Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

“I’ll take care of it,” Hestia said to Botis.

“Do you want to give it a try, Dantalion? But it’s a bit dangerous—it’s not as emotionally stable as usual right now,” Botis said after a moment of hesitation. Animals were different from humans, and many things about them were unpredictable.

“It’s fine. I’ll be careful,” Hestia replied, reasoning that even if she got bitten, her innate ability could freeze the wound and repair it by shattering and regrowing the damaged part.

“Alright. But every time you approach it, I’ll watch from a distance. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”

“Even though it’s a pet I really love, you’re far more important,” Botis added, her tone steady and mature—a contrast to her younger self’s impulsive ways.

“I understand,” the girl nodded, already pondering how she might help the giant spider overcome its troubles.

Having never studied at Swallow Garden Academy, Hestia knew little about raising transcendent animals. She could only consider the practical options, such as helping to repair its damaged transcendent core.

“But it’s getting late. Whatever you want to do, let’s start tomorrow,” Botis said, glancing up at the simulated sky now painted with fiery hues.

“Don’t stress too much, Dantalion. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s okay,” she reassured, worried that Hestia might get overly preoccupied with the matter.

“Mm-hmm,” Hestia nodded, appreciating her concern.

…

The next morning, Hestia returned to the wooded area.

Carefully parting the dense leaves and undergrowth, she walked on the soft, leaf-strewn ground, mindful of branches and bark snagging her hair.

Eventually, she reached the farthest corner. Pushing aside deep-purple foliage, she saw the giant spider crouched in its newly dug burrow. Unlike the day before, most of its body was now hidden, with only its front legs faintly visible.

This will be tricky, Hestia thought.

She spread out the mat she’d brought under the canopy of fallen leaves, then crouched down carefully near the burrow.

Noticing the commotion outside, the giant spider hissed a warning. But when it saw it was Hestia, it stopped and retreated slightly, almost shyly.

Embarrassed? Hestia wondered, then picked up a familiar bell and began to shake it gently.

The clear, crisp chime resonated through the small patch of grass, and Hestia closed her eyes, focusing her emotions and channeling them through the bell. A unique rhythm emerged, soothing and calm, like the flow of a deep underground river—cool, tranquil, and composed.

Guided by the bell’s melody, Hestia carefully extended a stick into the burrow, lightly tapping the spider’s front legs.

“Want to come out? I’ll let you sit on my head for a while today,” she offered, knowing it was an irresistible deal for the spider.

The spider peeked out, revealing part of its body. Its many eyes staring at Hestia, but it hesitated, seemingly unsure.

“Everyone else is already outside playing. If you don’t come out, they’ll get curious, and then there’ll be no hiding it,” Hestia coaxed, tapping lightly again with the stick to reassure and lure it.

“Come on. Botis isn’t here today, so no one will laugh at you,” she added, unconsciously mimicking Isanisha’s gentle tone from her memories.

Surrounded by vegetation, fallen leaves, and grass, the girl knelt on the ground. Her gray hair was slightly disheveled, with a few leaves caught in it and stray strands falling playfully to her cheeks. Her warm gaze rested on the timid creature in the burrow, radiating encouragement and patience.

Finally, after a long while, the spider cautiously crawled out. It climbed onto Hestia’s lap and curled up into a ball.

“There, it’s okay. You’ll get better bit by bit,” Hestia said softly, stroking the spider’s furry body with her fingertips. She tapped its head lightly twice before gently picking it up in her arms.

Returning to the pond, Hestia waved to Botis in the distance, signaling that everything was fine. Only then did she head to the small pavilion by the water’s edge.

Calming the giant spider in her arms, Hestia used her transcendent sequence abilities to carefully sense its condition.

Indeed, the creature’s magical energy was unstable, with a tendency to leak and dissipate. No wonder it was so upset. If this continued, not only would advancing to Sequence 5 be impossible, but even maintaining its Sequence 4 strength could be at risk.

“Don’t move around. Let me check you out,” the girl said softly. A faint blue glow appeared in her eyes, and her fingertips gathered a gentle light of magical energy as she pressed them lightly on the spider’s body.

Her delicate senses followed the spider’s intricate web of magical threads, slowly sketching its internal state in her mind. Tracing along the network, Hestia eventually “saw” the damaged core.

Although mostly intact, several areas were visibly broken, like a circular symbol missing a segment, preventing proper energy flow. Instead of cycling, the magic leaked out, further destabilizing the spider.

When Hestia’s perception extended to the spider’s transcendent core, it trembled briefly but soon calmed down under her soothing touch, remaining sprawled before her.

Lacking detailed knowledge of the spider’s core structure, Hestia could only begin by repairing the minor cracks and damages at the edges. Even this would help prevent further deterioration.

Soft, azure light flowed gently, forming tiny crystalline patches within the spider’s transcendent core. Gradually, the scars left by its failed advancement began to heal, stabilizing its condition temporarily.

After more than ten minutes, Hestia opened her eyes and looked at the spider on her lap. Its black, glossy eyes darted around, and it seemed noticeably happier.

Just as Hestia contemplated saying a few comforting words, the spider suddenly leapt from her hands, climbed up her shoulder, and perched on her head.

Feeling the weight of the stubborn creature atop her, Hestia grew mildly annoyed.

“You little troublemaker! You’re barely better, and now you’re acting up!” She tried to pull it down, but to no avail. With no other option, she let it stay on her head for the time being.

Since she couldn’t move for now, Hestia decided to be productive. She swung the bell again, summoning other poisonous creatures from the forest.

Thus began her day of collecting venom and feeding the creatures, one by one.

Near noon, Hestia prepared to eat and rest, so she finally removed the spider from her head. Using her trusty stick, she tapped its head lightly—much like striking a wooden fish—and scolded it.

“I’ll forgive you this time since I promised, but no more of this, okay? Tugging my hair messes it up…” she muttered, knowing full well the spider could understand her.

After settling the spider back on the stone table, Hestia turned to leave for lunch. Just as she was exiting the forest, a small white-scaled snake that had been coiled around a chair earlier suddenly jumped down.

She felt a cool sensation on her wrist as the snake slithered into her sleeve and wrapped itself around her arm.

“Ugh, not you again! First, you crawl into my skirt, and now you’re sneaking into my sleeve…” Hestia grumbled, trying to pull the snake out. But the cunning creature hid in a spot her fingers couldn’t reach.

Forcing it out would require removing her maid outfit’s outer layer, but Hestia had no intention of undressing in such a place.

Resigned, she could only head to lunch with the mischievous snake still nestled in her sleeve.