Chapter 57.5: Leonhart　Part One

Near dawn, Leonhart was the first to wake. He promptly finished preparing himself. There was less than a year left before the expected disaster, and before then, defensive measures had to be put in place.

Construction of the base needed to proceed quickly. With the freshly completed plans in hand, he intended to go inspect the site.

「Mm… you’re up early, Leonhart.」

「Good morning, Ritter. It’s still a little before wake-up time, so please take care.」

Ritter had taken over the latter half of the night watch. Careful not to wake the subordinates who were still resting, they exchanged greetings in hushed voices.

Beside Ritter, sprawled carelessly atop the desk, was a purple stalk. Even plant monsters like mandragoras require sleep; in their natural ecology, they should be sleeping underground at night when there is no sunlight. However, it seemed this mandragora had stayed up to keep Ritter company, its posture slack and unfocused.

「It’s fine. I didn’t lay a finger on Purple-chan.」

「I wasn’t worried about that, but…」

Leonhart, who had been looking at the purple stalk, was met with that comment delivered in a serious tone. What on earth was he talking about? No one was thinking he’d spent the night with a mandragora in that sense.

His colleague had completely fallen under the mandragora’s spell. Leonhart even wondered if he’d become incapable of seeing human women as members of the opposite sex anymore.

「…I’ll be going to inspect the planned construction site. Please let the others know.」

「Yeah, got it. You really are serious, Leonhart.」

「That’s not the case. As a knight tasked with protecting this land, it’s only natural.」

Whether or not he was truly a serious knight was something Leonhart himself understood best. After all, the real reason he wanted to hurry the defensive preparations was purely selfish, he wanted to keep the one he loved out of danger.

At sunrise, the village was still quiet and sparsely populated. Passing through it, Leonhart slowed to a stop when he reached the front of the witch’s house.

(It’d be nice if I could see her… but it’s probably still time for her to be asleep.)

The witch lived on the outskirts of the village and only came into town briefly to check if there were any problems, rarely staying long. That meant opportunities to talk with her were few. Often they could exchange no more than a brief greeting; even the other day, when she visited during a break in the meeting, she left immediately after dropping something off.

(She can’t speak in front of people, so it can’t be helped. …A curse bound to one’s voice is far more difficult to deal with than one like mine, which can be suppressed.)

Even so, without speaking a word, the witch’s kindness and charm reached those around her. That was why she was beloved by everyone, and perhaps that was for the best.

Still, even Leonhart, immune to curses, found it a little regrettable that he couldn’t talk with her when others were present.

He resumed walking and surveyed the planned base location. With the witch’s thorns protecting the area, even large-scale construction could proceed with minimal danger.

(Really… I can never thank Witch-dono enough. A holy knight whose role is to protect others, constantly being protected instead… I wish there were something more I could give in return.)

If only he had the chance to talk, he could ask what she wanted. Lost in such thoughts, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around.

Soft green, like young sprouts gleaming in the morning sun. A beauty as though flowers themselves had taken form. The person he longed to see stood there, and a smile escaped him without his noticing.

「Ah… good morning, Witch-dono. What a coincidence.」

It truly was a coincidence, and good fortune. He’d hoped to see her, but never imagined he actually would. Meeting the Flower Witch like this could only be called luck.

She returned his greeting with a smile, then let her gaze wander around them. It seemed she was looking for someone else.

(…The Court Mage, perhaps.)

Nikolaus was the witch’s only kin. The wooden house prepared just for him was so meticulously made that it was far too luxurious to be considered a temporary lodging. It must be very comfortable, Nikolaus often chose to stay inside the inn. When Leonhart had gone to call for him, he’d been astonished by the inn’s functionality.

The entrance door, incredibly, was enchanted with a special spell that opened and closed in response to Nikolaus alone. It wouldn’t open for Leonhart at all, something that even Nikolaus himself had been surprised by. It was apparently an extremely advanced spell. A door that could distinguish people and move on its own, Leonhart had never seen anything like it anywhere else.

And when Nikolaus was around, the Flower Witch seemed to smile the most. Far more than when she was with Leonhart, she looked cheerful and relaxed, and that weighed on his chest just a little.

(To Witch-dono, the Mage-dono must be someone precious. …If even a demon who’s lived five hundred years is treated like a child, then I must look even more like a newborn to her.)

The difference in their races pressed itself painfully into his awareness, making the witch feel like someone far away, as if a cold wind had blown through his chest.

Humans live at most around eighty years. Because lifespans differ between races, relationships across races are discouraged. From there, many humans came to avoid beastfolk with even shorter lifespans, giving rise to a history of discrimination.

(Perhaps wanting equality in the first place is presumptuous.)

The witch would continue living long after Leonhart was gone. He would exist in her life for only a fleeting moment. To ask someone like that to feel the same emotions as he did would be far too greedy. …After all, Leonhart couldn’t imagine living in a future where the one he loved was gone.

(And yet, demanding the same feelings from her would be unbelievably selfish. …Then it’s fine if I alone continue to love her, until I die.)

It was enough for him to adore her and selfishly wish for her happiness.

Even so, he wanted to remain somewhere in the corner of her long memory, to become someone she might someday remember gently, thinking that such a human once existed. Wanting that much was probably acceptable.

That was why he didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity to speak with her. He told her that no one else was with him, and that since they were alone, it was fine for her to use her voice. In response, the witch spoke to him.

「…This inspection you mentioned…」

Hearing the witch speak so quietly at close range made Leonhart’s heart pound faster, it couldn’t be helped.

The topic itself held not a trace of sweetness: countermeasures against the demon lands. Even so, there was no way he wouldn’t feel joy at the special privilege of being the only one who could hear her clear, dignified voice.

(Witch-dono is also involved in this village’s defense. It’s only natural to share finalized decisions.)

As he explained the planned base, the witch, already standing close, stepped even nearer and leaned in to look at the map in his hands. The floral scent surrounding her grew stronger, and he instinctively held his breath.

When the witch lifted her face, her glossy black eyes, bright like glass, looked up at him due to their height difference, and Leonhart saw his own reflection in them.

「Um, Leonhart-san.」

「…Yes.」

「Would it be alright… if I did as I pleased?」

Hearing his name spoken and being asked if she could 「do as she pleased」 left his mind in chaos. What did she mean? What exactly was she asking to do? The sound of his own heart pounding in his ears drowned out any chance of forming a question.

All he could manage was, 「Please, go ahead.」
The witch smiled, seemingly satisfied with that answer.