Unnamed Memories - Chapter 8.2

At the same time as Razar screamed, Oscar rushed over and used Akasshia to cut something at his back. 

 

Oscar pulled him up. His leg’s shackles had gone, and he turned around. There were multiple huge pearly gray vines, or maybe tentacles, reaching towards the two of them with their thick tips. The one that had been cut off just now was wriggling on the ground. Feeling physically disgusted, Razar pressed a hand to his mouth and stepped back.

 

“This is… a plant?”

 

“Seems so, except for the color and the size. Looks like if one gets caught, it will suck up all the liquid.”

 

There was something like an enormous pearl at the base of the tentacles. There were green petals surrounding it as if to wrap it up. To all appearances, it was the same species as the pearl grass from earlier.

 

Oscar was trying to find the right timing; he wanted to burn the swaying vines, but unfortunately he had no tools to do so. It would be great if Naak had been here, but if he had brought the dragon along, its master would have known everything. He wasn’t that afraid of her anger, but when he thought about her becoming unhappy… If she didn’t know, then it wouldn’t have to happen.

 

Oscar cut off a vine just before it could touch the barrier while wondering these things. He silently measured the distance to the huge pearl. It was probably its core, he thought.

 

“Razar, get down.”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

He regulated his breathing. There were four vines left; they lifted their pointed tips to aim, and right at that moment, Oscar jumped into their base. Two vines were attacking like thrown spears; he cut them off in one go. Another vine turned its upper part around and mowed down on him from the side; he dodged it. The last one stretched straight towards him from the left. It was about to touch the barrier when Oscar met its fat tip with Akasshia’s blade. The vigorous vine was cut into two and feebly fell to the ground.

 

He immediately took another leap and landed in front of the pearl. Taking a shallow breath, he stabbed Akasshia into the center of the pearl. Having expected to feel hardness, Oscar frowned at the fleshy feeling that was similar to frog eggs. And right after, a purple fluid burst out from its torn surface.

 

Oscar hurriedly jumped back to avoid the splash. The remaining vine writhed in agony and hurled itself down to strike at him again. Oscar swung Akasshia upwards and chopped it off.

 

Meanwhile, the liquid bursting out from the shrivelled pearl made the flowers and plants around it foam and melt.

 

“It’s toxic?!”

 

From the vine-less pearl plant a mist with the same color of the fluid began to leak out. Oscar cluck his tongue when he saw it. The mist seemed to have a will of its own – it reached towards the two of them even though there was no wind in the forest.

 

“Razar, let’s retreat!”

 

There was no reply to his short command. Looking over his shoulder, Oscar saw Razar crouching down on the ground with a hand pressed to his mouth and nose. He was white as a sheet and covered in sweat.

 

“Razar!”

 

The mist spread as if to capture them.

 

Oscar took Razar’s arm and tried to run. But suddenly, the clear laughter of a woman came from behind them.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Right before blacking out, Razar saw the silhouette of a woman over Oscar’s shoulder, her long hair floating in the air.

 

Feeling relieved that his master’s witch had finally come, he let go of his consciousness.

 

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“You have some strange tastes, going to such a place. I heard people died there.”

 

It was the voice of a young woman. She sounded amused. Then, a man’s voice replied:

 

“Why were you there then?”

 

The voice was somewhat cautious, but curious at the same time. It belonged to someone Razar knew very well. With efforts, he tried to wake up; his head ached strangely.

 

Razar opened his eyes; he seemed to be in a house made of wood. He blinked and got up. His master was sitting at a dining table a little away, and opposite him sat a beautiful woman, who gave off a gorgeous impression like he had never seen before. She had curly light brown hair, amber eyes, and ivory-white skin.

 

“Oh, you’re awake.”

 

She turned towards Razar and fluttered her hand. When he heard that, he realized he was lying on a bed. Oscar turned his head around.

 

 

“Your Highness, I…”

 

“There’s miasma at that place. Things got bad because you didn’t notice.”

 

She left her seat and picked up the pitcher on the bedside table, then poured water into a glass and gave it to Razar. He accepted it with a gratitude. He took a sip, and a comfortable coolness spread throughout his whole body. Razar took a deep breath.

