SWNOVELXO Chapter 24
**Chapter 24**
She fidgets with the necklace.
What hangs around the woman’s neck shines brightly in the moonlight.
“He….”
After fidgeting for a while, a sound of laughter escapes her lips.
Though it might sound a bit strange, given that she has never laughed in her life.
“Hmm…”
That is the first manifestation of the deep emotion revealed by the woman.
Emotions suppressed by magic burst forth uncontrollably, spilling down to the floor.
“Hehe….”
Thus, the room is filled with gray ash.
Emotions keep rising, transforming into a chunk of gray mana.
This could be considered quite a dangerous state, but the woman continues to laugh, soon sinking her nails into her forearm.
It’s a wound deep enough to draw blood, and she vows not to let her emotions overflow under the weight of that pain.
She feels fear at the thought of losing control over her emotions.
Knowing that this is far removed from the “good child” Ain spoke of, she repeats it over and over.
The woman must maintain her status as a good child.
She doesn’t want to change into something he would dislike.
So.
“Ugh, hi…, mmm.”
Holding her trembling body down to control her emotions.
“A…, Ain.”
She repeatedly calls his name like a spell.
Her nails keep digging into her forearm, drawing crimson tears, refusing to stop until all her emotions settle down.
The emotions awakened with strength rise, not settling easily as they did in childhood.
She goes on like this, muttering and repeating the process for quite a while.
And as time passes.
The woman stares blankly at her blood-soaked clothes and wounds.
“I will erase the recording.”
She naturally utters those words, erasing all traces of it.
********
Time flew by, and winter arrived.
In a landscape where nothing has changed, there is only one thing that has.
“Welcome.”
The woman sitting at the counter greets customers like that.
With her ordinary black hair and dark brown eyes, she is still beautiful, merely nodding stiffly at her customers.
“That’ll be 315 Dera in total.”
Though I had told her that it would be better to smile, she seemed reluctant, greeting customers with a stern expression.
“Thank you. …, goodbye.”
Then she strangely sends the customer off with a somewhat strange formal phrase and turns her head to ask me.
“Ain, did I do well?”
She asks this every time she serves a customer, hoping for my answer.
So, I have already answered this several times.
“…, you did well. But instead of saying ‘goodbye’ you should say ‘safe travels.’ That would be better.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
Right.
Then the next customer comes in.
“208 Dera in total.”
Exactly the same as before; she collects the money and follows with her greeting.
“Thank you. Goodbye.”
But I can’t help but feel like she’s forgetting something big, her.
“Ain, did I do well?”
“…, no.”
“Did I not do well?”
“…, no. You did well.”
She is doing everything right, except for asking if she did well.
Why is that the only thing she doesn’t forget and does right?
However.
Such minor mistakes by the woman seem to have a strangely positive effect on sales.
Just as I had noticed an increase in female customers, it seems that after sitting at the counter and attending to customers, word spread, and male customers began to increase.
Young men and middle-aged men who have likely never stepped into a grocery store before come with their shopping baskets, buying various items.
“670 Dera in total.”
Despite her blunt manner, they furtively glance at her.
“Thank you. Please go now.”
Despite being an odd farewell, they leave, grinning.
“Ain, did I do well this time?”
“…, yeah. You did well.”
That gives me a strange feeling.
She turns to look at me, smiling just for me, then turns back to greet customers with her stoic demeanor, yet I feel strangely pressed in my chest.
“180 Dera in total.”
Her mechanical response creates unease within me regarding the male customer who came in.
“Thank you. Please take care.”
I can’t focus on my own task, continually glancing at the woman’s back.
Then, a rough voice breaks through my thoughts.
“Ain, are you perhaps jealous?”
“…, it’s not jealousy; I’m just worried that strange people might come around.”
After all, she is still a naïve and emotionally unstable woman.
There’s nothing good about strange people approaching merely due to her beauty.
If a high-ranking magician or skilled adventurer were to walk in, it would be a disaster.
“Hehe…, but your gaze doesn’t seem worried at all.”
“…, I’m worried. Weird guys who probably never set foot in a grocery store are coming in.”
I was simply concerned for the woman’s well-being.
“Okay, okay. It seems like you two will take quite a while to realize it yourself.”
“Ah, please don’t say strange things, Uncle.”
That was entirely appropriate for my role as a witch’s guardian.
I think to myself as I keep glancing at her until all the customers have left.
A month has passed quickly.
“It’s time for the sales and salary calculations, you little brats.”
“Wow…, but aren’t we a bit old to be called little brats?”
“In my eyes, you two are still brats, so it doesn’t matter. If that bothers you, be older than me, you brat.”
“Well, I don’t…. I’m not bothered, so let’s settle the calculations.”
At my age, being called a brat is fitting, so it didn’t so much bother me as much as it was a bit awkward being called that while the woman, nearly devoid of her youthful image, and I, tall with muscle, were still referred to as such.
Regardless.
The uncle grinned and began calculating the sales from the past month.
After a short time, he exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh… wow, the sales have indeed increased. It’s more than when the two of you were alone.”
“Looks like appearance has a great impact on sales.”
That is an unchanging truth of the world.
Perhaps even more timeless than the gray perception, a doctrine that never changes.
Being cute, handsome, or beautiful always has a positive impact in any world.
“What, are you saying sales were low because I’m ugly?”
Yes.
