Chapter 65

For the job I had taken on from the country through Nikolaus, I was increasing the number of purification flowers by the riverside. Growing purification flowers consumes magic power, so rather than raising them from seeds, it was easier to command the already lively, fully grown flowers to multiply.

Sitting on the riverbank with my feet dipped in the water to replenish my energy, I steadily increased the number of purification flowers around me. Noel was helping by transferring the newly multiplied flowers into empty pots.

(…Huh? Noel’s clothes seem kinda small. Did he grow again? Beastmen apparently have short lifespans, so they grow fast too. He’ll need new clothes.)

Next time the market opens, I should get Noel some new clothes. The shopkeeper and designer Query, who handled clothing, was quite frightening because she tried to observe me from head to toe, but for Noel, who always worked so hard, I had to go. …No, if possible, I’d rather just give him money and let him shop freely.

Being scrutinized that closely made me nervous that she might notice the unnaturalness of my artificial body.

「Witch-sama, it seems a visitor has arrived. …It might be Sir Leonhart. Should I tell him you’re here?」

(You can’t even see him, but you know? Beastman senses really are sharp.)

At Noel’s words as he suddenly looked up from his work, I nodded. He washed his dirt-covered hands in the river and then ran off toward the front of the house. If Leonhart had come, it must be for something, so I stopped working. I pulled my feet out of the river, recreated my shoes from plants, and headed toward the front entrance.

「Witch-sama, Sir Leonhart brought this as a gift.」

It seemed Noel and Leonhart had just finished exchanging greetings outside the house. Apparently, he had received a whole wild bird as a present, and Noel held it up happily to show me. The feathers hadn’t even been plucked yet, so it must be fresh, perhaps just caught.

Even though I don’t eat meat itself, I can drink the soup infused with its nutrients, and Noel, who is still growing, can eat the meat. It was a very welcome gift.

「Witch-dono, hello. …I’m glad to see you’re doing well.」

(Ah, the last time we met was when we were building the base. He was still worried.)

Leonhart looked at me and narrowed one eye in relief. I remembered giving him a four-leaf clover when he had been worried I might be overusing my magic power. I had recovered quickly afterward and felt no lingering fatigue. Even so, had he come all this way just to check on me?

「Today, um… do you happen to have time? I’m off duty today and have the whole day free. If you have a moment, I was hoping we could share some tea somewhere…」

(…Ah, right, I did say I’d be his conversation partner. Come to think of it, he’s dressed a bit more casually today?)

Leonhart usually wore full armor, but today, although he carried his sword, he wasn’t wearing it. It must be his day-off attire.

I didn’t have any urgent matters today, so I nodded, thinking a bit of conversation would be fine. As Noel watched us back and forth, his ears and tail seemed to droop slightly, as if lacking energy.

「Um, Witch-sama… with Sir Leonhart… well, never mind. Should I stay outside and work?」

(Yes, please. I can’t let him hear my voice.)

「…Understood. I’ll finish preparing the bird and continue transferring the purification flowers into pots. Call me if you need anything.」

What an observant child. I hadn’t even asked yet, and he was already offering to leave. As I watched his back, his tail hanging lower than usual, I wondered a little why he seemed so down.

「I seem to have caused a misunderstanding.」

(Huh? What misunderstanding…?)

I tilted my head at Leonhart’s wry smile. To begin with, I lived surrounded by all kinds of misunderstandings from humans. One misunderstanding led to another, and the idolized 「Flower Witch」 had been created. Who knew how far Noel’s image of 「Witch-sama」 had progressed.

In other words, it was difficult for me to even imagine how far their misunderstandings had gone. After all, I was just a mandragora pretending to be human. …There was no such thing as the witch they imagined.

「I’ll correct it later, so please don’t worry.」

(Well… okay. I’ll leave that to you. For now, please come inside…)

I opened the door and invited Leonhart in, guiding him to the table. Then I realized Noel, who usually prepared tea for guests, wasn’t there.

(Come to think of it, I’ve never used the kitchen… um…)

For now, I stepped into the kitchen space and checked what was there. But even trying to boil water, I didn’t know how to use the stove. I somehow found a pot of hot water and tea leaves from the purification flowers, and just then, Leonhart came over. …I might have fumbled around too much and kept him waiting.

「I feel bad having you do everything, Witch-dono. …Allow me to help. Should I brew this tea?」

(Good, let’s have him do it. Then I’ll look for some snacks…)

Nodding, I left the tea to Leonhart and took out some sweets Noel had made from the shelf. Though I wouldn’t eat them, they were for Leonhart.

I knew they were always prepared for guests, so it should be fine. Thinking that, I arranged them on a plate and carried them to the table together with Leonhart, who had just finished brewing the tea.

(…He seems kind of happy? Even though he’s a guest, he doesn’t look bothered at all about helping…)

Meanwhile, I was surprised at how completely incapable I was, always leaving everything to Noel. After all, I didn’t even know how to use the stove. Apparently, it was some kind of magical tool, a stove-like device I wasn’t familiar with.

To begin with, I could produce fire and water myself, so I didn’t really understand how to use human tools.

(Maybe next time I should watch what Noel does. At the very least, I should know how to use the stove…)

We sat across from each other at the table. The house walls were properly covered with 「Soundless Grass」 so there was no worry about sound leaking outside, and I could speak here, but starting a conversation was difficult.

(How do humans talk again…!? I should say something…!?)

As I flustered in the growing silence, Leonhart smiled awkwardly, his brows lowering slightly.

「…I wanted to talk with you, Witch-dono… but now that we’re actually like this, I find myself too nervous to speak.」

It seemed even Leonhart, who was usually easygoing, felt the same. That reassured me a little. Even if Ritter wasn’t around, chatting with a witch he rarely interacted with would make him nervous too. Which meant my own nervousness wasn’t strange, in fact, it was a very human reaction.

「…Me too.」

Trying to appear human, I expressed that I felt the same. Leonhart looked a little surprised, then smiled happily.