Chapter 15

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The cold wind blowing through the forest made the white lace ribbon flutter.

Little Claudia, with her milk tea-colored hair flowing smoothly, swung her short staff, about thirty centimeters long, with a swift motion.

“Hey!”

With a light voice, she uttered the word, and in response, a terrifying thunderclap exploded.

Small bolts of lightning repeatedly struck the ground, piercing it like fangs. In the midst of this, a small figure darted through the gaps.

It was Noah, wielding a sword of lightning.

Claudia aimed at Noah without hesitation, but his quick movements dodged her attacks. He turned his body, parried with a sword of the same attribute, and at times, steadied himself by planting his hand on the ground.

Noah charged straight toward Claudia, fearless and bold, yet cautious. His black eyes were serious, just as she had commanded him to be serious.

Without hesitation, he raised his sword at Claudia.

“Ha...”

（...He’s really good.）

If he wanted to strike Claudia, this was the perfect timing.

（But...）

While looking up at him, Claudia swung her staff with a twirl.

“No good.”

“...!?”

Noah, sensing something, angled his sword for defense. The blade managed to shield him from the direct hit of the icicle.

“Gah...!!”

The sound of the collision echoed, and Noah was sent flying backward. Claudia followed up by swinging her staff again, sending a second and third ice projectile his way.

“Damn!!”

“Oh!”

Noah, pressing his abdomen, still managed to slash horizontally with his sword. The ice was deflected, and he managed to avoid being hit. Impressed by his movement, Claudia clapped her hands.

“Good job, Noah. I didn’t expect you to stop that.”

The staff Claudia held was a cute one, with a round stone at the tip and a ribbon tied to it. Of course, Claudia didn’t need a tool to use magic, but she liked how it looked.

She put the staff away with magic and approached her kneeling servant. Noah, hunched over and breathing heavily, managed to say:

“...A little more, restraint...”

“Do you want it?”

“No way...!”

Saying this, he glared at Claudia, despite being drenched in sweat. His pitch-black eyes were straight and direct, and it felt good to meet his gaze. Claudia, in a good mood, nodded and told her servant:

“Still, you’re really something. To become this strong in such a short time is proof of how hard you’ve worked.”

Noah, likely consciously regulating his breathing, said straightforwardly:

“...This much effort is only natural.”

His polite tone, which he had started using recently, was more refined than when they first met.

“As long as I am your servant, I need to be as strong as anyone else.”

“...Hehe.”

Claudia’s cheeks bloomed at his perfect answer as a servant.

“Good boy. But, that’s enough for today. You must be hungry.”

“...Don’t worry, I’ll go shopping after this. The old man at the village bakery said he would bake that bread again.”

“Great! Hey, let’s buy lots of eggs too? I’ll make a big omelet for Noah.”

“That’s fine, but what about your magic reserves? ...You’re using too much magic just to train me.”

“I’m still fine. Besides, it’s for my cute servant, so I’ll use it without hesitation.”

At this, Noah’s face immediately soured.

“...Please, stop calling me cute...”

“Hehe.”

His polite speech would only break down during training when he was out of breath or sulking. But Noah himself would frown even more each time his tone slipped.

（He’s quite sensitive about being younger than me mentally.）

This immaturity was endearing, but he probably didn’t realize it. Thinking this, she covered her mouth and yawned.

（Still, I’ve really gotten used to this life.）

It had been about a month since Claudia regained her memories from her past life and made the adorable boy Noah her servant.

In the tall tower in the middle of the forest, she lived alone with Noah. Claudia was teaching him, including the use of magic, despite him having been a slave for a long time.

In her past life, as the witch Ardelheit, she had many disciples. She would readily take on disciples, educate them thoroughly, and never chase after those who dropped out. As a result, she always had about twenty disciples, who frequently changed, and she couldn’t remember all their faces and names.

Among the hundreds of disciples over the years, Noah had an exceptionally high talent.

Moreover, even when Claudia pushed him to the limit in training, Noah never complained.

It was only natural that she found him endearing, given his determination to keep going until she called a halt.

And, Claudia smiled.

“It’s coming undone. Tie it, Noah.”

After touching her ribbon, Noah frowned again.

“...If I touch it now, it will get dirty.”

“Just do it.”

“Sigh... Here.”

Standing beside Noah and turning her back, Claudia let Noah untie the loose ribbon and re-tie it as he did in the morning.

It was a simple braid, but he had struggled more with it at first. Claudia’s fine, smooth hair was difficult for Noah to handle. However, with his remarkable ambition and effort, he had improved significantly.

“...It’s done.”

“Thank you. You’re so cute.”

Saying this, Noah turned away, unsatisfied with his own work. Claudia, smiling, took Noah’s hand.

“Let’s go shopping!”

“Huh? No, you should stay here and—...”

Before Noah could finish his protest, Claudia activated a teleportation spell. When the light faded, Noah and Claudia were standing hand in hand in a corner of the usual village.

The village was large, but just a step away from the main street, it was a rural area where animals roamed freely. To avoid being seen by the villagers, they chose an uninhabited spot, and they were usually surrounded by animals right after teleporting.

“...”

Pushing away the bleating sheep, Noah quietly protested.

“...Princess. As I’ve said many times, please stop wasting magic.”

“I get bored staying here. Come on, let’s go, Noah.”

With that, Claudia petted the fluffy sheep she had become familiar with and started walking with Noah.