I was reincarnated into another world and became a witch so I want to live a slow life but the Demon King won't let me go.
[I Picked Up an Orphan]
Translated by: ME
Note: Yes, there's two episode 9. Don't ask me why. Combined both cuz as to not confuse me.
Miriam, formerly Miya, had changed her name, and about half a year had passed since then. The various goods made by the witch had become popular items known to everyone in town.
Rodan's shop, which used to be a small village general store, now had a system where you couldn't enter without an introduction. This was because customers had rushed in from the town of Gietta and even distant cities after hearing rumors, and there had been disturbances such as merchants trying to buy in bulk for resale purposes. It was a system he came up with because he was approached with dubious stories about expanding his business and making a profit, and his peaceful life was about to change drastically.
There was talk of moving the store to the city, but Rodan didn't want to leave the village where he was born and raised. To shop at the store, you need a membership card. The first membership cards were only given to customers who had shopped at the store before and whose identities Rodan knew. To become a new member, you need a letter of introduction from someone who is already a member. If a person who becomes a member through an introduction causes a problem, both the introducer and the introduced person will no longer be members and will never be able to shop at the store again. Each member is only allowed one letter of introduction. It's a simple system, but that's why it's effective, and things are now much calmer.
Now, in addition to medicine, she has added cookies and long-lasting baked goods that she used to make as a hobby to her product line. These are also very popular, and the ladies are buying them up in droves, so when she decided to publish an easy-to-make recipe, it became a big hit not only in Waguna Village but also in the town of Gietta. The store's appearance has changed considerably due to the increased income, but Rodan and Merita are still cheerful and hardworking. The villagers are also friendly to Miriam, and she has become quite familiar as a witch. It's a really comfortable village.
One morning, as she listened carefully, she heard a noise that sounded like someone fighting, different from the cries of animals. Miriam's hut is far from the main road, and she hasn't told the villagers about it, so no one should be coming here. Suspicious, she suppressed her presence and approached the sound, increasing her speed.
At the edge of the stream, something small and curled up was surrounded by several adults.
"Damn, what a nuisance."
"Let's sell it off when we get to town."
Quite a disturbing conversation. On closer inspection, the small, curled-up thing seemed to be a child. A small child wrapped in dirty cloth that couldn't even be called clothes. Adults uttering terrible words to that child. This was a case for protection.
"Hmm."
She could go out there directly, but she didn't want to cause a fuss and give up her peaceful life. Miriam concentrated her magical power in her palm and released a spell towards the group. First, she used wind magic to create small tornadoes around the adults. When the opponents started making a fuss at the ominous presence, she used sound magic to create an eerie sound similar to the growl of a beast.
"What's that, a beast?"
"No, it might be a magical beast."
"This place has had strange rumors for a while now. People disappearing and stuff."
"This is a pain, let's leave this kid and get out of here."
She was thinking that it would be a pain to cause any more strange rumors, but the group seemed to have made the good choice of leaving the area. This place is close to the border with the place where the demons live, so there seem to be some pretty eerie rumors.
The adults left, and only the child remained. She quietly approached the child, who was still huddled and unmoving.
"Are you okay?"
She couldn't help but gasp as she looked at the child. Black hair and blue eyes. A color combination not seen around here in this area of the world. For a moment, she thought it was a demon, but the presence was just that of a human.
"..."
The child just narrowed his eyes painfully and didn't respond. He was probably delirious. He had a terrible fever, so she decided to take him home.
She took him home and first cleaned his dirty body. The child was a boy, probably around 10 years old. She changed him into clean clothes and put him to bed. She gave him medicine to reduce the fever and wiped his face with a cold cloth, and his pained expression softened a little.
"If you sleep well, you should be better tomorrow."
The boy looked at me with a strange expression and slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, the boy's fever had subsided. He didn't seem to be talking even after he woke up, so maybe he couldn't speak. The medicine seemed to have restored his fever and illness, but he was definitely malnourished.
She took his hand, sat him in a chair, and gave him a warm meal. When she gave him a steaming soup, the boy's eyes lit up, and he looked back and forth between her and the spoon.
