I Became the Strongest With The Failure Frame 【Abnormal State Skill】As I Devastated Everything
chapter-162

We ascended the stairs and went inside.

A spacious room.

I could see a candlestick lamp lighting up the room.

The way it glows……

I guess they’re using magic energy as an energy resource.

In the center of the room is a wooden low table.

The majority of the furniture and furnishings appear to be wood-based.

Their appearance feels like those stylish Nordic antiques.

As for the Witch, she sank deep on her sofa with her staff leaned against the side table beside her.

[Wait a little bit.]

Waiting for a while, a golem appeared from the back of the room.

It’s holding four chairs in both of his hands.

The golem quickly puts the chairs down at regular intervals.

[By all means. Please sit.]

She urged us to sit on the chairs.

The Witch held up a silver cup from the table beside her sofa.

[Do you all want something to drink?]

Seras asked with her gaze.

“What should we do?”

I…

[Then, I’ll gratefully accept it.]

—replied so.

Perhaps, what Seras was worried about was the Witch mixing in sleeping pills and the likes in our drinks.

However, I want to show to them that I trust the Witch.

Of course, if I feel like something’s fishy, I intend to deal with it myself.

The golem arrived again, carrying silver cups on a tray this time.

……These golems could also act as waiters huh.

They’re quite dexterous.

It appears that it served us herb water.

Bringing the cup close to my mouth, I unceremoniously smelled it.

It’s a scent that I know.

It’s the same scent of the herb water that I drank in Monroy.

They must have used the same type of herb huh.

Acting as if I’m gulping down the contents of the cup, I licked a little bit with the tip of my tongue.

At this angle, the Witch on the other side shouldn’t be able to see my mouth.

Therefore, she shouldn’t be able to think that I’m just testing for poison first.

[……………….]

There’s no difference in taste from that herb water in Monroy.

It seems that it’s alright.

[I didn’t put any poison in there, you know? Well, but it’s natural for anyone to be wary.]

Combing her glossy black hair with her hand, the Witch urges us.

[It’s not like I want to offend you, so feel free to drink it. Well, feel free to test that for poison until you’re satisfied.]

Her gaze was focused on Seras.

[Ah—- Umm… Excuse us for our rudeness……]

Seras shrunk on her chair as she wrapped the cup in between her hands.

It seems she’s also acting suspicious towards the Witch as she tested the cup if it’s poisoned.

On the other hand though, Eve and Liz just directly drank their cups without acting vigilant.

With her chin propped on her hand, the Witch’s gaze sharply shot through Seras.

[You…… You’re Seras Ashrain, right?]

[You know me?]

From the information I’ve been able to gather so far…

The Witch must have been in a life of seclusion from the outside for at least a decade.

Even if she had started secluding herself ten years ago, Seras should be just around 9 years old at that time.

Even if she knew Seras at that time……

How could she look at her grown-up appearance and immediately know that they’re the same person?

[…………………..]

I thought of one theory why.

The way the Witch spoke…

It doesn’t feel like she has been isolated from the outside world for a long time.

In short…

[You have some kind of means to know what’s going on outside the Demon Zone?]

I asked a question that sounds vague enough that you wouldn’t know if it’s really just a question or something that I’ve concluded.

The Witch turned her body and crossed her legs.

[That’s right.]

And she readily admitted it.

The Witch then turned her gaze towards Slei for some reason.

[Well, it’s an ancient power that has been lost for a long time ago—-]

[Like, a familiar?]

One of the Witch’s eyebrows twitched.

[I’m surprised that you know about familiars.]

[……I’m not entirely sure, but I have some hunch.]

Or rather, it’s actually just a guess.

It’s just some random thought that popped out of my mind when I thought about those literary works with the fantasy genre.

In the world where I’m from, there are lots of those literary works where those familiars were mentioned……

[…………………]

If I were to add one additional factor, it would be that the Witch looked at Slei just now.

Looking at the monster Slei…

“That smart girl must have learned of an ability to make use of monsters.”

That’s what I read from her expression.

Snap!

Erika snapped her fingers.

[It’s just as you said, this mistress is making use of familiars to gather information from outside the Demon Zone. I don’t want to get involved with them, but there are some interesting things I could find out there too. Therefore, I’m getting my familiars to gather information on a regular basis. By the way—–]

The Witch’s gaze on my face fell down towards my robe.

[That monster under your robe must be your familiar?]

As I thought, she’s aware of him.

[……He’s my slime partner. I don’t exactly know about familiars, but I don’t know if I could even call him a familiar.]

[I see…… So, you don’t know their exact definition nor how to use them huh.]

