I Became a Forest Witch Who Raises Dragons

Adventurer’s Guild

—–

On the seventh day since Puel came to our house.
“Oh my. We’re out of ingredients..”

When I opened the ingredient basket with refrigeration magic cast on it, there was almost nothing left except for a few fruits.
Only a few vegetables and fruits that the villagers brought yesterday remained.
Originally a house where I lived alone, with two more family members, the rate of ingredient consumption has increased almost twice… no, about three times.

‘They’re in their growing phase after all…’
They eat so well that just watching them eat makes me feel full.
“Big sister Ariel… is there anything I can help with..?”
While I was pondering what to do for lunch today, I heard Puel’s voice.
Peek.

Puel peeking her head slightly into the kitchen as she spoke to me.
Over the past week, Puel’s condition has improved a lot.
Although the wounds that had already become scars couldn’t be helped, her body that had been very thin has now filled out to be similar to Saya’s, and her hair that was a mess with blood and sweat has regained its original luster.
As a result…

‘She’s cute…’
…She’s become cute. Very much so.
With two cute creatures in the house, my heart can barely handle it.
“Hmm… I think I’ll be fine without help.”
“…Then can I just stay beside you?”

Puel asks carefully while slightly raising her head.
That sight was so cute that I collapsed on the spot, my strength leaving me.
“A-Ariel big sister!!!”
Ah… I’m happy.
“Stay beside me… forever…”
“Geez, big sister…”

Puel doesn’t seem particularly surprised, as this isn’t the first or second time this has happened.
By now, it should be about time for Saya to come…
“Ariel!!”
Sure enough, Saya comes running like clockwork.

“P-Puel… what should we do…. Ariel seems… to be sick…”
Saya asked Puel in a voice that seemed like she might burst into tears at any moment, seeing me collapsed.
No. I really think I’m going to die.
“Thank you Saya.. I’m better thanks to you.”
“Sha-ah..? That’s a relief!”

I gently patted Saya, then turned my gaze to the empty ingredient basket.
‘I’m running out of money now….’
Fortunately, there’s enough money not to starve right away, but my balance was starting to show its bottom.
After donating most of the money I received after defeating the Demon King to the temple, except for a small portion, I had holed up in this mountain valley.

I had done it thinking what’s the use of having a lot of money when I was going to live alone anyway… but now I’m in a situation where I regret not having that money.
Should I look for a job..?
As I was staring blankly into the basket, Puel beside me spoke up.
“Big sister Ariel… what’s wrong..?”

“Well.. we’re out of ingredients. I think I need to go to the grocery store for a bit.”
“I-I’m sorry.. It’s because I eat too much…”
That’s nonsense. Children should eat a lot as they grow.

Puel does eat quite a lot, but that’s not a burden at all. Rather, just watching her eat makes me feel full.
I patted Puel’s head as she apologized and said,
“Don’t worry about it. I feel full just watching Puel eat.”
“Me too! Me too!”

Saya chimed in from the side. Nice timing.
“Anyway, I think I need to go to the grocery store. Can you two take good care of the house while I’m gone?”
“…Yes.” “Okay!”

I checked the protection magic and notification magic cast on them.
Hmm. It’s working well.
“I’ll be back soon.”
After confirming that the protection magic and notification magic were working properly, I headed to Lonzville.

After arriving in Lonzville using transfer magic, I immediately bought ingredients at the grocery store.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too short, but it was quite close.
‘I guess I need to find a job after all.’

Even if it’s not just because of food expenses, Saya and Puel are children who are growing rapidly.
Naturally, expenses will increase, but with the current financial state, it’s not even close to being enough.
Before returning home, I walked around the street for a while, thinking about what kind of work I could do.

‘What kind of work can I do… A private tutor? No. I’m not good at teaching others. Working as a server… the income is too low.’
To begin with, I’m not keen on being employed in one place.
Because it would reduce my time with the children.
‘A job with good income… and not being employed in one place… there’s no way such a job exists.’

As I was pondering while walking, by chance a building caught my eye.
“Adventurer’s… Guild?”
For a moment, the thought of becoming an adventurer crossed my mind.
The income is good, it’s free, and you’re not employed in one place.
Adventurers are only managed by the Adventurer’s Guild in terms of affiliation, they’re almost completely free.

…The problem is the high risk of the work, but for me, a great magician, danger isn’t much of an issue.

Besides, I can just not take on jobs that would be dangerous for me.
‘If I just do adventurer work to the extent of taking on simple requests like monster subjugation when I need money…?’
The more I think about it, the more I see only merits.

