The Witch in the Sleeping Forest (3)
I tossed everything into the cauldron haphazardly, adjusted the seasoning, and stirred the contents while scanning my surroundings.
The sun was setting in the sky.
Beneath it clustered several wagons and people.
‘Fairy Merchant Guild.’
I read the letters on the most ornate and massive wagon.
Or rather, it wasn't so much reading as instinctively knowing what they said.
I seemed to be one of the guild's laborers right now.
And the blond man who had ordered me to cook...
“Alright, everyone, take it slow! It's way more hassle to recruit replacements if you get hurt!”
“Hahaha! Got it, Guildmaster!”
He was probably the owner of this Fairy Merchant Guild.
Grinning as he shouted, he approached me and clapped me on the shoulder.
“Hans. You're really okay, right?”
“I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all.”
“Then hurry up and finish so you can rest.”
He patted my shoulder again and turned away.
He wandered around, chatting with the laborers here and there.
There was no real intimidation in his demeanor.
He just seemed like a kind-hearted merchant guild president.
After greeting all the laborers once, he rummaged in his pocket and yelled toward the back.
“Hey! Come here!”
“Y-yes!”
Scamper!
Someone popped out from behind a wagon.
The red-haired girl in pristine white clothes panted heavily.
The man looked down at the fidgeting girl before him.
“D-did you call for me, Master?”
“Tch. When are you gonna stop calling me that?”
“But I'm a slave...”
“Didn't I tell you I bought you to be an employee of our guild, not a slave?”
“...”
The girl clutched the hem of her clothes tightly at his words.
The man rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated.
“Geez. You've been with our guild for over two years now, Gini. How long are you gonna keep this up?”
“S-sorry...”
The man chuckled helplessly at Gini's bowed head and roughly ruffled her hair.
“Here, take this.”
“This is...”
“Motion sickness medicine. It's nothing fancy, but this is your first long wagon trip. I meant to give it to you on the first day of travel, but I totally forgot.”
He shook his head at Gini blinking blankly.
“But you look fine anyway. Good.”
“Y-yeah. I'm okay. This is nothing.”
Gini said that and raised her scrawny arms proudly.
“Glad to hear it. My one and only son nearly dies every time he rides in a wagon.”
The man glanced at a small wagon with its door tightly shut.
There was no sign of it opening.
With a sigh, he patted Gini's head again.
“Stay healthy. Nothing's more important than that.”
“Healthy... How do I do that?”
“Eat well and sleep well.”
Gini tilted her head, as if wondering if it was that simple.
The man laughed heartily toward her.
“Just that much can let you live like a proper human being.”
“...I'll remember that.”
I paused stirring the cauldron and watched Gini.
Not just me—the other laborers were watching her with warm smiles too.
Even though she was clearly a slave right now.
‘...Peaceful.’
This scene and atmosphere felt utterly serene.
The guild president didn't seem like a villain to me.
From the reactions of those around him to Gini's own response.
There was no trace of 'fear' in anyone's behavior.
Especially since he'd come check on her personally.
Awe. Respect.
That was all that shone in the eyes looking at him.
‘Is Gini trapped in a dream like this?’
It was too peaceful to call a nightmare.
Maybe she didn't want to wake up from it.
The thought crossed my mind for a moment.
‘...Nah, probably not.’
If so, Omen wouldn't have called this an 'nightmare.'
This dream was a nightmare.
A vicious one she couldn't wake from.
It looked peaceful now, but something was bound to happen.
I resumed stirring, my eyes narrowing lowly.
The Gini here looked truly at ease.
Maybe because it was a dream, I couldn't taste the food.
After the meal ended, I approached Gini.
“Gini.”
“Ah, Mr. Hans. The food was delicious!”
Gini beamed innocently, bits of food on her mouth.
I smacked my lips a few times before asking.
“Are you happy right now?”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
“Just curious.”
“Um... If the pounding in my chest and overwhelming feeling is happiness, then yeah! I think I'm happy!”
“...”
“But... why ask all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?”
I shook my head at Gini, who started trembling like a rain-soaked puppy.
“No. I was thinking of making your favorite fish dish tomorrow.”
“Really!?”
Wag wag wag.
Her invisible tail seemed to thrash wildly.
I roughly ruffled her sparkling-eyed head and turned away.
‘Gini doesn't recognize me.’
I'd noticed when I saw my changed reflection in the cauldron, but I wasn't 'myself' right now.
Just a laborer named Hans, apparently.
‘Probably because I entered the dream.’
I wasn't one of the dream's characters.
So I'd been assigned a random role to interfere.
I hoped the dream would proceed smoothly like this.
With that thought, I gazed up at the full moon already floating overhead.
A day passed.
It felt like only a few hours, but the sun was already up.
‘Dream time flows fast.’
I hadn't slept in the dream anyway, so I'd stayed up all night watching.
I'd kept an eye on Gini, but this version was just a nine-year-old girl, not the one I knew.
“Everyone got everything?”
“Yes!”
“Not much left. Let's aim to reach the Empire within a week!”
The laborers shouted back in unison at the man's words.
I joined in loudly from among them.
As the man climbed onto his wagon, the resting horses started pulling again.
Clop clop.
The wagons rolled through the forest, pulled by multiple horses.
They moved slowly, so the laborers walked alongside.
“...Where is she?”
“What, Hans?”
“Oh, Gini. Can't see her.”
“Gini's in a wagon.”
The laborer walking beside me pointed to the small wagon at the rear.
“Rough road for a nine-year-old kid.”
“...”
I pressed my lips tight and stared at the trailing wagon.
The one the man had said his son was in last night.
If it was the guild president's son...
‘Revil.’
That bastard who left cryptic words till the end was surely inside.
