Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 2: The Witch’s Apprentice ②
I was ushered into the living room just like that.
As always, the place was a chaotic mess of various things, making me feel oddly nostalgic.
Piles of books and scrolls that couldn’t fit in the bookshelf.
Heaps of suspicious tools and boxes whose purpose was completely unknown to me.
That crescent-shaped vessel was still here too.
Many staff and metal rods were spilling out of the staff holder’s tube and rolling across the floor.
Wait, that staff—it looks similar to the one Pakila-san has. The only difference is the color of the gem.
Scattered on the floor were expensive-looking paintings, vases, sculptures, and taxidermy.
That vase—I saw it in Arifa-san’s shop.
There were also monster horns and other raw materials carelessly strewn about. Even a Thunderbull’s horn was among them.
On top of that, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other accessories were scattered everywhere.
The only parts of the room that remained somewhat intact were the spacious red sofa and the empty space on the table in front of me.
The witch had gone to change.
That was only natural. If she stayed like that, I might’ve died.
Even the tips of her large fox ears had turned bright red, and she was completely flustered.
She had covered her chest and lower body with her arms, her eyes welling up with tears.
Even a witch like her had a sense of shame. That was a relief—really, it was.
But then… why was she naked in the first place?
Could she possibly be part of some nudist tribe?
Well, she is a witch. I guess that’s within the realm of possibility.
“Should I even ask why she was naked?”
I debated with myself.
This was a serious dilemma.
“…Hmm. Hmmmmm. Hmmm… Hmmmmmm.”
For now, I averted my gaze from the high-class porcelain cup placed in front of me.
It contained the witch’s usual herbal tea.
She had set it down while practically naked, still trying to cover herself.
“……”
This time, the tea was ruby-colored.
For a moment, I thought it was black tea.
If I hadn’t made eye contact with it, I might have casually picked it up and sipped it in an elegant manner.
“……”
Inside the tea, there was an eye.
A single eye floated in the ruby liquid, staring directly at me.
At a glance, I could tell it had eyeliner and mascara.
It was a woman’s eye.
And so what, you idiot!?
“……”
I could feel the gaze.
It was unmistakably staring at me—unblinking, intense.
At moments like these, I cursed my past life’s memories.
What was that saying again?
“When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you?”
No, damn it! The abyss isn’t literally supposed to be looking back!
Ad
And Nietzsche is dead, damn it!
“S-S-Sorry to keep you waiting~!”
The witch returned.
She wore a black-patterned cape over a black dress with red accents.
As always, her outfit was perfectly witch-like.
And, of course, her neckline was boldly exposed, and her skirt was short.
Three fluffy, bushy tails swayed behind her, standing out prominently.
Even the slightest bend forward would reveal everything under that skirt.
Actually, it did reveal everything.
“U-Um, long time no see, Witch.”
“Y-Y-Yes, long time no see indeed~”
Technically, it had only been a little over a week.
So, I suppose you could say it was a long time.
The witch’s face turned slightly red as she stole glances at me.
The awkward air lingered due to the whole naked incident from earlier.
Ad
No, staying silent here wouldn’t be good.
“The truth is, Witch, I—”
“The truth is, the truth is—I’m so sorry~!”
The witch suddenly bowed her head and apologized.
Huh? What?
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Well, well, for the matter of Axe and Mineha, of course~”
“Oh, so that was your doing after all.”
“U-Um, you’re not mad…?”
The witch looked troubled by my indifferent response.
She had probably been prepared for me to be angry.
“If you ask whether I was mad—well, at first, I did think, Wait, is this really okay?”
“Uuuuuh… I-I’m sorry~…”
“But I’m not mad anymore. A lot has happened, but Axe-san wrote and sent a letter to mend things with his mother. He’s also interacting with Mineha-san normally now.”
“O-O-Ohh, t-that’s wonderful news~”
Ad
The witch looked surprised. Then, she let out a relieved sigh.
She sank into the black sofa across from me, visibly relieved.
Even she must have realized that her actions had been reckless this time.
Alright. This was it. This was my chance.
Now or never!
