Chapter 57

「I was hoping… that I could have more opportunities to speak with you, Witch-dono. Other than that, I have no particular wishes.」

(Talk with me…? Huh, just that?)

I had thought that if it were something I could manage with plants, I could create it and offer it quietly as a bribe, but apparently Leonhart was satisfied with simply talking to me.

He must be feeling lonely after Nikolaus took Ritter as his conversation partner. Wanting nothing more than to talk with a witch who barely speaks, what an oddly unambitious person.

「Isn’t there… anything else you want?」

That didn’t feel much like a bribe. When I asked again, Leonhart’s golden eyes wavered. But after lowering his closing his eyes for a moment, he smiled calmly and shook his head.

「No. There is nothing else I could wish for at the moment.」

(So modest… Does that mean bribes won’t work on Leonhart…?)

If he can’t be tempted with material things, then trying to win him over that way won’t work. In that case, I suppose all I can do is exactly what Leonhart said, be someone he can talk to.
He’s always been especially kind to me. He seems to believe that we share the same curse, and I think that’s why he feels a sense of familiarity.

Still, talking with him is also a risk for me. My voice doesn’t affect Leonhart, but it can kill wild creatures. If a bird were to drop dead from the sky, it could expose that the nature of my voice curse is something entirely different.

(Then… I guess it really is best if we’re alone inside the house. I can use Soundless Grass, and have Noel go outside…)

That would be the safest option. And it would help me practice speaking, too. Since I can’t let anyone other than Leonhart hear my voice, I’ve spent so long not speaking at all that my voice still tends to tremble. I’m afraid that if this keeps up, even my ability to scream might eventually wither away, and more than anything, I’m starting to forget how to communicate through conversation.

There’s also the setting of me being a witch who lived away from human society for five hundred years, so a bit of awkwardness would probably be forgiven. Using Leonhart as practice should have its advantages for me as well.

「Then next time… will you come to my house? …By yourself.」

「…Yes. I would be happy to.」

Leonhart smiled so genuinely at that moment that it felt like this had been the right choice. I thought I’d managed to gloss over the fact that I may have gone a little too far with the base, when a chilling presence approached from behind, and I turned around.

(Behind me… no, more like… above?)

As I looked up at the sky, Leonhart followed my gaze. After a short while, a human figure appeared overhead, quickly growing larger before descending to the ground.

I knew who it was even before seeing his face. There’s only one person whose presence can always be sensed once he gets close enough, Nikolaus, glaring with discontented, damp-looking amethyst eyes. It seems he flew here using magic.

「What are you doing?」

「Witch-dono helped with the construction of the base. …It’s almost finished already. Once we bring in supplies and some smaller tools, it should be ready for use.」

「…You really do use large-scale magic far too easily. If you keep throwing magic around like that, don’t come crying to me if you run dry on mana.」

As he said that and glared at me, I shrank back. I instinctively grabbed my arms and held myself, but the more I screamed, the more this face would smile, so outwardly it probably looked like I was standing there with my arms crossed, smiling as if I had no intention of listening. Nikolaus’s expression grew even more bitter.

「I’ve heard that when demonfolk suffer magic depletion, the symptoms are far more severe than for other races…」

「That’s right. You lot just can’t use magic and feel tired, but for us, if our magic drops too low, we get sick, and in the worst case, we can weaken and die.」

(What? That’s terrifying… Do monsters die from magic depletion too? I’d better be careful.)

I still lack common sense and knowledge about humans. I’m practically a newborn, no, a freshly sprouted, fragile mandragora. Well, my magic apparently shows up as ‘unmeasurable,’ but even so, overusing magic probably isn’t good for the body.

(But I still have plenty of magic left… I’m just a little hungry.)

I only felt a brief wave of lightheadedness. I’d gotten carried away because building the base was fun and added all sorts of mechanisms, so I probably just used more magic than usual.

If I eat a monster, or some petals of a Purifying Flower, I’ll recover. There are many Purifying Flowers blooming in this village, which is a huge help. I won’t run short on nourishment here, it’s a good place to live. As long as I stay in land overflowing with Purifying Flowers, I probably won’t die anytime soon.

「Witch-dono, are you certain you haven’t overexerted yourself? If so, please, never do something like this again, and take good care of yourself.」

(No, really, I’m fine. I’ve gotten used to growing plants in this village lately, so it’s actually become easier.)

Compared to when I first arrived in Bit Village, it feels like I’m using less magic to make plants grow here. Is it because I’ve grown accustomed to it, or because the land, scattered with so many Purifying Flower petals, is rich in nutrients? I don’t know the reason, but increasing plant growth itself isn’t particularly tiring.

I slowly shook my head to convey that meaning, but Leonhart still looked worried. Now then, how should I show that I really do have some leeway?

(Hmm… maybe a flower surprise?)

It should show that I still have magic to spare, so there’s no need to worry. But if it’s too flashy, it might look like I’m overdoing it and get me scolded again, so I decided on something humans like that isn’t too showy.

Since I’d just dealt with it recently, what came to mind was a four-leaf clover. I created one in my hand, separated it, and held it out to Leonhart.

「…Witch-dono, is this… for me?」

(If you want it, sure. It’ll probably wilt quickly, though.)

All I wanted was to show that I still had some leeway, but Leonhart must like four-leaf clovers as symbols of good fortune. He accepted it carefully, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and tucked it away inside his clothes.

「…I see. So you’re saying you still have room to spare. Thanks to you, we need to revise our plans, so it’d be best to return to the inn and resume the meeting. I’ll take this knight with me, go back quickly. …And don’t waste any more magic. Rest, idiot.」

(Eek! I’m sorry for doing something unnecessary…! I’ll go back right away!)

Glared at again by the clearly irritated Nikolaus, his voice low, I let out a scream and hurriedly fled.

…It was far too scary to even think about currying favor with Nikolaus. I’ll try bribing him some other time.