Chapter 27: Coquetry
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Coquetry
The upper echelons of the kingdom.
The Chancellor, having received a report on the damage caused by the witches, frowned and said, “Truly, these cockroach-like bastards never seem to disappear.”
“Indeed,” the Minister of Army replied. As the army was powerless against most witches, the Minister of Army tossed aside the documents sent from the church and exclaimed in dismay.
“And these damn religious fanatics are at it again with this ridiculous tyranny.”
Due to the nature of witches, against whom the army's might was ineffective, the existence of Holy Knights who could kill them became more important than anything else.
Thanks to this, the kingdom had adopted a system nearly identical to a theocracy, and most of the nobles were displeased with it.
‘Parasites who feed on fear...’
The reason the church hadn't completely swallowed the country was simple. While the army alone couldn't catch witches, it could catch monsters.
In contrast to most witches, who didn't cause as much damage as one might think, most monsters inflicted great harm upon humanity, and their corpses were even useful.
Although the church was indispensable, the fact that they couldn't solve everything on their own was what had allowed the nobles and bureaucrats to maintain their positions until now.
“So, what's the full story on that bizarre murder case?”
“The church folks aren't cooperating. Same as always, they're telling us to just wait while they handle it themselves...”
“So we're supposed to report to the people and His Majesty that we've just been sitting on our hands?”
“We will increase the number of soldiers and knights patrolling the back alleys. And, it's not like we have nothing to show for it.”
“You found something?”
“Our investigators found the adventurers who were said to have come out of that back alley. According to them, in that alley, there was some black-haired man and a blonde Holy Knight...”
“Hati, that way!”
“Woof!”
At my words, a wolf lunged at the monster. The monster, which had been wary of me, lost its balance and fell. I rushed toward the fallen creature and thrust my sword.
Shunk-! I shoved my sword right into the nape of the flailing monster's neck. I don't know what this sword my teacher made for me is made of, but it's incredibly sharp.
It could effortlessly slice through the monster's hide, which an ordinary sword would have to saw at just to pierce. After slicing the monster's neck without any effort, I took out a book and held it up to the monster's face.
“Hmm... Cockejablin? Only the hide sells, the meat is useless.”
The enchanted book automatically found the record of the monster. It was like a Pokédex.
After confirming the monster's name and the value of its byproducts, I skinned it with a butchering knife, then looked at Hati, who was waiting for her reward for catching the monster.
“Eat.”
“Woof-!”
Hati, who had been waiting for my command, immediately buried her head in the monster's corpse and began to tear it apart. The monster, the size of a small child, vanished in an instant, not even leaving bones behind.
Watching her devour tens of kilograms of meat in a flash, I thought, As expected of Fenrir's daughter.
‘To think she was Fenrir's daughter...’
I watched her tail wagging from side to side. Swish, swish. It was a very familiar movement. The wolf that had rushed to me every day since I was kidnapped by my teacher.
She never attacked me, but I'd thought it was strange how she showed me so much favor and understood everything I said. But if she was the daughter of a spirit animal, it made sense. She was the kind of being that wouldn't be surprising if she suddenly started talking.
“Hati, if you're done eating, let's go.”
“Pant, pant-.”
“You like that, huh?”
I lightly patted her head and climbed onto her back. Hati, who used to be the size of a large dog, had grown big enough to easily carry a person.
That was also why I hadn't recognized her at all and was a little scared when I first saw her grown so large. Fortunately, I realized she was Hati and not a monster, and we became close again.
“Let's go to where the next monster is.”
“Woof-!”
As befitting an intelligent spirit animal, Hati understood my words and instantly dashed through the forest. After finding the next monster with the swift movements characteristic of a forest wolf, she stopped for a moment, let me down, and waited for my command.
I looked at the monster and began to size it up, trying to determine if the two of us could take it down. It was a monster we could handle. So I immediately gave Hati the command.
“—Get it.”
“Woof-!”
I charged forward with Hati and sliced the monster's neck. I stored the monster byproducts we'd collected in a separate warehouse. Because I couldn't rely on my teacher forever.
‘There were a lot of shops I missed last time. Next time...’
It was about time I bought a gift that would suit my teacher. With that in mind, I spurred myself on in my monster hunting.
Scratch, scratch-. The sound of a pencil scribbling something echoed throughout the room. The woman, who had been scribbling for a long time, handed the completed booklet to the woman in front of her.
Evangeline, who received the book, immediately expressed her thanks.
“Thank you. I'll read it well.”
Scratch, scratch-. No reply came. Not that Evangeline had expected one. It would have been more realistic to expect a reply from a machine.
After receiving the book, Evangeline turned around and looked at the newly updated list of witches. For her, who had lived as a hermit in the forest for decades, such books were the only window through which she could learn how the outside world was turning.
‘Hekaterina, Hekaterina... not here.’
Evangeline began searching for the name Hekaterina in the register. She had thought a witch who imitated a Holy Knight would stand out, but if she wasn't listed here, it meant she was a young witch, not even a hundred years old.
