After finishing the meal, I found myself soothing the mood of the bird that seemed sulky, as if it had taken offense at something from our conversation.
As I gently petted the bird on my shoulder, Sylvia, watching me with a look of surprise, finally spoke up.
“By the way, it’s really amazing. That ferocious demonic beast, the Twilight Bird Phinis, is so calm in front of Miss Scarlet… It feels unbelievable just watching it.”
I quietly glanced at the bird perched on my shoulder, the so-called ferocious beast. It was clear it enjoyed being petted, yet it was desperately trying to rub its head against my hand to show its displeasure.
A ferocious beast, really?
Honestly, it didn’t seem ferocious at all, especially when looking at its adorable demeanor.
But I had seen this big guy incinerate thousands of demonic beasts with a single flap of its wings before.
That terrifying power must have been directed toward people in the past.
Well, I guess it’s understandable that people would be scared.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I stopped petting the bird and stared at it. It seemed to sense my gaze and let out a frustrated squawk, almost as if to imply, “It’s not my fault! They invaded our home first!”
I silently observed it and, after a moment, it muttered something akin to, “I won’t do it again,” sounding quite sullen.
That adorable display made me chuckle, and I patted its head, saying, “Got it. But still, you shouldn’t do that again, okay?”
The bird nodded earnestly, and while I watched it, I suddenly wondered what I should call it, prompting me to ask Sylvia.
“Hey, Sylvia. Is its name Phinis?”
“Oh, yes. It means ‘end’ in Ancient Elvish. Actually, it’s more of a title we gave it for identification—”
-Beeek!!!
“Ah?!”
While Sylvia was answering my question, the bird suddenly flapped its wings and flew in circles around her while squawking before returning to my shoulder.
“What… What just happened? Why is it acting like that all of a sudden?”
Startled by the bird’s antics, Sylvia stared at it with a puzzled expression.
Seeing her flustered, I thought, “I shouldn’t scare it,” and lightly tapped the bird’s head, then responded to Sylvia with a chuckle.
“Well… it seems like it doesn’t like its name much.”
“Um… yeah… I suppose it’s not the cutest name…”
Sylvia muttered reluctantly, as if agreeing with a strangely valid reason for being upset.
As if to confirm her thoughts, the bird squawked with a chirpy “Beeek!” and then gazed at me with eager eyes.
I realized with a jolt the bird was looking for me to give it a name!
The pressure of naming someone hit me suddenly.
I, who had no confidence in my own naming sense, didn’t know how to respond.
But seeing the expectant look in its eyes made it impossible to say no, so I racked my brain and carefully suggested a name.
“Uh… how about ‘Ari’?”
-Beep? Beek!
Luckily, it seemed to like the name ‘Ari’ and hopped around happily on my shoulder, causing me to release a sigh of relief.
However, seeing it so pleased made me feel somewhat off.
The name ‘Ari’ was actually inspired by a chick, after all.
I still wondered if this name suited a dignified beast like this, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Honestly, when it cries, it sounds oddly like a chicken, and when it was smaller, it chirped, so that was the only fitting name that came to mind…
I thought the name ‘Ari’ wasn’t half bad, and considering I rushed it, it was the best outcome I could manage.
At the very least, it was way better than naming it ‘Chick.’
Anyway, after naming Ari, I was playing with it while having various conversations with Sylvia when I suddenly realized how long it had been since I had relaxed like this.
I wondered if it was okay to take it easy, given the situation, and asked Sylvia.
“Hey, Sylvia? Just a random thought, but is it alright for me to relax like this? After such a huge battle, I thought they might need all the help they can get with the aftermath…”
I was worried that while others were busy, I shouldn’t just be lazing around. However, Sylvia responded with a smile.
“You’ve just woken up after several days! But honestly, don’t worry about it. Everyone is taking a well-deserved rest after pushing themselves. Even I, who should be the busiest, am taking it easy right now, right?”
“Everyone’s resting? How…? There are tons of demonic beasts appearing because of miasma, right?”
In confusion, I asked, surprised by her unexpected reply.
Normally, everyone would be working hard without a moment to catch a break.
But Sylvia seemed to find my reaction amusing, chuckling as she said, “Well, we’re able to worry less about those beasts now because we have a reliable ally helping us out.”
