The Witch in the Sleeping Forest -6-

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in the era after the gods' war had ended and the world had somewhat stabilized, the surviving goddess Luminus was still too weakened by the war's aftermath to interfere with the mortal realm. It was a strange time of peace, before the Demon King had truly been born.

The kin created by the gods had lost their immortality in the war's wake, degenerating into mortals and becoming the inhabitants of the lower world. They lived on for ages without the gods' meddling.

And in that era of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mortals, in a tiny village of a kingdom whose name is now forgotten, there lived a cute, adorable little girl.

The girl~ The girl~ lived an ordinary but happy daily life in a small rural village where beautiful nature blended with kind neighbors. She spent her days gathering herbs in the forest, tending the fields, chattering with the women by the river, frolicking in the meadows with friends, and crafting flower crowns in the blooming flowerbeds to gift to her playmates.

An ordinary routine, but weaving precious memories into the gaps of that everyday life, the girl~ the girl~ lived her days so dearly.

Then one day~ one day~, an old grandmother arrived in the village from the city.

Wearing a cloak with the hood pulled deep over her face, she had a long hooked nose, wrinkled skin like crumpled paper, and leaned on a staff. The kind-hearted villagers welcomed the grandmother warmly.

The grandmother~ the grandmother~ was moved by the villagers' kindness.

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And so, to repay their hospitality, the grandmother decided to help.

Oh my~ How wondrous~ The grandmother mixed herbs into potions and fed them to the people—wounded folk were healed, the sick recovered.

Oh my~ Goodness gracious~ She swung her staff, emitting light, and the crops in the fields danced as they sprouted vigorously, ripening faster and yielding more bountifully.

Oh dear~ Heavens above~ When she opened her mouth to speak, the trees sprang to life, driving away the beasts that preyed on the village.

The grandmother was a mystical sorceress who wielded wondrous magic. Thanks to her, the village became safer and more livable.

The villagers praised her and treated her like family.

But all things that begin must one day end, mustn't they? After settling in the village for several years, the grandmother's body began to weaken with extreme old age.

Worried for her health, the villagers urged her to rest, saying her magic strained her too much.

But the grandmother was even more touched, knowing they said this out of care for her, even though without her magic, their peaceful life couldn't continue.

And so~ and so~, the grandmother worked her magic even harder.

One day, sensing her end was near, the grandmother visited the girl.

And she said to the girl~ to the girl~,

"Hecate. You have a gift."

How wondrous~ How wondrous~ The girl possessed the same talent for sorcery as the grandmother.

"I want to take you as my apprentice. Will you use magic for this village in my stead?"

The girl~ the girl~ loved her small, precious village so dearly.

That was a mistake. Yay~ Yay~ Shut up. And so she accepted the old woman's proposal with a smile.

"Then, by ancient tradition, I'll give you this apple. Will you take it?"

The girl~ the girl~ crunch followed the grandmother's words and, per the tradition passed down from time immemorial, bit into the bright red apple the old woman offered.

From then on, the girl's life as the grandmother's apprentice became a series of truly special days.

The grandmother was incredibly wise, knowledgeable, and sharp-minded.

The girl absorbed the knowledge the grandmother imparted at a speed that astonished even her teacher.

Before long, the girl had become a sorceress wiser and more brilliant than the grandmother herself.

"Ahh... I'm relieved now..."

The grandmother smiled in peace and, soon after, ascended to the heavens.

Before departing, the grandmother~ the grandmother~ left her final words to the girl~ to the girl~.

"Hecate... I never told you, but I know astrology. I've divined your future."

"You are fated to become the wife of a great man, a king."

"He wields incomparable power and commands legions of the undying... He will come to you."

Oh my~ Oh my~

Hecate, filled with worry and grief for her ailing grandmother, was shocked and overjoyed by those words.

Liar. Prince~ Prince~ The girl was fated to be with a strong, kind, handsome prince. That can't be real... Yay~ Yay~

But after those words, the grandmother passed away.

Yet the girl deeply engraved those final words in her heart.

Though the grandmother was gone, the girl who inherited all her legacy kept the village safe and warm as before.

Time flowed on, and the girl's form matured, her beauty blossoming even more radiantly.

Village youths confessed their love upon seeing her, but she rejected them all.

Because~ because~ her heart was already filled to the brim with thoughts of that nameless future prince.

