WCSVL 03

Chapter – 03

The Witch of the Forest.

Soup placed on the table.

She took a sip, filled with gratitude. After so long, she put a warm, steaming meal into her mouth, and tears welled up involuntarily.

“Bliss~”

“Either cry or eat, pick one. Want some meat too?”

“Gladly!!”

Ruri was enraptured by the juicy gravy that burst out the moment she put it in her mouth. While enjoying the meal, she sincerely rejoiced that this person had turned out to be a good one.

Their first encounter had been shocking, but apparently, that blood-soaked appearance wasn’t because she’d committed some crime somewhere. It turned out she had been processing a killed catch in the barn when she sensed someone’s presence, came to check, found Ruri, called out to her, and then Ruri fainted on the spot.

How misleading could you get…!

Nevertheless, she had been cared for until she woke up and given warm food to eat—she couldn’t be grateful enough.

Ruri hadn’t gotten a good look at the old woman’s face during their first meeting because the shock was too great and she’d fainted immediately, but she was just a perfectly ordinary old lady.

True, she did give off a bit of a mean-spirited impression, but surely she couldn’t be a bad person if she provided food to a complete stranger like this.

The thought of the fairy-tale witch who pretends to be kind-hearted and eats children did cross Ruri’s mind, but right now, the food in front of her was more important! That said, she made sure to keep the fireplace in her peripheral vision…

“That said, you’ve been through quite an ordeal. I never had good feelings about Nadasha to begin with, but my opinion of them has dropped even further. I don’t know anything about their prophecy book, but kidnapping people from another world—really.”

Ruri stopped eating and looked at the old woman in surprise.

“How do you know about that? I haven’t told you anything yet.”

She hadn’t even said where she was from, yet the old woman spoke as if she knew everything.

The old woman smiled meaningfully and gazed at the empty ceiling. Ruri looked around at the ceiling and the room as well, but there was nothing there. She tilted her head in confusion.

“These little ones told me.”

“These little ones,” she said, but there was no one else in the room besides Ruri and the old woman—not even in the direction she was looking. More question marks appeared in Ruri’s mind.

“Judging by your reaction, you can’t see them at all. Hmm, did you hear any sounds on your way here?”

“Sounds… Ah, I did hear a bell sound. When I followed it, I found food and water.”

Then, as if to assert their presence, the bell sound she’d heard in the forest rang out again.

“That’s the voice of spirits. There are many of them in this room right now.”

Ruri scanned the room again, but still couldn’t see so much as a shadow.

“From what I can see, you seem to have considerable magical power. The reason you can’t see them despite having enough magic is probably because you don’t know how to use it properly, wouldn’t you say? No matter how good a tool you have, it’s useless if you don’t know how to use it.”

She had the means but couldn’t see. It was like a television that wasn’t turned on. In other words, if she flipped the switch, she’d be able to see…

Thinking that, Ruri concentrated on her eyes, imaging it like she had when she lit the fire—and felt as if her blurry vision had suddenly cleared. The next moment, she clearly saw the room filled with palm-sized little people with wings on their backs.

“Whoa!”

Startled, Ruri leaned back and fell off her chair. The spirits gathered around her as if worried.

*”Are you okay?”*
*”Does it hurt?”*

“I’m fine… Wait, I can understand you?”

“Oh, you can already see them? You must have a very flexible mind, or a magical wavelength that spirits favor. The reason you can hear their voices is because you’ve become able to recognize the spirits.”

“Wavelength?”

“Before I explain that, tell me about this girl Asahi. These little ones can tell me, but their information is too abstract—they don’t know the details.”

Even though she was asked to tell her story, Ruri felt hesitant to pour out her personal life to someone she’d just met. She couldn’t be certain the old woman was on her side yet. It would be one thing if she was kicked out for being a bother after talking, but if she were sent back to Nadasha, she’d lose her life for sure.

“Well, um… I don’t think it’s a good idea to tell a suspicious stranger I just met about my private life…”

As soon as she said that, the meat she’d only taken one bite of was snatched away.

“Oh, so you don’t want food cooked by a suspicious stranger you just met, then?”

“Whoa, yes I do, I do! I’ll talk about anything!!”

How cowardly—a siege by cutting off supplies. Not being able to eat the delicious-smelling meal right in front of her was unbearable for Ruri in her current state.

As she ate her reclaimed meat and began talking about what had happened since she was summoned, she gradually got worked up, and her earlier reluctance to speak became a lie as she detailed everything.

Especially when it came to Asahi, she vented with tears, pouring out all the pent-up frustration from her childhood.

She must have looked like a drunken old man crying and shouting complaints about work and family.

After she’d finished talking, Ruri’s face was a mess. But inside, she felt refreshed.

Until now, everyone around her had been Asahi’s followers—her parents were the exception, but they spent most of the year overseas—so she’d rarely had an outlet for her frustrations.

