Chapter 276
by Jessie@AFNCCThe sight of Lizzy speaking in such a sweet, playful tone in front of the three Elders was quite a shock to me.
What surprised me even more was that the Elders didn’t seem to dislike her playful behavior.
âElder Chuchu, canât I please take the Witchâs Trial this time~?â
âHmmm⊠Well, Iâm not sureâŠ.â
âThere hasnât been an outsider whoâs passed the Witchâs Trial in recent years⊠Even for Lizzy, it might be difficultâŠ.â
It seemed that, for some reason, Lizzy was quite interested in taking the Witchâs Trial.
In fact, Lizzy, despite her appearance, was a part of the Academyâs Department of Pharmacology. She even ranked second in her class, meaning that among non-witch students, she was essentially at the top, excluding Lara.
So it made sense that she would be interested in becoming a witch.
âI wondered how she managed to enter the pharmacology department as the second rankâŠâ
She probably built connections with the witches beforehand to gain an edge in getting into the department.
The witchesâ knowledge of pharmacology was so vast that even getting a glimpse of it would make someone far more talented than the average apothecary, even without becoming a witch.
I had just accidentally discovered how Lizzy managed to get into the Academyâs pharmacology department.
âI never give up, you know~? Right, Elder Tutu~? And didnât I gift you that imperial rocking chair last time~?â
âY-Youâre not going to take it back if we say no, rightâŠ? I-I like it too muchâŠ.â
âI wouldnât do that! But I did bring something special with me this timeâa cushion perfectly made for that rocking chair, filled with soft down feathers. Itâs incredibly fluffy~. I went through a lot to get it, but for Elder Tutu, Iâd be willing to give it as a gift~.â
âO-Down feathersâŠ? FluffyâŠ?â
âAnd what about me? Donât I get a giftâŠ?â
âOf course, Elder Chuchu~. Remember when you were curious about ice cream? I brought some packed in a magical device that keeps it cold~.â
âI-Ice creamâŠ!â
She had really gone all out. It was impressive in every way. When had she managed to get this close to the three Elders, to the point where she knew exactly what they liked?
Elder Chuchu loved sweet treats. Elder Tutu preferred comfortable furniture. And as for the “young” Elder CocoâŠ
ââŠâŠâ
ââYoungâ Elder Coco, I brought some pretty clothes that I thought would suit you. Should I bring them to you later?â
ââŠâŠâ
-Nod.
âKaraham, did you hear that? Go and fetch the down feather cushion, the ice-keeping device, and the box of clothes from the carriageâoh?â
âHello, Miss Lizzy.â
ââŠâŠâ
Lizzy turned her gaze toward the entrance, where Karaham was standing, and her eyes naturally met mine. For a moment, she seemed confused, but then her expression brightened as if she had just encountered a dear friend.
âLilith~!â
âI didnât expect to meet you here.â
âItâs been so long! I never thought weâd meet during the break~!â
âYes. Iâm sorry I couldnât show up at the last student council meeting, but itâs nice to see you again.â
âRight! It must be fate~! Weâre definitely connected by an unbreakable thread of destiny~!â
ââŠâŠâ
ââŠâŠâ
ââŠâŠâ
ââŠYes, maybe youâre right.â
Lizzy hugged me tightly, expressing her joy at our reunion with her whole body.
Meanwhile, I felt the oddly piercing gazes of the three Elders, as if they were staring at me for “stealing” their one and only friend.
But I hadnât hugged her first⊠so why the looks?
âUgh⊠UuuughâŠâ
And for some reason, even Lara, who had been standing next to me, was sending similar glances our way.
Why are you looking at me like that?
â â â
The tension that had momentarily shifted toward me eased, thanks to the gifts Lizzy had brought, and the atmosphere became peaceful once again.
âItâs coldâŠ! Cold and sweetâŠ!â
âFluffy⊠HeheheâŠâ
ââŠâŠâ
Elders Chuchu, Tutu, and the “young” Coco were all enjoying their gifts, smiling happily.
It was an odd moment where I inadvertently witnessed Lizzy’s impressive business skills firsthand.
âSeeing it with my own eyes, theyâre all just like little girls.â
Witches in the Witchesâ Forest stop aging at a certain point and begin to grow younger after a certain age.
From birth to age 25 is their âgrowingâ phase. From 25 to 80, they maintain their youth. And from 80 until they die, they begin to grow younger again.
The reason witches stop aging after 25 is due to the “Elixir of Eternal Youth,” a potion that only witches can make and that only witches can digest because of their lifelong exposure to various potions.
Ordinary humans, whose bodies are fundamentally different from witches, would find the potion more like poison.
As for why witches begin to grow younger after 80, thatâs because they trade their physical attributesâheight and chest sizeâfor years of life using a special “scale” that only witches can operate.
In exchange for life, witches give up either height or chest size. Typically, 1 cm of height or chest circumference equals 1 year of life.
For example, a witch who is 180 cm tall with a chest circumference of 110 cm can trade up to 80 cm of height and 60 cm of chest, earning an additional 140 years, which would allow her to live to 220.
