Translator and Editor: Bunny and Wyvern

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Chapter 9

Kuhn looked suspiciously towards me at my words. [I know you have great determination, but look, you’re sleepy now. Your eyes have been half-closed since earlier. It’s time now for little kids to sleep. I know what to do even if it is the first time I’ve met a little witch.] As if making fun of me, he put his cotton-like front paws on my shoulder and tapped my eyelids.

But still, I fought the urge to sleep. “…There were many things that happened today, and I was also riding the carriage for a long time.”

[Yeah, I see, but sleep first and let’s talk again tomorrow.]

It had been days since I slept properly. Whether it was because he had said that or I had already reached my limit, it felt warm enough that I could fall asleep at any moment. I would have already fallen asleep if I hadn’t been helping with the house chores to build up my stamina.

“Then, should I do that…?”

First of all, the first goal had been achieved.

[Good idea.]

I moved my body and went under the quilt, while Kuhn looked at me and sat down next to me in a comfortable position. “Kuhn, let’s go to sleep and talk again tomorrow.”

[That’s right, let’s go to sleep.]

“Hmm, goodnight, Kuhn. Don’t forget your promise.” I closed my eyes at the rushing drowsiness and succumbed to the world of sleep.

* * *

Crackle, crackle.

I had a dream where my mother was reading me a fairy tale book. When I greeted Kuhn yesterday, I thought it would be good if my mother could come, and she really did.

We moved from house to house very often, and there was a time I enjoyed looking at the beautiful scenery for a month. It was the first time I came to the northern lands. It was in the middle of the summer, so it was warm and rich as if I came to the South. At that time, the memory of the three of us sharing bread with Dahlia and Mother in the garden came out of my dream.

I wanted to dream a little more.

Crackle, crackle.

I saw someone moving through my blurry vision when I woke up from my dream and opened my eyes in a hazy state. I rubbed my eyes for a clearer view. There were two maids busily moving here and there, pouring a glass of water, arranging the cushions, folding the clothes well, and putting them on the table.

Somehow, the room smelled a little better than yesterday…

With that thought in my mind as I blinked at the bright sunlight was coming through the window, illuminating the room. I forced myself to stand up with my lethargic body.

‘When did everyone leave?’

It seemed like Kuhn and the maids walking around had long since disappeared.

Was all that a dream?

Anyway, I was the only one in the room right now.My hair was slightly mussed. I turned my head to look outside the window and saw that it was half-opened. There were chirping birds in the distance, but it was really quiet.

“…”

It’s okay if no one came to ask me if I slept well. After all, I never had parents, to begin with. I guess I was lucky to have a warm mother for a while.

I stared blankly at the windows where the curtains fluttered, then washed my hands dry and got out of bed after a while. I thought I wouldn’t feel better and would want to hide under the covers if I delayed more.

“Ouch!” I stretched out my arms and walked over to the window. Fortunately, the cushion I had brought under the window yesterday was still there. I climbed up the cushion and hung my head from the window sill. “Ku-uhn!” I shouted so much that someone else probably heard it, and not long after that, a crow flew over and flapped its wings.

[You’re up.]

“Hmm, when did you leave?”

[At dawn. I wanted to visit the forest. You slept really well.]

I was embarrassed by Kuhn’s words and scratched my head. “Is that so? It’s my first time here so I thought I would be uncomfortable… but I must’ve been tired.”

[It was a long travel for a young human to go. Ah, but there was something strange about the forest, though it was a bit far from here.]

My drowsiness instantly faded away at what Kuhn said.

“Strange? What is it?”

If the Guardian felt it was strange, it likely was.

I was wary and pressed my body closer to the window.

[I threw it away in case you didn’t know what it was. Isn’t it safe to dump it near the border from here?] But contrary to my expectations, Kuhn confidently replied that he had left it far without showing it to me.

But… the border?

“Have you been to the border area? When?”

[I said I went there early in the morning.]

