A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 58. The Witch’s Arrival

“──Welcome, we’ve been expecting you.”

At the Trakia family’s main gate.

Layla, a maid serving the house and specifically attending to Katia, deeply bowed her head.

Standing before her was a figure deeply hooded.

The dull-colored hood covered the person completely, making it hard to discern any features. From the build and the glimpse of the mouth through the gaps, it was barely recognizable as a woman.

Despite the suspicious nature of this person, Layla escorted her into the mansion with the utmost respect.

She felt a faint reverence towards the bottomless aura emanating from ‘her’.

In the mansion’s hall, the residents and servants were gathered to greet the guest.

They had been instructed by the head of the house, Jurgen, to do so, and indeed, ‘she’ was someone who deserved such a reception.

As everyone watched with tension, the door finally opened, and the hooded figure entered the mansion.

Layla closed the door, and the figure, as if in relief, removed the troublesome hood.

──Everyone gasped.

Big blue eyes with a trace of a young girl’s innocence, a beautifully sculpted nose. Even in this glamorous capital, she possessed a beauty that would make everyone turn their heads.

Luxurious red hair and a chic black dress perfectly outlined her figure, contrasting sharply with her fair skin.

She was a beauty that demanded attention.

With a confident expression befitting her appearance, ‘she’ slowly looked over the people who had come to greet her.

Then, her gaze fixed on a corner where a silver-haired boy stood.

“Hermes───────!!”

……The previous dignity was nowhere to be found.

Her face lit up with a charming radiance like a young girl’s, she called the boy’s name, ran at full speed, and leaped at him.

Though surprised, the boy, Hermes, caught her with a familiar demeanor.

“It’s Hermes, it’s really Hermes! I’m so happy to see you again. I’ve been so lonely! Do you know how I’ve spent the nights alone this past month──!”

Saying this, she hugged Hermes tightly, stroked his head, and even pressed her face into his neck.

Even Hermes, accustomed to her affection, felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment in front of the Trakia family, who were watching with stunned expressions.

But more than that.

Hermes himself was filled with nostalgia at feeling her warmth after a month.

So he lightly returned her embrace.

With a wry smile and deep emotion, he gently spoke to her──the witch, Rose.

“……It’s been a while, Master.”

◆

Here’s how it happened.

Following the events of that party, the conflict with Aster, which had been ongoing for several weeks, came to an end.

With the end of the break and the start of the second term, Hermes and his friends found themselves with some free time.

Katia, being diligent, planned to use that time for monster hunting and dungeon exploration as before and went with Hermes to ask her father Jurgen if there were any tasks for them.

Jurgen, after a moment of consideration, said:

“I see, if you have time… Hermes, can I ask you something?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Well, since Katia already knows, I don’t think there’s any need to hide it from you all──”

Jurgen, with a rare hint of nostalgia and expectation in his voice, said:

“──Can you call Rose here?”

He explained, “It’s quite unnerving to have Rose’s prized disciple here without her knowledge or consent”.

Originally, he had planned to introduce her somehow once things settled down. “We have your child here”, he intended to say.

And since the children had some free time, it was a good opportunity to invite her to the house and introduce her to the Trakia family, especially to Katia.

The concern was whether Rose, who disliked the capital, would come willingly, but surprisingly, she agreed with a letter stating, “I’ll go anywhere if it means seeing Hermes!”

Considering her infamous reputation, she was to arrive in disguise, which brings us to the present moment.

Thus, Rose was now here.

“Ahh, Hermes’s scent… it’s calming…”

“Master, it’s ticklish and embarrassing. At least maintain your dignity for the initial greeting.”

“I could stay like this forever…”

“This is scary. Please, can you let go for now?”

“Impossible, I can’t move. Could it be, Hermes, are you using some ‘charm’ magic on me?”

“That would be interesting magic, but unfortunately, I’m not aware of such a thing. Anyway──”

Think of it like this.

Imagine someone coddling their pet cat or dog in private in a way they wouldn’t show to others.

Now, imagine she was doing this in front of the entire Trachia family.

“──Because, you know. I was really, really lonely.”

Though Hermes tried to peel her off for the sake of progressing the conversation, she only pulled her face back and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“For five years, I lived with you and cherished you, then you left home and I was all alone? Anyone would act like this. Please allow me this much──”

“──I’ve heard it’s like that.”

Her face showed that these words were her pure, unfiltered feelings.

Being cherished so much was undeniably something Hermes was grateful for.

“──We have time later, so you can hug me all you want. But for now, let’s greet everyone.”

“──Alright.”

Though he thought he was probably too lenient, he urged her. Rose nodded and finally let go.

It was unclear who the guardian was, but with that done, they could redo the greeting──he thought, turning to face forward.

“──Wha… what…?”

──And met the wide-eyed gaze of Katia, who was looking at him with a pale face.

“Oh, um, this is…”

Oh no. Knowing her serious nature, she was bound to be upset at this impropriety.

Preparing himself for a reprimand, Hermes was taken aback by Katia’s words.

“──Who is she!?”

“……What?”

It was an unexpected question.

Everyone here should know who was coming.

“Who… Rose, my master.”

“No way! But isn’t Rose──Roselia the same age as my father!? There’s no way──”

She exclaimed loudly.

“──That she’s this young and beautiful!”

“……Ah.”

He finally understood and realized he had forgotten.

“Because Rose──Roselia is supposed to be the same age as my father, right!? There’s a limit to how young one can look──”

He had gotten so used to her that he forgot to explain. He still didn’t know why her physical age didn’t match.

Looking around, he saw the servants nodding in agreement with Katia’s observation.

Seeing Katia’s bewilderment, Hermes pondered how to explain, when Rose leaned in from behind.

“Hey, Hermes. Is this cute girl Jurgen’s kid?”

“Yes, this is Katia-sama. She’s my current master.”

“Oh, the childhood friend you mentioned sometimes. The one separated by an engagement to a prince… Oh, I see, I see.”

Rose alternated her gaze between Hermes and Katia.

Finally, she noticed Katia’s expression──confusion, agitation──and hostility.

Katia’s look towards her, hugging Hermes from behind, was filled with animosity.

“……I see.”

Hermes sensed an ominous feeling.

And sure enough, as expected.

With a mischievous smile, she hugged Hermes tighter.

“──!”

As expected, Katia’s eyes widened further, and she seemed about to shout something when.

“……Still the same, Rose.”

A cool voice interrupted.

Walking towards them with a slightly exasperated expression was the head of the Trakia family.

“Well, it’s good to see you’re doing well.”

“Oh, Jurgen! Long time no see! What, I was going to say you’ve aged the moment I saw you, but you haven’t aged much!”

“Thanks──I guess, though it’s complicated hearing that from you. Really, what’s going on with you? Well, knowing you, nothing surprises me anymore.”

It seemed he had some tolerance for Rose’s eccentricities.

Even so, Jurgen, who had also been stunned by her unchanging appearance, cleared his throat as if to compose himself.

“I’ll hear the details later.──For now, welcome to the Trakia household. It’s not royal hospitality like before, but we’ll treat you well as a guest. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Oh, okay. Then can I ask something right away?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

A bit taken aback by her quick request, Jurgen urged her to continue.

“If I’m a guest, I assume you’ll give me a guest room and a servant, right?”

“Of course──ah, I see.”

“As expected, you catch on quick.”

Understanding what she was implying, Jurgen gave a wry smile.

“This child──I want Hermes as my servant. I intend to have him take care of me just like before!”

“Wh──!!”

Katia screamed, and Jurgen showed a complex expression.

Looking at the amused Rose, Hermes thought.

……Ah, it seems normal life is out of the question.