NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 7 Part 3
“It’s for your own good. You should stay away from that girl.”
I was shocked.
To hear such words from my master, a world-class witch, one of the Seven Sages, a battle-hardened veteran… I couldn’t believe it.
And yet, deep down, I understood.
My master wasn’t saying this out of cold indifference.
When an inescapable fate loomed ahead—when danger beyond measure lay in wait—her tone would turn cold.
It was always to protect me.
“Uggghhh, I can’t find any motivation…”
At my favorite bakery in Lapis, I sat at a cafeteria table, staring up at the ceiling with a groan.
My familiar, Carbuncle, was sprawled across my face, but I couldn’t be bothered to move it.
“Meg-nee, stop bringing your pets into the cafeteria.”
Omet, the baker’s son, frowned as he wiped down the tables.
Irritated, I picked up Carbuncle by the scruff and glared at him.
“Oi, you talkin’ to me, punk?”
“Why are you suddenly talking like some street thug?”
“This isn’t a pet, you fool! It’s my familiar! My loyal servant!”
“Kyui?”
“Then why is your ‘loyal servant’ sleeping on your face?”
“We encourage an open and breezy workplace culture.”
“Quit spouting nonsense. Geez…”
“Oh, come on. Lighten up a little. There aren’t even any customers right now.”
The once-bustling café had emptied out, leaving a brief moment of quiet.
This time of day was always like this. That’s why I liked to relax here.
Then, the entrance bell chimed.
“See? A customer. Hide it, hide it.”
“Jeez, such a tightwad. Come here, Carbuncle.”
“Who are you calling a tightwad?”
As I tucked Carbuncle into my jacket pocket, I heard a familiar voice.
“Meg-chan!”
It was Mary.
The last person I wanted to see right now.
For a split second, my heart clenched.
But I was Meg Raspberry—future legend.
Summoning the composure of a refined woman, I smoothed out my expression.
“Ahaha, what a weird face.”
“…”
Some days are just like this.
Maybe I was off my game today. Yeah, let’s blame it on indigestion, heart failure, arrhythmia, a collapsed lung, appendicitis, and the flu. That should cover it.
“Are you out shopping alone, Mary?”
“Nope! I’m here with my mom and dad to buy some bread!”
“Oh, so you live nearby?”
“Yup! South Neese Street!”
“Seriously? That’s near Fine’s place.”
“You know Fine-nee?”
“Of course. We’re childhood friends and besties. Basically, soulmates.”
“Huh… So Fine-nee is friends with Meg-chan…”
“If you have something to say, say it. Come on, spit it out.”
As we chatted, Mary’s mother stepped forward.
A tall woman with long, elegant hair and a gentle expression.
She bore a striking resemblance to Mary.
“Nice to meet you. You’re Faust-sama’s apprentice, right? Mary talks about you all the time. I’m Jill, her mother.”
“Ahh, no, no. The pleasure’s all mine. Your daughter’s been very kind to me. Apprentice witch Meg Raspberry at your service. Pleased to meet ya.”
For some reason, whenever I talk to adults, I always end up sounding shady.
But Jill didn’t seem put off. Instead, she chuckled softly.
She really did seem like a kind person.
Could she really be the one who offered Mary as a sacrifice?
I couldn’t believe it.
Then, I realized my mistake.
Because the same mark was carved into Jill’s neck.
My heartbeat quickened.
“Jill-san, may I? You’ve got a little dust on your collar.”
“Oh? Do I?”
Without hesitation, Jill tilted her neck toward me.
Cautiously, I reached out and touched the brand.
In that instant—
Ssssss…
A searing pain shot through my fingertips, as if I’d pressed them against a hot iron.
Startled, I jerked back, banging my knee against the table with a loud “Ow!”
“Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah! Just a little static shock.”
“You seemed pretty surprised for just static electricity.”
“I… uh… I’ve always had a, um, rare condition where static shocks give me an ecstatic thrill.”
A ridiculous excuse, even by my standards.
Jill merely gave me a pitying look.
I survived the moment, but at what cost to my dignity?
Still… What was that?
The moment I touched the brand, three sensations overwhelmed me.
First—
A feeling of being dragged under.
Even though I barely touched it, it was as if something was pulling me down into an abyss.
Second—
A presence watching me.
An unshakable sense that something was observing me from the darkness.
Third—
Heat.
Like a branding iron pressed against my skin, the pain had been real.
Yet when I looked at my fingers, there was no burn.
That brand… really might be the mark of a demon.
My body trembled instinctively.
Every fiber of my being screamed at me—Stay away.
That thing had a will of its own.
Like a living, sentient entity.
“Mary, Jill, do you know this person?”
A voice interrupted my thoughts.
A man stood behind them.
“Ah! Papa!”
Mary ran up to him, beaming.
I followed her gaze.
And my breath caught.
“I was just talking with Meg-chan, Papa! She’s a witch!”
“Oh? So you’re Faust-sama’s apprentice? I’d love to chat with you too.”
Smiling warmly, Mary’s father spoke with a gentle, friendly tone.
But I stood up abruptly.
“Ah, I just remembered an errand my master asked me to run! I have to go!”
“What? You’re leaving already, Meg-chan?”
“S-Sorry! Busy girl, you know how it is. Omet! Money’s on the table!”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks for coming…”
I grabbed my things and made a beeline for the exit.
Then—
“Witch.”
A voice called from behind.
Mary’s father.
A quiet, unremarkable voice.
Yet my body froze, as if nailed to the ground.
“Let’s talk again soon.”
“Y-Yeah… Sure…”
I nodded stiffly and walked out.
As soon as I stepped outside, my body felt lighter—like a weight had been lifted.
Then I ran.
As fast as I could.
That was it.
That was him.
He was the contractor.
Mary’s father seemed like a kind man.
A loving family man.
But…
He wasn’t human.
His gaze—
It was the same as the demon’s.