Chapter 9: Witch’s Training ①

In the morning, when I woke up, Mineha was there. She flicked my forehead and called me a sleepyhead.

We had breakfast together.
While eating, she told me how worried everyone had been.

I felt bad for troubling them.
I also heard that Coon Hunt’s main headquarters had been attacked and half-destroyed.
When she learned it was the Witch and her group, Mineha just gave a wry smile.

During the four days I was asleep, everyone had been worried about me, but the investigation for our request had also advanced.
It seems they’re close to making contact with a chimera subspecies.

Also, the day after my kidnapping attempt, everyone took a full day off from investigating just for my sake.
I felt truly guilty.

Juicy, Rell, Axe, and Hoss came by yesterday.
This morning’s mixed-meat soup was Hoss’s cooking from the day before. It was delicious.

Juicy has been visiting every day, but today she had work at home, so she couldn’t come.
I felt bad for breaking our promise to practice archery together.

“Still, I don’t mind it happening to me, but you almost getting kidnapped is something else.”
“Haha… you’re right.”
“And by the ‘Ruin breaker’ no less. So, what are you going to do from now on?”
“I’ll be staying with the Witch for a while.”
“I see…”

It wasn’t safe here. There was always the possibility of Alweld attacking.
At least in the Witch’s house, she’d be able to deal with it.

“I’m sorry. Can I count on you to look after the house?”
“Of course.”
“And please take care of Dagaa too.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Na?”
“Wait, don’t just ignore me so casually.”
“…Sorry. Him too.”
“Haah, really.”
“Hey!?”

Mineha looked at me. She stared for a long time, as if she wanted to say something.

“You. Get stronger.”
“Yes.”

After breakfast, I packed my things, and my escort arrived.
Not the Witch herself, but Munieka-san came as my guard.

As always, she wore a spotless, crisp black-and-white maid uniform.
Combined with her extraordinarily beautiful features, she looked absolutely flawless.

“Well then, let’s go.”
“Please take care of me.”

And so, we headed for the Witch’s house.

“You don’t have to worry. That prideful man will never come after you again.”
“You know him?”
“Only in passing, as a fellow First-Class. Master.”

…Wait a second. Munieka was the First-Class Explorer known as “Autodoll”?!

I looked around.
Countless men’s eyes were on her, yet she hadn’t been recognized.

“W-Wh-What’s with the ‘Master’ thing!?”
“I am a maid, after all.”
“Th-That’s… true, I guess?”
“Why the question mark? However you look at me, I’m a maid.”
“…On the outside.”
“On the inside as well.”

Her silver eyes glimmered. She was an Edda, which meant her eyes should normally be violet.
But as a Legendary, she had changed their color.

Apparently, an Edda—who are without exception nobles—working as a maid was considered improper.
Though, I’d heard of a sister from Edda who worked at an orphanage, and she still had violet eyes, so that was fine.
Maybe what bothered people was Munieka remaining Edda while serving as a maid.

“…So why call me ‘Master’?”
“At first, I considered calling you Young Master, but it didn’t quite fit. And actually, ‘Master’ was my second choice.”
“Second choice? What was first?”
“‘Husband.’”
“Absolutely not. Please don’t.”
“Understood.”

My head started to hurt. Though…

“You just call Leod by name, don’t you?”
“That was the most natural for him.”

I kind of understood. I called him by name too.

“Ah, by the way, doesn’t Leod still need a guard?”
“No. Yesterday, I sent Coon Hunt’s headquarters a big notice canceling the contract.”
“…Ahaha…”
“I won’t tolerate cowardly actions. Still, it seems Reold truly didn’t know anything.”
“Alweld did say it was a direct commission…”
“Yes, but something about Alweld’s actions troubles me. For him, this attempted kidnapping was unusually sloppy and impulsive—very unlike him.”
“…Now that you mention it, that doesn’t add up.”

That was my thought too.
Alweld von Rutvelt.

As frustrating as it was to admit after losing to him—
Was he really the clan master of Coon Hunt?

