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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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After breakfast and dishes, I quickly strapped the water container to my back and left the cabin.
“I’m heading out, Master.”
“…Be careful.”
“Hey, I’ve got this, don’t I?”
I lifted the necklace she’d made me and bounded outside. Despite carrying a water container weighing several kilograms, my steps were light as a feather.
Thanks to awakening my mana. While I couldn’t use any impressive magic, I had mastered various practical skills.
Physical enhancement was one of them.
‘I could probably win Olympic gold medals if I went back to Earth…’
With these thoughts, I ran to the river. A distance that normally took over thirty minutes to walk could be covered in less than five minutes at this pace.
Arriving at the river without even breaking a sweat, I immediately threw the container in. Then I pulled on the rope attached to it to drag it back.
“Ngh-! Ah, nothing.”
After pulling out the container, I realized there were no fish inside and dumped it out.
Before awakening my mana, I could barely lift the container once. Now it was different. A container weighing dozens of kilos felt like a mere few-kilo dumbbell.
After throwing the container in deep again, I managed to catch three fish. I hoisted the container with the fish onto my back and ran back to the cabin.
‘Gotta pick herbs on the way, gather berries… so much to do.’
But I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Truth be told, even with all these tasks, they’d be done by noon. Compared to my month as a slave in the village, this work was nothing.
I couldn’t help grinning. As I smiled while gathering herbs, a scream echoed from far away.
—Kyaaaaaah!
“…A scream?”
Normally, I wouldn’t have even thought about investigating.
But who was I? A munchkin who’d awakened mana! The great witch’s apprentice!
If someone was in danger, it was only right to help!
With that thought, I quickly ran toward the source of the scream. The water in the container on my back sloshed violently.
“It came from around here…”
Arriving at the location, I looked around for people. But this was the middle of the forest – not a soul in sight.
Just as I thought I must have misheard and was about to leave, another scream came from above.
—Kyaaaaaah!
I snapped my head up to see a monkey-like monster leaping down from a tree toward me. Caught off guard, I fell backward, and the container on my back shattered.
“Ugh-!?”
—Kiyaaaaaaah!
The monkey opened its mouth wide and screamed. Only then did I realize the screams I’d heard in the forest had come from this thing.
‘What the hell, is it trying to be a deer or something?’
I blocked its wildly swinging claws and kicked upward into the monkey’s stomach, launching myself away.
The monkey, hit by my mana-enhanced kick, flew several meters and crashed into a tree, but got up unfazed and charged again.
—Kieeeeeeek!
“Oh, come on!”
How was a monkey from the forest edge this strong? Despite being twice its size and weight, it seemed to have several times my strength.
It closed the distance with surprising agility, grabbed one of my legs to trip me, then pinned me down again.
Showing some learning ability, this time it pressed down my arms with its legs so I couldn’t defend. As I helplessly watched its claws flying toward my face, I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of the pain.
“…?”
But no matter how much time passed, the pain didn’t come. When I carefully opened my eyes, the creature that had been on top of me was gone, and a huge wolf was chewing on something.
[Be careful, human.]
“…Mr. Fenrir.”
[If you die, she’ll go mad, you know?]
Evangeline’s familiar, Fenrir, spoke while opening his mouth wide. Hard bones clattered out between his jaws.
Finally realizing where the monkey monster had disappeared to, I quickly got up and dusted myself off.
“Thank you for the help.”
[Think nothing of it- I’m her familiar. Protecting her apprentice is part of my duty.]
“…Then could I ask for one more favor?”
[What is it? Tell me.]
“Do you know how to do carpentry?”
I looked down at the completely shattered wooden container. Having been crushed under my body, it was beyond simple repairs.
Hearing my words, Fenrir showed surprisingly expressive facial movements for a wolf and held up his front paw.
[Look at my paws. Do you think such work would be possible?]
“Ah, right- I don’t suppose this could be fixed with Master’s magic?”
[From what I know, probably not.]
“I’m screwed.”
I started trembling as my expression turned serious. Images of the village chief, who’d beaten me every time I broke something by accident or through wear and tear, flashed through my mind.
Though I was called an assistant, I was essentially a slave – just imagining what punishment she might give me for breaking the container was terrifying.
Being a witch, would she strip my flesh and boil me in a pot? Or maybe curse me? Either way, I didn’t want to imagine it.
