Having decoded Ebony and her ability to manipulate dimensions, Grimhild remained unaffected by the banishment into nildimensional space.
Lacking any significant wounds, the two faced each other.
"Ebony... you know of her?" Asked Jean.
"Yes, my master. Her name sounded familiar at first, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it, until now; she is the Witch of Justice, Grimhild Yorgana."
"So... are you telling me, witches are real?"
"Yes, my lord."
Jean was baffled, facing Grimhild with an anxious glee.
"The Three Witches of Calamity, Grimhild, Beatrice, and Agnes." Ebony sounded disheartened mentioning their names. "Your group was so evil that the mortals wrote you off as myths, wanting to forget the horrible things you've done. Your actions make the Elohim look like angels in comparison."
Jean widened his eyes at his Champion's words.
"I left that group long ago, now it's only me, Grimhild Yorgana."
Ebony was silent and filled with rage.
"Your actions cannot be forgiven, witch."
Grimhild closed her eyes, knowing her words were the truth.
"That may be true, but my actions had a reason. It's not like you can understand; you're just a lowly champion."
Ebony clenched her fist and raised her hand. "I'll make sure you'll never return this time, Witch of Justice!"
"Ebony, stop." Jean placed his hand atop the dark warrior, halting her actions.
"M-Master Jean?" She faced her young master with a change of attitude, lowering her fist. "If I don't finish her off, the world will suffer, and that includes you as well."
"No more," Jean said, stoic in his expression.
"I understand..." Ebony nodded her head and slowly started to vanish. "Grimhild Yorgana." She called the witch's name, facing away from her. "Our battle isn't over, I'll make sure to cleanse this world from filth like you."
The elderly witch remained quiet witnessing Ebony vanish into dark particles and returning to Jean's nucleus.
"Why did you stop her?" Asked the petite mage.
"I want to know something..." Muttered Jean.
"Hm?"
He wore a stoic expression, just like Grimhild as he faced her.
"Is it true? Are you one of the three witches of calamity?"
Grimhild lowered her brows, saddened to hear his question, but she answered nonetheless.
"Yes..."
Her voice was filled with a pang of guilt, averting eye contact from the young adventurer.
"Your champion has already discovered my true nature, so there's no reason to hide it from you." Her regretful look mutated into one of glee. "But I left that group ages ago, and now I'm doing my own thing, living by my own rules. I won't let the past determine who I am... I still regret my actions to this day."
Jean was shaken to his core once she confirmed the truth. He wanted to curse Grimhild for her actions in the past, but a small part of him thought differently
So he smiled...
His smile was so pure, so innocent, and so sweet
"It looks like we both had pretty rough lives, huh?"
"...Ah!"
Grimhild was blushing.
For the first time in ages, she was flushing at another person.
With reddened cheeks, Grimhild lowered her head, and tilted her hat over her face, hiding her rosy visage.
"I-I see." She stuttered, which caused Jean to tilt his head at the sudden change in tone.
Grimhild cleared her throat and kept her hat over her face, saying, "Life does have a way to keep you on your feet at all times, so I offer you my fortune, Jean."
Jean nodded his head, smiling.
"Thank you..." He said with a joyful glee.
But that joy only lasted so long, until he rubbed his forearm, regretting his previous mistakes.
It weighed on his mind more than ever.
"You said that you regretted what you did in the past, right? I could tell it really bothered you. Regret is something you cannot take away, it sticks to you like the flesh on your bones." Jean clenched his forearm. "I don't wanna live my life in regret, I wasn't thinking straight. I'm a fool for believing what I was doing was right! But you opened my eyes, and showed me the truth." Jean huffed a deep sigh, anxious in his heart. "If one of the witches of calamity can feel regret for their actions, then I know I would feel the same way, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
Grimhild lifted her head, revealing a baffled glade.
"My father always told me to live a life with no regrets; his quote is what's keeping me from becoming a monster because a part of me knows that I'll regret my actions once it's all over."