"Here you go, enjoy."
The boy looked incredulous, rounded his eyes, picked up the spoon, and took a sip of the soup. He took another sip, and another, and continued to put it in his mouth. He looked like a small animal and was very cute. He stuffed his cheeks full of ingredients and chewed hard with his small mouth. He lifted the bowl and ate every last drop, then relaxed his cheeks as if relieved.
"Was it good?"
The boy nodded so hard that his head almost fell off, and she gave him another serving. In the end, he ate three servings.
When she gave him cookies for dessert, he was wary of the food he had never seen before, but when he took a bite, he was so surprised by the taste that he quickly stuffed it into his mouth. He ate a plate of cookies in one sitting, and finally, satisfied and calm, the boy looked at her anxiously. That was understandable. He had probably been about to be abandoned by that group, and then a woman he didn't know took him home, changed his clothes without permission, and gave him food. It would be strange if he wasn't worried.
"Well, it's a bit late, but nice to meet you. I'm Miriam, a witch."
At the word "witch," the boy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Don't worry, I'm not a bad witch. I make medicine and other things here and sell them in a nearby village to make a modest living."
She had more than enough income to be called modest, but that was a secret.
"I brought you here because you seemed to have a fever and were collapsing, but how is your body feeling?"
The boy nodded greatly.
"Are you traveling here or something?"
He nodded slightly.
"Do you have family or friends?"
After a short pause, he shook his head greatly. It seemed that the boy also wanted to forget about that group.
"Do you have a place to go?"
He shook his head as if to say no.
"...What's your name?"
His head was shaken slightly. Did he not have a name, or did he not want to give it? She didn't know if he couldn't speak or didn't want to, but she was in the same situation as him, unable to speak about her past.
"If you'd like, would you like to live here with me?"
The boy looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Of course, to live together, you'll have to work. I'll make the meals, but you can help with cleaning and gardening."
"...Is that okay?"
The boy finally opened his mouth. It seemed that he wasn't unable to speak, but just didn't want to open his mouth.
"Yes, if you're okay with it."
"Really? Aren't you disgusted by someone like me?"
"What's disgusting about you?"
Large tears welled up in the boy's eyes and spilled out. As she panicked at the sudden crying, the boy told her little by little.
The boy was an orphan and grew up in a small village orphanage. As expected, the boy's hair and eye color were rare among humans, and he was said to be related to demons, so he grew up being ostracized. Even when he reached working age, he couldn't find an employer and was barely able to make ends meet, so he was hired as a servant by a certain group. Probably the adults who had surrounded the boy yesterday. The boy had been spending his days doing odd jobs, but he had a fever and couldn't move, so he was abandoned.
She regretted not giving those guys an even worse time.
"That was tough."
"It's okay. I'm just like that."
"You shouldn't say things like that."
She gently stroked the boy's head. She gently hugged the boy, who was frozen in surprise. His thin, small body with protruding bones was warm.
"Just by being alive, everyone has the right to be happy. You've just been in the wrong place until now; let's have fun living here from today."
They had only just met, and it might not mean anything coming from a witch. She didn't even know if everything the boy said was true. But she wasn't old enough to not reach out to a small child who was weak and had no malice or pretense.
The boy began to cry out loud, his shoulders trembling slightly in her arms.
From that day on, she had a new roommate.
[We were living together...but then a strange knight came along]
Translated by: ME
The boy had no name and apparently grew up being called things like "this" or "that". If this were my previous life, I'd be furious at the abuse, but since I can't interfere with the past, I decided to channel my anger into raising the boy.
First, I gave him a name. "Yuri." Yuri, Yuuri. I feel bad for the boy, but it was the name of a cat I used to have. A smart and gentle cat with black fur.
I thought he was about 10 years old, but he was actually 14. His living conditions were just that bad. I gave him plenty of food, made him go to bed early and wake up early, and had him do moderate exercise in the form of fetching water and working in the fields. I also taught him reading and writing, and had him learn numbers and money calculations, so that he could eventually help me with things like wholesale of goods.