But being on the receiving end of it all was no picnic for the listener.

“You’ve had a rough time, haven’t you, girl.”

“You understand!? Everyone around me always takes Asahi’s side and arbitrarily sees me as an enemy. And when I try to get away, she clings to me like birdlime and won’t let go! At this rate, she’ll probably follow me even after I get married—do you know how terrified I’ve been!!”

Ruri still had more to say, but the old woman, who’d had enough, cut her off.

“Alright, alright, I get it. That’s plenty. But you know, I can kind of understand how that Asahi girl feels too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because you have a very pleasant wavelength.”

“You mentioned that before—wavelength.”

“Yes. A wavelength is something everyone with magical power possesses. To put it simply, it’s magical compatibility. In this world, wavelength is actually more important than the amount of magic you have. The most common form of magic involves borrowing power from spirits in exchange for magic energy. Which spirit attributes you can borrow from depends on whether your wavelength matches. Spirits readily lend power to those with compatible wavelengths, and won’t even approach those with incompatible ones. But around you, spirits of all different attributes are gathering. That means your wavelength is high quality—the kind that’s favored by many different spirits.”

“So, you’re saying Asahi won’t leave me alone because our wavelengths match?”

“It’s rare for so many spirits of different attributes to compete to help someone. Your side must feel very comfortable to be around—and that Asahi girl probably feels the same way.”

Ruri now understood the reason behind Asahi’s stalker-like persistence, but it was extremely troublesome. Her face visibly twisted in disgust, as if her inner thoughts had leaked out.

“Oh, but if it’s a magical wavelength, that means Asahi would also need to have magic to sense it, right?”

The moment she voiced the question that had occurred to her, the old woman’s expression turned serious.

“This is just my speculation, but… could that girl be using magic?”

“Magic!? …No, that’s impossible. After all, in our world, magic only exists in fantasy.”

When Asahi was shown magic here, she’d been more shocked than anyone. Ruri knew Asahi well, reluctantly, and she couldn’t believe it was an act.

“But you see, the reactions of people around Asahi are very similar to the effects of a spell called ‘Charm.'”

“Charm…?”

“It’s a spell that makes even people who don’t like you feel affection for you and be manipulated.”

“Nothing’s happened to me, though.”

“You have both excellent quality and a considerable amount of magic. It doesn’t work on those with more magic than the caster.”

Charm magic…

With that in mind, the blind, slave-like behavior of those around her made sense.

However, Ruri couldn’t believe Asahi had done it intentionally.

After all, Ruri had tried countless things over the years to escape from her.

Even though people around her showed hostility, Asahi never stopped getting involved with Ruri. It wasn’t that Ruri never suspected that Asahi secretly enjoyed seeing her being targeted.

To expose any hidden nature, Ruri had tailed her, hired detectives to investigate her background—but all she discovered was that Asahi was an airhead… or rather, that her head was full of flowers.

It seemed that because she’d been constantly affirmed by those around her since childhood, she’d completely missed out on learning things that most people pick up through social interaction—like consideration for others, or how her words might make someone feel.

But even so, Ruri didn’t think Asahi had ever intentionally hurt anyone with malice.

She was like a child, acting on instinct.

“I don’t think Asahi is manipulating people on purpose.”

“…Is that so. If you, who’ve been by her side all this time, say so, maybe that’s the case. But it’s also possible she’s using magic unconsciously.”

“Can that happen? And if she has such power, does that mean Asahi is definitely the shrine maiden princess?”

“Who knows—I can’t say for certain. In terms of power, you—with so many spirits favoring you—are far more remarkable than Asahi with her Charm. Besides, you also fit the description of having a ‘rare coloring.'”

“If it’s discovered that Asahi’s hair and eye color are fake, would they come after me or something…?”

“No. Platinum blonde hair and lapis lazuli eyes like yours are certainly rare, but in this world, having both hair and eyes of the same black color is also unusual. So they wouldn’t be able to immediately claim that girl is a fake.”

“I see. So it could also be the other female classmate.”

“Exactly. Though, we won’t know for sure until we see if those girls can actually bring the prosperity they’re hoping for.”

What if they come after me…? Ruri held her head.

The old woman took a pen and a piece of paper from a drawer and quickly wrote something down. When she finished, she submerged the paper in a square box filled with water. The paper dissolved and disappeared without a trace before their eyes.

“What was that?”

“I sent a letter. You write a letter, dissolve it in this box’s water, and it appears in the recipient’s box.”

“Whoa.”

Ruri didn’t understand the mechanics, but it reminded her once again that this wasn’t Earth.

“Who did you send it to?”

“My grandchild, who works at the castle in the Dragon Kingdom. I asked them to investigate that girl Asahi and the contents of the prophecy book. If it’s intentional, Nadasha might be being manipulated, and the damage could even spread to the Dragon Kingdom, so we need to deal with it. If it’s unconscious, we need to teach her how to control her magic, or it could become a serious problem.”

