Home/The Reason I Was Reincarnated as a Witch in a Novel/ch 15

Chapter 015

Following Lindsay into the log cabin, Lionel looked around curiously, taking in the interior.

The mana lamps installed on the ceiling glowed with a soft ivory light, gently illuminating the room. The owner was adding firewood to the fireplace built against one wall and lighting a fire.

The chick-yellow rug spread before the fireplace, along with a rocking chair and a round table, created a warm atmosphere. But one object caught his eye—one that seemed far removed from the cozy furnishings filling the room.

A tall cylindrical iron umbrella stand with two umbrellas tucked inside.

Lionel tilted his head at the umbrellas, which emanated a faint trace of mana. His senses had dulled somewhat since arriving here, but they were still sharp enough to detect the magic imbued in them.

"Lionel. Do you enjoy extreme things?"

The call of his name swept away all the speculation and thoughts filling his mind. The sound of her saying his name was always pleasant.

Lionel turned his head toward Lindsay, who was crouching by the fireplace.

"What does 'extreme' mean?"

Lindsay had already finished lighting the fire and was now standing close to Lionel. Since she occasionally initiated sudden contact, Lionel waited with quiet anticipation.

Unfortunately, Lindsay's goal was not him, but the umbrella stand that had caught his eye.

Pulling an umbrella from the stand, Lindsay realized her mistake. Ah. They don't have that word here.

"Do you like falling from high places?"

"I wouldn't say I like it."

"Then that's fine."

As long as he doesn't have a fear of heights.

Lindsay handed the umbrella she was holding to Lionel and explained how to move around the 'home.'

"Tap the floor three times with your foot, then say the activation phrase—a passage will open to the lower level. The activation phrase is <Downward>. I'll show you, so follow cl—Hey! The umbrella! Hold it up!"

Before she could finish, Lionel tapped the floor with his heel and uttered the activation phrase—all while holding the umbrella down below his waist.

Under the man's leather shoe, a hole large enough to fit four or five adults appeared. Seeing the man plummet into the bottomless opening, Lindsay shouted urgently.

"Open the umbrella!"

The umbrella unfurled, and she could see it glowing in the darkness.

Relieved, Lindsay confirmed Lionel had made it safely and, grabbing her own umbrella, leaped into the hole.

Her body cut through the air, and fierce winds swept past her ears.

Lindsay descended rapidly without opening her umbrella to slow her fall. Just as a bright light came into view below, she spread it open.

The umbrella, which glowed on its own in the darkness, was something she had painstakingly crafted.

She had stretched the tough, durable hide of the Angkara rhino over the frame and meticulously coated it with powdered luminescent stone mined from the deep sea. Finally, she had cast floating and falling spells on the umbrella, allowing it to move up and down as needed.

Beside her, Nero had clicked his tongue, calling it a creatively useless effort—but Lindsay had never regretted the time and care she had put into making the luminous umbrella.

See? It's being put to good use.

Lindsay folded her umbrella as she set foot on the lush, grassy ground.

Lionel, who had arrived first and was waiting, approached her. His face was inexplicably flushed.

"I expected spatial expansion magic or something similar, but I never imagined you'd carved a vertical tunnel straight through the mountain. What kind of magic did you use? To drill through rock with such precision... Perhaps it's magic known only to witches."

"..."

Lindsay avoided Lionel's sparkling, curious eyes. That bastard definitely has some strange admiration or fantasy about witches.

Being a witch didn't mean she possessed any special magic or method for drilling vertically through a rocky mountain. What was needed to dig a tunnel through a mountain over 10,000 meters above sea level was raw strength and perseverance. If you could supplement that with magic, digging was easier.

"If it's a secret, you don't have to tell me."

"No... It's not really a secret. It's not magic."

"Pardon?"

If not magic, how did someone dig a tunnel thousands of meters deep?

His round-eyed, head-tilting expression clearly held that question. It looked so innocent that a deflating sigh escaped Lindsay's lips.

"It's not magic. I just dug it with a pickaxe."

"...I can't believe it. What kind of strength does Lindsay have..."

"Who carried you inside when you collapsed in front of the house?"

"...Are witches normally like that?"

No. I'm a special case.

Lindsay said no more, avoiding his bewildered lavender gaze and shifting her eyes to the prairie spreading behind him.

Despite being deep underground, the sky was blue in this carved-out space.

A radiant sun and cotton-candy clouds hung high above, while endless green pastures stretched across the land. Scattered wildflowers added vitality, and on one side lay an artificial pond where thirsty animals could rest. In the pond, colorful fish darted through the water with lively energy.

But nowhere were the farm's main residents—the animals—to be seen.

The last time Lindsay had visited the farm, she had moved all the animals except the horned goats into the barn. That was only natural.

The horned goats were a precious source of milk, and they went into their breeding season between late spring and early summer. This was the one time of year when the normally docile goats became aggressive and sensitive. She had penned the other animals to keep them from getting injured by the goats' horns—but she couldn't keep them confined forever.

"So that's where our slave comes in—to lend some muscle."

"Just tell me what to do."

Even when treated as a slave, Lionel beamed and nodded, making Lindsay's heart twinge faintly. Stay still, conscience. I'll reward him with a good show later.

Having reached a reasonable compromise with her conscience, Lindsay walked with Lionel toward the white lighthouse atop the hill, explaining what needed to be done.

"The horned goats are in breeding season right now, so they're a bit sensitive. I need to make a separate enclosure for them. I'll set up the fence—you go round up the scattered goats."

"All right. Where should I bring them?"

"I'll show you."

Lindsay pulled the handle—which turned without resistance—and opened the lighthouse door. The interior was painted as white as its exterior. The spiral staircase leading upward was also pure white, lending a sense of unity to the space. The only thing with a different color was the sacks filled with mysterious seeds.

She grabbed a handful of plump black seeds from a sack and handed them to Lionel.

"What are these seeds?"

"They're the seeds of our soon-to-be fence—and a sturdy one at that. Strong enough that no matter how hard the horned goats ram it, it won't break."

Lindsay filled Lionel's hands with seeds, then gathered a double handful for herself and climbed the spiral staircase.

At the top of the stairs, she opened the door—and the sky and prairie stretched out before them.

Standing atop the lighthouse, overlooking the vast grassland, Lionel felt his body naturally relax.

The landscape of green land spreading endlessly offered a sensation completely different from the sky viewed from the highest floor of the Magic Tower. The open view and the spring breeze that brushed against his cheeks loosened the tension and anxiety that had been binding his heart.

Instead of admiring the familiar scenery, Lindsay glanced sideways at Lionel, who looked like he was starring in a melodrama.

His silver hair, shimmering strand by strand in the sunlight, was mysterious—unlike the white hair of aged elders. His lavender eyes rippled calmly. At a single glance, it was clear how much he loved this view.

Lindsay's lips curved into a small, gentle arc, and a softer-than-usual voice slipped out.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes. Perhaps because it's a space made by my Lady Witch..."

It feels like I belong entirely to her.

Lionel swallowed the words that rose naturally to his throat. He didn't want to spoil this peaceful atmosphere enveloping them with unnecessary additions.

And the answer that came back was like a warm spring breeze, making his heart swell even more.

"Once the work's done, I'll show you something even better."

"Can I look forward to it?"

"Of course."

After that confident reply, the seeds filling Lindsay's and Lionel's hands rose into the air.

Wrapped in jade-green mana, the plump seeds descended onto the ground at regular intervals. Once all the seeds had fallen, Lindsay held onto the mana connecting them and chanted.

<Grow>

From the plump seeds, sprouts emerged, and stems stretched outward.

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