Ep.3 - Witch City Laptel (2)

Led by the witch's hand, they arrived at a large, roundish house. Its exterior resembled a round pumpkin, and atop it sat what looked like a tent—pointed and wide-brimmed like a witch's hat.

I didn't know why the house was built that way. It was probably the personal taste of the witch who had captured Delin.

Anyway, the bizarrely shaped house, as if welcoming them, opened its door on its own and let them in. Delin, intoxicated by the cozy yet unique atmosphere inside, found himself seated in a wooden chair beside a round table before he even realized it.

A front-row seat with a direct view of the witch's large cauldron.

Delin didn't realize why he had sat down. It just felt like the most natural thing.

"Just wait a moment. I'll prepare it for you right away."

With that gentle voice, the witch began to move her hands in the air. Following her movements, a knife, a cutting board, three square blocks of butter, and two ripe pumpkins all floated along naturally.

"It will be very delicious. Nothing brings as much happiness as eating good food."

With a flick of her hand, a fire ignited beneath the cauldron, and two lumps of butter slid around its inside.

The pumpkins, split precisely in half by the sharp knife, scraped out their seeds and spat them out before settling gently onto the cutting board.

The cutting board, bearing the lovely pumpkin darlings, carried them right into the cauldron with utmost devotion, and the witch smiled once.

"It'll be delicious. Some children dislike pumpkin porridge, but everyone likes the pumpkin porridge I make."

Once again she began to conduct gracefully with her hands. Led by those beautiful hands, a sweet cream as white as milk drifted over and entered the cauldron.

Next, potatoes.
Such good, good ingredients that would add softness and mildness to her pumpkin porridge.

The potatoes, washed squeaky clean, peeled their own skins, divided into small pieces, and immersed themselves into the cauldron.

"Pumpkin porridge must be soft and sweet... sweet yet mild. That way, it becomes such a delightful porridge that you never get tired of it no matter how much you eat~"

"Yes..."

Why was I so entranced by the scene of making mere pumpkin porridge?
‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠There was a reason cooking YouTubers succeeded: the feeling of peace...

Well, thanks to the witch's magic, Delin's mind had become [actually] very calm, but that didn't particularly matter.

What we needed to pay attention to now was the single blue bottle the witch held in her hand.

"Now. Just add the secret sauce last, and it's done! Now it just needs to boil nicely."

"Secret ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sauce..."

The glowing liquid inside it went into the cauldron, and for a moment a strange light burst from the top of the pot—but

"Originally, when cooking pumpkin porridge, this blue light seeps out."

"I see...?"

Delin didn't feel anything strange. No, he was enchanted so that he couldn't find anything strange.

Cooking complete.

"Now. Want to try some?"

The witch filled a tidy wooden bowl engraved with pretty patterns with plenty of porridge and placed it before Delin.

The porridge, steam rising in wisps, flaunted a gorgeous appearance that made his mouth water just looking at it, and the sweet, comforting aroma spreading through the air was enough to fill his head entirely with pumpkin porridge.

"Th-Thank you for the food!"

And so Delin began devouring the colorful pumpkin porridge—which he had never particularly enjoyed in his original world—with frantic haste.

'Crazy!
I-It was fucking delicious!'

"Is it good?"

Delin nodded enthusiastically at the smiling witch.

'It was among the top three things I'd ever eaten...!

No, this was the best.

Nothing else could beat this pumpkin porridge.

This was the most delicious food I'd ever eaten. I was sure.

This...

This...'

"So delicious...!"

"Eat a lot. There's plenty more."

His very core was dyed by the witch. The more he ate, the happier he felt. It was as if his very soul had been waiting for this pumpkin porridge all along.

Delin simply couldn't understand how such a divine dish could exist. A smile wouldn't leave his lips. The witch, watching that sight, couldn't stop smiling either.

"If you listen to noona well, I'll always make you pumpkin porridge."

'What?
You'd make this porridge for me every day?'

"R-Really!?"

"Of course. Noona likes cute kids like you. If you keep listening well... and get along well with the other kids, I'll always make you pumpkin porridge like this."

'Oh my god!

Was she an angel?

An angelic person I'd finally met in this harsh, exhausting isekai life!

