Prologue

Deep in the forest where few people dared to tread. In a place where monsters run, wield, and heroes meet their ends. That is the place where I call home. Thinking back on it, it was a miracle I wasn't killed the moment I came to this world.

"Miss Witch! Miss Witch! It's time for breakfast!"

"Yes. I'll be right there,"

But I wasn't living in the place that is the embodiment of death alone. My ever-so-loyal companion, the fair maid and my closest friend, Lapis, share this house with me. But despite being a fairy, she is the size of an average human with blonde hair and glowing red eyes. I didn't think fairies could be so big until I met her. If it wasn't for her yellow fairy wings on her back, I might not have believed she really was a fairy when we first met. But despite being loyal, a good friend and able to throw a demon across the room with one arm tied behind her back. Lapis has one weakness.

"I'm sorry! I promise I can fix this!"

That weakness was that she was very accident-prone. I lost count of the amount of vases, plates and windows she has broken. There was even a time when she tore the door off its hinges by accident. I swear you never know what she will break next. But on the positive side, it did lead me to become proficient in certain times of magic.

"It's fine," I say, standing up and grabbing my staff. "Allow me… Repair."

"Your magic is as powerful as always, miss Witch!"

The repair spell wasn't a high-level spell. In fact, it was a basic one someone learning magic for the first time would study. Still, simple or not. It still amazes me when I watch objects put themselves back together. Magic truly is a beautiful thing.

"Now then, Lapis. Shell, we head down for breakfast?"

"Yes! I can't wait to see what Al made for us!"

Al, short for Alderis, is another occupant of my home. She is a Dryad with a love for cooking, and she has turned the area around my home into her own personal farm. But I can't complain because everything Al makes is super delicious. It's so good, in fact, that Lapis doesn't bother to wait for me. Using her wings, she flies down the hallway, knocking over a vase full of flowers in the process that I have to stop to fix. She never listens, no matter how often I tell her not to fly indoors. This better be the only thing she broke on her way to the dining hall for her shake.

"Good morning, Mistress,"

"Good morning, Al,"

By the time I reached the dining hall, Lapis was already eating, getting food all over her face and bib. She has to wear one whenever she eats because of the mess she eats. Al, meanwhile, was standing guard in case Lapis tried to steal our food. Al doesn't gain anything from eating, needing me to provide her with magic instead, but she likes the taste of food and always joins us for meals.

"It's as delicious as always, Al,"

"Yeah, mmm… very omm… tasty…"

"Thank you very much. You are both far too kind,"

I swear Al's cooking gets better every time I taste it. I have eaten in royal castles, dinned at the table of the top nobility and visited some of the best restaurants in the world, but none of their food can compare to the meals Al makes. Even the tea she bewed to go along with the meal is unmatched. But as tasty as it is, Lapis shouldn't talk with her mouth full to complement the breakfast fit for a god that Al made for us.

After the meal, Al returned to her farm to check on the crops while Lapis cleaned. I made sure long ago that she only cleans things that can't be easily broken, but I am still worried that one day, I will hear she still managed to break something. The rest of the work is done by human-sized magical dolls since nothing fragile can survive Lapis. I made the dolls myself after finding a few in a labyrinth. Outside, giant golems are guarding the house while more dolls work with Al on the farm.

As for me, I do what I usually do. Take care of my magical plants in the greenhouse, make potions, and read spell books. Even after studying magic for years now, there is still so much I have yet to learn. Not to mention that the potions I make are used to save a lot of lives. It took a long time to gather the seeds for all my plants, but it was worth it. Now, I can create even the most advanced potions on mass. I still need to finish up the batch for a nearby city dealing with an outbreak of the plague.

It took a long time to build my home. I fought monsters, crossed continents and dealt with more than my fair share of scheming nobles and kings. But now I have a place to call my own and where I can relax and live life the way I am. There is only one thing that threatens my peaceful life. A particular troublemaker I hold dear in my heart.

"Lady Witch. Am I interrupting?"

"What trouble are you in now?"