Yuri became healthier day by day, and his body grew to match his age. His black hair gained a luster, and he had a healthy physique and intelligent-looking blue eyes. Thanks to his education, his demeanor became gentle, and he turned into a very fine young man.
"Master."
The way he calls me is a little embarrassing, but it can't be helped. Even when I try to get him to call me by my name, he stubbornly adds "sama" (a formal honorific), and it's embarrassing to have him call me "witch-sama". It doesn't bother me, but it's certain that my appearance is unusual, so I introduced him to the village as my apprentice. As a result, the way he calls me settled on "Master".
Living together as two people was very enjoyable. My solitary witch life was carefree and fun, but it's nice to have someone to greet and talk to in the morning and evening. Thanks to Yuri, the types of medicinal herbs I could cultivate increased, and in addition to wound medicine, I added fever reducers and antidotes to my products.
Thanks to being associated with me, no one in the village commented on Yuri's appearance. Rather, perhaps because he had grown and his impression had improved, he seemed to be loved by the people around him. I tried talking to him about whether it would be better for him to live in the village rather than living by my side, but Yuri stubbornly said, "I'll stay by Master's side." He's probably still at an age where he misses his parents. It would be lonely to see him leave the nest, but I want to watch him grow up by my side for a while.
These days, he seems to be going through a bit of a rebellious phase, and when I pat his head because he's so cute, he turns red and gets annoyed. I'm a little sad.
Several years passed with Yuri and me living together, and Yuri grew into a fine young man. I tried bringing up the topic of him becoming independent soon, but his response remained the same: "I'll stay by Master's side."
Rodan's shop became a well-known and respected establishment, but I still spent my days doing steady business in the village. There were some people who came to harass me or try to find out information about me, but thanks to the magical charm I hung in front of the shop, I was able to continue operating peacefully.
I was hoping that these peaceful and fulfilling days would continue as they were, but then it happened.
"Excuse me, is this the witch's house?"
The person came suddenly. Despite the magic I had cast to ward off people, the person who had reached my house was a knight covered in wounds. I braced myself, wondering if he had come to subjugate me, knowing that I was a demon, but as far as I could tell from listening to him, that wasn't the case.
I invited him into the house and gave him food and wound medicine. The knight, who was using the wound medicine with admiration, started to speak with a solemn face.
"Actually, my employer is suffering from a terrible illness. I heard rumors that there was a witch's medicine that could help, so I came all the way here, but I couldn't buy anything because the shop was by introduction only."
Perhaps he was supplying medicine to the village doctor, but he couldn't reach that far, or perhaps he was in a hurry. Instead, he found the house of the witch who was rumored to live in this forest. That's some amazing perseverance. He must really want to help the person.
I heard that the knight is a clergyman. That's probably why he repelled the light magic to ward off people. It was cast to react strongly to those with malicious intent, so if he was able to enter without resistance, it means he has no malicious intent.
Yuri, who was standing behind me listening to the story, was glaring at the knight with a terrible expression. He's probably wary. He's always like this with strangers, unfamiliar adults, and men. It's probably because of his experiences as a child.
"I don't know what kind of rumors you've heard, but all I make are simple wound medicines, fever reducers, and antidotes. I don't know if I can be of any help."
"No, it's said that even people who have been sick for a long time recover with your medicine, and it's a hot topic even in the capital. I'd really like you to sell it to me. I don't care about the cost."
Saying that, the knight took out something nostalgic: a square coin. It was the silver coin that I couldn't use to buy anything at Rodan's shop. Yuri's eyes widened at the sight of the silver coin.
"W-what is this?"
"Is it not enough?"
He added another one.
"No, no, no, you're giving me too much."
"But I heard in the capital that your medicine costs one silver coin."
"That's ridiculous."
"I definitely heard it from someone who bought it at that price."
That's ridiculous. Rodan and Merita, not to mention my old customers, would never resell it for such a high price. It seems that as a result of continuing business for so long, there are members who are engaging in unscrupulous behavior. I have to investigate this in detail later.
