The original work is a short light novel by Shiraishi Jouki. In 2019, it was adapted into a manga with characters by Azuru, and an anime adaptation is scheduled to air from October 2020. The main character, Elaina, is inspired by a book called "Nike's Adventures" and dreams of becoming a witch and traveling. After becoming a witch, Elaina visits various places and people during her journey, and each story is generally self-contained in one episode. Additionally, "Lilielle and the Land of Prayer," published by GA Bunko, is a sequel that continues the worldview of this work. In this article, we'll introduce the plot of "Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina" ahead of the anime adaptation. Please be careful as this article contains spoilers if you haven't seen it yet!
Chapter 1: Wizard's Country
"Nike's Adventure" is a collection of short stories about a witch named Nike who travels around the world. Young Elaina was deeply captivated by the beautiful scenery from around the world, written based on the author's experiences. Dreaming of an adventure like Nike's, her mother encouraged her to become a witch. Elaina became a witch and was given the name "Ash Witch," and set out on her journey. The first country she visited was "Wizard's Country," a country that only wizards can enter. Immigration inspections are conducted at the country's entrance, and the minimum requirement for entry is the ability to fly a broom proficiently. Elaina, carrying a witch's brooch, was immediately recognizable as a witch, so she did not need to go through immigration.
Wizard Ranks
There are three ranks of wizards. Those who can use magic are called mages, and the ability to use magic is largely determined by genetics. Women who pass the exam are promoted to apprentice witches, and from there they continue their training. Once officially recognized as a witch, they are presented with a witch's brooch and a name tag. Elaina has also been officially recognized as a witch and given the title "Ashen Witch." The witch apprentice exam is extremely difficult, with only one person passing on the first try. Elaina passed the exam at age 15, making her incredibly talented!
A Troublesome Girl
Elaina is enjoying a stroll through the sky. A sign reads, "Flying is Recommended," a fitting tribute to the land of wizards. Suddenly, a girl struggling to control her broom charges at her. The girl panics after damaging the roof, but Elaina repairs it and heals her wounds. The girl asks to thank her, but Elaina carefully checks her surroundings and leaves the area.
An Unwelcome Elaina
In the Wizarding Kingdom, witches are the highest rank. Elaina thought she would be welcomed everywhere, but wherever she went, she was treated like a little girl and not taken seriously. She went to an inn to find a place to stay. There she found the girl she had bumped into earlier. The girl's name was Saya. Saya, who is terrible at magic, got lost in thought while practicing riding a broom and was unable to operate it properly, causing her to shove into Elaina. Elaina decided to stay at an inn and noticed there was a "witch discount" and tried to fill it out, but Saya told her to fill out the one for mages instead. Elaina insisted that she was a witch, but when she bumped into Saya, she dropped her brooch, which is proof of her witch status. Without the brooch, there is no proof of witchhood. It's no wonder she was treated like a little girl.
Elaina Becomes a Teacher
Elaina frantically returns to look for the brooch, but is unable to find it. She gives up and returns to the inn. When she returns to her room, Saya enters her room and asks for the secrets to passing the promotion exam to become a witch. Saya and her younger sister were aiming to become witches, but she passed the previous exam and returned to her hometown. Desperate to become a witch and return home, Saya asks Elaina for her lessons. Seeing Saya's desperate state, Elaina offers to teach her magic until she finds the brooch. Saya kneels down when asking Elaina for her favor, but she says it's a traditional part of her hometown, suggesting that Saya's hometown may be Japan.
Where the Brooch is
While teaching Saya magic, Elaina searches for the brooch. Saya's magic improves, but she can't find the brooch. On her fifth day in town, while making her usual inquiries, she hears information about the brooch from an old lady. Surprisingly, Saya had picked up the brooch. Something felt strange to Elaina. In the Wizarding Kingdom, the minimum requirement for entry is the ability to fly on a broom. Furthermore, Saya comes from the eastern part of the country. It would be strange if she couldn't fly properly. Left behind by her younger sister, Saya hid the brooch in search of companionship.
Farewell to Saya
Though Saya hid the brooch, Elaina doesn't think she's a bad person. She teaches Saya, who fears being alone, the seriousness of being alone and that she, too, was afraid of fighting alone. She gives her a spare hat and encourages her, telling her she'll always be watching over her. Encouraged, Saya cried and apologized, returning the brooch. Six months after Elaina left the Wizarding Kingdom, she happened to come across a newspaper from the Witch Supervisory Association, featuring Saya, who had been promoted to apprentice witch.
Chapter 2: Flower Kingdom
Elaina flew through a narrow path through a broadleaf forest, heading for the Flower Kingdom. She regretted the difficulty of passing through the mountain path, but once she emerged, she found herself in a flower field that seemed like another world. The plants emit magical power as they grow. Nature is said to be the source of magical power, and it is thanks to these plants that she is able to continue flying through the forest. When Elaina arrived at the flower field, there was no caretaker, but instead a woman sitting there. It seemed the woman hadn't come to pick flowers, but for some other reason. When she told the man she was going to the Flower Kingdom, she asked him to deliver a bouquet of flowers.
Poisonous Flower
Upon arriving at the Flower Kingdom, Elaina is detained by the gate guard. The flower Elaina was carrying is poisonous, driving humans who cannot use magic mad. Anyone who receives the flower is led to the flower's habitat and unable to return. The gate guard inspects the area to find and dispose of any flowers found, but many go missing. The gate guard's sister has also gone missing, and this has left Elaina feeling uneasy. Hearing the story of the flower, Elaina is reminded of the woman she saw in the flower field. Seeing the gate guard's thoughtfulness toward his sister, she decides to try to persuade the woman.
