The Witch's Hut (1)
The scent of crisp apple mint tea mingled with the sweet aroma of assorted pastries. In the cozy cottage that carried an almost lyrical charm, the women were enjoying an elegant tea time. Conversation was an essential part of any tea gathering, and when women gathered, it became all but inevitable. The current group was no exception, their voices weaving a lively tapestry of stories. The occasional bright, melodious laughter that spilled from them made it clear just how warm and cheerful the atmosphere had become.
Hestinia led the conversation with her characteristically graceful eloquence. Even as she shared story after story, her words never felt excessive; instead, they radiated quiet dignity. Lusteria had already melted into the mood, her laughter returning in full. The ease came from the certainty that her master and Beatrice were safe. Nella sat quietly enjoying the refreshments, occasionally joining in the laughter or adding a few words of her own, her participation making it plain that she, too, was savoring the moment.
“And then the deer started showing up every single morning!”
“Kyaa! That’s adorable!”
Hestinia had been leaving out food every day to study the connection between a deer’s preferred diet and its evolutionary traits. The deer had ended up completely tamed. She recounted her research process with the same sparkling enthusiasm one might use when reading a fairy tale to a child, clearly accustomed to this kind of lighthearted chat. Lusteria, utterly absorbed, let out a delighted squeal at the mere thought of the deer and beamed with pure joy. Nella had always loved peaceful, heartwarming tales like this; though she kept her feelings hidden, she listened intently, her emotions quietly stirred.
Crack!!
Suddenly, a sharp, violent sound like shattering glass rang through the center of the cottage. A portion of the empty air split open, cracks racing across the space before it broke apart. Fragments of the ruptured dimension rained down like glass shards and vanished, revealing a pitch-black world beyond the gaping fissure. An empty void stretched out where nothing existed—an awe-inspiring sight that ordinary beings might never witness in their entire lives.
Yet to the women inside the cottage, it was a scene they had already seen three times today alone. They were growing used to it. A dimensional rift.
From beyond that empty world, two familiar figures stepped through.
“Masteeeer!!!”
Unable to contain her overwhelming joy, Lusteria dashed forward and threw herself into her beloved master’s arms. Neromeltia found the succubus’s action unbearably cute and endearing, so she hugged Lusteria tightly and gently stroked her hair.
Nella rose from her seat as well. Though she could not express her emotions as explosively as Lusteria, the light in her eyes and the color blooming across her face made her happiness unmistakable.
“My, you’re quite late. You must have had a lot to take care of. Hohoho.”
“…Hestinia……”
In an instant, the gentle smile Neromeltia had worn while petting Lusteria vanished. A dangerous glint flashed in her crimson eyes, and when she spoke Hestinia’s name, her voice carried a killing intent that made the air itself feel heavy. Even the ever-composed Hestinia seemed unable to handle the situation with her usual ease; she flinched and took a step back.
“Eek… You’re scaring me, Demon Lord… I only did it because I was thinking of you and Beatrice…”
“I’ll hear your excuses when I feel like it.”
Even the light sound of Neromeltia’s approaching footsteps carried an oppressive weight. Hestinia studied the Demon Lord’s expression as she drew steadily closer. It was clear Neromeltia had no intention of stopping, so Hestinia knew she had to act before the distance closed any further.
“Perfect Shield! Absolute Shield! Auto Shield! Defensive Aura!”
In the blink of an eye, Hestinia cast four defensive spells at once. The fact that she could simultaneously invoke Perfect Shield, a 7th-tier defensive magic, and Absolute Shield, an 8th-tier spell, was already astonishing. Adding two more spells on top of that and completing the entire sequence in such a short time was nothing short of terrifying. Given enough time, she could have layered even more defenses.
But Neromeltia’s hand was already upon her.
Clang!! Crash!!! Crack!
Every one of Hestinia’s spells had been high-tier magic—spells so powerful that even reaching their level was a lifelong dream for most humans who were not dragons. Yet Neromeltia shattered them all with three bare-fisted punches. The force was so overwhelming it was hard to believe it came from unarmed strikes. The sheer power of her blows sent gusts of wind through the cottage, shattering every window.
Her hand continued forward, piercing through every layer of defense as though they were nothing. Hestinia frantically opened a dimensional rift behind her and threw herself into it. The rift sealed shut in an instant.
Neromeltia paused, scanning her surroundings. Then, in a single fluid motion, she spun around and swung her hand through empty air. Her fingers curled as if gripping something, and cracks began to spread across the space itself. It was the same sight she had shown when she first reunited with Hestinia.
Neromeltia tore the space she had seized away with brutal force.
“Hik!!”
The moment the rift opened, Neromeltia thrust her arm inside and seized Hestinia by the hair, dragging her out. Pain exploded across Hestinia’s scalp, wrenching a short scream from her. Neromeltia paid no attention. She simply extended her hand and did exactly what she had intended to do all along.
Thwack!!!
“Hgyaaaaaaaah!!!”
Neromeltia flicked Hestinia’s forehead with her finger. The blow looked light and almost playful, yet Hestinia screamed as though she had been struck by lightning. All trace of her usual dignified elegance vanished, replaced by an utterly ridiculous wail.
After shattering multiple high-tier defensive spells, after a legendary chase that had broken space and dimension alike—the entire ordeal ended with nothing more than a forehead flick and a pitiful scream.
Nella knew she should not laugh, yet she struggled to hold back the giggles that kept bubbling up. Even as she fought to keep a straight face, she worried that finding such an absurd scene funny might mean something was wrong with her. In truth, she had simply grown accustomed to these surreal moments.
“So the zombie hordes surrounding Caboni Forest and Taego Forest were all your doing?”
“Of course! I told you I’d prepared plenty of gifts for you, Demon Lord. These pristine natural lands, preserved for a thousand years, are all presents I set aside just for you.”
The massive zombie hordes that had kept the humans at bay. The humans had even built enormous walls out of fear of them. Thanks to that, the orcs and ogres of Caboni Forest had been able to live safely in an untainted environment, and many plant and animal species thought extinct had survived. Neromeltia had entered Taego Forest convinced she would find clues about the zombie hordes there. The barrier surrounding the forest had given her enough certainty to identify exactly who was responsible.
Her guess had been perfectly accurate.
“If that was the reason, you could have told us orcs and ogres as well… Was there a particular reason you felt the need to hide both Taego Forest and your own existence from us?”
Nella’s feelings toward Hestinia were complicated. The fact that the orcs and ogres had survived a thousand years of human encroachment was entirely thanks to Hestinia’s efforts. The clean, untouched nature of Caboni Forest was another blessing granted by the same barrier that had kept humans away. Nella felt immense gratitude for the protection Hestinia had provided over so many centuries.
Yet the knowledge that Hestinia had remained so close all this time without ever revealing herself left Nella with a faint sense of disappointment. Even when orc and ogre scouting parties had regularly approached Taego Forest, the barrier that supposedly blocked humans had never opened for them. The scouts had only ever wandered through illusions of withered, polluted forests before being expelled. Nella wondered whether it had truly been necessary to hide everything even from the residents of Hemonigent. She could not put the feeling into words, but the quiet hurt was undeniably there.
“Oh my, I’m sorry if you felt left out. I meant no harm. I simply enjoy conducting my research in peace, that’s all. Still, I did worry quite a bit about everyone’s safety, so you’ll forgive me, won’t you? Hohohoho.”
Hestinia spoke with an innocent, almost playful tone, but Nella could not bring herself to believe the words. Behind the kind mask, she glimpsed the true face of someone who did not trust others.