The Witch Who Lives in the Forest (1)
A little faster. A little more concise.
A little more precise. A little more powerful.
Roy’s swordsmanship was unlike anyone else’s. It was as if he had researched magic itself — unbound by form, a creation he had forged from theory alone. Which was why, in actual combat, he failed again and again. The vision in his head and reality were entirely different worlds. Theoretically perfect, yet the one wielding that blade was no Sword Master, but a complete novice who had only just passed his tenth year.
But this time was different.
In the seven months since Anna left for the Knight Academy, he had devoted himself entirely to physical enhancement. And more than anything, he had carefully hidden every technique he devised from the Baron, ensuring the man would never adapt to his improved swordsmanship. Scoring a win against the Baron in this situation required not merely superior skill, but a cunning, deceptive strategy that used his head.
So Roy always sought out places where the Baron could not see him and practiced in secret. Today — right here, right now — was the day he would reveal the results of that grueling work.
“Ha!”
Roy’s entire body suddenly accelerated. The Baron could not help but be startled. After growing accustomed to the ordinary pace from before, this sudden change struck like a different person entirely.
Clack! Clack! Clack-clack! Clack-clack-clack-clack!
As Roy’s attack speed rose, the smile vanished from the Baron’s face while he defended. The sharp lectures he had been delivering under the pretext of teaching also disappeared without a trace. He no longer even had the leisure to open his mouth.
Hmm?
Spinning his body right in front of the Baron, Roy swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc. Excessive greed. Thinking, Just as I expected, the Baron thrust toward Roy’s neck, intending to end today’s spar. But this, too, was Roy’s trap. Knowing the blade was coming for his throat, Roy instead drove his body forward. The Baron hurriedly pulled back his sword, terrified of injuring his own son. In that exact timing, the widely swung blade changed trajectory and rose from below.
“……”
“Hoo…”
The tip of Roy’s sword stopped just beneath the Baron’s chin.
“How about that? A clear victory for me, isn’t it?”
“You little… If this had been a real fight, your neck would already—”
“But this isn’t a real fight.”
The Baron’s voice turned cold and stern.
“Do you think I taught you swordsmanship so we could have matches like this!?”
Roy answered without concern.
“I know that. But I guarantee the result would have been the same even if it had been real.”
“If you weren’t my son, I wouldn’t have pulled my sword back mid-thrust just now!”
“I used that knowing it. But even if this were real and you hadn’t pulled back, Father, I would have been fine. Because I have a reliable safeguard called an amulet. My movements calculated even that.”
“……”
“So isn’t it my victory? Father.”
“Using cheap tricks…”
“This is a mage’s swordsmanship. If I could have used mana as well, I would have won a year ago already.”
“Hmph. Fine. I acknowledge your victory. But remember that it was a fluke. If you grow arrogant…”
“How could I grow arrogant? I didn’t even win with a single strike.”
The Baron regarded his son through narrowed eyes, then lightly exhaled and spoke.
“Always running that mouth of yours.”
“Hehe. Then you’ll keep your promise?”
“I know. Come to that place tonight.”
Roy’s face instantly turned childlike again.
Yahoo!
The long-awaited moment had finally arrived. Even if the Dragon’s Breath he obtained this time was identical to the one he had drunk before and produced no further effect, he would still find clues within its production method to create something new. Moreover, he would now be free to go out. His range of movement would expand without limit.
Ah, and come to think of it, already…
In just a few months Roy would enter the kingdom’s Knight Academy. Then he would live freely in an environment without surveillance anyway. So the free-outing privilege he had received was valid for a mere three or four months until he left for the Knight Academy.
But that’s something, at least.
Roy never once considered those four years of damned sword training a waste of precious time. It had begun because the Baron forced him, yet looking back now, training with the sword and body had resolved most of the many disadvantages unavoidable for a mage. Of course, he still had a long way to go.
“Whew. I never dreamed it would take a whole four years.”
“Congratulations.”
“It’s all thanks to Master Geren.”
“What kind of joke is that…”
Having recently soured relations with a noble young lady he had been corresponding with, Geren looked more drained than usual. It seemed he had failed to overcome the nearly fifteen-year age gap. The main reason was probably that he could not leave Greenhilt territory for business and rarely found chances to meet the lady.
“I’ll be going to the Knight Academy soon too, so take leave until I graduate. In those four years find a good woman, get married, even have a child. Of course, build your newlywed home in our territory.”
“Haha… Do you think I’ll ever manage to get married…”
“Even if she’s a noble young lady, what woman in the world hates money?”
“There are plenty.”
