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Chapter 25

Chapter 25

For some reason, Leonhart is being very kind to me. He told me I could dispose of the sleep-scented flowers, and even offered to stand watch if I wanted to go out secretly. It seems he’s fully prepared to support me in every way.

(He probably feels a sense of camaraderie because being cursed is difficult… Sorry, though—the truth is I’m the one casting the curse…)

It feels a bit wrong to benefit from his misunderstanding, but for me to live among people, he’s an extremely powerful ally. I do intend to help him however I can if the need arises, so I’d like to think of it as a mutual support arrangement.

「These Mandragoras… Let’s say they escaped from the demon forest, and Witch-sama captured and tamed them. Then you cast a spell to neutralize them. That’s how we’ll explain it, will that be acceptable?」

I nodded, thinking that would be fine. The Mandragoras at my feet raised their hands too, so it seems they’re on board with that explanation. Not that it matters—they don’t talk, and don’t need to understand the setup anyway.

「Ah, Witch-sama! Leonhart-san! Good morn—…ing…?」

「Good morning, Noel-dono.」

「…Um, what are those?」

Noel had just woken up and come out of the house, and immediately noticed the five Mandragoras at my feet. He looked at them like they were bizarre creatures. In my heart, I gave a command to the seedlings. —Now’s the time to show how harmless you are.

The seedlings moved as if they’d been waiting for this. They lined up in a V-formation before Noel. At the point stood the curvaceous Mandragora, each one striking a dramatic pose. …If there had been an explosion in the background, it would’ve looked like a superhero team entrance.

(I made each one a different color, so it actually kinda fits…)

Wanting them to be easier to tell apart, I had dyed each one’s outfit using flower pigment: green for the first, yellow for the second, light blue for the third, pink for the fourth, and purple for the fifth. The curvy Mandragora was the last one—the purple one.

「…Weird.」

Even though they struck such confident poses, Noel only gave them a baffled look. The seedlings slumped over dramatically, hands on the ground in despair. …Well, at least they didn’t seem threatening. So I’d say the harmlessness appeal was a success.

「These are mobile Mandragoras that Witch-sama captured. It appears they escaped from the demon forest.」

「Wait, these are monsters!? These are Mandragoras…!?」

「Yes. They must have undergone an unusual evolution in the special environment of the dragon’s resting place. But Witch-sama has subdued them with magic and rendered them harmless. They won’t scream. They should prove useful as ingredients for medicine.」

Hearing the word 「medicine」 the Mandragoras posed like the subject of The Scream, pressing both hands to their faces. They were probably internally screaming, but the sound didn’t escape. I’d made sure all of them had sealed vocal cords, and unless they intentionally scream, no sound comes out. Also, I’ve forbidden even that intentional screaming, so all they can do is give silent screams.

「Then… they’re not dangerous? I see… If you’re Witch-sama’s minions now, I guess you’re my coworkers. I’m your senior, alright?」

The five Mandragoras saluted with one hand. Noel looked satisfied and nodded. Seems the seedlings had been accepted. I might even leave their care to him.

「It would be best to inform the villagers in advance to avoid alarming them. I’ll explain things to the Holy Knights.」

「Got it. …Witch-sama, it’d probably be quicker to just bring the Mandragoras to the village and show them. They don’t look dangerous at all. One of them’s shaped really weird, but the rest are pretty cute.」

The four Mandragoras called 「cute」 joyfully raised both arms. The one called 「weird」 looked heartbroken. Still, that reaction was probably just their idea of 「what cute harmless behavior looks like」 Whether they actually felt it is… questionable.

So we headed to the village with the Mandragoras in tow.

The seedlings put on charming little acts in front of the villagers. Even though no one there knew about mascot characters, the way their round bodies waddled around with stubby arms and legs seemed to charm people. Normally they’d be spreading curses, but since that ability was sealed, all they were spreading was harmless cuteness.

Only the purple Mandragora stood out—strutting like a fashion model, chest puffed out, hips swaying, all while wearing a full-body suit. The little boys especially found this hilarious.

「L-Look! That’s it! That’s the hot-bodied Mandragora I saw!」

「Whoa, it actually exists… But what is that thing?」

「It came running from the demon forest. Witch-sama caught and subdued it before it reached the village. I saw it with my own eyes—no mistake.」

「Huh, so Witch-sama can do that too…」

Leonhart smoothly explained the situation to the rest of the knights. He seems very trusted within the Order—no one doubted his account. Having someone like him on my side during an investigation was incredibly reassuring.

「Hey, she looks kinda like that one—」

「Ritter. We agreed you would never say that again.」

From the corner of my eye, I saw Leonhart covering Ritter’s mouth. The other knights sighed in exasperation—it seemed like this was a regular occurrence.

「My bad… But hey, Leonhart, you seem different somehow.」

「Do I?」

「Well, you’re always the noble Knight Captain, walking the path of chivalry. Ritter’s been way too rude to a lady, so your reaction is totally justified. Honestly, I’m kind of put off by him too.」

「…Yeah, I guess I’m the one in the wrong… Maybe if I get used to being around women by watching that Mandragora, I’ll grow a bit. Think I could borrow it from Witch-sama?」

「Don’t even think about that.」

The knights didn’t seem suspicious of the seedlings or me at all. In fact, they looked like they were having fun. Seems like everything was going well. If the villagers got used to having the seedlings around, I could eventually place them around the village like hidden cameras. That would be very convenient.

I was just thinking that when—

「Wh-What the hell is that…?!」

A loud voice rang out. It was a merchant who happened to be passing through.