The Burned‑Face Girl
The Templar Knights had already left the village, weapons in hand, marching off to hunt down the bandits.
Only the final accused remained in the square: a ten‑year‑old girl with a badly burned face, standing silently, trembling as she awaited her fate.
After two executions and three pardons, the villagers had had more than enough excitement for one day. Though they feared the Templars, the Hero's presence calmed them. Deep down, none of them wanted the child to be condemned.
All were waiting for the Hero to declare her innocent and set her free.
Young Wolf's gaze settled on the girl, and in an awkward attempt to break the tension, he tried a clumsy joke.
"You look like Fireburp sneezed in your face from up close."
Fireburp, Ironclaw, and Noelle burst into laughter immediately, but Andrea, Anita, and Eris all turned toward him with the same disapproving glare.
"That wasn't nice," Andrea said. "You just mocked her."
"Her face is badly burned," Eris added reproachfully.
"I agree, you went too far," Anita said.
Andras rubbed his forehead in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to hurt the girl—only to cut through the heaviness of the moment. Judging a child was rare for him, and the thought alone unsettled him.
But with his magical sight, he already knew the truth.
Her name was Ersebeth. Ten years old.
Her elemental affinity: fire.
Her class: Fire Witch.
Eris turned toward him impatiently.
"What are you waiting for? Why don't you just release her? It's obvious she's not a witch—they accused her because of her scar."
"Hold on, Eris. Let me think."
"What is there to think about?"
Andras turned to the villagers, his voice ringing across the square.
"Listen, people! The judgment is over. There will be no more hangings. Go—divide the former village chief's wealth fairly among yourselves. Then choose a new leader."
The villagers didn't need to be told twice. The crowd immediately surged toward the former chief's house to claim the money and belongings.
Soon, only the group and the little girl remained in the square.
Andras turned back to her.
"How did your face get burned, Ersebeth?"
The girl looked up in surprise.
"How do you know my name? I never told anyone in the village my real name."
Andras nodded slowly.
"Let me guess. You were playing with fire, and you couldn't control it yet. The flames struck your face."
The group stared at him in shock.
Realization hit them all at once:
the girl truly was a witch.
"One of the villagers must have seen you playing with fire again, and that's why they accused you of witchcraft," Andras said as he studied the girl's face.
Ersebeth's lips trembled.
"Yes… that's right! My mother was a witch… the Templars burned her alive right in front of me! So what now? Are you going to burn me too? Or just hang me?"
Andras sighed tiredly and waved a hand.
"I'm not a Templar, you silly kid. My battle maids can be witches, dragons, even demons if they want."
At that moment, his magic staff stirred in his hand. The spirit within—Eli—could no longer hold herself back.
"You can come out, Eli," Andras said.
Elisabeth's spirit emerged from the staff at once, her faint, glowing form taking shape in the air. The group was already used to her presence, but Eris took a startled step back.
"How in the world did a spirit get here?" she asked in disbelief.
"Let me introduce her," Andras replied. "This is the mage of the Hero's party from a thousand years ago—Elisabeth's spirit. Well, her astral copy, but she's still Eli."
"The spirit of the Hero from a thousand years ago?" Eris whispered.
"Not the Hero's spirit," Eli corrected sharply, crossing her arms as she floated. "The chosen Hero was Robin. I was the mage of the Hero's party. Do you really know so little about the previous Heroes?"
"I… vaguely remember something," Eris muttered. "I'm just surprised to see a spirit."
"We can save the introductions for later," Andras cut in. "Let's measure your compatibility. What do you think, Eli? The kid is only ten, and she's already a Fire Witch."
"You brought my compatibility meter?" Eli asked.
"Yes, it's right—Eris, what's that on your foot?"
Eris immediately looked down.
"Where? I don't see anything."
"Oh, just a grasshopper. It jumped away," Andras said casually—while lightning‑fast pulling the compatibility meter from his magical storage before Eris could notice the secret of the ring. "Here it is. Let's see how suitable you are as a host."
The young mage activated the device between Eli and Ersebeth. The crystals glowed, the needles shifted, then stopped.
Andras's face went pale.
He dropped to his knees and dramatically pressed a hand to his forehead.
"I trained so hard… and my compatibility with Eli is only fifty‑one percent. And this girl—this ten‑year‑old girl—is already at fifty‑eight!"
Eli floated over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well, yes, it's another record. And I don't know why you're being so dramatic. You're fifty‑one percent compatible with me despite having completely different magical elements. It was only a matter of time before we found a fire‑element host who was a better match."
"It's not possible—it's already certain," Andras grumbled, still kneeling.
The group stared in stunned silence.
Ersebeth stood trembling—yet for the first time, a faint spark of hope flickered in her eyes.
