Long ago, there was a witch who lived in the forest.
She intervened in the battles between France and England...
...and used her power to stop the fighting. An unusual witch, indeed.
Her name was Maria.
She held the same name as the Blessed Virgin...
...and shared her virginal status as well.
"Maria the Virgin Witch"
"Story 4: Remember to Die"
Put your arms down!
Shut up! You men just keep coming!
What'd you just say?!
How dare you?!
In the name of Count Villandrando, I command you!
Cease your resistance!
If you do, your lives shall be spared!
May the demons consume you!
You'll get nothing from us!
If you're mercenaries, make your gold on the battlefield!
There are no battlefields!
With no war, we must find other means!
Sorry, but it's not like we want to do this.
If you're going to curse someone, curse the witch Maria!
Then again, there are treasures here that you can't find on the battlefield!
Hm?
Voui... Vouivre?!
Y-You've got to be kidding!
Lord... Lord... Lord...
Retreat! Retreaaat!
I-Is something there?!
I can't see anything like this!
I can't do my work!
Priapus, don't you let your hands go!
I won't.
By the way, what are you going to do about my lower body?
I'll...
...handle it later.
So between my anxiety over my crotch and babysitting a kid, which is more important?!
Who are you calling a kid?!
Be quiet, you two!
Like I said, instead of doing something like this...!
My crotch needs...!
I'll do something about it later!
What does she think she's doing?
I see. So everything leads back to that forest.
Yes.
There were sightings of the witch Maria...
...by surrounding villagers and in our monastery's territory.
Among them, concrete reports have been received as well.
It seems she recently drove back Rodrigo de Villandrando's mercenary troupe.
Quite a worker, isn't she?
There are also rumors that Archangel Michael recently descended upon a nearby village.
Could she be thinking of gaining control of that region?
Who knows?
Don't leave me behind like that!
Also, how many times do I have to tell you
to refrain from using magic, not only on the battlefield, but also in public?!
So, this was on the ground back there, but...
...what do you think it is?
Is this a weapon?
Never mind that--listen to me!
I am Archangel Michael's proxy, you know!
What a nuisance...
I'm home.
Ah, welcome back.
I had to go through more than ten guys,
but at least the battle to the east was avoided.
How about you?
There were only grunts.
Maria just chased them away like usual.
But that Ezekiel was...
Witch Maria!
Do you think I'd accept that excuse?! Of course not!
No, I won't accept it!
She's really a bother.
Well, that is Ezekiel's work after all.
Oh? That looks good!
You're quite something, Priapus!
Nice job there!
My... job?
I'm home.
Welcome back.
Artemis, you talk some sense into her too!
Maria's refusal to listen to me is...
That's the sound coming from the battlefields recently.
So, this was it...
Using this is going to throw the war into chaos.
You're the one causing the chaos!
The next time you use magic in public, I'm reporting it to Saint Michael right away!
About that...
If Maria loses her magic, what's going to happen to us familiars?
I don't know, but...
...natural law states that familiars without a witch should returns their original form.
What an inflexible world you folks have in mind.
--Maria! --Huh?
Witch Maria!
Um... Who's that?
This is the first time we've met face-to-face.
I'm Viv.
V-Viv...?
I believe she's England's witch.
Is there something you need?
I came here on behalf of everyone to put in a complaint.
Please don't meddle with the wars anymore.
--What? --You're annoying the other witches.
Annoying?
It's fine that you protect your territory,
but the other battlefields are places where everyone can collect gold, right?
So, you know...
...please don't get in our way.
Think about it.
You can make more gold off of these wars if they drag on, right?
I know!
You may make more gold if you join the others!
Everyone does acknowledge your power.
I could put in a good word to the guild, you know?
Witches are all the same no matter where they're from...
Viv, was it?
Hm?
I'm doing this to bring peace to this world, and not so much for the gold.
--Peace? --You know, a state where there are no wars.
Isn't it obvious that it's for the best?
I want to stop war itself.
A-Are you...
...stupid or something?
What?!
If that happens, how are we and the soldiers supposed to make a living?
Well, they can...
They can do some other work.
You know, like farming.
What kind of dreamy, virgin-like thing are you saying?
Are you trying to act pure just because your name is "Maria"?
Without wars, witches and soldiers are going to lose their means!
That mercenary troupe went pillaging because they lost their means, right?
You call that "peace"?
Aren't you just pushing your ideals onto others?
