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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The Witch Awakens
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Muniel spoke, her voice laced with apology.
"Huh?"
Solles tilted his head in puzzlement.
'Doesn't seem like she's talking to us?'
Muniel's words just moments ago had sounded like they were directed at someone who wasn't even in the room.
But her expression was so profoundly complicated that Solles couldn't bring himself to ask more.
"Grandma."
Nibelria raised her hand.
"I have an idea!"
"What idea?"
"Nini says get up—shall we kiss Azel?"
Clever as she was, Nibelria had already memorized the name of the child lying in the bed.
"You're not even listening to a word I say."
Ardores swallowed a hollow laugh.
He'd just warned her not to go kissing strangers willy-nilly.
It was absurd, but Ardores first sought Muniel's opinion.
"Of course not."
At Muniel's flat refusal, Nibelria's lips pursed in a slight pout.
"Phew..."
Arep let out a quiet sigh of relief, unnoticed by the others.
'Huh?'
Then he fell into thought, wondering why he'd felt relieved in the first place.
In truth, Arep hadn't even fully realized that the emotion he'd just felt was relief.
"Nini, what's gotten into you?"
Solles asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Proposing to kiss a stranger first thing?"
"Azel isn't a stranger."
Nini replied vigorously.
"Azel gave Nini fifty million Uba! So she's a good person! Giving money makes you a good person!"
"Money cured your shyness, huh..."
Muniel took the opportunity to teach her first lesson: not everyone who gives money is good.
"No one gives money without a reason, dear. Those kinds of people are either scammers or out to harm you."
"What's harm?"
"Beating you up and bullying you. They say they'll give you money if you come along, then drag you off somewhere far away and sell you."
"Sca... scary...!"
And so Nibelria learned her first lesson about the world's dangers.
Even amid all the commotion, Azel didn't stir from her sleep.
"How about holding hands instead of a kiss?"
Muniel suggested.
"Hold her hand and pray for her to wake up soon."
"Grandma came up with a pretty good idea!"
"...Nini, that tone of yours was awfully cheeky just now."
Reflecting Muniel's suggestion, Nibelria took Azel's hand in hers.
Azel's hand was terribly cold, the bones protruding sharply from lack of flesh.
Nibelria wrapped both her own hands around it and blew warm breath onto it. She could feel just a tiny bit of the chill fading.
"Hello? I'm Nini. I'm four years old."
True to form as a kindergarten kid, she introduced herself first.
"I saved Azel, um, and Nini earned fifty million Uba. Thank you so much! So wake up quick. Help Nini earn another fifty million."
"Nini, that's supposed to be a prayer for her health..."
Solles started to remonstrate with a wry smile, but right then—
Twitch.
Azel's closed eyelids trembled faintly.
"Huh?"
Nibelria looked down at Azel's hand in hers.
Her fingers twitched.
"Ugh..."
A faint sound escaped from Azel's lips, which had been tightly pressed shut until now.
"Grandma! Grandma!"
"Yes, Grandma's watching too."
Calming the startled Nibelria, Muniel perched on the edge of the bed. She called Azel's name in a soft, soothing voice.
"Baby. Azel. Are you coming around a bit?"
"......"
"This is the Dayamor estate. My name is Muniel Dayamor. Do you know my name by any chance?"
"......"
A very small, thin voice leaked out.
Muniel bowed her head, pressing her ear close to Azel's lips.
After listening intently, she shot a glance at Ardores, who promptly left the room.
"Yes, that's me. Your grandma must have told you about me, right?"
"......"
"You're safe now, so rest a little more. Next time you wake, we'll have warm soup and soft bread for you."
Muniel slowly rose and straightened Azel's bedding a bit more.
"Nini."
"Yes."
A wrinkled hand gently stroked the child's white silver hair.
"Azel really woke up."
"She woke up!"
Nibelria beamed with a bright smile.
Azel, having briefly regained consciousness, fell back asleep—but woke again a few hours later.
The physician Ardores had summoned examined her thoroughly.
"Her stamina is quite depleted, but there don't seem to be any other major issues now."
Eat well and sleep well.
And apply the prescribed ointment carefully to the wounds.
That was the entirety of the prescription.
"Lately I've been treating so many hurting children like this—my heart aches for them."
"The world's a harsh place. Always has been."
After seeing the physician off, Muniel explained the situation to Azel once more.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're the Saintess, right? Grandma taught me. Even before she passed, she said to go find the Saintess..."
Remembering her late grandmother, Azel began shedding tears in big drops.
"I'm the one who should apologize for taking so long to find you."
