Kays Translations

Chapter 73: My Dear, Witch of Blue

Conrad Williams was born into a poor family in America.

Though the Williams family was not wealthy, their home was filled with warmth.

His mother would take vegetables and fruits from her small home garden and turn them into stylish smoothies to share with the neighborhood wives.

His father gladly took care of the pets of a neighboring couple whenever they traveled, and by the time they returned, their pets were often more attached to him than their actual owners.

Conrad, too, had a strong sense of justice. He repeatedly confronted the local delinquents to protect his childhood friend, eventually understanding them and winning their trust. He convinced them to give up drug dealing and instead take up boxing.

Conrad always strove to be a son his parents could be proud of, just as his parents always tried to be parents he could take pride in. It was not a burden—it was a source of family pride.

As he grew older, Conrad enlisted in the U.S. Army. His childhood friend had invited him to work at his family’s shop, but Conrad politely declined.

His grandfather had served in a war, where he met his grandmother. He had distinguished himself enough to earn medals and, more importantly, won the heart of a kind and gentle woman. Conrad loved hearing his grandfather’s war stories.

Two years after enlisting, the Gremlin Disaster occurred.

Conrad awakened as a Mutant. Despite his youth, his exemplary conduct and military background earned him an unexpected honor—he was assigned as a bodyguard to the President of the United States.

There, he formed an unbreakable bond with another newly assigned bodyguard—former CIA trainee Glenn Grayling.

Together, Conrad and Glenn fought through the turbulent times, traveling across the U.S. under both the old and new presidents. They won countless battles, though strangely, the fights themselves did not leave a strong impression on Conrad.

What he remembered most were the small moments: helping an elderly woman struggling to carry water home, fixing a toy for a crying boy and seeing his bright smile in return.

One of Conrad’s fondest memories was helping Glenn reconcile with his estranged brother. That reunion led to them both attending his wedding—a truly unforgettable day.

But even as the newly unified United States rebuilt itself with resilience under the leadership of a strong new president, a dark shadow fell over the nation.

The Demon King had appeared.

The U.S. Army was utterly devastated.

The tide briefly turned when the Witch of Hell arrived to aid them, but just as they had the Demon King cornered, he escaped. When he returned with a larger army, he crushed them completely.

In the end, America was forced to abandon its homeland. The nation and its refugees fled to Cuba.

It was now clear—America alone could not defeat the Demon King.

And so, Conrad was chosen as Special Envoy. He set sail aboard four steamships, carrying America’s last hope—the world’s last hope.

According to the Witch of Hell, Japan had exceptional mutants and cutting-edge technology.

How much of the old alliances still held weight was uncertain. But if they sincerely pleaded for aid, surely Japan would not turn them away…

That day, in a distant island nation in the Far East, Conrad Williams fell in love for the first time.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am the Blue Witch.”

Even her awkward English was unbearably charming. The softness of her hand as they shook nearly made his soul leave his body.

The Blue witch was breathtakingly beautiful.

Even if the greatest poets exhausted their words, their flattery would still fall short. Her pure and radiant beauty struck Conrad like an arrow to the heart.

It was love at first sight.

From the moment he laid eyes on her, Conrad was captivated.

Even when she suddenly tried to kill him, he felt no urge to resist.

No matter the reason, she was looking at him. She was focusing her attention on him. That alone filled him with overwhelming joy, making it difficult to maintain his composure as an official U.S. envoy.

It felt as if he had lost his mind. Perhaps he had.

Love makes men crazy.

Even recognizing his own madness, he couldn’t turn away.

After barely managing to maintain his dignity through negotiations, Conrad retired to the guest quarters of the Japanese diplomatic residence—where Glenn promptly visited him.

Glenn tossed him a bottle of sake and eyed him suspiciously.

“What’s up with you today, Conrad? You’re acting weird. Sure, the Blue witch  seemed strong—maybe even as strong as you—but it’s not like it’s your first time meeting someone like that. The Demon King was way more dangerous.”

