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Chapter 44

The end to a peaceful daily life is always abrupt. One cloudy afternoon, when the sky was thick with heavy gray and rain seemed only moments away, I sensed a huge presence approaching and let out a silent scream.

「Witch-sama, what’s wrong?」

Noel asked, puzzled, as I suddenly stood up with a bright smile. But this was no time to talk. That aura, this was an unwelcome visitor.

(That’s what the veil is for…!)

I pulled out the veil I’d bought at the last market and draped it to hide my face, then checked myself in the mirror to make sure nothing looked suspicious.

The reflection showed a woman who looked human, someone who liked flowers and hair ornaments, maybe even a bit vain. The translucent veil couldn’t fully hide my face, but it was better than nothing.

(Alright, ready…eek!)

The sound of the bellflower chime I used as a doorbell startled me. The overwhelming pressure outside the door made my heart freeze. Noel went to answer, opening the door with calm politeness. Standing there in his true form, not disguised as Leonhardt like the last time, was Nikolaus.

「Ah, Great Mage, good day …So that’s why Witch-sama’s been acting all fidgety.」

(No-Noel…! You don’t have to tell him that!)

If Nikolaus realized I’d sensed his arrival and gotten nervous, he might start doubting my identity. He didn’t fully believe I was a witch to begin with, any small inconsistency could betray me. When Noel said that, Nikolaus’s sharp gaze turned my way, and I barely managed to suppress another scream.

「Hm. So because I was coming, huh.」

(Eeek…! He knows something, doesn’t he?!)

「…Well, at least the mirror’s being put to good use.」

「Cerintaly, Witch-sama often stands in front of it.」

Because I’d been in front of the mirror when he came in, he must’ve assumed I was checking my appearance. In reality, I used it to make sure my disguise still looked human and not like the monster underneath. If he mistook that for vanity, perfect, but if he saw through it as me checking my 「Costume,」 I was doomed. I watched his every move like a mouse cornered by a cat.

「Anyway, today I’m here as an official envoy from the kingdom.」

(Oh, thank goodness, so he’s not here because he found out something. Wait… the kingdom? As in the human kingdom?)

It had to be the nation this Bit Village belonged to. I didn’t even know its name, but Nikolaus lived in the castle, so of course he’d be sent as a representative.

(But an envoy… for what? I haven’t done anything wrong… have I?)

I was just a humble, good-natured Mandragora trying to live quietly as a kind witch. For someone like me to get an official envoy, it made no sense. Maybe because I was a surviving demon species like Nikolaus, they wanted to keep tabs on me?

「Great Mage, please, have a seat. You’ve got something important to discuss with Witch-sama, right? I’ll go make tea.」

Noel led Nikolaus to a chair, and since ignoring him would look bad, I reluctantly took up the writing board he’d given me before and sat across from him, bracing for whatever news this was. Nikolaus took out a scroll.

「We talked about this before, a request for cooperation in defending the Demon Realm. This is the formal contract from the kingdom. You can’t read it, so I’ll summarize.」

(Oh, right, that thing… I remember now.)

He unfolded the parchment and read aloud. In short, it was a formal request: 「To defend Bit Village, a territory of the Vaniria Kingdom, and its people, we ask the Flower Witch for her assistance.」

The requested cooperation was all in the realm of support work, brewing potions, reinforcing Nikolaus’s magic attacks, healing knights, and countering monster toxins. It was a rear-line assignment and fairly safe.

(Yep, just like I thought before, this is totally fine. If I can prove I’m a helpful witch to humans, I’ll be safe and secure.)

I nodded to show agreement. Nikolaus then handed me a pen like a fountain pen and pointed to a blank line at the bottom.

「If you agree, sign here.」

(Sign? As in… my name? I don’t have one… what do I do? What kind of name does a witch even use for things like this!?)

「…Ah, right. You don’t have a public name. Why not just write Flower Witch?」

Demon had something called a true name, which wasn’t to be shared lightly with others. Nikolaus himself used an alias for convenience, since others needed a name to call him, keeping his real name secret.

While I wrote 「花の魔女」 on the document in Japanese, I could feel his gaze burning into me the whole time. He was definitely watching for any mistake that might expose me. Terrifying.

「…I’m…」

「Thank you for waiting! Here’s some Purebloom tea, Witch-sama’s favorite! Please enjoy!」

「…Mm. Thanks.」

Nikolaus had started to say something, but Noel returned with tea. It was a recent blend of his, buds of the Purebloom flower mixed with regular leaves to add fragrance. Similar to the jasmine tea from my previous life.

Once I finished signing, I accepted the cup Noel handed me. The floating petals of Purebloom glimmered faintly as I gently stirred, letting the essence seep into the tea.

(This flower tastes so good. Even though the zombies taste so bitter…)

Though the plant likely grew from zombie remains, tasty was tasty. Humans use compost too, it’s not so different. As long as it’s transformed, it’s fine.

While I calmed myself sipping tea, Nikolaus checked my signature and tucked the document away inside his robe.

「Your pay will depend on your contribution, but it won’t be cheap. You can rest easy about that.」

『I don’t need money』

I wrote on the board given to me by Nikolaus. Better to use it than leave it idle. If I didn’t, he might think, 「Why won’t she use what I gave her?」 and grow suspicious.

Even if I got money, their utility for me was limited. Noel could buy what we needed with what we already earned from Ilai. Extra gold or jewelry would only pile up uselessly. If he really wanted to give me something, fertilizer would be far better. Even Purebloom could use some nutrient variety now and then.

「…You really have no greed, huh. There’s nothing you want?」

(What I want… is peace and quiet.)

All I wanted was a calm life, free of suspicion, especially from Nikolaus. But saying that would only raise more questions, and the mere thought made me tremble.

「…Well, fine. Here.」

(Huh? What’s this?)

He reached into his robe and took out what looked like a small crystal sphere. I tilted my head, unsure of its purpose. Honestly, how deep was that robe? It was like a portable storage dimension.

「There aren’t many magic tools out here, right? This house doesn’t even have lighting. Use this.」

(Ah, a light source maybe? How does it work?)

I examined the crystal closely. Since it was a magic tool, I guessed it ran on mana, so I tried channeling my own into it. The crystal glowed with a gentle, warm light. I could tell, it mimicked sunlight. The sensation was just like basking in the sun.

「You like plants, don’t you? Your house is full of leaves and vines. With that, you’ll be fine even indoors.」

(Wait, that means… I can sunbathe inside the house!?)

At that moment, for the first time, I thought Nikolaus might actually be a nice person. I quickly scribbled 「Thank you」 on the board with all the sincerity I could muster. He just snorted and turned away, looking bored.