Chapter 11
The Millennium World’s Shut-in Witch
Part 4
When I opened the magical door gate Dia made for me, I found myself back in the forest near the Gran Kokuma Empire.
I could hear crows cawing in the distance. Outside, the sun was nearly set, and the sky visible through the trees was shifting from a beautiful orange to a deep navy blue.
“Well, hello there. I’ve been waiting for you.”
There stood the angel I least wanted to see right now… Hal-san, waving with a cheerful smile.
I could feel my face twitching.
How did he know I’d appear here? No, I won’t think too deeply about it.
“Ah, yeah. Well, here, I brought the promised item.”
I pulled out the freshly made bottled ‘Mana Potion’ from my backpack.
I tossed the bottle over, and Hal-san, without a hint of panic, caught it with his right hand. He gave the bottle a gentle shake, as if to check its contents.
The Mana Potion we worked so hard to make made a faint, rattling sound.
“Ah, thank you so much! I really needed this.”
He gazed at the received Mana Potion with a beaming smile.
Hal-san always wears a smile, but this time, it was different… it was a face of genuine, heartfelt joy, unlike any I’d seen before.
Hal-san opened the bottle’s lid and took out one tablet. He examined the pill that had landed with a clink on his palm, intently studying it, then slowly sniffed it before placing it in his mouth. It must have been bitter, but he moved his mouth thoughtfully for a moment, as if savoring it, before swallowing with a gulp.
Wait, so Hal-san is the one eating it…?
“Thank you. Thanks to this, I can perfectly grasp its composition. Now I can create it.”
As Hal-san said this, he raised his free left hand in front of him.
A small light gathered there, gradually forming into a cylindrical mass. When the mass of light disappeared, an identical bottled Mana Potion, just like the one we had given him, was now held in his left hand.
Did he move it? I thought, but he still held the original bottle in his right hand.
“There are two bottles now? What does that mean?”
As I stood there surprised, Hal-san said, ‘Ah, this?’ and began to explain.
“It’s my ability. I can create any substance in this world. Although, I need to understand its component elements and genetic structure. I wasn’t deeply involved in the creation of the demon world’s plants. I knew of the Mana Leaf’s existence, but I didn’t know its composition, so I couldn’t create it. Now, I can produce as much Mana Potion as I want.”
“Isn’t that totally cheating…?”
“Even so, I was once the angel closest to God.”
So this is what Ibliys-san meant when she said ‘One pill is enough,’ after taking half of the potion we worked so hard to make.
Hal-san used a palm-sized gate magic and gently stored both bottles inside the gate beyond. His profile looked somewhat like a child unable to wait for a treat, and it was easy to guess who he was thinking of.
“That’s for Ruki-san, right?”
“Yes. His previous lifestyle has taken its toll, and his lifespan is considerably shorter than that of a normal demon. I wanted to do something about it.”
“Even for an amazing angel close to God, changing lifespan is impossible, huh?”
“Unfortunately, anything related to the soul is impossible. The soul is the only creation that God alone can make. The properties of a soul, as ordained by God, aren’t so easily changed. If one takes too much Mana Potion, it can cause mental disorders. If I tried to force a change, there’s a high probability he would cease to be himself. That would be terribly sad, wouldn’t it? No matter how frustrating it is, for him to live true to himself, I shouldn’t overuse my abilities.”
“You’re totally head over heels for him…”
“Hehe, absolutely smitten.”
Hal-san affirmed without a trace of embarrassment, laughing as if it were the most natural thing.
“But Ruki-san seems pretty dense when it comes to affection, huh…”
When I muttered this, Hal-san gently shook his head.
“Ruki-kun has actually been aware of my feelings for a long time. He just can’t bring himself to acknowledge them.”
“Hmm, and that doesn’t frustrate you, Hal-san?”
“Him not being able to openly accept my affection is part of his self-defense instinct. However frustrating it is, I can’t resent him for it.”
As he said this, Hal-san seemed to be gazing into the distance, thinking about something. His face looked a little lonely, but it also carried a gentleness that seemed to accept everything.
Perhaps prompted by his demeanor, Dia, who had been silent until now, spoke up to Hal-san.
“Lucifer, I’ve wondered this for a long time. Why would an angel of your caliber go so far for such a fragile demon?”
“Is that a line coming from an immortal demon who has a human as a master?”
“…It’s mere curiosity. That demon is also Master… Akatsuki’s friend, so I promise I won’t speak of it to others. It’s not just out of pity, is it?”
I had thought it might be a topic we shouldn’t touch, but honestly, I was curious too. I mean, if he’s lived longer than Dia, he must have met all sorts of humans, demons, and angels. Hal-san lowered his eyes slightly in thought, but seemed to gather his thoughts.
“I see. It might not be bad to try talking to someone like you two.”
