This is the Little Witch's POV.
My name is Rufe.
When I finally came to, I found myself lying in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar house.
I remembered being on the verge of death at the hands of the Priest Dryades, only to be saved by a Dwarf elder.
My memories cut off at the exact moment that Dwarf transformed into a woman I recognized.
That woman, with her white hair and Cat-ear Witch Hat, looked exactly like the witch who had turned me into one five years ago.
The memory of that day—the day I became a witch at six years old—surged back, and I instinctively clutched my aching left shoulder.
Just then, a voice called out to me from the door.
"It seems you're awake."
A woman I had never seen before entered the room.
Her hair was white like mine, though a portion of it was streaked with gold.
"Who... are you?"
"I am Groa, the Witch Queen's Assistant. And what is your name?"
"Rufe..."
"Rufe, I see. In terms of our Witch Lineage, I'm essentially your older sister, so feel free to rely on me if you need anything."
"...Where am I?"
"This is the Witch's Village, ruled by the Witch Queen. From today on, this will be your new home."
It seemed I had been carried away by the witches while I was unconscious.
I wondered if Alraune was okay back in the forest. I was so worried about her.
"Can I go back to the forest?"
"Of course not. The outside world is far too dangerous. Besides, you are one of the precious few witches who inherited the Witch Queen's power almost perfectly. You must stay here and train to become a fine witch."
"If I do that... can I go back then?"
"Forget about going back; this is your house now. We intend for you to become a Village Executive in the future. We even specially prepared this private house just for you."
So, this house belonged to me.
I had been camping out in the woods with Alraune until yesterday, so it had been a very long time since I’d slept under a real roof. It felt nostalgic.
However, I had no intention of staying here forever.
I started to say, "I can't stay here," but the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
About ten women came surging inside like an avalanche.
Even if I was only a novice, I was still a witch.
I could tell instantly that every single one of them was a witch.
That was when I noticed something.
I had always assumed that every witch's hair turned white.
Apparently, I was wrong.
My hair, Groa's hair, and the hair of the person who turned me into a witch were all white.
But the hair colors of the Witch Army gathered here were all different.
While a few had patches of white mixed in, their base colors were varied.
At a glance, not a single one of them appeared to be naturally white-haired.
The Witch Army began to chatter excitedly, saying things like, "Is this the new girl?", "Let me see her face," and "Oh, isn't she adorable?"
Groa, the Witch Queen's Assistant, watched them with an exasperated expression before scolding the group.
"Hey! I told you lot not to come in yet!"
"Oh, come on, Lady Groa, what's the harm?" "It's been so long since we had a new companion; everyone's just excited." "Besides, how long has it been since a child witch this small came to the village?" "Wasn't it since Zelma?" "No, Zelma didn't technically become a witch, so that doesn't count." "Then it's been since Malai." "Either way, she's the first child newcomer we've had in ten years."
They continued to chatter away without permission.
Then, they began firing questions at me one after another.
"Where are you from?" "What's your favorite food?" "Can you knit?" All of them were trivial and pointless.
I didn't have time for this.
I had to get back to the Dryades' Forest as soon as possible to make sure Alraune was safe.
If she was struggling against the Four Heavenly Kings Dryades, I wanted to go help her.
Yes, I decided right then.
I would escape.
First, I would use Transformation Magic to turn into a bird and fly out through that open door.
But just as I prepared to cast the spell, a sweet, sing-song voice whispered in my ear.
"Where are you going, nya~?"
Chills ran down my spine.
Before I could react, someone’s chilly, cold hand grabbed my arm.
The witch wearing the cat-ear hat was suddenly sitting on the bed right next to me.
My gaze was drawn to her long, flowing hair, which was as white as snow.
She was the witch who had saved me from the Priest Dryades.
I hadn't sensed her presence at all...
Groa spoke up. "Witch Queen, you've returned."
So, this person was the Witch Queen.
And there was no doubt about it.
If my memories from five years ago were correct, she was the one who had turned me into a witch.
The moment the Witch Queen appeared, the Witch Army fell perfectly silent, as if their previous rowdiness had been a lie.
"Everyone, sorry, but I'll have you leave now, nyaa~," the Witch Queen said, clearing the room.
Soon, the only people left were the Witch Queen and her assistant, Groa.
"Nyahaha, it's been a long time~. I was so surprised! Not only have you grown into such a big girl, but you've inherited my magic power to an incredible extent."
On that day when I was six, I was forced to become a witch.
