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 60: Nikujaga and the Crimson Ice Witch

[Tatsumori Haruto]

“──So, you’re saying that Ravens protects weak witches from witch hunters, like some kind of justice organization?”

“Gahahaha! You sure know how to sugarcoat things, newbie! But unfortunately for us, even the Seraph Witch Association, finds us a nuisance—like a thorn in their side!”

“…Why is that? You’re just taking down witch hunters, aren’t you?”

“Because those witch hunters belong to a human organization! The Witch Association, Seraph, was founded on the principle of coexistence with humans, so even if they’re facing witch hunters, they can’t allow witches to kill humans!”

The woman we freed from prison yesterday, Ys, was once again in my cell today, chugging down the remaining booze.

Apparently, while this cell’s facilities were more outdated, she felt more comfortable in a familiar place. Getting used to a prison cell… what a messed-up thought.

“I see. This has been really informative. You’re pretty reliable, Ys!”

“Gahaha! Flattery won’t get you anything, y’know!?”

Next to me, Ys, in an extremely good mood, poked my shoulder with her tail. It hurt. A lot.

“…Speaking of which, the witch hunter woman who attacked me had a tail, too. Is that a common thing for witches?”

“Hmm? Did she have that tail from the start?”

“No, it sprouted out mid-fight.”

That sight was still a mild trauma for me. That grotesque tail emerging from her back… Ys’ tail was at least kind of cute.

“Then that must’ve been an exoskeleton! I dunno exactly how it works, but those guys have been modifying their bodies—it’s not normal magic!!”

“…I see. The more I hear, the more dangerous this organization sounds.”

I was gathering information from Ys. Until now, I hadn’t even understood what I had been dragged into, but I felt like I was finally grasping the bigger picture.

First, an organization called the Witch Hunters had shown up, targeting Fuu, and a battle ensued. After that, I was taken by another group called Ravens, which hunts the Witch Hunters.

Apparently, just being there had been enough for them to mistake me for a member of the Witch Hunters.

And then, the most unbelievable part—Ryuna, who appeared at that scene, was likely a member of the Witch Hunters. It was just my assumption, but… it felt like Ryuna had been trying to protect both Fuu and me.

Telling me not to leave the house all of a sudden, the tears she shed at the end… they must be connected somehow.

I had no intention of leaving things as they were. I had to meet Ryuna again and hear the truth from her directly.

“──Oi, newbie, you hear that?”

A whisper suddenly came right next to my ear. I almost yelped, but Ys clamped a hand over my mouth.

Kots, kots, kots…

I focused and heard the sound of shoes striking stone steps. That meant someone was coming down to this underground prison.

“Listen up, newbie. Don’t tell ‘em I’m here. Stay quiet, and everything’ll be fine.”

“H-hai, got it.”

The footsteps grew louder, finally reaching the circular chamber.

“──Ys, I brought your lunch.”

“……”

Peeking through the small window, I saw the back of a woman with red hair.

She was talking toward the cell where Ys was supposed to be, but since Ys was actually in here with me, of course, there was no reply.

“…Hey, are you still asleep? It’s already noon! Get up already!”

By the way, Ys had barged into my cell at six in the morning, yelling to wake me up.

“Hmph, playing dead, huh? Fine, if that’s how you want it, I’ll just take this lunch back!”

“Like hell I want that nasty-ass food, dumbass octopus.”

Ys muttered under her breath beside me. Harsh. If I were her, I wouldn’t bring food to this ungrateful prisoner ever again.

“…Hmph. Whatever, I don’t care! I’m leaving it here, so make sure you eat it!”

The redhead shoved the food tray into a small drawer beside the door. So that’s how they passed things through.

Looking closer, I realized my room had a similar compartment.

While I was admiring the mechanism, the redhead turned her attention to my cell. Ys quickly burrowed into the blanket. Not the best hiding technique.

“──Ah, um, Tatsumori-kun? That’s right, right? I brought you lunch. I know this must be tough, but if you can, please eat.”

…Surprisingly, she seemed like a decent person. Or rather, a decent witch. My impression of Ravens had been rock-bottom ever since I woke up here, but this red-haired woman left a good impression.

“…Thank you. I was hungry, so I really appreciate it.”

“Eh!? Y-you don’t need to thank me! I-it’s not like I made this for you or anything!”

She sounded like a textbook tsundere.

“Would it be alright if I asked your name? I’d like to know the name of the person who made this meal.”

“M-me!? I’m Scarlet. The Crimson Ice Witch, Scarlet Hoist… I-it’s not like I’m happy you asked or anything!”

Oh no. She might actually be a funny person. The dumb kind of funny.

“Scarlet-san, then. I’ll gratefully accept this meal. Thank you very much.”

“Like I said, you don’t need to thank me! A-and you don’t need to call me ‘san’ either!”

Scarlet quickly stomped off toward the stairs.

“Whew, finally, that damn octopus is gone!”

“Ys, do you hate Scarlet or something?”

“Hell yeah! We’ll never see eye to eye!!”

Ys smacked her tail against the bed in frustration. Dust flew up. Please stop.

“Personally, I didn’t get a bad impression of her. Either way, I was starving, so I appreciate the food.”

I retrieved the tray from the slot next to the door.

