Chapter: 109
The endless run felt like a long marathon had finally come to an end. Everything I had set out to achieve was accomplished, and if there was anything I still wanted, I could probably make it happen.
Admitting that left me feeling a mix of regret and emptiness—not so bad, but somewhat bittersweet. Perhaps I could have lived a pretty ‘human’ life after all.
I didn’t think I was particularly proud of my life… but at least I had enough passion to firmly say, “This is my life.” Yet, that spark had been completely drained away now.
To put it simply, I was experiencing burnout.
Maybe it was the talk I had with Isollet about my ‘past life’ that triggered it, or perhaps it was crafting the unsightly work titled Surviving as a Plagiarist in Another World. In any case, here I was.
So, I decided to shake things up with a trip.
After all, nothing clears your head quite like traveling. This has been proven through countless anecdotes of famous literary figures in past lives. Like Haruki’s Far North and the likes…
“So, you’re saying you definitely didn’t escape because you were tired of the Count urging you to marry?”
“That’s right! Reading all day can trap you in your own head. Sometimes you just need a break.”
“…Understood.”
Shion looked at me as if to say, “Is this really something a transcendent being of literature like you would say?” but didn’t question it further.
Truly a loyal assistant.
Anyhow, with that in mind, I had traveled to the Siedel Republic. I heard there was an alchemist residing here. They said they would show me the alchemist’s workshop, which I thought sounded quite intriguing.
As we walked through the center of Siedel, Shion glanced around curiously.
“Siedel is really unique.”
“Hmm?”
“In a typical town center, there are places of worship, but here, the churches are hidden behind alleys. People don’t wear rosaries or religious attire at all. This is the first time I’ve seen such a church-less center.”
“Siedel is a secular state, you know. Even tourists might get told off by the constable for carrying rosaries in public!”
“Is it that strict?”
“They say Siedel was founded by those oppressed by the church during the early days of the Empire for political reasons. To ensure religion doesn’t meddle in politics, they totally exclude it from all political decision-making.”
The heart of Siedel is a city of rationalists.
Even the lowest-ranking worker here considers themselves an enlightened and rational person. Even if someone believes in religion, it doesn’t hold much sway in their decision-making.
To find traces of religion, you have to wander a bit farther out.
Leaving the bustling district, passing through a few walled quarters, and going through several alleys, you finally see a church built of red bricks set amongst tranquil trees reminiscent of the countryside.
I walked through the tree-lined path leading to the brick church.
In the empty chapel stood a woman with her eyes closed, praying. I slowly approached and sat next to her, waiting for her prayer to finish.
After a few minutes, she looked over and bowed her head in thanks.
“Thank you for waiting…”
It was the witch—Mary Jane.
I almost asked if witches also pray in church, but then remembered the beastfolk I had encountered, opting to hold my tongue.
Noticing my hesitation, Mary Jane spoke first.
“Does it seem strange to you, a witch who has been hunted down, praying in a church?”
“A bit, yes.”
“I was praying for love…. People in the church always say their God is the ‘Lord of Love’… Even when the Christians who tormented me called themselves thieves in the name of the Lord, I still prayed… Because there’s gentleness in His words…”
“……”
“But I still didn’t quite grasp what it means to pray in faith, so I felt the need for the elixir of piety…”
Somehow, I felt a resemblance between this witch and Gray, the beastfolk.
Not because of the prayer in church, but because of her attitude of separating the believers from their teachings to seek understanding.
Truly, the beastfolk were descendants of witches.
While I was lost in these strange thoughts, the witch continued.
“You came looking for an alchemist, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
“If it’s not too rude… would you listen to my story before you meet your friend?”
“Sure?”
“I have someone I want to introduce to you…”
With that, the witch slowly rose and began to walk somewhere.
I followed her.
It wasn’t far—just within the same building, into a room marked ‘Prayer Room’.
Inside was a girl who strangely resembled Mary Jane. What made them similar was her calm expression—steady and unbothered.
Mary Jane introduced her.
