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 64: Stew and the Cursed Swords

Chapter 64: Stew and the Cursed Swords

[Tatsumori Haruto]

“──So, what do you think? I tried making stew for lunch.”

“……This stew, it’s white.”

“Is that weird? Cream stew is normally white, isn’t it?”

After my hellish training with Ys, Scarlet brought me lunch. And this time, it was a normal stew—one that hadn’t turned pitch-black.

“Yeah… normally, it’s not black.”

“……Wait, are you still thinking about Njahyunurukoppe? I told you, I didn’t put any in this time.”

Scarlet puffed out her cheeks a little, sulking playfully. Of course, she wasn’t seriously upset. It was an utterly adorable expression.

“You did say you threw it all out. More importantly, is it okay for you to be hanging around a dungeon at lunchtime?”

“Tatsumori-kun, are you indirectly calling me a slacker?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

…Well, actually, that was what I meant. To be honest, no other witches ever came to the dungeon besides Scarlet.

Even considering her duty as the ‘prison meal attendant,’ the only reason she’d bother eating with me was because she had too much free time.

“Well, to be fair, us combat squad members don’t have much to do around this time of year.”

“Combat squad?”

“Oh, right. You don’t know much about the Ravens, do you, Tatsumori-kun? The witches of Raven are divided into combat and defense squads. While Abyss is out gathering intel, the combat squad usually waits around at the castle.”

“I see. So then, the defense squad is…?”

“They stay at the castle, guarding it against attacks, just like the name implies. When the combat squad is around, they also go out to earn funds.”

“Oh, so that’s why they were working at a café.”

The witches at the café I visited with Fuu—if Scarlet’s story was anything to go by, they must have been part of the defense squad.

“By the way, the one who mistook you for a witch hunter and dragged you here was Bubblegum. She’s actually part of the combat squad, but for some reason, she was helping out at the shop.”

Bubblegum—ah, that tiny “Muhaha!” girl. Hard to believe someone that small was in the combat squad.

“If it’s a combat squad, does that mean everyone in it is really strong?”

“…It might sound like bragging, but the combat squad is on a whole other level compared to regular witches.”

I hadn’t known Scarlet for long, but she seemed fairly modest. If even she said that, then the combat squad of the Ravens must really be a group of monsters.

“Just out of curiosity, who’s the strongest?” I guess it’s probably Ys, right?

“That’s a tough one. Magic compatibility plays a role, after all. But if I had to rank them overall—excluding Abyss—then the top two would probably be Bumblebee or Bubblegum.”

“Wait, not Ys?”

That caught me off guard—twice. First, that tiny Bubblegum girl and the one-armed, easygoing Bumblebee were the strongest candidates. Second, that Ys, the berserk demon herself, wasn’t on the list.

“Huh? Tatsumori-kun… how do you know about Ys?”

“…Uh?” Crap. My mouth slipped.

“…Huh?” Scarlet tilted her head, looking puzzled.

Damn it, this morning felt just like this too. Déjà vu. I had to cover this up!

“…W-why I know her? Oh! She sometimes yells at me from across the dungeon! She’s really loud, you know—ha ha…”

“I see. That idiot ignores me every time I talk to her, but she’s messing with you instead, huh…?”

That was close. Scarlet couldn’t find out about my relationship with Ys. Even someone as easygoing as her wouldn’t ignore the fact that we’d formed a master-disciple bond.

“Are you and Ys… not on good terms?”

“We’re not exactly friendly. We tried to kill each other once.”

Scarlet always had a smile on her face, but right now, her expression hardened. They must have really hated each other.

“…Tried to kill each other? That’s not very peaceful. How’d you even end up in the same organization?”

“Abyss stepped in and stopped us. Well, I say stopped, but she actually just beat the crap out of both of us… After that, she kinda forced us into Ravens. It must’ve been hundreds of years ago by now…”

Scarlet, who could stand toe-to-toe with Ys, had needed Abyss to break up their fight. That meant Abyss was beyond terrifying.

…Wait, how old is Scarlet-san?

***

“Oh, newbie! You’d better bring booze this time! No more excuses!”

“Relax. Now that I don’t have to stop by the food storeroom, I can carry plenty back.”

Midnight. Just like last night, I was sneaking out of the dungeon to steal more alcohol from the Ravens Castle.

Luckily, Scarlet had started cooking real meals, so I no longer had to scavenge through the pantry for canned food.

“Oh, actually, there’s somethin’ else I want ya to grab!”

“What is it? As long as it’s something I can carry, I don’t mind.”

“My magic swords! The greatsword Yumehanabi and the shortsword Tatekujira! Bring both of ’em!”

Magic swords? She must be talking about the ones hanging on the wall in her room. I could probably carry them easily, but still—

“…Ys. What exactly is a magic sword?”

“GAHAHAHA! That’s what I’m gonna teach ya, dumbass! Now hurry up and get ’em!!”

Ys really sucked at explaining things. Not that I hadn’t already gotten used to it in the past two days.

***

—Last night, just like before, I infiltrated the castle and made my way to the fourth floor—where Ys’ room was.

But the moment I reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the hallway, trouble struck.

“—What do you think you’re doing?”

