SWNOVELXO Chapter 6 Part 6
“Ugh, so heavy!”
With long, long stairs ahead of me, I carried the paper bags in my arms while piggybacking the elderly woman up the steps.
Apparently, at the top of this staircase, on the highest hill in town, was her home.
“Are you okay? You really didn’t have to carry me too, you know. Should I get down?”
“No way! A lady never goes back on her word!”
I huffed and puffed through my nose as I spoke.
Even though it was the cold season, sweat dripped from my forehead.
My breath turned white in the chilly air, and my nose was starting to run.
Why was I, a witch, doing physical labor?
Shouldn’t this be the perfect time to use magic?
That thought floated in my hazy mind as my exhausted body trudged forward.
If I used anti-gravity magic, I could make the bags and the old lady much lighter.
If I used physical enhancement magic, I could temporarily increase my strength… though I’d be sore all over the next day.
Throughout today, I had come to many realizations about myself.
There were parts of me I wanted to change, and I had done some reflecting.
So… it’s fine, right? Maybe I should just use magic.
That little devilish whisper echoed in my head.
I shook my head, forcing the thought away, and focused on the task before me.
This was where I had to start.
This was like a ritual for me—to stand on my own once again.
“Haaah… I’m so tired.”
Finally reaching the top, I set down both the old lady and the bags before collapsing onto the ground like a puddle of slime.
Lying on my back, I gazed up at the sky.
The stars were faintly twinkling, and the deep hues of twilight were beginning to mix.
The wind that blew under the setting sun was cold but pleasant.
“Good job.”
The old woman peered down at my face, her expression gentle.
“I’m sorry, dear. If I hadn’t hurt my back, I’d have no trouble carrying things myself. I really need to be mindful of my age.”
“Now that we’re here, you should be fine, right?”
“Yes. Truly, thank you so much.”
She smiled warmly and gently sat down on the steps.
“You’re Faust’s apprentice, aren’t you? I heard you’ve been going around helping people lately. That’s really admirable.”
“R-really…? Who told you that?”
“Shopkeepers, townspeople—many different people have been talking about you.”
“Huh… I wonder why.”
I slowly sat up.
“Maybe because I became well-known after doing the magic parade with Sophie?”
“Magic parade?”
“You know, during the Otherworld Festival.”
“Ah… The fireworks that night were spectacular. The Witch of the Seven Sages personally came to this town to put on a show for Faust. He must be a truly great man.”
“Yeah, yeah… Wait, what about me?”
“Oh dear, I didn’t even realize you were there. With such a huge crowd, I imagine very few people actually saw the witch up close. There were so many travelers, after all.”
“That’s… true.”
I had thought I became famous just by working alongside a world-renowned figure.
But in reality, the people in town hadn’t even noticed my role at all.
What I did at that festival was support Sophie, the Witch of the Seven Sages.
The spectators had come for her, not me.
Just like how no one remembers the faces of event staff or a celebrity’s manager, hardly anyone from the parade would have remembered mine.
The reason people now recognized me was because of my own efforts.
Without even realizing it, I had been working hard.
Why did I work so hard?
Maybe because my life depended on it.
As I pondered, the old woman suddenly spoke, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I looked up, following her gaze, and gasped softly.
The entire town of Lapis stretched out before me, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.
My beloved hometown.
Ah, I see.
It dawned on me.
I must have really loved the people in this town.
I had worked so hard because I genuinely wanted to help them.
Somehow, along the way, I had forgotten such a simple truth.
“This is your reward as a witch for today.”
“…Yeah.”
After escorting the old lady to her home, I took a slight detour towards the station.
Through the streets, past the residential areas, weaving through the crowds.
“Ah, it’s the witch lady!”
“Good work today, young witch. Heading home now?”
“Meg, thanks for all your hard work!”
“It’s Meg again!”
“Bye-bye, Meg!”
The people who called out to me—
Now, I could see their faces clearly.
The people of Lapis whom I loved.
I hadn’t truly looked at them before.
I had thought they were strangers, yet now that I really looked, they were all familiar faces.
“Witch.”
A sudden voice made me turn around.
A young man in a suit stood there.
I recognized him immediately.
“Oh, it’s the guy who was burnt out from work! What a coincidence.”
“Are you on your way home?”
“Nah, just wandering.”
“Then, perfect. Here—this is to thank you from before.”
He handed me a paper bag, and I took it with a quick “Thanks.”
Inside was freshly baked bread.
“Whoa, this is from that bakery on the corner. My master loves their bread.”
“I bought it thinking I’d bring it to you.”
“You didn’t have to go out of your way…”
But he shook his head.
“I wanted to thank you. That time, I was drowning in work, completely overwhelmed, with no one to talk to. I was at my breaking point. And then, you spoke to me… I felt saved.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I remember what you told me.”
“Did I say anything that profound?”
“You told me, ‘Have pride in yourself.’”
“Pride?”
“No matter what happens, be someone you can be proud of. Even if the whole world turns its back on you, never stop believing in yourself. That’s what you said. And that belief will become your strength one day.”
He lowered his head deeply.
“At that time, I had completely lost confidence in myself. But you told me, ‘If you’re doing what you should, then you’re not wrong.’ Thank you for that.”
“Come on, I just listened. Now, lift your head.”
“But…”
“Your thanks is in this bread. If you ever need help again, just say the word. I’ll be there.”
As he slowly raised his head, he smiled quietly.
“Got it. I’ll be counting on you, Witch of Lapis.”
Walking away, I took a deep breath.
“Have pride, huh…”
That was something I needed to hear too.
“Alright, let’s go home.”