episode_0274

Lala, holding onto my trembling hand tightly, calmed her emotions to some extent and explained the rules of the witch test.

In reality, the witch test was not that difficult, despite its name. Anyone who had grown up in the Witch’s Forest since childhood could pass this witch test.

“You have to sit on the altar north of the Witch’s Forest and feel the energy of nature for exactly one month. By doing so, the witch’s crystal will take root in your body, and only then can you become a witch apothecary.”

“Is that the witch test? Is there nothing else to do?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

“Does that mean you can’t come down from the altar even if it rains or lightning strikes?”

“Yes, and if you do, you will receive a terrible punishment that you can’t even bear to mention.”

The mention of a “terrible punishment” from Lala’s lips caught the attention of the three people.

“A terrible punishment?”

“Could you permanently lose the qualification to become a witch in the future?”

“Oh, no! But if you really want to know about the terrible punishment… it’s hard to talk about, but if you really want to know…”

“Never mind. It’s not a curiosity worth solving at the expense of a lady’s suffering.”

“Me neither.”

“Anyway, it seems that’s not the important part, so if you don’t want to talk about it, there’s no need to listen.”

“That’s right. You don’t have to speak if it’s difficult, Miss Lala Maychilling.”

“Thank you.”

While the three were curious about the details of the terrible punishment, Lala hesitated openly, making it uncomfortable for them to listen.

It was fortunate for Lala that they lost interest. I also thought that there was no need for the three of them to know the details of the punishment.

“The test involves sitting quietly on the altar north of the forest for a month. It may be a rude question, but how do you handle meals and sleep?”

“During the test period, the forest’s energy flows through your body, so you don’t need to eat… You can sleep while sitting… Oh, and about… ”

“It’s okay not to talk about that, Miss Maychilling.”

“Then, do we have a part to help with Lala’s test? So far, it sounds like a test she has to overcome on her own.”

“Well… Normally, it’s a test that should be solved without anyone’s help, but…”

“But?”

“Lately, there have been rumors of dangerous monsters appearing inside the forest… So, I would like to ask for your help in subduing those monsters…”

Here it is. My experience points event.

Among the three rewards that could be obtained in this ‘Lala’s Secret’ episode, one of them was this experience points event. The other two were the ‘Lala Scene Collection’ and the ‘Witch’s Pendant.’

The witch test was not conducted based on one person or held annually.

Once every ten years, when the energy of the forest was at its peak, all women eligible to take the witch test would sit on the altar for a month to gather their minds, and on the day when the ten years came, all eligible women would sit on the altar to take the witch test.

“If it’s so important to protect against monster attacks during the witch test, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to hire adventurers to hunt monsters in the forest than us?”

“True. Witches have a lot of money.”

“I, I, I, we usually do it that way…. But in this year’s cohort, there’s only one person taking the witch test….”

“Hmm. Does the fact that only one person is taking the test mean that they can’t afford to hire adventurers or mercenaries? As far as I know, witches receive a considerable amount of materials and gold from the royal family through their alchemical skills.”

“Oh, no…! Th-the money will all be paid by the elder witch….! B-but the reason for that is, a little different….”

“So, what’s the reason?”

“I, I didn’t have anyone to go outside the forest and recruit adventurers for my test…. S-so I had to go out myself and ask the warrior…. Well, to be exact, I was able to answer because the warrior spoke first….”

Even if there were only three witches taking the test, the witch community would have called upon outsiders to deal with monsters that would interfere with the test. Preferably, they would have called upon a strong female adventurer.

If there were about three children taking the test, their mothers would have gone hand in hand outside the witch’s forest, enduring various hardships and helping them find someone to assist, even going as far as begging for help.

However, sending one person’s mother alone to the rough and tough adventurer guild outside the forest to find a strong female adventurer among adventurers or mercenaries was a grueling task. It would likely be a horrific experience for the witches.

As soon as they saw Lara’s mother, everyone probably expected it, but sending a woman with that kind of personality alone outside the witch’s forest to do what was mentioned earlier was practically like an exile order from the witch’s forest. Sending such a person alone outside the witch’s forest would likely leave her stranded in a distant village, unable to even catch a returning carriage.

In other words, the communication-impaired Lara had ultimately enrolled in the academy to find someone to help with this witch test in place of her mother. The result of that process is us now.