The Deserted Flower Kingdom
The Flower Kingdom used to be bustling with tourists thanks to the legend of the love-matching ceremony. Even after the poisonous flowers began to circulate, things were still good as long as the beautiful flower seller was still there. However, after the flower seller left, the Flower Kingdom saw few tourists, and the legend of the love-matching ceremony was gradually lost. The beautiful flower seller was originally a tourist, but she fell in love with the Flower Kingdom and moved there with her siblings. When the daughter began selling flowers, her reputation spread rapidly and she quickly became popular, but her brother, who doted on his sister, was not happy about this. If he keeps his sister from leaving the house, he'll be labeled a scoundrel who loves his relatives. Due to the poisonous flowers, the number of tourists in Flower Kingdom gradually declines, and the place becomes filled with curious onlookers eager to see the scoundrels. Enraged, the brother finally locks his sister away from home completely.
The Flower Seller's Name is Artemisia
Ireina asks the aunt who told her about Flower Kingdom about the meaning of the flowers. Pink means "I will never forget you," red means "I miss you so much," white means "My love lives on," and yellow means "rejection." The bouquet Elaina was given in the flower field had a single yellow flower amongst white flowers. Elaina felt uncomfortable with this unusual combination. Finally, she learned that the flower seller's name was "Artemisia." The sister of the missing gate guard was none other than the beautiful flower seller from the Flower Kingdom. Artemisia had come to the flower field herself to reassure her anxious brother. However, after being poisoned by the flowers and unable to return, she entrusted Elaina with a message. A message to her beloved brother: "Don't come."
Chapter 3: Fundraising
Upon arriving in her new country, Elaina's challenge is to raise funds. Typical prices are one copper coin for a loaf of bread, one silver coin for a night's accommodation, and gold coins for luxury items. Elaina had three copper coins and one silver coin. She thought she could manage the cost of bread and lodging for the time being, but... in this country, a loaf of bread costs three copper coins, and a night's accommodation costs three silver coins, three times the normal price. The country's recently crowned king has counterfeited a large number of coins, causing their value to plummet. Unable to secure food or shelter, Elaina decides to earn money as a fortune teller.
A Request from the King
Elaina's consistently accurate predictions have reached the king's ears, and he takes her to the palace, where she is asked to predict the country's future. The king is still young and leaves economic policy to his aides. The recent coin inflation was also the result of his aides' efforts. The king knows that the economy and diplomacy are struggling. However, trusting his aides, he doesn't know what to do and seeks reassurance through fortune-telling. Elaina agrees to predict the country's future, on the condition that she be allowed to stay overnight at the royal palace.
Liars are always calm
Thanks to Elaina's efforts, the evil deeds of the aide and his son were exposed. They had counterfeited coins, intentionally plunging the country into crisis, and then blaming the king for his downfall. The king had asked Elaina to predict the future of his country, but he realized he had to lead the country himself and no longer needed to know the future. The king regretted that his aide had continued to lie, but Elaina, who was not good at fortune-telling, had also been lying to the king.
Chapter 4: Elaina the Apprentice Witch
When Elaina passed the promotion exam to become an apprentice witch at the age of 14, her parents heartily praised her. However, Elaina felt no sense of accomplishment and honestly believed it was only a matter of time before she became a witch. To become a witch, an apprentice must be recognized by a master witch. Elaina searched for a master and interviewed all the witches living in Robetta, but was rejected by them all. The older witches were not pleased that the youngest witch had passed the strict exam, which only one person passes at a time. Without a master, you cannot become a witch. Her mother advised Elaina to visit the "Stardust Witch" who lives deep in the forest.
"Stardust Witch" Fran
Fran had heard rumors about Elaina. Elaina thought this witch would also refuse to accept her as an apprentice, but Fran readily acknowledged that Elaina was the youngest to pass the exam and gladly accepted her. Elaina had imagined learning magic from her master and continuing to train to become a more advanced magician, but instead, she ended up being a complete errand boy, making Fran breakfast, shopping for ingredients, and doing housework. When it came to the actual magic, she only practiced it on her own and wasn't taught anything. Still, Elaina trusted Fran, who had accepted her, and did as she was told.
Challenges from Fran
It's been a month since she came to Fran's side. Fran, who hadn't taught Elaina anything up until now, tells her that she will have to fight him as a test. Naturally, this is not someone Elaina can hope for. Elaina finally bursts into tears at Fran's meanness. Fran regrets that she has gone too far. In fact, Elaina's parents had come to Fran in advance, anticipating that the local witch would reject Elaina. Worried about Elaina's future, as she has never known failure, they had asked for an extremely difficult test. However, when Fran met Elaina, he judged that she was not just cheeky, but also worked hard and had all the qualities of a witch, and he was sure that she would be able to endure and overcome even a difficult test. So he decided to do nothing and instead propose a test where she had reached her limit of endurance. The first thing Fran taught her was, "Say no to things you don't like, and learn to protect yourself."
"Witch of Ash" Elaina
After overcoming Fran's training and gaining recognition, Elaina is officially recognized as a witch by the Stardust Witches. She receives a brooch as proof of her status and is given the name "Witch of Ash." While the name, taken from her hair color, is a simple idea, Elaina likes the name given to her by her beloved Fran.
Summary of Volume 1 of the Manga (Spoiler Alert!)
What did you think? While there's a general storyline, each chapter is generally self-contained, making it easy to read. A distinctive feature is that each chapter ends with a moral lesson! The anime is likely also easy to follow, as each episode is self-contained.
