Chapter 51: The Ball
I held a bag tightly slung on my shoulder. Standing at the gate were Jake, John,
and the golems. For an outing to Serenia this time, only I, Weiss, and the two
beastkin kids were going.
"Alright, then," I said. "We’ll be back soon. Jake, John, please prepare all the
things I told you to."
"..." "...!"
"I knew it. You guys truly are my most loyal friends."
"Sir," Treska interrupted. He was holding bigger bags. "I think they are
complaining—"
"What do you know, Treska? It is a long time before you understand my dear
friends."
They were absolutely complaining. I just didn’t plan to give them the
satisfaction of acknowledging it whatsoever.
Weiss looked at the Grim Palace with large eyes. It was the first time she was
leaving this place to enter a city. Her first return since becoming the Queen of
Witches—actually, since being kidnapped by the Queen of Witches—to human
civilization.
"Are you excited?" I asked her.
"Perhaps? Let’s head out quickly. I have a feeling it would be quite
underwhelming."
"How nonchalant."
"That’s I—rightly said, butler."
And so, off we set, leaving behind the Grim Palace. There wasn’t much to say
about the trip. The issue of going past the Forbidden Fairy Forest existed for
all beings, yes.
But as soon as we reached the forest, the purple and pink haze covering it
entirely started to part ways. The fairies of the forest had noticed the person
they had made their deal with, and quietened down rather naturally.
Weiss, the Queen of Witches, had taken to the road through the Fairy Forest [1].
"Wo-woah..." Walking through with his eyes open this time, Treska looked around,
amused. "The colors, they are... everywhere."
The trees started to change shape the deeper we went through the Fairy Forest.
The line between this world and their world blurred; it was the first time the
fairies were greeting us like this as well.
Suddenly, voices started reaching our ears.
"You have come?" "Witch! Witch! The Queen of all Witches! Would you like to
play?" "I smell her. Lilith, I smell Lilith." "Lilith’s successor? No... not the
one... you’re the queen."
The fairies’ voices were reaching us. My eyes widened; it was the first time
this had happened for me as well. Weiss smiled.
"It’s exactly as I remember," she said.
"Oh, this little girl? Where’s Zeichen?" "Hey girl, you came with Zeichen! And
Zeichen with another witch! Oh my, you people die so soon." "So soon, the
witches have a short life! Kihihihi!"
Weiss ignored the fairies—no, rather, she seemed to be greeting them with her
mana in some way. Treska, Delka, and I, none of us could say anything. Neither
could the golem accompanying us. Huh?
I looked down, and there, tugging at my trousers, was the Gardener Golem, the
one that looked exactly like a gnome and less of a being.
"What are you doing here?"
"...!"
"You heard ’let’s go’ and thought you should come along? What logic is that?" A
sigh left me. "Whatever, there’s no point in turning back."
Guess we were a party of five.
We continued walking; everywhere, the purple mist would make way and allow Weiss
to pass through. Another voice tickled at me, softly, going down my spine. It
was like someone had put a cube of ice under my neck.
And the world seemed to have frozen.
Weiss, the kids, the golem—they were stopped midstep. Violet. Violet covered
everything.
(And what... are you?) (How do you pass here every single time?) (I have seen no
human of your build)
Time seemed to have stopped. A strange presence was whispering in my ears. I
took a deep breath, but couldn’t; my body wasn’t moving, either. Even these
voices were ringing directly into my mind.
(Strange... You seem quite strange to me. But you’re loved by the Queen of
Witches. I must let go)
And time seemed to move again.
I took a deep breath. The others only noticed I had stopped after they had taken
a few steps.
"Butler," Weiss called out. "You’ll be lost if you stay behind."
"Haha... that’s precisely what doesn’t happen." I hopped ahead and caught up. As
I always say, I said to myself again, whatever things were, I’d know them
eventually.
That was what my life had always been.
The group of us finally made it out of the Forbidden Fairy Forest. It was almost
sunset by the time we reached near the city of Serenia again.
We went past the doors; a lot of noise was reaching our ears.
There was a line near the city walls. As more people came around, Weiss started
attracting attention.
"Put up your hood," I said to her, and she did.
Even with that hood, though, the problem was only softened, not removed.
Dozens and dozens of eyes had turned toward Weiss; even the guards at the gate
hesitated when they saw her. She was taking in a lot of attention, all because
of her beauty.
We passed through the door, and the reason behind all the noise became clear.
"W-whaa... Butler!" Weiss turned to me immediately, holding my hand tightly.
Everywhere, lights spread out, stretching all the way to the center of the city,
and lit up most beautifully was the castle of the lord.
Confetti flew, and the smell of meat, bread, soups, and beer wafted through the
air, carried over by the sounds of laughter and cries of joy.
"Is a city always like this?" she asked.
"Not at all..." It seemed Serenia was having a party. "This is a party!"
"Woaah!!" The two beastkin children hopped up and down, then looked at me.
"C-can we?"
I nodded at them. The kids laughed and started to run ahead, ready to go and
find the first stop with food and chow down on the meat being sold.
The next to look at me was the golem. It was hiding in Treska’s bag. It reached
out as if calling me; I ignored it.
I turned to Weiss, giving her my hand.
"Shall we, too?"
"Is it okay if they’re having a party? We can come some other day."
"Pfft. Let’s get drunk today."
"Hah... done."