 

“Thank you… You are?”

 

“Me?”

 

The woman pointed at herself and laughed merrily.

 

“I am Lucresia, but most people don’t call me by that name. Everyone called me ‘The Locked Forest Witch’.”

 

Razar was so surprised that he couldn’t close his mouth or say anything. Seeing his reaction, the woman laughed even more happily, while Oscar sighed with a bitter expression.

 

The witch’s house was deep inside the forest, at a place where people normally couldn’t trespass due a barrier. There, Oscar and Razar were being served tea.

 

The wooden house was a little big for one person to live in, but with dried herbs everywhere and glass apparatus used to mix them lining up, it gave off a disorderly impression. One of the walls was entirely covered by bookshelves, which were crammed full with what looked to be magic books.

 

Lucresia explained to Oscar that the plant they had encountered was of a carnivorous species, but they grew in the depth of the forest, where humans normally didn’t enter.

 

“Someone probably came all the way there due to curiosity? It followed the scent of human to that place. It has been luring people with the pearls, capturing and then gradually absorbing them. With time, it grew big.”

 

“So the first victim was the cause of it all?”

 

“It’s the first time I’ve seen one that big. I want to make a specimen out of it.”

 

Looking at the entranced witch, Oscar imagined the gigantic vines as a specimen and felt incomprehensible. Next to him stood Razar, who had gotten up; his face was the very picture of depression.

 

Lucresia turned her attention back to the two of them, and tilted her head in puzzle when she realized Oscar hadn’t touched the tea she had brought to him.

 

“Eh, you don’t drink tea?”

 

“Someone will get mad if I don’t be careful. It’ll be bad.”

 

“Hmm… Tinassha is still the same huh?”

 

“Do you know her?”

 

Oscar’s eyes widened a little, and Lucresia smiled mischievously at him.

 

“Of course. I’ve known that child since she has just become a witch.”

 

Oscar was quite shocked at her nonchalant words.

 

‘Become a witch’. So Tinassha hadn’t been born a witch, but had become one. It had probably happened before she had reached maturity, since she had said ‘my growth was stopped’.

 

But how had she been before that? Why had she become a witch?

 

Such questions came one by one and settled in his mind.

 

“Only she could set such a protective barrier, so I knew right away. How is Tinassha nowadays? Does she still stay shut in her tower?”

 

“No, she’s my guardian now.”

 

“Eh, so you climbed that tower. I’ve always thought that it’s quite a mean thing…”

 

Lucresia turned her eyes to the air as if recalling something. Razar was a bit relieved at her non-malicious and honest attitude. It also helped that she was an acquaintance of Tinassha.

 

Witches, with their overwhelming power and fickle temperament, had commanded fear throughout the continent for hundreds of years. The Silent Witch, who had cursed his master, was an example. Magicians called this age the Era of Witches, but at least Tinassha and Lucresia were different from the world’s impression of witches, Razar thought.

 

The usual defenseless, good-natured smile had begun to appear on Razar’s face again. Oscar glanced at him; he didn’t show it, but he couldn’t get rid of the tension he was feeling.

 

Surely, it was her who had cleared up the mist and invited him and Razar to her house for treatment. But still, this was the first time they had ever met, not to mention that she was a witch. She had said that she was an acquaintance of Tinassha, but it was dangerous to trust her right away.

 

Lucresia turned her shining amber eyes to Oscar. It was unclear whether she had seen through his mind or not.

 

“So, what is your contract about? Something like becoming the King of the world?”

 

She asked with an expression full of curiosity.

 

“I can’t imagine her granting such a wish…”

 

“Yes, but it’s not impossible with that sword and that protective barrier, isn’t it?”

 

She suddenly narrowed her eyes. A smile was still on her lips, exploring and teasing, but there definitely was the unfathomable shadow of a witch when she looked up at Oscar.

 

He calmly warded it off.

 

“I can’t win a war if only I become strong. Besides, that’s not something I especially want.”

 

“…Hmm? So what is your wish?… Well?”