There was no way someone like her would lock me up and have her way with me like Philmark and Neva had!

She was someone I could trust. Someone who would willingly make such wonderful pumpkin porridge couldn't possibly be a bad person.'

"So from now on, let's live here with noona. Okay?"

"Yes!"

"Y..."
'...Wait a moment.
Live here...?
No, no.
I definitely...'

"Baby?"

'Had to go back...'

"...!"

Ddak-
The witch hurriedly brought her finger right in front of Delin's eyes and snapped it.

"Focus on what noona says! You're a good boy, right? Hm? Do you want more porridge?"

"N-no... I... don't like this. I don't want to eat anymore."

"What...?"

The witch's eyes widened. Bewilderment and surprise seeped from the young, beautiful witch.

'Dislike? Had that kid just said he didn't like it?'

"Where is this? What, what... this... what is this. What is it..!"

Tak-
Delin flung the spoon away. The fog that had settled in his head lifted. Only a single word circled in his now-clear mind.

"Lo, mmph!"

But before his mouth could finish shouting Load, the witch's spoon went in first.

"There..! It's delicious, right? Hm? Let's eat a little more. There!"

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

The witch, who had somehow gotten behind him, grabbed Delin's jaw and hands, shook his mouth this way and that to spread the porridge evenly, and whispered urgently.

"Delicious pumpkin porridge. You're happy. With this pumpkin porridge alone, you'll always be happy. Forget everything, just remember this porridge. Let's forget everything. Now... let's forget it all."

"Mmmph..."

The strength gradually drained from Delin's body as he resisted desperately, and his eyes, which had seemed to regain life for a moment, became blank and hazy again.

"Mmph..."

"You can't live without this pumpkin porridge now. Now... savor the taste well."

Both of them broke out in cold sweat. The witch, usually so composed and confident, was practically drenched in cold sweat from this unprecedented situation.

"Chew it with your mouth, munch munch. Wouldn't it be too sad if you couldn't eat such sweet, soft pumpkin porridge? Right?"

"Mm..."

His mouth began to savor the porridge without his realizing it. As expected, it tasted absolutely superb. So superb that it was frightening.

"Keep tasting it. Roll it on your tongue, fill your mouth with porridge and taste it. That's right. Good job..."

And so Delin swallowed the porridge with his mind grown hazy again. As soon as he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swallowed, the witch would scoop up a big spoonful and shove it into his mouth, and Delin would eat it and become an idiot again.

"Mmm..."

"That's it, that's it... you're doing well. Now, again..."

Feelings of fullness couldn't stop the porridge being shoved into his mouth. His mouth, esophagus, and stomach were thoroughly pickled by the witch's comforting pumpkin porridge.

"Phew... There. It's delicious, right?"

"Tho delicious..."

"Good. Now. I'll give you one more bowl, so eat it yourself now. Okay?"

"Yes... please give me more quickly..."

The witch, with a sense of relief that a weight had been lifted, wiped away the cold sweat. The magic she had cast on this boy had nearly broken.

"This can't be... this can't be..."

She circled around Delin, who was gobbling down the porridge frantically, muttering.

"How in the world..."

'Such a mere kid had broken free from mind control and resisted? Even if only for a moment, this was absurd. This pretty boy, who was only slightly better-looking than other boys... dared to resist my magic?'

The greatest witch in Raftel and the dream of all witches. Role model. Hope. Fear. An insurmountable wall. The greatest genius. The chosen witch. A living legend, acclaimed as the most outstanding witch since the founding of Raftel. A woman even permitted the epithet [Maganiti], meaning Archwitch.

Chichi was shocked.

"My magic... how..."

Her muttering accelerated. Her footsteps quickened in tandem.

"Tho deliciouuus...! I'd eat this my whole life! Tho happy!"

"Which part? What was different from usual? What did I miss? Wasn't it properly cast? No. It was definitely properly cast."

But what mixed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into her voice was not anxiety or urgency, but rather—

"What is it? How did you do it? Hm? How did you do it, baby? How did you break it? Ufufu... This is a first. Really, a first. What is it? What is it? Hm?"

It was probably uncontrollable excitement and overflowing curiosity.

"Give me moreuu... I love pumpkin porridge... I've been living at a loss in life...! To think such porridge existed!"