A New Companion — Himari

This witch…I mean, Meilin looks so cute.

Oh, my guardians, her short, wavy hair? That big witch hat? The pretty lolita dress? Gorgeous.

She looked nothing like how I would imagine a witch.

But it wasn’t hard to determine her role just from her looks. The witch hat and the flying cat— I mean, Haruki, revealed everything. I could feel the villagers’ sharp gazes, stabbing us like daggers as I brought Meilin to the orphanage.

Poor Meilin. She seemed to be a normal person back on her planet. Facing that discrimination just from nasty rumors of witches must be hard for her. She didn’t do anything bad.

Despite all that, she still helped me.

I wish to learn to be her. To be a kind person like her. To be a helpful person like her.

Meilin parted her lips, “I’ve been wondering…”

Oh my goodness. Those lips? They look so plump and soft. If only my dry and chapped lips looked like that. I would be bragging about them to the whole world.

“Himari?” Meilin said softly, and a bit concerned. “You’ve been zoning out for a while.”

“Huh? Oh right! I’m sorry.” I clasped my hands together, “You were saying…?”

“I’ve noticed that most people freak out at the sight of me…” Meilin twirled her hair with her fingers. “Is it because I’m a witch?”

I gulped. I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want Meilin to hate me for telling her the truth.

Oh…

“The thing is…”, I stuttered, struggling to find the words, “The people of Kazemura, actually, of Elysium, all have a bad image of witches.”

“Why?”

Oof, this is a tough spot. “Because…you know how witches use orbs to cast spells?”

“Yeah?”

“Orbs have a negative effect sometimes…the stronger the orb, the more side effects. The side effects may vary with each person, but people with weaker minds tend to have more serious aftermaths.”

“In the end, the worst case possible is not death, but 'the curse'. The orb slowly eats its user’s energy and damages their minds. The user will turn into a monster, known as a corruption or a sin. Even the strongest spell casters cannot undo this curse.”

Meilin muttered under her breath, “And since all witches have to use orbs, the chances of them becoming corrupted are higher than those of a normal person. That’s why people hate witches. They think of them as a pre-evolution of corruption.”

I nodded. She’s smart indeed.

“But there was a famous witch who had a good reputation.”

Haruki’s eyes glowed, “That’s Madame Cecilia nya!”

I chuckled, “Yes, it is. She saved the Kingdom of Izumo! That was enough proof for the king of Izumo to believe that she was worthy of the wish orb, as the orb is mighty and highly corruptive— ”

“Madame Cecilia didn’t know what she wanted to wish for at first, nya! Just like you! She had everything— friends, fame, and wealth in Elysium, nya. Later, as she journeyed on and met many different people, she realised that she wanted to experience other worlds, and she had a desire to explore. She also loved helping others. That girl, nya, she had the purest soul.”

“And so, when Madame Cecilia discovered the role of a guardian, she chose to become one. Some people may perceive that as an extreme greed for power, but in reality, Madame Cecilia made that choice to help people in Elysium and other worlds too, nya!”

“How inspiring…” I smiled. This story was a tale I had heard since childhood. “The book mentioned that Cecilia was from another world, like Meilin?”

“Yes, nya!” Haruki sounded like a professor giving a lecture to his hall of eager students, “My owner before Madame Cecilia, Madame Mizuki adopted her when she found Madame Cecilia in a field of flowers, all by herself nya. We’re unsure where she was from, but Madame Mizuki was sure that Madame Cecilia was from another world.”

“‘Her presence was ethereal, as she was dancing in that flower garden.’ Madame Mizuki stated. ‘At first sight, I thought she was a child of a goddess sent from above! She spoke in another language, not like any in Elysium. That child had glamorous apricot hair that would make any boy or girl in Kazemura blush at the sight of her!’ Nya, Madame Cecilia was indeed beautiful.”

“It seems like all of your owners are attractive, huh?” I blurted out, still admiring Meilin’s adorable accessories, and her eyes— I would do anything for an eye colour like that. Those mesmerizing eyes are like looking into a galaxy. I could edit my photos like that, edit my eyes into the colour of Meilin’s. I wonder if there’s even a function for that—

“Well, I’m flattered.” The sides of Meilin’s mouth turned slightly upward, and her eyes twinkled. “I assumed most people hate me for my ugly looks.”

I must’ve been blushing so much at that moment, because Meilin immediately added, “Are you okay? Your face is quite red, do you need some water?”

I stood up, “I’m fine! And what do you mean by your ugly looks? You look great. The people probably hated you because they were jealous.”

“And I’ve just thought of something.” I grabbed Meilin’s hand, "You are going to the Hieron Shrine, right?”

“Yes? What about it?”

“May I join you on your adventure?”

Meilin’s eyes widened in surprise, and Haruki meowed in glee, whirling around in the air.

“I may not be much, I can’t fight well or have lots of knowledge, but I do know how to cook! And I have some knowledge about herbs.” I grinned at Meilin and Haruki. “I promise I won’t be a burden. So please, let me join you!”

“Sure,” Meilin replied. “I’d never thought anyone else would like to join us anyway.”

This was a big step for me.

I’ll have to leave my orphanage behind.

I’ll have to leave Souta and the others.

I looked out at the window and noticed them playing soccer together. They were having the time of their lives, with Souta finally able to go out again.

They’ll be fine without me.

It’ll all be fine.