However, if we were actually going to be living together, we would need to make a few improvements.
"Listen, Laika, just repairing my house isn't enough now. Honestly, we need to think about expanding it."
"What do you mean, great Witch?"
I'd ask her to call me something besides "great Witch" later, but for now, I decided to settle the issue at hand.
"You'll be living here, too, you know. If all we do are repairs, it'll be too cramped. We'll have to add another room."
"I see. Yes, you're right."
Originally, a married couple had lived here, but it had worked for them because they were, in fact, married. There was a greater sense of distance between teachers and apprentices, and having a little more space would make things easier on both of us.
For an apprentice, constantly being in close proximity to someone who outranks you would probably be rough psychologically.
If it had been me living in the same house as my boss, I would have developed new ulcers every single day.
"And so, until the upgraded house is finished, I'll be staying in the village. You should stay at the inn as well."
"In that case, shall I take this opportunity to build it for you?"
I hadn't expected that response. What, is she a carpenter?
"'Build it'? You aren't a licensed architect, are you?"
"As long as I have wood and stone to use, the rest is just assembly work, and that's simple. Leave it to me, please."
Laika thumped her chest to show she could do it.
Since she was just a dragon masquerading as a human, she sure didn't seem qualified to build a house. Still, if she was going to insist that strongly, maybe I would leave it to her.
"I have the right to use the area of the forest where I gather medicinal herbs, so go ahead and take trees from there. I'll let you handle the layout and design."
"Thank you very much! I'll create something to your liking, great Witch!"
"Oh, I'll go with you, just in case."
After all, I had no clue whether I could trust a dragon's aesthetics wholesale.
Once outside the village, Laika reverted to her dragon form.
"It will be easier if we fly, so I'll travel in this shape. It's also easier for me to exercise my strength this way."
She really is the dragon I fought.
We may be outside the village, but they'll be able to see us from there for sure. I'll have to explain this to them later.
"Climb onto my back, great Witch. I'll go straight to the forest."
"Do you think you could stop calling me 'great Witch'?"
Laika's apprenticeship to a witch meant she was a sort of witch-in-training as well. We were practitioners of the same craft. If I was going to be addressed constantly, something else would feel more appropriate.
"We're going to be living together, so just call me by my name—Azusa."
"In that case, I shall call you Lady Azusa."
I suppose tacking lady on is all right. I am going to be her teacher anyway.
I climbed onto Laika's back.
It wasn't uncomfortable up there. At the very least, I didn't feel I was at risk of falling.
"I'll be flying, so tell me which direction the forest is in, if you would."
This is kinda like a taxi, I thought.
***
Laika traveled quite fast in dragon form, and we reached the forest before long.
It took time on foot only because of the elevation, and as the crow flew, it wasn't very far. There are things you notice from the air, too.
Once we were in the forest, she snapped trees one after another. Apparently, a dragon's strength is enough to break large trunks like it's nothing.
But my attack power beat this dragon, so what's up with that?
"Just so you know, don't line up broken trees and tell me it's a house. Make it so drafts won't get in."
"I know. I'm only doing it this way because I don't have a saw to make lumber. I'll turn them into proper boards later."
She was telling the truth.
Laika flew to a town somewhere, returning a little while later with all sorts of tools.
"While I was in town, I looked at several buildings and studied how they were made. I believe I'll be able to build a good house."
"Can you learn construction just by looking?"
"Dragons generally have good memories."
Laika immediately started processing the trees she'd gathered.
She said that, as a dragon, she'd be too big and her hands would fumble things, so she did this part in human form.
Frankly, she was insanely fast. By the time the sun went down, she'd already started on the construction.
One of the reasons was that her dragon strength allowed her to carry the materials without much effort.
True, if you were building a house in Japan, things would definitely go faster if a wooden pillar weighed only a few hundred grams.
When you were the size of a dragon, designing a building to house humans was a bit like an advanced game of building blocks. She was using a construction method based on slotting components together and avoiding nails as much as possible.
It was the technique of Japan's shrine and temple carpenters. No doubt it was fair game for buildings that weren't shrines or temples, as well, so it wasn't too strange for a being who lived in a different culture to employ it.
That said, fast as she was, there was no way she'd finish on the very first day, and the sky was getting dark.
"Why don't we call it a day? Let's go back to the village. I'll find you a place to stay, too."
I clapped my hands, signaling we were done. Either way, I needed to let the village know I'd taken a dragon as an apprentice.
"No, Lady Azusa. I'm not tired, so I can keep going."