It seems that she was also trying to gauge how much knowledge I have.

She really is a shrewd Witch.

[Well, listen. I’ll specially teach you…… Familiars are animals or monsters that were binded with a magical contract with its master. Not only do these familiars follow their master’s orders, their master could also borrow their eyes and see the things that the familiars see. It’s also possible to talk to someone in another place through the familiar but…… That’s pretty exhausting for both this mistress and my familiar, to the point that I think that using that ability cuts away our life span.]

The Witch shrugs.

[Therefore… Well, I don’t want to use something like that as much as I can. I’m so tired after using that ability that I end up sleeping for a few days, you know?]

……Then, Pigimaru can’t be categorized as my familiar huh.

[I didn’t make that magical contract with him. It’s not that he’s my familiar though, it’s just that he’s my very important partner and my precious comrade.]

From inside my robe…

[Pinyyuuu~♪]

—He happily purred.

[Fuuuunnn…… Then, what about the horse over there with the Intermediary Crystal on it?]

Intermediary Crystal?

Does she mean that thing on the back of her neck……?

[Do you know anything about Slei? We found her egg back in the Mills Ruins, and she hatched out of this egg after we entered the Demon Zone……]

Yes, I was originally planning to ask her about Slei as well.

Since an opportunity to ask appeared, let’s ask her now.

[I don’t know if it’s a Divine Beast or a Magical Beast, but that child is a monster that even this mistress doesn’t know. …… Say, do you mind if I examine her a bit later?]

[……As long as Slei doesn’t mind and she isn’t in danger.]

With that, the Witch’s mood got a little better.

She crossed her legs again.

[Thank you.]

……She seems to be in a good mood, but she’s still not smiling.

[Ara?]

The Witch’s gaze turned to the side.

Her gaze shifted towards Liz.

[Ah…… My bad.]

It was the Witch who apologized.

[Even though you came from the south, all of you still went through the Demon Zone. You must have been tired, both physically and mentally.]

Liz nervously shrank down her body.

There were some tears blotting out from the corner of her eyes.

I see.

The Witch noticed that Liz is trying to stifle a yawn huh.

[Ah—– U- Umm……]

[You don’t have to apologize, Liz.]

I interrupted Liz’s words.

[You’re just trying to stifle a yawn after all. You’re not being rude. Also, well…… I guess you’ll have to work on that apologizing hobby of yours too.]

With her legs completely stretched out, the Witch nodded.

[That’s right. How pitiful…… That child has become so sensitive that she has become more likely to listen to other people.]

With both of her hands, the Witch lifted her body from the sofa.

[Her self-esteem and self-affirmations are pretty much brought really down…… It’s disgusting to imagine how she must have been treated.]

[For this reason, I wanted her to take some time in this place and heal herself.]

With her body still half-rising, the Witch stared at me with her half-closed eyes.

[Somehow, the way you speak makes me feel like you are leading my thoughts without me realizing it……]

[You just feel so, right? Then, it may have been that it’s simply your imagination.]

The Witch pouted her lips.

[……Do you mind if I ask something? How old are you now?]

As I honestly answered her question, the Witch frowned in response.

Incidentally, she’s still in her half-rising posture until now.

[……Are you kidding me?]

[In that case, how old are you?]

[This mistress has lived multiple times as long as you do.]

[Then, should I respect you since you’re many times my senior? In that case, if you want me to speak with you with honorifics—–]

[Don’t make me laugh, there’s no need for that at all. Listen here, Touka. Even if someone has lived for a long time, those amount of years you’ve been piling up weren’t that great at all if you had wasted it on pointless things, right?]

That’s what she thinks huh.

“Fuunnn…” I snorted.

[I’m glad to know one of your thoughts. Now then…… From what you said earlier, is it alright for us to assume that you’ve arranged for a place we could sleep in for the time being?]

[It’s as you say… Alright then. All of you should get some rest too.]

The Witch finally shifts her half-rising posture and sat upright on the sofa.

Then, she called a golem and gave it some instructions.

[Ah, just so you know, this mistress can’t provide a single room for each of the four of you, okay? I only have one guest room. One pair could clean up another room Erika used to rest in and use that room for yourselves.]

[That’s already enough for us.]

[After that—-]

The Witch raises her index finger.

[Both of those rooms only have one bed. Therefore, you can decide among yourselves whether you’re sleeping together or one of you wants to sleep on the floor.]

As expected, it would be better if Eve and Liz were to sleep together.

In that case…

[……………………]

I glanced towards Seras.

Nod, nod

Seras nodded twice towards me.

……I guess I could consider that as an acknowledgement.

[Then, Seras and I will be sharing your old room.]