Failing Witch:Volume1 Appendix

Appendix: Quiz Answers

Prologue Quiz

Now, for a quiz. A witch must always focus on the Three Aspects.

Let’s start with the Aspect of Admiration.

Which ATU number is the reference text for the Cinderella witch role?

ATU(0510)a

Next, the Aspect of Antiquity.

You want to perform a four elements conversion based on the philosopher Aristotle’s formula, but the below diagram does not let you use the shortest conversion method of swapping out the four qualities (dry, wet, hot, and cold) one at a time. Fill in the blank to explain what needs to be replaced with what to provide the correct diagram.

╭ Earth ╮

Wind    -     Fire

╰ Water ╯

Replacing water with (wind) will work.

Hint: Fire = Dry + Hot and is a processed version of the common prima materia.

Lastly, the Aspect of Amorality.

Which of the following should not be done by the leader of the Black Mass?

1. Perform a deadly curse ceremony

②. Wear a rabbit skull over the head

3. Use a naked woman as an altar

Viocia: This is my current skill! It’s my baseline!

Yagoro: A perfect 0 is kind of impressive. It was weirdly thrilling writing that score down.

Viocia: But there are tons of different kinds of witches.

First Quiz

Question: Fill in the blanks to explain what magical methods the human Myousou Yagoro used to defeat Demon Lord Aristotle and rescue Dorothea Rockpool. (10 points per blank, 100 points total)

Witches focus on the Three (Aspects).

First the Aspect of Antiquity. But this time, I only used the correspondence of (fire), wind, water, and earth with red, (yellow), blue, and green.

Next, the Aspect of (Admiration). I activated the ATU (0328a) text.

Would it be easier to describe that as Jack and the Beanstalk?

The (bean)stalk is a route used by deadly threats such as ogres and demons, so you can prevent their arrival by cutting it down. That’s a magical lesson that, under the right conditions, magic can be forced to malfunction or fail to activate, don’tcha think?

Lastly, the Aspect of Amorality. I used the popular wax doll curse. This lets you remotely damage a target by sticking a thick (needle) into a doll made to look like them.

Altogether, I prevented the activation of Demon Lord (Aristotle)’s magical attack, which was in truth a function of the four elements, and then launched a counterattack with a wax doll. A (wax doll) curse can harm its target regardless of distance and space, so it can damage a noncorporeal being who exists only as thoughts. And it goes without saying that Dorothea and the Voland are two separate things. By setting a specific (target) before launching the attack, I could make a clear distinction between the two. They occupied the same body, but that method allowed me to defeat only the Voland and purge him from Dorothea’s body.

The end. Any questions, Viocia?

Yagoro: This should be easier to understand if you start with the wax doll and focus on the idea of a curse, don’tcha think?

Viocia: Uhh… But it’s so weird how you can link the idea of a curse with a story.

Yagoro: You’re looking at it wrong. Old stories weren’t always meant for children. The original stories and legends are a treasure trove of magical knowledge.

Viocia: But why do you include the Black Mass which was made up to persecute witches?

Yagoro: If you’re smart enough to find the truths hidden in distorted witness accounts, there’s a lot to learn from them. And it’s also possible to take advantage of the malicious ideas someone spreads about you.

Second Quiz

Question: Fill in the blanks to explain what magical methods the human Myousou Yagoro used to defeat the Sassafras Cfa Preparatory School aces – Arbamini, Holibre, and Lampans. (10 points per blank, 100 points total)

We will only be focusing on what I did against the Sassafras Cfa trio. Let’s look at it piece by piece.

The Aspect of Antiquity was the mandragora. You die if you hear its (scream) when it is uprooted, but you can remain safe by tying a rope to a dog and uprooting it that way. Simply put, you can avoid the danger using (distance). That said, I was stuck in a fixed location, so I had to use a different method to avoid hearing the sounds and voices even at a short distance. For example, I could drown out the trio’s higher voices by shouting a lower sound, don’tcha think?

Mandragoras can also be used to attack. The symbol of (death) caused by hearing a scream is too good not to use.