“The reason may be a bit absurd, but since we’ve come this far, we have no choice but to help.”

“R-really?! S-so….”

“Ethan Richard Blackwood. Call me Blackwood.”

“T-thank you, Blackwood….”

“Well, I may be weak, but I’ll do my best to help. What about Colt Kyeong?”

“I will also take my place to ensure the safety of the prince and others.”

“T-thank you…!”

“…If it was such a request, it would have been better to tell me before coming here. I specialize in fire magic, so I can’t fight in the forest.”

“Oh, t-there’s a huge lake called the Spring of Magic to the east of my altar…!! Th-there, even if you specialize in fire magic, you can use it as much as you want…!!”

“…Alright, I got it. It’s better than doing nothing.”

“I will definitely help as well. So, when does the witch test start, Meichiling?”

“I-it’s in three days…! A-and I need to tell the elders that I’ve brought someone to help….”

Before the suggestion of rushing to the elders could come up, I quickly intervened and changed the subject.

“Let’s go see them now, including that. Is there any ritual that the elders need to perform at the altar before taking the test?”

“H-how did you know?! R-Rosewood?”

“I just had a feeling.”

“Wow, amazing…. Rosewood, do you by any chance want to try being a witch? With such intelligence, you would probably be good at it….”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

In the world of ‘Luminor Academy,’ I had seen countless times what the ‘Witch Trial’ meant. It was not a ritual suitable for someone from the Witch’s Forest, but rather for people from other regions.

“Even if the witch’s skills are tempting, no one in their right mind would be able to pass such a trial.”

If it were just Edan, he might have hesitated, but with Antonio there and the arrival of the annoying Gyeommyeojosegi guy shortly after, I had to put a stop to Lara’s attempt to make me her companion and focus on the first thing I needed to do to take the trial.

“If we all rush over, the elders might be surprised, so I’ll just go with Meichilling for a moment. Is that okay?”

“Yes, y-yes…. R-Rosewood…. H-haha….”

“…Yes, come back safely.”

Ignoring Edan’s somewhat displeased gaze as he held onto my hand tightly, I walked towards the building where the elders’ meeting was held.

It was a moment of excitement to think that I would finally meet the three elders whom I had only seen in the game.

***

The building where the three elders stayed was not far from Lara’s house. It was close enough that you could see it after passing about five houses.

The reason why the house of the eldest elder, who had spent a long time in the Witch’s Forest, was so close to the house of Lara’s mother, who was a young witch, was due to the housing style of the Witch’s Forest.

The Witch’s Forest had a village with about a hundred houses surrounding a central square in a circular shape. And the common rule was that the younger witches lived next to the oldest elder’s house, starting from the house of the eldest elder.

This was a result of the witches’ tendency to want to live closer to people they were somewhat close to.

Since there were only about one or two witches born every 3-4 years, the age difference between people who had lived in the village for more than ten years was significant.

After ten years, even if they were witches, there would inevitably be a generational gap. Of course, after ten years in the Witch’s Forest, it was possible to build enough friendship to have a conversation, but it was easier to communicate with people of a similar age.

A five-year age difference was easier than a ten-year age difference. And a two-year age difference was even easier to communicate with.

As a result, the houses were arranged in a sequence like an arithmetic progression of the residents’ ages. Next to a 100-year-old witch’s house, there would be a 103-year-old witch’s house, and next to that, a 105-year-old witch’s house.

If you circled around, you would find that the youngest mother of a witch in the village was about 40 years old. And skipping a few empty houses, you could reach the elders’ house.

“T-Thank you, Rosewood…. I-I wouldn’t have been able to speak properly if you hadn’t held my hand earlier.”

“I’m glad you’ve calmed down. The elders’ house is that big house over there, right?”

“Y-yes…. T-that’s the house….”

“Do the elders have any aversion to outsiders or anything like that?”

“I-I think it should be fine…. The elders are relatively understanding…. A-and if it’s Rosewood, you should be able to have a conversation with any other witch….”

That makes sense. After all, I hadn’t just visited the Witch’s Forest once in my past life. I had all the ways to talk to Lara, Lara’s mother, the three elders, and various other important witches in the story in my head.

As we continued our conversation, I walked with Lara towards the house where the three elders lived, and I noticed a carriage that I hadn’t seen in the game.

…What is this? I’ve never seen a witch who can speak in a game before.