The Last Boss Witch Will Keep Her Past Self's Crush Until Her Dying Day Chapter 24

We spent the night at Brother's mansion and returned to Cucurouge.
Enduring the urge to laze around, I gathered everybody and told them the rumors about the epidemic of  Magic Fever.

"We should make preparations. It's tough for witches if they catch that."
"It's time to make earnings, isn't it?….
"It's a good opportunity so let's organize the medical herb stock while we're at it~"

I'm glad that everybody's fully motivated.
I would be at a loss alone. It's difficult to gather ingredients for the remedy of Magic Fever. Among them, Half-decade Radish, Cogwheel Gra.s.s, Thundersalt Crystal, and Moonswallow's feather are especially hard to acquire.
Moreover, the Magic Fever this time seems to be a new type, so depending on the symptoms, we'll probably have to change the compounding. Let's prepare a great variety of materials.
For the time being, we decided to plant plant-based ingredients in a village field and accelerate their growth via magic.

"I will leave the management of the field to Coral and apprentices."

"Leave it to me~ I have to make a killing and buy cute clothes for Flenchan~ She'll grow up in no time~"

Those words also motivated Phantom. Coral excels at earth-attribute magic and Phantom will look after the medical herbs and the apprentices so I can rest at ease.

The remaining are the Thundersalt Crystal and the Moonswallow's feather.
I'll need to go to collect them. Fortunately, they can be obtained in the backwoods of the twisted forest.
……It's pretty far away though. A day trip isn't enough to cover the distance and it's also swarming with magical beasts.

"I'll go together with Will to collect them. I have a personal business in the back of the forest."

When I told Will that we would spend two whole days exploring the forest, Will showed a complicated expression.
"It would be a problem for you to be alone with me day and night, but as long as there's danger involved, I can't leave it to somebody else" was written on his face. He's easy to read, as usual.

"Got it. I'm a servant. I will obey my master's order."

Will has changed slightly.
The eyes he looks at me with are somehow sparkling.
Could this possible be respect?
I wonder if he reevaluated his opinion about me because I defended miss Emerald? If it's so, I can only say that he's too simple-minded.

"Thank you, Will."

"S….sure."

Also, he started to hurriedly avert his eyes whenever we make eye contact. It's really obvious that he's being conscious of me, how cute. Did his heart finally start leaning towards me?
In "anime" Emerald was completely unaware of Will's feelings, but I wonder how it is in reality? If she hasn't noticed it even a little bit, I'll be p.i.s.sed off even though it doesn't concern me personally. Just how much did she not consider him?

Anyway, I'm happy that Will's steadily getting attached to me.
As of now, he doesn't seem to have strong thoughts about the royal capital either. I'd like to take him out for exploration and keep him from thinking about the Prince and Emerald.

A few days later, we meticulously prepared for exploration and set off towards the heart of the forest.

"Is it not heavy?"

"I'm fine. It'll become lighter by noon."

This time, Will is carrying two person's luggage.
Unlike the previous trip, I couldn't bring Unika. There are almost no flat roads here and in case if we're attacked by magical beasts, I might not even be able to protect him. Or rather, I want to use magical beast repelling incense so I couldn't take him with me.

Carrying a rucksack on his back, witch killer on his hips and a cage in one hand looked tough, but Will somehow seemed to be in high spirits. 
There is a large lunch box inside the cage. We can only eat proper food today at noon so I made it early in the morning. The weather is very good for a picnic so I just felt like cooking.
I was thinking of making a lighter lunch to reduce the burden on Will, but he put a word in that he wanted to eat as much as possible. Although I was reluctant, I didn't want to leave Will feeling hungry. As a result, I ended up with a heavyweight, crammed lunch box.
….Let's just him work a lot so he doesn't get fat.

"Don't forget to bring back the materials, okay?"

"I-I haven't forgotten. Besides, this is really just a breeze for me."

