Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (魔女の旅々)

Whoops.

Maybe I should've flown over the forest.

It's too late, though.

I guess I just have to keep going.

They say that beautiful flowers have thorns.

Occasionally, beautiful things will bare their fangs when you touch them.

By the way, on another note,

who is this beauty blooming as beautifully as the most colorful flowers?

That's right, it's me.

The Girl as Pretty as a Flower

What a magnificent field of flowers.

Oh?

Um, excuse me--

Oh, hello.

Are you the one taking care of this flower field?

There's no one taking care of this flower field.

I'm just here because I like flowers.

I'm just playing with the flowers while basking in the sun.

Then, these flowers are growing here naturally?

That's amazing...

Traveler, are you a witch?

I wonder if I might ask a favor of you.

I'll do what I can.

I'd like you to bring this bouquet to the country you are about to enter.

I don't mind, but who should I give it to?

Anyone. What's important is that someone thinks these flowers are beautiful.

In other words, you'd like me to advertise this flower field?

You don't want to?

I'll do it happily.

Thank you, traveler.

Very well. I'll make sure to give these to someone.

Take care!

Girl, stop!

"Girl"? Hmph.

Hey! Stop!

I told you to stop!

Do you have business with me?

Are you a traveler?

Can't you tell by looking?

What's with that bouquet of flowers?

It's nothing.

Show it to me!

Hey, wait!

You... Where did you get this?

Does it matter?

It has nothing to do with you.

Please return it.

Hey, what are you doing?

I'll take care of the rest. You go back.

Sir, this shawl... and these flowers... They might be--

Go back!

Did you not hear me?

You should go rest.

Oh, please return the bouquet.

Here.

Thanks.

Sorry, Miss Witch.

Recently, his younger sister went missing,

and he's been like that ever since.

Please forgive him.

It doesn't bother me.

That's a lie, though.

By the way, sorry, but will you let us dispose of those flowers?

They are not allowed into this country.

What do you mean?

Those flowers are poisonous.

Poisonous?

But I was fine...

They won't do anything to a witch,

but there's magic in them that will make people who can't use magic go insane.

It makes people go insane?

Yes, people who are mesmerized by the flowers

are drawn to them like bees to honey

and led to where the flowers bloom,

becoming nutrients for them to feed off of.

That's why you must dispose of them?

Is something the matter?

No...

Sorry about this. You can go.

It was me!

Naw, you were just imagining it.

Flower field...

In my favorite book, The Adventures of Niké ,

there is a story about a strange plant.

Normally, plants release magic for us after absorbing sunlight.

But, through a sudden mutation, it started sucking magic,

became sentient, and started acting violently.

That's what the story was about.

Could it be...?

The next day, before I left for the next country,

I went to the flower field I had visited the day before.

There was something I wanted to check.

Hello.

Oh, thanks for yesterday...

About your sister?

I finally found her...

...thanks to your bringing her shawl and that bouquet.

I figured out that she was here...

I finally... finally found her...

You've become so pretty...

Trying to keep such a wonderful place to yourself...

Come on, let's show this place to everyone in the country, too.

I'm sure they'll like it.

Besides, I want to show you off now that you've become as pretty as a flower.

Hey, that's fine, right?

I see, thanks.

You really are pretty...

Bottled Happiness

Hey...!

Oh, you came!

Hello.

Hello!

You're a real witch! That's amazing!

What're you doing in a place like this?

I'm a traveler.

So, I'm on a journey.

What about you?

I'm looking for happiness.

Happiness?

What's that?

It's a bottle where I'm gathering happiness.

You're gathering happiness?

I turn the moments people and animals feel happiness into magic

and put them into this bottle!

So you can use magic, too?

Are you changing feelings into magic?

Yeah, you could say that.

Can I open it?

No, you can't.

If you open this here, then my hard work will come to nothing.

These are precious treasures I've been gathering for the girl I like.

Oh, are you mad?

No, I'm a little moved.

It reminded me of a book I read in the past.

A book?

Yes.

For the sake of his wife, who was sick and couldn't leave the house,

a husband travels around the world,

recreating beautiful views with magic

so he could bring them home and show them to his wife.

Oh? What happened?

I bet his wife was really happy!

I can't remember...

I'm sure she was healed and lived a long life!

Maybe that was it.

So, who's this girl you like?

She's a servant named Nino who works at my house.

She always looks gloomy, so I want to cheer her up.

That's why I'm bottling up happiness.

I see.

Feelings of plants?

Yeah!

I tried to see if I could get happiness from them,

but it didn't really work.

You're lucky the plants didn't use you for food.

Huh?

Oh, nothing.