The Witch's Feelings Are Complicated
The next day.
I went downstairs for the breakfast-cum-lunch that old man Nimeli had prepared. The witch stared at the food and couldn’t close her mouth.
“Serina! Does it please you?!”
“Old man, you’re the best. When did you prepare all this?”
“Hehe. For Serina, something like this is nothing at all.”
Serina pulled out a chair and sat down. Then she glanced at me before speaking.
“Old maaaan!”
She swayed her upper body and did something strange toward the old man. Nimeli looked flustered.
“S-Serina. Did something happen?”
“Old maaaan! If I asked for this mansion, would you give it to me?”
“Hehe. If Serina desires it, I could even offer you my life.”
“See that, Allen?”
See what? What kind of aegyo is that? I spoke with an arrogant expression.
“That doesn’t count. I told you it had to be the person I designate.”
“Really? Too bad.”
With a pouty face, Serina started picking at her food. Nimeli looked utterly confused and kept glancing back and forth between me and Serina.
“Ah. Don’t mind him, old man. We made a bet involving the witch.”
“Is that so? I don’t know what it is, but I’ll cheer for the witch.”
“What about me?”
“Ahem. Eat quickly, Allen. It’s getting cold.”
It seemed Nimeli liked the witch more than me now. I couldn’t understand why he’d fallen for Serina so completely. I decided to stop caring and just eat.
After the meal, I told the witch I wanted some personal time alone.
“Personal time?”
“Yeah. I want to be by myself.”
“Who said you could?”
“Please.”
“Hmph. Do whatever you want.”
With that, I finally secured some alone time. The moment I entered my room, I dragged tables in front of the door. It was a precaution in case she suddenly barged in.
I planned to finish reading the book about witches that I’d started yesterday. Where did I leave off again? I climbed onto the bed and skimmed through the pages. Then my eyes landed on a particular section.
It was about the Complete Form.
[On the Complete Form, the fated destiny of witches.]
What is this…?
The words the ghoul had said suddenly came to mind. I thought he’d said she wasn’t in Complete Form… or had he? It was confusing.
The reason witches cannot dominate dragons lies in their incomplete physical structure.
Their secret was once veiled, but after centuries of defeat in the war against dragons, it was thoroughly dissected.
Incomplete body. I didn’t understand what that meant.
When a witch reaches the age where pregnancy becomes possible, her body periodically weakens. The cycle differs for each witch, and since the age of fertility varies, it cannot be precisely determined.
However, pregnancy is usually possible after the age of eighteen. From then on, they are said to carry eggs within their bodies. Witches who carry eggs emit a distinctive scent, and many dragons are drawn to it, seeking to claim the witch’s body.
Dragons consider witches the finest tools for bearing their children. To overcome this crisis, witches must achieve Complete Form, but the conditions are extremely demanding. It is known that they must simultaneously achieve mental and physical communion with a male partner. Upon reaching a complete body, a mark of communion is engraved on the male, and all the witch’s imperfections are transferred to that mark.
This is the extent of the secrets regarding Complete Form that I have uncovered. The crucial point is that males who have achieved both mental and physical communion with a witch are historically extremely rare. The power of a witch in Complete Form is, without exaggeration, comparable to that of archangels.
Complicated words. To put it simply, the reason the witch wanted to get married was to achieve Complete Form.
Complete Form… I didn’t know exactly what it meant. Did she just want to become stronger? And what did she plan to do after getting stronger?
If she couldn’t achieve it, she’d have to live in an incomplete state, which meant dragons could attack her again. Why wasn’t there anything about what happened after the mark was engraved?
In many ways, being with the witch meant danger. I couldn’t read any further and closed the book. A sense of unease washed over me.
Was it really okay to keep doing this with the witch? The dragon attacks and the mark. Those two things wouldn’t leave my head. I felt caught between dragons and witches. My mind was a mess.
Afternoon. On the way to Sylvia’s shop, my face was stiff. The witch kept sneaking glances at me for no reason.
“Why do you look like you ate shit?”
“I don’t.”
“Did you actually eat shit?”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Then stop frowning.”
Serina must have been bothered the whole walk, because she suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Ouch… that hurts.”
My hand still stung from when the witch had twisted it yesterday.
“Such a baby. Are you just trying to touch my ass?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then let me show you my breasts?”
