Chapter 99
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: My Reunion with Her Was the Worst
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Your notoriety increases.
“Caw?”
I stared at the status window message that popped up at this completely random timing.
No, what the hell does that mean?
Your reputation increases.
And what's this about?
...A bit of time has passed, so maybe the humans I ran into at the ruins have been spreading stories about me.
If that's why my notoriety and reputation went up, it's not all that strange, but something still felt off.
It didn't feel like that was the only reason. There had to be something else.
I even felt a slight chill.
Like one of my cherished collectibles was about to get dirtied up or something?
It was a weird gut feeling, but I didn't pay it much mind.
Probably just my imagination.
“Huerk... Hueeerk...”
Cherry and Kiki, their eyes spinning like crazy.
They'd landed on the ground, but they were still suffering from motion sickness.
They'd been thrilled at first about riding on the back of a giant crow and being held in a ghost's arms while flying through the sky, but that joy didn't last once they tasted the cold, hard reality.
And that reality was motion sickness.
Apprentice witches who couldn't even fly on broomsticks—how could they have experienced anything like this?
And for me, this was the first time I'd ever carried people while flying through the sky.
So the ride couldn't have been smooth.
Still, we'd made it here without any major incidents, so that had to count as a blessing.
“Ugh... I never knew the ground could feel this missed...!”
“No wonder Crow-nim always walked instead of flying...!”
Huh?
That had nothing to do with it.
Why would I get motion sick just from going out?
After landing, I patted Cherry and Kiki on the backs and moved forward.
The trees around here were pretty tall, so it was more comfortable to walk from this point on.
Gretel must have chosen this spot for her hideout with that in mind.
As we kept walking, a familiar scent wafted toward us.
“Mm, my mouth's already watering.”
The smell of red ginseng.
Gretel called it honey-soaked mandrake, but no matter how you looked at it, it was red ginseng.
“Ugh... this smell...?”
Cherry and Kiki, already queasy, freaked out.
Guess Gretel and Moona just had unusual tastes.
Their reaction was probably the normal one.
“Whoaaa...”
Cherry and Kiki had been horrified by the smell, but once they laid eyes on the actual cabin, they couldn't hold back their gasps of awe.
“Whoa... what is this? I never thought something like this could really exist!”
“Sis! It's a house made of candy! Oh my god! ...Though the candy's a little weird, sure!”
If you ignored the type of candy, this cabin was the kind of famous landmark that naturally drew that kind of reaction.
A cabin made of candy, tucked away in a corner of the forest.
You'd have to be amazed the first time you saw it.
“Caw.”
Maybe it heard their fussing, because the door suddenly flew open.
“Oh my, Moona-nim! And Rebecca-nim and Crow-nim are here too?”
Gretel greeted us warmly.
What was the right way to put it? It felt like coming home.
Whatever it was, it put my mind at ease.
We were back in a place with decent food and safety, so I wanted to wash up, crawl into my nest, and sleep.
Flying alone took a lot out of me, and I'd flown here with two apprentices dangling from me, so rest was a must.
...But why was she holding her staff like that?
“Come on in! Black Wolf-nim's already here too, so perfect timing.”
Was it my imagination, or had magic gathered in her staff when the door opened?
She wasn't about to hurl a fireball because of the noise outside, was she?
“Oh my gosh...!”
Cherry and Kiki were shocked all over again when they saw Gretel.
A real witch, the one they'd always looked up to.
Not some wicked Night Witch, but a Day Witch—they couldn't help but be stunned.
“Oh, what cute young ladies.”
Gretel's eyesight wasn't great, but she seemed to have a rough idea of what Cherry and Kiki were from their voices.
“Gretel. You've probably guessed already, but we came because I have a favor to ask.”
“If it's a request from you, Moona-nim, you're always welcome. Come on in.”
We followed Gretel's guidance inside.
Cherry and Kiki stared at her with sparkling eyes, while Moona and Gretel talked about what had happened in the meantime.
“So, these little ladies have contracted with Crow-nim? And the terms of the contract are to create a link with another witch.”
“That's right. You're the only Day Witch around, so I figured I'd swallow my pride and ask.”
“Pfft, a request? The Night Witches have been sneaky about building up their forces lately, so it's even better if they come to our side.”
Gretel seemed to be taking our request in stride.
“And in a way, they've betrayed the Night Witches, right? If I don't take them in, they might drop dead.”
“Hueeeek...”
Finally realizing their situation, Cherry and Kiki began trembling.
“Don't worry too much. I only said that to mean I'll have to look after you even more carefully.”
