Night has come, and I walked out of the town with all my equipment. The tattered cloak is wrapped around me, and if the witch throws those potions at me, I will just need to block them with the cloak.
Preparation completed!
I entered the dark forest; the darkness made it hard to see what was around me. But I lit the lantern I bought and made my way to the witch's hut.
After two hours of walking, surrounded by darkness, the small wooden hut came into my view. The light from the moon brightened the place slightly, so I turned off my lantern. With a calm pond beside the hut reflecting the single bright moon, I was enchanted by the beauty for a brief moment.
I walked slowly to the hut and took a deep breath, preparing the words I had ready. I knocked on the door twice.
Surprisingly, the witch inside simply said, "Enter, young man."
I was surprised and opened the door. The inside was cozy, and the witch could be seen sitting on a chair, sipping from a mug. She didn't look at me and said, "Did you come alone?"
I was baffled by the witch's calm demeanor, totally opposite from her earlier display.
The witch squinted her eyes at me and smiled slightly. "Forgive me for my earlier behavior... Some pest visited me, and I lost my emotions."
"Would you like to take a seat?" She gestured toward the chair opposite her.
I was still wary but secretly relieved that I didn't have to fight her and we could talk it out.
I stepped to the chair, pulled it out, and sat down while staring at the witch.
For a moment, silence echoed.
Just as I was going to open my mouth, the witch's voice sounded out, "Did you come to know about that girl, Miya?"
"Is she one of those adventurers?"
I spoke, "So you do know her?"
"Yes, I do," she replied calmly.
I waited and asked her, "Can you tell me everything you know about Miya?"
The witch sipped her drink; the smell of chocolate wafted to my nose. She then spoke, "Let's have a talk over some drinks."
"Do you want coffee, tea, or chocolate?" She smiled at me.
I felt a little awkward and asked for what I liked most: "Coffee, please."
Then the witch brewed some coffee for me, just as people normally brew coffee. I wondered if the potion she made was brewed the same way.
She handed me the coffee in a white mug and started talking, "What do you know about Miya?"
The coffee was bitter, just as I liked, and I told her, "Well, she has a witch mom and has been living alone?"
The witch frowned and sighed. "That's right; she is the daughter of a witch, one of my apprentices, in fact."
"So do you know where her parent is?" I asked, hopefully.
"She's dead," the witch uttered coldly.
"Dead..." I muttered; well, Miya won't like this news.
"What about her dad?" I asked again.
"Don't talk about him! That guy seduced Liya and abandoned them!" she started to raise her voice.
I was startled but remained calm. She seemed to hold her apprentice dear. But a question arose: if she cherished Miya's mother so much, why did she never search for her daughter?
She then started talking more about Miya's mother, but suspicion gnawed at my heart, and I blurted out, "Why didn't you ever search for Miya's whereabouts?"
She grew quiet, and the air turned heavy. I was perplexed; is it hard to say the reason?
The witch sighed, her wrinkles seeming to age with the pain in her voice. "I can't."
She glanced at me and continued, "Miya was cursed by the one who killed Liya."
"If she remembers her memories with Liya, she would become a demon, falling under the villain's control."
She gritted her teeth. "I hope everything you hear here stays here."
"You can do that, right?" Her eyes turned slightly cold.
I didn't understand what this curse was about, but if knowing her past would demonize Miya, I couldn't talk to her about it then.
"Okay," I said with one word.
Then we chatted some more, and the witch grew fond of me somehow, probably due to all those years with no one to talk to. She gifted me some potions. In the end, the cloak I bought was never used. Did I waste my money? Can I get a refund from the suspicious granny?
Soon, I left the witch's hut and returned to town. I entered my room in the inn and simply slept on the bed without changing my gear.
The next day, the sun had risen, and I walked to the guild building as usual. Rex was in front of the quest board lounging.
I greeted him with a smile and waited for our party member; soon, Emir arrived, but there was no sight of Miya.
"Miya is late," Emir spoke.
"I'll go visit her place to take a look!"
"I'll go with you," I simply said.
"Then I will continue checking the quest," Rex continued browsing the quest board.
The two of us walked through the street and arrived at another inn, different from the one I stayed in.
We headed in and knocked on Miya's room. Soon a bedraggled Miya, with her hair a mess, greeted us. "Uh? Dumb and Emir!?"
"Why did you two come—ugh!" Just as she started to hug Emir, she stopped and clutched her stomach in pain.
"Miya! Are you sick?" Emir asked, concerned.
"Ye-s... I think I ate something spoiled last night..."
"Take a rest then; we won't go take a quest today." Emir helped Miya lay on the bed.
"Today I will take care of you!" Emir said that out of nowhere.
Well, I guess no questing today. "I'll help," I smiled.
The day went by with us chilling and Miya getting better. We already told Rex, so he decided to spend his day exercising.
As Miya ate the porridge Emir cooked, she said, "Thank you, Emir and Dumb!" She smiled with rice sticking to her cheeks. "For being with me!"
Emir laughed and rubbed Miya's yellow hair. "Oh, you!"
I laughed along and almost told Miya about her family. But it was fine; now Miya isn't alone. And I hoped this happiness lasted forever, but I know that isn't realistic. But hey, a man can ask, can't he?
I departed from Miya's inn and headed back to my inn and slept like a log.