“Glenn, do you believe in soulmates?”

“…Hah? …Oh, come on. You’re telling me you fell for her? Of all people? A woman who’s basically a walking nuclear warhead just waiting to go off?”

Glenn was utterly dumbfounded—but not angry.

“I see… so that’s why you went easy on the negotiations.”

“I was trying to be firm, I swear.”

“If that was you being ‘firm,’ you’re in serious trouble.” 

Glenn smirked. 

“So? What got you so head over heels? Spill it, lover boy!”

He twitched his mustache like a mischievous little mouse, laughing all the while.

The two spent the night drinking foreign liquor and talking about the woman who had stolen the heart of America’s hero.

By the end of it, they made a decision—they would bring the Blue witch back to America.

It was for the sake of their country. For the world.

And, most of all, for Conrad.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, India…

A furious mob chasing a runaway bride and her lower-caste lover came to a sudden halt, staring in shock at the towering mountains of ice that had suddenly appeared before them.

It was a loveless, political marriage. Their powerful families insisted that even without love, the marriage was still beneficial.

They were right.

Conrad could have attended as America’s special envoy, offering his blessings and securing India’s cooperation.

But instead, he made a different choice.

He let half of India hate him—so he could stand firmly and resolutely with the other half.

Because half of India wished nothing but happiness for the runaway bride.

And to Conrad, that was the more beautiful choice.

Of course, there were hundreds of men who attempted to chase after and reclaim the runaway bride. Conrad, who had even considered demolishing buildings to block the path, smiled at the Blue Witch, who had chosen an even flashier method than his own.

“You really went all out. Even though you acted like you didn’t care, you’re more passionate than anyone.”

“Shut up. I was against attacking the wedding in the first place. It’s just… the ring that pathetic man gave the bride was handmade. He must have poured all his feelings into it, despite having no money.”

“Oh? You can tell that just by looking?”

“I’m not an expert. But I picked it up naturally. It’s my best friend’s craft, after all.”

For the first time, Conrad saw the Blue Witch smile.

During their journey, not once had she even cracked a grin. Even in front of Professor Ohinata, whom she was as close to as a real sister, she had only ever softened her expression slightly. Yet now, she was smiling as she thought of someone.

He had suspected it for a while.

But now, he was finally certain.

Just as the Blue Witch occupied Conrad’s heart, someone else had already taken residence in hers.

Conrad’s heart was in turmoil, yet at the same time, he felt gratitude toward the faceless stranger.

He had heard firsthand—laced with extraordinary hatred—from the Blue Witch herself about what the Iruma wizard, his own kind, had done to her.

Her heart had been frozen by the cruelty of a collapsing world.

And it was undoubtedly that someone who had thawed it, allowing her to once again see the beauty in life.

Conrad was grateful to this unknown person. But that aside, he also felt a surge of rivalry. It was not he who had comforted the beautiful witch’s wounded heart.

But from now on, he would gladly take on that role. He would even challenge the Demon King alone if it was for the Blue Witch.

Hiding his intentions, Conrad casually steered the conversation to uncover the identity of the lucky one who had won her heart.

“Your best friend, huh? They must be a good person.”

“Not at all! They say awful things to little kids without a second thought, they’re eccentric, careless, and an absolute disaster of a person.”

A string of harsh words spilled from the Blue Witch’s lips, words that hardly seemed fit for someone she considered a friend.

Yet, as she spoke, gazing longingly at the distant eastern sky, her profile was unmistakably filled with yearning.

She hid their name and whereabouts, but the more she spoke, the more her words lost their sharpness, turning into an unmistakable lovestruck ramble.

An hour passed.

Conrad listened to more of the Blue Witch’s rambling complaints—disguised as grievances—than he had heard from her in the entire past month.

The final battle against the Demon King was a war that gathered the full might of America—and the world.

It was a one-day war that would go down in human history, a cataclysm where the remnants of a past era bloomed into one final, deadly flower.

