TUSM 8

Chapter 08

I jumped to my feet and looked around. At a glance, the soil was visibly cleaner.

“…It worked.”

It worked! Hooray!

I hadn’t been able to restore everything all the way out there, but the horizon—previously swallowed by pollution and invisible—had come back into view.

It was a shame I couldn’t restore all of it, but the rest was probably something the knights could handle.

Grrrrr.

My stomach growled again.

This is driving me crazy.

“I’m hungry….”

I turned my head and scanned the group of people huddled together. Soon, I spotted a basket of oranges being held by an older woman.

As I brushed the dirt off my dress and walked toward them, they flinched and trembled.

“Hii….”

“D-don’t come any closer…!”

They were at least a head taller than me—why were they so scared?

I squeezed through the gap and took a single orange from the basket.

“I’ll just eat one of these.”

“Uh, uh—what? No, wait…!”

“If you wait just a moment, I’ll pay you back double, so don’t worry.”

Right now, I’m so hungry I don’t think I can use even a shred of mana.

I roughly peeled the orange, popped it into my mouth, and turned around.

The restored land had a completely different color from before. The ground that used to sink like a swamp now supported my feet firmly.

“Let’s see… this spot should be good, right?”

Turning my back on the people still staring blankly at me, I chose a suitable patch of ground.

Hmm.

The land’s flat.

Smells like good soil.

After finishing the remaining oranges, I buried just the seeds in the ground.

If restoring polluted land belonged to the realm of dark magic, then making plants grow and imbuing them with vitality belonged to the realm of white magic.

Thank goodness I’m a genius, Charlotte.

Using magic in a hybrid way like this.

Woooong—

A blue light wrapped around the ground. Before long, a sprout poked its head out of the soil. The sprout kept growing, and in the blink of an eye, it became a tree.

“A t-tree grew!”

“My goodness….”

I poured in a bit more mana.

This time, plump oranges began popping out on the tree—pop, pop.

“Oranges are growing…?”

“A-am I dreaming?”

Good.

This should be enough, right?

I dismissed the magic circle, plucked a nearby orange, and put it into my mouth. Sweet-and-sour juice flooded my mouth.

Oh no.

It’s too delicious.

“Hey, farmer.”

“Y-yes?”

“You said earlier, didn’t you? That if I restored this land, I could eat the fruit that grows here as much as I want.”

“Eh? Ah, yes…!”

“Yes!”

Then this is all mine.

I picked all the oranges hanging on the tree and neatly packed them into the basket.

“Oh, and ma’am. This is payment for the orange you gave me earlier. I said I’d return double, so I’ll give you two.”

I made sure to firmly place two oranges into the hands of the stunned woman, whose mouth hung open.

“You’ll be able to use this land now. I just restored it, so it’ll be full of nutrients—if you have crops to plant, you should plant them quickly.”

So I can come back and pick more.

From now on, all the fruit on this land is my snack. Haha.

Passing by the dazed people, I bolted off with the orange basket.

I’m so excited.

I’ll pile them up and eat them when I get back.

When I’d trudged here while starving, it felt like a really long distance, but on the way back—eating oranges one by one—it felt much shorter. I hadn’t walked very far when the spire of the main castle came into view in the distance.

“…Miss Charlotte Schmidt?”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice called out.

When I turned my head, a man was standing not too far away.

His appearance was familiar.

Dark brown hair, green eyes, and a white uniform adorned with gold epaulettes.

“…Vasel?”

“Do you know me?”

“Ah.”

I blurted it out without thinking.

I bit my lip slightly and gave an awkward smile.

Vasel Leon.

Caius’s loyal hound.

On the surface, he served as the commander of the Lucifenia Grand Duchy’s knight order, but in truth, he was Caius’s right-hand man, handling all kinds of secretive tasks.

He had served Caius since his days as a prince, and after Caius gave up the throne and descended to the rank of grand duke, Vasel had sworn his life to him.