A cold, cutting voice sliced through the silence that ruled the corridor. I knew immediately who it belonged to. The undisputed number one on my list of “Women I Absolutely Do Not Want to Deal With in Ravens”…

“S-Snow… You’re still awake?”

Yeah. The same woman who sent my face flying with a kick—Snow.

“Is there a problem if I am? More importantly, answer my question.”

From my spot, hidden by the entrance to the kitchen, I could see both Snow and Scarlet inside. I held my breath, watching them quietly.

“I’m just preparing tomorrow’s meals, that’s all.”

“…For that human?”

“Well, yeah, sort of. But he’s a kenzoku—”

“Human or kenzoku, there’s little difference. Inferior beings, unworthy of witches.”

Unlike Scarlet, who had been making meals for me every day, Snow clearly looked down on humans entirely. The more I learned about her, the more I hated her.

“Scarlet. You shouldn’t be getting so involved with that human. Just throw him some pig slop once a week—that should be plenty.”

“T-That’s way too cruel!”

Yeah, you tell her, Scarlet! Though, if my choices were that black sludge or pig slop, I’d pick the pig slop without hesitation.

“…Don’t tell me you’ve grown attached from feeding him? Your face is looking awfully troubled.”

“Wha—N-No way! There’s not even a speck of attachment, okay!?”

Well, that was nice to hear, but honestly, this was shaping up to be a bad situation. I was getting a really bad feeling about this.

“…I see. Then, when it’s time to execute that human, I’ll leave it to you. Why not freeze him solid with that ice magic of yours?”

“W-What the hell!? Why does he have to be executed in the first place!? He hasn’t even done anything wrong!”

“Unlucky. That’s all there is to it. And if you keep defending him, I’ll have no choice but to report this to Lady Abyss.”

“……”

Scarlet’s desperate plea fell on deaf ears. My execution wasn’t going to be overturned. Worse, I might even end up dying by her hands. This was beyond terrible.

“—Oh, and whatever you’re trying to do, could you at least hide that head and tail of yours? Just having them in my sight is disgusting. I came here for some tea, but now I’ve lost my appetite.”

With that, Snow walked away down the hallway. It seemed she hadn’t noticed me hiding by the staircase.

Even so… I’d never felt such seething rage toward a woman before. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to chase after her and punch her lights out.

But if I did, that would be the end of me.

Being weak meant being unable to do anything. I couldn’t protect those I cared about. I couldn’t repay my debts. I was powerless.

For now, I had to grit my teeth and endure.

But I swore, right then and there—one day, I would become strong.

***

Ys’ beloved swords, Yumehanabi (Dream Fireworks) and Tatekujira (Vertical Whale), were ridiculously heavy.

There was no way I could carry them along with the alcohol in my normal state. I had to use magic activation just to barely manage my way back to the underground prison.

“Took you long enough, newbie! You better’ve brought the booze!”

“Y-Yeah, I’ve got the booze, but what the hell is up with these swords!? They’re insanely heavy!”

“Hah!? All magic swords are like this, dumbass!!”

Ys snatched the two swords from me and effortlessly drew them from their scabbards, slamming them into the ground.

“No one’s even told me what a magic sword is yet!”

“…Pfft. Magic swords are weapons created by condensing pure magic. Whether it looks like a spear or a scythe, as long as it’s formed from magic, it’s called a magic sword.”

If magic swords were made from magic, did that mean the ones stuck in the ground right now were created by Ys herself?

I couldn’t quite picture how one “makes” a sword. Do they conjure it from thin air? Or do they enchant an existing weapon?

“Witches are different from humans. Normal weapons break too easily for us. But a magic sword, forged from our own power, is different. They’re durable, and since magic flows through them, they can even unleash spells. Any halfway-decent witch can wield one.”

“…Then, does that mean I can use a magic sword too?”

“Of course. But whether you can create one is another matter. Making a magic sword requires a huge amount of magical energy. For a kenzoku, it can be tough.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Ys seemed more reasonable than usual—probably because she was drinking. She was explaining things clearly and actually answering my questions.

“A Kenzoku’s abilities depend on their master’s. At best, a kenzoku has half the magic power of the witch who created them. Usually, it’s only around thirty percent.”

“I see. So whether or not I can make a magic sword depends on my magic power. Is there a way to measure it?”

“Simple. Just activate your magic and arm wrestle me. Magic power directly correlates to physical strength—the stronger you are, the more magic you have.”

It sounded dumb at first, but actually, it made a lot of sense. Alright then, let’s do this—arm wrestling.

“Too bad we don’t have a table or space for it, though. So instead, just punch me with everything you’ve got.”

“What? We had a table in the room—”

“You dumbass! A wooden table would break! Now shut up and hit me already!”

If I kept arguing, I’d probably get smacked myself. Fine, I’d do as she said.

I took a deep breath, pictured Snow’s smug face—then threw my fist at Ys with all the force I could muster.

My stomp alone crushed the stone beneath me as I lunged forward, unleashing a full-powered punch.

“…!?”

A massive shockwave reverberated through the underground prison, but Ys caught my fist squarely. As expected of my mentor.

“Uhm? How was it?”

“…Hey, the witch who turned you into a kenzoku—who the hell is she?”

Ys released my hand and stared at me, her expression serious.

Then, from her open palm, crimson blood dripped to the ground.