NOVEL NEXT Chapter 300: Calamity Witch
Calamity Witch Nevia.
The queen that ruled the Moon Country of Laphroaig 1,000 years ago.
The partner of the Great Demon Lord Iblis.
And the last boss that I defeated together with Anna-san and the others.
No, can’t really say we defeated them, huh.
“How did you know she has come back? The clairvoyance of Ira-sama?” (Makoto)
“No, the Calamity Witch that was merged with the Devil God that is the Great Demon Lord is outside the boundaries of what the Holy Gods can see.” (Esther)
Esther-san shook her head to the sides.
Then, how do they know?
“The demons and monsters of the Demonic Continent have begun to get Charmed.” (Momo)
“…I see.” (Makoto)
I am probably the only one who understood it immediately after what Momo said.
The other ones didn’t understand what that meant.
“If it is charm magic, anyone can do that… Even I can do it, you know?” (Furiae)
Furiae-san said.
“That’s not it. It is impossible for you, Princess.” (Makoto)
“Queen Furiae, the Charm of the Calamity Witch is on a different level from yours.” (Esther)
Esther-san and I denied her statement at the same time, and Furiae-san pouted at this.
“Listen here, My Knight and Destiny Oracle! Just so you know, I can Charm several hundreds of people at once! There’s not a single person in the whole Moon Country that is better than me in charm magic even if you were to search high and low.” (Furiae)
So she says, but…good grief.
Esther-san and I looked at each other.
“Makoto-sama, please tell her how many people the Calamity Witch Nevia charmed.” (Esther)
Esther-san said this looking at me.
“Nevia-san charmed all of the Moon Country’s people and all of the demons and monsters in the Demonic Continent.” (Makoto)
“““………….Eh?”””
Everyone was speechless at what I said except for Furiae-san.
“There’s no way something like that can be possibl—” (Furiae)
“It is. The Witch Nevia who managed to even fuse with the Great Demon Lord had close to infinite mana. She was a witch that specialized in Charm only. That’s why she was a fearsome being.” (Esther)
Esther-san said straight.
Even Furiae-san grew meek at this.
But someone interrupted from the side.
“Hey, Queen Furiae, it is because of that Charm Magic that you are being suspected as the reincarnation of the Calamity Witch, so I think it would be better to be careful about what you say.” (Saki)
“It is as the Holy Knight-sama says, Furiae-sama. Please refrain from thoughtless remarks.” (Havel)
Yokoyama-san and Havel point out strictly.
“…I-I know!” (Furiae)
Furiae-san turned her head as if feeling awkward.
“And so…where is the reincarnated Calamity Witch?” (Makoto)
Those last words of hers bothered me greatly.
What she said about her reincarnated self already having met me.
Esther-san smiled most likely because she picked up on my feelings.
“Don’t worry, Makoto-sama. You are bothered by the words of the Calamity Witch about ‘I have reincarnated as one of your acquaintances’, right? That must have been a lie made to bewilder you. I received the order of Ira-sama and have the whole private information of your acquaintances, and have stripped naked the lifestyle of everyone. The Calamity Witch isn’t within your acquaintances!” (Esther)
“““Eh?”””
Almost everyone made shocked expressions and faced Esther-san.
I myself heard those words and was relieved.
Haah…that’s great to hear.
“The Calamity Witch should be in the Great Demon Lord’s Castle, Eden. The demons and monsters that are being Charmed are spreading on the circumference of the Great Demon Lord Castle after all.” (Esther)
“I see. In this era, not only the Great Demon Lord Castle, I haven’t even been to the Demonic Continent, so there’s no way I have met her.” (Makoto)
“That’s right. Are you relieved now, Makoto-sama?” (Esther)
“Yes, I am.” (Makoto)
Esther-san and I laugh together.
“Wait wait wait wait wait!” (Lucy)
“Takatsuki-kun, what is the meaning of this?!” (Aya)
“My Knight and the Destiny Oracle! Explain what that meant just now!” (Furiae)
Sa-san, Lucy, and Furiae-san came at me aggressively.