Will left his right hand, which he uses to pull out his sword, empty so he could use it any moment we encountered a magical beast. To look to be in high spirits but still not neglect the caution around the surroundings is just like him.

The incense repels only weak magical beast. Moderately strong magical beasts should be able to feel our powers and avoid fighting us.  Well, there's still a chance that we might accidentally come across them and since magical beasts are violent, they might attack us without caring.

A few hours pa.s.sed without anything happening.

"It's about time we had lunch."

We proceeded with the map and compa.s.s and reached the forest's open flower field. I took a break at this place when I came here in the past too.
Colorful flowers were in full bloom and a sweet scent drifted forth. It's like a paradise on earth. This feels even more like a picnic now. We spread the cloth in the shades of the trees, put up a simple barrier, washed our hands in the stream while we were at it and got to eating the lunch box.

Will nonchalantly stuffed his cheeks with sandwiches.

"This is…orange mustard, huh? It goes well with the chicken. It's delicious."

Words like 'chow properly, eat vegetables too, not just meat' came to my me but they sounded like the words of a nagging mother so I didn't voice them.
No, my mother never said anything like that, but the woman from my past life was often warned like that by her mother. During adolescence she even snapped back at her with 「I'll be okay with dying if I can eat things I love in the way that I love!」and even though it was my past life,  somehow I started to feel sad.

I relaxed while drinking after-meal tea. Somehow, I'm starting to get sleepy. Just as I was thinking about neglecting the process of collection and going back after taking a nap, Will, having finished tidying up our luggage, hesitantly inquired.

"Sonia…are you not going to use that hair accessory?"

Today I had bundled up my hair and tied it with a white string. It's a matching set with Will's string but in a different color, though he doesn't seem to have noticed it.
I still haven't shown the sight of me…wearing that hair accessory with a golden flower and b.u.t.terfly to Will.

"Yes, I am not going to use it.

"Is it because it's cheap?

After thinking for a while, I nodded. Will made a disappointed face. You're wrong, Will.

“It's cheap, so it might break easily. I don't want to wear it because it would be a waste."

Will batted his eyes in astonishment.

"….You're surprisingly frugal."

And, albeit only slightly, his mouth loosened.
His smiling face…is a rare sight. Actually, this might be the first time since we've met that he has laughed during a conversation with me.
What's with this sense of accomplishment?
My heart is fluttering.

"You went out of your way to buy it so it would be wasteful if you didn't use it. If it breaks, next time, um…"

He can't quite seem to find words to continue. How irritating.
I asked mischievously.

"Will you buy me one as a present next time?"

"as if I would do that! That would be too weird."

"I don't think that it would be weird though. Then…will you choose it together with me next time too?"

Will cast his eyes down and with a voice full of hesitation, he said.

"…I can't promise that."

Hmm~
So he doesn't plan to go to the capital but he doesn't intend to stay by my side for a long time either?
Somehow, I'm starting to understand my mother's feelings.　

I picked white flowers in the field on a whim and headed towards the destination with them in hand.
The forest came to an end and a valley appeared. I looked down out of excitement. Deep enough to make you feel dizzy, there's a raging river.
It's not a distance that can be covered with a jump and there aren't any bridges either.

"Thundersalt Crystal is ahead, right?"

"Yes. We will cross over with the magic. But before that――【Ignazard】" 

I cast a fire attribute magic towards the valley's cliff. A heaven-piercing shrill cry rose together with the fire pillar. A black shadow cut through wind at a frightening speed.

"During this time, Moonswallows make this place into their nest."

"Say that earlier!"

I held back Will, which hurriedly tried to pull out his sword, with my hand.
Swordsmen aren't suited for air fight. Besides, it'd be dumb if he fell from the valley while he's too engrossed in fighting in air.

"I will do it. I'll leave my back to you, Will."

Perhaps feeling responsibility after having my back entrusted to him, Will nodded with a serious face and obediently fell back.

