episode_0012

“If you’re scared, it’s okay to run away. Of course, as long as you’re better off than facing me.”

“I… didn’t think about that.”

“Shall I start by telling you where your hands are placed?”

Closed eyes gently opened.

And then they turned towards.

Where my eyes were looking.

“…Oh.”

My hands were resting on a chest with only firm muscles to touch.

Having missed the chance to pull back, well…

“Oh, that’s—”

“Pfft.”

A burst of laughter escaped.

Shoulders starting to shake.

The once dark face broke into a wide smile.

“Heh, wait, sor-sorry… I didn’t expect you to be so defenseless—”

Quickly hiding the hand behind the back.

Even the words to say began to slip from my increasingly numb mind.

…Leaving me with Lena.

“Oh, right. I have to go save my younger sister—”

“Huh? Oh, I already saved her.”

“What?”

“You lured the spirits, which opened the path through the forest. By now, she should be contacting the cathedral, right?”

My guess was correct. Thank goodness.

As I sighed, my legs, now loosened, gave way beneath me.

…The trembling of my hands intensified, slowly numbing my senses.

“By the way, why did you enter the forest? And with three people from the Order, no less.”

“Oh, we came to find missing persons. There were flyers at the church…”

“The herbalists?”

The immediate response indicated knowledge of something.

A slightly surprised expression. But eyebrows beginning to furrow.

“Do you know them?”

“Well, apart from those who scared me a few weeks ago… there shouldn’t be many others, right?”

Scared me.

Is it possible to scare someone like this?

With a delicate woman’s body and a thoroughly exhausted face?

“There seemed to be about six of them.”

“Six… quite a lot.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew heavy, making even my body feel weary.

Was the armor really this heavy? It’s almost nothing compared to what the paladins wear.

“Take off your sword and armor. You won’t be able to move until daylight anyway.”

“What? I-I should hurry back. Lena, I mean, my sister must be waiting—”

“You managed to get past the spirits chasing you just now?”

A thin finger propped against a tree branch, pointing towards the forest.

The ominous swaying was evident at first glance, prompting me to lower my head immediately.

“Then consider yourself indebted for the night.”

“…Thank you. You’re very kind.”

As I bowed, Hilde, rather unexpectedly, stood up, clapping her hands.

Her feet peeking out from under her clothes… were covered in dirt.

Had she been walking barefoot in the forest?

“When will this place ever be cleared out…”

The audible sigh made my hands move involuntarily.

The scattered papers rolling around on the floor were incredibly bothersome.

“May I call you Hilde?”

“Huh? Y-yes, sure. Why?”

Scratching her messy hair, she appeared far from neat.

As she began to calm down, she started to look uneasy in the increasingly dreadful environment.

“While it may be a token of gratitude for the night, would it be alright if I helped tidy up?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no. Leave it as it is. It’ll be hard to find things if you disturb them—”

“No, I’m struggling!”

With those words, my body moved before Hilde could stop me, gathering all the scattered papers from the floor.

With the herbal knowledge still fresh in my mind, I neatly sorted them by type, tied them with leftover strings, and carefully placed them in a drawer—

The broken glass was temporarily gathered using a part of the armor as a dustpan, and with gloved hands sweeping gently like a broom, it was collected into a handle.

Books were taken out a single sheet at a time to make bookmarks, then closed shut, and the salt scattered on the floor for some reason…

“Could this be a drawn barrier?”

“You catch on quickly. Yes. Just leave it alone.”

Despite moving around busily, the house was somewhat tidied up, but…

It’s just too much that a house without a broom.

“It’s a token of gratitude, but… Here, have some calming tea. Thank you.”

“If only there was a broom -”

“Alright, alright. You’re quite the peculiar guest.”

Only now did it feel like a moment to rest.

Feeling the warmth of the tea enveloping their body, they found relief in the fatigue dissipating.

If there was anything bothering them, it would be that head of theirs.

“Everyone seems to mumble and rush away when they see me. Are they fearless, or – Huh?!”

“Just a moment, there’s a tangle here.”

Perhaps it was residue from a sticky potion.

When something honey-like sticks to your head, it’s hard to remove.