Oh?
“Esther-san, did you not tell everyone about the possibility of the Calamity Witch having been reincarnated in one of my acquaintances?” (Makoto)
I was sure everyone already knew through Ira-sama.
After that, Momo came to me and whispered in my ear.
“It is basically like doubting your own family after all. We investigated it in secret.” (Momo)
“So you cooperated, Momo.” (Makoto)
“You could say that. I am treated as a leader in the Sun Country after all.” (Momo)
Momo puffed her small chest out with a ‘Hmph’.
I pat her head.
“It is okay, everyone. Even if I say your private information is bare, we are talking about the Destiny Goddess-sama here. It is not like I saw it with my own eyes. Ira-sama confirmed it with her God Eyes from the Divine Realm.” (Esther)
“…Aah, is that so.” (Lucy)
“In that case, I guess it can’t be helped…” (Aya)
“But I don’t feel good about it.” (Furiae)
Esther-san was explaining to them over there.
Looks like, because the Calamity Witch has reincarnated in the Demonic Continent, everyone’s suspicions have been cleared, and the ‘Calamity Witch search’ could now be disclosed.
Now that the worries are gone, let’s depar—is what I was thinking, but my clothes were tugged.
It was Momo.
“Makoto-sama, I hope I am wrong here, but could it be that you are planning on leaving tonight?” (Momo)
“Yeah, I am.” (Makoto)
The Great Sage-sama made a big ‘haaah’ sigh at my words.
“Do you understand why I made a ruckus about you heading to the Demonic Continent alone?” (Momo)
“Uhm…bullying?” (Makoto)
“There’s no way that’s the case!” (Momo)
Momo went ‘kiiih!’ and showed an angry face.
“Just from one shot of your Spirit Magic, you bring unbelievable effects to the surrounding environment, Makoto-sama! 1,000 years ago, you would change the weather as if nothing, or call storms, right?! Moreover! Because the one you follow is the Goddess Noah, the clairvoyance users of the Destiny Goddess can’t see you! There’s no way we can leave a person like that be, right?!” (Momo)
“…Yeah.” (Makoto)
She got super pissed.
Looks like I can’t just do as I please just because I am not a Hero anymore.
“Later, the documentation for the 3rd Northern Expedition that has included the actions of Makoto-sama will be sent by the Knight General, Yuwein. The staff officers are doing an all-nighter to make it, so please depart after you have passed an eye on them tomorrow morning.” (Momo)
“…”
I am beginning to feel bad about it.
Is me moving that big of a deal?
And then, the Great Sage-sama chuckled lightly.
“Honestly speaking, we have been worried deeply about what to do with the Ancient Dragon King, so if Makoto-sama is going, there’s nothing as reassuring as that.” (Momo)
“Momo…” (Makoto)
“Please go kick the ass of the Ancient Dragon Kick already.” (Momo)
Hasn’t her treatment of me gotten haphazard?
“You won’t worry about me?” (Makoto)
“It is pointless to worry after all! How much do you think Anna-san and I were pointlessly worried before?!” (Momo)
“…Really?” (Makoto)
“You were doing outrageous things every single time!” (Momo)
I think all the battles 1,000 years ago were really close fights.
Looks like Momo and I were seeing it in two different ways.
While my conversation with Momo was growing lively, I felt a number of gazes.
Lucy, Sa-san, Princess Sofia, Furiae-san, Sakurai-kun, and Queen Noel were staring straight at us.
Oops, the people in the present were left behind here.
“Makoto-sama, we have prepared a guest room in the Highland Castle, so please stay there. There’s a lot of people who seem to not have spoken with you enough after all.” (Noel)
Queen Noel says with a wry smile.
I can’t refuse a queen.
We ended up staying in the Highland Castle for one night.
◇◇
“Uhm…everyone is coming too?” (Makoto)
The Highland Castle’s guest room I was guided to was big.