“Phew. Let’s just try going in first.”
After storing the ingredients I was holding in my subspace, I approached the front of the Adventurer’s Guild.
A building of considerable size. Around the entrance, there were several people who looked like adventurers standing with weapons.
“Hey.. look at that person.. she’s no joke…”
“…Pol. Try talking to that lady.”

Even though I was using disguise magic, for some reason attention kept focusing on me.
Because the original is such a beauty, even with disguise magic, I often inevitably draw people’s attention.
‘Maybe I should get a mask next time…’

I never get used to men’s gazes no matter how much time passes.
Even though I’ve lived as a woman for over a year, my sexual orientation was still towards women.

Creak.
Trying hard to ignore their gazes, I opened the door of the Adventurer’s Guild.

What unfolded before my eyes as I opened the door of the Adventurer’s Guild was a scene reminiscent of a bustling marketplace.
“Anyone willing to take on the goblin subjugation request near Rain Village!!!!!! One spot left!!!!”
“Looking for one more person to join the orc village reconnaissance request. Someone confident in hiding themselves!!”

‘Should I go back…. No. Let’s just register for now.’
Suppressing the urge to immediately turn back and leave, I approached the woman who looked like a guild employee at the center.
Fortunately, except for one person who came before me, there was no one else waiting, and I thought I might be able to return earlier than expected, but…

“Don’t be ridiculous! Me, a copper rank?! The monsters I’ve cut down with my own two hands are countless!!!”
“I’m sorry, but it’s established that those registering with the Adventurer’s Guild for the first time start from copper rank…”
“I’m telling you to do something about that! Does it make sense for someone of my caliber to be catching mere goblins or picking herbs?!”

…Due to the man in front of me throwing a tantrum, quite some time was delayed.
The man kept appealing his strength to the guild employee, seemingly quite confident in his own power.
Although he was quite large in build, the mana flow I sensed from him was nothing special.
If he’s not deliberately hiding his power, it means he’s just an ignorant small fry.

‘If I knew it would be like this, I should have just gone home first and come back.’
This is a typical example of a troublemaker.
…I want to stuff and mount him in an encyclopedia of troublemakers.

Just as I was about to return home to avoid getting involved in something bothersome…
“Excuse me. Why are you bothering the innocent employee sister when the guild regulations are like that?”
A voice was heard reprimanding the man.

“What? Who are you?!”
“That’s none of your business. Can’t you see the employee sister is troubled? You clearly look suited for copper rank, what’s with this tantrum.”
“Wh-what?!! You bitch…..”

The troublemaker, excited by the woman’s words, raised his hand as if to hit her.
“….[Petrification]”
“Wh-what’s this?! My… hand!!!!!!!”

I petrified the man’s hand before it could reach the female adventurer.
Thud.
The man, whose right arm had suddenly turned to stone up to half, screamed loudly in surprise.
Is he going to use sound wave attacks now since physical force doesn’t work?

“Fuck!!!! Who the fuck are you!!!! Release this right now?!”
“…Be quiet.”
“Who are you… My… my body……!!!!!!”

The petrification magic covering the man’s body gradually expanded its range.
From the right arm, to the chest, legs, neck, and then the mouth.
The man with everything turned to stone except for his eyes and nose.
“Finally it’s a bit quiet.”

Since it’s not petrified all the way to the inside, but only the surface is petrified, leaving just the nose means he won’t die.
It’s so much more pleasant now that one person has become quiet…
‘…Ah.’

By the time I realized it wasn’t just the man who had become quiet, it was too late.
The guild interior had suddenly become silent.
People who were looking for parties in front of the bulletin board, people who were quietly sitting at tables watching the situation, all were holding their breath and looking this way.

‘I wanted to avoid standing out as much as possible…..! It’s all because of this guy.’
Despite using disguise magic to hide my identity, I ended up doing something so conspicuous.

I’m really stupid. Me.
“Excuse me… Miss Magician?”

While I was writhing in self-loathing with my head in my hands, the female adventurer who had reprimanded the man earlier spoke to me.
“Yes..?”
“Thank you for helping! Actually, I was about to throw a punch myself…”

She thanked me.
Swish swish. The way she swung her fists in the air as if she wanted to hit him reminded me of my little sister from my previous life.
Even though I had no intention of intervening, the reason I ended up doing something so conspicuous was because of that.

Somehow, the adventurer girl in front of me reminded me of my little sister.
The girl in front of me with black hair and black eyes, rare in this world.
The girl, who looked young enough to be called a girl, held out something to me.

