Chapter 7 – The Witch and Her Apprentice (8)

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As I channeled magical energy into the broom, three spirals reminiscent of demon horns extended outward, accompanied by a dark aura.

I sent a small consolation to Triceratops, who had suffered greatly from being used solely for cleaning until now.

The heads of three orc warriors, who had lost their senses and charged recklessly after seeing their comrades’ heads explode in an instant, were swiftly split apart along with the battle axes they wielded. I didn’t want to drag this out.

Thinking of quickly wrapping things up and comforting Josie, I increased the size of the spirals emanating from Triceratops.

The orc captain, sensing the threat, used a nearby orc as a shield, while the shaman cast an area buff. The orc warriors, now devoid of any fear of death, continued their assault.

A single meat shield wouldn’t be enough.

In a single motion.

Just as I prepared to unleash a curse-laden strike from the broom to cleave through the orc horde,

A beautiful swarm of blue butterflies fluttered past my eyes.

Their elegance was so delicate, it felt like they would crumble at the slightest touch.

I was reminded of the adorable butterfly-like flower perched on Josie’s eyelid.

It seemed Josie, who had been out of sorts until just moments ago, had regained her composure and was now desperately channeling mana to do what she could.

“Josie?”

“Yes!”

Her confident reply, unlike anything I’d heard before, brought a smile to my face.

She was the strong child who had guarded her parents’ grave alone in the ruined village.

“Think you can handle a real fight?”

“Yes!”

Tree roots erupted from the ground, ensnaring the orcs’ legs.

In the Aria Chronicle series, witches played the role of debuffers, specializing in applying various status ailments to enemies. Binding, curses, sleep, hallucinations—these were the inhumane conditions only a witch could inflict.

Josie, without being taught, was performing the role of a witch admirably, using butterflies to confuse and tree roots to bind.

Given how well she was doing, I abandoned my initial plan to finish things quickly.

I wanted to sync up with Josie a bit more.

I had thought synchronizing with someone would only be possible in the distant future, so I wanted to witness the child’s growth firsthand.

I slashed through the orcs whose legs were bound by the roots.

As I had taught Josie, if safety was assured, the shaman should be dealt with first.

“Lady Estelle, I’ll help!”

Under the cover of the butterflies, Josie charged straight toward the shaman.

“Protect the shaman!”

Despite the Orc captain’s orders, the shaman, unable to escape due to the bindings, was swiftly cut down. I then swung my broom to deter the remaining orcs from closing in.

Even if it wasn’t a coordinated move, the shaman’s decapitation should have instilled some fear. After witnessing such a gap in power, they should have been terrified.

I might have underestimated the power of the gemstone the orc captain possessed. It seemed the gemstone wasn’t just affecting the captain but was assimilating the entire horde.

“Grrr! Out of my way. I’ll handle this myself!”

As the few remaining orcs fell one by one to Triceratops, the orc captain, who had been observing, finally rose from his heavy haunches.

“Aren’t you a bit late?”

Whether fighting or fleeing, it didn’t matter. Even with the power of the magic stone, swinging his axe wildly was meaningless if it didn’t connect. The more he lost his reason, the simpler his attack patterns became.

He swung at illusions, stumbled over the roots hindering his movement—it was almost comical.

Just as I began to feel like I was watching a monster coliseum operated by the empire, the captain seemed to realize that Josie’s interference was the reason his attacks weren’t landing.

“Capture that female!”

“Not so fast!”

I kicked the orc captain’s vital spot and took advantage of the opening to rush toward the last remaining orcs charging at Josie, piercing their skulls.

“Grrr…”

“Looks like you’re out of subordinates to command.”

Only one remained.

I sneered at the orc captain, writhing in pain.

“You’ll play along, won’t you?”

Black tentacles shot out from the shadows, binding the captain and pinning him down, his face pressed into the ground.

I needed to extract the gemstone embedded in his forehead without him resisting.