Something about those words rubbed me the wrong way.
"Dragons have excellent night vision. If I work all night, I'll finish tomorrow."
Oh, this isn't good.
"Nope, no way, none of that!!!" I barked.
Laika flinched, and her hands paused in the middle of their task.
"Um, have I committed an error of some sort, Lady Azusa…?"
"Laika, you told me you could pull an all-nighter, didn't you? You can't do that. Really and truly, you can't!"
"I, um… I thought I'd get it done, no matter what…"
"It's not okay to say 'no matter what' too often as if it's a good thing!"
I was remembering my days as a corporate slave.
If I make myself do overtime today, things will work out somehow.
If I pull an all-nighter, I can catch up.
Over and over, I'd pushed myself with those beliefs.
And what was the result? I'd ended up with a schedule where pushing myself was the norm.
You've already seen the consequences.
Eventually, I'd pushed myself to my death. In short, that's what comes of getting it done "no matter what."
I was through with "no matter what."
We'd worked all the way to sunset. The rest would keep until tomorrow.
"Look, it's dark, isn't it? That's proof that the world is telling us it's time to stop for the day. At the very least, I didn't get stronger by pushing myself. All I did was make a habit of living moderately."
"I understand. I'll do as you say, Lady Azusa."
"Good, that's right."
I smiled.
I had to be able to manage my subordinate's labor properly.
"From now on, whenever you get tired or feel like you can't do something anymore, don't hesitate to speak up."
"My heart aches at your consideration for your apprentice, Lady Azusa…"
That's a little much, don't you think?
***
I intentionally had her go back to the village in dragon form, then switch to being human just outside. If I'd made her charge in as a dragon, she might have bumped into a building.
People had gathered to see what the heck was going on, so in a way, it was perfect.
"Friends, as of today, the dragon Laika has become my apprentice. She may unintentionally cause trouble for you, but she's a good, considerate girl. Please treat her with affection."
As I spoke to them, Laika bowed.
"If Laika commits any transgressions, contact me, her teacher. I'll scold her properly."
The villagers still look uneasy… Well, they do have a dragon right in front of them, so there's probably no getting around that.
Naban the cheesemaker raised a hand.
"Erm, great Witch… Dragons are strong, aren't they? Is it possible she might drink and suddenly fly into a rage…?"
"The same is true for me and every other powerful adventurer. Of course, as her teacher, I'll check to make sure my apprentice doesn't get drunk and cause a scene."
I know what this reminds me of. It's like taking a new subordinate on a visit to a client company. You have to understand the client's perspective, but at the same time, you have to protect your colleague.
Finally, the village chief came over to me.
I repeated what I'd said a minute ago.
"All right, Laika. Tell them in your own words."
She looked a bit tense but gave a small nod. I had her personally tell the villagers why she wanted to study under me.
"I am the dragon Laika, and I've just apprenticed myself to Lady Azusa, 'the Witch of the Highlands'! I look forward to making your acquaintance! Naturally, when I am in the village, I will use this girl form, not my dragon form!"
Witnessing her commendable attitude, the village chief's expression softened.
"All right. I will permit the dragon Laika to come and live in the village. Having a dragon around will serve to deter evildoers from outside as well."
We'd gotten permission from the village chief.
"That's right. If the great Witch is keeping an eye on her, I doubt there'll be any problems."
"She looks a lot more intelligent than my girl."
"It would be ungrateful of us to reject the great Witch's apprentice anyway."
The villagers had also accepted the situation.
Thus, Laika was granted citizenship.
That day, it was decided Laika would spend the night in the guest room with me.
We had some time before dinner, so we relaxed in the room.
As proof that I trusted her, I told her my current status. Laika seemed more surprised by the number of spells than by any of the numeric values.
"I knew it. All those spells mean you really are a legendary witch, Lady Azusa."
"Do you think so?"
For dinner, we went to my favorite restaurant, the Savvy Eagle. Laika ate with me, of course.
"Lady Azusa, thank you for what you said earlier."
"What? Oh, for talking to the villagers, you mean?"
"As I am a dragon, I have always made others obey me by demonstrating my power, no matter the situation. However, being accepted through a method other than strength was a valuable experience for me. I was genuinely happy."
I see. This is more than just training a new worker. I'll have to get a dragon used to life as a human as well.
"That's a good direction to move in. Keep it up."
"Of course! Thank you in advance for your help!"
Laika was pretty accustomed to using a knife and fork.
She must have been mingling with people in towns for a very long time.
