Ch. 46 The Two Witches (26)
by Afuhfuihgs
Witch – Chapter 46- The Two Witches (26)
When was the first time she met Nicks?
Beryl slowly traced back her memories.
It was an afternoon, more than 50 years after she had settled in Venetia.
Once again, no customers had come, so she closed the shop early.
When she first moved to Venetia on Estelle’s recommendation, the shop had been bustling, even if no one bought anything. Was it because of the prices?
The only person who bought potions was the head of the Laplace family, who managed Venetia, so the shop was practically doomed.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about joining the merchant guild to check price trends, visiting the Adventurers’ Guild to promote her shop, or asking neighboring merchants for advice on what was wrong.
But she was too busy avoiding people to do any of that.
Perhaps it was because she found it awkward to face people without her hood, which was heavily enchanted with perception-blocking magic.
And then there were the voices echoing in her head.
It must have been the witch’s curse. She remembered the Witch of the South telling her not to listen to the inner voices, so she tried to ignore them.
But lately, they had been chasing her even in her dreams, making her nerves frayed.
“Sigh. I really shouldn’t have opened a shop.”
What had she been thinking, trying to achieve wealth and glory by running a shop?
It wasn’t like she was short on money or had a dream of becoming a merchant.
‘You’ll experience beautiful love someday too.’
If Estelle hadn’t said that with sparkling eyes, Beryl would still be out there dealing with those who coveted her Demon Eye.
Her Demon Eye was special, even among other Demon Eyes, and many sought it.
If she hadn’t helped the fallen angel she saw in her dreams as a child, she wouldn’t have ended up with these eyes.
What is love, anyway?
For Beryl, who grew up as an orphan, wandered the world, became a witch under the Witch of the South, and lived among witches who envied her, love was a very foreign concept.
There had never been room for love in Beryl’s life.
It was just a small curiosity.
First, she needed to escape the battlefield.
Closing her eyes and settling in Venetia with Estelle’s help was for that reason.
Before leaving for Venetia, Estelle had suggested she try running a shop, so she ended up opening one in a daze… but dealing with people was harder for Beryl than dealing with witches.
Normally, she would have closed the shop and holed up in her room, but today, for some reason, she wanted to take a walk.
The night air felt refreshing, and since it was dinner time, the streets would be empty, perfect for a solitary stroll.
The children who had been noisily playing outside her shop in the morning were all gone, leaving the area quiet.
Just as she was about to start her walk,
something strange brushed against her foot.
It was harder than a slime but softer than an orc, like a witch who had been stepped on while trying to steal her Demon Eye….
“Could you move your foot? It hurts.”
“Eek…!!!”
She screamed when she realized there was a child under her foot.
Lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed the child with her mana senses and had stepped on them.
“A-are you okay?!”
“It hurts a bit, but I’m fine. Thanks for moving.”
The child, lying on the ground, seemed unfazed and even thanked Beryl before crawling away.
“Is this a new game?”
Kids these days play like this?
Beryl thought back to her own childhood.
Back then, the popular game was stealing food from each other’s hiding spots.
If you got caught, it was game over—a dangerous pastime.
But after becoming a witch, she no longer needed food, so she didn’t have to play such risky games.
“It’s not a game. I went to a friend’s house, but the adults there broke both my legs so I wouldn’t play with my friend anymore. I had no choice but to crawl home. It’s not so bad, except for being tired and hungry. I’ll have to try it with my friends later.”
“Oh, uh… I see.”
The child’s nonstop chatter made it hard to keep up.
From the direction they were crawling, it seemed they were heading to the slums.
“Um… should I call your family? Or take you to a hospital?”
“I live alone. My mom died after giving birth to me, and my dad died while adventuring. I don’t have money for a hospital.”
“I… see.”
‘What should I do in this situation? Help me, Estelle!’
She couldn’t just leave the child like this.
She called out to Estelle in her mind, though she knew there’d be no answer.
“You’re the shop owner, right?”
“Y-yes. How did you know?”
“You’re the only one who wears a dark hood like that. Do you know how creepy the other adults find you? The other shopkeepers say you’re only allowed to stay here because you sold your body to the Marquis.”
Beryl’s head spun at the unbelievable story coming from the child’s mouth.