No doubt he saw me as just as much of a thorn in his side as Caius did. There was a high chance he’d already investigated my background. That was the kind of man he was.

“I happened to hear about you. Sir Leon, you’re quite famous.”

“Is that so….”

There it is again.

That suspicious look.

He’s as suspicious as Caius—two peas in a pod. Like master, like subordinate.

As Vasel slowly examined me, his green eyes fixed on the basket.

“What is that?”

“Ah, this is….”

How should I explain this?

While I was hesitating, thinking it would turn into a long story, Vasel strode toward me with long steps.

I felt an instinctive sense of danger.

I quickly pulled the basket behind me.

“I didn’t steal this. I made a fair trade.”

“…A trade, you say?”

His expression grew even more serious.

No matter how I looked at it, he seemed to be placing me somewhere between a thief and a bandit.

“Miss Charlotte Schmidt. Extorting crops from farmers is subject to strict punishment. Moreover, you are residing here under the status of a criminal. In that case, we would have no choice but to discuss additional penalties.”

I knew it.

“I really didn’t take it by force. These are my oranges.”

Vasel narrowed his eyes.

That look clearly said, Where exactly is your share in this territory?

“…Why don’t you go take a look at the orchard over there?”

Reluctantly, I pointed back the way I had come.

Even so, Vasel didn’t seem inclined to drop his suspicious gaze.

“Let’s go together.”

“I’m kind of busy right now.”

“I would prefer not to arrest you with my own hands, Miss Charlotte Schmidt.”

Wow, that’s a threat.

If I were the real Charlotte, you’d have gotten punched.

Seeing as he truly looked ready to drag me along if I refused, I had no choice but to trudge after him.

What’s the point of fighting?

It would only wear me out.

I haven’t even eaten that many oranges yet, and I’m already burning them off just by walking.

After a while, Vasel came to an abrupt stop in front of the orchard.

“The land has come back!”

“Hooray!”

What awaited him were farmers cheering and dancing with joy.

They were gathered beneath the orange tree I had just grown, reveling in their happiness.

“Oh! Over there! It’s Lady Charlotte!”

“She’s the mage!”

“Mage, over here!”

Earlier they’d been calling me a witch.

When they were shoving pickaxes at me, where was all this enthusiasm?

Seeing them waving their hands excitedly when they spotted me made me let out a hollow laugh.

Meanwhile, Vasel looked utterly confused.

“…What is this?”

“What did I tell you?”

His gaze lingered on the farmers, then shifted to the land to the right of the stake.

“The land….”

“Yes, that’s right. I did it.”

Vasel spun around to face me. His stoic face filled with question marks.

See that?

This is Charlotte Schmidt.

Instead of answering further, I shrugged and lifted the orange basket.

“So these are mine.”

Don’t you dare try to take them.

Vasel opened and closed his mouth like he was buffering, then pressed his lips together. He clearly had no idea what was going on.

I gave him a meaningful smile and lightly patted his shoulder.

“So tell your master properly, okay? That I’m not a bad person, so he shouldn’t be thinking about killing me.”

Seriously, please. I’m begging you.

“Then I’ll be off.”

Charlotte hopped away with the orange basket in hand. Her dirt-stained skirt and pure white hair fluttered in all directions.

Vasel’s enigmatic gaze lingered on her retreating figure.

“Oh, right.”

After about ten steps, Charlotte suddenly turned around and trotted back.

She took a ripe orange from the basket and firmly placed it in Vasel’s hand.

“This is a bribe.”

She looked up and smiled brightly. Her pale silver-gray eyes curved gently into crescent moons.

“You’ll really speak well of me, right? I’m trusting you?”

After saying so as if making a heartfelt request, Charlotte slowly backed away. Then she suddenly turned around and ran off even faster than before.

“…….”

Vasel stood there for a long time, holding the orange in his hand