"Have you spent a lot of time living as a human?"
"Yes, though I never actually lived in a town. Only a very few people are able to tell when a dragon is in human shape, so I've hardly ever had any trouble."
Fantasy worlds had beast-men as well, and maybe a feature as minor as horns could be explained away. No beast-men lived in Flatta, but traveling beast-men sometimes came through.
"Well, the village has accepted you now. Let's work to build a good house tomorrow, too."
"Yes! I'll do an excellent job!"
***
The next morning, Laika got right down to work on the addition again.
I went along as her supervisor.
"Things are progressing smoothly at the moment, and I have not had any real problems."
"It sure seems that way from where I stand."
She was so fast it was hard to believe houses could be built so quickly. This was also thanks to her dragon strength.
"By the way, Laika, how high are your stats?"
Since I'd won, mine were probably higher, but I wondered how great the difference was.
I was just curious.
"I've never had it measured, so I'm not certain, but I've been known as the strongest dragon in Nanterre for roughly a hundred years."
That's a long time to be at the top.
As an aside, the province of Nanterre includes these highlands and the surrounding area, and it feels a bit like Switzerland. Mountains are abundant here, so I'm not surprised dragons would choose to live in Nanterre.
*I've never been to Switzerland, so I'm saying this only because it feels like the thing to say right about now.
"I wonder if we shouldn't get you registered with the guild as an adventurer. I'll leave the decision to you. I'm not planning to put you through special training based on your numbers or anything."
"True, it could serve as an index, but unless I acquire strength that satisfies me, it's meaningless."
From the sound of it, Laika wasn't that interested in things like status.
It was probably because she was a dragon. Meeting a dragon would be enough to make most people grovel.
Conversely, if you're human, it's hard to tell what sort of power you have unless you show your status.
Because of that, I think we tend to use status to make others view our own strength objectively.
By the time noon drew near, it was possible to make out what sort of structure this was shaping up to be.
The original house had acquired a log cabin addition.
It reminded me of the summer residences you might see at Karuizawa, and it fit right in up in the highlands.
"Brick houses or buildings with stained-glass windows would have required specialized artisans, so I decided to use wood."
"Yes, this is fine. Keep doing what you're doing. I think we should break for lunch soon, though. Let's go to the village to eat."
"No, I'll reach a better stopping point very soon, so I'll keep going…"
"Laika. Did you forget what I said yesterday?"
When it's time to rest, you rest. Don't make a virtue of working too much. As long as I'm around, I won't tolerate poor working conditions.
"No, it isn't that I want to work a lot… It's only that stopping when things feel this half-finished will bother me."
"In that case, reach a good stopping point within the next ten minutes."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Work-life balance, work-life balance. I feel like a human resources manager.
In the village, we ate something pasta-like for lunch, and I had Laika drink a lot of water.
She'd been doing physical labor for a significant length of time, so I wanted her to rehydrate.
Parenthetically, the village of Flatta has abundant groundwater, so that resource is in no short supply.
After our meal, Laika and I took a leisurely walk through the village.
There was a reason for that, too: I wanted to get the villagers used to seeing her face sooner rather than later.
I thought I'd have her register at the guild while we were at it, but as that felt like it would count as work hours in a way, I left it for another day.
If I only wanted to exchange magic stones, I could do that on my own.
Then the afternoon construction work began.
We'd made considerable progress, and it felt as if we'd entered the final stretch.
The walls were done, so she began putting the wooden roof on.
Finally, we carried chairs and tables made from the extra lumber into the building.
I'd helped with that bit. The wood really was surprisingly easy to cut, and I hadn't gotten tired. Clearly, my level was indeed high.
By evening, the remodel of the house in the highlands had been completed without any mishaps.
"Yes, splendid!"
Looking at it from outside, I felt satisfied.
The room that had been partially demolished earlier had been turned into an enclosed corridor that led to the addition, a log cabin–style area with a peaked roof.
The cabin had its own external door, so it was possible to enter directly.
The addition had a high ceiling and rooms on its second story.
On the first floor, in addition to a shared space, there were three individual rooms. Meaning, my apprentice's privacy was guaranteed.
Even if I picked up more apprentices, we'd be able to accommodate them.
I mean, at this point, I had absolutely no intention of doing that, but…
"Excellent work, Laika."
"I'm very glad it pleases you, Lady Azusa."
Laika seemed rather pleased herself.
Since she appeared to be the same age as a middle-school girl, the expression was very cute on her.