Gini and Revil in the same wagon.
Nothing good could come of this.
“...Tch.”
I clicked my tongue softly, made a snap judgment, and staggered before collapsing.
“Hans!?”
With the scream from beside me, all eyes turned our way.
The guild president leaped down from his wagon and rushed over.
“Hey, Hans! What's wrong!”
“...I thought it was just fatigue from yesterday, but guess not. Sorry.”
Sprawled on the ground, I glanced sideways at him.
His face was twisted as he looked down at me.
“I told you to take care of your health every time...”
He muttered bitterly, grabbed some herbs from his wagon, and handed them to me.
“Eat this first. It's got pain relief.”
“Thank you...”
“After that, get on the rear wagon quick.”
“Can I really ride there...?”
“I'm not some ruthless guild president who works the sick. That's my last shred of conscience and duty.”
Success.
I forced down my rising smirk, nodded weakly, and crunched the herbs.
“...I'll rest a bit and be back walking soon. Sorry.”
“No, rest up. Health first, always.”
I trudged to the tightly shut wagon door and stopped.
“Hng... Hnng...”
“Make a sound, Gini, and I'll really kill you.”
“S-sorry...”
I gritted my teeth at the pained whimpers of the young girl from inside.
As expected—and as I dreaded—it was happening in there.
‘So that's it.’
I'd wondered why Gini had scars despite all these good people around.
Now I got it.
All the scars on her body were Revil's doing.
My hand clenched involuntarily.
Emotions boiled so hot that mana leaked unconsciously.
I barely suppressed it, exhaled calmly, and flung open the wagon door.
“...!?”
“Hng!?”
Revil froze, whip in hand.
Gini huddled, clutching her head, her white clothes stained red, trembling.
Taking it in, I asked Revil.
“Young master. What are you doing?”
“Th-this is...”
“Stop that.”
Unless you wanna die.
I mouthed silently to Revil.
He flapped his mouth in panic.
I hopped in lightly, snatched his whip, and swung it casually.
“Oh.”
Snap!
The whip whistled sharply past Revil.
A tiny misstep, and it would've struck him—he started shaking.
“Does the guild president know about this?”
I dangled the whip teasingly at him.
Swallowing dryly under my cold gaze, Revil balled his fists and yelled.
“Sh-shut up!”
He shouted loudly, jumped out of the wagon, and bolted to the guild president.
“Why's some lowly laborer suddenly—!”
His whining filled my ears.
I glanced indifferently at Revil tattling to daddy.
Scared shitless moments ago, now yelling his lungs out.
Shouldn't have let him self-destruct so easily back then.
Tongue clicking in regret, I plopped down beside Gini.
“Gini, you're safe. It won't hurt anymore.”
“...Hic.”
I patted the shoulder of Gini, who buried her face in the corner, sobbing.
Her nine-year-old frame was so tiny it fit in one hand.
Revil complained about me boarding the wagon.
But he ended up forcibly kicked off it himself.
Something about his stomach hurting from me riding along?
Blathering about motion sickness from the herb smell, demanding to get off—
The guild president cut him off firmly.
“If your stomach's bad, get out and walk for a bit. It'll settle.”
“B-but—”
“We're moving out. Revil walks with me till his stomach calms.”
I watched from the window, impressed.
What a great guy, that guild president.
How'd a waste like Revil come from someone like him?
Inside the rolling wagon now.
Alone with Gini, I bit the inside of my cheek hard as she timidly changed her bloodied clothes.
‘Shouldn't have killed him like that.’
I genuinely regretted letting Revil blow himself up with ma gi.
Should've stopped it somehow.
I—or better, Gini herself—should've passed judgment.
Suppressing the rising rage, I turned to the window.
‘...Fast.’
The scenery outside whipped by.
Like a video at double speed.
As I stared out, Gini, now changed, peeked at me.
“Um... Mr. Hans.”
“Hm? What?”
“About earlier... please don't tell the master.”
“Why not.”
Was she seriously defending Revil now?
I squinted at her.
Gini waved her hands frantically.
“N-no, not that! If they find out... everyone else will be sad.”
She forced a weak smile.
I stared at her face and spoke.
“Gini—”
Clatter.
A presence hit just as I opened my mouth.
I shot up in the wagon and scanned outside.
“...Damn.”
“Huh?”
“Hide, Gini.”
Grinding my teeth, I clenched my fist.
The double-speed scenery outside slowed to normal.
“M-monsters!”
“Damn it! Weapons up, everyone!”
Hundreds of monsters had suddenly surrounded the wagons.
I burst out the door and looked around.
Bright daylight with the sun high.
Emerging from the dark tree shadows, they were wolf-shaped.
But not ordinary wolves.
Far too huge—like wild boars.
For some reason, I knew exactly what they were.
“Damn. Giant Wolves!”
C-rank monsters, Giant Wolves.
Exactly what they sounded like: massive wolf monsters.
Not too strong individually, but deadly in numbers.
Records even told of twenty taking down an Orc Lord.
And now hundreds.
‘Not easy.’
Far from it.
Of course.
‘If I weren't here.’
This ambush was surely one of Gini's nightmares.
To wake her, I had to stop them.
Without hesitation, I cloaked myself in mist and leaped at the wolves.
“Kyak!”
Thud!
My knee smashed into the lead Giant Wolf's jaw.
I grabbed its flying leg amid the blood spray and hurled it at the others with all my strength.
“H-Hans!? You're that strong?”
“Oh. Yeah, kinda. Train as a hobby.”
“Whoa...”
Original Hans must not have been this strong.
Scratching my cheek under the guild president's gaze, I turned.
Still tons of monsters.
Fist clenched tight, I kicked off the ground and charged.