Songstress of Schwarzwald: The Secret of Zoe, the Exiled Music Mage

I couldn’t visit Lang Village much that winter.

Before, I could endure it because I only knew life with just Selina and me, but once I’d experienced the joy of talking with friends and singing while doing needlework, winter felt unbearably long.

I went to the goat shed hoping Merry and Ben would comfort me, but I was the only one talking while they just answered with bleats.

What worries me more is that Merry and Ben are getting old. They’re producing less milk, and they didn’t have any kids this year.

Selina gets angry, saying, “This is what happens when you give them names and get attached!” But she stops short of suggesting we butcher them for meat.

Meeting Maggie made me realize that goats are livestock to farming families. When autumn deepened, most animals were slaughtered to save on winter feed and provide food—salted or turned into dried meat.

The Great Forest has monsters, so we can get meat even in winter. But that’s only because Selina is such a skilled witch.

“Merry, Ben! I’ll take care of you until the end.”

Since they’re eating less grass, I gather tender-looking shoots from the Great Forest. I even sneak them leftover porridge when Selina isn’t looking... though I’m not sure if that’s really the right thing to do.

For pets in my past life, this would be fine, but according to Lang Village standards, goats that produce less milk end up on dinner tables.

Learning about the outside world has helped me understand my strange position a little better.

Still, I can’t wait for spring so I can visit Lang Village again!

“If you’re bored, you should practice being a Troubadour,” Selina tells me.

Even Selina doesn’t seem to fully understand how a Troubadour trains, despite reading that thin, ancient book. It only said they play music to cast powerful spells.

There were some black dots that looked like musical notation, but they’re completely different from the sheet music I knew in my past life!

“Selina, are these black dots supposed to be notes?”

I ask because I think Selina was probably nobility and received musical education, but she shakes her head.

“Look, this is modern sheet music. I bought it for you. Those old scores with just black dots are completely undecipherable.”

The sheet music she shows me resembles what I knew in my past life. There are some differences, but if someone taught me the scales, I could probably sing from it.

But those rows of black dots are completely incomprehensible!

“Then practicing to be a Troubadour is impossible!”

I’m totally right about this! But I can never win a verbal argument with Selina.

“If you practice harp with modern sheet music, maybe you’ll be able to play those black-dot scores right away once you figure out how to read them. Besides, Zoe, you sing when casting magic, but you’re just making up those songs yourself, aren’t you?”

“That has nothing to do with being a Troubadour! I have incantations, and singing just makes them more efficient!”

“I’ll keep looking for more Troubadour books. So practice playing the harp!”

She hands me a harp practice book and sheet music. At least now I don’t have to figure out scales by making random sounds anymore.

The long winter finally seems ready to give way to spring.

I’m so happy I can visit Lang Village!

“I’m going to Lang Village tomorrow too,” Selina announces. Lately she’s been leaving all the grocery shopping to me!

“You’re going to chat with the general store lady!”

Selina doesn’t talk much with the village chief, but she’ll sit and have tea with the general store owner.

“Well, I need to gather information sometimes.”

Hmm, it just sounds like gossip to me.

Well, if Selina’s buying groceries, I’ll have plenty of time to talk with Maggie!

The next day, I show up at the general store with Selina, but Maggie isn’t there.

“Oh, Zoe! Maggie’s with Matthew.”

Huh? I don’t know that name.

“The village chief’s son Matthew?” Selina apparently knows him. That’s kind of annoying!

“Yeah, he spent the winter at his relatives’ place in Marton. They have a school there.”

I know about Marton. Maggie told me about it while we were sewing.

It’s near the Great Forest like Lang Village, but it’s a town, not a village.

I heard they have an Adventurers’ Guild, but I didn’t know they had a school too.

“Where are they?”

If Maggie’s at the village chief’s house, I won’t be able to see her.

“They’re probably gathering firewood near the forest. Matthew can handle small monsters, so he took the other kids with him.”

Hmph, I can defeat Almirajs too!

I feel a surge of rivalry toward this Matthew I’ve never even met.

“Zoe, you can go, but you know the rules!” Selina gives me a warning look. I’m forbidden from using storage magic in front of people.

“I know! Where exactly are they?” I didn’t see them on the path from the Great Forest to Lang Village.

“Well, if you leave the village and head left, you’ll reach a stream. They should be in the forest just before that.”

I run out of Lang Village and head left. That must be the stream! I want to play in the water when summer comes.

Oh, there are several people there. One of them looks like Maggie, but I don’t know the other three.

I only started coming to Lang Village near the end of autumn, so I haven’t had a chance to meet them.

Of the three strangers, the tallest one is probably Matthew. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and looks just like the village chief.

He’s carrying a spear—is that supposed to be for protection? Can he actually use it?

The other two must be Maggie’s friends: a girl about the same age with greenish-black hair, and a slightly younger black-haired boy.

“Zoe! You came to the village!” Maggie introduces me to everyone. The tall boy is indeed Matthew, as I thought.

The girl with greenish-black hair is Marie, and the black-haired boy is Marie’s younger brother Jeff.

“Huh, so you’re the forest witch’s granddaughter.” Matthew stares at me, which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, but I join Maggie in gathering firewood.

Then out of nowhere, Matthew commands, “Don’t move!”

A Moag appears.

Maggie and Jeff freezes, but it’s really nothing scary. Moags damage crops a lot, but they’re not that strong.

Matthew spears the Moag and defeats it.

“Amazing!” Jeff looks at him with admiration.

And whaaat? Maggie and Marie are looking at him like he’s wonderful too!

Ugh, I’m about to say something stupid. Like bragging that I can defeat Almirajs too. I’d be so embarrassed afterward that I’d hide under my blankets screaming.

I remember from my past life doing something embarrassing at school, then going home and screaming “Aaaah... I want to die!” under the covers.

My past-life self was apparently a show-off with a silly personality, befitting someone who wanted to be an idol. Well, at least I knew enough to be embarrassed, so I wasn’t completely hopeless.

“It’s about time we head back to Lang Village,” Matthew announces.

Maggie looks disappointed that we couldn’t gather firewood and talk more.

Meanwhile, Matthew shoots me a small smirk. He probably thinks I’m scared of monsters and want to go back to the village.

That’s not it! I scream internally.

I somehow manage to hold back and return to Lang Village, but thinking about having to meet Matthew again makes me a little depressed.

Looks like being raised by Selina has made me quite prideful. Maybe that’s part of why spellcasters are disliked.