Editing Failing Witch:Volume2 Episode3 (section)

===Part 3===

It was a round spring measuring 10m across.

At the center, it appeared to be more than a meter deep, but the white stone bottom had a tiered design. The outermost area along the edge didn’t even seem to be 50cm deep.

Although the water was so perfectly clear staring at it would probably throw off your sense of distance.

(So a circular spring and a goddess who excels at breaking the rules, huh?)

With the stone monuments taller than people surrounding the spring, it looked a lot like a strange round table. Several artificially straight grooves allowed the exceptionally clear water to flow out from the round spring in the center and outside the Water Temple itself.

“Eep. So that’s the G-Goddess’s Spring that evolves Formula Brooms.”

“…”

Melehe was being unusually quiet.

The gyaru-style instructor twirled her broom around and used it to point at one person in the group.

“Okay, let’s totally start with you, Viocia Modestlucky.”

“Eh!? W-with me!?”

A Formula Broom was a valuable item for a hopeful witch. Even if this place was supposed to increase their broom’s specs without messing with the core, it was only natural to be nervous once it came time to actually face the Goddess’s Spring. But with multiple prep school’s participating, there were hundreds of witches here and once the sun began to set, they had to walk back to the campsite. There was no time for delays.

The instructor must have decided it would be best to get things started without too much thought.

And it was a lot like Viocia to step forward even as she groaned.

“Okay, Mephistopheles. I’ve decided to do this, so let’s get you powered up. I just have to dump you in the spring! And then swish you around at the bottom…”

“Viocia, do you remember the incantation?”

“Oh.”

Viocia must not have had the incantation memorized yet, so Big Sis Dorothea (who was actually the same age) whispered it to her. And as the dunce counted on her fingers while having her memory refreshed, she managed to get the words out.

“ATU 0729. Ghh. The ritual of the spring in which a gold axe, silver axe, and iron axe are traded for each other. Aquae Sulis – the bath of prayers and reversals which, despite being a hot spring of healing, can also be used for lead curse tablets. And, um, the Black Mass – the intentional defilement of a holy ritual to alter the nature of the summoned power. Uh, I submerge this witchcraft device in the waters here and pray for a bright and glorious transformation!!”

Her loud cry echoed from the Goddess’s Spring and out to the Water Temple and the tropical forest.

This was technically classified as the Water Spirit and the Gold Axe, so make sure not to get confused.

Then they waited.

There was no light or sound.

Viocia Modestlucky tilted her head.

“Huh? The spring didn’t glow and no goddess emerged from the water.”

“It probably rejected you cause your heart is too impure,” suggested Melehe.

But what did this failure mean?

It wasn’t that difficult an incantation. Yagoro and Schanze had both been observing Viocia’s lips and fingers, but while she had been nervous, she hadn’t made any clear mistakes.

Schanze looked puzzled after watching it all from a step away.

“That’s totally weird. Everyone’s big sis Dorothea, can I borrow your cool Formula Broom?”

“Um, yes.”

Schanze took her student’s broom, crouched down, and slowly submerged it into the pure water just like Viocia had.

The instructor then recited the same incantation but with much more familiarity.

“ATU 0729 – the ritual of the spring in which a gold axe, silver axe, and iron axe are traded for each other. Aquae Sulis – the bath of prayers and reversals which, despite being a hot spring of healing, can also be used for lead curse tablets. And the Black Mass – the intentional defilement of a holy ritual to alter the nature of the summoned power. I submerge this witchcraft device in the waters here and pray for a bright and glorious transformation.”

But…

“Welp, the Goddess’s Spring totally isn’t working.”

<span style="font-size:150%">“Wait, we hoof it all the way out here and the ruins are broken!?”</span>

“<span style="font-size:75%">Wh-what do we do now? Eep.</span>”

“Hmm, there could totally be something wrong with the facility as a whole.”

“Why are you all so mean!? You just assumed I did something wrong when it was me!!”

Taller Dorothea hugged teary-eyed Viocia from behind and soothed her.

The instructors of the different prep schools began a private meeting. Sensing trouble, anxiety spread through the Halloween-costumed girls too.

Yagoro sighed softly.

Then he pointed at a point in the white marble ruins around the Goddess’s Spring.

“Schanze.”

“What do you want, outsider tut- oh, my.”

Schanze reflexively pouted her lips and began complaining, but she was still a prep school instructor. She immediately realized what he was trying to say.

They were inside the Water Temple, which was deep in the forest yet rivaled a school in size.

And at the very middle, eight massive stones were arranged around the Goddess’s Spring.

One of the tall stone monuments was missing.

“Totally hmm.”

Schanze crouched at the edge of the water. Yagoro remained standing and observed from behind her.

She peered down into the exceptionally clear water, but there was no sign of broken stones at the bottom. So instead of a piece of the ruins crumbling with age, it had completely vanished.

And an enormous stone monument wasn’t going to sprout legs and walk off on its own.

The Dazzling Forest was vast enough to engulf a small kingdom, but it was also becoming a tourist destination and was dotted with several campsites.

That meant anyone could have gotten in here.

And while they had kept it a secret to avoid scaring the students, there had been some traps, including a dreadfully powerful bear trap, set up in the forest.

Yagoro nodded.

And Schanze spoke carefully while crouched next to the spring.

“Could someone have totally stolen that humongous thing?”