Hal-san began to speak slowly.
“Ruki-kun… has a rather painful past. It’s not just distrust of humans; he could easily resent all those who live happily. When I first met him, he was gravely injured, to the point where it wouldn’t have been strange if he had died. Yet, he risked his life to save me, thinking I was a stranded traveler asleep on a snowy mountain. It was as if he survived just to help me… He told me to rely on him, to leave things to him.
Even though I am truly a much stronger being than he is… I found it strangely reassuring.”
“……”
“In Heaven, I held an important role, handling a massive amount of work every day. With power second only to God, there was almost nothing I couldn’t do. All the angels respected me, they all sought my help, and yet none of them… ever helped me. There was no one who would tell me to rely on them.”
“…I see.”
“Certainly, from my perspective, he was a clumsy, fragile being who couldn’t do anything. And he’s probably aware of that himself. But he continues to uphold the role division we decided on from the start. Even now, he tells me to leave things to him and takes the initiative to handle tasks. He takes my hand when I rely on him. I know of no other existence as noble and beautiful as his. As we continued our travels, I genuinely came to wish for his happiness, even if just for a little longer…. That’s all.”
As Hal-san recounted his memories, recalling each event one by one, his words were spun with a serene and happy tone. Hal-san is always smiling. But that smile never seemed to reflect his true feelings; it always seemed devoid of emotion. However, only when talking about Ruki-san does he smile with genuine fondness.
Even though his explanation skipped over many details, it strongly conveyed that these were precious, treasure-like memories for him. Hal-san said ‘that’s all’ at the end, but those words surely held very strong emotions.
Both Dia and I could only say, “I see.”
Honestly, when I felt used for making the potion, I was angry. But after hearing his story, I started to think, ‘Well, it’s fine.’
Ruki-san is an important friend to me as well. There are still many things I don’t understand about Hal-san, and there was a time I was suspicious of him, but I’m sure they’ll be alright. They’ll surely be able to be happy together until the very end.
I have no basis for it, but for some reason, I strongly believed that.
“Ah, that’s right. Since I’m truly grateful to you both, I was thinking of bestowing a special magic upon you. What do you think?”
“Special magic?”
“I’ll release the magic on Akatsuki-kun’s soul. You’re almost 20, right?”
At those words, both Dia and I flinched, our shoulders trembling.
Indeed, I think we talked about the soul magic when we first met. But we had already confirmed in Miscar Town that the details of that magic were long lost. And we hadn’t told him that the magic was still in effect…
“…I thought you said you couldn’t do anything about the soul?”
“The soul itself, yes. But yours simply has a magic cast upon the soul by humans of ancient times, designed to seal away all magical power, including the life-sustaining mana, automatically after 20 years. Even if it’s a lost art, if it’s an external magic applied to the soul, I can separate it. What will you do? If I remove that curse-like magic, you can live as long as other humans and escape the distorted cycle of reincarnation.”
“……”
I glanced at Dia. His face was lowered and hard to see, but he was gritting his teeth, suppressing words that seemed ready to burst out.
I gently took his hand. I gave a cheerful smile to Dia, who looked like he wanted to say something, then looked back at Hal-san.
My answer had been decided long ago.
“I’m fine as I am. If this magic is a curse, then I’ll live with this curse.”
I felt the hand I was holding tremble violently for a moment, surprised. I squeezed it back firmly.
“…It’s likely I will not see you two again. And it’s unlikely anyone else capable of handling this will appear. This is your first and last chance.”
“That may be so. But I’ve grown quite fond of this magic, you see!”
I declared boldly with the brightest smile I could muster.
Hal-san showed no surprise at my answer and quietly said, “Understood.”
“As a token of my gratitude, at least let me arrange your soul’s transport. Let’s see, how about ‘Willsville’? It has a mild climate, the people and town are vibrant, and it’s easy to live in. It’s a town you two have visited before. I’ll arrange for the next ‘you’ to awaken within a wealthy family there, within half a year of your death.”
“Whoa, how can you even do that…?”
“Please forgive me for not interfering in the life after that.”
As he said this, four large wings appeared from Hal-san’s back.
The wings bent, enveloping his body, and emitted a strong light.
It was too bright, and I closed my eyes for a moment. In that instant, he vanished. Only the grass where Hal-san had been standing swayed slightly; nothing else remained of his presence.
“…Was that really alright?”
Dia asked hesitantly.
I let go of Dia’s hand and waved mine vigorously.
“I’m persistent, you know? To the extreme. When it’s time for eternal sleep, we’ll be together, so please take care of me!”
When I said that, Dia smiled, looking relieved.
Having lived a long time, I’ve learned something. Living forever alone is indeed lonely.
But if you’re with me… then I can think that being born with this curse was worth it.
