TUHWKM 08

Chapter 08

I sprang up from where I was and looked around. The soil, now visibly clean at a glance, caught my eye.

“…It worked.”

It worked! Hurray!

Though I hadn’t been able to fully restore the distant areas, the horizon that had been obscured by contamination was now visible.

It was a shame I couldn’t restore all of it, but the knights could handle that much.

Grrrrowl.

My stomach roared again.

I’m going to lose my mind.

“I’m hungry…”

I turned my head and scanned the cluster of people. Soon I spotted a basket of oranges held by an older woman.

I dusted off my dirt-covered dress and approached, and they flinched, their shoulders trembling.

“Huuuh.”

“D-don’t come closer…!”

These people, each a head taller than me, were surprisingly timid.

I squeezed through the gap and picked up an orange from the basket.

“I’ll just eat this one.”

“Uh, uh. What? No…!”

“Just wait a moment and I’ll pay you back double, so don’t worry.”

Right now I’m so hungry I don’t think I can use even a pinch more of mana.

I roughly peeled the orange and popped it into my mouth as I turned around.

The restored land had a completely different color from before. The ground that had sunk like a swamp now firmly supported my feet.

“Let’s see, would around here be good?”

I turned my back on the people still staring blankly at me and chose a suitable spot.

Hmm.

The ground is flat.

The smell of soil is nice.

After finishing all the remaining oranges, I saved a few seeds and buried them in the ground.

If restoring the contaminated land just now was the domain of black magic, then making plants grow and granting them life force was the domain of white magic.

Thank goodness I’m the genius Charlotte.

To think I can use magic as a hybrid.

Wooong—

Blue light wrapped around the ground. Before long, a sprout poked its head out from the soil. The sprout grew and grew, and in the blink of an eye became a tree.

“A-a tree grew!”

“Good heavens…”

I infused a bit more mana.

Then this time, plump oranges began to pop, pop, appear on the tree.

“Oranges are growing…?”

“A-am I dreaming?”

Good.

This should be enough, right?

I withdrew the magic circle and plucked a nearby orange and put it in my mouth. Sweet and tangy juice spread throughout my mouth.

What do I do.

It’s so delicious.

“Hey, farmer ajusshi.”

“Y-yes?”

“I definitely said it earlier, didn’t I? That if I restored this land, I could eat as much of the fruit that grows as I want.”

“What? Ah, yes…!”

“Awesome.”

Then this is all mine.

I plucked all the oranges on the tree and neatly packed them into the basket.

“Oh, ajumma. This is the payment for the orange you gave me earlier. I said I’d pay you back double, so I’ll give you two.”

I didn’t forget to firmly press two oranges into the hands of the older woman who stood frozen with her mouth agape.

“Now this land should be usable too. I just restored it so it’ll be overflowing with nutrients, so if you have crops to plant, plant them quickly.”

That way I can come pick more later.

From now on, the fruit on this land is all my snack. Hahaha.

I passed by the dazed people and bolted with the basket of oranges.

Exciting.

I’ll go back and stockpile them to eat.

When I was trudging here while hungry, I thought it was quite a long distance, but the way back while eating oranges one by one was shorter than I expected. I hadn’t walked far when I saw the spire of the main castle in the distance.

“…Lady Charlotte Schmidt?”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice reached my ears.

I turned my head, and a man was standing not far away.

It was a familiar appearance.

Dark brown hair, green eyes. A white uniform with gold epaulettes.

“…Vasel?”

“You know me?”

“Ah.”

I did it without thinking.

I pursed my lips and smiled awkwardly.

Vasel Lion.

Kaierus’s loyal right hand.

On the surface, he held the position of knight commander of the Lusipenia Grand Ducal House, but in truth, he was the enforcer who handled all sorts of secret matters under Kaierus.

He had served Kaierus since his days as a prince, and after Kaierus himself gave up the imperial throne and came down to the grand ducal territory, he devoted himself to Kaierus with his life on the line.

Needless to say, he probably regarded me as a thorn in his side just as much as Kaierus did. In all likelihood, he was the one who investigated my background. That’s the kind of people they were.

“I happened to hear of you. Sir Lion, you’re famous.”

“Is that so…”

Again, again.

He’s looking at me with suspicious eyes.

He’s said to be neck and neck with Kaierus when it comes to being suspicious. Like master, like servant.

Vasel’s green eyes, which had been slowly scanning me, fixed on the basket.

“What is that?”

“Ah, this is…”

How should I explain?

I was pondering, thinking the story might get long, when Vasel strode over with big steps.

I felt an instinctive sense of crisis.

I quickly pulled the basket behind me.

“This absolutely isn’t stolen. It was a fair and square trade.”

“…A trade?”

His expression grew more serious.

By the looks of it, he seemed to think I was somewhere between a thief and a highway robber.

“Lady Charlotte Schmidt. Seizing crops from farmers is subject to strict punishment. Moreover, aren’t you staying here as a criminal, Lady Charlotte Schmidt? If so, we would have to discuss aggravated punishment.”

I knew it.

“I really didn’t steal it. These are my oranges.”

Vasel’s eyes narrowed.

His face said, where on earth is your share in this territory?

“…Go check the orchard over there.”

I reluctantly pointed toward the path I had walked.

Even so, Vasel showed no sign of dropping his suspicious gaze.

“Let’s go together.”

“I’m busy right now.”

“I hope I don’t have to arrest you with my own hands, Lady Charlotte Schmidt.”

Wow, look at him threatening me.

If I were the real Charlotte, you’d have been hit.

Seeing that he seemed ready to drag me away if I refused, I had no choice but to trudge along after him.

What’s the point of fighting?

It only drains my stamina.

I’ve barely eaten a few oranges and it looks like I’ll burn it all off just walking.

A short while later, Vasel came to a halt in front of the orchard.

“The land is back!”

“Hurray!”

What awaited him were farmers cheering and dancing with joy.

They were gathered under the orange tree I had just grown, reveling in their happiness.

“Oh, there! It’s Lady Charlotte!”

“That’s the mage!”

“Mage, over here!”

Just a moment ago they were calling me a witch.

And now they’re waving their hands enthusiastically at the sight of me. I let out a hollow laugh.

Meanwhile, Vasel looked confused.

“…What is this?”

“What did I tell you?”

His gaze lingered on the farmers, then shifted to the land on the right side of the stake fence.

“The land is…”

“Yes, that’s right. I did it.”

Vasel whipped around to look at me. Question marks bloomed all over his blunt face.

See that, you bastard?

This is Charlotte Schmidt.

Instead of answering, I shrugged and held up the basket of oranges.

“So these are mine.”

If you take them, I won’t let it slide.

Vasel’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly as if he were buffering. His reaction was one of complete incomprehension.

I smiled meaningfully and tapped him on the shoulder.

“So tell your master properly, okay? That I’m not a bad person, so he shouldn’t think about killing me.”

Really, please, I’m begging you.

“Well then.”

Charlotte, holding the basket of oranges, hopped away into the distance. Her dirt-covered skirt hem and white hair fluttered every which way.

Vasel’s peculiar gaze lingered on her receding figure.

“Oh, right.”

Perhaps ten steps in. Charlotte suddenly turned around and came trotting back.

She took a well-ripened orange from the basket and firmly pressed it into Vasel’s hand.

“This is a bribe.”

She lifted her head and smiled brightly. Her pale silver-gray eyes curved gently into crescent moons.

“Will you really tell him properly? I’m trusting you?”

After saying this as if urging him, Charlotte slowly backed away. Soon she spun around and ran off faster than before.

“……”

Vasel stood there for a long time, the orange still clutched in his hand.