At the mention of the “Dragon Kingdom,” thoughts of Asahi flew far away.

“Are you from another country, Granny!?”

“Who’re you calling granny!”

“Well then, what’s your name? By the way, I’m Ruri.”

The old woman hesitated for a moment, then murmured in a voice so small it was almost inaudible.

“…Chelsea.”

“…Pfft.”

Ruri tried her hardest to hold it in, but couldn’t—she burst out laughing. A witch-like old woman from a fairy tale, named Chelsea. It didn’t match her face at all.

“How cute! Ahahahaha!”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to say it. Argh, stop laughing, or I’ll cut off your meals!”

“Whoa, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s a very lovely name that suits you perfectly… *pfft*”

“If you’re going to say that, at least hold in your laughter first! Your shoulders and voice are shaking!”

Being able to have playful banter like this was refreshing, and Ruri was happy. After her laughter subsided, she asked about the Dragon Kingdom that Chelsea had mentioned.

“The Dragon Kingdom is the country next to Nadasha, and it’s my homeland. This forest lies between them. As the name suggests, it’s a country ruled by the Dragon King. It’s the largest country on this continent.”

“Dragon King?”

“The king of the dragon race. Do you know about the dragon race?”

Ruri shook her head.

“They’re a race with two forms—dragon and human. There are many other races too, like cat-folk and dog-folk. Some among them have only one form, like humans. But unlike humans, their appearances are mixed with animal traits—they’re called beast-folk, and these races are collectively known as demi-humans. Among humans, many hold discriminatory views toward demi-humans—Nadasha is a prime example. Conversely, in the Dragon Kingdom, under the Dragon King’s rule, humans and demi-humans live together without discrimination.”

“I see.”

So it seemed to be a more decent country than Nadasha.

However, what Ruri wanted to know wasn’t about dragon-folk or demi-humans—it was about how to return.

“So, do you think the Dragon Kingdom might have a way to send me back!?”

She held her breath, waiting for Chelsea’s answer. With so many different races, someone might know something.

But Chelsea’s expression turned sorrowful as she dashed Ruri’s hopes.

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to return.”

“Maybe Chelsea-san just doesn’t know—maybe someone in the Dragon Kingdom…”

Ruri asked desperately, clinging to hope, but Chelsea shook her head.

“Unlike you, who was forcibly brought here, there are occasionally people who fall into this world from the other side. But not a single one has ever returned.”

“…No way.”

“A long time ago, there was a fallen one who retained her memories of the other world. She said: ‘It’s easy to fall, but to climb back up, you must cast away that form.'”

“What does that mean…”

“To put it cruelly—unless you die in this world, you will never return to that world.”

Ruri was stunned. Her mind stopped working, as if thinking had ceased.

She had survived in the forest all this time on the faint hope that she might eventually go back. That hope shattered with a sound, and darkness spread before her eyes.

What was she supposed to do now? In a strange world where she didn’t even know the basic rules, with no acquaintances to rely on—how was she supposed to live…?

As she sank into despair, what welled up inside her wasn’t tears—it was anger.

*(Kidnapped to another world, falsely accused and arrested, chased by a giant beast in a forest, fighting for my life. Why does all this always happen to me!?)*

The causes were obvious: Asahi, who thought the world revolved around her and had caused Ruri endless trouble without ever noticing; the prince and classmates who had thrown her into an unfamiliar world with nothing; and, for good measure, the king and priests who’d kidnapped her in the first place.

*(I absolutely cannot accept being left to cry in defeat! If I can’t go back, then at least I want to vent my frustrations—including compensation for all the trouble they’ve caused me!)*

Once she’d made up her mind, Ruri moved quickly.

She sat up straight in front of Chelsea and bowed her head.

“I know I’ll be a burden, but I’ll do anything—cleaning, laundry, cooking! Please let me stay here and teach me about this world and magic.”

Even if she wanted revenge, she needed to understand the rules of this world. And if she had a constitution that spirits favored, it would be a waste not to use it.

“Fine.”

Chelsea’s eyes widened at how quickly Ruri had switched gears—expecting her to cry, she instead immediately moved to secure food and shelter—but she agreed almost without thinking. Ruri, in turn, was the one surprised.

“Eh, really? It’s not my place to say this, but shouldn’t you be a little more cautious…?”

“I’ve been alone in this big house. Having more people around will make it livelier—that’s a good thing. Besides, I have no reason to be wary of someone so favored by spirits. And if I kicked you out, these little ones might stop lending me their power.”

Thank the spirits indeed. Ruri was deeply moved that the person she’d met had turned out to be Chelsea.

“Chelsea-san, you’re a really good person. Even though your face looks like a mean old hag…”

“Maybe I should kick you out after all.”

And so, Ruri began living with the witch and spirits she’d met in the forest.