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 98: Candy and Marbles

[Ryuna Todoroki]

The monitor showed Fuu-chan.

She was lying on a bed, either sleeping or unconscious. I let out a sigh of relief knowing she’s safe for now, but the old geezer’s words from moments ago stir a wave of unease.

“…What do you mean, you’re entrusting Experiment No. 11, Eleven, to me?”

“Thanks to your efforts, the operation to retrieve Experiment No. 11, Eleven, was a success—despite interference from Vivian and the witch hunters. But there was one loose end.”

The geezer pulled a candy from his pocket and carefully unwrapped it. He calls us here without even offering tea, but he’s got the nerve to snack? What a guy.

“Loose end? You trying to nitpick my work or something?”

Next to me, Fluffy Hair muttered under his breath, “You’re seriously…” He’s always so cocky around me and Andou, but deep down, he’s a coward.

“It was in the report, but Experiment No. 11, Eleven, has a familiar.”

…Hare. But I filed a false report saying Hare was dead. Did they find out? If so, what about Hare? Did another operative catch him? No, my thoughts are spiraling to the worst—

“Did you even read the report? That familiar’s already dead. Had a hole blown through his gut.”

“It’s understandable you’d think that. You barely had time to confirm amidst the Purple Lightning Witch fiasco, so I don’t blame you. Unfortunately, it seems the familiar is alive… and has slipped away.”

Hare’s alive. Just hearing that nearly makes my cheeks soften with relief. And it sounds like he’s managed to evade the organization’s eyes. Thank goodness.

“Hmph, that’s some shocking tenacity.”

“Exactly. He’s not Eleven’s familiar for nothing. And as you both know, a familiar and their witch are instinctively drawn to each other. That’s a problem.”

The geezer rolled the round candy he’d unwrapped in his palm, like a kid playing with a marble.

“—So, Todoroki-kun, I want you to take out that familiar.”

“…“

I could’ve killed him right then.

This geezer, running his mouth, telling me to kill Hare? Maybe I should kill you right here instead…

—But on second thought, maybe it’s a stroke of luck that I was chosen for this. If Fluffy Hair and I had swapped roles, protecting Hare would’ve been nearly impossible.

Even so, this geezer’s still the one ordering me to kill him, so my anger hasn’t cooled one bit.

“—Yo, what’s with the sudden silence? Don’t tell me you’re not up for it? Hime can lend a hand if you need it, y’know?”

The snack-tossing witch leaned over the geezer’s desk, swiping a candy from his hand as she spoke.

“Hah? I don’t need your sugar-coated hands. I can handle it alone, so keep your nose out of it.”

“Heh, some guy said the same thing once and ended up in prison. Well, do your best, then.”

Noda tossed the stolen candy into her mouth. Barnes, saying nothing, pulled another from his pocket.

“…And what about Eleven? What do you want me to do with her?”

“She’ll be with you. Like I said, familiars and their witches are drawn to each other, so she’s bait to lure the familiar out. Don’t worry—we’ve put a magic-suppressing collar on her, so she won’t cause trouble.”

“Fine. That all?”

I never imagined things would fall into place this perfectly. I was racking my brain for a way to get Fuu-chan out, and now the geezer’s handing her to me? This gives me a legitimate reason to search for Hare, too.

“Oh, one more thing. Tell your dad I said hi, will you?”

“…Got it.”

Until Dad recovers from his injuries, I can operate solo. In that time, I’ll find Hare and escape with Fuu-chan. This is probably my first—and last—chance.

***

It’s been a while since I’ve been home. Eight days away, and the leftovers in the fridge have gone bad.

I’m not in the mood to deal with it right now, so I sink into the living room sofa and glance at the clock.

…Five minutes. If they’re on time, the intercom should ring in five minutes. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. To save Hare, I’m about to reveal my secret to someone else for the first time.

—Ding-dong.

Right on the dot, five minutes later, the intercom chimes. Unable to contain my racing heart, I rush to the door.

“Delivery service. Could you sign here, please?”

“…“

I silently signed the makeshift receipt, and the organization operative disguised as a delivery worker set a large cardboard box in the entryway before leaving.

I tapped the box lightly, feeling a hard, wall-like surface just inside. Without hesitation, I tore it open.

Inside was, as expected, a rectangular case, covered in a smooth, white material—neither metal nor glass. No handles or buttons, just a palm-shaped mark.

I placed my hand over it.

—Click! Psssh…

The seamless top of the case popped open, releasing a burst of white vapor.

“…Fuu-chan.”

Curled up inside was Fuu-chan, small and still. She seemed unconscious, like she was sleeping. Around her neck was a donut-shaped collar, made of the same strange material as the case. Probably the magic-suppressing collar the geezer mentioned.

“…Ngh.”

As I reached to lift Fuu-chan out, her eyes fluttered open faintly.

“F-Fuu-chan? Are you okay? Do you know who I am? It’s Ryuna!”

“…Ryu… na?”

Her vacant eyes wavered, struggling to focus on mine.

“Yes, Ryuna! You remember me, right?!”

“…Huh? Why am I… Where is this? Where’s Hare?”

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Fuu-chan’s memories were sealed. From Fluffy Hair’s report, they’d tried implanting memories from some woman named Kuzuhara-something-or-other, but Judas probably erased them by now.

If Judas had read Fuu-chan’s memories, the relationship between me, Hare, and Fuu-chan would’ve been completely exposed. I’ve got some seriously bad luck—but it’s holding strong.

“…Fuu-chan, we can’t see Hare right now, but I promise I’ll make sure you do. So… please, just listen calmly, okay?”

“…Ryuna?”

I told her everything. That I’m part of the witch-hunting organization. That Fuu-chan is an experiment who escaped from them. And that Hare, as her familiar, is still being hunted.

“—I-It’s my fault.”

That was Fuu-chan’s first response after hearing it all.

“…What? No way, it’s my fault! If I’d just told you about the witch hunters from the start, none of this would’ve happened!”

“No, it’s not your fault, Ryuna. It’s because I, an experiment, ran away in the first place. Because Hare helped me. Because I got arrogant and thought I could save him… It’s all my fault!”

Fuu-chan screamed, tears streaming down her face.

That’s not right… Normally, if you woke up clueless and got hit with a story like this, you’d be angry, right? You’d yell about what it means to be an experiment, about being lied to all this time. That’s what’s normal…

—So why is she saying this?

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… You’re not bad, Fuu-chan. You’re not bad at all. I’m sorry.”

I hugged Fuu-chan tightly, repeating it over and over. My tears wouldn’t stop. I know I don’t have the right to hold her or cry—not really—but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t hold back the tears.

“—Hey, Ryuna. Let’s save Hare, together.”

I don’t know how much time passed. Exhausted from crying, still clinging to each other, I was vaguely listening to the ticking of the entryway clock when Fuu-chan whispered that.

“Yeah, you and me, we’ll go get that idiot Hare. Bet he’s hiding somewhere, shaking like a leaf right now.”

No matter what, I’ll make sure they both escape. I swore it to myself again, with all my heart.