“You know how big the empire is, and you went to the border?”

Kuhn spread his wings triumphantly. [I have wings, and it was faster because I went through the forest.]

No matter how fast, it would be impossible for a crow to get to and from the imperial border in a matter of hours…

I was curious about Kuhn’s abilities, but I decided to look into it later. “Is that so? I wonder what it is…”

[It didn’t look dangerous, but it kept getting my attention so I threw it away. I was supposed to protect you.]

It was impossible to ask him to bring it back since already threw it away. I also didn’t want to disappoint Kuhn, who was triumphant that he was protecting me in the early morning. I left my regrets behind and looked forward to what was coming in the future.

“Thank you, Kuhn, but next time you see something like that, show it to me too. You should do it from now on, you’re supposed to help me.”

[Okay whatever.]

“Great. Then I will go to Dad to see if he’s okay.” I waved to Kuhn, who said he’d be going back to see more of the forest. I changed clothes and turned around to wash my face.

* * *

Inside the silent temple, the shuffling steps of the priests rushed somewhere.

After a while, a young priest arrived in front of the door and entered after knocking, folding his hands, and bowing. “I have something to report, Mr. Rudel.”

“Yes, Brother. What is it?”

The young-faced priest cautiously opened his mouth. “About the Descartes Duchy whom you’ve been suspicious of before.”

Priest Rudel raised his eyes. “Tell me.”

“The energy of the magic detection stone placed near the Descartes Duchy disappeared out of nowhere and was felt somewhere else.”

“Say it clearly, I don’t understand what you are trying to say right now.”

The young priest’s shoulders trembled at the cold voice. “How am I supposed to explain this?”

“Raphiel.”

The young priest came to his senses only after being called by his new name. “The signal from the magic detection stone that had been felt in the Descartes Duchy until last night was felt this morning on the borders of the Empire. But it would be impossible for a human to move it…”

“Then the witch we were looking for has appeared?” Priest Rudel seemed a little overjoyed that he could now get rid of something that had been bothering him for quite some time. He thought he could report the good news directly to the Pope.

Raphiel quickly lowered his head and said, “I also thought the same thing, but there was no trace in the Duchy when I sent a man this morning. There were also traces of the manifestation of magical power.”

“You mean the magic detection stone trap doesn’t work?”

“That… I don’t know. They said it was something that could not be broken, but I could not find anything in the Duchy.”

“That’s impossible.”

The magic detection stone was an object to catch witches who used magic, sealing their power away. A witch with magical powers would have been caught if she had touched the trap, and her witch’s magic would be sealed the moment she got caught in the trap.

Raphiel looked at Rudel, who was stroking his chin with furrowed eyebrows, and bowed his head in fear.

Rudel thought for a moment.

‘It’s never happened before, but it should also be expected.’

Because according to the records, there were witches who escaped, and it was also said that witches with great magical powers could neutralize the energy of the traps.

‘If that’s the case again…’

They could catch that witch and use it as a sacrifice to restore the temple.

“If that’s the case, send someone first to the place where the signal was last felt. The people will give support as much as possible.”

Startled to the point of his shoulders trembling, Raphiel was speechless. He knew it was going to be a big mess. “B-but, it was m-moved probably near to the Humville border.”

“Humville?”

“Yes, I’m guessing that it might have crossed the border at dawn because until then, there was no response at all. It happened so unexpectedly…” Raphiel, who felt like he was running out of excuses, dragged his words.

Rudel frowned and did not hide his discomfort.

There had been no problems in the witch hunt until now, however, as soon as the magic was manifested, she ran away to Humville? This was unprecedented in the records. Unlike this place, Humville was full of ignorant humans to the extent that they were called a barbarian country, where people could freely use all powers, including divine power.

It would be difficult to catch a witch if she had gone to Humville. Clearly, it would also be a thunderbolt even if it was reported to the Pope.

‘A witch who crossed the border…’

“Hmm, somehow…”

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