Episode 9
For a brief moment, all of Greymory’s emotions must have shown too clearly on her face, because Teschion let out a soft chuckle.
“See? Isn’t it nice? My territory.”
“……”
“Let’s start with the boutique. You’re basically family now, so you’ll need plenty of clothes.”
Teschion led Greymory around the city. The boutique, a renowned master jeweler’s shop, a famous restaurant—those were all skipped.
Evening settled in, the sun dipping low.
Crates of seasonal fruit lined the streets, their colors glowing a deep red. Not the eerie crimson of the Demon Realm, but a soft, tranquil hue belonging to the human world.
Vendors called out to passersby, their voices blending into a single lively hum that filled the late evening streets with energy.
Greymory found… that she didn’t dislike any of it.
The two eventually headed to a park. One corner was furnished with tables and benches for people enjoying picnics. They sat facing each other and ate simple snacks.
Teschion had a sandwich and peach juice. Greymory had diced raw beef tenderloin. Passersby cast them odd looks, but she paid them no mind and chewed through the meat with casual efficiency.
“Hey, Mori.”
“?”
“Do you think my sister would hate me for rescuing and helping all those people accused of witchcraft?”
“??”
“I just keep thinking… Iris might wonder why I didn’t save her the same way. She might even resent me for it.”
Greymory swallowed a mouthful of raw meat. Why ask me that? Surely there were plenty of people in the estate to talk to. Ah—so there wasn’t a single soul there who would just quietly listen without prying.
She pulled out her notebook.
『You are a good person.』
“…Is that so? That’s a relief.”
Teschion smiled bitterly.
Greymory wrote another line.
『Iris is standing right beside you right now. She says she bears you no grudge.』
“What? Ahaha! Mori, are you trying to comfort me with jokes? Thanks.”
He laughed, clutching his stomach.
Greymory looked at Iris and shook her head slightly. It was the truth, but explaining it would only make things worse.
She wrote one last sentence and showed it.
『Your territory is beautiful.』
Still chuckling, Teschion broke into a bright smile.
“Thank you, Mori. For everything.”
Greymory had no idea what, exactly, he was thanking her for, so she simply let it pass in one ear and out the other.
“Mori, let’s head back. Isolen and the maids prepared something special for you—”
That was when it happened.
A massive surge of monstrous energy plummeted down from the volcano at terrifying speed.
Teschion’s expression hardened.
By instinct alone, he could tell—it was an upper-rank aberrant. A creature so powerful that even a properly assembled subjugation force might fail to bring it down.
There was no choice.
Teschion decided to head to the volcano alone and buy time.
“Damn it, Mori! Sorry, but can you make it back to the ducal estate alone? Tell the butler an aberrant has awakened and to assemble the subjugation force immediately—!”
Then Greymory grabbed his shoulder.
She shoved her notebook toward him.
『I’m coming too. I can fight. I’ll help.』
She had decided to help him.
He had shown her the vibrancy of the human world without asking for anything in return, and fed her good food and shown her beautiful sights.
So she would return the favor.
Not as a contract-bound witch.
Just because.
Because he had shown her all of this without asking for anything in return.
Teschion looked at her with hesitation—but in the end, he chose to take her with him. Even if she seemed fragile, at the very least she could stay in the rear and relay information to the subjugation force.
He ordered the coachman to send word ahead: an upper-rank aberrant had awakened and must be dealt with immediately.
Then he unhitched one of the carriage horses, lifted Greymory onto it, and raced toward the volcano.
They arrived at the nearest village to the volcano—one man and one witch.
Fortunately, the monster had not yet reached it.
And thanks to the emergency warning system, most residents were already evacuating with their belongings.
“Mori, we’re heading into the mountains. We’ll end this before it reaches the village.”
Greymory followed closely behind Teschion. The situation was urgent, and he ran at full speed without adjusting to her pace.
He glanced back—worried she might have fallen behind.
“—Huh?!”
Greymory was sprinting after him, wielding a massive axe she must have picked up somewhere. Likely something a villager had discarded on the roadside.