Besides that, if you keep making yourself conspicuous...
...you're going to be targeted by the church of the heavens.
You've got that right.
She already received warning from Saint Michael.
What do you mean?
You're really a virgin?!
Next thing you know, Gabriel is going to come and put a baby inside your womb!
Why'd you come here, anyways?!
But you know, this actually works out well.
Get rid of your virginity. Like, today!
T-Today?!
That's right! I'm sure the other witches will be happy!
Well, but...
This is all so quick, and...
There's no way you aren't interested.
Being in bed with a man feels really good!
Um, keep your distance!
Spending the night with a man that matches you is simply divine.
Isn't that right, my cute owl?
Well, I can't deny that.
It looks like you're from the heavens, but...
Wha--?!
There's nothing that can take the place of such pleasuring, right?
I'd... rather not comment on that...
Wha--?!
Eze-ze-ze...! I trusted you! I held trust in you!
That's not what I was trying to imply!
I just don't want to participate in such a dirty subject!
I-I see...
Did you know?
Men hate virgins.
Even when they finally get one in bed, all she does is shiver in fear; where's the fun in that?
Besides that, the first time for the girl is just sheer pain.
S-So it does hurt!
Sure it hurts.
So much that it's ridiculous.
But beyond that is...
You're really interested, aren't you?
I-I guess...
She's pretty honest today...
All right! Let me go and choose a man for you!
Huh?! Y-You mean...
You're going to get rid of your virginity, right?
W-Well, um...
This is all so sudden...
L-Like, I need to prepare myself...
Got it. Let's just have you watch for today then, shall we?
Stay next to me and observe me doing it. Agreed?
Huh? Um...
The meal is ready--ah...
--Hm? --Huh?
S-So cute!
Is he your familiar?!
He hasn't fulfilled any nightly duties yet.
Wait, he's a virgin?!
What timing! I'll do him!
Ah, w-wait...!
Um...!
Maria! Practice makes perfect!
Count to a hundred, then come in!
Ah! N-No! Ah, not there! I said...
Aaah!
He ain't got one on him!
What a letdown!
That's why I hate virgins!
But you're the one who...
Listen up!
The next time I'm here, he better have a complete male body!
Next?! Are you planning to come here again?!
Of course!
Dirty... Dirty... Dirty...
Dirty... Dirty... Dirty...!
Those Britons...
Thanks.
Not at all...
Curse all them misfortunes.
All because of Maria messing with things...
Right?
Huh...
If she's around, it's better to just move on,
but our captain is arguing over payments with the Lord here.
So now we're stuck here.
I see.
I'll pay you back as soon as I get some gold.
There's no need to pay me back.
What?
If there is a necessity, I can get it from my Lord.
Please put it to good use with everyone.
You really aren't soldier material.
Huh?
Well, if that's how you feel, I'll gladly keep it.
But let me at least return the favor...
You're a virgin, right?
Great! Let's get you with a girl.
There's a good prostitute I know in the troupe.
Um, just a moment.
What? Is a prostitute not good for you?
That's not what I meant.
How can I word this? I have...
Ah, you mean that girl you were with the last time?
No, Mari...
I have no right to think of her that way...
Stop lookin' down on me! Damn it!
Sir Galfa! I think you've had too much to drink.
Shut up! Get away from me!
You trying to sink yourself onto my ass or something?!
Of course not...
I'll pay the gold back, for sure!
I ain't seeking alms!
I'm sorry! That's not my intention!
Yeah, I know...
That's about my value now.
But you know what, Joseph?
I've got a dream!
I'm gonna kill them enemies, and use my allies as stepping stones...
...so that I go up--up into the heavens!
I'm gonna be a knight! A noble!
I'm gonna be a king!
For that, I'll...
For that, I'll...!
I'll...!
Sir Galfa!
Ain't that right, Joseph?
Good times have got to come 'round...
Yes, Sir Galfa.
It seems I need to beseech you to teach me many things.
Well, then...
What will you be...?
Huh?
Are you going to just follow someone?
What I... want to be...
Aren't you just pushing your ideals onto others?
Peace...
War...
Oh, shoot!
This is just confusing!
What's wrong with peace?!
--Priapus! --Hm?
Deliver this medicine to Martha like usual.
Got it!
Ezekiel, you go too.
--Huh?! --While you're at it, do the shopping too.
I'm not your servant!
I want to eat eggs tonight!
Sure thing!