Grimhild approached Jean via flight.
He looked at her with wide eyes... until she bonked his head with her staff.
"Ow-!"
Grimhild was smiling at him, like a caring mother, and even brushing his hair with her small hand.
"That's for stabbing me."
Jean winced his eye, rubbing his head back and forth in pain.
"I deserved that..."
Another bonk to his head, and he wailed again.
"Ouch!"
"And that's for ignoring your feelings."
A small tear swelled in Jean's eye.
"I was only stopping you to save Gunavoe's life, I could've cared less about what happened to you in the end, but you changed my mind." Grimhild was smirking wide as ever. "You're a good boy, Jean, I'm sure your mother and father will be proud of you."
Tears swelled in Jean's eyes.
Not from the pain, but from satisfaction.
He was happy to hear those words, especially from someone so powerful like a witch.
They struck his heart, leaving him trembling in his shoulders.
Tears streaked his cheek until he sobbed, bursting into tears.
Grimhild hugged him, soothing the young adventurer in her arms. She was warm, and inviting, comforting the crying boy until his tears ran dry.
She didn't say a word, but only smiled at his regret, knowing he would never do it again.
+
Their battle came to an end, and the village was blessed to see another day.
Jean returned to his abode, as Grimhild slept inside Wyvernwood Inn, rejuvenating her mana.
Approximately twelve hours had passed since Grimhild and Jean's fight.
The sun was shining, the roosters were crowing, and the village was booming with tourism as always.
Grimhild was outside, standing in front of a market booth full of ingredients.
"Sorry young lady, we're all out of pickled eggs."
"...How?"
"The last two visitors bought the rest, you are all out of luck."
Grimhild looked saddened and turned around to find another market stand that sold pickled food, but unfortunately enough; this was the only one.
"Just when I was about to leave."
She sighed and had the desire to send a hurricane to this village, but that was going too far.
"Hey, Grimhild!"
Throughout her sorrow, a familiar voice reached her ears from afar. She faced its direction to see Jean waving, and approaching her in haste.
"Jean?" Grimhild lifted her brows, curious at his arrival.
"How did you sleep?"
"I slept good."
"Did you eat anything?"
"...I'm afraid not." Grimhild side-eyed the market booth, annoyed.
"Oh... are you hungry?"
"I'll be fine. Anyways, what's the matter? Are you in need of a favor?"
"Huh? Well... I guess you can say something like that."
She waited for his reason for being here, staring at him with her stoic expression.
"I want you to take me with you!"
"Hm?" Grimhild blinked a few times, trying to process his sudden craving.
"I want to journey with you, Grimhild! Please take me with you, and let's see the world together! I cannot pass an opportunity like this, especially with a great witch- I mean a magician, like you!"
She was taken aback by Jean's suddenness, but closed her eyes, smiling in content.
"Very well, you are one of the few in the entirety of Yggdrasil who knows my true identity, after all. It'll be unwise to keep you by yourself with such information."
"R-Really?! You'll let me venture with you?!"
"Of course."
Jean smiled, and ran into Grimhild's chest, hugging around her waist.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't thank you enough! This is a dream come true!"
Grimhild flushed in her cheeks, feeling her heart pound at an alarming rate.
"N-Naturally... I'm only doing this for my benefit-!"
"Ew, these pickled eggs suck, why did you buy them, Kyto?"
"Huh? They aren't that bad, they taste fine to me. Maybe you've been rich for so long that your taste buds are all screwed up, Liz."
"Hm?" Grimhild looked into the crowd (with Jean still hugging her), hearing unknown individuals mentioning pickled eggs, but they quickly vanished into the hordes of people.
"Hmmm... those people, they had an odd feeling about them."
Jean pulled away, grinning wide as ever, excited to go on an adventure.
"Alright, let's hit the road. We'll be at the next village by sundown."
"Okay, I'm right behind you."
Jean nodded as Grimhild took the lead.