Roy offered Geren a bitter smile and headed straight into the building. The sweat from facing the Baron had cooled and his body temperature had plummeted in an instant; he wanted a bath as soon as possible. With the money he had earned in the meantime he had renovated part of the mansion to create a bath that produced steaming hot water. Using an Orc Giant-class magic stone, the hot-water system could run for about two weeks. Extremely high-cost and low-efficiency — but he had amassed more than enough money by now.
Can’t buy because there’s no money? Can’t buy because there are no magic stones.
Roy had wanted to go monster hunting himself to obtain magic stones, but he had never been allowed. Tonight that restriction would finally be lifted.
He wouldn’t go back on his word, would he?
Roy sank into the warm bath and waited for night to come.
The father-and-son secret-room talk resumed after a long time. In the interim they had spoken here several times about business matters or the eldest son Eric, who had begun causing trouble like a wastrel. Of course the most impactful conversation remained the one four years earlier — when Roy had struck that absurd contract with the Baron.
“It’s been a while since we talked here.”
“Yes. About a year.”
“You’ve grown a lot in the meantime.”
Roy himself barely noticed, but from the Baron’s perspective Roy’s appearance, changing day by day, felt almost awkward every time he looked. Even after watching Eric and Jerry grow up first, it was the same. At present Roy was not quite as tall as Jerry, yet he stood a full head above other children his age.
“Don’t beat around the bush, Father. Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? A full four years. Four years. Ah, looking back, how I endured that long stretch…”
“Somehow it seems your tongue only grows looser by the day.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Hah. Still, it’s good you don’t look like you’ll be taken advantage of anywhere.”
The Baron finally seemed ready to deliver what he had promised. Roy listened with a heart full of expectation.
“First, I grant you freedom regarding going out. However — no overnight stays until you leave for the Knight Academy.”
“What? How can that be? Just a round trip to Wolf Forest alone takes a full week.”
“That is exactly why it is not allowed. What I worry about most is you going off to hunt monsters on your own or searching for dungeons.”
“……”
“That sort of thing can wait until after you hold your coming-of-age ceremony and form a party.”
“That’s too much. I’ve come all this way looking forward only to that…”
“Don’t try your tricks in front of your father. Keep that up and I won’t deal with you anymore either.”
“Ah — sorry. I’ll be good. I’ll just look around the city occasionally and come back.”
He still had not received the most important information about the Dragon’s Breath. Roy hurriedly sat properly with his legs together, playing the polite son. Yet recently the Baron no longer particularly scolded Roy for his playful attitude. The reason was simple: Roy was a child who chose his behavior according to time, place, and person. Even when playful in ordinary moments, in important settings he strictly observed etiquette and formality.
“Then, as promised, I will tell you about the Dragon’s Breath.”
“Yes!”
Roy stared only at the Baron’s mouth with sparkling eyes.
“That good, is it?”
“Lately it feels like my mana growth has stopped.”
Roy had already grown his mana to its limit. It would be no less than the Baron sitting before him. Since the Baron had also drunk Dragon’s Breath, Roy arbitrarily guessed they would be similar. The boy had completely forgotten that he had suffered a mutant seizure in his childhood.
“Dragon’s Breath can only be obtained by going to the Witch’s Forest.”
“Witch’s Forest — you mean the unexplored land east of the territory?”
“Yes. Let’s set aside some time in a few days and go together.”
“With you, Father?”
“Yes. It seems the time has come to introduce you to the witch.”
“Witch?”
“Yes, a witch. She was also one of the wolves who were members of my former party.”
“I see…”
Roy deflated a little. He had thought he would hear the production method right away, yet suddenly it was the Witch’s Forest. Still, it was not bad. After a long time he would be able to leave the mansion for an adventure.
“I’ll tell you more details once we reach the Witch’s Forest. Prepare thoroughly, thinking of it as entering a dungeon. I’ll let you know the departure day soon.”
“Understood. But is it just the two of us — Father and me?”
“Of course.”
He could not bring others for anything connected to Dragon’s Breath. Even if he did, the witch’s side would refuse to meet them.
“Is there any material I need to prepare separately?”
“There is something needed, but it is already prepared.”
“What is it?”
“An ogre’s heart.”
“What? That ogre’s heart from four years ago?”
“Yes. Without that, there is no conversation.”
“You’re saying it’s still there?”
“What, did you think this father ate it?”
“No — not that. I was wondering if it hadn’t rotted.”
“I dried it well.”
“Aha! So it can be dried.”
By the way, to make multiple Dragon’s Breaths, do I have to hunt ogres every time? That’s quite a hassle…
The long-awaited conversation with the Baron ended quickly. Roy left the basement with high expectations for the journey that would begin next week.
The ogre heart bothers me, but I have plenty of money saved up. Once I know the method, it’s straight to mass production.