“This girl is also a witch.”
“Um, could it be that she’s related to the alchemist and you, Mary Jane?”
“No.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I found her in the forest…. We talked a bit, and it seems she’s been on her own for quite some time…”
“For quite a while?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, but she seems younger than you, Mary Jane.”
They say witches don’t age, even after living a thousand years. Since Mary Jane apparently looked the same back then, this girl’s still being a child suggests she can’t be too old either.
Once a person becomes an adult, wouldn’t their beauty freeze in time like a clock that wouldn’t tick forward?
While I was pondering this, Mary Jane countered my theory.
“Witches don’t age… This girl will live eternally in this form…”
“Eh?”
“She came into this world too early…”
Hmm.
I’m not sure how the witch’s idea of ‘immortality’ applies. Perhaps there’s some set of rules that come into play.
“She hasn’t learned Witchcraft yet… and she’s never learned how to make decisions based on her own will instead of her emotions. She’s like a blank canvas…”
“Couldn’t you teach her Witchcraft, Mary Jane?”
“It would take too long…. If you suddenly drug a child who doesn’t know how to make their own decisions, they might end up dependent on the elixir. That wouldn’t be good…”
“Aha.”
“I’m trying to find a witch village to train her… but in the meantime, I need someone to take care of her…”
“Hmm.”
“Could you perhaps look after her…?”
“Can’t you just ask Gallen?”
“……”
Just as I finished speaking, the door to the church swung open, and in walked the ever-cheerful alchemist with a bright smile.
He looked at us and tilted his head, then greeted us loudly.
“Long time no see! I’m glad I can show you my workshop today!”
“Oh, right. Gallen.”
“Honestly, it’s not like I have anything spectacular in my workshop! Just lots of materials and failed potions! But I think the potion-making process is quite fascinating! If you’d like, you can even experience making a simple potion yourself!”
“That sounds interesting.”
“I’ll pack you plenty of potions for your return!”
“Thank you. But we were just discussing Mary Jane and this girl here…”
Only then did the alchemist finally glance at the girl, nodding while answering.
“A witch who has failed to socialize and whose growth has stopped, right? Perfect! I just happened to bring a prototype of a growth elixir—although how it applies to witches is unclear, I think it’ll have some effect!”
“……”
Ah.
Now I understand why Mary Jane didn’t want to leave the child with the alchemist.
.
.
.
Ultimately, I decided to take care of the young(?) witch for a while.
Shion regarded me with a skeptical expression.
“Are you really going to take care of a child…?”
“Uh, well, she’s not exactly a child, but a witch. She might even be older than me.”
The girl firmly grabbed my hand and stared around listlessly.
She didn’t seem nervous at all. In fact, her expressionless face made her seem like a well-crafted puppet moving on its own.
I bent down to her level and asked.
“Do you know how old you are?”
“I don’t know…”
Well, that’s how it was.
The girl was like a blank slate, knowing nothing about herself or the world. Closer to a flawed robot than an innocent child.
So, I took her home with me.
“…So you told me to get married, and you brought home a daughter?!”
There were minor misunderstandings with my family, but I managed to complete the trip successfully.
.
.
.
Taking care of the young witch was indeed… perplexing.
“What do you want to eat?”
“I don’t know…”
“Wanna read a book?”
“No…”
“How about I read you a fairy tale?”
“No…”
“Shall we write something together?”
“I don’t know the letters…”
“Ah! Then I’ll teach you letters! Wanna learn?”
“No…”
The witch didn’t require food to stay nourished. She felt no thirst without drinking water. She wouldn’t suffocate without air.
In other words, she didn’t ‘need’ anything essential for living beings.
Her instincts were almost non-existent. If not guided, she would just blankly lean against the wall, blinking.
Quite literally, perplexing.
Is this how witches are by nature? I felt an overwhelming sense of frustration creeping in as I asked again.
“…Is there anything you want to do?”
“…….”
“Hmm?”
“Expression… I want to observe… emotions…”
“Eh?”
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