"Uh, um,

I don't know what it was, but as soon as I entered the tower, I was apologized for it.
I managed to get here despite the heavy snowfall on the way, but my opponent is known as the Snow Witch.
Will there be a battle at last?　I went into the tower, but it wasn't anything like that!

I'm not sure what's going on here. It's so abrupt I have no idea.

Master!

"Oh, you're Dora-chan!　Are you safe?

Meanwhile, Dora-chan appeared from the back and jumped on my shoulder.
Huh?　Isn't this already the goal?
But the witch in front of me kept her head down, and I didn't feel like going home like this.

"Master, can you help me with this one?

Hmm, what do you mean?

I remember you asked for help earlier.
When I asked again, the Snow Witch put her hat back on and went to the back of the room.
Sometimes she'll turn around and stare at you. Her eyes are obscured by her hair.
Are you asking me to follow you?
For now, I'll ask Lily and Fitis on both sides for advice, but they'll leave it to me.
Well, it's a fate. Shall I stay with you to the end?
I'll follow the witch for a while, and we'll come to a space like a wide hall.
The ground in that hall is covered with earth and a woman whose lower body is slumped in a tree.

The "Doriade

Phytis next to me mumbles to himself.
Oh, I see. So that's the doliad.
So I was just about to move closer to her when the Snow Witch pulled on my sleeve and made me say something.

...... her.

After a few moments of lip-synching, I finally squeezed out a line and it was.
Well, uh, maybe, but is she a bad talker ......?
And you want me to help that kid, maybe something like that?
I'm going to go up to the dryad and check her condition.
I'm not a doctor or a arborist or a doctor of magic, though.
But the moment I touched the child, I could see that he was debilitated.

Are you the master of ...... mandragora?　I'm sorry for the inconvenience,

At that moment, the driade in front of me opens its mouth.

'Oh, no, not really, since you returned it properly.

"Ys asked you to look at my symptoms, right?　But you get the idea. My this will never be cured.

I could only nod quietly at the doliad in front of me.
As soon as I touched it, I somehow understood why the doliad was weakening.
This weakening was probably caused by being in the cold weather too long.
Even if you moved her now, you wouldn't be able to move her in time.

...... Oh, no!

I look at the witch who was just behind me, probably named Ys. You'll be able to see that she's in an atmosphere of tears, although you can't see her expression.

I can't believe I'm losing Dori. ......!　Don't go away. ......!　Duh, because, wow, wow, my ...... friend, but ......!

Then she clings desperately to Doriade.
It was like caressing her sister.

"I don't blame you, Ys-chan. But you're an adult now. You'll be fine without me.

"...... yada yada yada ...... yada yada yada ......

I'm trying to get my mind off of it.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it happen.
But, as I said before, I'm not a doctor, so how could I do such a thing?
As I was watching the Doriad in front of me, a method came to me.
Could it be this.

"Snow Witch. You know what?　I can't save her, I can't save Doriade.

I can see the Snow Witch reacting to my statement with a jolt.

But there's one thing. There may be another way to keep her alive. Let me try it.





A few days later, the bottom line is that Doriade didn't make it.
We weren't there, but it was our later impression that the Snow Witch was very sad.
But we might have been able to wipe away her grief soon afterward.

See, I think I made it.

In front of me there was a small sapling, and from its upper body a little girl was born, breathing heavily in her sleep.
The Snow Witch crouched down and watched the scene intently.

Afterwards, I was given a piece of doliad's hair, a piece of a tree, and I decided to plant it in my garden.
It was called cuttings.


I've seen in books that some plants can be grown by planting part of such a tree, not just the seeds.
I tried to see if a doliad might be one of those trees, and it seemed to take root and grow well.

Watching the little doliad grow up, she wakes up, yawns, and gives a carefree smile when she notices the witch squatting in front of her, yawning.

Yes, girl.

Then he called out the name of the witch in front of him with his lispy mouth, which he couldn't quite manage to speak yet, and shook her hand in his little one's.

......

Hmm?

There is ......, but there are

I looked up to see the Snow Witch looking up at me.
Her face, hidden by her white bangs, was revealed, and her face, with tears in her eyes, and a bashful expression on her face, was very--

"Or, pretty

At my unintentional muttering, the snow witch turned her white skin red and covered her eyes with her bangs and put her hat on deeply.
Incidentally, Dora-chan, who was riding on your shoulder, is puffing out her cheeks again, looking unhappy.