“No, that’s not… well, maybe just a little?”
“I knew it, you pervert!”
She shoved her chest forward, but what was I supposed to do? I just ended up getting smacked in the head again.
But if she had a complete body… would it be even more amazing than now…? Oh man… I shook off the wild fantasy and opened the shop door.
“Lucas? He’s here again?”
Lucas was inside today too. It looked like he’d completely abandoned his duties as lord and taken up residence here.
“Serina! You are beautiful today as well.”
“Yeah. Right. Hey, Lucas.”
“Yes?”
“Aaaaaang!”
“...?”
“Why are you doing that…? Did I do something wrong?”
Lucas’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s, and he looked like he was about to cry any second. See? What kind of ridiculous aegyo is that?
“See? I told you.”
“...Tch.”
“And you can only do it to the person I designate.”
“I was just practicing in advance.”
Serina scratched her head, looking embarrassed.
“Serina! I knew you would come, so I prepared some fruit jelly.”
“Thank you.”
The box Sylvia offered was full of chewy-looking fruit jelly. The witch picked one up with her thumb and index finger. It was an unusually timid gesture for her. She carefully put it in her mouth.
“How is it? Is it the right one?”
“Hmm…”
“N-not quite?”
“It’s similar… but not that flavor.”
“Ah… then it must be something else.”
“The one I ate before had something like black sesame that crunched when I chewed it.”
“Black sesame?”
“Yeah.”
“Is there any fruit that contains black sesame…?”
Sylvia looked puzzled. The witch’s already dark expression seemed filled with disappointment.
“Wait a moment, Serina.”
Lucas spoke urgently. We all turned to look at him.
“I think I know what that fruit is.”
“What is it?”
“There was a time when the king summoned all the lords. During that meeting, the king boasted about a strange fruit. He called it dragon fruit…”
“Dragon fruit?”
“Yes. He bragged that it was a fruit bestowed by the Dragon King Beelzebub. It’s called dragon fruit because it resembles a dragon. Inside are black seeds, and its sweetness is the highest among fruits. He said eating it would leave you bursting with energy even if you fought for three days and nights.”
“Dragon fruit… then it must be hard to get.”
“Y-yeah?”
Serina’s face hardened and she said nothing. I didn’t know what to say to the witch. The atmosphere grew heavy.
“It’s fine. This is enough.”
With sad eyes, the witch put another piece of fruit jelly in her mouth. I didn’t know what it meant to her, but I felt like I had to comfort her.
“Um… Serina. If I get stronger, I’ll definitely get you some dragon fruit.”
“Forget it… what could you possibly…”
“Hey? If I say I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
“Then don’t.”
“Uh…”
She clearly didn’t trust me. Sylvia and Lucas couldn’t easily speak either. While the silence lingered, a knight came in looking for Lucas.
“Lord Lucas.”
“What is it?”
“You should come quickly.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s urgent. I’ll explain on the way.”
“I see. Understood. Serina! I’m sorry, but I must leave first.”
Seeing the knight’s urgent expression, Lucas didn’t hesitate and ran off. We just stared blankly at his retreating figure.
I paid for the fruit jelly and decided to take the witch home. Sylvia tried to comfort Serina with a worried expression and kind words. But it seemed no words of comfort could reach her right now. Her shoulders stayed slumped the entire way back.
“Serina. Cheer up.”
“...”
“Want me to hold your hand?”
“...”
No answer from Serina. Gathering my courage, I grabbed her hand. She looked at me.
“Do you hate holding hands?”
“No.”
“Never mind. Link arms with me.”
“Link arms?”
“Yeah. Hurry.”
The witch’s expression probably said she thought I’d gone crazy. How dare I give her orders?
“How do you link arms?”
“Ah… like this.”
I personally showed her how. Then the witch silently linked her arm with mine.
“Good job.”
“Is this right?”
“Yeah. Let’s go. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I am.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“...Meat.”
“Okay. Big brother will buy you meat.”
It was a stretch. I just wanted to look reliable. While I stood there feeling awkward, Serina spoke.
“...Okay. Big brother.”
Then she squeezed my arm tightly and leaned her head on my shoulder as we walked. If you asked me why I did it, I couldn’t give a reason. It was just a moment when I felt like doing it.