.

They can even take things from this world and add them to others, or go to those other worlds where most beings are prohibited from even knowing their existence of.

It isn't restricted to being able to cast it as magic, use it to make some weird potions that alchemy can never produce, or do something similar to this person before us.

All witches realize one single truth, and how they manifest that ability, that truth depends on the situations of their awakening, their desire, and their life.

So their special witchcraft is ultimately the manifestation of this 'truth'.

Yes, it can be dangerous for the world and witches have a minuscule chance of [Blackening] if the things they want to do are dark or bad or harmful to nature but, witches in the three great councils prevent such things even before they could happen.

And even if things like that do happen... chances of it are close to null, actually.

It has never happened in millennia, but the devastation of this catastrophic event is always worldwide.

Anyway, there are natural restrictions in the world, so not much could happen.

And divine beasts are there to take care of matters like that, too.

Grandma, my master, had told me many stories in our times together, and one of them was about a witch who had fallen into darkness.

From how she vividly described most of the things, I can at the very least tell that witches are some of the strongest beings in this world.

I never actually thought about these stories much but, the countless stories she told me were definitely something more than what I can think.

Well... this pitiful branch manager made the mistake of angering that lady and even to this day, when the two of them had become friends, he has this appearance.

And there was nothing he could do about it unless a witch with the ability exactly opposite of the one that did this appeared.

Witchcraft... it was as difficult to script as the [(<Rune spells>)] and same as them, there were very few times I could use it.

Well, I had a witch as my genuine closest friend, and her witchcraft... Nah... she was called a witch on those battlefields because of her that very ability.

Her witchcraft focused on death, killing, and not spilling any blood in the process.

'How dumb is she to not realize her talent in handling the scythe at that time, lol...?'

She was genuinely a reaper, and maybe she would be better being a (Necro scytheman) than the magic scytheman she was.

She had the high darkness attribute and though it would be close to impossible, we might just be able to meet a divine beast of darkness attribute who can allow her the [Shadow] attribute.

'Not that we know how, when, and why something like that would happen but, who said we couldn't try?'

I at least knew her enough to know that she wasn't going to beg before the so-called gods who did nothing much when she needed it.

She detested them, not that I was much fond of those beings.

I knew not all were bad gods.

A few rare ones like the ones who gave their blessing and protection to grandmother and Anna were the small majority of better ones.

But they were still gods in the end and their core nature was not much different from the others of that kind.

Though the two of my family members had their blessings, wholeheartedly trusting them and accepting more than this was not good. I wouldn't recommend that at the very least.

Grandma knew that and also about how to best use the powers bestowed upon her.

Anna was too young so she might not understand this stuff much so, thankfully, I can teach her and it would be alright.

After all, if the gods offered and blessed ones accept their stigmata, the people would become theirs for eternity.

Well...

All this talk, just to make the point that witches are crazy strong and to do some not-so-good foreshadowing.

Tomorrow is something not even I know. But, I just hoped I can do those adventurous things with this friend of mine.

She is my partner, and will always be, hopefully.

And we were just standing by the entrance of this door as the old-looking branch manager looked at us and I looked at him... while Rein was fully focused on the chocolates decorated in the left side room of this place.

Her eyes were sparkling, and he was surprised to actually see us in person.

Stella was here, and he also waved at her, and she bowed her head respectfully, having a genuine smile on her face.

He nodded while shaking his head at her unrequited respectful behavior and then looked at me.

His eyes were special, and I know many things might definitely have happened in his life that we had no idea of.

I might just hear some of his stories while working as an adventurer from people and him.

But for now... we had to get the things we were here for.

And he understood that we were in a hurry from how we finished the matches in just a few moments.

So... he took a deep breath and nodded at us.

"Welcome to the adventurers association, young ones. I saw both your matches and... they were amazing~."