The Aspect of (Admiration) was ATU (0123). In other words the Wolf and the Young Goats. That is the story of the (young goats) opening the door for and being eaten by a wolf pretending to be their (mother).

You can use that to make magic that knocks someone out if they answer your call. Viocia, note that I didn’t use your names when I called out to you. I simply told you to “take this”.

I did panic a bit when Arbamini ignored my call toward the end. I didn’t want to take their lives.

The Aspect of Amorality was a curse made by intentionally (mistreating) a tool. That’s a standard of the Black Mass. And I used it for targeting support based on the fundamental law of (curses) that says two things will continue to affect each other even at a distance once they come into (contact).

The end. Any questions, Viocia. And Melehe too since you’re here?

Yagoro: This one was all about voice and prophecy magic. As long as you have the mandragora, you can fight back.

Melehe: So distance was all you needed. It’s so simple once you know the trick.

Yagoro: Witches tend to use tricks like that. Facing them head on is just playing into their hand, don’tcha think?

Third Quiz

Question: Fill in the blanks to explain what magical methods the human Myousou Yagoro used to defeat Moloch, the deadly bronze pot. (10 points per blank, 100 points total)

Do you see how this works now? Then in standard witch fashion, let’s start with the Three (Aspects).

For the Aspect of Antiquity, I used the Celtic (wicker man). That’s a (human sacrifice ritual) where a large number of people are sacrificed using fire. I started by using that to obtain deadly force.

For the Aspect of Admiration, I used ATU (0709), Snow White. The magical lesson there is that the stepmother and daughter are both beautiful but their (inner) ugliness made all the difference. So of course, the (uglier) the target’s heart, the greater the damage.

If Moloch desired to capture and kill everyone he could get his hands on, the spell would have produced the (maximum) power of (fire) and entirely melted him, but that didn’t happen. That would mean Moloch’s heart wasn’t that ugly, don’tcha think?

Lastly, the Aspect of (Amorality) was a chimney. When a witch leaves for the Black Mass, she would reach (the roof) through the chimney. With the wall and window destroyed and with smoke flowing through the entire space, I treated the room as a safe chimney to distance myself from the danger of Moloch’s tackle.

The end. Any questions, you three?

Viocia: Molooooch!?

Yagoro: Ignoring this nuisance, I started my idea with those two from the Snow White story.

Dorothea: B-but, tutor, a bronze statue isn’t a living thing. Eep. Were you really certain you could defeat him in a direct fight?

Yagoro: Of course. That he’s a bronze statue was the main point, don’tcha think? We’re not talking about the legendary metal orichalcum here. I know the exact hardness and melting point of bronze, so it wasn’t hard to come up with a countermeasure.

Fourth Quiz

Question: Fill in the blanks to explain what magical methods the human Myousou Yagoro used to defeat Arbamini and her powerful attack magic. (10 points per blank, 100 points total)

First, the Aspect of Admiration. Needless to say, I used ATU (0510)a – in other words, Cinderella. Specifically, the part that happens after the (glass slipper) fits perfectly on Cinderella’s foot. The wicked women have no role after that. But the spellcaster is an almighty and untouchable figure in this story, so I had to make sure I didn’t draw on that part. The key was to have the trio correspond with (the stepmother and stepsisters).

Next, the Aspect of Amorality. I referenced the story of Isobel Gowdie. When leaving for the (Witch’s Sabbath), she placed her (broom) in her (bed) so her (family) wouldn’t suspect she was gone. But you have to be careful with this story because she used her broom to avoid or repel danger, not to fly.

Lastly, the Aspect of (Antiquity). I used a dreamcatcher. The Be Silent Spell Bottle would have worked too. A dreamcatcher is an (amulet) you hang by the window to catch bad dreams. If it can easily stop formless malice and (curses), it can physically defend against them, don’tcha think?

The end. Any questions, Viocia?

Viocia: Th-there was a logic to what you did?

Yagoro: Don’t expect to find any kind of “special attack” in witchcraft. You just need to remember that you can learn any magic if you study enough, don’tcha think?

Viocia: Come to think of it, Arba thought it was an impossible curse at the very end!

Yagoro: You’ve got a nickname for her already? Fine. That is your greatest strength, after all.

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