"All right. We'll need to go back to the village and tell them the house is finished. They may be getting the guest room ready for us again today."
"Thank you very much for doing so much to help me fit in in the village."
There she went again. Laika was probably raised very well.
"I said I'd be your teacher. I'm only doing what a teacher would do. I haven't done anything special."
It was nothing to brag about. It was only natural to take care of my apprentice.
People didn't have to avoid her simply because she was a dragon. After all, no matter how you looked at her, she was a person.
"Well, let's have ourselves a feast in the village today, shall we? Wait, can dragons eat human food?"
Up until now, she'd eaten the same food as I had as if it was normal, but…
"Yes. When I'm transformed as a human, I'm able to eat like one."
Apparently, it was no cause for concern.
"If I eat enough to fill a human's belly, it provides enough nutrition for me to survive as a dragon."
That ability seemed a bit like cheating…
If we always flew, I wouldn't get enough exercise, so we walked to the village.
On the way, we ran into slimes again, so we took them out.
Laika swiped at one with a hand like she was fanning dust away and sent it flying.
That was all it took to finish it off. It was an attack from a dragon, after all.
"Come to think of it, I've never killed slimes before. There were none on the mountain where I lived."
"They're a low-level monster, besides."
"Somehow, fighting them at all seems like a waste of time. I mean, it doesn't even feel like a battle."
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? It's important to do this and stick with it, though. As the proverb says, 'Slow and steady wins the race.'"
I went out of my way to sound teacherly.
As a matter of fact, since I couldn't teach her any techniques, it was really the only thing I could say.
"Certainly, if we dragons had been killing slimes for ages, we might have become even stronger by now. I will emulate your way of life, teacher."
"That's right. I think patience is probably key."
Maybe because we were deliberately confronting slimes, it took us about five minutes longer than usual to reach the village.
However, at the village entrance, Laika began peering intently at the air, then gazing at the ground.
Her eyes darted around as if this were her first visit.
"Is something bothering you?"
"To be honest, yes," Laika admitted.
"I'm the type who worries about these things forever, so don't hint. Just tell me."
"This village's magical defenses are extremely weak. If a single evil magician came here, it could turn into a sea of flames in an instant."
"Ah, well, there's no point in assuming worst-case scenarios like that."
"But that isn't all. No measures have been taken against land-based attacks, either. If a large monster went on a rampage, it would get into the village right away. Even in a fight with humans, it'd be conquered immediately."
It might have been because she was a dragon, but Laika seemed to focus rather heavily on combat when she looked at things.
"Of course, I do think that's because this village has always been peaceful. However, there's no guarantee it will remain so forever."
"Y-you might be overthinking…"
I'd lived three hundred years so far, and since this village didn't have much strategic value, even during a war, I didn't think anyone would see it as a problem.
"The information that you are the strongest has begun spreading only recently, though, Lady Azusa. It isn't a given that some coward won't take the village hostage in an attempt to defeat you."
At that point, Laika cleared her throat, flushing a bit.
"Of course, I fought you fairly, without doing anything so spineless," she added, pointing out she wasn't that type.
"Yes. You were quite honorable there."
"Even so, we don't know whether things will change in the future. Word of the great witch reached my mountain, and that's more than two full days from this village as the human walks."
"You have a point."
I had to make sure the village didn't suffer because of me, no matter what.
I couldn't allow that.
"Should we relocate to the village, then? But we just rebuilt the house, and I'd hate to move right away…"
And anyway, I'm not SE M, so I can't provide twenty-four-hour security.
"I believe there are measures we can take."
"How?"
It was embarrassing to ask my apprentice, but I hadn't even known about my own prowess for more than a month. If this were a new job, I'd still be in training, so there was no help for it.
"Let us use magic to cast a barrier."
"Can we do that? I don't have anything like that in my spell list."
I could use the following spells:
Teleportation, Levitation, Flame, Whirlwind, Item Appraisal, Earthquake, Ice and Snow, Lightning Attack, Mind Control, Break Spell, Detoxify, Reflect Spell, Mana Absorption, Language Comprehension, Transformation, Spell Creation.
There wasn't anything barrier related in there. At least, I didn't think there was.
"You had something called Spell Creation, didn't you? We can use that to create our own barrier."
Create our own! We can do that? DIY. In this day and age, I guess even spells are homemade.
"Is it that easy to make new spells? That's incredibly versatile."
"Ordinarily, it's impossible. For one thing, the spell for magic creation is ultra-advanced."
This had to be a level-99 thing.
