episode_0276

The sight of Lizzie, who was playfully whining in a sweet voice in front of the three elders of the forest, was quite shocking to me.

Including the fact that the elders didn’t seem to dislike receiving Lizzie’s sweet gestures.

“Chuchu Elder, can I really not take the witch exam this time?”

“Hmm… well… I’m not sure…”

“No one from the recent outsiders who took the witch exam has passed until the end… even if it’s Lizzie, it might be okay…”

It seemed like the elders didn’t quite understand English, but Lizzie seemed quite interested in this witch exam.

In fact, despite her appearance, Lizzie belonged to the Academy’s Department of Pharmacy. She was even second in grades, meaning she was the best among humans who weren’t witches, except for Lala.

It was somewhat natural for her to be interested in becoming a witch.

‘I wonder how she managed to enter the Department of Pharmacy as the second in grades…’

She probably made connections with witches in advance to enter the Department of Pharmacy.

Even if she only gained a fraction of the knowledge about pharmacy that witches possessed, it was a talent beyond that of an ordinary pharmacist. Even if she didn’t become a witch.

The moment I accidentally discovered the secret of how Lizzie entered the Department of Pharmacy was when she used some method.

“I will never give up, you know? Yes, Tret Elder. And I gave you an imperial rocking chair last time, remember?”

“S-so, if I say it’s not possible, will you take it back…? Th-that’s not possible…”

“Not that, actually. Among the items I brought this time, there is a perfectly fitting cushion made for that rocking chair, filled with duck feathers to make it incredibly soft. It was quite difficult to obtain, but I think I could give it to Tret Elder as a gift.”

“Oh, duck feathers…? Soft…?”

“What about me…? Do I not have a gift…?”

“Of course, Chuchu Elder. You were curious about what ice cream was last time, right? I put it in a magical container that can keep the temperature cold and brought it for you.”

“Oh, ice cream…!”

…That aside, it was truly impressive in many ways. It seemed that they had become so close that they could roast all three elders of the forest.

They even knew each elder’s favorite items. Chuchu Elder liked food. Tret Elder liked comfortable furniture. And ‘Young’ Coco Elder, probably…

“……”

“‘Young’ Coco Elder. I brought a lot of pretty clothes that I think would suit you this time. Shall I bring them later?”

“……”

-Nods.

“Karahan, did you hear the conversation just now? Quickly bring the duck feather cushion, the frozen magical container, and the clothes box from the carriage…huh?”

“Hello, Lizzie.”

“……”

Lizzie turned her gaze towards the entrance where Karahan was, and our eyes naturally met. In that moment, Lizzie’s eyes, which had not understood the situation for a moment, suddenly turned into the eyes of meeting a familiar person.

“Lilith!”

“I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“It’s been a while! I didn’t expect to see you even during the vacation!”

“Yes. I was sorry for not being able to show my face at the student council meeting, but here we are meeting outside.”

“That’s right! It’s clear that Lilith and I are connected by a strong bond of fate!”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…Well, maybe. Who knows.”

Lizzie expressed her joy at meeting me with a hug between girls.

Meanwhile, the gaze of the three elders, who seemed to be looking at me with a sense of having their ‘one and only friend’ taken away, felt oddly piercing.

No, I didn’t even hug her first, so why…

“Uh… uh…”

And for some reason, even Lala, who was standing next to me, was looking at me and Lizzie with a similar gaze.

“Why are you acting like that again, seriously.”

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

The three elders, who had momentarily been drawn into a strange tension, returned to a peaceful atmosphere thanks to the gifts prepared by Lizzie.

“Cool, cool…! Cold and sweet…!”

“Soft and fluffy…. Haha….”

“……”

Chuchu, Tret, and the ‘young’ Coco each enjoying their gifts, smiling happily.

It was a moment when Lizzie unintentionally witnessed firsthand the three completely young girls.

The witches living in the Witch’s Forest do not age after a certain point, and then begin to grow younger again at another point.

From birth to twenty-five is the ‘growing’ period. From twenty-five to eighty is the ‘maintaining’ period. And from eighty until death is the ‘rejuvenating’ period.

The reason why witches do not age after twenty-five is because of the ‘Elixir of Eternal Youth’ that witches create. It is an elixir that only witches can make and only witches who have been taking various elixirs since a young age can digest the elixir of youth.

Since ordinary humans and witches have different constitutions, if consumed by an outsider, it was more like a poison than an elixir.

And the fact that they do not age after eighty and grow younger is because witches trade their own bodies and ‘lifespans’.

Witches can trade their lifespans using the ‘Scales’ that only they can use.

The things witches can offer in exchange for lifespan are ‘height’ and ‘bust’. Roughly calculated, one year for every centimeter of height and one year for every centimeter of bust.

For example, if there is a glamorous witch with a height of 180 centimeters and a bust of 110 centimeters, the maximum height and bust they can offer are 80 and 60 respectively. Interpreted as adding 140 years of lifespan, they can live up to 220 years.