Muniel pulled out her own handkerchief and offered it. Azel hesitated for a moment but took it, dabbing at her tears.
She even blew her nose into it.
"Your grandma and I were comrades in arms. She was practically the first friend I made in 'this place.'"
"Grandma said the same. That she was the Saintess's one and only friend..."
"But she never once got in touch. Still, she was a friend so precious that any contact from her was a treasure. She only ever sent gifts when I got married or had children. Infuriating, yet someone I truly missed."
"......"
"I'd like to visit her grave someday—will you come with me?"
Muniel asked, her voice thick with tears.
"Yes...!"
Azel poured out fresh tears, sniffling as she answered.
Once Azel had calmed, Muniel continued.
"There are people waiting outside to meet you. My grandchildren—do you think you could greet them?"
At those words, Azel glanced at her left hand.
She recalled the warm body heat and soft touch that had gripped her hand when she first came to.
"Yes."
The door opened soon after.
Red hair, golden hair, white hair.
And one massive redhead.
The children trotted in by height order, followed by one elderly man, all heading toward Azel's bed.
"Hi!"
Nibelria flashed a toothy grin and greeted her again.
"Sleep well? Tummy not rumbling? I said bring cookies..."
Hm?
Nibelria suddenly trailed off and cocked her head. She stared at Azel as if something was off.
Azel cocked her head right back at Nibelria's intent stare.
"Don't force what you want to eat on other people."
Ardores ruffled Nibelria's white silver hair wildly with his large hand.
He introduced the children to Azel.
"Solles, Arep, Nibelria. These children are the ones who saved you."
"Th-these children? I mean, these people?"
Azel stared at them in disbelief.
They were so small and young—they saved me?
But she quickly schooled her expression and bowed her head deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you so much for helping me. I owe you my life. My name is Azel, and I'll turn fifteen this summer."
As she lifted her head, her crimson eyes sparkled.
"And I am a witch."
A witch.
"In the days before the gods existed, when this land lay barren and desolate, witches were among the ancient humans who first planted seeds and coaxed forth the first sprouts."
It was evening, a cool breeze drifting in through the wide-open window.
Muniel told the children about witches.
"Witches can wield mana like mages, but only women can become witches."
"Saintess."
A cautious note entered Arep's sharp gaze.
"The fairy tales say witches curse people..."
"Those are all lies, dear."
Muniel said.
"Witches are a little different from mages. They can only use magic to tend the earth and nurture plants."
"Ah..."
Solles's face fell in pity.
"So that's why Azel got captured by those bad guys?"
"Witches have suffered greatly because of that power ever since ancient times. And they've been hit with far too many false accusations."
"The witches poisoned the land—that's why we had famine!"
"I saw the witch next door take a potion from my husband! She must have bewitched him after he drank it—the sly vixen!"
"If it weren't for your power, I'd have married someone like you? Shut your mouth and grow the crops!"
At some point, people began to see witches as easy targets, grasping at any excuse to enslave them.
Unlike mages, witches couldn't use their powers to harm others.
In the end, the witches chose to live in seclusion.
"You mentioned a witch's curse earlier? In truth, that's a cowardly lie invented by humans abandoned by the witches."
They lived off the witches' bounty, but once the witches were gone, they blamed their own incompetence on them.
"This old lady has never known anyone as good and wonderful as a witch."
"What about Grandpa?"
Nibelria pointed at Ardores, who was pulling a sullen face beside Muniel.
"Your grandpa is handsome and charming."
Ardores's expression finally softened.
"Those witches even joined us in the war forty years ago and lent their aid. They made medicines from the herbs they'd cultivated and healed our wounded soldiers and knights."
"Witches are cool!"
Nibelria stuck out her thumb triumphantly.
Solles, having heard the full tale, nodded along.
"So the technology those bad people lied and claimed they invented—it was originally Azel's."
"Stealing is bad."
"Right! Bad!"
Arep had spoken forcefully for once, and Nibelria chimed in eagerly.
She even jumped to her feet and mimed slashing her wrist with the side of her hand.
"Like this! Chop off their hands! Make an example of them!"
Her brothers and subordinate gaped at the shocking words and actions from a four-year-old.
"Oh dear, Nini."
Muniel let out an exaggerated laugh.
"Where on earth did you learn something like that? You sound just like how we used to punish thieves we caught during the war."
"Grandma and Grandpa said it. They chopped off hands and fingers and, uh, stuck them in every hole..."
"Ohohoho!"
Muniel's laughter swelled even louder, swallowing Nibelria's voice.
"...Haa."
Ardores could only dry-wash his face repeatedly.