There was no room in her heart for any other man. Idiot. Blind dreamer.

And so~ the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠girl and the villagers enjoyed happy days through her magic.

Peaceful days. Happy people. And the girl's sorcery grew ever more profound.

The village became safer, happier, more beautiful.

But~ but~ one day, knights from the kingdom arrived in the village.

Handsome knights in shining armor with sharp blades. Invaders. Demon spawn. Cursed scum.

These knights gathered all the villagers and declared,

"We've heard rumors and come here. The witch we've been hunting was last seen in this place. And we see traces of her foul magic here!! By the law, we shall interrogate you."

Goodness~ Heavens~ A witch?

The villagers and the girl told the knights,

"Oh knights, there is no evil witch in our village. Just a kind old woman who stayed with us a few years ago..."

"You scum!! Heretics!! You've finally revealed your true colors!! Inquisitor!! These ones!!!"

……Huh? What happened?

The girl's consciousness faded, her memories blurred.

When the girl came to her senses, something strange had occurred.

The villagers she loved, the dear village, the knights with their terrifying faces—all gone.

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Huh~ Huh~ What on earth happened?

They all died. Kevin the carpenter uncle? Burned alive by them. Aunt May who ran the bakery? Raped and killed by them. Gruff but always listening Grandma Elsa? Drowned by them after they dunked her in water. My childhood friends? All beheaded. Mom? Dad? ……

The girl~ the girl~ was in chaos.

What had happened? The people and village she loved were gone, leaving only a beautiful rose garden.

Ahh... Roses blooming over the corpses. The girl~ the girl~ was bewildered.

What had gone wrong, and how?

So the girl ran.

She ran and ran and ran. Don't run. Don't look away. To calm her confused heart, she ran and ran and ran some more.

But wherever the girl went, strange things happened.

"W-Witch!?"

"W-Witch!! The witch who smashed the knight order!!"

"This monstrosity!!"

"Roses... the Witch of Roses!!"

Everywhere her feet touched, terrified people screamed "witch" at her.

Sometimes in cozy villages like hers, sometimes in great cities, sometimes from soldiers who came hunting her with grim faces.

Why? Why? There's no witch nearby?

The girl~ the girl~ explained to them each time that there was no witch.

But~ but~ at some point, her mind clouded, her memories cut out, and the people calling her witch vanished before her eyes.

What was happening? I'm not a witch!! I'm not evil!! So please stop!! Leave me alone!! Who the hell is doing this?

After much anguish, the girl realized the culprit's identity.

"It must be the witch!!"

I did it... Ahh... The knights' words were true.

The witch existed, following the girl and making people disappear.

The girl~ the girl~ fell into terror.

A scary, terrifying witch was stalking her!!

Maybe... maybe I really am an evil witch...

Trembling in fear, the girl tried to shake off the witch.

She delved deeper into the grandmother's magic, sought out brilliant teachers.

But despite her efforts, the witch wouldn't leave.

The girl~ the girl~ despaired but didn't give up.

Time passed, and in the end, she recalled the grandmother's faint words—the most precious memory in her heart.

Prince~ The prince who would one day come for me, as Grandmother said!! Ahh, strong, handsome, merciful prince~ Save the girl~ the girl~ from the evil witch.

Face reality. There's no such thing...

The girl~ the girl~ made a plan to wait for the prince who would someday come.

To protect herself until then, to imprison herself... she would build a beautiful castle!

A lonely prison... where no one would come...

In a small underground cave, she built a small castle and gathered little friends to block the witch.

Please, let no one enter...

And in the garden at the castle's heart, she planted her favorite flowers and waited.

She waited and waited.

In the garden of beautiful lilies, singing for the prince who would one day come.

Seasons turned, time lost meaning, but the girl endured and waited.

Dreaming of the prince who would come someday. Prince~ Prince~ The prince who will vanquish the evil witch~ Ahh... I'm so tired now... Strong, handsome, kind prince~ I'm going now.... Goodbye...

Since leaving the village, the girl felt an inexplicable peace she'd never known, her body stilled, but she never stopped singing for the prince who would come.

And after endless waiting, "It's okay now."

"Ahh... Ahh..."

The girl's wish came true.

"Because I'm here."

"Prince!! You've come!!"

With the happy smile of her fulfilled wish, she fell into a deep slumber.

"Hey, you there..."

"Get horny."