While I was devising various plans in the depths of my mind, the knight in front of me looked anxious.
"Is it, no good?"
"Ah, no, it's not that it's no good, but it's too expensive. Two silver coins is too much."
"But I'm in a great hurry. I really want you to sell it to me."
Seeing the knight's state, I took out medicine from the cupboard and wrapped ten of each kind in bags. Then, I took out a special medicine from the back.
"Master, that's—"
Yuri looked at it with a surprised expression.
"This is a new medicine. It has the effect of strengthening a weakened body."
"Oh!!"
"However, please don't tell anyone about this medicine. And don't tell anyone about this place or me. Not even your employer."
"Understood."
It was the recovery medicine that I had just made recently. It was a medicine imbued with magic, unlike the wound medicines and others I had made before. I had seen it from time to time in the places where demons lived, and I had just succeeded in producing it safely. I had already tested it on Yuri to confirm that it was quite effective even when used on humans. However, I had just decided not to sell it because it was too much of a panacea.
"I don't know how to thank you."
"It's fine. I just want to help people in need. I'll take one silver coin for all of this."
"Are you sure that's all you want?"
"It's more than enough."
When I returned a smile, the knight had a strange face, as if he was relieved and troubled at the same time.
Yuri tugged at my clothes.
"Master. You can't, you can't just give it away so easily."
"But I can't help it if I don't know what kind of illness the person has. He doesn't have any malicious intent, and he really seems to be in trouble."
"...You're really something!!"
Yuri didn't seem convinced, but he must have given in to my "please" because he glared at the knight with a bitter look and reluctantly nodded.
"Hey, you."
"Hey! Watch your mouth!"
"...Don't waste Master's kindness. Deliver the medicine safely, and absolutely keep your promise."
"...Are you her apprentice?"
"That's right. I'm her first apprentice."
For some reason, Yuri and the knight were glaring at each other.
"Um, knight? Aren't you in a hurry?"
"Ah, yes, that's right."
He seemed to be in such a hurry until just now, but for some reason he looked reluctant to leave.
"Hurry up and go home."
"Yuri!"
"I'm really grateful, Witch."
"You're welcome."
"Don't ever talk about this place. And don't ever come back."
"Yuri!!"
"...You have a good apprentice."
"I'm embarrassed."
"Just go home."
This is the first time I've seen Yuri so aggressive. When I glared at him lightly for being so rude, he immediately looked dejected and averted his gaze.
"Well then, goodbye."
The knight left, looking back many times.
"Yuri, why were you talking like that?"
After the knight left, I scolded Yuri for his bad attitude, and Yuri said in a sulky tone, "...No one has ever come here before, and I was worried that he might do something to you."
"Yuri."
Even though many years have passed, Yuri was raised being abused by adults. He must have been worried because we had been living peacefully together in this place for so long.
"It's okay. I may look like this, but I'm a witch, and I'm strong."
"I know that."
"It's easy for me to protect you."
"...That's not it."
Yuri seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he closed his mouth without saying anything.
"Well, things like this don't happen often, so we'll be back to our relaxed life together for a while. It's okay."
"...Yes."
When I patted Yuri's head, who looked a little lonely for some reason, he finally smiled.
Later, I had Rodan's shop confirm the allegations of reselling medicine and had people investigate it. It turned out that a certain member was selling the medicine they bought to traveling merchants. Apparently, the merchant sold the medicine in the city, and it was sold even further. The profit for each person wasn't large, but it was getting too expensive, so I informed the other members of the situation, and the member who resold the medicine was expelled, as was the person who directly introduced them. The member who introduced the introducer was banned from the shop for half a year.
I thought that peaceful days would come again, but then it happened.
"Witch, would you hire me as a bodyguard?"
It was the knight, even more tattered than when I first met him, who came to the door.
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Because there is two 'Chapter 9' the 'Next Chapter' button loops back to this one, 'Groundhog Day' style or 'The Matrix' deja vu glitch.
ReplyDeleteYeah, i'm planning to merge it. Thank you for the other error mention.
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