𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝
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Marie and her group set off for the Immortal Mountain where Martha resides.
While riding in the carriage, Marie suddenly said,
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“I’m hungry.”
『Whaaaat!』
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Ose, the black cat sitting next to her, retorts.
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『Seriously, how much can you eat? You just ate a while ago!』
“Tropical juice doesn’t fill me up.”
『You probably ate before that too. . . . . . Jeez, how hungry are you?』
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Every time Marie uses magic, she expends magical power.
The depletion of magical power leads to a decrease in nutrients in her body, which makes her feel hungry.
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Using magic makes her hungry.
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“Kaito, stop the carriage.”
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Marie commands Kaito, who is driving the carriage.
She gracefully descends from the carriage.
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“Witch-sama, what’s the matter?”
“I smell something. . . . . . over there!”
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Marie takes out her broom from a different space and flies off into the sky, heading somewhere on her own.
Left behind, Keel and Princess Riara tilt their heads in wonder.
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“Where has Lady Witch gone?”
“I’m not sure. . . . . . but I smell something. . . . . . Ah! Could it be the smell of trouble?”
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Well, that’s not the case.
However, Riara fully believes Marie is a national hero.
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From her perspective, everything Marie does seems like heroic actions, like helping people.
. . . . . .In reality, it’s something entirely different.
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As for where Marie went. . . . . .
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『Witch-sama, where are you going?』
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Ose, who had somehow ended up on the broom, asks.
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“I smelled some delicious fruit!”
『Really. . . . . . weren’t we supposed to save everyone from the Witch of Jealousy?』
“I never said anything like that.”
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It’s just that everyone else misunderstands her.
As far as Marie is concerned, meeting Martha to learn the magic of confectionery, plus eating delicious fruits from Horai Mountain, is all she needs.
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She’s utterly self-centered and has no consciousness of helping others.
Her journey is nothing more than a whimsical gourmet trip.
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She simply does what she feels like, goes where her mood takes her, and has no intention of helping anyone.
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“There it is! Those!”
『Hmm. . . . . . peaches?』
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After flying for a while, she finds an expansive peach orchard.
The trees are laden with juicy peaches.
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The skins are taut, stimulating the appetite.
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“I’ve decided, all of these are mine!”
『You’re too greedy. . . . . . Besides, these are clearly cultivated, you know?』
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The peach trees are evenly spaced.
Also, it’s evident from the pruning that human hands have tended them.
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“Horai Mountain originally belonged to Louri. These peaches are Louri’s peaches. Louri is my underling. Therefore, these peaches are mine.”
『What a far-fetched theory. . . . . .』
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Just as Marie excitedly approached the peach orchard. . . . . .
Zap!
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BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
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『W, What the?! A lightning strike?! Is this. . . . . . a magical trap?』
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Suddenly, Marie was struck by an intense bolt of lightning.
Seeing Marie take the direct hit, Ose speaks with a sense of urgency.
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『Miss Witch! Are you okay?! . . . . . .Phew You scared me. You’re fine. . . . . . you’re a monster, after all.』
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Not a single scorch mark was present, neither on Marie’s body nor on her clothes.
Marie looks intently at the peach orchard and speaks.
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“There’s a barrier in place.”
『A barrier. . . . . .?』
“Yes. Apparently, it’s a pest trap to prevent monkeys and the like from taking the peaches.”
『Would they really go so far to set up such an elaborate trap. . . . . .?』
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Ose tilts his head, pondering why they didn’t just use something like barbed wire.
While Ose senses something is off, Marie says, “How cunning,” and extends her hand.
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Then, she clenches her fist tightly.
With a crackling sound, something invisible shatters.
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『What did you just do. . . . . .』
“I destroyed the barrier.”
『How?』
“I grabbed it and crushed it.”
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Ose shows a puzzled expression due to her unexpected actions.
Marie explains with a sigh.
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“Just like barrier spells, magic has a sort of core. . . . . . something like a nucleus. Destroy that, and the magic dissipates.”
『I get the theory, but can you actually see this core?』
“Of course not. If you could see it, it’d be easily destroyed, wouldn’t it?”
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That’s true, but Ose wants to ask how she can see it when it’s supposed to be invisible.
It seemed like Marie could see something that normal people couldn’t.
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“Wow! Look at this peach! Isn’t its skin stretched tight!”
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Marie picks up a nearby peach and takes a bite.
Juice flows abundantly into her mouth.
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The peach is also refreshingly cold, giving her the sensation of drinking high-quality peach juice.
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“Delicious! Maybe Kaito could make some peach sweets that would make it even better!”
『Wait, before that, isn’t this just plain theft?』
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Just then,
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『Um, excuse me. . . . . .』
『Ah, looks like someone from the orchard is here. . . . . . a person?』
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Ose’s eyes widen.
It’s because what stood there was a cookie shaped like a person.
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It’s about the size of a human child.
The well-baked cookie had eyes and a mouth made of chocolate, making it look human.
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『What’s this? A familiar or something?』
『No. . . . . . we are slaves working in this orchard.』
『Slaves? What do you mean. . . . . .?』
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A group of cookie figurines, just like them, gather together.
It seems like they were hiding in the shade of the tree.
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All the cookies bow in unison to Marie.
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『Thank you! For freeing us. . . . . .!』
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It seems like there’s some backstory with these cookie figures.
However, even after hearing their thanks, Marie responds as usual.
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“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t do this for you.”
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