Big enough to have around 30 people in it.
Because of that, the people that we were talking to before have moved here.
And since the opportunity presented itself, they are having a party too.
“Takki-dono, I have gotten the tools required for your journey-desu zo.” (Fuji)
“If there’s anything you want to add, please tell us anytime, okay?” (Nina)
“It hasn’t even been 1 hour since then.” (Makoto)
Fuji-yan and Nina-san are way too skilled.
The preparations ended in a heartbeat.
“Good grief, Furiae-san, you really aren’t honest with yourself. You will have a hard time if you continue like that, you know?” (Sofia)
“Furi is truly a troublesome woman, right?” (Lucy)
“…Yes, I am reflecting on that.” (Furiae)
Furiae-san, Princess Sofia, and Lucy were talking over there.
Looks like Princess Sofia and Lucy were giving Furiae-san a sermon about that time when she acted weirdly in our reunion.
“Furiae…y-you are a queen, you know?” (Noel)
Queen Noel was looking at that situation in shock.
“It can’t be helped… I have been helped greatly by Princess Sofia, Lucy-san, and Aya-san…” (Furiae)
It seems like the recovery of the Moon Country wouldn’t have happened without the help of those 3.
Right now the Moon Country is a strong nation that has a lot of mages, but she can’t lift her head towards the princess of the small country of Rozes, and the two adventurers there.
The power balance has gotten weird.
“Kuh…! I want to stay here too!” (Momo)
“You can’t, Great Sage-sama. You still have work to do…” (Esther)
“Makoto-samaaaa!!” (Momo)
“Okay~, let’s go.” (Esther)
Momo was dragged out by Esther-san.
Being important is hard work.
I will compensate for that, Momo.
I put both of my hands together and thank her internally.
“Takatsuki-kun! Here here.” (Aya)
Sa-san pulled me.
Sakurai-kun, Yokoyama-san, and Fuji-yan; our old classmate group was gathered there.
It has been a while since we have had a gathering like this.
We had a heated conversation about our high school days for a while.
After that, it turned into a conversation about our middle school days.
Sakurai-kun and Sa-san were in the same middle school as me.
Is what I thought, but it seems like Yokoyama-san was in the same one as well.
“S-So horrible! Why did you forget about me?!” (Saki)
Yokoyama-san got angry.
“Takki-dono doesn’t give memory space for things that he doesn’t have interest in… He forgot about Kei-dono too…” (Fuji)
“That’s not it, Fuji-yan! I did remember her! It is just that her impression was so different I was confused.” (Makoto)
Telling me that I have forgotten the wife of a close friend is a terrible accusation.
“That sounds like Takatsuki-kun alright~.” (Aya)
Even Sa-san laughed at that.
And then, Sakurai-kun entered the conversation.
“Speaking of middle school, Takatsuki-kun, do you remember? About how you saved me when I encountered a stalker.” (Sakurai)
“…Hm?” (Makoto)
I dug out from my memories what Sakurai-kun was saying here.
In middle school, Sakurai-kun, stalker… Thanks to the strong keywords, I managed to remember without any problems.
(Wait, that story is…!) (Makoto)
I sobered up in an instant.
Oi, isn’t that a series in MY dark history?
“Eh?! What’s that?!” (Saki)
“What?! That’s a first!” (Fuji)
Fuji-yan and Yokoyama-san bite onto that topic of Sakurai-kun.
No good!
Didn’t you promise that that story would be a secret?
“I remember. I lend my clothes to Takatsuki-kun. Takatsuki-kun cross-dressing was cute.” (Aya)
“Sa-san?!” (Makoto)
Now that she mentions it, Sa-san knows too!
Kuh! Even though it seemed as if she had forgotten about it until now.
“Eeh, what’s that? That sounds interesting! I want to know, I want to know!” (Saki)
Yokoyama-san was riding on this topic hard.