Moonswallows have glossy black body and white stomach. There's also a golden pattern on their forehead.
A palm-sized swallow ran away into the sky, while one with the size of a sky dragon remained and hovered above my head as if trying to intimidate me. It must be a Boss Swallow. It seems to be mad that its house was burnt and even after sensing my magical powers, its not running away. What a birdbrain.

Moonswallow's speed is troublesome, but it's not very strong. Killing it is an easy feat. However, my objective it to take its feathers. It would be pointless if I chop it up and let it drop in the valley.

For the sake of the medicine to save humans, I'll pluck this bird's feathers, along with its life.
The aspect of making use of the stolen life is the same as the Rose Gem.
Where is the line between right and evil? I also had a phase when I was worried about this matter.

….I'm very sorry. Human life is of a higher priority. I'm softer on those who are close to me.

The Boss Swallow soared high and swooped down while wrapped in a blade of wind. I matched my chanting with it.

【O the endless ring, engulf thy surroundings, become a whirlpool of annihilation ―― Sylgirynth】

The side-blowing wind violently whirled and overpowered the swallow, which was flying by cutting through the wind. Soon enough, the swallow crashed into the ground and died while scattered its feathers.
The swallows that were watching the situation from a distance also scattered in all directions. I won't chase after them. Boss alone will give us enough materials.
As I was coldly staring down at the pitiful corpse and thinking of where to start from, Will came forward.

"I'll do it."

Seems like Will is the one who'll take on the dirty work of plucking the feathers. I decided to pick up relatively clean feathers that fell on the ground.
We did our work silently and returned the corpse to its origins with my art of the funeral. Bones with the 'Core' wouldn't sell well, so we threw it into the valley and offered silent prayers.

"….it's actually supposed to be more upstream, but here is fine too."

I threw the white flowers I picked in the field to the bottom of the valley as well. Will tilted his head.

"Did you pick those for swallows?"

"No. They're for Ambert…my father"

I pointed at the bottom of the valley.
A grey river swelled and swallowed white flowers.

"I'll feel bad if I don't visit his grave once in a while."

Even though my mother's grave is always adorned with red flowers, my father didn't even get proper memorial service, not to mention anything about burial. Even I sympathize with him. As his daughter, I have to remember him from time to time.

I don't know how Ambert died.
Whether he was sick, used in mother's experiments or killed during lovers' quarrel is a mystery. I only heard that his body was set adrift from here.
My mother didn't talk about my father. Her mood would worsen the moment his name was mentioned, so I also couldn't bring up the topic myself. Neither granny not the village witches knew anything either.

However, there is something that the slave witches secretly have told me. "Your father was playing with young girls and provoked Alonia's anger".
….He seemed to be doing well when I looked into the past, so there's a high possibility that he was killed by mother. I don't think that the reason concerned his cheating though.

Or maybe, even if she didn't love him, she still didn't want somebody else to steal him?
How stupid.
I won't be like my mother. Though I can't help but understand her feelings.
I wonder what should I do? I don't want to lose my precious things, but I don't want to be controlled by ugly possessiveness either.

"Let's go, Will. We have to get the Thundersalt Crystal before the sunset."
As I smiled and held out my hand, Will snapped out of it. He must've been thinking about how to answer. But, you know, it's fine to not say anything.

Will timidly took my hand.

—

Notes:
f.u.c.k , really sorry that it took me so long. I've been literally doing this chapter for a whole month because there were many parts in here that I needed to bulls.h.i.+t my way through.
Still gotta say that now that I'm done with this chapter, I realised that I kinda missed Sonia so I'll try to have the next chapter out sooner.

The chant that killed me dead 【流転する輪よ、か弱き隣人を絡め、失墜の渦となれ――シルギリンス】

二千日大根 half-decade radish
歯車草 cogwheel gra.s.s
雷塩結晶 thundersalt crystal
円月ツバメの羽根 Moonswallow's feather

You know the drill. hmu for any mistranslations, weird grammar or typos so I could fix it afap