Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-Nine** of the seventh volume the *Witch Hat Atelier* manga series.

## Summary

The story flashes back to a few days before the events of the previous chapter to Olruggio trying to get food from the Great Hall's Cafeteria. He is daunted by the crowd thought, and decides to come back some other time.

As he is leaving a man jumps down from a raised walk way, frightening Olruggio and calling him "senior". The man is introduced as Hieheart and goes on to ask Olruggio to take him on as an apprentice. Olruggio turns him down reiterating how he does not take on apprentices, adding that Hieheart has an apprentice of his own to take care of.

Hieheart exclaims how that is true and asks if he should summon his apprentice, but a voice replies that there is no need as Jujy approaches the two.

She apologizes for her master, then explains that they were on their way to fulfill a request and asks Olruggio to accompany them. After thinking it over he accepts and they travel to the Mistcall Castle in the Cladd Territory.

There, they find that Lord Cladd's request is to change all the light up tiles in the Fortress's ballroom to blue for his daughter's, Princess Mia's, wedding. Olruggio complains that its too much work to be done in such a short time, but the lord then reveals how he knows that the witches have been helping the common people while ignoring the Lord's requests and adds that he makes large contributions to the Assembly. The witches relent and lock themselves in the ballroom

Inside Hieheart and Jujy slump to the floor and complain about how non-witches don't appreciate how hard magic really is as they believe all it takes is a wave of the hand. Olruggio also seems annoyed with the Lord, but reveals he has a plan. Hieheart exclaims that that is just like his amazing senior and asks to be Olruggio's apprentice again with him refusing again. Jujy then questions Olruggio, asking why he doesn't take apprentices. Olruggio explains that a professor must choose being a professor above everything else without hesitation and that he can't do that.

Jujy replies that she thinks it depends on what that "something else" is and if it were to difficult to choose between those two choices she would want someone to help her not lean to far in either direction and find a "middle path". With Hieheart exclaiming that if he were an apprentice he would want her as a teacher. Olruggio thinks on what she just said and seems to consider trying more actively to be that "support" for Qifrey as in the end, after the Brimhats attacked during the test at the Serpentback Cave, Qifrey went to check on the girls instead of pursuing the Brimhats further.

He is then taken from his thoughts by a knock on the ballroom door. It was from Princess Mia and they go together to the Fortress's courtyard where the Princess apologizes for her father and explains that changing the color of the floor tiles to blue is to spite her fiances family, who's family color is red, and explains that's why the witches don't have to try so hard. Olruggio says he can do no such thing and bows, saying witches grant the peoples wishes and asks for the Princess's help in finding a solution that would make everyone happy.

It jumps to the Lord coming to the ballroom after hearing the task is done. He bursts in, but finds that the tiles still have the same color. Before the Lord can really get mad Olruggio begins to explain that the important people on the wedding night would not be the guests, but the bride herself and, taking the Princess's hand, he leads her to the middle of the ballroom and there the tiles under her feet begin to light up blue. Olruggio continues to explain, saying that having only the tiles she step on light up blue would make sure she would be the center of attention. Hieheart and Jujy quietly comment to themselves that only having the Princess cause the blue light would make sure that the grooms red would not be overpowered.

The Lord is satisfied and the Princess compliments Olruggio saying that she wishes he would stay by her side when she becomes succeeds the Cladd Empire, like the Kings of old who had Witches by their sides. Olruggio however, turns her down, explains how no one wants to return to the old days of war and the Princess hesitantly agrees with him, dropping the subject.

The Lord approaches, still over joyed, and starts to ask the witches to look at something else in the other room, but they run away as fast as they can. As, the witches are heading back to the Great Hall some of the villagers call out thanking them for putting in the light up pathways, as even a little light at night has cause the crime rate in the town to decrease. Olruggio says that its their duty so there is no need for thanks when a mother rushes up to them with her boy asking them to help as the boy's hearing so great normal noises cause him pain. She asks them to take him and train him to control his hearing. Olruggio begins to reach out his hand, but is stopped by Hieheart who states it is against their laws with an intense look in his eyes. Olruggio stops and then says he was just making a magic cloth for the boy, making it and tying the cloth around his head. Olruggio then apologizes to him quietly before leaving.

The chapter then jumps to right where the story left off at the end of Chapter 38, with Olruggio and Qifrey on the side of a hill where after a little reflection, Olruggio says he will listen to what Qifrey has to say and then Qifrey will let him help him.

## Characters by Appearance

* Olruggio
* Jujy *(Debut)*
* Hieheart *(Debut)*
* Lord Cladd *(Debut)*
* Princess Mia *(Debut)*
* Qifrey