“Reeling in Leah… reeling in a soft, tiny, tsundere witch…”
Having clarified the main conflict and set his goal, Will began strategizing.
How could he lure in a tsundere, reclusive, and possibly timid witch-cat?
The most important thing was…
The bait!
He needed sothing irresistible that would make Leah co to him willingly.
Will turned his attention back to the letter from Mr. S.
In it, there was ntion of…
The “witch coin.”
He pulled the coin he had picked up from his pocket. It looked valuable, and to prevent theft, he carried it with him at all tis.
Upon closer inspection, the coin was indeed unusual. It was lightweight, yet its texture and weight were similar to the Empire’s silver coins.
The image of the witch with the oversized hat was intricately engraved, lifelike even. Despite being exposed to flas, the coin remained unscathed. The design clearly mimicked the Empire’s coins, with the witch’s pose almost identical to the king’s—but with a mocking smile.
Its origin was obvious, but since it was sothing he’d picked up off the ground, Will had consulted Mr. S for confirmation—after all, Mr. S was like a walking encyclopedia, always ready with answers.
“As expected, it’s from the Witch’s Guild.”
The Witch’s Guild… That matched Leah’s backstory from the original story, confirming that this coin was closely tied to her. It was undoubtedly left behind when she cast Extre Fla teor.
The Witch’s Guild was founded 500 years ago by a legendary witch nad Yaar, who mastered countless ancient spells. She rampaged through dungeons and caused chaos even outside them. It was said she had altered herself and her descendants to be immortal, making her a figure of legend.
In modern tis, many frauds claid to be part of the Witch’s Guild. So boasted about soloing the tenth-floor boss of a dungeon, only to ghost their adventuring parties. Others pretended to teach ancient magic without even having read a single ancient text, only to be exposed as frauds reciting modern spells in a foreign language. There were even those who claid to be descendants of witches, only to scam people into marriage, leaving them to bury their “immortal” spouses decades later.
These imposters had tarnished the guild’s reputation.
But Leah… Leah was the real deal!
She was a direct descendant of the legendary witch, blessed with eternal youth and exceptional magical aptitude. Her mother owned a vast collection of ancient texts, many containing rare spells.
Normally, they wouldn’t appear in human society.
They preferred to live in secluded mushroom cottages deep in the forest, practicing their magic in peace.
With their long lifespans, exceptional magical talent, and unique ancient spells, they had little need for human interaction.
They feared forming connections, as connections led to loss. They avoided promises, as promises required repaynt. They shied away from bonds, as bonds demanded responsibility.
But!
All these solemn, lifespan-related traits…
Were reduced to pure tsundere behavior in Leah’s case!
In the original story, the protagonist Hugh, acting as the party’s support, went out of his way to care for her. Despite her century-long lifespan, Leah lacked basic common sense due to living in isolation with her mother. She was perpetually broke and clueless about finances.
The protagonist washed her clothes and cooked her als.
—”Hmph, that’s what a support is supposed to do. I-I’m not grateful or anything, so just do your job!”
He took her shopping, buying her appropriate clothes as she grew.
—”Don’t think I’ll fall for you just because you did this. You’re just a lowly support—don’t get any ideas about this great witch!”
He helped her avoid scams and even provided food and shelter when she was penniless.
—”Is that all? I-I wouldn’t have needed your help if they weren’t so cunning!”
A textbook tsundere, Leah avoided expressing her true feelings, often resorting to insults to push people away.
Initially, the protagonist treated her like a little sister, but over ti, her behavior led him to believe she disliked him. Naturally, he distanced himself.
And there you have it—a certified loser.
Now, why was Leah, who lived in the forest, attending Entark’s First Academy?
According to the tiline in the original story, Leah’s mother had disappeared two years ago after years of correspondence. Forced to leave her secluded ho, Leah embarked on a journey to find her.
Her presence at Entark’s First Academy was tied to clues left by her mother—one of which was an ancient to gifted to the academy…
That to was none other than Frozen Ice Array.
For now, Leah wouldn’t be leaving the academy, giving Will plenty of ti to set his trap.
But… using the witch coin as bait was insufficient. It was a one-ti use item, too small and easy to steal.
Will’s gaze shifted back to the letter and the vial of essential oil beside it.
“Blood-red mint… Wait, blood-red mint! I’ve got it!”
An idea struck him.
“Young Master!”
—Only to be interrupted by Eir, who peeked through the door with an annoyed expression.
“Ah… E-Eir! G-Good evening?”
“Do you even know what ti it is? You’re still not asleep!”
She wagged her tail as she walked in, then stopped, her eyes darting toward Will’s polished leather bag.
“Tomorrow is your first day of school. It won’t be like staying at ho, where you have a devoted maid bringing you tea and snacks! So… take care of yourself, alright?”
Why did her tone sound so… jealous?
“Hmm. You’re right. Without Eir’s tea, I might not even be able to study properly.”
“Really?!” Eir’s tail wagged furiously, her ears perking up. “Then… then I’ll prepare tea for you every day after school!”
“Alright, alright.”
“And at school… you have to behave, okay? Don’t… don’t be like your older brothers, flirting with girls and getting into trouble!”
“Wait, what? That happened? Don’t worry, I, Will, am a model student—pure and focused.”
“Good, that’s a relief!”
Will raised his right hand to pat Eir’s ears, only to rember it was still bandaged. He switched to his left hand instead.
“Eir, don’t forget to keep up with your training, alright?”
“Of course!”
Her tail wagged even harder, her ears twitching in delight.
Since blocking the Extre Fla teor, Eir had beco even clingier. Peeking through doors like this had beco a regular occurrence.
It was…
It was…
Perfect!
These habits needed to be ingrained—deep into her soul, into her very instincts, until they beca second nature!
Though next ti, she should learn not to make noise while peeking. What’s the point of spying if you get caught?
“Alright, Young Master, get so rest. If you need anything for school, just let know—I’ll prepare it for you.”
Tomorrow was his first day at the Empire’s First Academy.
It was also the first day he could cast his fishing line and set his bait.
Will glanced at the vial of blood-red mint essential oil from Mr. S, snapped his fingers, and opened a drawer.
“Good thing I suspected the coin was special and prepared accordingly.”
Inside the drawer was an entire collection of…
Coins.
Each one identical to the witch coin in his hand!
A row of witch coins, all bearing the mocking smile of the witch in the oversized hat, stared back at him.
Looking at the coins, Will’s lips curled into a grin.
He picked one up and opened the vial of red essential oil.
“This is going to be… so much fun.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)