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Chapter 45.5: Nikolaus – Part 1

As an envoy sent to conclude a joint battle pact with the Flower Witch, Nikolaus visited her home. Since he was the one seeking cooperation, of course he had prepared a gift.

(She seems to like plants, so something related to that should work. She’s got magic power to spare, but this countryside is too remote, she doesn’t even have any magic tools. A magic device useful for plants should be perfect.)

Since this was an official visit, there was no need for disguise. When he stood before the Witch’s house, the chime of lilies of the valley rang, and the front door opened. As expected, the one who appeared was Noel, the wolf beastman serving as the Witch’s attendant.

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

(…Fidgety?)

Demons possessed far greater magical power than other races, allowing them to sense each other’s presence when nearby. Nikolaus already knew she was home, so naturally the Witch must have realized he was coming as well. And when he wondered what she might have been doing, it turned out she’d been standing before the mirror he’d once given her, trying on an unfamiliar hair ornament and veil, paying much more attention to her appearance than when they last met.

「Hm. So because I was coming, huh… Well, at least the mirror’s being put to good use.」

It seemed the Witch had hurried to fix her appearance because Nikolaus was visiting. If she cared enough to do that as a fellow demon, he didn’t mind in the least. Noel had said she used the mirror often, so even if the gift had been a little impulsive, he was glad it pleased her.

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

Noel reacted immediately, guiding Nikolaus swiftly to the table. The Witch only tilted her head gently, seemingly having no idea why Nikolaus had been dispatched as a messenger. When he reminded her that it was something they had discussed before, she finally seemed to remember and nodded.

(Well, demons from the old days weren’t used to signing contracts like this. A verbal promise was probably enough back then.)

When he asked her to sign her agreement, she looked confused. Among demons, it was normal to use blood for a pact, never to write one’s name. A demon’s true name was not something to reveal lightly.

(I guess I’ve gotten too used to human customs. Of course she wouldn’t know.)

Humans used names in contracts. That was why Nikolaus’s foster father had given him one, 「Nikolaus」 so that the last surviving demon could live easily among humans. He told her she didn’t need to write her true name, that a common name would do, and then the thought struck him.

(…If she’s going to keep interacting with humans, maybe she should have a usable name too?)

She clearly wasn’t used to such customs, and it might not be a bad idea for him to give her one himself.

(Me, giving her a name… That’s backwards, isn’t it.)

Still, Nikolaus had far more experience dealing with nobles and the kingdom. If not for the dragon calamity, demons would have lived freely, each in their own favored lands, studying magic as they pleased, sometimes keeping beastfolk attendants. So this Witch too had likely lived in some remote place like Bit Village, researching plant magic. Five hundred years ago, the kingdom hadn’t been nearly as developed, and she probably had no dealings with nobles or the powerful.

「…I’m…」

He was about to say he could give her a name suitable for nobles to use, but Noel returned carrying tea, and he closed his mouth. …No, that would be too kind to someone who’d abandoned him all this time. Better to drop it. To cover the unfinished words, he spoke instead about her compensation. Her contribution would surely be great, and she would receive a generous reward, enough to transform her magic-tool-less rural life entirely.

『I don’t need money』

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

The Witch asked for nothing, only smiled faintly. Her lack of desire was almost too much. She showed no personal wants, so all Nikolaus knew about her preferences was that she liked plants.

(Makes choosing a gift a pain. The less someone wants, the harder it is to guess what they’ll like…)

This time, he’d chosen a magical device that produced light favorable to plant growth. Nikolaus had adjusted it so it was harmless to humans and could serve as indoor lighting as well. The Witch’s house was covered, even on the walls, in leaves and vines, which must have taken considerable magic to maintain. But with this light, her magical expenditure could be greatly reduced.

When he explained the device, the Witch simply wrote 「Thank you」 Yet seeing her immediately hang it from the ceiling and decorate it with care made her feelings obvious.

(…She’s way too happy. Acting like a kid who just tore open a new toy.)

As the dim interior brightened, the Witch’s hair and the hairpin within it gleamed beautifully. Watching her, Nikolaus felt a quiet sense of fulfillment.

(If only you’d shown yourself sooner… No, there must have been a reason. Some reason you couldn’t come to see me, even though I’m your only kin…)

Because the Witch didn’t hate him. She could be so delighted by a simple gift, there was no way she felt nothing. On the contrary, her every gesture showed she cared for him deeply as kin. Which meant there had to be a reason, something significant.

(Well, fine. Maybe it’s time to forgive her. There’s no point in resenting someone forever.)

Whatever had kept her away for five hundred years couldn’t have been mere mourning for their fallen kin. Perhaps, someday, she’d tell him. Demons lived long lives, he could afford to wait.

When Nikolaus spoke to the Witch, who was still absorbed with her new device, she turned and smiled at him. The smile carried a hint of shyness, and though she was far older, in that moment she looked somehow girlish and innocent.