“…Huh?”

Wait. Let me rephrase that.

I retrieved a tray… holding a plate of pure darkness.

“Wh-what the hell is this? Charcoal? No, it’s too soft… Wait, this is terrifying.”

“If you still wanna say Scarlet’s not that bad after eating that, then you’ve got some guts.”

I wasn’t about to eat this. This wasn’t food. Was she actually a torturer disguised as a nice person?

“Is this some kind of torture?”

“Nah, Scarlet’s just a terrible cook. She’s banned from the kitchen normally, so she only cooks for prisoners like us. Every day, it’s this.”

“That is torture.”

So that’s why Ys had complained about the food earlier. Yeah, this wasn’t an acceptable meal in any way.

My hunger evaporated. Calling this a mere case of ‘bad cooking’ was an understatement.

“Well, I’ve never eaten it, so who knows? Maybe it’s surprisingly good?”

“…Ys, you’re trying to use me as a test subject, aren’t you? By the way, what have you been eating all this time?”

“I got someone else to bring me food in secret. Don’t get your hopes up.”

Unbelievable. So until we escaped, I’d have to eat this? I’d die before Abyss even got back.

“…Ys, let’s start our operation tonight. Not just alcohol—we need to secure food, too.”

“Gahaha! Sure thing! I’ll get you a perfect map!”

I had wanted to gather more intel and recover my strength before making a move, but this was a life-or-death situation. I had no choice.

＊＊＊

──Midnight. I was staring intently at the map I had received from Ys.

The plan was simple: first, I would escape from the underground prison to the surface, then head north and infiltrate the castle.

According to Ys, there were currently about four to six witches in the castle, and after 9 PM, most of them would retreat to their rooms and go to bed.

I’d take advantage of the time when they were sound asleep to stock up on food from the storeroom. Then, I’d grab the stash of liquor Ys had hidden away. That would complete my mission.

No problem. Piece of cake. Probably.

“Oi, newbie! Just so we’re clear—if you get caught, it’s instant execution, so don’t mess up! And don’t even think about ratting me out, got it?!”

“You don’t have to worry. I wouldn’t sell you out, Ys.”

“Hah! Says the guy who just tricked Scarlet without even blinking! You’re one sneaky bastard!”

“That was just an accident. A harmless little lie to keep everyone safe.”

Scarlet had been the one to bring me lunch—otherwise known as a torture device.

Of course, she had also brought me dinner—yet another torture device.

~~ Flashback ~~

“Tatsumori-kun, I brought you dinner. Could you pass me your lunch plate first?”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

I placed the empty plate onto the tray and handed it over to Scarlet.

“…Huh? Tatsumori-kun, you actually ate everything?”

“Yes, I did.”

Of course, I actually threw it away. Also, what’s with that “Huh?” reaction? Does she know how dangerous her own cooking is?

“O-oh… I see. My cooking doesn’t really get great reviews, so if it suited your taste, I’m glad.”

“It was certainly… unique. By the way, do you use any special ingredients?”

Her cooking wasn’t just getting bad reviews—it was the kind of horror that made headlines.

“Oh? You can tell? Actually, I use something called ‘Njahyunurukoppe,’ a secret ingredient from my homeland!”

…What the hell did she just say?

“D-don’t get the wrong idea! It’s not like I’m telling you because I wanted to or anything!”

I don’t need the tsundere act right now! And seriously, what did you just say? Njahiru… what?! That sounds terrifying! Where even is your homeland?!

“…S-sorry, it’s hard to hear through the door. Could you repeat the name of the secret ingredient one more time?”

“Geez, don’t go telling anyone, okay? …It’s ‘Njahyunurukoppe’!”

Njahyuruluruppe?! I heard it twice and it still makes no sense! What the hell is this woman trying to feed me?!

“A-ah, thank you. That was very informative.”

“Hehe, by the way, for dinner, I made nikujaga! I haven’t made much Japanese food before, but I think it turned out pretty well!”

Scarlet smiled as she placed the dish into the food slot.

“…Wow, that sure looks like a delicious nikujaga.”

It looked identical. To the dark matter I had flushed down the toilet earlier. Was this a test?

“Really? I thought it was perfect until I added the secret ingredient. It got a little darker after that, so I was worried… but if it looks good, then great!”

Stop putting njahyuruluruppe in everything!! This isn’t just “a little” darker—it’s black! Completely pitch black!!

“…By the way, did you taste it yourself, Scarlet-san?”

“Of course! It was delicious halfway through cooking, so I didn’t bother tasting it at the end.”

Taste it at the end too!!

“I see. Well then, I’ll be sure to enjoy my dinner. Wow, I can’t wait—this looks amazing.”

~~ Flashback Ends ~~

“Even I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Scarlet that time.”

“Yeah, she happily skipped away, completely unaware that I flushed it all down the toilet. Even I felt guilty—wasting food like that.”

“Not guilty about Scarlet, huh?”

“Look, what she says makes her sound like an ally, but what she actually does makes her my greatest enemy.”

Honestly, Scarlet seemed like the most normal person here… aside from the fact that she brought me torture devices every meal.

“Anyway, I absolutely can’t afford to die here. I’ll make sure to bring back food and booze, no matter what.”