While encountering the orcs was primarily for Josie’s education, I was also curious about the power of the gemstone I had witnessed during the battle.

“P-please… spare me!”

“No~pe~”

What happens when a host loses its gemstone?

I wrapped my hand in mana and yanked the gemstone from his forehead.

The gemstone, which had been siphoning the host’s life force to protect itself, only came loose after the captain had turned into a mummy.

The once formidable gemstone, now reduced to a common pebble, lay in my hand. Was it a one-time use?

Well, that’s disappointing.

I tossed the stone to the ground, shaking off my disappointment.

I’d have plenty of chances to satisfy my curiosity about gemstones in the future.

But for now.

“Hmm. Were there orcs like this in the western regions…?”

I examined the mummified face of the orc captain.

If they had passed through this area peacefully, I wouldn’t have noticed.

The shaman’s attempt to dispel the barrier wasn’t something the dim-witted orcs of the west would do.

They’d just mindlessly swing their axes. They wouldn’t have even approached in the first place.

I considered mind-controlling nearby orcs to ask about it, but the thought of them bowing at 90 degrees and saying, “Madam! We hope you’ve been well!” made me nauseous.

I think I’ve had enough of orcs for a while.

Having used more mana than usual, my legs felt weak, and I sat down to catch my breath. I helped Josie up, who was also struggling.

“How do you feel after fighting orcs?”

“Please don’t remind me…. And, it wasn’t much. Just some orcs…”

She blushed and averted her gaze, embarrassed by her own words.

It was hard to believe this was the same Josie who had frozen in fear at the orcs’ roars. My chest swelled with pride, but I didn’t feel like teasing her.

“Ugh.”

Josie retched, her stomach churning at the sight of the orcs’ remains. I patted her back.

I kept forgetting that Josie, who had done so well, was still unfamiliar with all of this. I needed to be more considerate.

Later, it would be even worse when she had to kill monsters or people by herself.

After vomiting a few times, she seemed to recover and lifted her head. Her eyes, usually hidden by her bangs, sparkled in the light.

If only she showed her eyes like this more often. I wiped the tears from her eyes and gently stroked her hair.

“Shall we go home now?”

“Not yet. There are still people here.”

People?

Josie pointed to the iron bars.

They were the people I had glimpsed while explaining the orcs.

The man was covered in fist-shaped bruises from the orcs’ blows, with broken bones protruding through his skin.

And the woman…

Handprints marked her body,

Blood and a nauseating white fluid dripped from her lower half. Her face was contorted in pain.

With all her tendons severed, she couldn’t even resist properly.

I covered their bodies with my robe.

This was solely for Josie’s emotional well-being.

“They won’t last much longer.”

Josie seemed to want to save them, but from my perspective, it seemed pointless.

Even if they survived and returned home, only their families would be happy. Would the people around them truly rejoice?

What man would want a wife defiled by monsters? They’d fear being tainted themselves, especially if there was a chance she could become pregnant.

Even if they hid the fact that she had been defiled, the trauma would fester, poisoning her mind. In the end, she might even resent Josie for saving her.

It was better for them to die here and now.

There would be no blooming future for them.

By saving them from further suffering at the orcs’ hands, Josie had already done her best.

“But with Lady Estelle’s medicine, you can save them, right?”

“It’s not about whether I can save them or not. I think it’s better to let them pass peacefully rather than prolong their suffering.”

Among the items stored in my home were potions and artifacts capable of near-miraculous recovery, as long as the person wasn’t dead.

Those potions were reserved for future emergencies, not to be wasted on random passersby.

The most I could offer them was a basic healing potion, just enough to keep them alive.

Honestly, even that felt like a waste.

“If they can just live, that’s enough!”

“Josie?”

In all our time together, she had never defied me, only occasionally throwing tantrums.

Her stubbornness was unfamiliar to me.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so unreasonable.”

At least she knew she was being unreasonable.

“Do as you wish.”

It’s better to regret doing something than to regret not doing it.

Lucent