"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 59: Even witches can't escape from the flag
 

A journey through a fragmented world. Although Jiang Cha felt like more than a hundred years had passed, in reality, it had only been five days.
She realized this only when she stepped off the bus back to campus and found her dormitory completely empty.
Spring break had just begun.

"Ahh... What should I do next~"
A sudden wave of laziness washed over her. She flopped onto the sofa, kicked off her pink slippers, changed into clean white pajamas, and curled up around a pillow.
She had a lot to do. Really, she did.

But right now, she just didn’t want to move.
From noon till night, she lay there in a daze, half-asleep, half-awake. She even forgot to eat dinner.
"Elf Express! Newspaper delivery, Miss Witch!"

A loud, lively voice jolted her awake.
She jumped off the sofa and opened the kitchen window. This time, the elf wasn't the little cat girl she’d met before, but a chibi-style dog girl.
"Thanks..."

"You're welcome!"
Noticing the girl’s lack of energy, the little dog girl blinked. "Did I disturb your rest?"
"No."

Jiang Cha shook her head, then hesitated. "Can I rub you? I don’t mind paying."
"No need~ Touch away! If it cheers you up."
This dog girl had a completely different personality than the aloof cat girl—bubbly, affectionate, and eager to please. But don’t be fooled: dog girls were just as cunning, using different charm tactics to attract customers.

Not that Jiang Cha cared.
She reached out and gently stroked the fluffy ears, kneading them like soft bread dough. Her mood lightened, if only a little.
Back on the sofa, she glanced at the headline of today’s paper—reading the paper was an old witch’s habit. Even with faster, cheaper ways to get news, newspapers remained oddly popular. They were perfect for idle reading after dinner.
Not that she had any dinner.

Today’s headline made her freeze.
[Victory on the front line! The Great Sage and Suicune take action, the third-level mechanical civilization is destroyed, and a group of combat witches may return to society. The peak of puppet sales is about to pass.]
‘Great Sage…’

A drop of cold sweat slid down her back. Her mouth twitched.
This couldn’t be a coincidence… right?
...

"Why are you asking something like that?"
Myrtle stared at her curiously, wondering what had gotten into her apprentice.
"Generally speaking, even the original body can’t perceive anything that happens in a fragment world. It’s called a simulation for a reason. The entities in those worlds aren’t true avatars. They have no connection to the real body."

"So «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» there’s zero chance?"
Jiang Cha looked relieved… but also a little disappointed.
Myrtle had no idea what she was conflicted about. She chalked it up to the typical aftereffects of a first-time fragmented-world experience. Pretty normal, actually.

"There is a possibility. But it’s rare. In the entire witch society, it’s happened fewer than five times."
"What!?"
Jiang Cha’s relief instantly vanished. So it really was possible!?

"You know about transformation witches, right? Not you, since you’re awakened, but most are converted from strong individuals of other races. The reason transformation tech is so powerful—able to grant new life—is due to how it works."
"It turns everything about an intelligent being’s past into magic. Everything. Memory, soul, experience."
"In other words..."

"Right."
Myrtle snapped her fingers.
"If the world they came from was fractured into a simulation, and if they happened to be its protagonist, then a fragment of their soul could end up parasitizing that world."

"When that world collapses, the memory-laden carrier dissolves. That energy and memory get drawn back into the real body as raw magic."
"And with that magic... the associated knowledge returns too."
"It’s extremely rare. And only sage-level witches would have enough residual power for this to occur. No one’s going to bother a little witch like you."

"I see..."
Jiang Cha sighed, a complicated look on her face.
She had been terrified that the real Great Sage might show up to settle accounts.

After all, what she did to the monkey girl in the fragment world… to put it nicely, was “guidance.”
To put it bluntly: manipulation.
If the Great Sage actually remembered…

...
That scare chased away all her earlier laziness. She had planned to take a full day to rest and let her magic stabilize—it had surged unexpectedly after the simulation.
That fatigue was her body’s warning: you’ve pushed too far.

But the next day, Jiang Cha was back to her normal routine.
She continued refining the cognitive spell she’d been developing. Studied. Took long walks when her brain got tired. Read a bit in the grand library on campus.
"Sister Moore, why are you working overtime during spring break?"

The library was deserted. Apart from a few scattered students, only Moore was still at the front desk, slouched over the counter, yawning.
"Haaah~ Do I have a choice? You kids won’t leave campus, and if someone’s here, I have to stay too."
"Okay, okay~ I won’t disturb your beauty sleep."

"Good girl."
Jiang Cha waved and scurried off. She didn’t want to provoke Moore—the senior witch could get scary when cranky.
No thanks. She was not in the mood for a magical spanking.

"Oh, right."
Just as Jiang Cha reached the stacks, Moore called her back.
"Hmm? What’s up?"

Jiang Cha turned, bright-eyed, the usual grin on her face.
"Has Sister Moore finally realized how amazing I am and wants to talk all night?"
Moore didn’t even lift her head. She remained slouched over the counter like a lazy salted fish, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

"A big shot showed up at the Battle Club. If you’re interested, swing by this afternoon and ask for guidance."
"Witches can’t escape combat."
"Thanks, Sister Moore~~"

And just like that, Jiang Cha’s relaxing spring break got a little more interesting.