Why do I have to go shopping?!
You're eating from our table too!
I'm acting as Maria's supervisor!
As cook, you should be able to do this alone!
Maria needs time to herself to think, too!
No! She's not thinking of anything!
Ah! Isn't that a village over there?
Let's hurry and get the shopping over with.
Come back!
We passed through here before. It's a deserted village.
The place was ravaged by a plague.
The Great Pestilence.
She isn't thinking of anything after all...
Huh?
All Maria is doing is responding to requests.
She's just doing whatever she wants.
Not saving villagers this close by is sure proof!
She's doing things for self-satisfaction.
Be quiet!
Wait! Your claws!
Ah! Ow! Ow! Oww...!
Ouch! Ouch! Oww...!
Ouch! Ouch!
Not only do you mumble out loud, but you also fly slowly.
You really are a pain.
That's because I don't understand!
Why didn't Maria save that village?
Your god didn't save them, either.
So, why?
Everything is by the will of God.
It's not for us to question.
You sure have it easy.
All you need to do is maintain your faith.
It isn't easy!
I'm suffering the indignity of receiving the same treatment as some lowly familiar!
Hello!
You brought Grandmother Martha's medicine right, Priapus, Dovey?
The name's "Ezekiel"!
Is that so?
Maria is her usual self, it seems.
She's got her spirit back, so to speak, and is moving hither and thither, all over.
If I could, I would like to go to the forest...
I wasn't able to speak with her the last time...
Long ago, I used to go and meet Maria every day.
We were together all the time.
Such memories...
Maria was worried about you, too.
I've been able to last this long because of Maria's medicines.
Please give her my thanks.
I've been giving her thanks.
Aah... That's right.
May the heavens protect Maria...
--That's wrong. --Hm?
From the looks of it, you are God's devout servant, but...
...you pray for a witch?
The one for whom you pray is one who goes against God's teachings.
Dovey?
Do you not feel any guilt in receiving her medicines?
Hey!
It is inexcusable to give thanks to a witch.
Before Ann was born...
...the Great Pestilence spread in this area.
That was such a horrible plague.
Everyone fell ill and died.
The village beyond here perished, and we trembled in fear.
We prayed to God day in and day out.
It was then that Maria came.
The medicine she provided prevented a single person in this village from getting ill.
That's why it was possible for Ann here to be born.
How can I not thank her?
But...
Of course, I have faith in God.
But one has to keep an open mind to get by in this complicated world.
I heard a child drank tainted water...
Take this medicine and the child will quickly recover...
Silence, witch! Leave immediately!
--Lord, please forgive my sins for being in the presence of a witch. --May that witch's tongue be pulled.
--Lord, please forgive us. --A witch's words are smoother than those of a demon.
Using a witch's power to stay alive is a sin!
--Huh? --Be gone, witch!
Let temptation disappear!
We live by the word of God.
Thank you!
See you again!
With a request, she saves, and without one, she doesn't...
Are you bringing it up again?
The witch Maria...
Will she become a god if everyone so desires?
Huh?
What do you mean, "huh"?
Well, you said "become a god."
Wha--?! I'm not seriously implying that!
Just thinking that is arrogance!
I just don't understand what she's thinking...
And it seems there are people who need her...
If you don't understand, ask Maria herself when we get home.
--Huh? --That's the fastest way to find out.
You may as well, since you're living with her.
We still have more to buy. Let's go.
--Um... --What?
Please... don't bury your claws in me.
Well then, follow me yourself.
I'll fly slow for you.
She wanted eggs, didn't she...
...Sir Cook?
Hm? Yeah...
I better ask Maria about my "issue"...
Our Father... who art...
...in hea...
A resident of the village north of the forest has been called to the heavens.
You mean that village deserted from the Great Pestilence?
Yes. He was the sole survivor...
...and lived a life of offering daily prayer for the souls of the dead.
Wonderful.
That is the true showing of faith.
That man's ways shall be conveyed through the times.
No, they must be conveyed.
Yes. Also, as expected, the surrounding areas of the forest seem to be...
...related to Maria in some way.
What shall we do?
To disregard and stay silent is an option, but...
Gilbert.
Please carry my message to the noble lord immediately.
Yes. What is it?
Notify him that the confessor, Bernard, has a message to convey...
...in regards to the next war.
From here on, Galfa's on his own.
Hah! How wretched!
This is probably a mystery I need to pursue.
Stop...!
Begin!