"It's extraordinarily difficult to create a spell that does not exist, but it should be possible to create a barrier that will protect a city. Let's try it tomorrow."
Thanks to my apprentice, I'd learned something that hadn't even occurred to me before.
Taking her on might have been the right move.
We ate at the Savvy Eagle, the village restaurant, then retired to our new home.
***
The next day, Laika and I ventured to a high hill overlooking the village.
I say ventured, but we were very close to the house. I could actually see it from there.
"From here, I believe we'll be able to cover all directions."
Then Laika reverted to her dragon form and began scratching at the ground with her sharp claws.
At times like this, it was definitely more efficient to be a large dragon.
"Are you planning to till this area and plant a field?"
"I'm drawing a magic circle. Spells with long-term effects are more reliable if you use these."
"Oh, I see."
I'd begun using magic in earnest only a month ago, but since I'd been reading grimoires for a while, I did know the basics.
Attack spells and other magic with temporary effects tended to work even if your chant was off the cuff, and in certain situations, you could use them without chanting at all. You didn't need magic circles.
In other words, it was okay to be a little sloppy with the temporary ones.
However, when casting spells like this barrier—which had to last a long time and maintain its effectiveness—it was best to use a magic circle.
It wasn't that they were certain to fail without a circle, but an effect meant to last half a year could end after only three days.
As I hadn't been aware I could use a variety of spells, I hadn't memorized the details of how to draw magic circles, but given Laika was drawing the hexagon typical for defense spells, that was probably what this was.
"Still, you dragons know a lot about magic, too, don't you…?"
"If your life is three hundred years long, it's a waste to spend it lazing around. That's why I ended up studying magic in an attempt to improve myself, although I don't even use it."
"What, you're a poser?!"
In three centuries, I had never once thought of cultivating myself.
Possibly as a reaction to my history of slaving away, I'd developed the mind-set that what was important in life was relaxation.
Plus, back when I belonged to the company, work had been the only thing on my mind, and I'd never managed to take it easy. If I had, I wouldn't have ended up working myself to death.
"Now that I think about it, though, perhaps I should have spent that time habitually killing slimes or other similar monsters. On some level, I was proud, and I neglected to accrue experience."
"True, once your strength reaches a certain level, you don't even feel like fighting."
That was probably true for human adventurers as well.
I couldn't imagine level 50s went around killing petty slimes. They probably only fought heavyweights like dragons.
That said, battles with the big shots almost never happened. They might occur about as often as a festival, maybe even less than once a year.
As a result, levels plateaued at a certain point.
On top of that, as a rule, your body responds well only during a limited window of time in your life, so as people age, they grow weaker.
As far as that went, not only had I maintained the appearance and physical age of a seventeen-year-old, I'd killed slimes routinely, so the buildup had been enormous.
"All right, the magic circle is complete."
Yes, unless you were the size of a dragon, it would be completely impractical to make such an enormous magic circle.
"So I just stand in the center of this and chant?"
There were some exceptions, but that was usually what it took to activate them.
"I think that will do it. Now, come up with a chant as cool as you!"
My apprentice hit me with a ridiculous request.
Laika and I had talked it over beforehand and decided what sort of barrier it should be.
It was fairly advanced, but since I was level 99, I had confidence it would go well.
"Ye with wicked hearts, may this net ensnare you and rob you of freedom. As if by its own will, it shall fall on thee… HAAAAAaaaaaah!"
I felt as if power was pouring out of me from my head to my toes. A golden light flew toward the town, enveloped it—and winked out.
"Did that work?"
"Something infused with your wishes flew toward the village, Lady Azusa, so it will be fine."
If my apprentice says it'll be okay, no doubt it will be.
By the way, the barrier I'd cast had a couple of effects.
First, it covered the village with a magic shield. This way, if an attack spell came in from far away, we'd be able to block it. That was how normal barriers worked.
The other effect was something original.
If people with malicious hearts entered the village, the barrier would detect them and wrap around them like a net, immobilizing them.
Apparently, clerics who worked at shrines were able to use spells that trapped evildoers, and I'd combined one of those with this spell.
"To be honest, there's almost no precedent for giving a single magic barrier multiple effects. It was possible because you used Spell Creation, Lady Azusa, and because you are a witch of the highest order."
Laika was heaping on the praise so much that it was a little embarrassing.
"Since I've accrued so much power, I'll have to use it for good."
I'd skated along for three centuries, but I had taken care of the village.
The reason was simple: This was my home turf.
