I Became a Forest Witch Who Raises Dragons

Sha-ah—!

“…Ariel.”
Just as I had decided to die, Marian carefully pointed at Saya and said to me.

“Wait a moment. May I hug that child?”
“That’s…”
Before I could say “You should ask Saya about that—”, she was already heading towards Saya.
…There was no way Marian, who loves cute things, could resist Saya.

Her already sharp eyes became even sharper, to the point where even I, who knew she was a good person, flinched slightly.
So it must have seemed even scarier to Saya.
As Marian approached closer, Saya’s face gradually turned into a tearful expression.
“Sh-sha-ah……”

Eventually, after looking back and forth between me and Marian…
“A-Ariel!!”
…Saya finally sought help from me.
Then, pushing away the approaching Marian, Saya snuggled into my arms.
“Am I… that scary…”

While it’s fortunate that Saya’s anger has subsided…. Marian, sitting down with a heartbroken face, looked even more pitiful today.
“Ariel. Promise. Don’t… break it.”
“I’m sorry…”
Saya, still in my arms, gently patted me with her small hand.
…As expected, she was my heart’s sanctuary. It feels like all the fatigue accumulated today is flying away.

“….”
The elf girl watching this scene blankly.
Saya, just now noticing her, naturally turned her gaze towards her.
“Sha-ah─!”
“…Sha-ah?”

Saya, still in my arms, noticed the elf girl beside us and went “Sha-ah─!” as if on guard.
Then, turning her head towards me, Saya asked about the elf girl.
“Ariel. Who is she?”
Oops, I was late in introducing the elf girl to Saya.

Thinking “What if Saya dislikes her?”, I explained about the elf girl holding onto my clothes.
“This child is family who will live with us in our house from today. She’s been through a lot, so please get along well with her.”
“Is our family growing? …I like it!”

I was worried about what if Saya disliked her, but fortunately, it seems my concerns were unfounded.
Perhaps due to memories of being abandoned by her parents, Saya often longed for family.
She seems purely happy about having a new family member.

Instead, Saya actively approached the elf girl to speak.
“My name is.. Saya! What’s your… name..?”
“No.. name..”
“..Sha-ah? It’s okay! Me too. Ariel gave me mine!”

Just as I was watching their conversation with a warm feeling, the village chief carefully approached me and asked about the whereabouts of the other children.

“Witch… no, Magician. Do you perhaps… know anything about the whereabouts of the other kidnapped children…”
Come to think of it, the village chief doesn’t know what happened to the other children.
Except for the two children Cain tried to kidnap today, the children who were kidnapped from Heren Village were sent to the capital for appropriate treatment along with other people.

“I… I’ll go with Ariel…”
By the way, the elf girl beside me was also supposed to be sent for treatment, but because she strongly refused, she only received simple treatment and came here with us.
‘…I should have mentioned that first.’
The village chief must have been feeling anxious.

“Is… is that really true?!”
“Yes. I have no reason to lie, do I?”

When I informed him that the other children were safe and had been sent to the capital for treatment, relief appeared on the village chief’s face.
After receiving repeated thanks from the village chief, we headed towards the house where Saya and I live.

“It’s quite deep in. Is there a house in a place like this?”
Saya being carried by Marian, Marian herself, the elf girl holding my hand, and I finally headed towards our house in the mountains.
“I need to confirm the location myself. Ariel. Please guide me.”

The reason we walked despite having transfer magic was because Marian wanted to confirm the house’s location herself.
As the sunset was gently settling, we finally arrived at the house.
Seeing the finely built wooden house, Marian’s voice leaked out as if surprised.
“It’s… cleaner than I expected.”
“It’s our house!”

Saya said that with a proud look upon hearing those words.
“Ugh. This is not good for my heart.”
Pat pat.
Marian kept patting Saya as if unable to resist how cute she was.

Leaving them behind, I checked first if the front door was open.
…Lately, the front door had been open quite often, so I felt a bit uneasy just in case.
There could be another uninvited guest.
Fortunately, the front door was still firmly closed as Saya and I had left it.

“Come in. Everyone.”
After confirming there was nothing unusual, I let the group into the house.
“So this is where Ariel lives. It’s not a bad atmosphere. It’s very like you, Ariel.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”

Marian, who had entered the house, looked around and gave a word of praise.
‘I wonder what she means by ‘like me’…’

I had some doubts but didn’t bother to ask. At least it wasn’t meant to be derogatory.
“Girls. I have something to talk about with Marian, would you like to go play in Saya’s room?”
“Okay. Ariel.”
“…Yes..”

Leaving Saya and the elf girl to play by themselves, I guided Marian to the living room.
“It’s a bit dark. I’ll turn on the light.”
Click. As it had gotten a bit dark inside, I turned on the magic lamp and bright light illuminated the space.

“Sit here, Marian. I’ll brew some tea, so please wait a moment.”
“…Thank you.”

‘Marian liked black tea..’
Since I was in charge of meals in the hero’s party, I was aware of most party members’ preferences.
“…It’s been a while. The black tea you brew.”

