There are plenty of things to think about, but while considering what to do about dinner, I head back to my room for the time being.
The witch wasn't there. Neither was Chaive, Shiro, or Munieka.
"Is no one here?"
I was sweating. Maybe I should take a bath before eating.
While bathing, I let my thoughts wander, which turned into a long soak. I got out because I was hungry.
After changing into fresh underwear and clothes, I lined up the bracelets I'd bought today on the table.
"...Finely crafted."
A thousand oro each.
The old me would have thought that steep, but the current me finds it cheap.
Retainer.
It's an honorary position, but the pay is solid.
On top of that, all food expenses are covered—fifty thousand oro.
Plus another fifty thousand for miscellaneous expenses. A total of a hundred thousand oro has already been paid to me.
And that's before any separate rewards.
I've somehow ended up in a world where my sense of value has gone haywire.
And I haven't forgotten—I owe the witch hundreds of millions in debt.
Hundreds of millions... What does that even mean? When I think about it, I've come so far.
But I've been told to set that debt aside for now and not worry about it.
The witch doesn't seem to want me to pay her back, I think.
Musing on that, I tuck the bracelets into my pouch.
I happen to glance at the pouch. I should clean it out soon.
Well, not now. Next, I pick up the knife.
A silver, cross-shaped knife. Single-edged, with a thick cross-shaped guard and grip.
That said, it's not uncomfortable to hold.
This knife—it was apparently found in a desert dungeon.
The desert lies to the northwest of this continent. So that street vendor came from there?
Even by horse carriage, the desert is over a year's travel away.
"I think I'd like about one more knife."
"Oh my, oh my—is it just young Wof here?"
The witch had returned. She wore her usual black, fluttering robe.
She had on a wide-brimmed hat, and when she removed it, her silver fox ears sprang up.
"Welcome back."
"Mmm, mmm. I'm home. Where's everyone else?"
"When I got back, it was just me."
"Mmm, mmm. Young Wof—have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet. I was just about to head out."
"Well then, well then, how about going with me?"
"Sure."
"Alright then—I've only just gotten back, but shall we?"
The witch put her hat back on. The way her ears folded flat was somehow adorable.
Her hairstyle looked like it had changed.
"So, where shall we go?"
"Right, right—this place has to be 'the Cidre,' of course."
"It's really crowded there."
"Hehe, hehe—young Wof, every place has its shortcuts, you know."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Mmm, mmm. Let's go, then."
We left the room and walked side by side.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever gone out alone with just the witch before.
"Hey, hey, young Wof—walking together like this, just the two of us... this is a first, isn't it?"
"It is."
So it really was true.
What is it? I feel oddly embarrassed.
"Hehe, hehe, hehehe, hehehe—somehow this is embarrassing, isn't it?"
"Is it?"
The witch apparently felt the same.
She blushed faintly and gave a sheepish smile.
"..."
The witch was an astonishingly beautiful mature woman.
Alluring, enchanting, bewitching. Her number of tails was different, but she had the air of a world-ruining beauty.
Yet sometimes she'd have the reactions, say the things, and do the things of a young girl.
And I like that girlish side of the witch.
Walking together, the witch and I chatted about various things.
"Mmm, mmm. Mass-producing those light orbs is a great idea. That lab could certainly handle production, no question."
"Well, with Haiyarn, who knows how it'll turn out."
"That's true, that's true. So you're connecting your house to the gate."
"Yes. Munieka apparently asked and got an immediate okay."
"My, my—it'll be lively all over again."
"Now, about the bath—"
"Oh, that's fine. I have no problem with you using it whenever."
"Thank you."
"After all, after all—that bathhouse was a bit too large."
"Ahaha... yes, it was."
A large bath with a pot tub. Plus a sauna and a cold plunge pool.
Not exactly household scale.
"But, but—Munieka is apparently going to expand the changing room."
"Is she?"
"Well, well—I basically told her, 'If you want to take care of everything yourself, be my guest.' Besides, if more people end up using it, things will get cramped as they are."
"True enough."
Well, if Munieka says she'll do it, she'll do it.
It wasn't just the changing room—she'd also talked about adding a reclining bath.
Some kind of unusual bath where you can lie down and soak.
"However, however—connecting to that annex with the dog and cat... that could get a little troublesome."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, well—the most troublesome one right now is her."
"?"
The witch muttered something under her breath. What was that?
Then the conversation turned to the witch's work. And it happened suddenly.
"Hey, hey—speaking of which, young Wof, how's the potion-making going?"
"...Ah, I'm sorry. I've just been making tea."
The crescent vessel had become a tea-making machine lately.
My recent favorite has been—
"Oh my, oh my—you haven't been making any?"
"I've done it a few times."
"Mmm, mmm. Well then—after dinner, why don't I take a look at it?"
"Really?"
"Every now and then, I have to show the teacherly side of myself."
"? 'Teacherly'? You're always a teacher, witch. Everything you do for me is teaching. I've never once thought you weren't being a proper teacher."
Even the Awakening Water was like that. She'd done so much for me.
I have nothing but gratitude for the witch.
"Witch?"
She suddenly stopped in her tracks—something was off.
The witch pulled her hat down low. What happened?
"Geez, geez."
"Witch? Whoa, wha—"
The witch patted my head.
"Come on, come on, young Wof—don't just stand there, keep walking."
"Y-yes."
The witch strode ahead, somehow in high spirits. What was that about?
When we arrived at "the Cidre," we were immediately shown to the second floor.
A VIP room, as expected.
I was told to order whatever I wanted, so I went with butter rice.
The witch ordered a double cheese gratin and a rare cider.
