3. Witch legend

"This visitor seems to be a decent human being."

Even if you invite them indoors, they won't do anything, so it's almost certain. Precaution wasted. If it was a rare female robbery, she would have been installed in a human incubator by now. It's a complicated feeling for me, who had been restless wondering if the material had arrived just when I wanted it.

If she, who called herself Celia, was a good people, she would be treated as a barbarian if she witnessed the state of the second floor, so I think it's a bit bad. You can't see what's going on from the first floor, but there are magic that can see clairvoyance and distant vision. For the time being, this log house made of trees from our forest reduces the effect of such spells, but I myself can break through it. From here on, another precaution is needed. There is no point in making the atmosphere unnecessarily disquieting.

If you go crazy and attack me, I'll gladly use it as material, but I'm not so desperate that I have to procure it like a carnivorous plant. I can't bear to let it happen to me. I have that kind of common sense.

"More than that." She who knew about me and came to visit me is not a stray. How did she find out about me, who has almost no contact with the outside world and lives in secrecy? Why did she want to rely on me in the first place? I had a lot of questions, but the first thing I had to confirm was, of course, my nickname.

"What is the Primordial Witch?" Celia was blank when I asked that question.

"Excuse me... Primordial Witch-sama. Wasn't that what you called yourself?"

"No. As far as I can remember, I've never given my name to anyone in the first place."

"If I remember correctly." Now that my past life has completely become someone else's affair, it's a little suspicious, but... as expected, I don't forget the contact with outsiders, which is not so common. It should be. yes.

"Among the many legends of witches on the continent, the Primordial Witch is the oldest and most mysterious, and is truly the 'ancestor of magic'. Our common understanding is that."

Celia explains as her long, slit eyes sway in confusion. Witch legend. what is that. I don't know either. What's more, it's nice to hear that I'm being treated like the head of the list.

The robbers who were sent back without killing were also treated accordingly. Don't cause unnecessary trouble. Even so, they probably still vaguely remember me--because I took care not to make them useless--it's hard to imagine that my existence would spread so far just from vague rumors like that. Even so, since it even has a nickname, I can only assume that this is the result of someone intentionally disseminating it... but who?

"My doubts, which had twisted my neck, were quickly resolved."

"Sage Ardela. She is the greatest supporter of the existence of the Primordial Witch, and is also the person who spread the name. I, too, have come to this land on the advice of a sage."

"Ah, I, tsu, ka~...I see."

"Ardela." The name immediately clicked with me. It would be a shame if I forgot this.

Celia seems to be asking what kind of relationship they have. I don't have anything to hide, so it's fine to tell me.

"I guess you could call him the best disciple. Looking back, he was also the best disciple. I haven't seen him in a long time, but I see. He's still doing well."

"At the time, I was really impertinent." I didn't feel like they respected me at all. However, I think he was faithful to his teachings. Even if you just count roughly, it's been over a hundred years since he left the nest, so I'm a little worried about how much he's grown.

"First disciple..."

Celia, repeating my words, seemed clearly surprised.

"Didn't that Ardela guy say anything?"

"No, I should have advertised that myself. I am sure there is."

"That's why the rumors of the Primordial Witch, who is said to be her master, have a certain amount of credibility." If it's just Ardela, there are other people who say they've encountered me, so I'm sure it's understandable if it spreads like this.

"And there's one more thing I'm satisfied with." No, should I still call it a suspicion? If it was Ardela who gave advice to the troubled Celia.

"I'd like to hear a little more detail. Celia, do you expect me to uncover the king's secrets? What is behind the good government?"

"No... To tell you the truth, I have an idea of ​​the cause."

"Hmm, I'm impressed." Are you already hitting it that far? Well, if that's not the case, even if it's advice from a famous person, why don't you go to such a remote place alone?

"What is the reason Celia says?"

"A magician. A man who served the same court as me... and entered the same period."

"Has the king hired two wizards?"

"No, there are others. I can't let you, it's almost one-sided"

According to her, public sentiment was on the verge of exploding due to the limits of tyranny. Especially recently, there has been a growing voice against the royal family and aristocrats. As expected, the king decided to increase the security in the castle, knowing that he was in danger. One of them was Celia――Hmm.

"Hoho. Deploying multiple mages instead of soldiers is pretty clever, isn't it?"

She said that after thinking about the poor fighting style of the bandits, but what do you think? I wonder if trained soldiers will change again. But in any case, I don't think it's a bad choice to suddenly increase the number of court wizards who had only had one until then.

"Since I was a child, I have suffered from poverty, and I always wanted to change the way this country was. In no time the king presented us with three and a half lines...except for one."

"That's the man in question. The one Celia sees as the cause of the king's change."

"Yes," Celia solemnly affirmed. She seems to think it's almost certain that he's the mastermind, though she's guessing.

"He was soon allowed to enter the private rooms of the royal family. After he stopped coming out to the public and entered a state of semi-retirement, he became, in effect, the king's staff officer. I don't know anything about..."

yes. That's suspicious. It's unknown what the royal castle is now, but that man has a lot of success stories.

He entered the royal castle with Celia for some reason. And it's serving its purpose. And it's natural to see it that way. At least objectively.

"His name was Morrow. He didn't have a last name, just Morrow."

"Morrow..."

"I don't remember hearing that." Was it wrong? "No, but you should think that there is some kind of connection."

"I understand well. I've heard everything I wanted to ask, so I'll answer briefly as well."

"Yes"

Celia corrects her whereabouts, but her attitude has remained stiff from the beginning. If you look at me from the other side, I'm a much younger girl. Her wisdom and seriousness are a little strange to be able to be so careful about it.

"Let's listen to that wish. Let's uncover the king's secret, or rather the secret of that man, Morrow."

"! really!"

"Oh, it's true.

In Eidos, there are some things that I don't usually use and things that I don't usually use. I don't need a bag because it's ready to be connected as a storage space. However, it is a difficult point to make a mess.

I was lucky enough to find a totem from there, and Celia was timidly caught by it. She's visibly sweating from having nearly dropped it, but since it's made of wood and light, there's no problem if she drops it.

When she said that, she said, "Thank you for your concern," with a small smile, but for some reason, her face seemed to be cramping.

"Um, what is this?"

"It's a landmark spot.

"Huh? Umm..."

"Oh, it's okay, you don't have to walk through the forest anymore. Let's send you outside."

"No, um—"

"Then again in three or four days."

She jumps Celia who seemed to be about to say something. The trees in this forest grew from the magical power I poured into them. So, each one can play the same role as a landmark totem. I'll try to check through the trees on the edge of the forest, but yeah. Surely Celia is there. I could send her exactly where she came in.

After confirming her surroundings with her furious head movements, she eventually gave up and bowed her head and left in the direction where she thought the country was. Take care of her on the way.

"Well, and"

"Let's prepare for the first outing in a long time... I wonder how long it's been since we've been going to places other than the ideal realm Eidos?"