 

Oscar didn’t answer. Lucresia’s eyes softened, and she looked truly disappointed. The threatening ambience disappeared, and she pouted like a normal woman.

 

“But I really want to know. Should I go and ask Tinassha directly? I haven’t seen her for about ten years.”

 

“His Highness wants to make Lady Tinassha his wife.”

 

Oscar unintentionally slipped down from his chair. His precaution had come to nothing now. Looking to his side, he saw Razar picking up his cup of tea smilingly. He was about to complain, but the witch’s laughter cut it off.

 

“Ahahahahaha, is that so? Thank you.”

 

Lucresia fell down on to the table and laughed. Her eyes were teary, probably because she was laughing too hard. She seemed to find it amusing from the bottom of her heart.

 

“…Well, I was rejected. That’s why she becomes my guardian.”

 

Oscar sighed in resignation, a sour expression appeared on his face.

 

“Ahahaha… Sorry. But isn’t it good? It’ll be quite difficult, I think.”

 

“Will it?”

 

Razar leaned forward with an earnest expression. He had completely let his guard down. He had to be lectured once they returned – Oscar decided in his mind.

 

Lucresia answered while adding sugar to her own cup.

 

“It will. She has always been a stubborn person who is set on elemental magic. Now, she is quite friendly and can adapt to living with humans immediately, but she’s not ready for a man. There were a lot of things happened in the past.”

 

“Was it about a former King of Farsas?”

 

The story about his great-grandfather, whom Tinassha had called an idiotic king, flashed through Oscar’s mind. Lucresia once again slapped at the table and laughed.

 

“Ah, that was quite a masterpiece. I also had quite a laugh back then. That was just too high-handed. That child was completely exhausted, I believe. Well, if he was a bit smarter, maybe it could have been possible…? No, it would still be impossible.”

 

The witch slapped her own knees to contain herself. Her usual smile returned as if nothing had ever happened, even though she had laughed that hard.

 

“If that’s the case, should I help you? I can make some aphrodisiac for you if you like. Normal potions won’t work, but what I make is effective on the plants themselves, so it’ll probably work on that child too.”

 

“…No, it’s alright.”

 

Oscar leaned back into his chair. He felt strangely weary at this elusiveness, which was quite different from his first meeting with Tinassha. Was it because this witch openly recommended aphrodisiac right from the start?

 

Lucresia smiled an inscrutable smile.

 

“Having that child means having the world.”

 

“That’s why I’m not interested in such things.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

The witch stood up soundlessly, and suddenly extended her fine fingers towards Oscar. He reflexively grasped Akasshia’s hilt, but before he could draw it, Lucresia had floated up above the table. She touched his cheek with her right hand and looked into his blue eyes, smiling sweetly.

 

“Well then, I’ll give you something more interesting than an aphrodisiac.”

 

Just when Oscar was about to draw his sword at her disquieting words, the witch suddenly retreated and descended.

 

Her amber eyes had peered into his for just a moment, but their color left a strange impression in his head.

 

“How scary. Unlike that child, I’m bad at fighting, so will you let it pass?”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“Y-your Highness…”

 

Flustered at the sudden tense atmosphere, Razar intervened.

 

“She had certainly helped us there. The cause of those unnatural deaths also seems to be taken care of somehow, so let’s take our leave for today. Lady Tinassha will get worried.”

 

“…Indeed.”

 

Oscar stood up without taking his eyes off the witch. In defiance of his sharp eyes, the witch smiled charmingly.

 

“Let’s meet again someday, shall we?”

 

That charming smile certainly belonged to a witch that inspired fear and awe in humans.

 

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“You should be more careful.”

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

After informing the villagers that the cause of those unnatural deaths had been subdued, they had left. On the way back, Oscar lectured Razar while speeding his horse. Razar withered apologetically.

 

“Don’t tell Tinassha about meeting that witch.”

 

“…I understand.”

 

If his short-tempered guardian knew about this incident, they might get into an unnecessary quarrel. Oscar made sure that Razar nodded, then turned his eyes back to the road ahead.

 

The blue moon shone on the two riders heading for the castle city. Their shadows stretched long as if being sucked into the closed off forest.