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Chapter 36.6 – Nikolaus (Part 2)

Though he had disguised himself as the eyepatch-wearing knight, it was pointless once he saw the mirror positioned facing the front door. Nikolaus softly muttered 「【Release】」 and dispelled the illusion.

The beastman child watched him with impressed eyes.

「So it was magic. I thought the scent was different from Leonhart-san’s.」

「Heh, I see. I hadn’t considered scent. That can give you away, huh.」

Among demons, the amount of magic power they possess makes it easy to sense each other’s presence when nearby. Knowing that from his last visit, Nikolaus had suppressed his magic this time and changed his appearance, but he hadn’t thought to disguise his scent.

(Transforming into someone else is seriously difficult… and besides, that one doesn’t seem to be in disguise.)

The Flower Witch had smiled at Nikolaus as though welcoming him, so he sat down at the table across from her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the mirror he had given her. Placed like that, it was clearly meant to check anyone entering the house. …If she was using it that actively, then she must have liked it.

「You’re using my gift, huh? Guess that means you like it?」

That’s what he assumed, but still asked just to confirm. The witch smiled softly in agreement, but tilted her head slightly. She must’ve realized that Nikolaus had made the enchanted mirror, but was now wondering about his reason for gifting it.

「Why? Because you gave me an unnecessary gift, so I returned the favor. …When I got back to the castle, I found a merchant headed to Bit Village. Thanks to your potion, I had surplus magic, so I could use teleportation magic with ease.」

Simply accepting the potion would’ve felt like being treated as a child. So he’d given something of equivalent value in return.

When he returned to the castle, the lord of the Erunato region had contacted him. A merchant Nikolaus was using to monitor the witch was due to report in. The timing had been just right.

(…There wasn’t time to craft something new. This was the only valuable, practical item I could give her immediately…)

It was something that demonstrated his skills and was also useful to the witch in her daily life. Plus, since the mirror had been made some time ago, it would show how refined Nikolaus’s magical abilities had become. Surely she’d stop treating him like a child now.

(Oh, right. I can’t forget to show her this too.)

He pulled out a vial containing a high-quality magic recovery potion, the kind demons crafted as a rite of passage into adulthood. It wasn’t top-tier like hers, but it was still high quality. When he’d first attempted it, the result had been low-grade, so this wasn’t amateur work anymore.

Upon realizing it was a magic recovery potion, the witch smiled even more warmly than before. She looked genuinely pleased… like a proud parent watching a child grow.

(I can do anything on my own now. …I’ve made it that far.)

The demon race used to be a collective of experts in their own fields. Because they lived long lives, they could devote themselves to one specialty and master it. Unlike the short-lived races, they didn’t need to rush to train successors. Together, their specialized knowledge let them tackle any problem.

But now Nikolaus was the only one left.

So he had absorbed the knowledge left behind by all his people, not enough to be a true expert, perhaps, but enough to deal with a wide range of problems on his own.

(Well… I probably don’t need to learn any more about medicine or botany.)

If the Flower Witch truly was a demon, then she would be practically immortal. Nikolaus would never catch up to her in skill or experience, so it made more sense to focus on other things.

「Magic-user-sama, here’s your tea. Witch-sama, a refill for you too.」

The child named Noel laid out tea and sweets on the table. The witch added an extra-large spoonful of jam made from Demon Wastes plants into her cup, so Nikolaus used one of the cookies to scoop up some jam and tasted it.

(…Sweet. If she puts in that much, it must be super sweet… So she likes sweet things, huh. …Hmph.)

She had secluded herself in the mountains for 500 years, so she probably didn’t know about the selectively bred, high-sugar fruits of the modern world. If he brought her some, she’d likely be happy, no, wait, showing off might make her sulk. That could be fun. He’d consider bringing some next time.

Or maybe he’d bring confections made by capital artisans. Nikolaus had a sweet tooth himself and knew of some good shops. After all, five hundred years had seen great advances in both culture and technique. She probably didn’t know anything about life in the city. Someday, he might even take her to a shop and surprise her.

When the child offered to leave the room so as not to interrupt an important conversation, the witch patted his head in praise. …Nikolaus found himself unable to look away from the scene for some reason.

