I didn't touch the herb tea the witch set down and told her the whole story.
How we met, got into a fight, and parted on bad terms.
The witch listened in silence, nodding along.
When I finished, she gave a faint, wry smile.
"Well, well. I don't really know what to say about that."
"I've been thinking. That what happened—she did it on purpose."
"Hmm hmm. So, young Wof. You think Emmy did it deliberately?"
"No matter how you look at it, that was deliberate."
Emmy. Axe's mother, and Mineha's master.
An active second-class delver. An acquaintance of the witch.
I don't know a single thing about what kind of person she is.
But she set up the encounter while keeping crucial information hidden.
Her apprentice's personality, and her son's complexes.
If she'd been aware of either, she should have been able to imagine what would happen.
It happened exactly as it was bound to happen. That was my conclusion.
Still, I don't even know Emmy, but how should I put this.
It's like she steeled her heart.
Even though it concerns her son, even though it concerns her apprentice, there's something detached about it all.
Is it because she's a second-class delver? Even so, her methods...
"Right, right — that's about how it goes, isn't it. When you put it that way, yeah, I guess so."
"I don't understand why I would do something like that."
"Yeah, yeah, probably, right."
"Do you know anything about it, witch?"
"Back then, back then — when I met Emmy, she told me something, you know. 'My apprentice is talented, but she's missing something essential as a delver.'"
"Something essential?"
I'd heard phrases like that before, but what was it really supposed to mean?
"And also, and also — her son Axe is putting in the effort, and I give him credit for that. His skills are beyond reproach. But he has to truly acknowledge it. Otherwise he'll stay stuck in that pain forever. But that's a hard thing to do, isn't it."
"Acknowledge it?"
What would he need to acknowledge?
Hmm. I was starting to get a vague sense of what she wanted to do.
I understood that this was something important to both of them.
Even so, I still felt this approach was far too rough.
"This could backfire," the witch said — and in a rare show of restraint, she sounded almost tentative.
"You see — Emmy loves surprises and she can be a bit absent-minded at the crucial moments, but she's a kind girl who always cares deeply about her son and her apprentice."
"...Was I worrying too much?"
Hearing that, I started to wonder if I'd been overstepping.
I was an outsider, plain and simple. The witch gave me a gentle look.
"No, no — your concerns are perfectly valid, young Wof. I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to turn out this way, and now I've gone and made you worry needlessly on top of it all."
"It's just — once I've taken on a job, I want to see it through properly."
"Mm-hmm. I've thought so for a while now, young Wof — you're quite the hard worker."
"Am I?"
I figured being a diligent worker was just normal. Well… was it normal in this world, though?
Come to think of it, in my past life, all I ever did was work. Unpaid overtime was just the default.
I didn't drag my corporate slave mentality across reincarnation only to keep at it.
I really didn't cross worlds just to be a wage slave again.
"Heh heh, heh heh. That's what I like about you, young Wof."
"…You're too close, Witch."
Way too close.
I could see myself reflected in her eyes, and in those reflections, I could see her reflected in mine — that's how close she was.
"Oh my, oh my — how rude of me."
She spoke with her lips barely an inch from mine.
Then she pulled away, smooth as nothing.
"…N-no, it's fine."
She startled me.
A witch. Even so, even like this.
She was an absolute beauty — seeing her up close drove that home all over again.
As expected of a witch.
That's exactly why she's a witch.
"S-so, Witch. What do you think I should do in the end?"
"Well now, that's quite a simple thing."
"Huh, is that so?"
I was taken aback. Genuinely surprised.
Simple, apparently. The witch smiled warmly.
"Yes, yes. Young Wof. You don't need to do anything at all."
"...So you're saying I should just watch and wait?"
"Yes, yes. In the end, it's a matter between the people involved, you know."
"...Yeah, that's right."
I let a wry, helpless smile cross my face.
It comes down to that. But it's also true that there's nothing else to be done.
At least from my perspective.
I just want to do the job I took on properly.
I want to put those concerns to rest. But there's probably nothing I can do about it.
It's a matter between the people involved. That's really all it comes down to.
Well, at least I'm not left completely in the dark. I got a basic answer.
Satisfied with that, I left the witch's house.
I made it back to town.
I should probably head home and get ready for tomorrow... I walked along, thoughts drifting.
"Hey, you!"
A voice called out from behind. But without thinking it was me they were addressing, I just kept walking.
"Hey, don't ignore me! Your name is... Mo, Mofu?"
How cute.
Hmm? Could she be talking about me?
Something in her tone suggested as much, so I stopped and turned around.
And I realized — ah, so I was the one she'd been calling.
It was Mineha.
She flapped her wings lightly, directing an irritated gaze my way.