Chapter 5: Girl, Tempted

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Girl, Tempted

 

THE next day, Nichika awoke from a shallow sleep. Surveying her surroundings, she slapped her cheeks with both hands to get rid of her grogginess. An unfamiliar room, an unusual sofa, and a talking wolf—so her second day in another world began with the same strangeness from the first.

“Blegh, it wasn’t a dream after all.”

“Morning, Nichika. Did you sleep?”

“Somehow.”

Wolfie sluggishly stretched as he got to his feet. He escorted her out of the house to the well she had spotted yesterday so she could wash her face. Refreshing air filled the forest, and it whisked away some of her pent-up feelings.

Nichika had never used a water well before. Mimicking what she’d seen on TV before, she threw the bucket into the well, then used the rope attached to the pulley to draw it back up. The bucket came up full of clear, cool water.

She wanted to rinse as much filth off her as possible, so she soaked her handkerchief in the water and got to wiping herself down. What she carried with her from her own world didn’t amount to much: the clothes on her back, a handkerchief, and a few pieces of hard candy in her pocket. She had been carrying her schoolbag when the ground had given way under her feet, but it seemed to have disappeared around the same time she’d lost her shoes.

“Now that I think about it, I still don’t know that person’s name. What does he go by?” Nichika asked Wolfie.

Really taking a moment to consider the situation, it was strange she didn’t know the name of the person who had stolen her first kiss. Though, should she even count it as her first if it’d happened in this world? Honestly, if possible, she’d rather not count it as a kiss at all.

“Master’s name? Mm, I don’t know if it’s okay to say it.”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay?”

“Um, um, you see a name is a very, very important component that lets a person exist here. So Master said you shouldn’t share your real name unless it’s absolutely required.”

Is that really how it works? Nichika thought.

“He said a powerful witch can curse a person to death with just their name.”

Nichika nearly spat out the water she’d sipped from her cupped hands. “That’s a bad joke, right?!”

I told him my name! I totally told him my full name yesterday. Does that mean he already has power over my life?!

“D-Do you mean everyone uses an alias or—”

“I see you start off your mornings already obnoxiously loud.”

“Eek!”

Nichika instantly spun around as if she’d been stung by a bee when she heard the deep growl behind her. The man was leaning against the door with his eyes half-closed.

Crap! I have to change his impression of me right now! I don’t want to get cursed to death!

“G-Good morning to you! Isn’t it a fine, refreshing morning?!”

“…You’re so obvious.” He walked over to the well yawning and leaned over to wash his face. He wasn’t yet wearing his glasses. Could it be that his eyes weren’t bad enough to need them at all times?

He dragged the bucket Nichika was using over and artlessly chucked it into the water as he scratched his head.

“It’s too much of a pain to figure out what to do with you. I’ll bring you to the nearest town, so get ready to go. We’ll leave in an hour.”

“Pardon?”

Her immediate relief that he wasn’t going to curse her or dose her with freaky potions clashed headfirst with the new fear that he might abandon her somewhere, while she still lacked a single clue about what was happening to her. Was he possibly trying to wash his hands of her now that some spooky rose parasitized her?

“U-Umm—” She was about to ask him if he could at least give her a pair of shoes, when—

“HELLOOOOOOOOOO! OSY!”

“GAH!”

Something rammed into his back with that bubbly holler. The man fell upside down into the well, and Nichika heard a loud ka-plunk accompanied by a splash.

“Whoa…!” she yelped.

“Oh? He disappeared.”

The culprit, a woman dressed in a way that screamed, “I’m a real witch,” had flown in from the sky. She was wearing a black pointy hat and a black mini dress with a short hem. Tied to her stereotypical broom was enough luggage to kill.

She hopped down from the broom as it came to hover just above the grass and pushed her luscious sunny blonde hair out of her green eyes as she squinted, straining to see as if she were trying to find an answer to his disappearance but was utterly lost.

“Oh my gosh, Osy! Did you finally complete the Teleportation Schema? You’ll doom my business if you have! What are you going to do to make it up to me?”

“U-Uhh…” Nichika was still debating whether to run away or strike a conversation, when the blonde witch twirled toward her.

A twinkle instantly lit the witch’s emerald eyes. “Wow! ADORABLE! Hold on, where did you come from? Are you possibly Osy’s girlfriend? Tell me, tell me!”

“I AM NOT!”

That was definitely the one thing Nichika had to deny at all costs. Especially after what had happened last night.

Wolfie trotted back over from where he’d been blown to during the witch’s initial crash landing, and gleefully rubbed his big fluffy body against her legs.

“Miss Charlotte! Welcome!”

“Good morning, Wolly. You being a good boy?”

“I am! I am! Ehehe.”

Oh, so this must be Miss Charlotte who makes deliveries from the sky that I’ve heard so much about.

While Nichika mentally sorted out the situation, a sopping-wet phantom—also known as the man who seemed to go by Osy—crawled its way out of the bottom of the well.

“CHAR! What the hell kinda entrance is that?!”

“Oh, dear me. Why are you coming out of a well? Did you become an apprentice to a water spirit?”

“Are you seriously asking me that?!”

The man’s sleepiness had been thoroughly washed away by the icy cold water. Nichika was surprised he actually survived the fall to the bottom of a deep well.

Is everyone in this world so eccentric? As Nichika started worrying even more about her future prospects, Wolfie let out a short howl to get their attention before introducing everyone.

“Nichika, this is the Miss Charlotte I was telling you about yesterday. She’s a witch like Master, but she does sky deliveries because she loves flying on a broom.”

“Hi, Nichika! It’s nice to meet you! I’ll accept any job requests you might have! For a girl as adorable as you, I’ll even give you a special discount!” Charlotte swooped in and excitedly reached for Nichika’s hands.

