Chapter 3: Girl, Questions
NICHIKA downed the red liquid swirling in her cup. Its flowery aroma softly tickled her nose, and the subtle sweet flavor from dissolved sugar cubes gently soothed her weary mind and body.
“I see. Basically, you’re a ‘high school girl’ who came from a country called ‘Japan’?” the man asked, emphasizing the words he’d never heard before.
“Yup.” She returned her cup to the saucer with a clack, then noticed that the scowling man on the sofa across from her was eyeing her suspiciously.
“I think you’ve got a future as a scribe.”
“I’m telling the truth!”
He’d ordered her to explain herself before he passed judgment and had brought her to his home for questioning, which was about a three-minute walk from the clearing. Yet, when she’d obediently spilled her guts, what did it get her in return? The first words out of his mouth called her a liar! Of course she’d object to that!
“Did you fall from a cliff and hit your head? I’m no doctor; go get your head checked at a clinic.”
According to the man, they were currently inside the “Forest of Fathomless Deception” on the “Arcanshiel Continent,” which was currently off-limits to the outside world. His explanation had been full of terms she didn’t know, and she only understood about half of it, but there was one thing she could be certain of—
“I’ve come to another world…” Nichika muttered, looking out the window behind her. Two other-worldly moons, one blue and one red, hung next to each other in the night sky like the best of friends. “How’d this happen…?”
Leaving Nichika to her loud sighing, the man procured two different colored vials from the wooden cabinet and put them down on the table in front of her with a resounding clink.
“Whatever your story is, I can’t just let you waltz out of here now that you know about this place. So I’ll give you the honor of choosing.”
“Choosing what?” Nichika curiously picked up both vials. The liquids swirled and splashed inside the small, thin glass.
“Whether you want to lose your voice or your mind.”
CRASH!
The vial she’d accidentally dropped shattered on the floor. Wolfie jumped to his paws in alarm from where he had been dozing off at her feet.
“AGH! What the hell did you just do, girl?! That vial costs a lot, y’know?!”
“Don’t you start with me! I refuse both options!”
What kind of dangerous poison was he trying to make me take?! Nichika was going to return with her body and her mind intact. Like hell was she going to willingly take something that would harm either!
“How ungrateful! I even went out of my way to compromise with you…” He turned to rummage through the cabinet again.
Nichika quickly scooted away, putting a safe distance between her and the grumbling man. “Who in the world are you? What are you doing in this forest?” she asked warily.
He shot her an icy glare. “They say curiosity killed the cat, and you seem to have a real death wish.”
“…!”
Pushing his glasses up from where they had slipped on his nose, he sat down on the sofa opposite of her. Somehow, even his sardonic smile looked rather attractive, which only aggravated her more.
“I’m a witch,” he said simply, “I make items that are both good and bad for the world.”
“A…w-witch?”
Witches from all the fairy tales she had read went through Nichika’s mind. They were all curious characters in possession of some mysterious powers, and usually tricked the heroes and heroines, but sometimes guided them to happiness.
“I make everything and anything: poisons, truth potions, love potions, magic weapons, and, if the price is right, even kits for making artificial life and raising the dead,” he explained casually, shrugging with his palms upward. “And thanks to my lack of morals, I’ve earned my fair share of enemies. Even so, in a world of haggling and squabbling, the demand for my work is never-ending.”
So he was basically saying that he’d secluded himself in this forest for safety, and that was why he couldn’t let anyone know his location.
“…Are you going to kill me?”
After telling her this much, Nichika sincerely doubted he would let her go without a catch. The man stood and opened the door to the next room over. Then, without looking back at her, said, “I’ll decide what to do with you tomorrow. Don’t even think about running away.”
His back disappeared behind the door. Left with those ominous words, Nichika could only sit there, the blood draining from her face.