“Eh? An ally? Who?”
In response to my question, Sylvia pointed a finger at my shoulder.
As I turned my head, Ari was staring at me intently.
I mumbled in disbelief, “No way… You’re telling me Ari and the Fury Beasts are handling the other demonic beasts for us?”
“Yes. They’ve settled near the city and are helping to clear out the demonic beasts, which is a huge help in protecting the city. Thanks to them, the exhausted people finally have some time to rest.”
As I stared blankly at Ari, who seemed to be beaming with pride, it puffed out its chest, as if to say, “See what I did?”
…This little one surely knows how to fish for compliments.
“Ari, you little cutie!”
-Beeep! Wreeek!
Seeing how much it must have helped the people, I couldn’t help but shower Ari with enthusiastic praise while petting it with both hands, making it jump for joy.
To think the Fury Beasts were protecting the city from other demonic beasts…
They weren’t insignificant in numbers, meaning the burden of ensuring the city’s safety would be significantly lessened.
After all the recent perilous events, I realized there was something quite good happening as well.
With those thoughts swirling, I watched Ari happily enjoying my touch and suddenly realized something I had taken for granted.
The reason Ari followed me so loyally was that I was a witch.
“…”
Thinking back, it all made sense that being a witch had led to such good fortune.
That my being a witch allowed the city to be safe.
“Haha…”
Suddenly, I found myself laughing.
For so long, I had been caught up in negative thoughts about being associated with a witch, constantly wondering, “Why is this happening to me?”
But at this moment, that thought completely transformed.
I murmured softly, almost as if to myself, “I’m so glad I’m a witch…”
I truly felt lucky to be a witch.
As I genuinely thought that, the pain I had endured didn’t feel like just a string of unfortunate events anymore.
I felt an overwhelming sense of relief that made me want to laugh, yet somehow it also made me teary-eyed.
“Hey, Sylvia. Can I take a short walk? I feel like I’ve rested enough, and I just want to catch some fresh air.”
“Yes, of course. Honestly, I was worried about you and was thinking of letting you rest a bit longer, but now that I see you, you really seem to be doing better.”
So, I asked Sylvia if I could step outside for a bit, and she readily nodded.
Just as I was about to head out, I remembered that I wasn’t exactly free and turned to Sylvia again.
“Oh right, I can’t just stroll around the city for no reason without you, can I? What should I do? I feel bad making you come with me just for me…”
I had been reminded of a restriction since coming back to the city.
I couldn’t wander around alone.
The citizens were still wary of me, unsure if they could fully trust a witch acting solo.
It was a heavy constraint, but until now, it had felt more like a formality.
Martina had covered for me during emergencies, so I usually got by without adhering to it.
But now, this was a personal outing.
It would mean that Sylvia had to come along just because of me, which felt quite embarrassing.
Having been busy lately, I had almost forgotten about this, but now that I had time to spare, it seemed annoying again.
While I pondered over this, Sylvia suddenly seemed to recall something and said to me.
“Oh, I have some good news related to that!”
She wore a beaming smile as she spoke.
“You’ve made a massive contribution to protecting the city, after all! The reason the demonic beasts are guarding the city is thanks to you too.”
“Uh… well… I guess so.”
Her sudden praise made me blush and awkwardly affirm her statement, and Sylvia chuckled again.
“It seems that everyone has fully placed their trust in you now. This means I’m finally free from my watch duty over you. So go ahead and take a stroll on your own.”
With that, Sylvia practically pushed me out the door and shut it firmly.
It felt like she had finally escaped a burdensome task, yet the look on her face before the door closed revealed her true feelings.
She looked overwhelmingly happy, almost moved by how people acknowledged me.
Anyway, with Sylvia’s oddly frank blessing, I chuckled and stepped out of the mansion alone.
Well, not quite alone—Ari was perched on my shoulder, so strictly speaking, I wasn’t solo.
Thus, we were wandering the streets as a witch and a demonic beast, a combination that normally wouldn’t be allowed to roam freely.
Yet, nobody stopped us, nor did I feel any fearful gazes directed my way.
It felt completely normal for me to be wandering the city like this.
Why was that simple fact so heartwarming?
I felt overwhelmed and had to swallow a lump in my throat before flashing a big smile.
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