Anything beyond that would be at a level where it would affect life activities, so witches have set the limit of lifespan trading at a height of 1 meter and a bust of 50 centimeters. Therefore, based on the witch who enjoys longevity, they would have a physique of about three to four years old. Although the body proportions may be slightly different from a girl of the same age.

In other words, the title of Witch’s Forest Elder meant the oldest elder in the Witch’s Forest, and paradoxically, it also meant the witch with the youngest appearance.

Chuchu, who has a slightly remaining height but a flat bust, has the appearance of a ten-year-old girl.

Tret, who likes soft and fluffy things, almost did not offer her bust, resulting in a peculiar body shape where she looks like a young child with only her bust swollen.

And the witch who offered both her height and bust the most was ‘young Coco’.

“Since I visited for the witch’s test, seeing this atmosphere, I can’t bring up the topic right now.”

It was better to enjoy the gifts of Lizzie and share the story at a time when the mood was at its best rather than disturbing by touching it for no reason.

Although she would naturally not refuse if asked to be conscious of it since she was not an outsider and it was Lala’s test, it would be better to ask when she was in the most relaxed state.

Since there were many things she wanted to ask Lizzie, there was no need to rush to handle things.

“Lizzie, I heard briefly about the witch’s test during the conversation with the elders earlier. Are you here to take the witch’s test as well?”

“Oh, Lilith? Your tone has become a bit more casual, hasn’t it? It used to be quite stiff, right? It’s not like I’m in a maid’s outfit either.”

“…There were various circumstances. I think I’ll continue to speak like this during the summer vacation.”

“It’s much more comfortable and nice here. It seemed like you were keeping your distance from me and most people before.”

“I wasn’t intentionally keeping my distance. I just thought I should live according to the mindset of a maid while wearing the maid uniform.”

“The clothes you wore at the academy weren’t maid uniforms. They were just academy uniforms with some frills added…”

“If I think it’s a maid uniform, then it’s a maid uniform, Lise.”

“Well, if Lelis says so, then I guess it is.”

Lise was looking at me with a somewhat suspicious gaze, as if I had said something strange.

“Oh, we were talking about the witch exam, right?”

“Yes.”

“Are you here to take the witch exam too, Lelis? Are you planning to take the exam as well?”

“No, it’s not me. My friend is planning to take the exam this time.”

“…Is the person hiding behind Lelis right now? Oh, now that I think about it, you look familiar…”

Well, you can’t help but look familiar. You’re between the top and second in the pharmacy department.

“Oh, Lala! It’s been a while!”

“Uh, uh, uh, uh, hello, hi, hi…”

“By the way, Lala, you’re from the Witch’s Forest, right? Then you can take the witch exam together this time!”

“Oh, th-th-that, well… It’s not decided yet…”

“We didn’t get to talk much at the academy. But how did you become friends with Lelis, who is not even in the same department? Of course, I’m not the one to say, since I’m friends with Lelis, but Lala, you avoid me even though we’re in the same department?”

“I-I-I’m not really close friends… R-Rosewood is just a new… friend…”

“Oh, right, Lala. Are you going to take the Herbology class next semester? I heard there’s a group project in the Herbology class, so if you’re okay with it, we could be in the same group…”

“Uh, uh, uh, I-I’m not… mentally prepared for that…”

“Wait, Lise, Lacheling is scared.”

Feeling the trembling vibrations passing through my shoulders, I intervened between the two to stop the conversation.

“Sorry. I’ve been talking so comfortably with the witches in the forest lately that I accidentally spoke to Lala too easily.”

“Ha, ha, ha, ha…”

Lise made a sincerely apologetic expression, while Lala, who was holding onto my shoulder tightly from behind, was breathing heavily.

Talking so comfortably with the witches in the forest? When did that start happening, and how is it even possible?

Even with all the knowledge from my past life, I was deeply perplexed by the achievement that seemed impossible. How high is the level of social skills to make that possible?

…Well, if that’s possible, then it makes sense that the three elders of the forest were able to manipulate things like that. The fact that I entered the academy as the second in the entrance exam, gaining the knowledge of the witches, is evidence of that.

Although she was originally a missing person, in this world where she is alive, Lise was constantly running around, even taking on the role of the deceased Lise.

“So, Lelis, are you just here to help Lala with her exam?”

“W-Well, something like that.”

“Hmm, I see. I thought you came to buy something necessary for the Witch’s Forest.”

“Well, that’s also true. I rarely visit, so I thought I should buy something if I’m here…”

“Oh, if that’s the case, our Auguste Store will help you! Oh, of course, it will be after my witch exam is over. But still, since I’ve almost never shown my face to the witches in the forest, I can get almost anything you need.”

“…Do you need dried mandrake by any chance?”

“Hmm.”

“Why, why…?”

“It’s nothing. I just thought that even though Lilith seems cold on the outside, she must have a fiery relationship with her fiancé.”

“Oh, I didn’t say I was living together yet. I was just curious if I could find something like that…”

“Yes, yes. Then I’ll generously give you about ten roots~.”

She didn’t say she needed that many.

…But, well. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have plenty. Yeah.