I Picked Up a Witch from a Novel

Episode 2-b. For Freedom and Adventure.

Kobolds.

“So, what are kobolds?”

“Hmm…? You don’t know what kobolds are, magician?”

To be honest, I’ve never seen one, except for wild animals or imperials, so I wasn’t sure.

“Yes.”

“But why do you want to catch a kobold…?”

“…, my party wants to take on a kobold request.”

It was just a request I picked because Eileen kept humming ‘Kobold~ Kobold~’ by my ear.

“Oh, um… Yes, that makes sense. If you think of kobolds as wolves that walk on two legs, they’re intelligent enough to use armor and weapons like humans! They’re wolf monsters!”

“Then aren’t they dangerous?”

From what I heard, a wolf monster that could use armor and weapons wouldn’t be a request for novice adventurers.

“Uh, yes, they’re dangerous…? It’s not so risky for higher-level adventurers, but for novices, kobolds are considered dangerous monsters, so you can’t form a party of less than four for the kobold extermination request. Actually, I only know about them from studying; this is my first time catching one!”

“…, hmm.”

I nodded appropriately to the party leader’s words and had to glance around at the others filling the inside of the carriage.

If what she said was true, kobolds were indeed dangerous monsters for novice adventurers. But if I asked whether the companions gathered to take down the kobold were alright, that would be, well.

Yes.

The party leader was wearing shabby gear and looked inexperienced.

There was a female adventurer blushing while trying to talk to the party leader and looking a bit crazy about Eileen.

And then there was the suspicious little man who kept saying I looked doubtful, cloaked in a robe.

In fact, even if just I were to leave, today might have been their last day.

So.

As I thought this and tilted my head, I soon heard the party leader’s voice.

“Um, should we introduce ourselves…? I’m Camilla, the party leader!”

“Wow~ introductions! I’m Eileen!”

The first to respond was Eileen, waving her arms with a bright smile.

“Indeed, both ladies have beautiful names just as their appearances. Ahem, I am Hutsun. I registered as an adventurer recently, so my rank is low, but my sword skills have surpassed even those of intermediate adventurers, so you need not worry.”

Next was a strange male adventurer who was glancing at Eileen and Camilla with a sticky look.

“…, I’m Carter. And next is the adventurer who won’t even take off her robe.”

The diminutive man, busy glancing suspiciously at me, revealed his name to me.

I found it quite amusing and kept my mouth shut.

“Uh, um. It would benefit your health if you stopped being suspicious…”

“Eileen, be quiet.”

“Yes.”

Eileen, insisting on murmuring while clinging to me, made me sigh deeply as I spoke.

“Asha.”

“Wow~ what a pretty name!”

“Yes.”

The party leader seemed eager to lighten the awkward atmosphere and said this with excitement, while I nodded slightly and turned my gaze outside.

It was a precious name to me.

To be honest, I hadn’t wanted to share it with others, but after telling Eileen, I thought it would be fine if they just asked.

Since it was written on my adventurer registration card, after all.

The carriage ran fast, and before long, we arrived near a farming village.

As we got off the carriage, an uncle covered in dirt, running from the small farming village, approached us.

“Ah, thank you for coming, adventurers!”

He complained about the kobolds taking residence near the farm and continuously raiding crops and tools.

“D-don’t worry! We’ll take care of all the kobolds…!”

The party leader, sounding rather uneasy to my ears, assured the villager.

“Please! I’ll make sure to reward you generously!”

“Sure, just leave it to us! We’ll get started right away!”

I still felt uneasy.

I wasn’t sure if this shabby party could properly carry out the request.

“Wow~ we’re going to see the kobolds~”

“…”

Even Eileen, happily humming beside me, added to my worries.

Thus.

As I walked toward the hill where the kobolds were supposed to be, I thought about it.

Novice adventurers.

What kind of magic does a novice mage possess?

“Eileen.”

“Yes, Asha?”

“Is the magic I used previously within the realm of novice mages?”

“U-uh, that. If you were hoping for an answer that says today’s mages are all worse than novices…”

“…”

At least I was sure that what I did didn’t fall into the novice category.

