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 75: A Date with Lilac - Part 1

Chapter 75: A Date with Lilac – Part 1

[Tatsumori Haruto]

“—Bubblegum… she’s way too lewd…”

I muttered absentmindedly while staring up at the bleak, stone-carved ceiling.

Yesterday’s date with Bubblegum had way too many unexpected twists. Especially in the latter half—it was hardly the kind of thing I could ever let someone else see.

With her magic, Bubblegum made me do this and that… and even now, just remembering it makes my face burn with embarrassment.

“…Haah, I really am hopeless, aren’t I?”

When I closed my eyes, I saw the faces of Fuu and Scarlet-san.

—And, as an extra, Bubblegum’s face as well.

***

“A-A-Ah, um… g-good morning, nano.”

As I was training myself in the art of reshaping magic crystals, trying to rid my mind of distractions, a timid knock echoed, followed by a stammering voice tumbling into my ears.

“Good morning. You’re Lilac, right? Please go easy on me today.”

By the third day, I was starting to get used to this. Today, I was determined not to get swept up in her pace.

“P-P-Please g-go e-easy on me too… um, I-I’m unlocking the door now, nano…”

I first met Lilac at the café where I went with Fuu. She seemed to have a nervous disposition back then, and even now, she still spoke in a halting, hesitant manner.

“…That uniform suits you well.”

“A-Ah, th-thank you, nano…”

Lilac’s uniform was different from Scarlet’s or Bubblegum’s—rather unique, actually.

It was a fusion of a sailor outfit and a one-piece dress. Cute, yet exuding an air of modesty and elegance—very fitting for her.

“Uh, I’ve been meaning to ask… can you actually see with that?”

“N-No probs, nano!”

Among all of Lilac’s defining features, the one that stood out the most was her bangs.

Her soft, snow-white bangs were so long that they completely covered her face.

It was like something out of a horror movie. If her hair were black and unkempt, she’d be a full-on ghost.

By the way, her hair was long all over, but she kept it neatly tied up in a round bun at the back. So why just the bangs—?

“Well, if you can see, that’s all that matters. By the way, do you mind telling me what today’s plan is?”

“…T-T-Today, um, I-I’d like us to… t-talk in my room, nano… i-is that… okay?”

“Of course! That’s exactly the kind of peaceful plan I was hoping for.”

As long as I wasn’t turned into a scarecrow, I was fine with anything. I still didn’t understand what that meant, and frankly, I didn’t want to. Scarecrow? What even was that about?

“…Th-then, um… p-please take care of me today, H-Haru.”

Saying that, Lilac timidly pinched the sleeve of my shirt and began heading toward the stairs leading aboveground.

By the way, my name isn’t Haruto, it’s Hareto. Even if you shorten it, it should be Hare, not Haru. (T/N: First time this was mentioned, but most characters still refer to him as Haruto so I’ll keep it at that unless it’s mentioned.)

…Well, whatever.

***

“—U-Um, Haru?”

“…? Is something wrong?”

As we walked along the wooded path leading to the castle, Lilac, who had been gently tugging on my sleeve, suddenly mumbled something.

“Uh, th-this morning… w-what were you d-doing?”

“This morning? I was training to forge a magic sword.”

“I-I see… w-when I opened the d-door, I f-felt magic, s-so…”

“Ah, makes sense.”

“E-Even though you just became a f-familiar… y-you’re amazing, nano.”

“Not at all. I’m completely stuck right now. I can’t seem to reshape my magic crystal into a sword, no matter what I try.”

Not exactly the kind of conversation you’d expect on a date, but Lilac seemed to be listening intently… or at least, I think she was. I couldn’t really tell with her bangs covering her face.

“…L-Look, nano—‘Igura.’”

“…Whoa!?”

Lilac stopped walking, raised her hand in front of her, and in an instant, a magic sword materialized before her.

Ys and Scarlet could do the same, but still—how were they able to summon magic swords so effortlessly?

“H-Haru, y-you t-try it, too, nano.”

It seemed like Lilac was willing to give me some guidance. I already had Ys as a mentor, but learning from a different perspective might not be a bad idea.

“Got it—here goes!”

Just like Lilac, I extended my hand forward and focused my magic.

Gradually, the condensed magic energy formed a small crystal, which then started to stretch and grow into a rod-like shape—

“…S-Stop, nano.”

“…Huh?”

Even though I was making it at a much faster speed than before, my temporary instructor suddenly halted me.

