Chapter 29 – Scouting the Enemy? No Way!

“Mаstеr, wе simрlу must go!”

“What arе уou talking аbout?”

I had а vаguе idеа оf what Flotа was getting аt.

Вut I reаllу didn’t likе it, sо I triеd to dоdge thе question.

“Оh, соmе now! We’rе going tо see that Аbаzure’s face! If уоu’re in the crowd, she wоn’t bе able to attaсk sо easilу! She hаs а рubliс image to maintаin, after аll!”

“Ееk! Using a mass оf реoplе as a humаn shield!”

Does she hаvе no heаrt?!

Wеll, she’s а Grimoire, sо you cаn’t reаllу blame her for not hаving onе.

I dесided tо try pеrsuаding Flоta from а modеrn, humаnitаriаn рersресtive.

“Listеn, Flоta. These days, the population is declining and it’s a serious problem. If even one person dies, the concurrent viewers might drop. We can’t take such a risk.”

“O-oh, I see!! They’re like a source of Magic Power, right?”

Well, yes, but your phrasing…

I’ve thought this for a while now, but this Grimoire is rather… blunt (non-delicate).

Well, it’s precisely because she speaks her mind so frankly that she’s been a great help in many ways.

But it also wouldn’t do for me to know nothing about the Witch Freya.

So I decided to disguise myself a bit and blend in with the gawking crowd.

“So you are going to use them after all, the human shield! The masses are so convenient, aren’t they!”

“Your phrasing!”

And so, I ended up going out with Flota.

Yesterday’s monetization stream brought in a staggering amount of Super Chat; even after the platform’s cut, I’ll probably have over a million yen deposited… Unbelievable.

Ah, I need to do some tax planning.

With my pockets (soon to be) warmed in this manner, I felt quite at ease.

I was in a mindset of, well, maybe it’s okay to just go see Freya…

“Actually, I should treat Mashiro to yakiniku too.”

“Excellent idea! Even when things look promising, Master, you smoothly withdraw and don’t make a move, so this time, for sure, you should definitively make your move and secure the next generation of Witches—”

“That’s not that kind of relationship.”

I patted the bag pechi pechi, and Flota let out an “Uwaa~”

The trains were relatively empty at this hour.

There wasn’t much worry about our conversation being overheard.

I had to transfer trains along the way, so I took the opportunity to use the restroom.

“Speaking of which, going in my original form seems like it would cause all sorts of problems.”

“That’s true. If the Abazure learns your true face, they’ll target that. The previous master was the same way.”

“That’s bad. I’ll go transformed as Spice. Clothes… something casual. Metamorphose Spice!”

My appearance changed.

It was fortunate that there happened to be no one around.

My neat black twin tails remained the same, but my outfit changed to a fluffy white coat and a black long skirt.

It always ends up black and white.

“Huh!? A beautiful girl in the men’s restroom!?”

Oh no!

Someone had been in one of the larger stalls!

The middle-aged man who came out was frozen in shock, wasn’t he?

I swiftly gave him a gal-style peace sign and a wink, then hurried outside.

Phew, safe.

Morally speaking, I am a man, so there’s no problem with me coming out of the men’s restroom… but…

When I transform into Spice, I’m a girl…

“Master, you’re really getting bold! Nice escape! If we get our hands on the Charm Grimoire, things could get very fun!”

“There’s one like that?”

From here on, since I’m Spice, I can use telepathy.

Now Flota and I could chat nonstop.

“Yes. Myself, the Grimoire of Levitation. Abazure Number One has the Grimoire of Flame. Abazure Number Two has the Wind and Ice Grimoire. Abazure Number Three has the Sea Grimoire. Abazure Number Four has the Grimoire of the Mind. Abazure Number Five has the Grimoire of Colors. Abazure Number Six has the Grimoire of Power. As for Abazure Number Seven… she was a complete failure, so we couldn’t get her Grimoire. The previous master utterly crushed her.”

“I see. So, among those, the Grimoire of the Mind handles charm?”

“Exactly right!”

“Hmm, but are there really seven enemies? That’s awful, terrifying.”

“You say it’s terrifying, yet here you are, swaying on a train, going to see the enemy’s face!”

“There’s this thing called morbid curiosity. Well, as Spice, I’m fully confident I can win, but you know the saying, ‘Know thy enemy and know thyself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril’?”

“They do say that! Information warfare is crucial! Although Master, you’re disclosing everything!”

“It can’t be helped for the stream!”

“True! And for my part, I’m very happy that Master’s cuteness is being broadcast to the whole world!”

Chattering excitedly, we got off at Shinjuku Station.

Freya was coming here today.

A huge crowd of onlookers had already gathered, and I slipped right in among them.

On the way here, I’d been noticed by some middle/high school-aged kids. “Isn’t that Little Spice?” “For real? She’s cute!” “Is she the real deal?” “Let’s call out to her!” “Let me just take a picture… huh? The resolution got super pixelated, I can’t take it…” ‘Flota interfered!’ That was the kind of situation it became.

I need a magic to change my face too.

I have to collect more Transformation Fragments…

Also, Spice is short, so when in a crowd, I can’t see over it.

I could use Levitation to float up, but that would be conspicuous.

So, what to do?

“Excuuuse me! I can’t see, so could I please, just a little bit, go to the front? Please let me through to the front!”

I hopped up and down, pyon pyon, putting on the appeal!

A bespectacled guy who looked like a college student turned around, startled.

He saw me and his face melted.

“Sure, sure, go ahead, go ahead.”

“Ehehe~, thank you!”

“Not at all.”

When I sent him a smile, he went all funyaa~, didn’t he?

The loveliness of young men!

“You’re starting to use feminine wiles, aren’t you? Formidable, Master! Good, do more!”

“I only do it in emergencies!”

“Eeeeh?!”

I’m a man, after all!

While this was happening, a roar of cheers went up from near the station exit I’d come from.

Freya must have appeared.

All these people gathered just to see her.

She’s really getting attention, huh.

“She’s a Fallen Witch operating in the shadows of the world, so why is she doing such a high-profile job?”

“Humans can’t escape the desire for self-display, you know. It’s especially pronounced in young Witches, those only a hundred or so years old.”

“Is that so…”

A Caucasian woman wrapped in an expensive-looking fur coat appeared.

I see, a European-style super beauty.

That was the Witch of Flame, Freya.

My enemy, huh… someone I’ll soon be fighting for my life against.