Volume 3 - CH 1

Chapter 1 – A Certain Woman’s Troubles

A witch was working as a seer at a street corner at night.

The witch, whose ash-gray hair and azure eyes were her distinguishing features, sat quietly on a cloth that was spread over the ground.

She was wearing a black robe, a black tricorne, and a star-shaped brooch that was proof of her being a witch.

Far above the houses on either side of the street, the stars twinkled and imparted a dazzling radiance to the crystal ball that lay close at hand.

The girl was a traveler, as well as a witch.

“Seer-san~ I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Haa.”

The witch frowned as she looked at the drunk woman sitting in front of her.

For certain reasons, she was currently working as a seer.

The truth was that she was running out of money, so she was earning small change by pretending to be a seer.

“You’ve got to listen to my story~”

“I will still charge you one gold coin just for listening to your troubles. Is that okay?”

Who was this girl who was demanding an absurd amount of money while silently hoping that this annoying client would give up and leave?

That’s right, it’s me.

Unfortunately, the woman in front of me was quite wealthy.

○

In the first place, why does a seer have to work as a life counsellor?

I wanted to make at least one complaint of that sort, but since I had already accepted the money, there was no choice. I decided to listen to her complaints.

The woman looked like she was already too far gone, but no matter how annoying it was, I had to listen to her story because I had already received my fee.

“I~ work as a waitress in a nearby restaurant~”

“Haa.”

“I don’t want to work there anymore~”

“Then why don’t you just quit?”

“Customers these days are horrible, you know? They always look for reasons to complain, if they find you making so much as a single mistake, they smugly complain about it, also, they make complaints, and then they make complaints as well.”

“Looks like they don’t do much other than complaining.”

“That’s right! What’s more, the language they use is completely unwarranted. There are even people who have taken to using a phrase from a nearby country and saying 『Customers are Gods』. ”

“Fumu fumu.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Maybe they’ll stay silent if you pray to them or something?”

“I’m asking a serious question, you know? Hic.”

“I’m really not sure how to respond.”

“I mean, it’s true that I am an employee, and the customers are paying for service, but I just feel like saying ‘So what?’ Sure, we are receiving money from the customers, but we are also providing the items that the customers are looking for.”

“Hoho.”

“That’s why, I think that we are on equal footing. If they are going to complain so much, we won’t make any food for them either!”

“No, I don’t think you’re on equal footing.”

“Come on. Seer-san, I’m paying you one gold coin, so listen to me properly. I’m a customer, you know?”

“I think you should just take back everything you said earlier.”

“Uuu… I can’t take it anymore. I want to quit working.”

“Then why don’t you just go ahead and quit?”

“But I have no money.”

“You just gave me a gold coin earlier, though.”

“That’s my entire savings.”

“I will return it to you.”

“Seer-san, you’re so kind… Uuu… I had no idea that there were such kind people in this world… I suppose this world isn’t beyond saving after all…” she sobbed.

“…………”

“Say, Seer-san, what do you think I should do?”

“Let’s see… I have just one piece of advice for you.”

“…? What is it?”

“I think you should be a little more honest with yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“If someone makes a complaint to you, you should just say something back in return. Let them know how you truly feel.”

“I wouldn’t be having such a hard time if I could do something like that!”

“I have just the thing for you.”

“Hmm? What’s in this bottle?”

“It’s magical water. It will let you reveal your true feelings.”

“Amazing…! I had no idea such water existed…!”

“It does. Here, take it. I’ll let you have it for free. Drink this, and work hard at your job from tomorrow.”

“…Uuu. No. I don’t want to work.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

After that, the woman spent several tens of minutes complaining about things in front of my stall, and eventually said, “Ah, I need to use the restroom,” and then left. She had gulped down the water I gave her and exclaimed, “Amazing! I feel like the real me has returned at last!”

“………”

Well, that was actually just regular water.

Once the alcohol wears off and she calms down a little, I’m sure she’ll return to her original self.

Later on, a waitress from a certain restaurant became famous throughout that country.

She was apparently a horrible woman who hurled abuse at customers. When customers indicated that they wanted to order something, she would click her tongue while going over to the table, and present them with a contemptuous gaze when bringing them their food. When collecting the money, she never forgot to say “Ha? Don’t ever come back, you hear?”

For some reason, this eccentric behavior was very popular with customers (mainly men) who flocked to the shop, saying, “I want to be abused!” thereby causing the restaurant to become prosperous in the blink of an eye. It appears the people of this country are a little off. No doubt they are so hard on the waitresses because they take some sort of strange pleasure in watching a girl get depressed. This country is full of people who are a little off.

That woman is now the main attraction of that restaurant.

The restaurant is very crowded every day.

I wonder, what caused her to become like this?

There was an interview that was published in a certain newspaper.

She said, 『I think it’s really important to reveal your true feelings.』