(EP-215.1) Wedding in the Forest #2

215 – Wedding in the Witch Forest #2

I’d heard quite a bit about the Great Forest—Witch Forest located up North.

“Fiefdom.”

A mystical domain long-ruled by the Tarantera Family.

“A lawless land.”

The Galapagos of lawlessness, home to all manner of mystical cults, heresies, and magic seekers, even within Angmar.

And the dense green of towering trees concealed ancient truths and secrets.

“The hideout of sinners.”

In particular, the Witch Forest was an elusive place that notorious criminals often fled to, making it difficult to pursue them or send people after them.

“You’re not a rat in the rain, what are you muttering to yourself? It’s best to stay quiet during the night in the Witch Forest. Even those of us who are used to the forest just rest in our huts.”

Lily advised me to remain quiet in the cave until the veil of darkness lifted. She was much more knowledgeable with the Witch Forest than I was.

There would be only one explanation.

“Lily, so you were a witch too.”

“Well, what else did you think? That’s ridiculous, really. How could you not know anything about me? Tarantera-nim must have talked about me!”

Lily had no doubts that I knew about her.

As I’d said before, I’d never heard of Lily from Aira.

If I told her the truth, she would just get angry and accuse me, “Don’t lie!” There was nothing I could do but hold it in.

She was completely obstinate and rude. This was beyond being coy, cheeky or tsundere.

I should pinch her butt while she was asleep.

So I watched Lily for a while, anticipating when she would do such.

But it was as if she caught onto my plan, as she didn’t sleep and simply continued sharpening twigs with her dagger.

At first, I thought she was making arrows or hunting tools to catch rabbits. But the sight of her plucking strands of her hair and weaving them together made it look more like a dreamcatcher.

No, rather than calling it a dreamcatcher….

“A totem?”

“Hmph, you catch on quickly.”

That was right. It was a totem. Although I didn’t know what kind of power it had.

Anyway, being able to create magical tools like that, or not, was the difference between a Witch and a Mage.

Mages like me could create predictable and systematic miracles using mana or various materials and resources that were already identified.

Witches, on the other hand, would create unpredictable variables using ancient spells or unknown sources, which weren’t clearly understood.

In fact, most pre-Solomon mages were closer to witches, shamans, or witch doctors, but I hadn’t delved into the specifics.

What mattered now was that Lily was a witch.

I kind of expected it since she used simple magic and freely moved the Walpurgis, the Tarantera Family’s Guards.

Crackle, crackle.

Watching her make the totem was interesting.

“What power does the totem have?”

“It’s a spider-repelling totem. It drives away spiders, just as the name suggests. All kinds of beasts and bugs come out in the Witch Forest at night, so I can’t sleep without it.”

“I see…”

My gaze wandered on the spiders crawling around the cave entrance. They were the size of a palm, which was incredibly large…

As soon as the totem got completed, they shivered as if they had been sprayed with insecticide and scurried out of the cave.

━Krrrreung…!

I wondered why the spiders hissed like wild beasts, but in a world where squirrels bark, the spiders didn’t seem so strange. After all, this was Aira’s dream.

“Tarantera-nim taught you magic directly, yet you don’t even know about totems. It really is meaningless putting pearls on a pig’s neck!”

Did Lily think I learned magic from Aira?

Well, many people did. They believed that because I honed my magic under Aira, I swiftly reached Rank 5 and became an Archmage.

This brat thought the same.

「You have calmly judged the situation!

You have gained experience points through the talent 《Calm Thinking》.

All job experience +5」

Well, if you really looked at it, she was not exactly wrong. Aira had helped me in many ways.

“Even a foolish half-fairy was able to reach the level of an Archmage. Tarantera-nim is truly amazing!”

“Hmm. Well, yeah.”

I’d felt this since we met, but this gal seemed to like Aira a lot. No, it was beyond just ‘like’, and more like worship or reverence.

However, considering Aira hadn’t said a word to me about Lily, it seemed that it was one-sided.

“We’ve already wasted three days because you woke up late. I don’t know how time passes outside and inside here, so we must find Tarantera-nim tomorrow.”

Seureuk-.

Lily finally laid down on an empty spot and closed her eyes. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she used a branch to draw a line between us.

“If you cross this line, you’re in trouble. Got it?”

“That’s funny, who would bother with a little kid?”

“… A little kid? You’re the one who’s a kid! Just because you grew a bit taller in this dream-!”

“Quiet down and go to sleep.”

“……!”

It looked like she wanted to say something, but Lily just flipped sides and laid back down— emitting a soft, even breathing.

In revenge, I took out the raspberries I had found and pocketed before entering the cave and ate them.

Fool, she didn’t know I was planning to share them. Since she was being rude, I decided to have them all for myself!

* * *

The birds chirping heralded the arrival of dawn.

Watching the blue birds flitting outside the cave, I thought it was about time to wake Lily up and pinched her cheek.

“Hey, wake up. How long are you going to sleep?”

“Ugh…!”

Lily jolted up like a startled fish out of water and then glared at me.

“What? What is it?”

“How long are you planning to sleep?”

“…….”

Seemingly having a lot to say, she furrowed her brow for a moment before getting up with a sigh, brushing off the dust from her body. She must have realized it too. We were never going to get along.

Guuu-. Then someone’s stomach rumbled loudly.

“Heuheuheung-.”

The culprit was embarrassed and started to bluster, probably hoping to pass it off as a weird laugh rather than a hungry stomach.

How amusing.

“How hungry are you? I thought it was thunder just now.”

“What, what did you say!?”

Edited by: faker