“U-Uh, okay?”

Was she just imagining that the heat in the witch’s green eyes appeared to burn as ferociously as a forest fire?

“Oh my word! I seriously have the urge to sweep you off your feet and kidnap you right here and now…” She panted heavily. “Hey, do you have any interest in becoming my apprentice?”

“No, I’m—”

“Don’t touch her, perverted woman.”

Before they knew it, the man had approached them and was now slapping Charlotte’s hands off of Nichika. Charlotte squirmed theatrically under his piercing glare.

“Owwie! What’s your problem? I bet you plan to keep this cutie pie all to yourself and do this and that with her! Perv! Mega Perv! Shut-in magic nerd!”

“HUH? Who’d do such a thing?!”

“C’mon, it’s the truth, and you know it. You don’t have to pretend to be offended!” She playfully grinned.

“You little—” Enraged, the man hooked an arm around Nichika’s neck and yanked her to him, almost as if to embrace her.

“Ow! Ow!”

“Did you seriously think for even a second that I’d consider some little girl without any sex appeal, who stupidly went and got herself parasitized by Fake Lover?! Like some kind of brain-dead rodent,” he huffed angrily, “Huh?! Sorry, but I’m not in need when it comes to women. Why would you think I’d want to keep some petacolon-like girl with me?!”

“Excuse me…?” Nichika muttered.

Horrible. I can’t even begin to guess what a “petacolon” is, but he’s definitely mocking me. I can tell that much at least.

“Let go of me!” Nichika protested, “I haven’t done anything deserving of your mockery!”

“YEOW! Don’t scratch me!”

Charlotte’s snicker vanished into a serious frown as she watched them. “‘Fake Lover’? The antiquated slave potion? They say if you leave it be, a person will transform into the rose’s seedbed overnight. Is that true?”

“Yeah, seems to be,” Nichika managed to answer, still struggling in the man’s hold.

“This is serious then. I’m surprised you’re still alive.”

“Um, well, I had him…provide the stopgap treatment.” Nichika turned red and averted her eyes.

Charlotte put her finger to her chin as she contemplated what Nichika had said. “What’s the stopgap treatment?”

Wolfie jumped at the opportunity to answer. “Guess what? Guess what? Nichika and Master came close and—”

“GAAAAAAAAH!” Nichika leapt out of the man’s arm, quickly smothering Wolfie’s toothy mouth with her hand. This wolf was so innocent to the point of causing problems!

“Then, the rose seed is still inside you?”

“Unfortunately… He didn’t know how to remove it…”

Charlotte clapped her hands together once as if all the pieces had fallen together for her. “Oh, I get it now! That’s why Osy woke up so early. You’re setting off on a journey to remove the Fake Lover seed, right?”

“Come again?”

“We’re WHAT?”

Nichika’s surprised question and the man’s exasperated groan came out simultaneously, but Charlotte paid them no heed and began jubilantly pulling various items out of her heavy pack of bags.

“Then you’d best prepare for the trip! Oh dear, Nichika, what happened to your shoes, girl? And you won’t last on a long journey in such thin and flimsy clothing. Wait just a moment. I’m certain I have a thick mantle and sturdy boots somewhere in here.”

“…Oi.” The man’s low growl cut into her humming. “Don’t you try and sell me a bunch of junk with this situation as an excuse.”

“Don’t be silly! I’d do no such thing. By the way, Osy, you aren’t planning on going out in that witch’s robe, are you? I have the perfect coat for you.”

“You’re not even trying to hide your attempt at hawking your wares!”

Behind the yelling man, Nichika’s heart was pounding out of her chest. It’d be much more reassuring if “Osy” and Wolfie were to come with her. Much, much better than being left all alone in a world she knew absolutely nothing about.

But he wasn’t for the idea at all.

“I refuse. What’s in it for me? My troubles will be over once I erase her memories and leave her in some town.”

The world wouldn’t be that kind to me, would it? Nichika’s shoulders slumped, but Charlotte cackled, covering her mouth gleefully with her black sleeve. Then, placing a firm fingertip to her plump lips and changing her tone of voice to a whisper, she leaned in as if to signal that she was about to reveal a secret.

“Then why don’t I give you a piece of information that’ll make you want to leave here on a faraway journey? It’ll be on the house, since you’re a regular patron.”

“Oh? Just try it. I’ve no intention of budging, no matter what you have to say.”

“The Witch’s Council has moved for real this time—and a full-scale move, at that.”

The man’s cocky smile withered instantly into a severe scowl. “What did you just say?”

“Of course they had to! Something about the witch’s tools you’ve made causing nothing but pointless trouble, bringing them a rush of grievances… Well, since even before that, they’ve been acting suspiciously lately. Seems like they’ve been arresting unregistered witches without official licenses left and right.”

Watching the conversation unfold as an unrelated third party from a distance, Nichika observed that the mood was turning grimmer by the moment. The two witches exchanged information in heated whispers until they abruptly broke off and walked over to her.

“Your average person is one thing, but this barrier doesn’t do much to witches. It’s not inconceivable that the councilor might drop from the skies into your backyard at any moment.”

“This location’s been exposed? Tch. Persistent bunch.” Completely awake now, Osy walked right over to Nichika and clearly called, “Wolfie!”

“Yes, Master?”

“I’m leaving home for a while. You coming?”

“Of course, Master! I will accompany you anywhere!” Wolfie sat down neatly in perfect form as if at attention—he could’ve won a dog show, if he were a dog. Evidently, he knew when to set his playful personality aside to properly carry out his role in the master-servant relationship.

“We’ll leave in an hour as initially planned. Be prepared to leave at any time. Same goes for you too, Nichika.”

“Roger!” Wolfie barked.

“O-Okay?” Nichika replied.