I brewed black tea in the kitchen, then poured it into a teacup and handed it to Marian.
Fortunately, it seemed to suit Marian’s taste.
She had a satisfied look after taking a sip of the black tea.

After enjoying a brief teatime, we started the conversation that was our original purpose.
“Ariel. Why did you leave us? Was there something that displeased you? Please tell me.”
Marian spoke to me in a serious voice.
“Ah..”

Although I was prepared, it was as if my mouth was sewn shut with thread and wouldn’t open easily.
I was reluctant to tell Marian about my unsightly side.
The voice that barely leaked out scattered and disappeared in the air like broken glass shards.

‘No….’
The scar engraved in my heart was preventing me from revealing my weakness even in this situation.
‘Please… get out of my head!’
Again. Increasingly rapid breathing. A quickly beating heart.
Although it was a seizure I had experienced to the point of nausea, it felt more painful today.

“Ariel. Are you alright..?”
“I’m… fine…”
I’m not fine. The anxiety and fear gripping me now make me want to escape from here right this moment.
Even as my nails dug into my skin and I bit my lips until they bled, there was no sign of the seizure improving.

“Try to say it with me. Sha-ah─!”
“Sha-ah…!”
Just then, I heard Saya and the elf girl’s voices from beside me.
As if by magic, my heart started to ease.

Towards Marian who was looking at me with eyes full of worry, I slowly began to open my mouth.
“It might be a long story. Is that okay?”
Fortunately, the voice that leaked out of my mouth eventually took form and could properly reach Marian, and Marian answered with a smile.
“…Of course.”

“…So, that’s why I decided to leave the hero’s party.”
I explained to Marian the reason why I decided to leave the hero’s party.
A seemingly ridiculous story about leaving them because I was afraid of being betrayed by the party members due to my experience of betrayal.

Despite it being a story that could be taken offensively, Marian listened attentively while maintaining eye contact with me until the end.
“I see. So that’s why you left with just a letter.”
Marian nodded as if she understood everything after I finished my story.
‘Is she angry…’

I discreetly observed Marian’s expression.
An expression that somehow seemed angry.
…It’s understandable. I left the party members for such a ridiculous reason.
No, saying I left is no different from saying I ran away.

“Ariel…”
After calling my name, she slowly approached me.
Marian then reached her hand towards me. Is she going to hit me?
“….”

I closed my eyes in preparation for the coming pain… but what I felt was not pain but a gentle touch.
Hug. Marian gently embraced me.
The soft sensation of her embrace and the scent of lavender wafting from her made my anxious heart feel increasingly stable.

“…It must have been hard. I’m sorry… Even though I knew you were struggling during our adventure, I didn’t pay proper attention.”
She spoke to me in a voice tinged with bitterness.
What is Marian saying now?

“You don’t need to apologize.. I should be the one thanking you.”
When I joined the hero’s party, my distrust of humans was at its peak, so I caused a lot of trouble for the other party members.
Nevertheless, the reason I stayed in the hero’s party wasn’t because of my promise with the goddess, but…
‘…Because I liked them so much.’

But as they grew bigger in my heart, the anxiety and fear of being betrayed by them grew uncontrollably, and I eventually chose to run away.

But they didn’t give up on me.
Because of that fact, an inexpressible gratitude overflows in my heart.

“Phew….”
Although it was difficult to speak due to overwhelming emotions, I had to convey these words.
“Thank you, Marian. For not giving up on me.”

After composing my trembling voice, I was finally able to convey my words to Marian.
Then Marian spoke with a gentle smile.
“…If it weren’t for you, either Mona or I would have left the party after a fight before we killed the Demon King. Thinking about it that way, it’s rather Leon and I who should be thanking you.”

“Heh.. What’s that..”
“We fought so much after all….”
Afterwards, Marian and I continued our conversation, talking about old times until the night grew dark.
I might have cried a little too.

.
.
.
Inside a quiet and sacred temple.
As the warm sunlight shone down illuminating the interior of the temple, there was a woman kneeling in prayer before an awe-inspiring statue of the goddess.

Although her head was covered with a veil, the silver hair that escaped through the gaps was as beautiful as if moonlight had settled on it,

Her black eyes, as if containing the night sky, were so mysterious that even a first-time viewer wouldn’t be able to take their eyes off them.
A girl like a beautiful statue meticulously crafted by the goddess.

“Goddess Kael. This lowly servant dares to ask. Please.”

Listea, known as the saint of the hero’s party and the representative of Goddess Kael, pleaded to the goddess in a voice filled with desperation.
“Please. The poor lamb. The location of Ariel. Please reveal it to me.”

Listea prayed while holding a rosary in her hand. Her prayer continued for a long time.
How much time had passed? She slowly rose to her feet.

“As expected. You don’t answer. Useless.”
She looked at the goddess’s statue with cold eyes, denouncing the goddess.
─Her voice was cold enough to make one’s skin crawl, and at the same time, beautiful.
An impiety impossible to believe from one who serves the gods.

“I’ll have to find her myself. Wait for me. Ariel…!”
Step step.
Eventually, she threw the rosary she was holding onto the floor and slowly walked out of the temple.