Chapter 23 – Ancient Witch and Super Newest Witch

“Еxcusе mе~”

Аs а Witсh, I should probаblу go full Spiсe Mоdе hеrе.

Whоа, I’m gonna lеt Spicе tаke оvеr mу mind.

‘Тhаt’s the sрirit, Mаster! Thоugh I dоn’t undеrstаnd how yоur originаl consciоusnеss can remain реrfectly intact еvеn while you’re turning into а Witсh!’

Did you just sаy sоmеthing оutrаgeous?

Anywаy, right now is mу mееting with the Witch whо invitеd mе.

The sрaciоus room had a рurрle cаrрet sрread аcross the flоor. Оn thе walls to the left and right wеre bооkсasеs with windows and dооrs, аnd shelves linеd with numerоus trорhiеs.

Аnd straight аhеаd.

Bеуond the lace curtains letting in light, there was an extravagant office desk and the figure of a woman sitting there.

She looked to be in her sixties?

Her white hair was styled in an elegant updo.

Behind her glasses adorned with gem-like decorations were eyes that held a somehow profound light.

She gave the impression of a gentle noblewoman.

That was the Ancient Witch.

“Welcome, Newest Witch.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for inviting me~”

Letting Spice take over makes me come across as rather rude!

But the Ancient Witch smiled warmly at this demeanor.

“Among Witches, there is originally no such thing as hierarchy. That is fine. The Witch’s Blood flowing within you must remember that. Now, come closer.”

I step forward as invited.

I won’t neglect my preparations in case something happens.

I could probably throw an entire shelf as a weapon.

“There’s no need for caution. I am using my power to maintain this garden, so I have no strength left for fighting.”

‘Hahaa~. So this really is a Witch’s Garden after all~. It’s been a long time, Ancient Witch.’

Flota unzipped the bag on her own and popped out.

“You know each other?”

‘Well, of course. The world of Witches seems vast but is actually quite small, and there are only a handful of Witches who have lived for hundreds of years. Well, I’ve known her since she was a Newest Witch! Ehehe~’

“Fufufu, Grimoire Flota, it’s been a long time. I was never chosen by you Great Grimoires, but I’ve managed to get by until now. In my school, girls who support the world grow up and spread their wings like this. Though a rather extraordinary, rule-breaking girl enrolled this year.”

I believe the rumor is that the most popular Adventure Streamer right now, Kiraboshi Hazuki, attends this girls’ school.

So she must be referring to her.

She’s the Streamer who saved America from the Dungeon Calamity while her grandmother was still alive. That’s on a huge scale.

I don’t need to be that famous, but if I could get about half of Kiraboshi Hazuki’s popularity, I probably wouldn’t have to worry about food for life.

“And so, you are the Newest Witch who contracted with Flota, Black Pepper Spice. An era where Witches perform Streams! A new age that could never have been foreseen in the past has arrived. Ancient Magic was something to be kept secret. People feared it and persecuted those involved with Magic, calling them Witches.”

“The Witch Hunt, right~? Spice knows a little about that too~”

“Yes, that’s right. And fearing that innocent people would be caught up in the Witch Hunt, the righteous Witches, the good Witches, hid themselves. However, the fallen Witches, the Black Witches, joined the side conducting the Witch Hunt and began to meddle in the course of human history.”

“Th-The secret of human history, being revealed now~!”

‘Master, you’re really getting into it~’

“Black Witches who manipulate people to create the world they desire. Righteous Witches who try to stop them. This battle has continued since the 17th century. From the moment humanity gained science and obtained great power.”

“A four-hundred-year battle, huh.”

‘That’s recent~’

“How many years have you existed, Flota?”

‘Roughly a thousand years, I suppose~’

“So you’re a super granny?”

‘Mwooooh, even from you, Master, I cannot forgive that remark! A-choo!!’

“Whoa, don’t attack me with your spine~!”

My battle with Flota begins!

“Fufufu. That’s right. The Grimoire of Levitation is one of the seven Great Grimoires brought from the Otherworld. Right now, you can only unravel it up to its prologue, but if you ever reach its depths, you should be able to obtain power surpassing all other Grimoires. It is most pleasing that the greatest Grimoire has ended up in the hands of someone as desireless as you. She chose a righteous successor, it seems.”

The Ancient Witch smiled.

Hahaa~, looking at it, it’s a comforting smile.

Incidentally, this school has existed since the Meiji era, and the Ancient Witch is its founding principal and remains the principal even now.

And the teachers are her disciples, possessing the ability to discern women with good qualities.

Hahaa, so that’s how they ensure the quality of their students…

“Um, okay then, question! Dungeons came to this world thirty years ago, but are Witches involved in that?”

“Yes.”

The Ancient Witch nodded.

The atmosphere suddenly got serious.

“Among the fallen Witches, the most ancient one called forth that existence. She must have grown impatient that the battle with the righteous Witches would not end. That existence instantly began to reshape the way of the world, and the bloody labyrinths… Dungeons began to appear in this world.”

“Whoa, there really are some bad apples out there…”

How troublesome.

But if there were no Dungeons, I wouldn’t have become Black Pepper Spice, and I wouldn’t have been able to earn my livelihood as a Streamer like this.

Though I’m not monetized yet.

Wait, if there weren’t Dungeons, would my former company not have gone bankrupt?

Hmm, which came first, the egg or the chicken…

‘That fledgling did something outrageous! She needs a spanking! So, where is that fledgling now?’

“The fallen Ancient Witch was devoured by the existence she summoned. They say her body was taken over, and that existence acquired a girlish form. She will likely be an enemy we must one day confront.”

“Whoa, I’d rather not!”

This is getting way too grandiose!

I can still only levitate and throw things!

“…Well, I’ll stop with the intimidation here. Today, I just wanted to see your face. And also… The Grimoire of Levitation is being stingy about disclosure, but you should be able to use it up to the first chapter.”

“What?”

I just caught Flota, who came flying at me with an “A-choo!”, in a bare-handed catch.

I spin her around and open her pages.

‘Aaah~le~’

“Don’t make weird screams! Why were you being so stingy?”

‘If I gave you Metamorphose and Levitation Magic all at once, wouldn’t your head get all jumbled?’

“That’s true too~”

It seems Flota was planning to disclose information at a good pace.

‘…That’s just an excuse. I completely forgot to grant you, Master, the authority to turn my pages.’

“Hey, you!!”

‘Kyaa~! No violence! Don’t pat-pat my spine~!’

I ended up being saved by the Ancient Witch!

The opened first chapter indeed had unreadable characters written on it.

Yet I could read them.

“First Chapter… Spiral?”

‘Yes, that’s right! It’s the power to spin everything into a spiral!’

This sounds like another difficult Magic…