“I-If you do it like that, n-no matter how much you try… it won’t turn into a sword.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“L-Let’s just… go to my room first. I’ll explain there.”

After a brief hesitation, Lilac grabbed my sleeve and started walking again. Something about this forest path must have been inconvenient for her.

Either way, since she was willing to teach me, I decided to follow her quietly.

***

Lilac’s room was on the second floor of the castle, positioned directly two floors beneath Scarlet’s.

One entire wall was covered with bookshelves, revealing her to be quite the avid reader at a glance.

“…Uh, um, here, use this.”

“This is… a pen?”

Lilac rummaged through her drawer and handed me a single pen.

I thought she was going to teach me how to summon a magic sword—so why a pen?

Sure, they say the pen is mightier than the sword, but was she telling me to give up on magic swords and just focus on studying instead?

“…Yes, nano.”

As I held the pen in one hand, lost in ridiculous thoughts, Lilac presented me with a notebook.

On the first page, written in neat and adorable handwriting, were the words:

“Let’s use this notebook to communicate in writing from now on.”

Without a word, I accepted the notebook and wrote my response:

“Why the sudden switch to writing?”

Lilac quickly wrote back.

“I’m not very good at talking, so I thought this would be an easier way to teach.”

I see. It was true—her writing was much more fluid than her speech. But why was she using such formal language?

“I am deeply grateful for your consideration, Sensei. Please, instruct me through written lessons.”

“Understood. I, Lilac Ginrami, shall do my utmost to teach you. Also, there’s no need to be so formal with me, okay?”

That’s my line! If she humbled herself too much while teaching, it would just make things more awkward for me.

“To begin, I need to correct a misunderstanding: Magic crystals can be manipulated, but they cannot change shape. If you first mold them into a rod, they cannot later be reshaped into a sword.”

“…Wait, seriously!?”

The shocking revelation made me forget about writing entirely as I blurted out my reaction.

“When creating a magic sword, it’s best to first visualize its shape before crystallizing it.”

“This is incredibly helpful. Can I try it out right now?”

That damn Ys and her lousy explanations—she never mentioned anything like this! I had been practicing by forming simple rods, thinking I could refine them into swords later, but it turned out I had been wrong from the very beginning.

If I wanted to create a sword, I had to start with the intention of making a sword.

“Good luck!”

With Lilac’s encouragement, I held my hands out before me.

A sword… A sword…

I closed my eyes, repeatedly chanting the word in my mind while clearly envisioning the shape of a blade.

The sword I had crafted in my thoughts traveled through my nerves, flowing from my palm… and into reality.

“…Haaah!”

When I opened my eyes, a sword was firmly gripped in my hand.

A simple double-edged blade—though, in reality, it was just a magic crystal shaped like a sword.

“Very well done. You worked hard.”

Unable to contain my joy, I turned to Lilac with a grin, only to see those words neatly written in her notebook.

Lilac was seriously such a good person.

I leaned the sword against a nearby bookshelf and took the notebook from her.

“It’s all thanks to you, Sensei. Thank you so much!”

“No, no, thank you for going along with my written explanations.”

“Not at all! Honestly, I’m enjoying this way more than I expected.”

—Yes, I realized I was actually enjoying this written conversation.

Writing down my thoughts and handing them over, reading her response and writing back—such a simple process.

In this day and age, messaging apps have made this kind of exchange second nature, yet for some reason, this felt completely different.

“I’m happy that Haru feels the same way.”

Lilac handed me the notebook, looking a little embarrassed. That unexpectedly hit me right in the chest.

…Wait, wasn’t this the most date-like date I’d had so far?

Lilac Ginrami… what an unexpected dark horse.

“Is there anything you’d like to do, Lilac?”

To be honest, I had initially treated today as just another obligation.

But now, looking at how things had turned out, this was actually turning into a really pleasant outing.

Feeling a little guilty for my earlier indifference, I wanted to do something for her in return.

Lilac took the notebook, hesitated for a moment, then began writing.

“Actually, I have a request…”

A request, huh?

Unlike Ys or Bubblegum, who had no problem bulldozing ahead with whatever they wanted regardless of my input, Lilac was being considerate.

I wanted to force-feed them some of her patience.

“If it’s something I can do, just say the word.”

As I handed her the notebook, her red eyes, peeking through the gaps in her bangs, narrowed slightly.

Was she… smiling?

Lilac finished writing and handed the notebook back.

Written in her adorable handwriting was:

“I want to make Haru my scarecrow.”