Home/The Reason I Was Reincarnated as a Witch in a Novel/ch 14

Chapter 014

Just as Lindsay had things to do, Nero had his own business. He occasionally traveled back and forth to his homeland to meet friends—and he had already told Lindsay that he would be visiting the Demon Realm today.

"Listen while you eat. I doubt any customers will come, but if they do, just greet them with 'Welcome to Monahan's Magic Potion Shop.'"

"What a shame. If I'd come as a customer, I would have received that welcome too."

"You could break the contract and come as a customer instead."

"That won't do."

Lionel answered firmly, forcing a smile. The playful remark had stirred the lingering emotions he had suppressed, but he didn't lose his smile.

Lindsay finished her sandwich, crumpled the wrapper, and tossed it into the trash bin before continuing her explanation. It somehow felt like a shop owner training her first part-time employee—which, she supposed, it was.

"Potion prices are fixed at one gold, powder at two. You won't need to give change."

"You're selling at a very low price compared to the market rate."

"That's because they don't sell. And if ragged children come, don't chase them off—just take what they give and hand over the medicine."

"Running a charity on top of an unprofitable business."

At Lionel's sparkling gaze, Lindsay turned her head away. His eyes made her feel self-conscious.

It wasn't the grand charity Lionel had made it out to be—she was simply getting rid of unsold medicine to kids who desperately needed it.

Lindsay recalled the children who had come to her shop soon after it opened, dressed in tattered clothes. Cowering as if bracing for rejection, they were slum children commonly seen in the capital's back alleys. Children abandoned by their families, runaways, those who had no choice but to wander the streets.

Lindsay had no reason to take them all in and raise them. But she also had no reason to turn away a customer who had offered the most precious thing they had for a sick friend.

She gazed at the worn wooden figurine on the counter. It depicted an angel looking down with loving eyes at a swaddled infant.

'Mom said she'd earn money... She told me to hold on to this no matter what...'

'Our leader's sick. Sister...'

It was a figurine she would return someday. Lindsay averted her gaze from the wooden carving and pointed beneath the counter to Lionel. There sat an empty black jar.

"Just put any money you receive in there. It'll be transferred to the safe on the second floor."

"Understood."

"If you have any more questions, contact me with the communication tool you gave me. I'll be back by six."

"What? What do you mean...?"

Lionel, who had thought they would be working in the shop together, grabbed Lindsay's sleeve with a bewildered expression.

Lindsay yanked her sleeve free and pointed upward.

"I made lunch in the second-floor kitchen, so eat that. If you want something else, close the shop for a bit and go out."

"What are you saying, Lindsay? Are you leaving me here alone?"

Lionel asked with a serious face, and Lindsay tilted her head.

"Huh? Didn't I tell you? While you watch the shop, I have somewhere to go."

"You didn't tell me at all. You only explained the shop work."

Lionel drooped his eyes as if disappointed. Seeing the delicate beauty's woeful expression, Lindsay felt a twinge in her chest.

Was this her conscience rebelling against working her slave so hard? Or was it her heart reacting to a man's good looks?

Forcing her pounding heart to settle, Lindsay mentioned the farm—and Lionel immediately expressed his desire to go with her.

Lindsay naturally frowned and objected.

"What about the shop?"

"If the shop's taken care of, can I go with you?"

"I don't mind, but you'll still have to work there too?"

Lindsay pointed out that shop duty would be easier than farm work—to which Lionel beamed.

He quickly got to work, contacting someone via the communication tool. Soon, a middle-aged man in a green cloak entered Lindsay's shop and bowed.

"Good day. I am Rudolf Alman, assistant to the Tower Master. It is an honor to meet you."

"He also manages the Magic Tower's financial statements, so watching over the counter will be no trouble. Shall we go?"

Lindsay glared at Lionel, who was grinning broadly.

"..."

How can you use such talent to tend a fly-infested shop?

Lindsay was at a loss for words as she watched the middle-aged man step behind the counter.

The middle-aged man, wearing an elegant green cloak, stood neatly in front of the shabby counter. As he adjusted his monocle and surveyed the interior, he looked more like the owner than Lindsay herself.

"Let's go. I'm eager to see the farm you've cultivated, Lindsay."

"Do take your time. I shall manage the shop thoroughly."

"...Thank you."

Forced by Lionel's urging and Rudolf's prompt, Lindsay had no choice but to express her thanks and turn away.

As Lionel, walking beside her troubled expression, asked about the farm in a lively tone, she answered in a weary voice.

As the pair disappeared behind the counter while conversing, Rudolf pulled out an old book from his bosom.

For the past several years, he had been so busy trying to cure the Tower Master's illness that he'd had no time for leisure. It was important work, but he had long been deprived of his hobbies.

Rudolf enjoyed his long-overdue relaxation and turned the pages.

The mountain peak, so high it seemed you could catch a cloud if you reached out, was battered by sharp, biting winds even in early summer.

The summit of the rocky mountain, with jagged protrusions scattered about, was oddly smooth, as if someone had carved it. And atop that flat, incongruous ground stood a modest log cabin.

On that mountaintop, with nothing but the log cabin, two people appeared out of thin air. A man and a woman with contrasting hair colors.

As if untouched by the fierce gusts, their hair and clothing didn't flutter.

Not only the two of them, but the sand and stones on the flat ground where the log cabin stood remained still. Upon closer inspection, a round, translucent jade-green membrane could be seen enveloping the mountain peak.

The man who appeared on the summit looked around with an exclamation of wonder, then turned to the woman. Brushing his flowing silver hair behind his ear, he smiled with crescent eyes.

The woman averted her gaze, as if used to his behavior, but the man paid it no mind and cheerfully shared his admiration of the scenery.

"The view is wonderful."

"That's why I settled here."

There's nothing else to see here but the view.

The woman smiled serenely on the land closest to the sky. She could have built her 'home' in a gorge, a forest, or the deep sea like other witches, but she had wanted to live in an open space.

"I don't think there's a farm here—that must be the entrance."

The man pointed to the modest log cabin built of dark brown wood. The walls were constructed from logs of similar girth, woven together with sturdy ropes, and the roof was made of the same type of wood.

It looked exactly like a shelter hunters would stop at for rest during a hunt. The only difference was the complex flow of mana emanating from it.

The man's brilliant mind easily deduced that inside the log cabin, there must be a farm expanded by spatial magic or separation magic.

If the woman had known his deduction, she would have clapped with delight—because his guess was half right and half wrong.

The woman grinned at the man and spread her arms wide in welcome.

"Welcome to the witch's home. You're my first guest."

"What an honor, my Lady Witch."

The man smiled happily and extended his hand to the woman. The gesture was elegant and refined, as if a well-dressed young nobleman were asking a noble lady for an escort.

The woman grimaced, brushed past his hand, and entered the log cabin. The man, unfazed, withdrew his hand and followed her inside.

After both had entered the cabin, the highest peak of the Molten Mountains fell silent once more, as it always did.

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