Ch. 24 The Two Witches (4)
by Afuhfuihgs
Witch – Chapter 24 – The Two Witches (4)
The so-called “sparring” that began under the guise of discipline continued from the moment it started until just before dinner.
The only training I could offer wasn’t about wielding weapons but rather sharpening combat instincts and building physical endurance. Still, that alone would be a great help to Leo.
In the morning, we started with a full-speed run around the perimeter of the barrier—ten laps to begin with, adding one more lap each day. Now, we were up to nineteen laps. An ordinary person would have collapsed by the tenth lap, but thanks to the power of the Holy Eye, Leo managed to push through without dying.
Physical stamina is the most fundamental aspect of combat. No matter how strong you are, if your stamina can’t keep up, it’s all meaningless. There are countless ways to enhance physical strength or efficiently use stamina by harnessing divine power, but for some reason, Leo couldn’t control his divine energy.
As someone who practices dark magic, I couldn’t teach him how to handle divine power. So, I focused on building his basic physical endurance, leaving the divine power for him to figure out on his own. It’s not like I could just grab someone from the Holy Kingdom and force them to teach him—that would be like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.
After the morning endurance training, it was time for sparring until he dropped. After about ten days, he was starting to keep up with the pace.
Even now, after twenty minutes of continuous sparring, his breathing remained steady.
I was holding back, swinging my broomstick, but he managed to dodge my attacks by utilizing his Holy Eye.
He avoided unnecessary attacks by tracking them with his eyes until the last moment, and for the unavoidable ones, he used his sword to block. He even counterattacked through the gaps I intentionally left open. It had only been ten days, but the spartan training was starting to bear fruit.
“Not bad. Let’s see if you can dodge this too?”
Blocking the horn shaped crimson mana with his sword was a bad idea.
Over the past few days, whether he deflected or countered, the moment his sword made contact, it would be sliced in two. It’s better to dodge than to block recklessly. He should’ve learned that by now. A regular sword’s durability can’t protect its wielder from the cutting force of pure mana.
Even if he blocked, the iron sword would be cut in half. If he didn’t block, his Holy Eye would be pierced.
Just as a thrust, faster and stronger than usual, reached Leo’s eyes—
“Haaaa…!”
With a shout, he narrowly dodged the thrust. The small line of blood running down his cheek showed that with a bit more training, he wouldn’t be easily overwhelmed by most opponents.
Moreover, his counterattack through the gap left by the thrust showed that if his opponent underestimated him, they’d likely take a hit. I would’ve let him land a blow, but I couldn’t worry Josie, who was watching anxiously from afar.
“Gotcha!!!”
If you lose focus and fail to read your opponent’s next move while targeting a visible opening, you’ll inevitably get countered. If the opponent intentionally left that opening… charging into it would be like walking to your death. It’s good that he’s learning this now.
The crimson mana condensed in my other hand greeted Leo as he charged in.
“…!”
He seemed to notice the mana in my hand in that split second, but it was too late to react. The hand extended to his chest released the mana, sending him flying in an instant.
“If your opponent shows a big opening, there’s a reason for it. You were too hasty.”
With a satisfied smile, I watched as Leo, who was embedded in the ground quickly got up, seemingly unharmed. But I couldn’t avoid Josie’s concern as she rushed over.
“Leo, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine. I thought I could land a hit this time.”
If Josie hadn’t been there, I might’ve let him have one out of pity. But I couldn’t embarrass myself in front of her.
“Not bad. It would’ve been better if your swordsmanship were more varied, but I’m not exactly skilled in swordsmanship, so it’s hard for me to teach you.”
Not just swordsmanship, but when it came to utilizing the Holy Eye or divine power, he still had a long way to go.
All I could offer was combat experience and physical training. What Leo needed was a proper teacher. Someone more suited to him than me.
Perhaps it was time.
I hadn’t left my house since Josie settled in, and I was feeling the need to go out anyway.
We couldn’t stay cooped up in this house forever.