The witch loves cheese. She also makes Chinese-style food when cooking at home.
Come to think of it, this was also my first time in a VIP room with the witch.
"Somehow, somehow, I'm getting nervous."
"Me too."
I'm used to being alone with the witch.
But being in a different place gives it an odd feeling.
Still, once the food arrived, we had a pleasant, enjoyable meal together.
When we left "the Cidre," night had fully set in.
On top of that, it was raining.
"Oh my, oh my—a passing shower."
"We've just got to walk through it, I suppose."
I never thought it would actually rain.
I don't have a folding umbrella or anything.
"Hmm, hmm. Well then—my atelier happens to be just the right distance away."
"You have one in the city? This is the first I've heard of it."
"Well, well—I don't use it much."
"...Perfect for waiting out the rain."
"Mmm, mmm. Let's go, then. The rain looks like it's going to pick up."
Following the witch's lead, we headed for the atelier.
It was located near "the Cidre."
A simple, two-story building with a tofu-block exterior, but solid on the inside.
Despite going unused, it was kept clean—tidied up regularly.
"I use it every now and then. And I have someone come clean it once a week so it's always ready."
"I see... More importantly, we've gotten wet."
"Oh dear. A sudden downpour is really something."
Both the witch and I were drenched.
The witch's robe clung wetly to her skin, revealing the elegant lines of her figure.
Her wet silver hair was plastered to her cheeks, enhancing her allure.
Her fox ears and three tails were all heavy with rainwater.
"Don't you have a towel—hey, please stop undressing right here!"
I frantically spoke up as the witch calmly began stripping.
The witch laughed.
"Oh my, oh my—Wof, you should take yours off too, or you'll catch a cold."
"But, to undress here—"
"Don't worry, don't worry. There's a bath, you know."
"There is?"
So that's why it's fine?
"Of course, of course. It wouldn't work without a bath, now would it?"
With that, she finished undressing. I closed my eyes.
No matter how dim the atelier might be... I could still catch glimpses.
"Oh, oh—and the towel should be... here. Right, right. I should light the fireplace too."
"There's a fireplace?"
*Whoosh*—the fire caught and brightened the room.
"There we go. That'll warm things up. Wof—the towel's here, so you should take your clothes off and dry yourself. Or would you rather bathe with me?"
"I-I'm not getting in with you!"
"Oh my, oh my, hehehe—what a shame."
The witch moved away. I opened my eyes, took off my clothes, and dried myself with the towel.
A faint warmth spread through me. The heat of the fireplace.
I hung my clothes and underwear by the fireplace to dry—mine and the witch's.
I'm used to handling her clothes, but her underwear gave me a moment's pause.
Because the witch's underwear was so thin and flimsy it barely counted as underwear.
And it was dark purple. The dress she wore under the robe was also dark purple.
After drying off, I wrapped the towel around my waist.
The witch had finished her bath, so now it was my turn.
The small tub was filled with plenty of hot water.
Naturally, there was no shower. As I slowly lowered myself in, a rich, sweet scent wafted up.
The witch's scent. And specifically, this was the scent of her tail.
I remembered. That night of fur-grooming.
"..."
I got out of the bath and dried myself with the fresh towel that had been laid out.
I pulled my own sheet from my pouch, wrapped it around my waist, and used it as a makeshift garment.
That was rough. I should have packed a change of clothes.
"Witch?"
She wasn't near the fireplace.
Her clothes and underwear were still damp.
"Witch?"
Calling out, I searched. I checked the kitchen on the first floor—she wasn't there.
The bathroom... not there either.
That left the second floor. I climbed the gently curving staircase.
That was when I heard thunder. It sounded like lightning had struck somewhere nearby.
The rain was growing heavier. Getting back might not be possible.
There were three rooms. The door to the one at the far end was open.
She's in there. I went into the far room, and there was the witch.
Standing in front of the bed.
Night.
A pitch-black night of torrential rain, with neither stars nor moon visible.
I swallowed hard.
"Come on, come on—come here."
The witch, wrapped in a single black sheet, smiled gently and beckoned to me.
"Um... that is..."
There was no light. But the witch's silver hair glowed faintly, and I could see clearly enough.
Under the sheet, the witch was naked.
I'd seen the witch's body a number of times before—circumstances beyond my control.
But tonight was—something was different.
"Hey, hey—young Wof."
The witch was smiling with a gentleness that was almost bewitching.
Her jade-green eyes gleamed with an emerald-like, mesmerizing light.
"Wh-what is it?"
"I really, truly hate to say it, but you'll lose to Arveld if things stay like this."
"—I know."
I naturally looked down.
I couldn't say it wasn't true.
The witch continued.
"I, well—I can't say I could beat the current you."
"...Even so—!?"
The witch embraced me. The sheet came undone.
Startled, I raised my head—and my face pressed into the valley of the witch's breasts.
A pleasant warmth and rich, sweet scent enveloped me. The witch's scent.
"Witch...?"
Then the witch's three tails extended, embracing me from behind and pressing me against her body.
Without giving me any say, my face was buried deep in the full valley of her breasts, and the witch's hand touched my hair.
And then something trailed from between her breasts down into my mouth.
*Throb!*
Th-this is—my consciousness rapidly blurred.
I looked at the witch.
"It's all right, it's all right. I'm on your side, young Wof. So I know what you need. This...
sec
ond
awak
ening... you'll obtain what you truly need at the end, and I believe you'll definitely come back. The answer is already entirely within you."
The witch's expression was calm and brimming with certainty. Unshakeable.
Ah, as I thought—the witch is my...