I made my home in the highlands, but I'd lived alongside the residents of this nearby hamlet, and the villagers thought so as well. If Flatta disappeared, I wouldn't be able to live by myself in that mountain house. The village of Flatta was like the nearest town with a train station.
I wanted to be useful to the place where I lived, at least. That had been my motive for making medicines and why I'd treated sick people.
For three hundred years, that had been my reason for being, the thing that gave value to my existence.
This barrier was in line with that perspective, so I'd cast it right away.
If I managed to protect the village, it would make me happy and give meaning to my accidental ascension to level 99.
It did seem that I might start getting requests to go save other villages and towns after this, which raised concerns about the future, but…
"All right. Let's return to the village and report this to the chief."
"In that case, please ride on my back."
"No, I'll walk this time."
I'd eaten quite a bit yesterday and wanted to get my exercise in.
When we explained the matter to the village chief, he was so happy he cried.
Enormous tears streamed down his face, so much so that I started worrying he would get dehydrated.
"That's splendid! You really do think about Flatta, great Witch of the Highlands!"
"It's just that I've heard that news of my strength is getting around, and I wanted to take precautions. I can't say that someone who takes pride in their own prowess won't do something to the village."
Say someone challenged me, the way Laika had, and I accepted and won. I couldn't guarantee the loser wouldn't strike at the village in a bid for revenge.
It was probably also true that, because of me, the name of Flatta was becoming more well-known. That increased the odds of troublemakers showing up.
"No, no! The concern that the village's security might be weak has come up on the agenda frequently over the past five hundred years. Now, at last, the problem is solved!"
If it's been an issue that long, just do something about it already!
Still, people tend to avoid taking safety measures until they get burned. They're generally stingy with the budget until then, too. Nobody wants to sink money into something that might turn out to be nothing.
"Why don't we erect a copper statue of you, great Witch?! I wager all the villagers would agree to it!"
"Whatever you do, please don't."
Someone who craved the limelight might have been happy with such an honor, but the idea left me completely cold.
Since we'd finished with the subject of the barrier, Laika and I returned to the remodeled house.
The problem with this type of security system is that it's hard to tell how well it's working when things are peaceful. It's like how you don't need doctors while you're healthy. If you want to see if a doctor is good, you need to be sick or injured.
That said, it would be best if things stayed so quiet that we'd never get to find out.
***
So. We'd finished the day's real business, but there was still something I had to check.
Laika's cooking.
Since the two of us would be living together, we'd need to share the cooking and cleaning.
Preferably, I wanted my apprentice to shoulder most of it.
That said, if I left all of it to her, I'd risk rotting as a human being, so I planned to do a good bit of work myself. The goal was fifty-fifty.
However, if Laika's cooking was irredeemably awful, fifty-fifty wouldn't work. To that end, today, I was holding a test.
"First and foremost, do dragons even cook?"
You'd think they'd just gobble things down raw.
"Yes. After all, we aren't barbarians. Dragons are a noble race. We cook properly." Laika puffed out her chest.
"I've purchased a good array of groceries. Make something with them, all right?"
"Yes, I understand. I'll do my very best!"
Laika went into the kitchen, seeming pretty enthusiastic.
In this world, they have metal tanks filled with Flame magic, and it's possible to use them to adjust fires. However, they're luxury items, so they tend to be utilized only by the rich. The more frugal use stones that you can strike together to create sparks and set dry straw alight.
If you can use Flame magic, you do. Ever since I'd learned I could use it, I'd stuck to that method. Fire is very versatile, so magicians try to learn it first.
Laika exhaled a small stream of fire breath, as if she were whispering.
I see… She can use flames even when she's in her girl form.
"Okay, that's a good amount of fire. No problems at the moment. Calm down, calm down… I am a dragon… I'm not a woman to be perturbed over something like this."
She does seem pretty flustered. Is she going to be okay?
It's worth noting I was only overhearing her.
I'd decided not to look at what she was making. If I watched the whole time, I might have made her nervous, and I wouldn't have been able to anticipate whatever food she brought out.
About thirty minutes later…
…I heard a cheerful voice announce, "It's finished!"
Now then, what exactly had she cooked up?
The first plate held a large salad.
Some medicinal herbs were only faintly bitter and could be eaten either raw or boiled. Several of those were incorporated.
What drew the eye more than anything was—the enormous omelet on another plate.
She must have used about ten eggs.
"I do like omelets, but this one might have too many calories, don't you think?"
"It's my ultimate masterpiece. Go on—try it!"
Well, the issue of portion sizes was secondary. What really mattered was the flavor.