Of course, there was the possibility that she was using a false name—but Evangeline didn't think so. To a witch, a name was a concept that symbolized her ego and identity.
It wasn't something that could be changed so easily on a whim. Just as Evangeline, who had lived for over several hundred years, was still Evangeline, the same as when she was born.
‘Are kids these days different...? Then again, if she was born in a city, it wouldn't be that strange to live while changing her name...’
But she couldn't be sure even of that. Unlike in the past, when life was more bearable, the Holy Knights' witch hunts had become more severe these days.
Witches born near urban areas might have to live by changing their names. If they kept using the same name, they would eventually be caught by the Holy Knights.
‘Well, they said she's dead—so I guess it's not my problem.’
Just in case, she checked to see if the immortal witch had been reborn. Fortunately, the existence of a witch who used such magic was not recorded in the register.
After she died well over several hundred years ago, she had not been reborn. A witch as unique as the immortal one would have been listed no matter how new she was, so there was no doubt.
Having finished her business, Evangeline returned and spoke to Margaret, who was waiting by the entrance.
“Let's go back.”
[Business finished?]
“Yes. If you need anything, you should get it now.”
[Not really. Besides, she doesn't really like me.]
“Regina? That can't be.”
Given that witch's nature of treating everyone equally as records, she would never single someone out for discrimination. At least, that's what Evangeline knew.
But Margaret smiled bitterly and brought up the reason why she was disliked by her.
[I don't leave much of a trace, you see.]
“Ah...”
Finally understanding, Evangeline nodded and in turn asked her for a favor.
“Th-then, could you get a book I want for me, under your name?”
[What is it?]
“I-it's nothing special... just a book called ‘48 Kinds of Sex Life for Witches’...”
[Alright.]
Hearing Evangeline's request, Margaret made a dumbfounded expression, but since she was invisible, her expression wasn't seen.
Margaret, having retrieved the book whose intended purpose was painfully obvious, handed it to Evangeline and thought of the person it would be used on.
‘...Yohan.’
Watching Evangeline and him being all lovey-dovey lately made her feel twisted with jealousy. This was especially true because Yohan pretended not to see her for his teacher's sake, even though he could.
He can see me, yet he won't look at me. That fact made her spiteful. Thinking about how she could ruin the relationship between Yohan and Evangeline, Margaret grinned as if she'd had a great idea.
She was looking forward to seeing Yohan.
-
The cabin looks small from the outside, so much so that it seems inconvenient for two people to live in. But once you actually step inside, it's a different story.
I don't know what kind of magic was used, but not only did it seem much larger than it looked from the outside, it also contained numerous special spaces that didn't exist on the exterior.
Back when I had just arrived at the cabin and knew nothing about it, I couldn't have any time to myself, but now that there's nothing I don't know about the cabin, I can have as much alone time as I want.
‘...Though when I actually try to do that, I feel like it's a waste, so I can't.’
I think about my relationship with my teacher. If I wished it, she would indulge my every whim. Even if those whims were sexual.
That's why, whenever I have time to myself, I end up feeling it's a waste and seek out my teacher instead. Of course, after finding my teacher, the memory of our relations comes to mind, and I become steeped in fear...
When I'm tormented by fear, my sexual desire quickly subsides. It rises again with time, but it's not easy to find the right moment.
‘I think Teacher wants to do it too, but...’
She was a virgin of several hundred years, and I was a shy virgin. There was no way a proper exchange could happen between a virgin and a virgin who had never learned how to deal with the opposite sex.
It was a near miracle that things had progressed even once.
‘I'll think about it later. Later...’
After grabbing some seasoning from the storeroom, I returned to the living room and started preparing dinner. I sprinkled seasoning on the monster meat I caught myself and started cooking according to the cookbook from my teacher's study.
While I was cooking, following a cookbook written so simply even a monkey could follow it, something slightly damp pressed against my back.
Squish- I couldn't tell what it was, but it was something pleasant. Tilting my head, I turned around to see Margaret standing right behind me.
“Huhu, Disciple. Hello.”
“...Miss Margaret? What's this all of a sudden?”
“Oh, nothing—I was just worried if our dear Disciple was cooking properly.”
“Suddenly...?”
“Yep. Suddenly.”
Margaret said, pressing her body against me. Only then did I realize what was pressed against my back.
It was a breast. A woman's breast. One just as large as my teacher's. Considering I didn't see any clothes when I glanced back, it was probably a bare breast.
I'd never even seen one in the flesh, let alone touched one, so my body flinched instinctively. I felt like I could smell her scent, which I hadn't noticed until just a moment ago.
“Oh myy? Disciple, are you hard?”
“...No, I'm not.”
“Reaally? Then can I see?”
“No, I'm hard as hell, so please forgive me...”
“Huuuhm? Should I forgive you?”
Watching her approach with a nasal voice—I let out a faint groan. What is this? What the hell is wrong with her?