Chapter 23: So Fun!

The dazzling lights sparkled brightly, almost blindingly.

The lively chatter of countless people pierced my ears, sharp and incessant.

Unlike the usual quiet atmosphere of the village, market day transformed it into a bustling hub of noise and activity.

And my mood right now? It matched the chaos of the market—but not in the festive sense.

It felt like a rainy monsoon day, gloomy and heavy.

“Wow, Teacher! Is this the market?!”

“Teacher?”

I kept my lips firmly shut and nodded to convey my answer.

“You’re not going to talk to me?”

“Aww, that’s too bad. I like your voice, Teacher…”

I shook my head.

Even so, some things just weren’t happening today.

Hmph.

The reason I was relying on gestures instead of speaking was simple.

It was because my lisp kept slipping out.

I could endure most things, but the sheer embarrassment of sounding like a clueless toddler was too much.

So, I sealed my voice away.

Since Harp was carrying me, simple gestures were enough for basic communication anyway.

Or so I thought.

“Teacher, what are we shopping for today?”

…Maybe not.

A problem had popped up right away.

“Teacher?”

Today’s market shopping list was longer than usual.

First, I needed tools to repair the bathhouse.

Then there were groceries for Harp and me.

And finally, a lamp to brighten up the orphanage’s dark, shadowy halls at night.

‘…How am I supposed to explain all this?’

After a brief moment of deliberation, I reached out and grabbed Harp’s chubby, squishy cheeks.

“T-Teacher—mmph! What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

Keeping my grip steady on both her cheeks, I stretched my arms forward.

“Mmm… oh, does this mean to walk forward?”

“…!”

“Got it!”

The system was simple.

Pulling her left cheek signaled a left turn, pulling her right cheek meant a right turn, and stretching both cheeks forward was a command to move straight ahead.

It was the so-called “Ratatouille Strategy.”

‘Perfect.’

Now I could navigate Harp without saying a word.

Truly, a genius-level idea. Of course, it had to come from me.

“Off we go!”

As expected from Harp Taxi, operated by the ever-reliable Harp, it functioned flawlessly.

She even moved forward without me needing to constantly tug her cheeks, making it incredibly convenient.

“Teacher, where should we—oh! Left?”

“…!”

“Ah, now it’s right?”

“…!”

Of course, staying quiet while simply strolling through the market eventually got boring, so for fun, I’d occasionally stretch her cheeks for no reason.

Each time I did, Harp would panic, thinking she’d misunderstood my directions, and start stuttering or freezing up.

Her flustered reactions were adorable, and the soft, springy texture of her cheeks made it all the more entertaining.

“Teacher! Where are we even supposed to go?!”

This is more fun than I thought.

“Is this what we’re buying? Okay, I’ll take one of these, please.”

“…?”

“Oh, and this one too? Uh, Teacher, this is a skewer—”

“We’ll get the skewers later. We don’t have much time—ow, ow, that hurts!”

And so, I wandered around the market, tugging and playing with Harp’s cheeks as we went from stall to stall.

I’d already bought all the items I needed ages ago, but with plenty of time left until sunset, I continued directing Harp around aimlessly.

Why, you ask?

It definitely wasn’t out of petty revenge for her refusing to buy skewers midway.

I just found the squishy, bouncy texture of her cheeks addictively fun to touch.

Seriously. That’s the only reason.

“Phew… huff…”

“Harp, you can put me down now.”

“T-Teacher! You’re finally speaking again!”

“Yeah. You did great today.”

Harp looked utterly exhausted after carrying me around for so long.

Wanting to comfort her for all her hard work, I gently patted her back and added,

“So? Isn’t being a teacher hard?”

“…Wait a second, what did you just say?”

“Hmm? I asked if it’s hard?”

“No, no, a little before that.”

Before that?

“…Teacher?”

“Gasp… gasp, gasp!”

“You okay?”

Suddenly, Harp started hyperventilating.

What’s going on?

Is she hurt?

Oh no, did I push her too hard today?!

“Haaahh!”

“Harp, what’s wrong?! Snap out of it!”

“…Teacher.”

“…?”

“I can die happy now.”

Thud.

With those final words, Harp dramatically collapsed onto the ground.

“Harp! Harpuuu!!”

I desperately called her name, but she just lay there with a blissful smile on her face, as if clinging to some cherished memory.

Her eyes remained closed.

“…Wait, she’s not actually dead, right?”

“Oh no, Harp’s alive again!”

After finishing our fun shopping trip, we were on our way back to the orphanage.

I was still riding on Harp’s back.

