I Reincarnated as an NPC Witch

The Start of Magic

“What do you mean? This grimoire didn’t exist before?” Cencha was confused with was she just heard. “How can this grimoire not exist beforehand? I mean, you need grimoires for your spells. I am not judging how good you are at memorizing, Miss Crocus. But, every witch starts with a grimoire. Unless you started differently from us. If that’s that, I am sorry for what I have just said. I am not underestimating your abilities. Just saying what I know and believe.” She bows at her. Abigail sighs, “Don’t mind that. I am just noticing things now. I used the wrong word for what I just said. This existed before, don’t worry. It’s just it’s not there before. But, I am quite not observant in my environment. So, pardon me and I am sorry if I confused you. Yes, you’re right. All of the witches start with a grimoire and lack of knowledge about magic.” She lays down a handkerchief on the table where it was in. “I am not that different from you all. I wasn’t born in this world with the wisdom of an 80-year old person.” She takes a deep breath and calms herself, “Yes, yes. I started as someone who doesn’t know anything. And, it still resonates in me. I don’t know my grammar.” She shakes her head and giggled rather awkwardly.

Cencha noticed her sudden awkwardness but shrugs it off. “It’s fine, Miss Crocus. No one is perfect. I once see you as a perfect being, void of any imperfections. But, a time with you proves that heroes are just like normal people. The difference is that you guys have braveness in your heart and a desire to change how the world turns on this continent. While, me, I don’t have those traits. I am quite afraid of things in my surroundings. Who knew a world full of magic and different races would be so dangerous?” She cackles awkwardly and scratches the back of her neck. “That’s why when my friends started talking about you all and you in particular, I started to look up to you. I want to be a witch that helps people. It also proves for those residents of Lesser Untamo witches and wizards aren’t that bad.”

Abigail stops folding the handkerchief over the book and looks at her. “Can I ask you a question?” Cencha nods rapidly, “Yes, you can ask anything, anytime!” The witch sighs, “How old were you when you first heard of me? And, how many ages ago did that happen?” The girl in front of her thinks, “When I was an 8-year-old? Yeah, I think that’s the time where I met my friends and told you about these heroes. Especially the half-orc child that you specifically save from beasts in the forest when he was separated from his parents. Witches have a bad name when I was a child before. Specifically for the fact that any witches can learn about dark magic. As to compare with mages that are just limited with their own prowess. Basically, witches and wizards have different abilities and they aren’t limited in what they can just do. Like you, Miss Crocus. Even if you specialized in flowers, you still can learn and even execute dark magic, with a twist! You can use your specialization to do it. I think that’s why some of them hate us, especially people in Lesser Untamo. It’s a nightmare for us there. I hope you and your heroic companions won’t stumble upon them. Since that place is a bit unavoidable if you came from this village. Unless you guys will take a long path to circumvent the walls they have in their own little city.”

Abigail sighs and packs up the spells grimoire. “We’ll see about that, Cencha. If we ever stumbled upon it and were unable to escape the mistake we’ve committed, I am sure I will be knowledgeable with my magic… again. So, I will be able to fight with my companions.” Cencha claps, “Yeah! Let them taste the witches’ wrath!”

“No, no. Not that attitude, Cencha. I will not pour my wrath at them. I will just defend myself. Besides, they are people who make mistakes. I am sure they will realize that witches aren’t that bad at some point in their lives. We don’t know their real reason yet why they are doing that. We just know what we see, but we don’t know what they see with their own eyes. Although, if we still don’t know the latter one, their deeds are still unjustifiable. We don’t know how many innocent and good witches they have burned and sacrifice to whom they intend their actions. If we tried to curse them, we just prove the mindset they have for us. At least, I don’t want to be the one to put the vengeance on them, unless I needed to. It’s not a heroic thing to burn down nor bring havoc to the city.” Cencha sighs, “You’re right.” Abigail smiles, “But, I don’t think they are already doing the right thing, even I don’t unleash anger at them.”

She puts the folded handkerchief on her sling bag and looks at the young witch. “Should we go now?” She nods as Abigail pulls the chalk she borrowed earlier. “Could you do the honors of giving us the way home?” Cencha nods once more and accepted the magical chalk. She kneels on the ground and draws the Ring of Places dedicated to her bedroom. After a minute of drawing on the floor, she puts the chalk on the pockets of her robes. “It’s done!” Abigail kneels and looks at her, “You go first.” The young witch nods as she holds the ring and teleported out of the hut. Abigail takes a deep breath and touches the drawing on the floor. Before she even realizes it, she’s back in the bedroom of Cencha.

