Pink and purple mana coiled around Mel's sleeves before covering her entire figure. Before long, her rough robes were woven and transformed into a lavender, glamorous dress.
As Mel sat up, the mana tendrils collided and swirled around her hair, weaving themselves into existence like a witch's hat.
"Status Screen."
[Status]
HP: 200,000/200,000
MP: 500,000/500,000
Class: Witch of Lust
Skill:
"Wow. Not as overbloated as last time, huh?"
Mel's lips curled up. When she first unlocked her Witch Form through secretly circulating her mana for practices, she was shocked first by her overwhelming stat increase, then by the overwhelming number of skills her Witch Form harbored.
"Hehe, you indeed did well."
The Witch nodded with satisfaction before stretching her hand out.
And not before long, a wooden staff materialised in her hand: no decoration or jewelry, just a simple wood crowned with a tender bud.
Mel waved her hand. "
An invisible barrier immediately covered the entire room. Saria should rest well knowing there is no witch right under her rooftop.
Mel's mana gathered at the staff. To capture the merchant without anyone knowing, she would need an accomplice who was faster than her.
She then pointed at the staff on the ground. "
A purple magic circle burst forth, hissing as it burned into the wood. Mel observed with interest, for it had been a while since she cast such a powerful spell. The Era brought by the Saintess was too peaceful after all.
And in just one second, a figure was called forth, kneeling, her dark purple tail twirling in the air as she stared at her master. It was a catgirl dressed in a modest maid uniform with a purple bob haircut.
Mel stared at Nyxie with nostalgia. "It has been a while, Nyxie."
The catgirl's ears twitched, as if not expecting her master's kindness. "It... indeed has, my Lord."
The Witch of Lust chuckled. Back in her world, she read in an Elf Manga that time passed slowly for a long-living species. Nyxie is one herself, yet even if it has only been three months, she couldn't bear a second without her master, huh?
She headpatted her pet with a loving gaze. "I am honoured to have you miss me, Nyxie."
The catgirl shuddered at the touch before shaking her head. "I swore...to carry your burden. Please don't feel the need to be honoured by my lowly presence."
Mel's eyes curved, feeling slightly gaslit by her familiar's humility. All 'Awakened' Witch would unlock access to their familiars. Aside from how everyday summoning magic won't ever conjure up a cute catgirl like hers, the Witch's familiars stood out against the rest for being all absurdly strong.
Like the Witch of Pride's Dragon familiar, whose ice still turned the Northland into an eternal ice age, only hidden away to avoid the even more absurdly strong Saintess.
"Now, my little pet."
Mel admired the unmoving, loyal girl, who shivered at the word 'pet'. It is so cute, almost as cute as Lila.
"There will be a merchant who will visit our village in two days. I want you to capture him by then."
The merchant, who carried the cure to Lila's sister's sickness, is not a powerful foe, but sly enough that he will escape her
The catgirl bowed her head. "As you command."
Then a black wind blew around Nyxie, before she transformed into a normal black cat.
"I'll be counting on you, as always."
The Master smiled as she petted her first ever familiar in this World, the cat's sharp purr sending her ears in bliss.
Besides being the first ever familiar, Nyxie was also her one and only spy in the capital. Other familiars she commanded in her Witch form were too... violent for such a task, so Nyxie was the only companion she trusted with gathering information, as well as stealing any secret artifacts scattered around that would have been picked up by the original protagonist of the "Witchhunter's Howl.
As she watched the cat leap away from the window, she deactivated her Witch form and glanced at her status screen again.
[Status]
HP: 100/100
MP: 500/500
Class: Mage
Skill:
Expected stat decrease, but seeing the numbers hurt Mel every time. As a former RPG player herself, it is like your LV 150 accounts that you grinded for over 200 hours, only to dip back to LV 1 when you changed class.
Strangely cathartic, but also painful when you realise it is another 200 hours of repetitive grinding.
After deactivating the
[Good night, my Host.]
Pft, how polite. Lila would have loved this System.
"Good night, my System..."
And with that, she slept soundly once again for a sweet, lovely dream where this World of hers would no longer have a bad ending.
She will seduce all her targets.
She will prevent the destruction of this world with her own hands, a destruction that even the protagonist failed to avoid.
-----------------
The morning breeze seeped from Mel's window, brushing against the Witch's cheek as she mumbled in her sleep, fully immersed in the fantasy land of her own making.
"Lila? Hugs... hehe, more hugs..."
"Brat? Oi, brat."
"Hm... not brat, mama..."
"I'm not that old yet, so wake up, brat."
Mel rubbed her eyes, the blurring vision clearing to reveal a ponytailed knight, frowning again at her laziness.
She glanced at the chest's part, then at her bountiful breasts. It is another day to be grateful to the Lord.
"I feel like you thought of something insulting again."
Facing the scowling Knight, Mel wore a sheepish smile. "Must be your imagination."
Like how she didn't notice the pads in Saria's chest. Again, an utter tragedy.
After Mel rose from the bed, enjoyed a shower, and changed into another rough robe, she left the bathroom with drippy hair, the towel dangling over her shoulder.
In the dining room, the lone Knight sat casually with her coffee, with two plates and cups placed at the table—scrambled eggs and sausages, with tea as always.
Mel's lips frowned a little. Back in the old world, her parents also cooked such a combination a million times. She used to complain how monotone the breakfasts were before she ate outside. Had she known she was kidnapped, she would have tasted more.
"How's your day been?"
Slipping herself onto the chair, Mel picked up her cutlery before asking the usual.
"Good enough. Emilia stopped by during her visit, so I was not bored with my retired life."
Mel smirked as she chewed on the eggs. "More like unemployed life."
"At least I was still paid." Saria returned with a smirk of her own, completely unashamed.
As a war hero and one of the strongest Holy knights, the church respectfully treated Saria's 'retirement', being sent with bundles of gold before she left.
The kind Knight donated most of it to the orphans, only leaving enough for her journey home. But the Church insisted and sent even more gold her way, likely trying to bind the Knight not to cut them off so easily.
Politics. As always. The Royal Family loved them. So does the Church. Not to claim anyone is the villain, but it is how it is.
"You're going to revisit your friend and her sister?" The Knight sipped her tea as she stared at Mel.
The Witch nodded to the former Holy Knight. "Yep."
Saria put a pouch of silver coins onto the table. "Make sure to buy some flowers and milk. And... send her my regard."
Mel sensed the heaviness in Saria's voice. Lila's sister, Leia, was poisoned with a mysterious illness. Even when the former Holy Knight cast her Exper-tier Holy Spell, she still failed to heal her, regrettably.
"Of course."
Mel mustered up a playful tone. "Why not accompany me to visit her? Having too much of your private time with your lovely Emila?"
The Knight's frown loosened before her finger poked at Mel's amused brows. "Eat your breakfast, brat."
"Hehe. Got it, mama!"
"Once again, I am not that old yet."
Just like that, the neutral expression returned to the Knight, the one Mel was far more used to.
A Witch is cheering up a Knight for her failure. The Church would have put both on a stake had it known, but unfortunately, she hid herself a little too well.
Unlike an actual Witch, she didn't rampage around like a madman upon unlocking her
"Enjoy your date!"
"Have some business to take care of. And your own friend first before you joke about mine."
Mel tasted the sausages in her mouth. Not as tasty as her old home's, but more than enough to warm her heart.