Teschion flinched briefly, then focused again and ran toward the source of the monster’s presence.
They found it shortly after entering the mountain.
A spider the size of an elephant clicked its mandibles, staring them down.
Teschion summoned a sword with magic and stepped in front of Greymory.
“Spiders have poor eyesight. Don’t make noise. If things go bad, hide behind a tree.”
At that moment, the spider spewed green venom from its mouth.
Teschion scooped Greymory up in one arm and dodged, then slipped behind a tree.
Greymory was clearly dissatisfied with his overprotectiveness. She had come to fight—so why was she being shielded like a child?
“Stay here.”
Teschion hid her behind the tree and moved silently behind the spider.
His goal was simple: stall until reinforcements arrived.
He created noise from multiple directions, confusing the creature.
Ten minutes passed.
Finally enraged, the spider lashed out wildly with venom in all directions.
As Teschion dodged and repositioned, some of the venom splashed onto his right leg.
“Ghk…!”
It burned instantly, seeping into his skin. Within seconds, sensation drained from his entire leg.
The spider, following the scent of burning flesh, turned toward him.
Teschion shouted toward Greymory, wherever she might be hiding.
“Mori—run!”
Greymory clicked her tongue.
So much for the “impressive duke” she had expected. Nothing special at all.
Then—
She vanished.
And reappeared behind Teschion in an instant, covering his eyes with her hand.
“…Stay still.”
At her quiet whisper, his body froze.
Greymory infused mana into the axe in her hand and hurled it forward.
A crimson flash streaked through the air.
A thunderous impact followed.
The spider was cleaved cleanly in two.
She released his head. Without her hand, the flash would have blinded him.
“W-what…?!”
Teschion blinked in disbelief.
That monstrous spider—cut in half in a single strike. In less than three seconds while his eyes were covered.
“Mori… what did you do?”
Greymory pointed to the thrown axe.
“That can’t be right… You mean you killed it with just that axe?”
Human mana circuits could not perceive a witch’s magic. To Teschion, it had simply looked like a single axe strike.
Greymory decided to explain it simply.
“The power of a witch.”
“W-what? Wait—you could talk?!”
“I can. I just didn’t feel like it.”
“Th-that’s… Wait, are you from the Northern Snowfield warriors? I heard they possess extraordinary secret techniques…”
“Think whatever you want.”
While Teschion continued making assumptions, Greymory placed a hand on his poisoned leg and released a subtle flow of power.
The damage had already spread, but it was enough. The healers at the ducal estate would be able to fix the rest.
She turned her back to him.
“You’re a lot of work. Get on.”
“W-wait, Mori. Are you sure? I’m pretty heavy…”
“The venom is spreading this way. Either move, or sit here and melt.”
Teschion, subdued, obediently climbed onto her back.
Carried like that, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had always been the one protecting others—never the one being carried. The firmness of her small frame was unexpectedly reassuring.
‘…This is kind of exciting. But aren’t Northern Snowfield warriors supposed to be superhuman?’
Soon after, the subjugation force arrived and treated Teschion’s leg. The two returned to the Duke’s estate.
And as if waiting for them, Anna rushed out.
“We heard a monster came down from the volcano—are you all right— Your Grace! Your leg!”
“I’m fine. Just take Mori.”
Teschion calmed the startled Anna and gently nudged Greymory forward.
“I was actually trying to delay things to prepare a banquet for you… I didn’t expect a monster to appear. Don’t worry about me—go with Anna.”
A banquet—for someone who only ate raw meat?
Greymory was puzzled as Anna led her away.
They arrived in the dining room.
A grand feast had been prepared.
Isolen, who had been waiting impatiently, rushed forward the moment she saw Greymory.
“You’re here! This banquet was prepared for you. There should be something you can eat here. Try everything. You don’t have to eat what you dislike. We’ll finish the leftovers.”
Isolen and the maids had spent an entire day preparing the meal—
All for Greymory, the witch who refused to behave at the table.
