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Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It was a relief that I didn’t accidentally kill him, but he heard my voice. Internally panicking and cold with sweat, I scrambled to think of a way to cover it up. Unable to look at Leonhart’s face, I kept my eyes fixed on the ground. I held the Mandragora more tightly in my arms to stop it from slipping as I trembled, unsure if my unease was showing.

While I stood there frozen, he calmly walked over to me.

「Please don’t worry. …It’s alright.」

(…Huh? I don’t feel any hostility from him?)

I had fully expected him to interrogate me, accusing me of deceiving humans by hiding the fact I could speak. His reaction caught me completely off guard.

Standing right in front of me, Leonhart curiously peered at the Mandragora I was holding. To look at a creature capable of a deadly scream without a shred of fear was certainly unusual. Even if he had some kind of protection, he didn’t seem to feel the slightest trace of fear.

「…You’re okay with the voice?」

「…Ah, just as I thought. Do you also bear a curse similar to mine?」

(Ah, so he really did realize it’s a curse attack…!?)

I instinctively covered my mouth with one hand, but of course, that didn’t accomplish anything. For some reason, the Mandragora I was holding with the other hand mimicked my gesture, covering its mouth too. …Maybe because I had synchronized our consciousness earlier, it started copying my behavior.

「There’s no need to hide it from me. …I also bear a similar curse. That’s why other curses don’t affect me.」

As he spoke, Leonhart removed his eyepatch. Beneath it was the same red eye as before. I had assumed he wore it because of an injury, but that wasn’t the case.

「Any human who looks into this eye will come to loathe and even hate me. No matter how close we’ve become, once they see this eye, they are overwhelmed with murderous intent. But because of the strength of this curse, it repels all others. That’s how it works. Yet you helped me even after looking into my eye. And now again, you’re not bothered at all.」

That’s a truly terrible curse. To be hated and possibly attacked just from making eye contact, what a hard life that must be. Fortunately, since it’s only in one eye, he can hide it, but living with sight in just one eye must be inconvenient for a human. It would hinder spatial awareness, and be far more dangerous in combat against monsters.

「…You bear the same kind of curse, don’t you?」

(Wait, what is he talking about…?)

「Isn’t your voice cursed to make people feel hatred?」

His unexpected words made me blink in surprise. He was asking, but he sounded convinced already. Apparently, his original curse makes him immune to all others. That’s why he didn’t die or faint from my or the Mandragora’s voice. And seeing that a curse so effective on humans had no effect on me, he must have concluded I’m like him.

(…Mine doesn’t just make people hate me, it kills them, though…)

Because his body nullifies curses, he probably can’t tell what kind of effect another curse carries. But this misunderstanding works in my favor. It gives me a reason for not speaking.

And while it’s a different kind of curse, it’s still true that my voice is cursed. So I gave a small nod in agreement.

「I thought you might be worried about me hearing your voice, so I’m glad we had a chance to talk. …Our curses don’t affect each other. It’s perfectly safe for you to speak with me, Witch-sama.」

Leonhart said this with a very serious expression. I didn’t know how to respond in moments like this. I’d grown so used to not talking to anyone that I seemed to have forgotten how conversations work.

Besides, he’s skilled at drawing out information in casual conversation, like when he talks with Noel. If I talk too much, I might slip up and reveal I’m actually a Mandragora.

「…Thank you.」

So I kept my reply brief. Still, I was a little scared, and my voice trembled as I spoke, straining not to scream. I quickly closed my mouth afterward. The baby Mandragora in my arms trembled too, so I held it tightly, making sure not to drop it.

「I should be the one thanking you, Witch-sama. You’re my salvation. I’m grateful to the gods for letting me meet you.」

It’s true I saved his life, but still, Leonhart’s tone was so serious—so heartfelt—it almost startled me.

Maybe that’s just how much someone would be grateful to the one who saved their life… Come to think of it, Noel and the villagers showed similar levels of appreciation.

「Please, keep the matter of my left eye a secret.」

As he said this, Leonhart drew his sword. The moonlight glinted off its silver blade, and I screamed at full volume. But instead of swinging it at me, he thrust the sword into the ground and knelt before it.

「In return, I vow to keep your secret as well. I swear it upon this sword.」

(AHHH—I thought he was going to kill me to keep me quiet…!!)

I’d been bracing myself to be cut down, but it turned out to be a knight’s ritual oath. If I had a heart, it would’ve been pounding by now. Instead, all the screaming still trapped inside me was rising up like steam.

「I’m heading back to the village. What about you, Witch-sama?」

「…I’ll stay a little longer.」

「Understood. …Then, until next time.」

After giving me a lingering glance, Leonhart turned and headed down the path back to the village. For the first time, I could feel someone walking along the path of plants I had grown. …It seems he entered the mountain before I did. Since he hadn’t followed me, I must’ve failed to notice.

(Aah, that was scary… But maybe—somehow—I managed to bluff my way through thanks to his misunderstanding?)

I let out a long sigh and headed deeper into the mountain. In the end, I created five Mandragoras. One of them was shaped exactly like the one the knight Ritter had seen, unnecessarily detailed in all its curves and contours.

(…Yeah, this one’s unforgettable after a single glance… No wonder Ritter remembered it so vividly…)

If social media existed, I’d definitely want to post a picture of this incredibly hourglass-shaped Mandragora. It was almost a shame to put clothes on it, but I dressed it in a full-body suit anyway. …This only made it stand out even more. Well, whatever.