3 bar menu

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

「Thank you… Thanks to you, the village was saved.」

The one who bowed as he said this was Daon, the sharp-eyed middle-aged man. He had summoned Noel and me behind his house to talk. Apparently, the interior hadn’t been tidied yet, so we were meeting out back. …It felt a bit like being called behind the gym for a serious talk.

「Everyone’s still busy cleaning their homes, so as the village chief, I’m here to offer our gratitude on behalf of the villagers.」

So he was the village chief. I’d always pictured a village chief as an old man, so the fact that this strong-looking guy with his sharp eyes and still-intact muscles was in charge surprised me so much I let out an internal 「Eh!?」 My face stayed smiling, of course.

「But… to think you had enough full recovery potions for the entire village… Just who are you?」

(Hiiieee…!! I’m just a kind mand—Witch-sama…!)

Despite his words of thanks, Daon’s stare turned piercing, and I screamed internally. Compared to the villagers’ simple clothing, my outfit was covered in flowers and definitely stood out, no wonder I looked suspicious.

But that’s exactly why I brought Noel, to be my interpreter. I stepped behind him and gently placed my hands on his shoulders. Not using him as a shield. Just… letting him do the talking.

「This is Flower Witch-sama. She’s mastered plant-based magic, but in exchange, she lost her voice… So I’ll speak on her behalf.」

「…Ah, I’ve heard of such mysterious techniques among the Demonkind. So, the potions were created through plant magic?」

「Yes. Witch-sama saved me, too, when I collapsed. …She’s incredibly kind.」

Yes, good boy, Noel! Totally worth picking him up. If he’d stayed a dog, this would’ve been impossible, I was lucky.

Daon still looked like he was mulling something over, but then let out a quiet sigh and relaxed his shoulders.

「You’ve saved us, and I’m grateful. But this village has little in the way of reserves. We can’t offer much of a reward…」

I shook my head. A 「Reward」 probably meant money, but I didn’t know its value and didn’t need it right now. What I needed first was a place to live.

「…Then, what is it that you desire?」

Naturally, that would be a home. It was my first step toward living as a human. Also, I needed a family who’d accept Noel. That was key.

I had a plan – build relationships with humans through Noel, blend into the village naturally without raising suspicion.

I gently nudged Noel forward. When Daon looked puzzled, I used a vine at my fingertip to conjure a tiny model of a house. Seeing this, Noel seemed to catch on and gave a firm nod.

「Witch-sama is looking for a home. The illness… no one knows its cause. It might come back. Witch-sama doesn’t want to leave the village.」

(Nice, Noel…! You even came up with a perfect excuse…!)

This gave us a flawless reason to stay. Daon couldn’t possibly say no. With me around, any future illness could be cured, and the villagers would feel safer. As long as Noel lived here and relayed my intentions, everything would go smoothly.

「…I understand your request. However, I cannot permit a beastkin child to live within the village.」

(Eh? Why not!?)

「There are some in the village who harbor ill feelings toward beastkin. I myself have had close ties with beastkin in the past, so I bear no such prejudice… But if conflict can be avoided, it should be. As village chief, I cannot allow it.」

What a twist. So beastkin discrimination exists here.

Noel is probably the only one who can explain things for me as well as he does. Having him live close by would be ideal. Without him, my plan could fall apart. Should I give up on this village and look for one that accepts beastkin? …What should I do?

As I struggled with the thought, Noel looked up at me and forced a clearly fake smile.

「I’m used to it. Witch-sama, please don’t make that sad face for my sake.」

(Oh… Right. It’s not just hard on me, it’s hard on Noel too…)

If someone rejected me for being a mandragora, I’d feel devastated. Even if I’m a monster, I have no intention of hurting anyone. Still, I knew I wouldn’t be accepted as I was, that’s why I pretended to be a witch.

But unlike me, Noel belongs to subspecies of humankind. If he’s turned away just for being a beastkin, that has to hurt. I gently patted his head to comfort him.

「…There’s a watermill by the river outside the village. If the two of you were to settle there, well, it’s outside village grounds, so I wouldn’t have any say in the matter.」

「Thank you! Witch-sama, he says we can live near the village!」

(Huh? Wait a sec… Since when did we decide on Noel’s living with me…?)

I mean, I’ve been careful not to expose too much skin, but my entire body, except for the hair, is a 「Mandragora Root」 that automatically absorbs life on contact. One little accident, and I might suck the life out of Noel. Living together sounds… dangerous.

(Noel, it’s really better if we don’t live together… Umm… Maybe he could live at the watermill, and I could find a separate house…?)

「Witch-sama. Now that I’ve been given the chance to serve you, I’ll do my very best. …Please take care of me from now on!」

Tail wagging with joy, Noel beamed up at me. Daon folded his arms and smiled in that 「I did a good thing」 kind of way.

…Ah. This was that point of no return, wasn’t it?

(Aaaaagh!! I thought if I had a secluded house I could sleep buried underground, but now…!)

My lament was absorbed by my sound-muffling 「lid」 On the outside, I was still smiling. Noel, thinking everything was fine, took my hand and started to lead me away.

「Witch-sama! Let’s go check out our new home!」

「This way. I’ll show you the way.」

The mood was just too nice. Even as a monster, I had to read the room.

I had achieved my goal of living as a human. Maybe being in view of others would keep me more cautious.

I was finally going to put down roots in this village. Like, a proper mandragora.