Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Side Story 28

The Whimsical Witch 5

“Granny, got medicine?”

I breathed a sigh when he said as the door opened.
Only at the beginning he was timid, now without minding anymore, the red-eyed shinigami said so and came down to my place.

“What’s with your headache. Just what did you use your head for?”

Recently, I feel this house has become considerably lively.
Although it’d been a quiet place that nobody has visited until about three months ago, nowadays I can’t do anything about it being noisy.
Strangely, I don’t find it unpleasant.

 

When I reluctantly handed the medicine to the groaning man who was suffering from an intense headache, he said thanks and without hesitation drank it at once.
Even though he was hesitant at the beginning, it ended up with him willingly requesting it.
Did he get used to it, or was he bold from the start… I feel like it’s both.

“No. It’s my eye. Eye. I get a headache if I overuse it. I used it a little too much today…”

He also talks normally about his family that he had stubbornly tried avoiding bringing up before.
Since accepting that child as his master, this man sure has changed.

“Ah, you helped that child escape the castle”

As I nodded, the man motionlessly stared at me.

“… What?”
“I’ve always wondered, how does granny gather information? This story is from just a while back. Normally you wouldn’t know”

I lightly laughed at those words.
Witches have various methods. For example, looking through a familiar’s eyes… Like this.

“Now then, it’s not like I know everything. It’s natural, right?”

I want to avoid such trouble.
To begin with, it was only recently I’ve felt like having my familiar fly.

“That is to say, granny is worried about Princess”

I laughed a little from the depths of my hood at those words.
Really, he’s only noticed it now.
I’m confident I’m at least as concerned about her as the man in front of me is.
Even so, I won’t say that outright. It’s my tiny pride as the witch who’d been a misanthrope for a long time.

“… Sweets made by that child are exquisite”
“… I see”
“Yeah”

While we were having such an exchange, the man looked at me like he had something to say.
He opened and closed his mouth several times, but eventually he produced the words like he made up his mind.

“Granny… Do you know of ‘Black’…”

Hearing those words, I thought after all it’s that.

“‘Black’, huh. They did have a rivalry relationship with ‘Red’”

When I displayed the knowledge I obtained in the past, the man’s eyes opened wide.

“So you have the knowledge of the circumstances of guilds in other countries. Well, then it’ll be a quick talk. There are people with nicknames there. And, I met ‘Black Apostate’”
“He’s the assassin that’s on equal footing with you, isn’t he”

There are two famous assassins in Sahaja. ‘Red’ Shinigami and ‘Black’ Apostate.
This hasn’t changed since several years.
The man looked at me with a serious face.

“Then, Granny. Supposing you know something about it, please tell me. What work did they have in such a place? Was it only this time? Or is there more to it?”
“Let’s see”

It’s simple to answer the man’s question. The opponent’s motives and their future moves. Of course I know those.
But.

“If I tell you that, the current future will also change. Do you still want to know?”
“Ha? What do you…”

“If you learn of it here, the current future will change. That is to say, the future of that child who’s the most important to you will also change… Are you prepared to take that responsibility?”
“…”

After sinking into silence for a while, the man spoke while scratching his cheek.

“Sorry. Then it’s fine”
“What, do you have no confidence in taking the responsibility?”

When I said that full of hidden meaning, the man shook his head.

“Wrong. It’s not like this. It’s a different matter if it involves Princess who’s my master. I’d rather investigate it myself”
“Hou”

I was impressed by the man who told me that clearly.
In spite of suggesting I’ll tell him if he wants to know, I didn’t expect to be told that. After all every person around her is in some respect unique and interesting.
Of course, that Crown Prince too.

“Forget this talk. No matter what happens, it’s fine as long as I can protect Princess. I’m glad to recognize this anew… Ah, you may be aware, but Princess said she’ll come visit the next time”
“I see. I’ll be waiting, relay that to her”
“Got it”

The choice not to rely on me that seems simple is actually difficult. Especially with the existence like me near him.
He’s carrying it out without hesitating, I broadly smiled as the man easily changed the topic.

“You still have some time, right? How about it, would you like to drink delicious tea?”
“Delicious? Who’s saying that. Granny’s tea is never delicious”

I said so because I got in the mood, but the man honestly grimaced.
Well, I guess. There’s no way medicinal herb tea would be delicious.

“Is that so? Well, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Let’s take it slowly”
“… Well, then I’ll take you up on that?”

As he nodded with uncertainty, I gave tea to the man who sat obediently on a chair.

 

A few seconds after drinking the exceptionally bitter medical tea with the effect of restoring magical power the man clutched his throat and coughed violently.

---

< Previous | Next >

< The Whimsical Witch 4