In other words, it seemed highly beneficial to adjust my power since I was likely to clear everything on my own.

And.

Before long, we arrived at a place that looked like a kobold den.

Just as the party leader was about to turn around and discuss tactics.

“Uh… that seems to be the kobold den. Then we should approach carefully…”

“Beautiful lady, leave this to me! Damn kobold bastards! Take this, Hutsun’s sword!!”

“Ah, no…! What are you doing right now!”

Yes.

Well, we already started off poorly.

The adventurer named Hutsun rushed forward, shouting as soon as he spotted the den, and Camilla, startled by the sight, screamed and charged in as well.

“…, aren’t you going to do anything, magician?”

And the remaining adventurer, still busy glancing at me with suspicion amidst the chaos.

“Gyaaaa!! Kobold, kobold!! It hurts, it hurts…! Stop hitting me…!”

“Ugh, these cowardly bastards…! If it had been one-on-one, they all would have died by my blade! This is cheating! Ugh!”

The two who charged ahead were getting hit by a group of kobolds that had emerged from the den before they knew it.

The only merciful thing was that they were wearing armor, but without weapons, so it wasn’t a life-threatening situation.

They just seemed to be getting hit enough to get bruises and were screaming.

And.

“Seeing you not using magic in such a situation means…, ugh!”

I found myself thinking about why this guy kept coming beside me complaining instead of helping them.

“Enough with the nonsense and go help.”

I kicked the adventurer who kept irritating me with all my might, sending him forward.

“Ah! That hurts…! You’re definitely suspicious… Ugh! Aah! Stop, ugh!”

Ironically, the adventurer also began to get hit, unable to swing his sword properly amidst the kobolds.

Well.

Idiot.

The derogative term people often used probably applied to someone like them.

Ah, of course, saying that out loud wouldn’t be a kind thing to do, so I kept that thought to myself.

Anyway.

“Uh, is this how adventurers fight?”

“Do you think so? It’s just a gathering of losers.”

Meanwhile, the kobolds were surprisingly clever.

Though they had wolf-like appearances and didn’t show much expression, they knew how to mock with their peculiar cries.

Ke-rek- Ke-rek-

Such sounds mixed in with the adventurers’ screams, and unlike at first, I began to hear rhythms as they trampled the three.

“Gyaaa! My precious shield…! M-magic lady…! Help me…!”

“Ugh…! Don’t worry, lady! Once I stand up, I’ll take care of all these kobolds with my swordsmanship! Ugh!”

“Ah! You were allies with the kobolds…, ugh!”

The kobolds that had been having fun trampling the three of them turned their attention to me instead, and a few of them dashed toward me, making their ke-rek- ke-rek- sounds.

As if they’d found a new plaything, they came rushing toward me, and despite several slipping away, the three were still getting hit.

Just.

“…, sigh.”

It was a complete disaster.

I started wondering if Ain was like that when he was a novice adventurer.

I was becoming a bit curious, but I couldn’t bear to look at his tracks.

I believed he wasn’t as useless as that, so I just sighed deeply and reached out.

“Eileen, step back a bit.”

“Ah, yes…!”

I didn’t know what the level of a novice mage was, but surely, I could deal with such a monster.

I thought so and softly muttered.

“Freeze.”

The mana surged, causing the hood of my robe to fall back and reveal my face.

The white snowflakes began to freeze around me and billow towards the enemies.

As the flying ice crystals settled on the kobolds’ noses or armor, they stuck there softly.

“Ke, rek…?”

Their cries shifted from mockery to confusion, and before they could react, it was already too late.

Splat-

A sound echoed as the places touched by the snowflakes froze, turning the approaching kobolds into ice statues.

Kyyurk- kyyurk-

Only then did the kobolds realize the situation and start fleeing from the onslaught of cold.

However, the artificial wind carrying the snowflakes was definitely swifter than the creatures’ fleeing.

The gentle settling snowflakes again caused splat- splat- sounds as they froze everything they touched.

“Hm, Eileen. Was this novice mage-like enough?”

