← The Forbidden Line ☰

Chapter 6Blue Tiles for a Wedding

Juji is a young apprentice witch who studies under her master, Hayheart. She comes from a different atelier than Coco and the others, which is reflected in her appearance. Her witch hat is a dark shade of blue with three white tassels on the side, along with some gold details along the rim and tip.

But what truly defines Juji is her funny relationship with her master. Juji and Hayheart share a very close relationship. Hayheart relies on her brains and problem-solving skills, while she counts on his quick reactions and positive attitude when things get dangerous. Honestly, they work really well together, like a duo. Even in risky situations, Hayheart depends on Juji's creative ideas.

The clearest example of this is how Juji manages him. She understands her master better than anyone. Because she knows how easily he can cause trouble, she makes sure not to leave him alone for too long without supervision.

One of her most notable moments comes during a job in the Clad territory. Juji assists Hayheart and Olruggio with a request from the local lord. Their task is to change the color of the glowstone path tiles to blue for the lord's daughter's wedding. It is suggested that Juji and her master had already helped Olruggio with similar work before. When the lord casually assumes their work is simple, Juji reacts immediately. Along with her master and Olruggio, she complains about how misunderstood magic really is. She's clearly frustrated by the idea outsiders have that magic is just waving a wand and saying words.

Another important scene comes during her conversation with Olruggio. You see, Hayheart wants to become Olruggio's apprentice. Olruggio, however, didn't want to take any apprentice, which surprised Juji. Curious, she listens as Olruggio explains his hesitation. He believes that a master must always prioritize their responsibility as a teacher above everything else. Even if something else is important, the role of a master must come first. And this is the something he struggles with.

Juji's response reveals her perspective. She tells him that it depends on what those responsibilities are being compared to. Even witches are still people with their own lives. If someone has two important things to choose from, then instead of forcing a choice, they should ask for help. That way, both things can be handled.

This idea shows how Juji views the world. She does not think being a witch means giving up everything else. When she becomes a master, she wants to continue living her own life while still helping others when they need it. And according to Hayheart, that way of thinking makes her an inspiring apprentice. Juji is described as the cleverest, most capable apprentice Hayheart could ever ask for. It goes without saying that Juji will do anything to make her master okay. Even when forced to perform forbidden magic, Juji is willing to do it as long as she can save Hayheart.

Loroga Rowenton is an apprentice witch studying at the Great Hall. He is someone who knows about Agott's dark past. What stands out the most about Loroga is his attitude. This kid is condescending and hostile, especially toward Agott.

The clearest example of this arrogance appears when he first notices her at the Great Hall. While sitting with another unnamed apprentice, he spots Agott and immediately reacts with disgust. To him, she is someone who could not even secure a place in her own house, so he can't stand seeing her in the Great Hall.

After realizing that Coco is one of Qifrey's students, Loroga begins speaking badly about Agott. He warns Coco to be careful around her. He claims that Agott once stole someone else's magic and tried to pass it off as her own. Basically, he wants to make Coco suspicious of Agott and push her away from her.

You see, Loroga is frustrated that Agott was given another chance after what he believes was her failure in the second test. In reality, Agott did not fail. Her test was interrupted by the Brimmed Caps, but Loroga ignores that completely. To him, the only thing that matters is that she did not finish, which he treats as failure. Loroga does not care about the full story. He focuses only on what supports his view and uses it to look down on others.

In reality, it seems like Loroga is just jealous of Agott's talent, which is why he spreads mean rumors about her. Deep down, he thinks her magic is way too impressive for her age. He's so amazed by all the spells she can do that he has a hard time focusing on his own magic.