Beyond that, the trade-off would interfere with basic life functions, so witches set the lower limit at 1 meter in height and a chest circumference of 50 cm. As a result, a witch who reaches the end of her natural lifespan typically appears to be around 3 or 4 years old.
In other words, the Elders of the Witchesâ Forest, despite being the oldest, paradoxically have the youngest appearances.
Elder Chuchu, who has some height left but no chest, looks like a 10-year-old girl.
Elder Tutu, who kept her chest at the expense of her height, has the odd appearance of a child with a disproportionately large chest.
And the most senior witch, who gave up both height and chest, is the “young” Elder Coco.
âWe came to discuss the Witchâs Trial, but seeing how things are right now, it seems like nowâs not the best time to bring it up.â
It was clear that interrupting their enjoyment of Lizzy’s gifts would only make things difficult. It would be best to bring up the topic once they were in a good mood.
Besides, since Laraâs trial isnât an external matter, I doubt they would refuse her request, but itâs still better to approach them when theyâre most at ease.
In the meantime, there were a few things I wanted to ask Lizzy, so there was no need to rush.
âMiss Lizzy, earlier I overheard you talking with the Elders about the Witchâs Trial. Are you also here to take the trial?â
âOh, Lilith? Your toneâs gotten more relaxed. It used to be so formal. And youâre not in your maid uniform, either.â
ââŠThereâs been a lot going on. I plan to speak this way for the rest of the summer break.â
âI like it! Itâs much more comfortable this way. Before, you kept your distance, not just from me but from most people.â
ââŠI wasnât intentionally keeping my distance. I just tried to live with the mindset of a maid when I was wearing the uniform.â
âBut the uniform you wore at the Academy wasnât really a maidâs uniform. It was just the Academy uniform with some frills addedâŠâ
âIf I think of it as a maidâs uniform, then itâs a maidâs uniform, Miss Lizzy.â
ââŠSure, if Lilith says so, then thatâs what it is.â
Lizzy gave me a strange, slightly sympathetic look, as if Iâd just said something odd.
âOh, right, we were talking about the Witchâs Trial?â
âYes.â
âYou asked if Iâm here to take the Witchâs Trial too, so⊠does that mean youâre here for the trial as well?â
âNot me, but my friend will be participating in this yearâs trial.â
ââŠThe person hiding behind you right now? Oh, now that I think about it, she looks familiarâŠâ
Of course she did. They were first and second in the Department of Pharmacology.
âOh, Miss Lara! Itâs been a while!â
âH-H-HelloâŠâ
âNow that I think about it, Miss Lara is from the Witchesâ Forest, right? That means weâll be taking the Witchâs Trial together!â
âI-I-Itâs not decided yetâŠâ
âI donât think we talked much at the Academy. But how did you become friends with Lilith? You usually avoid even me, and weâre in the same department.â
âI-I-Itâs not like weâre that close⊠Rosewood is, uh, my friend from todayâŠâ
âOh, right, Miss Lara. Are you taking Herb Collection next semester? I heard thereâs a group project. If youâd like, maybe we could partner upâŠâ
âAaahhh⊠I-I donât think Iâm ready for thatâŠâ
âHold on, Miss Lizzy. Youâre scaring her.â
Lara was trembling so much that I could feel it through my shoulder, so I stepped in to interrupt their conversation.
âOh, Iâm sorry. Iâve gotten so used to chatting with the witches in the forest that I didnât realize I was being too casual with Miss Lara.â
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Lizzy looked genuinely apologetic, while Lara was still gripping my shoulder and panting heavily.
Wait, Lizzy is on friendly terms with the witches of the forest? When did she even start dealing with them?
Even with my knowledge of this world, I wouldnât have imagined such a feat. Just how socially adept is she?
Well, I guess that explains how she managed to win over the three Elders. And the fact that she got enough of the witches’ knowledge to rank second in the Academyâs Department of Pharmacology proves it too.
Perhaps because she was originally supposed to die in the story, now that sheâs alive, sheâs going above and beyond in every way.
âSo, youâre just here to help Miss Lara with her trial, Lilith?â
ââŠYeah, something like that.â
âHmmm, I see. I thought maybe you came to buy something the Witchesâ Forest could provide.â
âWell, I did think about it. It feels like a waste to visit without purchasing anything.â
âIn that case, the Auguste family can help you with that! Of course, itâll have to wait until after my Witchâs Trial, but since Iâve built relationships with the witches, I can get you almost anything you need.â
ââŠIâm not saying I definitely need it, but do you think you could get dried mandragora?â
ââŠHmm.â
âWhy? Whatâs wrong?â
âItâs nothing. I just realized that Lilith, who seems so cold on the outside, must have quite the passionate relationship with her fiancĂ©.â
âI didnât say I was definitely going to buy it! I was just curious if you could get itâŠâ
âYes, yes. Iâll make sure to get about ten roots for you~.â
Thatâs a lot more than I asked forâŠ
But, well, I guess it couldnât hurt to have more.
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