Though the path wasn’t too steep, it was long enough that my little legs were too tired to handle it on my own.

Since we were going uphill, my body kept sliding backward.

To stay balanced, I clung tightly to Harp’s back, pressing myself close.

When I wrapped my arms around her, she let out a startled “Hieek!”

Carrying someone up an incline must’ve been tough, judging by her occasional strained grunts.

“You can do it, Harp.”

“Yes!”

Her energetic response was unwavering.

As expected, Harp is amazing.

“…Holding you like this, Harp, it feels like you’re my comfort doll.”

“If I can be your comfort doll, Teacher, I’d be honored.”

“Even if it’s just flattery, thanks.”

“As I always say, I mean it.”

The crimson sunset stretching across the horizon was breathtaking.

The light of the setting sun glowed through Harp’s jet-black hair, creating the illusion of a solar eclipse.

“…This reminds me of the past.”

“Hm?”

“That day, Teacher… when you carried me on your back despite being injured.”

“Oh, that day.”

“Back then, you looked so frail, yet at the same time, you were incredibly brave.”

“How is that a possible comb… combi… combination?”

“It’s combination, not combi… nyation.”

“…Ugh, it’s the lisp, okay?!”

Thwap, thwap.

Annoyed, I smacked Harp’s shoulder repeatedly.

But with my weakened body, the hits only made a soft thwap-thwap sound instead of anything remotely satisfying.

“Teacher, with your current strength, you can’t even make a dent.”

“That’s so mean.”

“But it’s okay. I like you just the way you are right now, Teacher. I could take a hundred hits from you if it makes you happy.”

“Don’t say things like that! And I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

“Don’t worry. The magic will wear off by tomorrow morning.”

“…Really?! Are you serious?!”

I’ll finally be free of this ridiculous baby body?!

“Yes. I only used enough mana to last for a day, just in case.”

Harp smiled reassuringly, but I couldn’t help clinging to that hope like a lifeline.

“Harp, you’re so reliable!”

“…Though, I kind of planned for this.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Anyway, it’s already getting dark. Let’s hurry.”

“Got it! Hold on tight!”

Harp’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, and the next moment, she bolted forward at a speed far beyond anything she’d shown before.

“Waaaah!”

“Hold on tighter! It might get bumpy!”

“It’s fine! This is so fun!”

Come to think of it, a lot happened today.

We went to the bathhouse, I got turned into a kid, and now I’m riding on Harp’s back.

It’s been a chaotic day, to say the least.

“Woooo!”

“I’m going even faster! Here we goooo!”

I wonder what kind of fun things tomorrow will bring. I can’t wait!

Meanwhile, at the edge of Nunu Village:

“…So, there’s no witch here either?”

“There’s one more village nearby. It’s just a little farther.”

“This is the last one. If the information is wrong again, so be it. Stay alert.”

““Yes, Sir!””

Dozens of knights, clad in gleaming white plate armor that seemed out of place in a rural setting, marched forward under the red glow of the setting sun.

Each of them carried an ominous white greatsword at their waist.

Their grim expressions left no doubt—they were on a mission to hunt something.

“A witch in a place with no people… It’s hard to imagine,” one of them muttered.

“Exactly. With so few people around, there’s nothing much to do.”

“You all don’t understand. The fact that it’s a quiet rural village makes it even more likely for a witch to be here.”

“Commander!”

The woman addressed as Commander interrupted the paladins and continued her explanation.

“In a place like this, where there are hardly any people, taking one or two as test subjects wouldn’t raise any suspicion.”

“Th-that’s horrible!”

“And besides, our Holy Nation likely deems these remote border villages too insignificant to keep under its influence.”

“How vile and foolish those witches are!”

“Indeed, but their dark magic surpasses all imagination. Stay sharp and keep your wits about you.”

“Yes, Commander!”

As the paladins shouted in unison, the commander’s gaze turned toward the distant entrance of a village.

Maru Village.

“Remember, the signs of a witch are isolation—they live far from others. And?”

“They enchant and deceive the people around them!” one of the paladins answered.

“Correct. Well done.”

With a satisfied smile, the commander motioned for the group to move.

Behind them, a wooden sign reading Nunu Village burned in flames, its letters barely visible through the smoke.

“Bring the hammer of justice to the witch.”

“Deliver iron judgment to the heretics!”

“May the Lord watch over us.”

“And annihilate all our enemies!”

Reciting prayers as they marched, the paladins’ armor gleamed under the fading light, adorned with an ominous inscription:

“Enforcers of the Holy Nation: Inquisitors of Heresy.”