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Chapter 39

After thoroughly observing me as though devouring me with her eyes, the designer woman, Query, declared herself fully satisfied, and then picked out clothes that would suit Noel. She was so delighted she offered multiple children’s outfits (starting from the price of a large silver coin) along with the veil for me, all free of charge. …The only time I was spared her attention was while she was busy fussing over Noel’s choices.

「I had the rare chance to study such a perfectly sculpted, almost artificial body in detail. Truly, no payment is necessary. It’s so rare to meet a woman who accepts it all with such a gentle smile. Ah, such gratitude, this was a blessing for my eyes. I’ll be bursting with design ideas for a while.」

(I wasn’t 「accepting」 anything, I was screaming in terror the whole time…!?)

She had mistaken my panicked shrieks for smiles of tolerance. Noel nodded along in agreement, saying 「Witch-sama is so kind」 but the truth was I was just a timid mandrake, scared out of my mind.

We quickly hurried away from Query’s shop and tried peeking into another stall. That was when I noticed a few figures in the crowd and turned toward them.

「Unlucky that a simple survey turned into a monster subjugation… I was hoping to enjoy the market today.」

「It’s only midday, the market isn’t over. …But not in that condition. You’ll disturb the villagers. Go back first and change.」

「You sure? …Alright, I’ll hurry back and get changed then. Leonhart, don’t push yourself either, alright?」

Leonhart, Ritter, and two other knights. Apparently, they had just fought off monsters outside the village. On their way back to their quarters, they had happened to pass by this end of the square, where our stall stood. That’s how we met them.

(Ugh… scary. I really have to make sure I never become a target for subjugation…)

Noticing my gaze, Leonhart looked up and inclined his head respectfully. But the motion was a bit sluggish, lacking his usual sharpness. …Could he be injured?

(If he’s hurt, I can’t just ignore it. I’m a 「good」 monster, after all. Definitely not dangerous. So of course I should help.)

I stepped closer, but Leonhart, looking startled, instinctively backed away. He was clearly avoiding me. …That stung. He’d always been so kind and cooperative toward me until now.

(Wait, why is he retreating like that…? Did he see through me? Did he realize what I am…!?)

「…Leonhart-san, you smell awful… Did something get on you?」

For a moment, I thought he’d seen through my schemes, but it was just Noel’s voice from behind. My nose wasn’t that sensitive, but apparently the stench was strong enough that Noel couldn’t even approach. …Ah, so that’s it. True, there was a pungent odor, but in the Demon Realm I’d been used to such smells, so I hadn’t noticed much.

「My apologies. During the battle, I was drenched in a monster’s poisonous bodily fluids. The stench must be dreadful…」

(Poison!?)

「It’s not a serious injury. I had an antidote on hand, so there’s no need to worry. I rinsed off lightly in the Purity Blossom spring, but some poison soaked into the armor and is still clinging, so it’s best if you don’t get too close—」

(That’s terrible! He needs proper detoxification!)

Leonhart had been a kind ally to me, often covering for me and bending the rules in my favor. I couldn’t afford to lose him. I ran up and grabbed his hand. Although he said he’d washed, Noel had picked up on the lingering poison, no doubt absorbed into the armor or skin.

「W-Witch-dono…!? What are you doing, it’s dangerous…!」

I squeezed his hand tight. Unlike humans, I had strong resistance to toxins. Humans, however, could die so easily. Even with antidote use, if he was already moving sluggishly, then he wasn’t at full strength.

(It’s fine, if I use Purity Blossoms, I can remove the poison easily…)

Purity Blossoms eagerly absorbed and broke down filth and toxins. They could parasitize something like a corpse and suck it dry, but against a living person, they couldn’t take root. From the gauntlet where I held him, I sprouted blossoms to soak up the poison on his armor and skin. If there were wounds, they’d draw out the toxins from within as well. Once done, I withered them away so they wouldn’t be in the way.

(Of course, this way of using them is probably something only I could manage…)

Normally Purity Blossoms grew slowly on toxins. For me, I could force them to absorb quickly and speed up growth. Only someone with my skills, or powerful magic, could do such a thing.

From the gaps in Leonhart’s armor, blossoms peeked out, giving him a strangely fanciful look for a moment. Once they finished absorbing all toxins, they withered at my will. That should have removed all the poison.
Just in case, I glanced at the other knights, but they shook their heads hurriedly.

「No, we’re fine. Only Captain Leonhart was exposed, he always leads the charge, since his body nullifies curses…」

(Geez… He’s just a normal human, but he still takes the lead against monsters. That’s incredible. Me, I’m scared even when I know I’ll win…)

Even if I were sure to win, I’d still be shrieking in terror while fighting. Compared to me, humans, so much weaker, still stood bravely at the front. Leonhart must have remarkable mental strength. I wished I could borrow some of it for myself.
I wanted to become a mandrake with a strong heart too. Thinking this, I looked up at him, only for him to quickly avert his gaze.

(So he’s… not actually rejecting me…?)

The veil made it hard to read expressions clearly. Maybe it was better to take it off when no frightening humans were around. …Well, except when Nicolaus was around, then I’d definitely want it as a shield. Even if it didn’t actually protect anything, it worked as a kind of mental barrier, a 「wall」 for my heart.

「Witch-dono… thank you. Truly… I no longer feel any discomfort in my body. You needn’t worry so much…」

(…Oh, right. I forgot, I’m still holding his hand. Oops, sorry, sorry.)

I realized I’d kept hold of his hand this whole time. Leonhart had indirectly reminded me, probably because he didn’t want to say it outright. I let go, inwardly apologizing. From his reaction, relieved, I thought, it seemed I might have been coming across like some weirdo who wouldn’t let go. Awkward…

「…I’ll be sure to repay this favor later.」

(Ah, so maybe he didn’t think of me as weird after all…? But he really doesn’t need to make such a big deal of it…)

I shook my head slowly. I just wanted to keep my 「good witch」 image, and I couldn’t afford to lose an ally. I wasn’t after any reward.

Now safe from poison, the knights said they would head back to change out of their filthy, mud-stained gear before returning to the market later.

「I’ll never understand Captain Ritter, but Captain Leonhart’s feelings, I do. Witch-dono really does feel… like a witch.」

「…You don’t need to say unnecessary things. Let’s go change and take a break.」

The knights walked off, chatting cheerfully. As they left, Ritter came back, already changed, with the Purple Sprout perched on his shoulder. He must have picked it up at the lodge and brought it along.

「I’ll find the perfect outfit for you, Murasaki-chan…!」

The Purple Sprout leaned affectionately against his head, making him squeal with joy. Remembering what one of the knights had said earlier, I silently agreed with him: I, too, couldn’t understand Ritter at all. Honestly, I was worried for his sanity, and his future.