It was infuriating, but he was… gah, I don’t want to praise him, but he was nearly flawless.
The same type as Munieka herself.
Which is probably why she sensed something off.

“By the way, Master.”
“Y-Yes.”

Ugh, I’m still not used to that.

“I’ve heard from the Witch. You possess an auto-type Relic.”
“Yes, I do.”
“And it’s of the unconscious type, I hear.”
“Yes. It’s hard to control.”
“Mm. Silent Move… as it happens, I once possessed it myself.”
“Wait—you did?”

She had it too? No—her wording was in the past tense.

“Yes. It has since evolved into [Auto Move].”
“…[Auto Move]… evolved, you say?”
“The Relic [Auto Move] is not unconscious.”
“What!?”

My eyes widened.
That meant my own [Silent Move] could possibly evolve too.

Munieka pressed a finger against her crimson-painted lips and gave a faint smile.

“I heard you wish to become stronger, Master. If you are willing, I will assist you.”
“Y-Yes, please!”
“Understood, Master.”

I blushed, unable to get used to that form of address. Munieka chuckled softly.
…Wait, am I being toyed with?

The Witch’s House.

I thought the Witch herself would be there, but she was out.

I left my bag—just a single backpack—in the living room, then stepped into the courtyard.

Munieka was already waiting there.
Huh? Something… floating? A white sphere?

“Now then, Master. I will explain the curriculum. First, you must use [Silent Move] at least ten times every day.”
“Ten times!?”
“Correct. And who you’ll be fighting is…”

She snapped her fingers. The side of the floating white sphere glowed red.
A blue Minotaur appeared.

“!? A Minos Unit!?”
“As expected, Master. Correct.”
“That orb, is it… don’t tell me, an Infinite Replication… Core System?”
“Indeed. I requested Lord Haiyaan—otherwise known as ‘that lewd rabbit’—to build it. This is a Limited Replication Core System for Minos Dolls.”
“Minos Doll?”
“Yes. This one is just a sample. The real training is…”

She snapped her fingers again. The blue Minotaur vanished.
This time, what appeared was… a maid.

“…Uh.”

She had snow-white skin, long golden hair, and a face resembling Munieka’s.
She bore blue bull’s horns and wore the same black-and-white maid uniform.

“This is a Minos Doll. Its base model is myself.”
“…Haiyaan instructed you to make this?”
“No. The design was entirely at my request.”
“W-We’re supposed to fight… her?”
“Of course. The Minos Doll’s strength ranges from standard Minos Units up to the latest Minos Units, and even the old-type Minos Guardians. In terms of monster threat level, that’s up to Upper Silver rank. The newest Minos Guardian model even reaches Gold rank.”
“…Upper Silver rank.”
“That is nothing to be surprised at. The man you aim to defeat, Alweld, is normally equivalent to Upper Gold-class in terms of monster threat level.”
“I’m not exactly trying to defeat him…”

…So he’s basically a monster.
I knew he was strong, but that strong?

Wait.

“Normally?”
“If he goes all out, I believe he could reach Mid-Jewel rank.”
“…That’s already inhuman.”
“Indeed.”

So I was trying to beat someone like that…
No, not just trying. I will beat him. That’s right. Maybe Munieka knows something.

“Um, Munieka, there’s something I can’t stop thinking about.”
“And that is?”
“Alweld said this: that my Relic and his Relic are the same type. That I’m probably shaping mine with the Relic itself, without using my gaze or summoning it. …That’s what he said.”
“That sounds like a riddle.”
“I thought so too. But as frustrating as it is, I think… it was a hint.”

My Relic [Vanish] had been neutralized by his [Crash].
But he hadn’t done anything special. He just chanted, and that alone erased my [Vanish].

If we really have the same type, then I should be able to do that too.
And unless I learn how, I’ll never be able to stand on the same stage as Alweld.

That hint is the key. If I don’t solve it and master it, I’ll never beat him.

So I’ll figure it out. I’ll master it.

To fight him—
And win!

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