Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Omen Stone Having lost the grain distribution route through Defelos Trading Company, I began to search for new channels the following day. Unfortunately, this endeavor of opening up new avenues wasn't going smoothly. Part of it was due to the lost credibility of witches, but there were two other reasons for my lack of success. The first reason was the scarcity of independent shops not affiliated with any trading company. Using the lessons of yesterday, I had planned to leave the grain sales to individually owned stores that were not part of a company network. However, they were far from abundant. This led to a limited number of potential negotiation partners, which posed quite a problem. The second reason was the difference in values between myself and the merchants. If I were to be blunt, the merchants prioritized profit above all else. Therefore, many were reluctant to accept my stance on not inflating the prices of grain. I wished to sell the grain at almost giveaway prices, so I desired that they maintain normal pricing during regular times. Despite considerable struggles, I managed to secure grain sales contracts with seven stores within a week. When considering reality, expanding beyond this seemed unlikely. The quantity of grain remaining in my warehouse was also not vast. …Although I was reluctant, I had no choice but to seek help from my sisters. Witch discrimination was escalating, and it was now common to be disparaged while just walking through the city: "This shameless criminal," or "Evil witches should leave the kingdom," were some of the insults hurled in passing. If this continued, witches would no longer be able to live openly in this world. It might already be too late, but… even so, I must act before I begin to regret not taking enough measures. With that in mind, the day after I finished negotiations with the merchants, I decided to bring up the matter during breakfast. "Today, I have an important matter to discuss. It's not a pleasant topic, but you're all aware that discrimination against witches has been intensifying recently, aren't you? As a countermeasure, I’ve been engaging in charitable work." "The grain sales you were doing before? To prevent people from suffering in famine, right?" "Exactly. In relation, I've come to need everyone's help with a few things. I’m sorry to take up your time, but can I count on your cooperation?" "Of course. There's no reason to refuse your request, Sister." "Same here!" "Naturally, I will assist as well." Receiving such responses from my sisters filled me with joy but also self-loathing. I had a vague feeling that this would happen if I made a request. It felt like I was exploiting their goodwill, and I disliked myself a little for it. "Thank you. The main issue at hand is the food shortage, so the tasks I'll ask of you will mostly involve gathering food. Demeter, please use your magic to multiply the wheat and potatoes. Istos and Hecate, I would be grateful if you could hunt and gather meat." "Understood. Aren't we going to use money to buy food as well?" "No. If we start hoarding food now, we will only give others an excuse to nitpick." I tersely answered Hecate's inquiry. Indeed, I could easily imagine accusations like "Witches are stealing our food!" if we were seen amassing food now. Even if I explained that we were redistributing the food to the public, they probably wouldn't listen. "Additionally, I want to confirm one more thing. Does anyone have an unbreakable commitment in three days?" When I asked this, my sisters checked with the others before shaking their heads. Apparently, no one had plans. "If so, please keep your schedules clear for that day. We will conduct a soup kitchen at the orphanage." "A soup kitchen?" "An activity where we provide meals free of charge to those who are struggling to eat. We'll need plenty of hands to prepare a large amount of food… I’m sorry to impose this on you." "Don't say such things, Sister. You always think of us when you do these things, right?" "…Yes. I believe that the best way to resolve witch discrimination is not through conflicts between witches and the public, but through mutual assistance. If we attend to people's grievances, I'm sure that one day our peaceful lives will return." I responded to Istos's words with apparent confidence, but truthfully I was losing faith. In a previous life, people fought endlessly over mere differences in skin color or culture. Could we really hope to stop discrimination against witches with their distinct abilities and lifespans? Perhaps there was a better choice for my sisters' sakes. Was what I did the right thing—? +++ +++ +++ Three days after I spoke with my sisters, I was preparing for the soup kitchen as planned at the orphanage where we lived in our younger years. Because I had consistently donated a substantial amount of money as a token of appreciation, we had a strong relationship of trust with the orphanage, which allowed me to easily secure permission for the event. Using my sisters' help, I transported the large pots needed for cooking and the copious amounts of ingredients, along with the necessary dishes for serving food from home to the orphanage. Once we finished moving everything, we started a fire in the orphanage yard and set up the pots over it. What I was making this time was a potato potage. Into the large pots, I tossed the potatoes multiplied by Demeter and the meat brought by Istos and Hecate from hunting. After adding water, vegetables, and spices like pepper, all that was left was to wait for the ingredients to cook. As we waited, a nice aroma began to waft through the air, drawing people to gather. Thirty minutes later, when the potato potage was ready, I first began serving the food to the children of the orphanage. I dished up the potage and a slice of bread into wooden bowls, which we'd mass-produced for this day, and my sisters handed them out to the children. Receiving the witch-prepared meal without hesitation, the kids happily ate their fill. Having finished serving the children, I approached the adults who had gathered in front of the orphanage. "There's still food left, so we can serve everyone here. If you're having trouble finding food, please feel free to come and get a meal." "Is it really okay? You won’t ask for money afterward, right?" "Absolutely. This is a charitable cause." "Hmph, charitable work by witches? That sounds fishy. Haven't you laced the food with poison or something?" "…You're free to doubt us. However, if you are willing to trust our aid, please come inside the orphanage. A warm meal will be provided for you." With that said, I returned to the orphanage, and several emaciated adults entered. Confirming their entrance, I, along with my sisters, handed over the warm potage and a slice of bread to them. Seeing this, the adults who had been peeking at the scene began to file into the orphanage one after another. To accommodate them, my sisters and I devotedly continued to dish out and serve the food. The crowd was sizable, and the feedback on the food excellent; those who ate the potage thanked us with smiles. The soup kitchen activity was proceeding smoothly, just as I had envisioned. Many who benefited from our cooking had come to realize that witches did not necessarily mean villains. However, just as the food was about to run out, an incident occurred abruptly. A middle-aged man who had come to the orphanage garden grasped a jagged stone and began running toward Hecate, who was beside me. "I won’t be fooled by such a farce... Die, spawn of the devil!" With bloodshot eyes, the man screamed and hurled the stone at Hecate. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Hecate froze, and there was no hope of my magic being ready in time. There was only one thing I could do to save Hecate. At the same moment I pushed Hecate's body aside, a thud and a sharp pain shot through my head where the stone had struck. And with that, I lost consciousness.