The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined - Chapter 30: Tomato Juice and Emilia

Chapter 30: Tomato Juice and Emilia

[Baba Sakurako]

Hikari-chan arrived at the office in exactly five minutes after my morning call, and she was having the same exchange with Yakuma-san as yesterday.

“No, I’m not late, Yakuma. It’s exactly 6:50.”

“As I said, don’t arbitrarily extend it. And it’s Yakuma-san.”

I thought everyone was finally here, but then I realized that the most important person, the boss, wasn’t here yet. I couldn’t believe the boss would be late too.

“Now that the three idiots are here, just sit over there for now. The one-man idiot will be here soon.”

“I’d sit down even if you didn’t tell me to, Yakuma. So Viviane is late too, huh? That’s not cool. People who can’t keep time are scum.”

“H-huh, Hikari-chan, are you sure about acting like that?”

She’s acting like she’s not late, but she’s very late. Maybe she’s still half-asleep.

“Sakurako, thanks for the morning call. I almost made it without being late.”

“Well, listen carefully? Hikari-chan was actually late.”

“Yeah, that’s one way of looking at it.”

“What other way is there to look at it!?”

As Hikari-chan was talking, she kept leaning closer to me, so I pushed back.

The two of them sitting across the table on the sofa didn’t seem to be helping, just smirking.

Then, something like a reddish-black smoke appeared at the edge of my vision, and it passed through the front and back of the sofa. Hikari-chan and the others also reacted almost simultaneously, looking at the smoke with surprise.

The smoke swirled around Yakuma-san and gradually contracted, eventually taking human form.

“—Good morning, everyone. I am Viviane Hearts.”

The little girl who introduced herself in front of me put her hand on her waist and puffed out her chest. Her skin was pure white, and her eyes were bright red. She looked to be around 7 or 8 years old, and her hair was neatly divided into black and white at the center.

This little girl with an otherworldly appearance was Viviane Hearts? Why is she a little girl?

“It’s not good morning, Vivi. You’re late.”

Yakuma-san, who was smoking next to her, stubbed out his cigarette. Vivi must be this little girl. So this really is Viviane Hearts…

“What’s up, Bambi? You’re ruining my cool appearance. That mist thing is really tiring, you know? Something feels off with my internal organs…”

The little girl started mumbling and grunting, putting her hand on her lower abdomen. Is Bambi Yakuma-san? I have no idea what’s going on.

“Ah, it’s fixed. Bambi, the usual.”

The little girl looked relieved, as if she had figured something out, and she stuck out her hand without even looking at Yakuma-san. Yakuma-san took a paper-packed juice from somewhere and handed it to her.

“Of course, this brand of tomato juice is the best.”

And then she started drinking the tomato juice. She’s incredibly free. Wasn’t she still in the middle of her self-introduction?

“Hey, Viviane, Sakurako looks like she wants to pull away. Pull yourself together, will you?”

Hikari-chan, who had invaded my territory by a large margin, said that in a tone of voice that sounded exasperated.

“Sorry, sorry, I almost forgot why I came here for a moment. Where did I get to…? Oh yeah! I am Viviane Hearts. I am the cutest in the universe! That’s all.”

The office was silent for a few seconds. Does “that’s all” mean there’s nothing more to come? I don’t know much more than her name and her obsession with tomato juice.

“The epitome of mediocrity.”

“I said this when we were introduced too, but I didn’t know the company name came from her.”

Kanon-chan and Karuta-chan muttered, sounding completely uninterested. As for Hikari-chan, she was somehow burying her face in my shoulder and breathing heavily. What kind of emotion is that?

“What’s up with you guys, you’re not cute at all with that reaction. It’s a bit of a downer.”

Viviane started drinking tomato juice again, looking sulky. Yakuma-san was also lighting a new cigarette.

It looks like I have to take the initiative if we want this conversation to progress.

“……Um, Viviane-san?”

“What’s up, newbie! A signature?”

Viviane quickly removed her mouth from the tomato juice, as if she had been waiting for someone to talk to her. What’s a signature?

“No, I’m asking something rude for a first meeting, but why are you a little girl?”

