SWNOVELXO Chapter 6
Selina calls herself a “great witch,” but I don’t think she’s cut out to be a teacher.
She showed me two spells at the beginning, then simply left me to figure things out on my own.
Every morning I wake, make porridge, give the floor a quick sweep, and after breakfast spend all day practicing magic by myself. Meanwhile, Selina just lies on the couch reading books.
If she at least appeared busy with something important, I could tolerate it... but after a whole week of failing to use magic at all, she continues to ignore me completely.
“Maybe I just can’t use magic?” I complain to Merry and Ben, but the two goats pay me no mind. They’re just munching away at the grass.
Even though the wind’s turned cold as autumn deepens, the grass in the Great Forest remains lush and green. Selina says it’s because magical power permeates the whole forest.
I don’t understand the connection between magical power and flourishing grass, but I’m only seven and have just started learning magic.
Will I understand it someday? Or will I simply accept it as “that’s how things work” and forget I ever wondered?
I’m pondering this because I’m getting tired of chanting spells. Besides Selina, only Merry and Ben are around, so I sit near them to grumble, though they offer no comfort.
“I wish I could at least visit Lang Village!”
Selina lives like a hermit because she’s a witch—and a great witch at that. She claims it’s because important people constantly ask her to do things, which annoys her.
I’ve begged her several times to “take me to Lang Village!” but she just ignores me. When I tried to follow her, the barrier surrounding the house stopped me.
Now I can leave the barrier, but... I don’t know how far I’d need to walk to reach Lang Village, and I’m uncertain whether that animal path continues the entire way.
“I can’t buy anything even if I do reach Lang Village... I really need to learn to gather medicinal herbs!”
This is where my inability to use magic becomes problematic. I could leave the barrier right away, but monsters lurk outside.
“Without magic, I can’t venture beyond the barrier... but if I’m not going to become a witch...”
Could a seven-year-old girl survive in Lang Village? In my previous life, someone would probably have taken me in. But this world isn’t so kind.
I have plenty of complaints about Selina, but I’ve gotta be grateful that she raised me—a foundling baby with no connections.
Why was I abandoned? I’ve pondered this question hundreds of times. My parents sure were terrible!
But children need dreams to survive.
When I read stories about princesses kidnapped by minions of evil... I wonder if perhaps that happened to me too.
I don’t believe I’m an actual princess. I’ve read some adult books I wasn’t supposed to, and I know that kings and nobles sometimes keep mistresses and have children with them.
According to Selina, few people can use magic. Almost no commoners possess the ability.
So maybe... I can’t use magic yet. But if I have the talent, maybe I have noble blood. Though, considering they abandoned me in a forest like this, I doubt my parents would welcome my existence.
It’s a harsh reality.
“Haah... I really need to learn magic if I want to survive.”
I sometimes entertain the naive thought that maybe I could simply stay in this house and live under Selina’s care forever... but Selina seems quite old.
I’ll outlive her. Which means eventually I’ll need to support myself.
“Phew...” Sighing won’t help me practice magic.
I gather myself and begin practicing magic from the beginning. But first, having a little fun won’t hurt, right?
When Selina unsealed my magic, she also unlocked my past-life memories up to my childhood.
In that world, I was surrounded by parents and family, completely absorbed in singing and music. The language differs from here, but there are so many melodies, and they’re wonderful.
“La-la-la♪”
I want to translate the lyrics into this world’s language eventually, but right now I simply want to sing for pleasure.
My only audience consists of Merry and Ben, but humming the songs I remember lifts my spirits sky-high!
“Rasonpré♪”
Still in that excited mood, I sang the spell and—amazing! A pile of tree branches appeared before me!
“I did that with magic! I actually did it!”
I leap up and spin around! Merry and Ben bleat “Meeeh!” looking rather annoyed, though.
“Next is Air Cutter. I should be able to cut those thin branches, right? Air Cutter!”
Huh? It didn’t work... That’s strange! I managed Rasonpré, so why not this? Or did I really succeed with the first spell?
“Rasonpré!”
Nothing. The branches aren’t gathering at all. It’s exactly like before. Perhaps being in that euphoric mood was what made it work?
To get pumped up, I need to sing!
Selina sometimes gets drunk on wine, then starts singing. She’s a bit off-key, but it’s helpful for learning songs from this world.
After singing one song, I’m back in that excited mood.
“Air Cutter♪”
Oh! The thin branch snapped cleanly in half.
“I did it! Now I can use two spells!”
La-la-la♪
I leap and dance around. But Merry and Ben appear hugely annoyed, so I stop immediately.
Times like this make me wish I had friends.
“I have to tell Selina!”
She might be unfriendly, but we’re the only people in the Great Forest. And she is my teacher who’s trying to teach me magic, after all.