“Yes? Are you asking if my ears are working? Could you repeat that?”

“…, don’t you think this level would squash intermediate mages without even trying?”

“Ah, yes! I think even if I slapped passing intermediate mages three times, they wouldn’t say a word!”

“…”

Eileen looked at me and smiled brightly.

It seemed she thought even this was quite impressive.

After a little time passed.

I approached the three, having frozen all the kobolds after they had taken a beating for quite a while.

“…”

“…”

“…”

They stared at me blankly, so I looked down at them and spoke.

“Why don’t all three of you quit being adventurers?”

At this rate, they might be found dead a week later; I didn’t know what kind of absurd adventurers they were.

The three of them lay there for a while, gazing at me, and I stood there looking down at them.

Yes.

This is the level we’re at.

Thus, a day comes to an end.

What can I say about the first adventurer request I ever experienced?

It felt like watching a show of people who wanted to die somehow.

Though I said it jokingly, the three of them would definitely have met death if I hadn’t been there.

The lives of those three precious people could have easily returned to the earth because of a simple kobold request meant for novice adventurers.

“I couldn’t say it earlier, but I think I really shouldn’t be an adventurer.”

“I’m glad you realized.”

As Eileen seemed to notice something while looking at that scene, she said while strolling through the streets after leaving the adventurer guild.

“Hehe… I thought leaving the kingdom for the first time, the world would be full of romance, but it isn’t as romantic as I thought.”

“…”

Romance.

She always said she pursued romance, but I didn’t understand what she meant.

Thinking about it deeply, I’d never had anything like that in my life.

Putting such a term into memories filled with childhood shivers from the cold, heat, snow, and rain would just lead to me spitting it out again.

Gazing blankly at the dimmed night sky, I thought.

If I were to have any romance, it would surely start to sprout and grow significantly only when I meet Ain again.

Continuing the journey together and surely returning to the empire filled with happiness, spending my remaining life with him would be my own version of romance.

And.

Eileen casually glanced at my dazed self and cautiously asked.

“Where are you going now, Asha? To the inn directly?”

“No.”

Finishing one request wouldn’t mean the end of what I wanted to try.

“Ah.”

“I’m going to a tavern.”

Remembering his figure downing a beer immediately after finishing a request, I headed toward the tavern I had grown familiar with.

In truth.

I was a bit worried as I had never drunk alcohol before.

Creak-

“Owner, give me a beer.”

“Yes~ I’ll bring you a beer and some basic snacks!”

Entering the door and settling into the window seat where he always sat, I took the large beer mug the owner handed me and downed it all at once.

It was quite bitter with a slight nuttiness.

My throat burned, and there was a strange mixed taste.

Though I grimaced, I gulped the beer down without stopping, just as Ain did.

“Ugh…”

Much like Ain, a sound slipped out of my mouth naturally.

I thought it was a bit silly, but even when I tried to suppress it, the sound escaped.

And.

Thud-

I completely lost consciousness.

“Asha…? Asha…! Wake up, Asha…!”

********

What?

“Asha…? Asha! Get a hold of yourself, Asha…!”

No, Asha?

How could you pass out in the lively tavern while leaving me alone?

I thought this as I vigorously shook Asha, but she merely made a humph- sound, burying her face against the table.

“Wow, did she pass out from just one beer? It seems her companion can’t handle liquor.”

The shopkeeper scratched his head, looking at Asha, who had fallen unconscious with a thud.

“Asha! Asha! Come on, it’s far to the inn from here…!”

“Ain… Mmm… Ain…”

“Whatever Ain or whatever…! No, Asha!!”

I screamed at Asha, who kept mumbling that man’s name in her sleep.

And that night.

After paying the bill, I struggled to carry Asha, who was bigger than me, to the inn, leaving me with muscle soreness all over my body.

I groaned in pain and asked her to heal it with magic.

“If you heal muscle soreness with magic, the muscles won’t grow.”

“…”

Asha mumbled such strange words while scratching her head.

No, Asha.

What on earth are you saying?

I’m sore all over because of you!

---