Young Wolf shifted from theatrical despair to sharp, focused mage in an instant. His voice hardened, his gaze sharpened.
"So, Eli… if you possess the girl's body and the fusion becomes permanent, will her class change? Will she stop being a Fire Witch?"
Eli folded her arms as she floated.
"You really know how to ask the interesting questions. I've never possessed anyone before. But if the fusion is permanent… theoretically, yes. She could inherit my class. She'd become a Fire Mage."
Andras shrugged.
"Who cares about the details? So, Ersebeth… what do you say? Want to become a Hero?"
The girl blinked in disbelief.
"A… Hero? Me?"
"Yeah. Seems you're pretty compatible with the spirit of the Hero's Mage from a thousand years ago."
"I don't understand… what is this compa‑thing you keep talking about?" she asked, confused.
Eli floated closer, as if bending down to speak to a child.
"I'll explain. I possess your body, and our souls merge inside you."
"A spirit… possessing me?" the girl gasped, recoiling.
"Hey!" Eli snapped. "I'm not just any spirit!"
"And… what will happen to me? Will it hurt?"
"You'll become stronger. Much smarter. To put it simply: instead of being a witch everyone hates and hunts… you'll become a Hero people admire and praise. In theory."
Ersebeth nodded slowly.
"I never wanted to be born a witch. But… becoming a Hero… that sounds nice."
Eli smiled.
"Then it's settled. I'll begin the possession."
The spirit didn't hesitate. With a single swift motion, she slipped into Ersebeth's body. Flames erupted around the girl—not burning her, but wrapping her like a living cocoon woven from fire. The flames gradually quieted, then vanished as if they had never been.
In their place stood a new girl.
Ersebeth no longer trembled. Her eyes were clearer, her posture confident. The ropes binding her hands and feet charred instantly and crumbled away. She stretched lightly, as if waking from a long sleep.
The group stared in disbelief.
Eris stood with her mouth open.
Andrea and Anita both inhaled sharply.
Fireburp grinned with sparkling eyes.
Ironclaw wagged her tail like an excited predator.
Noelle clutched her chest, sensing the pure, vibrant magic radiating from the girl.
And Ersebeth…
…was no longer the same child.
The group watched in stunned silence.
Ersebeth stood tall—no longer trembling—and for the first time, a faint spark of confidence shone in her eyes.
Andras stepped closer with curiosity.
"So, Eli… how did the possession go?"
The girl—no, the new Ersebeth—smiled.
"Finally, I'm in a body of flesh and blood again. How do I look?"
"The host's brown hair turned blonde, and her brown eyes turned blue. Those are clearly your traits."
"Yeah. My soul is far more dominant. So in a fusion, my personality becomes the primary one."
Noelle asked anxiously:
"What happened to the girl's soul?"
"It merged with my spirit," Eli replied. "She didn't disappear. She… became Elisabeth. From now on, we're part of each other. My personality is stronger, but her memories and feelings live inside me. Losing her mother hurts terribly."
She turned to Andras. "What else do you see, Young Wolf?"
Andras examined her with his magical sight.
"Your name became Ersebeth."
"I don't mind," Eli said. "I'm not the real Elisabeth anyway. So from now on, I'm Ersebeth. Just call me Ersi."
"Alright, Ersi. So… you stayed ten years old."
"Damn it. I'll have to wait years before I can have any fun."
"Yeah, at least five years before you can drink. As for your class…"
"Did it change?"
"No. You're still a Fire Witch."
"Doesn't matter. My magical techniques are all self‑developed anyway. And what about my face? Did I inherit the girl's face or Eli's?"
Andras leaned in.
"Hm… the girl's burned scar stayed."
"What?! This ugly burn stayed? Noelle, fix it. Now!"
Noelle spread her hands apologetically.
"I can't. What the fire element burns away, I can't regrow. I couldn't fix Jula's face either."
"May the flames scorch it!"
"The flames already did," Andras noted.
"Shut up! I'll wear a mask when I grow up."
"Why? The burn gives you a cool fire‑mage look."
"You wouldn't understand, idiot! A girl's face is everything!"
Eris finally spoke, still half in shock.
"Okay… so if I'm not insane… the girl who was a witch just fused with a thousand‑year‑old mage?"
"Yes, you got it," Ersi replied. "You're not as dumb as I thought, little Hero."
"So… are you a Hero now too?"
"I'm a Fire Witch. What do you think?"
"Uh… no?"
Ersi shrugged.
"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat. I can drink honey‑mead, right? A little alcohol won't hurt a ten‑year‑old body."
Noelle cut in immediately.
"If you drink even a little alcohol, your chest won't grow nicely."
Ersi froze.
"Damn it! Then I'm avoiding alcohol completely. At least until I grow up."