“Do I still teach you about your spells, Miss Crocus? I mean, you could just learn it by yourself since it’s yours anyway. And, I believe you have many different spells than I am.” Abigail smiles, “I could learn these myself. But, when I need help, I could visit you there if your mom permits so.” “Oh, she will permit you even if you aren’t finishing with your sentence. Who could deny a visit from a legendary witch herself!” Abigail giggles, “I am not that legendary, Cencha. I am just known to help people with my magic. I am not a powerful sorcerer nor a mage to be even called legendary.” Cencha insists on her idea, “You have magic that involves power, unlike any other witches or wizards! You could even be mistaken as a druid because you have many talents! Besides, what’s not legendary about a witch able to use the flowers blooming in the surroundings to fight, defend, and just plainly cast different spells. Because, for me, that’s legendary enough! I can imagine you floating petals everywhere and maybe even levitating someone with it. That’s a unique and cool twist for the Levitation Spell!”

Abigail smiles at her enthusiasm. “Whatever you say, Cencha. Besides, it’s your own opinion and perspective. I am not going to destroy it for you. It’s an amazing one. What’s wrong with making someone your idol?” The young witch giggles and claps, “See you soon, Miss Crocus! Good luck with your witch and spell endeavors. I hope you stay safe, I am quite scared of what happened to you in the inn. I hope you will be peaceful there after that.” Abigail pets her head and fixes her sling bag, “I will be fine. Besides, I am not alone there. If there’s any threat arises once more, I know I have some companions to fight against it.”

They bid their farewell as Abigail walks her way back to the inn. She was greeted by the others. “Get your food here, Abigail. We can’t eat in the dining room for a while. The workers are on it but it will not be easy for them since the corrupted one has damaged a lot of this room.” Lavena approached her and leads her to the kitchen where all of the lunch foods are served at the center kitchen counter. “Serve yourselves, ladies and gentleman!” Gyllnees said as she stirs the pot with steaming soup. She was standing atop a tall stool. “Doopanth Bone Broth everyone!” Sieqa helped her companion to serve the steaming soup she just cooked. Just like the breakfast, the whole table is full of different delicacies. Although, it’s not that many that there will be many leftovers after they all eat. Keeana shoves a big plate to her with a bowl on the top of it and some utensils. “Choose up, Crocus!” She said enthusiastically as she suddenly decides to serve Abigail instead. She scooped a delicacy that looks like rice but yellow, some of the bone broth that was just served, a cauliflower-looking food but roasted, a slice of meat, and small amounts of other dishes in the counter.

Abigail looks at the terrifying amount of food she has on the plate. “Don’t be shy about it. Besides, it’s pretty rare to have this amount of food in an adventure. Enjoy it while it lasts.” The witch shrugs and carefully goes upstairs and to her rented room. She settled down the food on the desk and tries to eat up everything on the plate. It was all delicious in different ways. After she have eaten, she returned the plate downstairs and came back to her room to teach herself. She was incredibly full but it was a great way to start up in her spell-casting adventure in the room, alone by herself.

She grabbed the handkerchief and pulls out the spell grimoire from it. She opens the book and flips the pages to the table of contents. She started to get down to the basics of spell casting. She avoids doing spells on fragile things and does spells that could damage things. She needs a much open area where she wouldn’t care if there’s something that was damaged in the process. Cencha was right, every spell she has some sort of connection with flowers. It’s either a requirement or an option to ease the casting and even the mental workload she needs to cast the spell in a much longer time. The young witch was right as well about the levitation spell having to do with petals. The petal of a flower could ease the workload to endure the spell for a much longer time. It also depends on what type of flower was used as well.

In hours, from afternoon to night, before dinner and sleep, she has taught herself so much. There are hard times such as almost breaking a vase when she tried to risk things. She slept on her bed mentally tired yet satisfied with the progress she made throughout the day. She has some spells that could really help her somehow in the next few days if they decided to venture again. She slowly drifted to sleep but was suddenly woke up by something else.

“Don’t sleep yet.” It was him again. She feels as if she was lifted in the air. She confirmed she was as she opens her eyes. “Your stupid dreamcatcher wouldn’t let me if you do.”

“You. What do you need again!?” Her surrounding was slowly covered in a black fog. “Why are you mad? I am just here to congratulate you. What’s wrong with that? Congratulations from a friend of yours.” Abigail hisses, “Dream better, Dark Wizard.” He laughs, “I have dreamed better already, Abigail. I am ahead of you.” She was frozen, she was called by her real name again by him once more. She shakes her head, “How do you know my name? And, also, did you do that possession earlier to Estelle!?