Uncle, it’s time to admit the truth.
I smile at that thought.
I boldly extend my hands towards him and firmly state.
“If you’ve understood that, then please hand us our bonuses.”
And the woman, who had been quietly by my side, blankly echoed my words.
“…, please give us our bonuses?”
With delicate hands extended, she tilts her head while awkwardly speaking formally to the uncle.
As I quickly wiggle my fingers as if wanting the money, she also copies me, not fully grasping the meaning.
Bending slightly at the waist and leaning her head forward, she mirrors my actions, looking at the uncle in the same way.
“Please give us a generous amount, Uncle.”
“A generous…? Please give it to us.”
As I spoke thus and smiled, she repeated my words while smiling at me instead of at the uncle.
Thus, the uncle, witnessing our exchange, chuckled helplessly.
“No…, you little brats. What will happen if I only teach you all these naughty things?”
“It’s not naughty; I’m just teaching you how to survive in this world.”
“Is this how we survive in this world?”
This is the additional income earned through bonds formed over time and through somewhat decent looks.
“Yeah, this is how you survive. Got it?”
“I understand, Ain.”
To survive in this harsh, peaceful yet unforgiving world, this is how one has to go about it.
I tell her, who gazes at me blankly.
“There’s no way that could be true, you little fools!”
And soon, the uncle’s scolding came.
I received the pouch containing a month’s salary.
“But Uncle, I don’t think I’m getting a bonus.”
“Hey, you conscience-broken punk, why the heck do you think you should get a bonus? She’s the one who did well this month.”
“That’s because I taught her well.”
I can vividly remember the memories from autumn to winter.
Teaching her formal speech, basic knowledge about grocery stores, and even little tips, plus the expensive appearance-modifying necklace.
I was the one who made her the woman with black hair and dark brown eyes, who sits blankly looking into the pouch of salary.
However, the uncle shook his head firmly.
“No, no. Didn’t you say earlier? Appearance has a significant impact on sales. So why on earth should your bonus even be a thing!”
“I’m really feeling hurt here.”
“Hey, I’m the one who’s more hurt!”
And so, while bantering with the uncle, a small ‘hmph’ sounded, and she stood up.
“Stingy uncle.”
“Little brat.”
I wondered if she was off to the restroom, keeping up the lighthearted banter as she walked over to us.
“Potbelly.”
“Skinny twig.”
Haha, that was something I couldn’t stand as a gymnast.
“No, that’s not true. Can’t you see my muscles?”
“If you beat me in arm-wrestling, I’ll take it back.”
Tiptoe, the sound of tiny footsteps echoes.
“Are you seriously asking a twelve-year-old brat to beat you through strength?”
“What else should I say? Ultimately, it just proves you’re the skinny twig.”
“You, on the other hand, are living full without muscles.”
“Wanna try getting hit with some flesh?”
The sound of coins jangling in his pockets.
“Why do you always want to hit me….”
“Ain.”
They were about to approach me when her voice suddenly shattered the moment.
“Oh, is there something you want to say?”
“This.”
She grinned and extended her pocket towards me.
“…”
“Ain, take this. I don’t need it.”
Without a hint of hesitation or regret, she tries to hand me her belongings.
“You said you wanted to earn money while working.”
“Well, I thought it might help you a bit.”
So the reason she originally wanted to earn money was all twisted.
She wasn’t looking to benefit herself; she just wanted to help after working hard.
And I don’t want that.
I’ve known for a while that I occupy a large part of her life, but I still hope she can live independently.
“That’s yours, so it’s okay if you don’t give it to me.”
“But….”
She hesitates, startled by my refusal, but this level of emotional change is just fine given her experiences thus far.
“Just hold onto it. Even if you can’t use the money you earn for now, if you save it well, a time will come when you’ll need it.”
“What if that time doesn’t come?”
That could be the story after I leave for my journey.
“You and I, being human, there will be moments when we need money.”
“When you’re human, those moments will come?”
“Yeah. That’s how it is.”
It could be the story of her adapting to a normal life.
Though she may seem quite naive and clumsy now, her future, grown after time, is uncertain.
The developments have already changed.
The straightforward narrative line, at some moment, is subtly twisted in another direction with that single step I took.
The larger framework may not change and all endings could eventually converge into one, but I believe at least the woman before my eyes will weave a slightly different tale.
And as if answering my inner thoughts, she firmly nods her head.
“Then I’ll save well as Ain said.”
“Good thinking.”
She reclaims the pouch she was about to give me, holding it closely to her once more, then states.
“Yeah, but if you ever need anything, please just say it. I can give you everything.”
“…, thank you.”
Now there is a bright smile that naturally appears with the words of thanks.
She shivers with emotion, constantly fidgeting with her hands and feet.
And I thought that sight was quite adorable.
However.
There was also a villain who ruined that scenery.
“Good grief! If you have time to linger around in my store, then take this money and go buy something delicious for both of you instead!”
The kind villain placed enough currency for a meal on the counter and insisted we leave quickly.
“What a nice uncle.”
“What, brat? Get lost! Today’s the end of grocery store business.”
As I chuckled at the uncle waving his hands, I took the money and grabbed her hand, heading outside.
Then I asked her.
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“I want that.”
“Hmm? What is that?”
“Cotton candy.”
“…, okay. Let’s go get cotton candy.”
There was really no need to ask.