Back then, I found this woman terrifying.
And now, just like then, I was so paralyzed by fear that I couldn't find my voice.
All that came out of my mouth was a faint, airy whistle.
"Well then, let me have a little look-see, nyaa~."
With those words, the Witch Queen suddenly began to undress me.
The shock of the situation finally broke my paralysis.
"What are you doing all of a sudden...!?"
"Resisting is u~seless~."
Even though I tried to pull away, my body wouldn't obey.
I was frozen stiff, as if I had been turned into a stone statue.
With practiced ease, the Witch Queen exposed my skin, leaving me completely vulnerable.
I was deathly embarrassed; this was the first time anyone besides my family had seen my body...
Ignoring my feelings, the Witch Queen looked at my left shoulder and nodded with satisfaction.
"The Witch's Mark is growing beautifully, nya~."
The emblem-like mark on my left shoulder was the symbol this Witch Queen had carved into me when I was transformed.
The kingdom's Witch Hunt Squad knew of this mark.
That was why I had always been so careful to hide it whenever I was in a Human Settlement.
Groa, who had been watching us in silence, let out another exasperated sigh.
"Witch Queen, I don't believe you needed to undress Rufe just to look at her mark."
"Oh, it's my hobby, of course~. I was just observing to see what kind of clothes would look good on her."
"Rufe is still a child. Please don't use her as a guinea pig for your twisted hobbies."
"I know, I know~."
I didn't quite understand her, but maybe the Witch Queen wasn't as scary as I thought?
When I was first taken, I assumed I was in for a horrible time.
But despite being kidnapped, the treatment wasn't actually that bad. Maybe Alraune had felt the same way when she was taken.
Still, I couldn't shake the sense of overwhelming dread I felt in this woman's presence.
"Witch Queen... ma'am, can I go back to the forest?"
"Eeeeh? You want to see that Alraune girl that much? Well, if you really want to, I guess you can go~."
"Really?"
"Once you've become a full-fledged witch, that is. If I let you out alone now, you'll just be hunted by the humans, so for now, it's a no~-go~."
"I'm... not afraid of humans..."
"Are you sure about that? Have you never been through a Witch Hunt? Those people hate witches more than anything. If they catch you, they'll put you through things far worse than death~."
I suddenly remembered being outed as a witch in my village. I remembered the adult men beating me and stuffing stones into my mouth.
The villagers had said that because a witch wasn't human, it was okay to hurt them.
The bitter memory made my eyes grow hot and wet.
I never wanted to feel like that again.
"One reason I brought Rufe-chan to the Witch's Village was to raise you as a Successor Candidate, but I also wanted to guarantee your safety~."
Because of the Witch Hunts, I had always viewed witches as scary and evil.
But even though this woman was terrifying, I didn't get the feeling she was a bad person.
I had been on guard because I thought she was just a kidnapper, but it seemed things were more complicated.
That said, I couldn't just trust her because we were both witches.
Witches were no different from humans.
They were bound to be cunning and selfish.
The only being in this world I could truly trust was my Alraune.
A plant like Alraune would never betray me.
The Witch Queen seemed to have finished her business. She stood up from the bed and gently patted my head.
"Anyway, as long as you're in this village, you're safe. Spend your time however you like, Rufe-chan~."
As she turned to leave, I called out to her. "Wait!"
There was something I had always wanted to ask if I ever saw her again.
I spoke the question that I had carried in my heart ever since the day she changed my life.
"Why... why did you make me a witch?"
Why was I forbidden from living a normal life like other children?
Why did my parents and I have to live in constant hiding?
Why was I hunted by my own kind?
Why did I have to stop being human?
Why did it have to be me?
I had wondered these things since I was six years old.
"Oh? Have you really been wondering about that all this time, nya~?"
The Witch Queen turned back toward me with an exaggerated flourish.
Then, with an expression as cold as ice, she gave a playful laugh.
"There is no reason."
Her voice was flat and heartless.
"You just happened to catch my eye. That's all."
With a cheerful "See ya~," the Witch Queen strolled out of the room.
So that was it...
I had to stop being human simply because of this woman's whim.
That was the only reason I was a witch.
She really was terrifying.
An incomprehensible, inscrutable monster.
Even after five years, my impression of the Witch Queen remained exactly the same as it was when I was six.
The emblem Alraune had seen on the Little Witch's shoulder while she was bathing in the forest was this very Witch's Mark.
Next time: Little Witch's First Witch's Village - Latter Part.