novelraw Book 2: Chapter 1: The Witch
Book 2: Chapter 1: The Witch
The sea breeze drifted up the hillside, mingling with the fragrance of lavender to form an exceptionally soothing lullaby. Fischer felt as though he had been sleeping in this tranquil place for a long time. When he groggily opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was his head resting on something soft.
His vision was still unfocused, leaving his entire field of view a blurry haze. But as his nose twitched slightly, he caught a faint whiff of a woman's delicate scent and glimpsed strands of cascading black curls.
As his gaze gradually sharpened, he saw a young woman with an elegant and beautiful face. Her skin was fair and soft, her lips lightly touched with the lipstick favored by Nary ladies, lending her an alluring charm. Yet what left the deepest impression were her profound, starry violet eyes.
At this moment, those eyes seemed to carry a hint of sorrow as they lingered over Fischer's body. Only now did Fischer realize his clothes had been removed, revealing the bloodstained bandages beneath.
"Renée..."
Fischer rubbed his temples, realizing he was resting his head on her soft lap. The faint fragrance made him lift his head somewhat awkwardly, but Renée beside him didn't stop him. The sorrow in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by an intoxicating playfulness akin to black mamba wine.
"Good morning, Fischer."
"What are you doing here? Didn't you send Hart to tell me you were heading further south to Cardo?"
Unnoticed, the lavender fields around them had filled with purple-feathered larks. At the edge of the distant forest, under the azure sky, countless larks swayed their heads, all staring at the freshly awakened Fischer.
"Ah-heh, I don't know how I suddenly ended up here either. Maybe it's because I missed you so much that the Mother Goddess answered my prayers. Praise the Mother."She clasped her hands together in front of her loosely draped black gown, performing a half-hearted prayer gesture. But her lips curled into a mischievous smirk as she winked at Fischer, who looked utterly unimpressed.
Even she knew such nonsense wouldn't fool him, so her prayer hands quickly shifted into a peace sign held before her eyes, attempting to charm her way through with her beauty.
"Were you following me?"
Faced with Fischer's deadpan expression, Renée dramatically protested her innocence.
"I merely happened to send Hart over with a letter and just so happened to find you collapsed on the ground, so I came to check on you... Come on, I flew across half a continent and an ocean to get here. Instead of thanking me, you're interrogating me..."
She weakly covered her face with her hands, feigning sobs.
"Wahh, so sad, so sad... Only a kiss from Fischer can make me feel better..."
Fischer ignored her entirely, turning his gaze southward across the wilderness, where a distant carriage seemed to be disappearing into the horizon. No doubt, it carried a certain red-scaled dragonkin girl.
Peeking through her fingers, Renée noticed Fischer paying her no mind. Her beautiful, almost sisterly face puffed up in a childish pout unbefitting her age. Then, with effortless grace, she floated up and wrapped her arms around Fischer from behind, her starry violet eyes gazing south alongside his.
"Want me to chase down that carriage for you? My clothes are still in there—I can sense them..."
Fischer pushed her away slightly, as if exasperated by Renée's antics. Her personality was easily the most troublesome Fischer had ever encountered—not just troublesome, but shamelessly persistent. No matter what he said, she remained unfazed.
Say what you will—if I change, I lose.
"Forget it. Let her go. I failed... Let's head back. I'm taking a ship back to Saint Nary."
"Oh-ho? A failure, you say?" Unfazed by being pushed away, Renée tapped a finger against her red lips, tilting her head with childlike innocence. "Or did you let that girl go on purpose?"
"...No."
Fischer buttoned his shirt, noticing the faint violet glow emanating from his wounds. The bleeding had stopped under that light, and his injuries were healing.
Renée had treated his wounds.
"Yes, yes, of course. How could this humble student possibly contradict Professor Fischer?" Renée patted her head, muttering under her breath. "It's just a shame all your belongings were on that carriage. Your house in Saint Nary must be empty by now—you spent everything on supplies and weapons. And you just gave it all to that dragonkin girl. If you were ever that generous to me, maybe I'd marry you. How about it?"
"Thank goodness, spare me... Aren't you heading back to the Western Continent?"
"Ah, my magic's running low. Can't cast the spell to return west anymore. Guess I'll have to go back with you. What a pity, what a pity—such a long voyage together..."
"..."
Fischer walked ahead while Renée followed with her hands clasped behind her back. A closer look revealed her bare white feet hovering just above the ground, floating effortlessly alongside him.
Witches were a peculiar type of demi-human, and due to their extreme rarity, human knowledge about them was scarce. The only known facts were that they were exclusively female, possessed exceptional magic reserves and talent, and each had a unique [Attribute].
Renée's Attribute was simple: her magic circuits grew infinitely.
Though easily described, its manifestation was fantastical. Her magic circuits were so densely packed they filled nearly her entire body.
After replenishing his knowledge from the Soul Completion Manual, Fischer realized this blurred the boundary between her flesh and soul, granting her body soul-like properties. That explained her ability to float and occasionally become semi-intangible—whether physical contact was possible depended entirely on her whims.
Yet even with magic circuits far exceeding any human's, it still wasn't enough. The larks around them were all manifestations of her overflowing magic circuits, each with rudimentary consciousness. Fischer had named them all "Hart."
Previously, Fischer had wanted to study Hart's nature. Since Hart originated from Renée's magic circuits, could she transfer her consciousness into the birds?
Renée had denied this speculation, claiming it impossible, so Fischer dropped the matter. These birds always accompanied her, capable of both inscribing and casting magic—making them incredibly powerful allies.
The Harts around them now numbered less than a tenth of her total. Where she'd sent the rest was anyone's guess.
"Fischer, I'm so tired. Carry me?"
Renée floated closer, her mature face deliberately adopting childish speech. But her playful, starry violet eyes betrayed her true intentions—this woman was not to be trusted.
"Don't float around when we buy tickets. If they notice and deny you boarding, you'll have to fly back yourself."
"If you don't answer, I'll take that as a yes."
Ignoring Fischer entirely, she draped her arms over his shoulders, pretending to be carried while hovering weightlessly behind him.
Fischer sighed, too tired to engage with her mischief.
Kicking her out back in the Western Continent had definitely been the right call. After so long apart, he should've felt at least a little longing—yet within minutes, whatever trace remained had been scattered by her teasing.
As they descended the hillside, the flock of larks took flight behind them, following their path.
"You're too heavy. Get down."
"Liar. I'm not adding any weight."
"If you're not adding weight, why do you need me to carry you?"
Before Fischer could finish, Renée wordlessly produced an ebony cane tipped with silver, its head carved into a griffin, and held it horizontally before him, cutting off his words.
"Souvenir~"
She grinned mischievously, savoring Fischer's speechless reaction. She loved seeing the frugal man rendered silent by her extravagant gifts.
After a brief pause, Fischer accepted the cane. Its craftsmanship was far superior to his old one—light yet sturdy, undoubtedly expensive.
"...Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Renée yawned, resting her hands on his shoulders as they floated onward. Neither mentioned her dismounting—some things were better left unsaid.