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Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After Noel finally stopped crying, I gently let him go. He was fidgety, clearly embarrassed. That’s common for little boys after they’ve been seen crying.

(Maybe a good meal will cheer him up. Human food, huh… Maybe I can catch a fish or something.)

As I fashioned a fishing rod from conjured plants, Noel tugged lightly at the hem of my clothes. Incidentally, the clothes are made from vines I grew, they’re still connected to me, so I can feel it when he touches them.

If I wanted to, I could sever the connection, especially now that pain is disabled. But keeping the clothes as vine extensions allows me to grow plants from my 「sleeves」 making it look like I’m casting magic by hand. Better not to cut them yet.

「Witch-sama… If you’re planning to catch fish from the river, I’d suggest against it. Lately, many of them have been poisonous…」

(Oh, really? Then I guess no fish… But it’d be a waste to scrap the rod, so, um…)

Just then, I spotted a bird flying overhead. I flicked the rod and sent the vine-line upward, snaring the bird. With a tug, I reeled in a bird wrapped tightly in vines, dangling from the rod and unable to move.

「Whoa… As expected of the Witch-sama. So it was a magical bird-catching tool all along!」

(It wasn’t, but he’s looking at me with such awe… I’ll just smile and nod.)

Noel seems to believe I’m some amazing Witch-sama, so I figure I might as well go along with it.

I had caught the bird, but had no idea how to prepare it. After all, just touching things feeds me. But Noel, despite the dog-like ears and tail, was still human. He’d know, right?

I detached the vine from the rod and handed him the bound bird.

「You’re entrusting me with the job…? Well! I’m a wolf beastkin, so I’m great at handling animals. I’ll make sure to clean it properly!」

For some reason, he seemed overjoyed, clutching the vine with a wagging tail. I didn’t quite get it, but I smiled and nodded. …Wait, he’s a wolf beastkin, not a dog?

(The knight I saw earlier had normal ears and no tail… So maybe this world has various kinds of humans?)

And since he keeps calling me a 「Witch-sama」, maybe Witches are considered a race that specializes in magic. I’ll need to learn the norms humans live by here… Pretending to be one is going to be tough. But maybe not being able to speak is actually a good thing—it means I won’t slip up in conversation.

「Ah… Witch-sama, where are you going…?」

(Don’t worry. Just preparing food.)

Noel looked up at me nervously, so I smiled at him and patted his head, then pointed at the bird. …I just need to get something to eat for myself. Nothing to worry about.

「You want me to keep preparing the bird? …Got it. I’ll wait for you.」

(What a good kid. He’s really good at picking up on what I mean.)

He still looked a little uneasy being left alone, but I patted his head again and his tail gave a little wag. Leaving him behind, I walked away from the river into the woods. Once I was far enough that Noel couldn’t see me at all, I checked the surroundings.

「GROAAAR!!」

(AHHHHHHHH!? That scared the life outta me!!)

I came to look for something edible, but a huge creature suddenly leapt out of the bushes, startling me. If I hadn’t sealed my voice, I would’ve screamed loud enough to kill Noel back at the river.

It looked like a bear-type monster, black and white like a panda, if I had to compare it to anything from my world. But with bared fangs and drool dripping everywhere, it was anything but cute. It roared with intense hostility, clearly seeing me as prey.

(Predatory monsters always charge me right away… I guess I look human and weak to them.)

Something about me must look delicious to beasts. Thanks to that, I’ve never had much trouble finding food.

If there are beasts near the village, I could just keep hunting like this to get by. …Though I still need to find out whether human food works for me too.

As the monster lunged, I extended the vine I treat as my hair and entangled it. Locking its joints, I lifted it into the air, immobilized.

(Alright, let’s test something…)

I pressed my cheek gently against the bear’s belly. I tasted it—yes, flavor. The bear withered and went limp almost immediately. …Yep, the face still functions as a root. I really need to make sure no humans ever touch it.

Once I’d eaten, I quickly returned to Noel. When I got back, the bird had been fully plucked and gutted, ready for cooking. Seems he’d washed it in the river too—neither he nor the bird were bloodied.

「I heard some kind of terrifying monster…?」

(It’s okay. It’s gone now.)

「Witch-sama… did you… know it was there and go to take it down…?」

That wasn’t the case at all, I had internally screamed in panic, but Noel was looking up at me with sparkling sky-blue eyes. …Let’s just leave it at that.

「As expected of the Witch-sama…! Um, I’ve finished preparing the bird. How shall we cook it?」

(Oh, right. We don’t have any cookware. For now… let’s roast it.)

「Ah, got it! I’ll roast it!」

I pointed at the fire and Noel understood. He skewered the pieces on branches and began roasting them. He tore the bird apart bare-handed, so his claws must be razor-sharp—he did say he was good at it.

(He really understands me even without words… Maybe being quiet isn’t such a problem. Noel doesn’t seem to mind—)

「Um, Witch-sama… you’re not very talkative, are you?」

(—Scratch that!! He did mind…!!)

We’d been alone together this whole time and I hadn’t said a single word. It’s no wonder he’s suspicious. As I silently screamed in panic, my face stayed fixed in a smile. That’s just how this body works.