“Why are you a little girl?” It was the most absurd question in my entire life.

“……Well, there are various reasons. But don’t worry, I have a nice body with a great bust and waist.”

I don’t know what to do in this space where there’s no one I can rely on.

“So, Vivi, why were you so late?”

“Well, Bambi? Last night, Rose suddenly contacted me… Oh, I forgot something.”

Viviane suddenly started sweating on her forehead, and she walked toward the original entrance of the office.

The door opened with a “Gachari” sound, and Viviane returned to us, or rather, Viviane and one other person returned.

“Well, let me introduce you. This is Emilia Thea Francesca Hermesberger, who has been sent to us as a dispatched employee from the Seraph Witch Association.”

“—I am Emilia Thea Francesca Hermesberger. I have no intention of getting close to you, so you don’t have to be nice to me.”

All of us sitting on the sofa were transfixed by her. Rose-san had said yesterday that she would send one witch soon, but this is too soon. And for some reason, she’s openly hostile toward us.

“Hey, you, you’re being pretty rude. If you want to fight, just say so.”

Hikari-chan next to me was already in an angry mood. Her lower eyelids were twitching, and she looked scary.

“……Your upbringing is showing.”

“……”

Kanon-chan was also in a bad mood, glaring at the dispatched witch with her left eye. Karuta-chan was sitting quietly with a sleepy look on her face, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

I had a faint hope that the adults would resolve this tense atmosphere, but Yakuma-san was just glaring at Viviane and steaming his cigarette, and Viviane was scratching her head awkwardly, looking into the void.

“—Why did you choose this job?”

Eventually, it was Emilia, the dispatched witch, who spoke. Her deep red eyes, which stood out against her gray hair, were piercingly staring at us.

“Huh? Because I can kill as many crappy magi-beasts as I want without joining the association.”

Emilia’s question was first answered by Hikari-chan. I’ve never heard her say this before, but Hikari-chan sounds a little scary right now.

“Of course, it’s to prove that I’m better than the witches of the association. Just so you know, I have no intention of getting close to the dogs of the association.”

Kanon-chan answered next. As I felt yesterday, it seems that everyone has some kind of connection with the association. They all seem to hate the association for some reason.

“I~ I can easily make money just by killing magical-beasts~ and I can play a lot of games too~”

Karua-chan is unwavering. To be honest, her motivation sounds a bit impure, but I’m sure she doesn’t mean it that way at all.

“……With that kind of thinking…”

Emilia mumbled quietly. I saw her clenched fist shaking.

“The protection of people is a sacred act that only witches can perform! You low-class people are absolutely not qualified to do it!”

A scream-like shout, unlike her delicate appearance, echoed throughout the office.

Emilia was breathing heavily, and her eyes were bloodshot. Even Hikari-chan was taken aback by her overwhelming presence.

“……Why can you talk about killing magical-beasts as if it’s a fun and casual thing to do…”

Emilia, who was catching her breath, said that in a sad voice, completely different from before, as if a balloon had deflated.

“……What the hell are you talking about? Magical-beasts kill humans! What’s wrong with killing those bastards and having fun?”

Hikari-chan kicked the table with her foot while sitting. The table almost hit Kanon-chan and the others, but Karuta-chan stopped it with her foot.

“They… they didn’t become magical-beasts of their own free will, did they? How can you say such terrible things to them, who may have killed their beloved family with their own hands?”

—

We were frozen. Not just me, but Hikari-chan and the others too. We realized from this short conversation that Emilia’s desperate plea was based on something we had never considered before.

“They… they didn’t become magical-beasts of their own free will…” That means…

“……Magical-beasts are… humans…?”

Kanon-chan squeezed out her voice with her trembling lips. At that moment, Hikari-chan grabbed my hand so hard it hurt.

Looking at Hikari-chan, her face was pale, and her eyes were unfocused.

“……Huh? You’ve been living all this time without even knowing that… You’re the lowest of the low, you and this company.”

Emilia spat those words out and left the office, slamming the door shut, leaving us in a daze.

“Oh, we screwed up.”

Yakuma-san’s tired voice echoed in the silent room.