82.6 – Nikolaus, Part Two

「Court Mage-dono, you look quite pale today. …We can handle the culling ourselves, so please get some rest.」

「…Yeah, I’ll do that.」

Even after sleeping through the night, his magical power had barely recovered, and fatigue still lingered. Seeing Nikolaus like that, Ritter spoke to him with a worried expression, but because of the purple mandragora he was holding in his arms, he somehow did not appear quite as worried as he should have.

「You’re not seriously taking that with you, are you?」

「Of course not. I wouldn’t take my lover somewhere dangerous. …Besides, if she’s waiting for me somewhere I can return to, it makes me feel like I absolutely have to come back.」

「…Right.」

As strange as ever. He was genuinely building a relationship with a monster that couldn’t speak because its cry could kill people. If there was any possibility of a new demonfolk being born, it would be from him and this purple plant, so Nikolaus was watching them with interest as well, but surely there was a limit to how openly they should cling to each other without caring who was looking. It was unbearable to watch.

「Alright then, Purple-chan. I’m off…!」

After absentmindedly seeing off the group of knights and adventurers heading out on patrol together with the purple plant, which fluttered its roots as though waving goodbye, Nikolaus decided to head for the Flower Witch’s house.

Apparently, the purple plant would be looking over the entrance from now on, and it wandered off with its peculiar hip-swaying gait. …That plant alone was undeniably strange, but Ritter’s influence was probably a major reason for that.

Afterward, Nikolaus slowly walked to the Witch’s house, where he was greeted by Noel wagging his tail with a smile and the Witch smiling behind her veil.

「I’ll bring some tea right away!」

「…Mm.」

The seat across from the Witch was gradually becoming Nikolaus’s usual place. Sitting there, he propped his cheek on one hand and relaxed his shoulders.

The music playing inside the room and the sounds of other people working echoed softly enough not to be annoying, and he found it pleasant. The many plants brought natural fragrances, and even the air produced through their activity tasted good. You could never get this in the city.

(…It feels like this place has everything.)

Until recently, whenever he wanted to rest, he would shut himself away alone in his room and keep everyone else completely away. Yet today, for some reason, being tired had made him want to come here.

Whenever Nikolaus was in this space, he felt extremely calm. There was none of the impatience that usually felt as though something were driving him onward, nor did any desire for something else arise within him. …Everything Nikolaus needed was already here in this house.

「Here you are, Mage-sama. Purification Flower tea and a snack made from sugarcane.」

「Thanks. …You work hard too, don’t you?」

「Hehe… Yes. I can do anything if it’s for Witch-sama.」

This beastkin boy was astonishingly devoted. He worked hard for the Witch, to make her happy, and was always considerate of her. He was still a child, but he made a fine attendant. And since he was a beastkin, he would grow into adulthood quickly. …The unfortunate part was that his lifespan was short, so he would leave this world early as well.

As Nikolaus remained with his cheek resting on his hand, the Witch quietly offered him a piece of the snack. …She was probably telling him to eat.

「…So you can tell I’m tired. Well, it’s nothing serious.」

His fatigue had built up so much that he had little appetite and had skipped breakfast, but if she was urging him to eat, perhaps she had seen through that as well.

She probably wanted him to eat at least a little and recover some strength. Typical of her, always meddling.

(I should explain why I was gone for a few days too… No point making her worry too much.)

He explained that there had been movement in another Demon Realm and that he had been away for several days dealing with it. Hearing this, the Witch folded her arms and lowered her head.

Because she was kindhearted, she was probably worried about what was happening elsewhere. …This Demon Realm was far more of a problem, yet the Witch herself did not seem especially tense about it. Perhaps she was confident she could repel the disaster.

(I can’t afford to be this relaxed. …And here she is, without any idea how I feel.)

Nikolaus, who had still been an infant back then, had no way of knowing just how powerful the ancient demonfolk capable of defeating even a Calamity Dragon had been. He understood that there was a large gap between himself and the woman before him, but he had no idea just how vast that gap truly was.

That was exactly why he worried about losing her, yet whether she knew that or not, the Witch only ever wore that composed smile.

That Witch then quietly held something out to him. In her hand was a blue-glowing Will-o’-the-Wisp Grass fruit, the magical power recovery medicine she made.

「…You’re telling me to drink this and go to the Demon Realm?」

If he drank this medicine, his magical power would recover in an instant, and the fatigue weighing on Nikolaus would disappear. But that also meant he would lose his excuse to stay here and rest.

She was only worried about his health. He knew that, yet he still ended up making a spiteful remark. Perhaps it was because he was tired. …It seemed the feeling that he wanted to stay here a little longer had slipped out.

The Witch slowly shook her head in denial with a smile. Before she could become exasperated with him, he corrected himself.

「I’m joking. There’s no way you’d think something like that. …You meddlesome woman.」

He brought the blue fruit to his mouth and bit into it. The gentle flavor spreading across his tongue seemed almost like a reflection of the soul of the person who had made it.