Chapter 015: Re: I Am Really a Witch - The Great Con Artist's Disguise Goes Online (Patreon)

Creak.

"Lady Pandora, please, come in..." Seeing the girl standing at the door, Geuse said hurriedly.

"Mm — may I ask... where is Miss Fortuna?" Having scanned the room and found no sign of Fortuna, Pandora felt a flicker of confusion.

At that, Geuse gave a slight bow.

"Tuna said you'd come looking for me, so she went out."

Fortuna had told him as much back when Pandora returned to her room.

Because of that, he'd been on edge ever since...

"Mm." It wasn't exactly a private conversation, but some distance was still worth keeping. "Geuse, you've adapted fast — already calling Miss Fortuna that."

Tuna... Tuna...

"Uh..." Caught off guard by Pandora's rare teasing, Geuse didn't know how to respond, so all he managed was, "Is there some task you'd like to give me, my lady?"

It was really just a way to change the subject — but if Pandora actually had a task for him, he'd genuinely go and do it.

"A task... there is one." Pandora nodded at that. "In fact, that's exactly why I came to find you."

It was also part of her follow-up plan. Fortunately, she'd been a third-year high schooler in her past life — this much scheming wasn't enough to turn her hair white with worry.

Besides... platinum-blonde hair probably didn't turn white from worry anyway, did it?

"Please, just tell me!" Getting a definite answer, Geuse bowed deeply.

"They're both small things, really — two of them. First: would you come with me to the nearest church?"

"Of course."

"Second, I'll tell you when the time comes."

"Understood... Should we leave now?"

"Mm."

──────────

"I'll be heading out for a bit." Standing at the settlement's entrance, Geuse held Fortuna's hand. "I'll be back soon."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine..." Fortuna shook her head in response. "It's you I'm worried about — you haven't fully recovered yet..."

As she spoke, she glanced at the Witch Cult members nearby, pushing a cart loaded with a sack of fruit, and then at Pandora.

"All right, go on now, or the road will get harder to travel later."

"Well then, I'm off." Looking at Fortuna and Archi beside her, Geuse smiled.

"Miss Fortuna, Mister Archi — until next time." Pandora waved as she said it.

She would have loved to stay here forever, but that simply wasn't possible...

"Whew..." Letting out a soft breath, she looked back at the distant log cabin.

Maybe by the time she returned, Emilia would have grown up a little more. And Roche too...

Not long after,

"Lady Fortuna, are you sure this is all right?" Watching the group vanish around the bend, Archi couldn't help but ask.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's just — Emilia..."

"Are you saying you want Pandora to take Emilia away?!"

"Uh — absolutely not..."

Of course, Pandora couldn't hear any of this exchange — and even if she had, she'd never had any intention of bringing Emilia along.

"Lady Pandora, would you like some water?" Geuse asked, pulling out a water flask as he walked alongside her.

"No need, thank you." Pandora shook her head.

A while later,

"Lady Pandora, would you like some fruit?" Geuse spoke up again.

That drew every eye in the group toward their Archbishop.

"Sure, if it's no trouble." Seeing this, Pandora nodded.

Since a subordinate cared this much about his superior, she really couldn't keep turning him down, could she?

What she hadn't expected, though...

"Lady Pandora..." Just as she'd taken a bite of the fruit, Geuse spoke up yet again.

"Archbishop Romanée-Conti..." The Witch Cult members could no longer just stand by and watch.

"Uh..." That left him thoroughly embarrassed.

Just then—

"Geuse." Pandora suddenly called out.

"Yes?"

"That position of Sloth we discussed before — are you willing to take it up now?"

"Lady Pandora, I..." At that, conflict flickered across Geuse's face. "I know it might be too much to ask, but could you let me think it over for a while..."

"Sure, of course you can."

That left the Witch Cult members visibly puzzled over their Archbishop's new position.

"Your Archbishop has already absorbed the Witch Factor of Sloth, so there's no question he's qualified for it." Seeing their confusion, Pandora explained.

"Archbishop Romanée-Conti!" Hearing this unexpected news, everyone's faces filled with shock. "You...!"

They had no idea how Geuse had obtained a Witch Factor, but they understood perfectly well what kind of existence that made him within the Church.

"It couldn't be helped — the situation was dangerous... delicate, I mean—" He glanced over at Pandora. "Anyway, I simply had no choice but to absorb it..."

Seeing this, the Witch Cult members understood the matter ended there, and that it wasn't to be brought up again.

"Actually, Geuse, I think you're quite suited to the position of Sloth." Swallowing the last of her fruit, Pandora spread her hands.

"That's right." Seeing the confusion on Geuse's face, Pandora nodded. "I've seen how diligent you are. I just didn't want praise to make you push yourself too hard, taking on more than you could handle — so I never brought it up."

"Lady Pandora..." Geuse slipped straight into one of his moments of overwhelmed gratitude. "How could someone like me possibly deserve your attention!"

With that tone and those words, he was one step from burying his face in his hands and weeping.

"No — I've proven I wasn't wrong about you..." Truthfully, she felt a little guilty saying it, since she'd never actually done any real observing. "You're also the hardest-working one in the whole Church."

But then, what could she do — she was the Witch of Vainglory, after all...

"And the position of Sloth isn't just an honor. It's a motto to keep pushing you to stay diligent!"

[As expected of someone with maxed-out language skills!]

All sorts of grand truths, rolling right off her tongue!

Hearing this, the Witch Cult members didn't turn around, but their faces were full of quiet happiness.

Pandora was keeping an eye on their Archbishop, and they themselves were often at his side — didn't that mean...?

"Lady Pandora..." At that, Geuse's hesitation vanished entirely. "Thank you for granting me this position! From now on, I'll do everything in my power to carve a path forward for the Church!"

Ahem... that was getting a little much!