“Couldn’t we say you broke it, Mr. Fenrir?”
[Would that work? And- why worry so much about breaking a mere container?]
“Well… I broke something, so of course I’ll be punished, right?”
[It’s just an object, isn’t it?]
The conversation between Fenrir and me started going nowhere. I realized he, being a beast, probably didn’t understand the concept of property ownership.
Well, how much could a beast who thinks all of nature belongs to them understand about the value of possessions? I sighed lightly and picked up the broken wooden boards.
“Ah- just my luck…”
Really, terrible luck.
I headed back to the cabin, trying to think up excuses.
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“…So?”
“I’m sorry…”
I placed the broken boards on the floor and hung my head before my master. She stared at me intently, then picked up the boards and asked.
“How did this happen?”
“Well, you see- I encountered a monster…”
“What!? A monster!?”
Startled by her sudden shout, I looked up to see her frantically checking my body for injuries, her hands running all over.
After her soft touch had examined my entire body, she found some scratches and started having a fit.
“W-what is this…! You’re scratched…!”
“Ah, yes… I am scratched.”
“This won’t do. I need to go exterminate all those monsters…”
“What? Master? Wait. What did you just-”
“I’ll be back later. Go ahead and eat dinner without me.”
I grabbed her as she headed for the door with a bright smile, holding her back.
I’d wondered how I could stop a great witch who could use magic, but fortunately, she didn’t resist my embrace.
I started trying to convince her before she could break free.
“Master! No, you can’t cause extinction over a few scratches! You want to destroy the ecosystem!?”
“Uh, well… that is…”
“Besides, this’ll heal if you put saliva on it! It’s not even a serious injury!”
“S-saliva will heal it…!?”
Surprised by my words, she stared at the back of my hand with a dumbfounded expression. The scratches from the monkey monster’s claws weren’t deep – they would have been fine even if left alone.
They didn’t even need saliva. The kind of scratches that would heal after a good night’s sleep.
“Of course. Actually, it doesn’t even need-”
“We-we must apply it! Yes! If saliva will heal it, why wouldn’t we use it!?”
“…Master?”
Something was off about her. When I carefully loosened my grip, she immediately grabbed my wrist and forced me into a chair.
She naturally pulled up another chair and sat facing me, then pulled my hand toward her.
“Th-then shall I apply some?”
“No, why would Master’s saliva…”
“I-it’s not like I want to do this? But you said it needs saliva to heal…”
I finally realized why she was acting this way. Unlike a witch who’d lived for centuries, the innocent Evangeline had taken my words about saliva healing literally.
Without realizing it was barely even folk medicine – feeling guilty about accidentally deceiving her, I was about to refuse when I heard the devil’s whisper in my mind.
[Whyyy~ A beauty like this is offering to lick your hand? When will you get another chance like this?]
‘…Point taken.’
After a 0.1-second deliberation, I humbly accepted her offer to lick my hand. As I tried to calm my racing heart wondering how soft her tongue would be, she stuck out her tongue.
“Blehhh…”
Drip- drop-
And contrary to my expectations, her tongue never touched my hand. Taking the words “apply saliva” literally, she was letting drops of saliva fall onto the back of my hand.
Like a snake, her long tongue held a pool of saliva that dripped down onto my hand. She started rubbing in the fallen saliva with her finger.
As she massaged the smooth saliva into my hand, a slight stinging sensation and inexplicable feeling of depravity filled my chest.
“H-how is it? All better?”
“Y-yeahhh. Feels all better.”
“Really? That’s good then…”
She smiled brightly and released my hand.
Finally free, I unconsciously brought the back of my hand to my nose and sniffed. Seeing this, Evangeline immediately grabbed my hand back and started shouting.
“Y-you crazy bastard!”
“W-what!?”
“Why are you smelling it!”
“I didn’t mean to…”
I laughed, remembering the scent of her saliva.
Her saliva had smelled like fresh mint.
But before I could savor that fragrance again, she quickly brought water and started scrubbing my hand vigorously.
“Wash it! Wash it quickly!”
“Ow-! Master! That’s where I’m injured!”
“Shut up! Didn’t you say it was healed!?”
By now, her mind was completely elsewhere-
And the matter of the broken container was naturally forgotten.
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That situation escalated quickly.