“Hohoh~.” (Fuji)
Fuji-yan, who has the mind reading skill, was grinning there.
Kuh…he has already read it?!
“Yeah, it is true that that Takatsuki-kun was cute—” (Sakurai)
“Oi! What are you saying, Sakurai-kun…” (Makoto)
I grabbed the collar of Sakurai-kun who was about to say something weird, and he slouched over.
Hm?
Could this be…
“Sakurai-kun, were you drinking?” (Makoto)
“Ah! Sorry, I might have poured alcohol for Ryosuke by mistake.” (Saki)
“…Zzz…zzz…” (Sakurai)
Sakurai-kun was already snoring.
A lightweight drinker as usual.
But that saved me.
I didn’t have to get burned by my dark past, and it has been kept sealed.
“Hey, Aya, tell me the story.” (Saki)
“Let’s see, it is not like I was in that very place, but…” (Aya)
“Stop it! Sa-san!” (Makoto)
I somehow managed to break up the group and keep things in the dark.
I didn’t expect my dark history to be dug up here.
“…”
The sharp eared Lucy must have noticed the conversation here, she was looking over here with a grin.
Kuh, she is definitely going to ask about it later.
With Sakurai-kun having fallen asleep, we wrapped things up there.
◇◇
The party before the journey was over, so the room was silent now.
Lucy and Sa-san were there as well, but there’s partitions in the room.
The two are preparing their luggage for the journey.
It seems they bought a variety of products from Nina-san, and they were having fun choosing.
“You choose with us too, Makoto.” (Lucy)
“Come here too, Takatsuki-kun.” (Aya)
They invited me like that, but they asked me which underwear to bring, and I was troubled by that, so I escaped from there.
There’s still a bit more time before going to bed.
Let’s train for a bit before sleeping.
Thinking this, I went out to the garden in the castle, and called Dia close to the fountain.
I am having her suppress her mana, so there’s no worries of scaring someone.
“Our King, you called?” (Dia)
“Dia, we are going to be fighting the Ancient Dragon King. It is someone we have met before. Do you remember?” (Makoto)
When I asked this, Dia placed a hand on her chin and her eyes wandered as if thinking for a bit.
“Could you be talking about the descendant of that Dragon God?” (Dia)
“Yeah yeah, the guy that the spell Cocytus didn’t work on.” (Makoto)
“I remember, Our King. It was a strong opponent 1,000 years ago, right?” (Dia)
“Yeah, I promised a rematch. Please lend me your strength, Dia.” (Makoto)
“Of course. Please command me as you please.” (Dia)
Dia bows elegantly.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t been to any big battles since coming to the present.
It should be better to test out my Spirit Magic.
But I feel like Momo would get angry…
While I was thinking that…
“My Knight…? What are you doing?”
I was spoken to.
There wasn’t even a need to turn around. There’s only one person who calls me like that.
“Princess? Is it okay to not go back?” (Makoto)
“Who…is that woman…?” (Furiae)
She ignored my question.
Is it okay for a queen to be wandering around?
It seems like she has bodyguards at a slightly separated location from hers though.
“An unknown woman again… Should I curse you?” (Furiae)
For now, I have to fix the misunderstanding of Furiae-san that’s unbecoming of a Holy Maiden.
“Princess, Dia is a Great Water Spirit. You know her, right?” (Makoto)
It is the Great Water Spirit that I could only call when I synchronized with Furiae-san.
Now that I think about it, my handling of Spirits has gotten quite a lot better since then.
“Great Water Spirit…? She looks like a human.” (Furiae)
Just as Furiae-san says, the Great Water Spirit that was half-transparent and was completely blue was now looking almost like a human.
It can’t be helped that she would mistake her for a human.
That Dia looked at Furiae-san and directed eyes of suspicion.
“…Our King, isn’t this woman that witch of before…?” (Dia)
Dia, who doesn’t falter at anyone, was showing a rare sight of cautiousness.