Besides, the place I had in mind had the means to solve the problems I was currently thinking about.
First, I needed to think about what kind of gift to bring to an old friend.
“We’re going to Venetia in a week.”
I casually dropped the news as dinner was winding down.
“Venetia?”
“Venetia is…”
Venetia was a city slightly removed from the heart of the Verdandi Kingdom. It thrived around the largest adventurer’s guild, serving as a second capital. Most adventurers in Verdandi operated out of Venetia, making it a bustling hub of economic activity, with a thriving hospitality industry catering to the adventurers stationed there.
It was also a city that appeared frequently in the Aria Chronicle series, with several protagonists hailing from there, making it unforgettable.
“Going to the city…”
I knew what Josie was worried about. It was because of the Heresy Inquisitors.
When the Laplace family, the lords of Venetia, were rebuilding the city, I had helped them out. So, as a witch, I wouldn’t be treated with suspicion. Even if someone reported me, I could just hide behind the Laplace family.
“Don’t worry. My mother’s friend lives there. What you’re worried about won’t happen.”
After reassuring Josie, Leo, now scared, asked, “A friend, you say? Is she a witch?”
“Yes, a witch.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better if I didn’t go?”
Leo seemed to have some bad memories associated with witches, as he looked thoroughly frightened.
I could understand disliking witches, but seeing him recoil in front of me made me want to just leave him to his own devices.
Josie, sensing my mood, urged me not to, but no one was exempt from this trip.
I made sure to enunciate each word clearly so there’d be no misunderstanding.
“You’re definitely coming.”
“I have the Holy Eye, and I’m afraid I’ll be killed on sight for being unpleasant to witches.”
It was true that Leo’s Holy Eye was unsettling to witches.
It felt like someone was secretly watching you while you showered, a creepy, intrusive gaze.
Just looking at it made you feel like committing murder might be justified. But if that was the reason, then he had to come even more.
“That’s partly why we’re going. That friend of mine, while not possessing the Holy Eye, has a Demon Eye.”
A Demon Eye.
An eye capable of casting all sorts of curses just by looking.
An artifact of witches that could turn people to stone, arouse them, or put them to sleep—status-altering mechanisms.
While the exact lore wasn’t clear, there were theories in ancient texts that it might be the lost eye of an angel.
Its nature was undoubtedly similar to that kind of power.
“She might know how to fully utilize your Holy Eye. If you want to protect Josie, you’ll need to get stronger, right?”
Subtly shifting the focus to Josie, Leo nodded with a determined expression.
I couldn’t decide whether he was easy or difficult to handle.
“What’s your mother’s friend like?”
“My mother’s friend is…”
Josie’s innocent question left me momentarily speechless.
I called her a friend, but the last time we met was over sixty years ago.
From our first meeting, we fought like cats and dogs, so calling her a friend might be a stretch—more like a frenemy. But after clearing up our misunderstandings, we became quite close.
Moreover, she was one of the few witches featured in the Aria Chronicle series, popular enough to be released as a playable character.
At first, I didn’t recognize her because her appearance was different, but once I saw her Demon Eye, I knew immediately.
Her voice, her power, the pure love she exuded—it all stirred something in me, making it impossible not to befriend her.
“It’s a secret~ You’ll find out when you meet her.”
A few words couldn’t do justice to one of my few friends. I wanted Josie to meet her and feel it for herself.
A friend. A friend.
I never had friends in my past life, but here I was, making one.
In a witch society rampant with individualism, she was an outlier for even offering friendship.
“We leave in a week. Both of you, make sure to pack what you need. And Josie, write down what you want to do in Venetia. It’ll be fun.”
I couldn’t just keep thinking about my friend.
There was a lot to prepare before heading to Venetia.
Leo’s training had to continue without pause. I needed to sort out potions for emergencies and store them in a portable inventory.
Lastly, there wasn’t much time to make a staff for Josie, who had no proper equipment.
Lucent
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