There were countless moments where all seemed lost.

But humanity emerged victorious.

The Demon King was slain by the four heroes.

The scars left by the Demon King ran deep in America. Many nations across the world suffered at the hands of the powerful monsters influenced by his darkness.

But at last, the time had come to begin rebuilding toward peace.

Carrying his three unconscious, magic-depleted comrades on his back, Conrad returned, greeted by thunderous cheers, before being swept into a grand victory celebration.

His comrades regained consciousness mid-celebration, and what had already felt like a climactic feast reached unprecedented levels of revelry, descending into pure chaos.

At the heart of the rowdy festivities, Conrad was being jostled and laughed with when he caught sight of the Blue Witch slipping away, weaving through the crowd unnoticed.

He quickly passed off his eager well-wishers to Glenn, shoving the demands for handshakes, backslaps, and drunken toasts onto his friend, and chased after her—ignoring Glenn’s shouted protests.

Beneath the moonlight, hidden in the shadows of a building, the Blue Witch stretched her arms and loosened up her body, only to stiffen slightly when she noticed Conrad.

“Conrad. I thought if anyone noticed, it would be Glenn.”

“Are you leaving? Already?”

“Yeah. I’m going to tell Kei-chan about our victory, then head straight back to Japan.”

“…I see. It’ll be lonely without you.”

“Don’t make that face. Glenn is still here, isn’t he? And Lucia will stay for a while too.”

“But you won’t be.”

For a moment, their gazes locked.

The Blue Witch met Conrad’s intense stare head-on.

Then, with the faintest smile, she shook her head.

Conrad knew then that his love was unrequited.

Yet, he also knew that the Blue Witch still considered him a friend.

That was enough.

He would not stop her. He would not cling. That was enough for now.

Conrad reached out a hand.

The Blue Witch took it and shook.

Their hands parted quickly, leaving behind only the bond of friendship.

“Well then… see you around.”

“Yeah. See you.”

With that, the Blue Witch ran off like the wind.

This was not a final farewell.

They would meet again someday.

They hadn’t become something special—but at least, they had become something worth anticipating.

Listening closely to her fading footsteps, Conrad was startled when a furry friend appeared beside him without a sound.

“Glenn! How did you slip away?”

“The Saint is singing a hymn. The only ones not entranced by that are either deaf or complete music-illiterate rats… So? You confessed, didn’t you? How’d it go? Hm?”

Glenn nudged Conrad’s side with his elbow, making him chuckle wryly.

When the long-eared man saw his reaction, he was more shocked than when he first heard about the President’s nuclear strike plan.

“Hey, hey, Conrad! You’re the greatest hero in the world—the legendary Conrad Williams, the brave warrior who defeated the Demon King! Is there a single woman who would reject you if you confessed to her?”

“I don’t want to trouble the Blue Witch with a confession. I was able to defeat the Demon King, but I couldn’t win against the someone who was in her heart.”

“What the hell, man? I thought it was gonna be a classic story: ‘The Demon King is defeated, the world is at peace, the hero gets the girl, and they live happily ever after.’”

Hearing his best friend say this so earnestly, Conrad chuckled.

“It’s fine. It seems that she and I both have very long lifespans. Whether it takes fifty years or a hundred… I’ll entrust the happiness of being with her to someone lucky enough to have it now. And after they live out their days, I’ll walk the next thousand years by her side.”

“…That’s a hell of a long game. Well, just make sure to invite me to your wedding with the Blue Witch—if I’m still alive, that is.”

“Before that, shouldn’t we be talking about your wedding, Glen? What about the Hell Witch? You two seemed pretty close.”

“Hey, don’t go turning everything into a love story! She’s a seeker who abandoned worldly attachments—I won’t let you look at her that way!”

Laughing, Conrad clapped his indignant friend on the back and returned to the victory celebration, where the beautiful hymns of triumph echoed through the hall.

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