Still, inserting their fingers between the strands of hair, carefully…

“W-what are you doing – Oh -”

“It’s not working. Let’s just tidy up your hair.”

“Huh? Wha?!”

Boiling water is easy to prepare.

Rinsing their hair was something they often did for Lena.

Removing their knees from the bathroom floor, they poured warm water over their head.

Then, they rinsed their hair with water infused with remaining herbs and flowers, washing it off.

Using about three cloths, their hair dried neatly, flowing down like luxurious fabric.

“Uh… um….”

“Great. Finished! How does it look?”

With both hands supporting their hair, they blinked blankly.

Perhaps they were quite surprised. Well, even I didn’t expect it to turn out this well.

“I’ll just quickly wash up and head to my room. Thank you for your hard work.”

Seeing them nod silently made me chuckle.

It felt different from Lena, who always thanked me with a stuck-together posture and a bow.

…Hearing that everything was fine made my heart feel so light.

For now, it’s best to rest properly before thinking further.

***

The maiden with black hair cautiously stretches her foot on the bed.

She touches only the splitting blanket.

Not sharp glass, crumpled paper, or rustling dry leaves.

“…How long has it been since I used the bed this wide?”

She couldn’t remember.

She never remembered.

For ten years, bound in the forest, soothing or suppressing the spirits trapped together.

Her life had been far from comfort.

“So soft. The scent… is nice.”

The man’s touch, familiar as if known, gently pushing his fingers.

The tangled mass she thought would never unravel melted away, moments of care to revive the ends passing with the falling strands of hair.

“Surely, I did this for my younger sister too.”

What was the identity of the boy who wielded the sword from the hilt to the tip without a solemn prayer, unlike the knights of the cathedral?

The girl created as a ‘toxin’ used by those without senses as a detector to repel spirits.

What was the identity of the girl made as a ‘toxin’ imbued with the power to drive back spirits until they retreated?

“…I didn’t feel any fear at all.”

A face and body that didn’t flinch even after revealing her identity.

Rather, blushing at the sight of clothes – Lian swept away in the flow of conversation.

Even showing no wariness to a stranger, she seemed like an apprentice knight.

“Foolishness can be bravery, but…”

Hands deftly collecting unfamiliar herbs and swiftly applying fragrant water.

Being dispatched from the cathedral already proved her skill.

“So, what exactly am I?”

Drawing strength from darkness, some called her a dark sorceress,

while others linked her to the forest’s tales as a necromancer.

But above all, the most famous title was that of a witch.

The Witch with the Purple Scythe.

However, without any hesitation, she not only helped but also tidied up the house neatly and made it this comfortable.

Receiving kindness like never before from anyone, her heart slowly began to beat.

“…No, calm down. I’m a witch of the Mirmi Forest.”

When she reached out to help, she shouted and pounded the ground.

Swinging the scythe to save herself from resentment, she cried out as a messenger filled with fear.

“It’s been a long time since expectations ended.”

A book unfolded to survive.

A pact with death to save her life.

The tips of their clasped hands were already stained black.

Eyelids closed to sleep.

In the darkness that approached, what appeared was sky-blue eyes.

And the holy fire that illuminated the surroundings in a bright white glow.

“…No.”

Rushing out with a kiss to save the girl from the spirits, facing unimaginable spirits with a sword pointed at them, she displayed her strength generously with a visible smile.

“That wasn’t for my sake.”

Hiding in the hole of a dead tree, the girl who prayed only for salvation is no more.

Only the witch who gained strength on her own to continue her life remains.

Yes, you will be with us forever.

Whispers arrived.

Soulless beings knocking on the window.

White handprints began to dirty the transparent glass.

Both the boy, the girl, and the herbalists, all will eventually be with us.

Then, you will come to know.

Once you open that book, you can never go back.

Pouring the tea into the cup with closed lips, it became whispers as she swallowed it beyond her throat.

The creaking turned into a faint moan from the weakened window.

The widened bed allowed her to spread her body more comfortably.

What brought that about was –

“Come now, it’s time to sleep.”

A boy named Lian, who must be worrying about his younger sister in the room he was given by now.

He was a squire from the grand cathedral who had followed her footsteps from the forest.