“Still, since you helped me… I’ll give you this.”
What the girl held out was candy made by melting and hardening sugar. She gave me two of them.
“…Thank you.”
“Hehe. It’s nothing. Since this is a chance encounter, shall we have tea sometime… is what I’d like to say, but I have to go work now. Let’s at least say hello if we meet again. Well then, goodbye!”

After finishing her words, she immediately walked out of the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Ah.. goodbye..”
She had already left the guild before I could finish my greeting.
It feels like a typhoon just passed by..

“Miss employee… is it okay to call you that?”
After standing blankly for a while after she left, I recalled my original purpose for coming here and spoke to the guild employee in front of me.
“Y-yes!! Please call me whatever you’re comfortable with!!”
“…Okay. Miss employee. I’d like to register as an adventurer… Are there any necessary procedures?”

I asked the nervous-looking employee about the adventurer registration procedure.
Then the guild employee took out some paper and a pen from the drawer she was sitting at.
“P-please read the contents written on this paper, and then sign here…!”
“…Is there no separate registration fee?”
“No!! I-I’ll pay it for you!! Since you helped me!”

It feels somewhat like I’m extorting money. But I guess I’ll accept it since rejecting kindness might make the other person feel awkward.
“Thank you, Miss employee.”
“I-it’s nothing!”

After thanking the employee who paid the registration fee for me, I checked the contents written on the paper.
‘Hmm.. starting from copper rank, can be promoted to higher ranks after accumulating achievements and passing a rank assessment… cancelling accepted requests without notice may result in a penalty fee and rank demotion…’

Most of it is common sense content.
After briefly skimming through the content written on the paper, I signed my name in the signature field.
Since the name Ariel is too conspicuous, I used the pseudonym May that I made up on the spot.

After deliberating between Elizabeth and May, I decided to go with May. It would be more convenient in many ways to have a shorter name.
The employee who received the paper I handed over checked the contents and then began a brief explanation to me.

“I’ve received the paper… Miss May’s adventurer’s card can be picked up in about two days. Please note that you can start accepting requests from tomorrow.”
“…I see.”

I didn’t plan to start accepting requests from today anyway, so it didn’t matter much. The same goes for the adventurer’s card.
‘More time has passed than I thought…’
“Um… Miss May.”

Just as I was about to leave the Adventurer’s Guild, thinking of Saya and Puel waiting at home, I heard the employee calling me from behind.
“Excuse me.. that person.. is he dead..?”
She pointed at the petrified man.

…The man was turning his eyes desperately towards me with a messy face covered in tears and snot.
I had forgotten about him.
“Do I really have to release him?”
“Well… there’s a clause that imposes penalties on adventurers who inflict harm on ordinary citizens… Since that person hasn’t completed the adventurer registration process yet..”

The guild employee spoke carefully as if troubled.

“…Is there no way around it?”

I reluctantly dispelled the petrification magic cast on the man.
“Aaaaargh!!!”
The guy ran away like a bullet out of the guild as soon as the magic was dispelled.
After watching that scene, I immediately headed home where Saya and Puel would be waiting.

“Hold on a minute, you cute little bitch.”
In a back alley located not far from the Adventurer’s Guild.
In that alley, the man who had just caused a commotion in the Adventurer’s Guild blocked the path of a female adventurer.

“What? Aren’t you the copper rank adventurer who just got taught a lesson by the magician sister at the Adventurer’s Guild? Don’t tell me you followed me?”
“This Bolbo has a personality that always pays back what he’s received, you see.”
“…You couldn’t even approach the magician sister.”

The man, hit right where it hurt, shouted at the girl in front of him with obvious signs of excitement.
“Sh-shut up!!! You fucking bitch……”
Then the man looked the girl up and down as if licking her with his eyes.
“Wait. Now that I look closely… your face is quite pretty…”

“…Sorry, but I’m not happy at all even if you compliment me. I can’t stand men who look as petty and stupid as you. I prefer someone more like a big brother.”
“Hehe. A feisty woman isn’t bad either.”
“…….”

The girl, realizing that the man had no intention of listening to her words anymore, raised her fist.
“What are you trying to do without that magician around… Ugh…”
The man saw this and tried to say something with a scornful laugh, but…
Crack.

…The man’s words did not continue. Airi’s fist had already accurately connected with the man’s jaw.
With just that, the man’s body collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
“…Don’t misunderstand. Even without the sister, you would have been hit by me.”