Cherry and Kiki would stay here for the time being.
They'd learn magic from Gretel and serve as her apprentices.
“What should I teach you first? How to use the hearth?”
...I had no idea what she'd be teaching them.
While they chatted among themselves, I got to reunite with another familiar face.
“...Hey.”
The black wolf, acting all shy.
“What?”
I said that, but her tail was wagging happily.
“Why're you here?”
“Caw.”
Then why are you here?
“Huh? Well, it kinda grew on me after staying a bit... Steady supply of food... No meat, though...”
I stared hard at Black Wolf.
Big bad wolf this, big bad wolf that—and now she'd turned into a total puppy?
“What's with that look?”
“Caw caw.”
“...At least it's not like last time when I only saw you in danger. Good timing, actually. Last time we didn't have much time, but now... I can...”
She wiggled her paws a little.
She wanted to play with my body.
Just like how I'd groped Moona's plump butt, Black Wolf loved fiddling with my body too.
“Caw.”
I didn't get why she liked it so much, but outwardly, I was just a crow.
Probably because she got to pet a big, obedient bird.
She'd even scored some tail feathers, so I let her have her way with my body for a bit.
“Shuuuwaaak!”
But Swungswung, sharp as a needle, poked at me relentlessly, forcing me to make a quick escape.
“It's not been that long since you all left, and you've already achieved such feats. If I could, I'd love to join your journey too.”
Gretel, who'd been listening to Moona's update, said that to us.
“You can't just sit and listen to stories like this. Have you all eaten? You flew a long way, so you need rest. Food, baths, and plenty of sleep.”
“Food...!”
“Bath...!”
At the mention of food and baths, Cherry and Kiki's eyes lit up.
And I was no different.
I wanted to flop on my back in a cool nest, hugging Swungswung and Moona, and sleep the day away.
“Mm... Normally I'd serve food I prepared myself, but luckily, the big bad wolf-nim brought us a gift.”
“Hmph, it wasn't a gift or anything. I just caught it because it was there.”
“Caw!”
I flapped my wings.
The biggest downside here had always been the food not being to my taste, but Black Wolf had solved that.
She must have brought back some decent game, meaning we could finally have meat instead of candy.
I flapped my wings happily, and Gretel's expression turned gloomy.
...Did I overdo the excitement?
No, it had to be something else.
“It would've been nice if big brother was here too...”
She must miss eating with Hansel.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Hansel around.
...No way, not again?
“He said he'd catch something bigger than what Wolf-nim brought, so he'll come back whenever.”
She didn't seem too worried about Hansel's runaway episodes anymore.
Though half a day out hardly counted as running away.
But could Gretel even cook meat well?
Her tastes weren't exactly normal.
If we factored that in, she might say she's grilling meat and end up making some meat-flavored candy disaster.
In that case, I'd have to step up since I was the best cook among us.
Black Wolf couldn't cook at all, given her species.
“Caw!”
When I signaled I'd handle the cooking, Gretel smiled with her eyes and shook her head.
“It's fine, Crow-nim. I don't know what you're worried about, but I'm not the one doing the cooking.”
Gretel wasn't cooking?
Thank goodness.
...So who was?
Had she invented some magic to handle cooking for her?
As I pondered that, Gretel rang a bell on the table.
Ding.
A clear, crisp chime rang out, and I heard someone bustling around in one of the rooms.
“Ah, yes! Coming right away!”
It was a woman's voice.
That's when her words clicked.
She had someone else to do the cooking?
Family? A friend?
Or a hired hand?
“Nya, new faces! Then... welcome home, masters-nya!”
Frilly frills, a perfect blend of black and white clothing.
A golden-haired girl in a maid outfit.
I figured she was just Gretel's hired maid, but when I saw her face, I was stunned.
Because it was a face I knew.
And she reacted the same when our eyes met.
Her face turned beet red.
Well, red was her color, so flushed fit her perfectly.
....
“Wha—what... why are you here again...?”
The maid in the cat-ear headband stammered.
No—a red witch in a maid outfit.
“Hmph.”
Gretel let out a hum from behind her, and the red witch immediately straightened up.
“...Nya! Welcome-nya, masters!”
She trembled all over, putting on an awkward cat act.
Reuniting with Red Cape like this was a nightmare.
She'd been completely corrupted by capitalism, reduced to mimicking a cat-eared maid.
...No, Gretel.
What the hell did you do?
How did you tame this feral one like that?
“Hmph.”
Gretel's eye smile felt a little different now.