(She doesn’t speak, after all… But with the sketch board… maybe she’d write me a message too…)

He pulled out the sketch board he’d brought as a gift and showed it to her. As expected, she didn’t know what it was, so he explained how it worked.

Once she understood, she drew a line, and then, for some reason, started drawing a picture. Since the board was transparent, Nikolaus could see what she was drawing from across the table.

It looked like a child’s doodle, concentric circles like a flower, with petals formed by surrounding loops.

(What the heck… Is that supposed to be praise or something?)

He barely managed to keep a straight face and changed the topic.

He had already told Crown Prince Cedric that he would secure the witch’s cooperation.

If he could get her to confirm that in writing, then the kingdom would officially consider her an ally. And if the kingdom didn’t view her as a threat, that would help protect her as well.

…She was finally living in the same land. He wouldn’t let her be exiled again. If she fled, he’d never be able to confirm whether she was really a demon.

「The Demon Wastes are still changing. If monsters start emerging from there…」

There was no denying that monsters might eventually overflow from the Demon Wastes. The witch continued to smile serenely, not changing her expression at all. She must’ve expected this. …That was probably why she chose to settle in Bit Village in the first place. She’d intended to fight for humanity from the start.

(Of course, she fought a dragon, after all. …Back then, the demons also stood against catastrophe for the sake of humanity. I bet every one of them was a softie like her.)

That’s why, Nikolaus believed, if a disaster struck, this woman would march right into it alone.

「…Well, I’m sure you could handle it on your own. But I’m a court magician with national defense duties, don’t take it all on yourself.」

She tilted her head at him in quiet puzzlement, so he added an explanation. …Honestly, she was slow on the uptake sometimes.

「I mean don’t hog the credit. Call me too. The knights… might be good for buying time, but I’m stronger.」

Nikolaus had refined his magic more than anyone, even among demons. As a fighter, he was far superior to other races. The idea of the witch relying on that eyepatch knight instead was unbearable, a disgrace to his pride as a demon.

The witch had a habit of treating Nikolaus like a child, so he had to set boundaries. Then again, compared to how long she had lived, he probably was a child.

She didn’t respond, only smiling again. Even when he urged her to write something on the board, all she gave him was a simple 「thank you.」

(If this keeps up, she’s definitely going to end up on the front lines. She probably can handle herself out there… but what if…)

…What if she never came back?

Just imagining that made him nauseous.

(…No. I need to keep her out of combat. If she can brew potions, she’s plenty useful in a support role. That’s her area of strength, and if she can prove her value there…)

The potion she made was top-tier, more effective than anything Nikolaus had produced. With it, even high-level teleportation magic became easier.

If she could make ten bottles a day, she’d already be a substantial logistical asset. She had casually given him two as a gift, so he figured it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that much and asked.

‘About 100, give or take.’

「…Huh? Are you some kind of monster?」

That number was so far beyond expectations that it slipped out before he could stop himself.

…But still, if she really could produce potions of that quality at a rate of 100 per day, it would justify keeping her safely in the rear.

With that much potion, an army and its supplies could be sent to the front with ease. The witch could stay in the back, while Nikolaus handled the front lines.

「That place is changing rapidly. There’s a good chance of a disaster. If you notice anything off, just… tell a knight or something.」

He’d meant to tell her to report any warning signs immediately, but stopped himself, realizing he was being too considerate.

This woman had ignored her own kind for 500 years. He shouldn’t let his guard down so easily.

When he turned to leave, the witch followed him all the way to the teleportation circle, though there was no need.

「…You didn’t have to follow me all the way out here. Seriously.」

The silent witch simply smiled at him, looking genuinely happy. Considering they were the last of their kind, it was only natural that she’d feel some affinity toward him.

And truthfully, she had smiled more when she realized it was him visiting, not the knight.

(Jeez… She probably thinks I’ve warmed up to her. I should really say something before she gets the wrong idea…)

But then, a thought struck him.

…He had already accepted her as one of his own.

He didn’t particularly like her or feel any emotional attachment, but a demon is a demon, regardless.

「…See you, Flower Witch.」

He whispered those words as he activated the teleportation spell.

…He didn’t check to see how she reacted. But he was sure she was pleased.

(…Hmph. And if you’re lying to me, if you’re tricking me, I’ll never forgive you.)