4-4 Part 2
The Spontaneously Glowing Firefly Man
and the Little Alchemist
— The Witch —
Translator : PolterGlast
"Alrighty then, I'm gonna make the other potion now!"
I received the offered granulated sugar. Then the girl Dulin
briskly threw ingredients into the pot and quickly started making the tonic.
She looks young, but it seems she works fast. She proceeded with the work
smoothly, and by the time I looked back from glancing away, she was already
stirring the liquid in the Alchemy Pot.
"You're amazing for being so young."
"I-I'm not a child! I'm already 15!"
After raising her eyebrows in protest, the self-proclaimed
15-year-old girl puffed out her round cheeks. It seems 'young' was also a taboo
word. By the way, I don't know the reason, but Dulin started standing on
tiptoe again.
"...That is certainly hard to believe."
"Nnnaaah... Whyyyy!? Th-Then, how old did Dulin
look to you, Firefly-san...?"
"I thought about 11, but I guess I was wro—"
"Hawa?! Th-That's cruel! Dulin is not a kid! I'm
a fresh 15-year-old faintly exuding sex appeal!"
While protesting desperately, Dulin melted additional
ingredients into the pot. Certainly, this skill is not that of an 11-year-old.
Children are inexperienced. Therefore, their hands inevitably become clumsy.
"Yeah, that technique is hard to call childish. You
seem quite excellent."
However, I don't know about the sex appeal. I couldn't judge
accurately from over the robe, but I couldn't find any bulge that looked like a
bulge on her chest or hips. Her features were still innocent, and I couldn't
really believe she was two years younger than me in any aspect.
"Staaare..."
By the way, she might be the type who doesn't drag out
anger. Suddenly withdrawing her anger, she stared at me with that innocent
face, looking puzzled. A long, thorough gaze while stirring the pot...
"You've fallen silent. Did I say something rude
again...?"
"Ah... um, it's nothing! Just, the person in Onee-sama's
letters—no, n-nothing! I didn't figure anything out at all!"
Don't tell
me... has Sister been using me as material for her pen pal letters...? No,
considering her personality, it might actually be more unnatural if she didn't
talk about her brother Ashley...
If so, it suddenly becomes difficult to act. I want to remain
just the playboy Shinza, the mysterious Firefly-san. I don't want
to play the role of the pitiful Prince Ashley outside the palace.
"Atomina-oneesama seems to cherish her younger
brother very much. Dulin also wants to try becoming Onee-sama's
little sister..."
This child answered my question saying her father and mother
were in the sky. When Dulin's innocent appearance is added to that, my
chest tightens whether I like it or not. I will definitely convey this to
Sister, albeit indirectly.
"The Imperial Princess is deeply affectionate,
but I hear it often goes too far. Being her little sister might be surprisingly
tough."
"Intense love?! Bring it on! Dulin would rather
wish for Onee-sama's intense love!"
"I see. Then I'll convey that when I hand it
over."
"Hah?! You musn't say it! Read the atmosphere, Firefly-san!"
"Unfortunately, if I could do that, I wouldn't be
called a blockhead or a dense person."
However, Dulin didn't reply. Because shortly after,
the pot exploded with steam again, and the result of her work was completed at
the bottom. It's a medicine like bottled honey. I received the offered item and
observed it well against the glass window.
"Tonic and granulated sugar, I have certainly received
them. The Imperial Princess will surely be pleased."
"Y-Yes, please take care of it! Thank you for your
patronage every time, we await your next visit!"
Dulin bowed energetically as she said
that. She seems very happy to be able to
undertake Sister's request. Clasping her fingers together in
front of her chest, the girl swayed her body incessantly from side to side. She
is just like a puppy.
"Yeah, I'll come again. I've actually started feeling
like I want to commission some work from you myself."
"Yay, got a new regular customer!"
That said, I
lack the funds to do so. Carral Hez
wanted to pay me a reward, but in the end, I didn't accept a single Crown from
her.
"See you then."
It would be bad to disturb her work any further. Deciding to
leave the shop, I turned my back to Dulin.
"Please come again, um... Firefly-san...?"
"Yeah, I don't mind staying Firefly at all. When
I glow again, please watch over me warmly."
"Ha, hawawa?! Dulin just remembered
something terrible! Firefly-san glowing is a courtship to a mating
partner—"
"You noticed well, actually that's it."
"Hyawaa?! Th-Th-Th-Th-That's, Dulin and you just
met, that kind of thing is, a-after holding hands... and then..."
"It's a joke. See you later, Dulin Andvaranaut."
Glancing only once at her shy figure, I left the workshop of
Alchemist Andvaranaut. This might be reading too much into it, but it's
Sister. She might have intended to show her younger brother to Dulin.
If that's the case, by the time we meet next, I might not be
able to remain the mysterious Firefly-san.
Well, however, we didn't part beautifully there. Actually, a new
customer came in, swapping places with me. A well-fattened man wearing the toga
of the State Church.
He gave me, how should I put it, a very strange feeling. I
stopped at just pretending to leave the shop and decided to hide in the shadow
of a shelf and watch the situation. Sorry for meddling. But it seems my sense
of smell for villains has become sharper in its own way.
"Witch Andvaranaut, if you value your life,
leave the Empire. Or close your business."
"Hahe...?"
"Otherwise, it cannot be helped—burning at the
stake."
"Hi, hiu?! Why, Dulin hasn't done anything
bad... Because everyone uses Dulin's medicine..."
My premonition hit the mark in the worst direction. No, it
got even worse. As if arranged with his threatening words, a stone was thrown
in from outside the shop.
"Hie...?! No way, Dulin's shop's window..."
The window of this shop is made of glass. It let out a
hysterical shriek, causing Dulin to scream in terror. I can't grasp the
situation at all. But catching the perpetrator in the act and making him pay
for the broken glass is something I can do.
Deciding so, I immediately dashed out of the shop entrance.
Then I witnessed a man winding up to throw something across the street.
He appeared
to be wearing the uniform of the State
Church. Flustered by the fact that I had witnessed the crime, the stone he
intended to use to break the glass slipped from his hand and flew harmlessly
into the sky.
"Ugh... Shit..."
However, he takes strange actions. Despite being watched by
me from the front, that young man throws a third stone at Dulin's shop.
Behind me, the sound of glass breaking cruelly and a
frightened scream were heard again. He might have promised the
burning-at-the-stake bastard inside to break the glass twice.
But because of that, his chance to escape vanished. The
instantaneous speed given to me by the Tome of the Evil Dragon became a
step-in exceeding his expectations, making suppression easy.
"Sto—ugh?! L-Let go, I'm a person of the Church!"
"Yeah, I can tell by looking. You're a utter fool. Now,
if you don't want to be sent flying by this, follow me quietly."
"You bastard, I am the Church's—Agaah!?"
"Don't say stupid things. There is no way a person
serving God would throw stones into someone's house. Therefore, you are not a
clergyman. Just a villain."
Restraining the villain, I re-entered Andvaranaut's
workshop.
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