“That’s not it. Princess is an ally. She is a different person from the Moon Oracle of 1,000 years ago.” (Makoto)
“I-Is that so…” (Dia)
Even though I said that, she retreated nervously.
This really is rare.
Looks like she has a strong dislike towards Nevia-san.
“Hey, do I look that similar to the Calamity Witch of the past…?” (Furiae)
Furiae-san looks uneasy here.
“Right…your appearance was pretty simila—” (Dia)
“Princess is a whole lot cuter.” (Makoto)
I affirmed as if overlapping the words of Dia.
There’s no way she would be happy about being told they look similar.
Also, I honestly don’t think they look that similar.
The Calamity Witch was slightly older too.
She was around the later half of her twenties in terms of looks.
“! R-R-Really?!” (Furiae)
Furiae-san went bright red.
“It is true that that witch didn’t falter in any situation. She was completely different.” (Dia)
The Great Water Spirit nodded as if in admiration.
After that, Dia disappeared, and Furiae-san and I walked back to my room.
She is apparently going to leave after greeting Lucy and Sa-san.
“…”
“…”
Furiae-san has been silent for a while now.
“Princess?” (Makoto)
“…What?” (Furiae)
“No, it is just that you weren’t saying anything, so…” (Makoto)
“…Isn’t that fine?” (Furiae)
“Well, yeah, it is.” (Makoto)
Did I say something that made her angry?
Just when we were about to reach the room…
“Makoto-san.”
“Yes?” (Makoto)
Someone called me.
The girlish voice of a boy that hasn’t matured yet.
Prince Leonard.
“Prince Leonard, what’s the matter?” (Makoto)
“…Uhm…Actually, I have something I want to talk to you about…” (Leo)
“Got it, then in my room…” (Makoto)
“No! Not in the room. Here.” (Leo)
“Should I excuse myself here?” (Furiae)
Furiae-san showed consideration towards the serious expression of Prince Leonard.
“No, I would like Queen Furiae to hear this too.” (Leo)
“Really?” (Furiae)
What is it that Prince Leonard has to say to both me and Furiae?
Leonard seems to be having trouble saying it and doesn’t speak.
“Prince Leonard?” (Makoto)
“What is it you want to talk about?” (Furiae)
Furiae-san and I wait for his next words.
“You are…going to be heading to the Demonic Continent with the two of the Crimson Fangs, right, Makoto-san?” (Leo)
“The Crimson Fangs… You mean Lucy and Sa-san, right? Yes, that’s right.” (Makoto)
“Aah, if only I could go too.” (Furiae)
“You are a queen, so you can’t, Princess.” (Makoto)
“I know. Even though I could go on adventures with you before…” (Furiae)
“That brings me back… Wait, sorry, Prince Leonard.” (Makoto)
The talk derailed there.
“Are you worried about something regarding the Demonic Continent?” (Makoto)
It would be my first time in the Demonic Continent of the present.
But I think it should be far better than the one 1,000 years ago.
Prince Leonard shook his head to the sides.
“No, it is not about the Demonic Continent… I actually have something to tell you about the Crimson Fangs.” (Leo)
“About Lucy and Sa-san?” (Makoto)
“What about those two?” (Furiae)
Furiae-san and I tilt our heads.
Lucy and Sa-san are always full of energy.
They are currently the top adventurers of the Water Country, and are being relied on greatly.
I don’t know if there’s some sort of problem.
Or maybe they actually are injured and are hiding it from me?
If that’s the case, I should not push them.
Is what I was thinking.
But Prince Leonard said something that I didn’t imagine at all.
“Actually…there’s a rumor that the two of the Crimson Fangs…don’t get along.” (Leo)
““…Huh?””
Furiae-san and I opened our eyes wide at this.
■Comment’s Response:
The comedy chapter was decently popular.
Thank you very much for the whole ton of comments every time.
There are many people that are bothered by the changes in history, so I am currently thinking about what to do.
Maybe there will be a chapter explaining this…
I might jam it somewhere (probably).