“The truth is, Witch. I also need to apologize to you—”
“Yes, yes~! Wof-kun is truly Con’s proud apprentice~!”
“Wha—!?”
Her carefree, beaming smile made me choke on my words.
W-What the hell…?
“W-W-What’s wrong~?”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong…? I… I was that witch’s…?”
I swallowed the words: ‘Was I really her apprentice?’ and ‘Or was I once her apprentice?’
Apparently, in the witch’s mind, I really was her apprentice.
She had never said it explicitly, so I never realized.
But now, it wasn’t something I could just ask her to clarify.
Thinking back, she was far too kind to me.
Now it made sense—it was because I was her apprentice.
There was no way I could say, “I never thought I was your apprentice.”
Besides, I had used my supposed “apprentice” status to my advantage multiple times.
Even so, moving forward with this new understanding left me feeling… unsettled.
“Hmm? Hmm? The witch’s… what~?”
“Um… I’m sorry. I never thought of myself as your apprentice.”
“Eh? Eh? T-Then… w-what do you mean…?”
The witch was shaken. She was extremely surprised and deeply shocked.
I felt a slight pang in my heart. I had expected this, but seeing her reaction still hurt.
However, I had a major question on my mind.
“Um, please stay calm and listen to me.”
“U-U-Wof boy wasn’t Con’s apprentice…? He is my apprentice, right?”
“I never thought I was.”
“Uu-ahh, uu-ahh, Wof boy wasn’t Con’s apprentice…?”
“But, listen to me, Witch!”
“Aaaaaahhh, aaaaaahhh, Wof boy is, is Con’s, Con’s—”
Wait, no way. She’s about to cry.
This isn’t working. She won’t understand from this distance.
I stood up abruptly, approached the witch—who was lying on the sofa with her back turned—and grabbed her arm firmly. Whoa! She pulled me in! So strong!?
“Waahhh!”
“!? W-W-Wof boy!?”
Because of the size difference, I tripped over my feet and fell straight onto her.
W-Whoa, what was that boing sound? It’s… s-so soft… Wait, no!
I hurried to get up and locked eyes with the witch.
Her face was close. Very close.
I swallowed hard.
The witch’s eyes were teary. Wait, what? Why is she crying?
More importantly, I was practically pinning her down on the sofa.
Ad
I had to move away quickly—but the witch just kept staring at me, tears rolling down her cheeks.
The witch was crying.
That witch was crying.
Oh, come on!
You seriously don’t have to cry this much!
“Oh, for crying out loud, Witch! Stop crying and listen to me properly!”
“N-N-No, C-C-Con isn’t c-c-crying at all, you know!”
“Then stop crying. More importantly, listen carefully. You never once told me I was your apprentice!”
“Eh? Ehh? R-Really…?”
The witch sniffled, looking confused through her tears.
I let out a sigh.
Even so, she smelled nice. Oh, this was the scent of milk soap.
And the way I was holding her arm, the warmth of her skin, the slight sheen of sweat… it felt nice.
Yeah, women are like this—wait, no!
Wof, you’re 13 years old!
It’s way too early for those thoughts, even with past life memories!
Calm down. Calm down. Using [Stillness] here doesn’t seem right.
A small deep breath. The witch twitched slightly, but I ignored it.
Finally, I steadied my thoughts and spoke.
“…Witch. If you had told me to become your apprentice, I would have accepted without hesitation.”
“!? W-W-Wo—R-Really? You really mean it!?”
“Yes. So, Witch. Say it properly.”
I looked straight into the witch’s eyes.
Her tears had stopped.
She beamed with a wide, joyful smile.
“Yes. Yes. Wof boy, please become Con’s apprentice.”
“Yes. I am the Witch’s apprentice.”
I said it clearly.
From today onward, I was the witch’s apprentice.
Now, I could put this matter to rest in my mind.
Alright. Time to get to the main topic.
First, I had to do something about this compromising position before someone walked in and misunderstood.
Wait, Witch—why are you closing your eyes?
Why is your face turning red?!
No, no, that’s not what this is!!