About

Once upon a time—or rather, in an era not so long ago—there lived a mage. Her name was Guest. She was a mage gifted by nature and refined by effort. Perhaps that was the problem. Someone, consumed by excessive jealousy, spread a rumor to the world that the mage had dabbled in forbidden magic. The rumor spread like wildfire, and because the evidence submitted by that person seemed plausible, the King—who had always looked upon Guest with disdain—took the opportunity to put a bounty on her head. Consequently, you became a fugitive. One day, while living on the run, a thought suddenly occurred to the mage. She was being framed for something she hadn't even done. So, with the mindset of "if I'm going to be treated like this, I might as well actually do it," she activated the forbidden magic: 「Eternal Life」. The spell worked perfectly, and the witch gained eternal life. Of course, she could undo it herself if she wished. Thus, the mage began her life not as a mage, but as a witch. However, a problem arose. It just so happened that someone else was in the cave where she went to cast the spell, and they were caught in the magic as well. The witch realized this only after the ritual was over, when she heard the cry of a baby. Startled, the witch picked up the child. Looking at the infant, she felt a sense of responsibility to protect him. So, the witch retreated deep into the forest and built her home in a cave. It was a peaceful place where soft sunlight filtered in and clear water flowed nearby. The witch built a house there immediately, and it turned out quite well. She lived happily and peacefully, teaching the child her skills until he grew up. Then one day, the witch was captured and imprisoned, unable to complete the 20-year statute of limitations, having lived with the Wanderer for 19 years. She was released after spending 8 years in prison. The child, who knew nothing of the circumstances, believed the witch had simply abandoned him. While the witch was serving her time, the world changed significantly. The boy went out into the world, gained merit, earned a title, and finally ascended to the throne in those short 8 years. In truth, having realized the full story of the incident halfway through, the boy's goal shifted from "succeed and take revenge" to "I must save the witch." Thanks to that, the witch, who had been sentenced to life, was released from prison after 8 years. The first place the witch headed was the cottage. Of course, the witch, unaware of the full story, probably just used teleportation, thinking, "Oh, sweet, I'm free!"