“W-who said I sold my body?! I’ve never done that!”
“I knew it! Adults love to badmouth and bully others. Like my legs. I was just playing with a lonely friend at the Marquis’s house, but they said I was bothering him. Isn’t that funny? My friend looked so happy when we played together.”
The child’s legs were bent in a way that would make walking impossible.
If not treated soon, he might never walk again.
“Can’t you take off that hood? If you did, you might get your first customer. No one comes around here because they’re scared of you.”
“That’s a bit difficult… I’m ugly. My eyes are hideous… and…”
“Oh, come on. That’s a lie, right? I don’t think you’re ugly.”
“What do you know….”
While Beryl wanted to stomp on the child’s mouth, the child just smiled.
“My dad said people always need to be prepared. Like washing your hands before eating. Or praying to the gods before sleeping. Maybe you’re just not ready yet? Someday, you’ll take off that hood.”
“So, you were prepared, and that’s why your legs are broken?”
“Hmm… I guess I’m not ready yet. But I’m only 7, so it’s okay, right? I’m going to be an adventurer when I grow up. My dad always looked so happy when he told me adventure stories. Maybe breaking my legs is just part of preparing to be an adventurer?”
A 7-year-old giving advice to a witch over 500 years old.
When was the last time she had a conversation like this?
It had been almost 50 years.
“Kid, what’s your name?”
“I’m Nicks. What’s yours?”
“What do you mean, ‘yours’? Call me the shop owner.”
“Huh? Aren’t we friends?”
“Friends? Hardly.”
She wanted to talk more with Nicks, but if she left his broken legs untreated, his dream of becoming an adventurer would never come true.
She picked Nicks up with both hands and carried him inside, laying him down in a suitable spot.
She wasn’t an expert in potion-making, so she couldn’t create a potion to mend broken bones, but she remembered a potion Estelle had given her that had a similar effect.
Opening a box she kept carefully stored in her room, she found a potion glowing with a purple light.
Was it called Elixir?
Estelle had told her to save it for emergencies, but what constituted an emergency?
Without hesitation, she took the potion and went back to where Nicks was lying.
When she opened the bottle, a sweet scent wafted out.
Was it grape-flavored?
But was it meant to be drunk or applied?
Since it was grape-flavored, it must be for drinking.
“I don’t have money to pay for the potion.”
While Beryl was pondering over the potion, Nicks kept talking.
This kid is so noisy.
“I know. You want to be an adventurer, right? You can’t even afford a hospital, so how are you going to be an adventurer with legs like that? I’ve never heard of a crippled adventurer.”
Her words came out harsher than she intended.
She was trying to do a good deed as a witch, but Nicks’ incessant chatter made her want to shut him up, so she made him drink the potion.
What kind of potion did Estelle make…?
Not only were Nicks’ broken legs healing, but his aura, sensed through her mana, began to radiate something extraordinary.
Now she understood why Estelle had told her to use it only in emergencies.
It wasn’t just healing—it was like he had become a new person.
“Want to try walking?”
Just in case, she held Nicks’ hand as she lowered his legs to the ground.
“I feel like I could fly!”
Nicks jumped in place, his honest reaction making him seem like a 7-year-old again.
“Then go home.”
It had been enjoyable talking to him, but she also felt drained.
Beryl wanted to go inside and rest.
She had enough conversation to last her another 50 years.
“Already?”
She pushed Nicks out the door.
She had only wanted to take a walk to clear her mind… and she had certainly done that.
As she was about to close the door, a small hand stopped it.
“I’m going to be an adventurer.”
“Sure. Work hard and don’t die.”
“Oh, come on! Listen to me!”
“Fine. I’m listening, so speak.”
If this had been her old self, she would have slammed the door shut, not caring if she hurt his fingers, and gone inside.
She sighed softly and opened the door.
She half-listened as the 7-year-old, Nicks, spoke.
“Thank you for helping me. I’ll definitely become an adventurer and repay your kindness! And I’ll let everyone know you’re not a weirdo. I’ll make your shop the most popular potion shop, used by the best adventurers!”
Beryl was stunned by Nicks’ heartfelt declaration.
That’s not necessary…?
Before Beryl could say anything, Nicks ran off into the darkness of the city.
Lucent
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