I took the first bite.
"…Oh! It's delicious!"
What a superb fluffy, silky texture!
"And you've filled it with sautéed onions and carrots?"
That part was standard. Even so, at this size, if the whole thing was that flavor, I could get tired of it— Huh? It tastes different now!
"Oh, if you go a little to the side, there's cheese, too!"
"That's right. I added small portions of different flavors to the omelet. It makes finding out what's underneath the egg a little more fun."
"Still, I'm surprised you managed to make such a huge omelet."
"When I went back to get the money, I picked up my cooking utensils and things as well."
She was that eager to become an apprentice? By now, I was appreciating her enthusiasm.
Laika, girl, you're pretty good.
The huge omelet was made so that you could enjoy a grand total of four different flavors. It was a lot like one of those giant rice balls with different fillings in different areas.
"Frankly, this is fantastic. I've only seen the omelet and the salad, but I'll acknowledge that you do indeed have cooking skills."
"Thank you very much! I'll continue to do my very best!"
Laika seemed thrilled at the praise.
My apprentice knew how to take a compliment about something perfectly normal, and I was grateful for the chance to offer them properly. It was a win-win relationship.
"The only thing is, I do think you might have used too many eggs… Maybe pay a little more attention to balance, all right?"
"My apologies. When I cook, my values as a dragon stay with me no matter what I do."
"Isn't your appetite the same as a human's when you're in your girl form?"
She didn't seem to have eaten all that much at the restaurant.
"I can get by with smaller servings than I could as a dragon, but those portions really don't seem like enough. They make me feel as if I'm dieting."
Even an omelet this enormous must have seemed pretty low-cal to a dragon.
"From now on, go ahead and order without holding back, all right?"
I felt like I was at risk of a little heartburn, so I drank some medicine that was good for the digestive system. It was made entirely from herbs, so I didn't have to worry about how much I took.
—And just then, I felt something like a premonition.
"That's weird… I think something just happened in the village."
"Do you suppose the barrier has been triggered?"
True, we had set up the barrier that day, and it might have been why I felt ill. In all of my three hundred years, I'd never experienced this before.
That being the case, it made sense to go check.
"Laika, we're going to the village."
"Yes, ma'am!"
***
Laika had switched to her dragon form, and I rode through the night sky on her back.
As always, she changed to her girl form just outside the village. Then she went in with me.
From a distance, I could see people lighting a bonfire.
That meant something had happened.
"Excuse me. What's going on?"
"Oh, it's the great Witch and her apprentice!"
"You came right away!"
Amid the uproar, the village chief, who'd already arrived, explained…
…though I knew roughly what to expect, thanks to the man lying hogtied on the ground.
"A man came to the village after nightfall, and he suddenly couldn't move."
That must have been the bound man.
"When we asked around, we learned that he's a wanted thief who's been plundering the province lately. I expect he pilfered in a nearby town and then drifted into our village."
"The barrier worked, then?"
"That's right. It's all thanks to you, great Witch!"
I see: So the power over malicious people works on thieves, too.
"I was scoping out the tavern from the back door, thinking I'd steal something, and all of a sudden, I couldn't move. What the hell is this?" the culprit confessed. "I was going to filch something from the tavern, then make my getaway during the night."
Then the barrier had indeed responded to clearly wicked intent.
"That's wonderful, Lady Azusa. It worked immediately!" Laika was happy, too.
"True, it did prove useful to the village."
Regardless, I didn't deserve all the praise here. I wanted to keep things fair.
"Residents of Flatta, my apprentice, Laika, was the one who suggested this barrier. Please express your gratitude to her as well!"
I patted Laika's back, giving her a push.
The villagers liked doling out compliments, and their eyes turned to Laika.
"I knew the great Witch's apprentice would be different."
"Having a dragon with a good heart here is like having a hundred more people on our side!"
"This village is gonna be a real comfortable place to live!"
Yep, that's right. I'm proud of my student—bring on the praise.
"N-no, Lady Azusa is the one who created this barrier… I really didn't do any…"
Laika seemed embarrassed, but if she was going to be my apprentice, she'd have to get used to this as well.
"This is rather awkward, isn't it…?"
"It doesn't feel terrible, though, does it?"
My educational policy is "foster growth through praise."
Why? Because when I was a wage slave, no one ever had a kind word for me. They ran me ragged, and the frustration built up.
I'd spent only five years in that environment, but even after three hundred years as a witch, those memories were still clear as day.
As a rule, people like being complimented.
In education, it might be bad to do nothing but praise people, but I'd like to give accolades whenever I can. If that generates enthusiasm, that's a very good thing, isn't it?
At any rate, there had been no damage to the village, and I was really glad about that.
And with that relief came a yawn.
"Well then, we'll take our leave. Sleep well."
"Um…if you would like, you may spread the word that your village is under the protection of a dragon. Lady Azusa loves this village, and I will defend it as well… Now, if you'll excuse me."
Laika and I returned to our house in the highlands.
"Lady Azusa, since the barrier activated slightly, it might be best to recast it tomorrow."
"That sounds like a pain…"
After that, word traveled that a witch had created a barrier to protect the village of Flatta.
I'd managed to contribute the peace of the village, and I considered it an honor.
***
Since we'd solved the problem of the barrier, I began Laika's lessons in earnest.
That said, there was really nothing I could teach her.
I wandered around the highlands with Laika in her girl form.
If we encountered a slime, I killed it and retrieved the magic stone immediately.
That was it.
I did, however, move fast. The moment a slime entered my field of vision, my hands were already moving.
I'd poke the lowly monster quickly with a finger. That was all it took for the slime to expire and vanish.
I took its magic stone and put it in my bag.
"Amazing! Your movements were so quick that I couldn't follow them with my eyes!"
"I may not look it, but I have been killing slimes for three centuries, you know."
When it came to slime slaying, I was most definitely first-class…
Although, it was doubtful whether that was something to brag about.
"After you've killed slimes for a while, your body starts reacting and killing them automatically. Once that happens, I'm sure your level will begin rising rapidly."
"I understand. I'll work hard so that, someday, I'll be able to stand on equal footing with you, Lady Azusa!"
As she said this, she spotted a slime, thrust out a hand, and knocked it away.
Laika's attack power was significant, so she could kill them with a light bump from her hands or feet.
"By the way, Lady Azusa, approximately how many slimes did you kill each day?"
"Um, let's see. About twenty-five? Oh, but I had an effect that increased the number of experience points I acquire, so practically speaking, I suppose it would be about fifty."
Well, it wasn't likely that I'd just barely reached level 99 when I checked (after all, even after you hit level 99, your total experience points would keep increasing), so I thought there was probably a more accurate number. I just didn't know what it was.
"Even fifty seems surprisingly easy. I just assumed you'd put in backbreaking effort…"
It was fair to say it hadn't been much work at all.
"Listen, though, if it had been backbreaking, I couldn't have kept it up for three hundred years. If you do something anyone can do way more than anyone else ever does it, there's meaning in that."
Putting it that way was like claiming I'd done something meaningful, which was a little embarrassing.
"I see! I'd expect no less from you, Lady Azusa! What profound words!"
Not only that, but Laika was deeply moved, which made it even more awkward.
Still, there might be at least some wisdom in my choices. As a teacher, maybe I should tell her about that.
"Say, Laika, you mentioned 'backbreaking effort,' but get rid of that idea, all right?"
"Huh? Why is that?"
Maybe my words seemed paradoxical to her. Laika looked perplexed.
"You see, people put in backbreaking effort on the assumption that someone will see it. When you used that expression, you were probably at least a little proud of it."
"N-now that you mention it…"
When you go through excruciating effort or training, you start feeling impressive for having done it.
To a certain extent, it's unavoidable.
Frankly, when I was owned by the company, I'd tried to consider myself notable for my efforts, too.
I'd also believed, unconsciously, that I was better than the more easygoing types or the unemployed.
That, however, had been a big mistake.
"Listen, Laika. If you do something because you want people to think you're so great, and then they don't, you won't be able to endure it, or you'll lose your enthusiasm. I was able to keep this up for as long as I did because I never thought about how people would see me."
"What profound wisdom…!"
Laika was listening very intently.
"I do things because I like them and because I want to do them. If you feel that way about something, you'll be able to stick with it. Do you understand?"
"I really am glad I chose you as my teacher, Lady Azusa. The scales have fallen from my eyes! You mean if I want to grow stronger, I must discard the desire to have others think well of me! Since I am improving myself, I should face myself first… How insightful! What a deep, meaningful doctrine!"
I didn't think I'd said anything that grand.
It's fine to be impressed, but don't go getting disillusioned on me later.
That day, I ended the training when Laika had eliminated about sixty slimes.
"It's not like the slimes will ever take revenge, so be sure to kill them steadily."
I lived to regret that remark.
Why do I always end up saying things that trigger a flag?