They say that slow and steady wins the race, but this was too much winning. People might start asking for far more than just help around the village. For example: “A dragon has appeared at such-and-such a place. Go slay it.”

I wouldn’t mind, if it was just once. I could handle a single dragon.

However, if I did it even one time, I’d have no choice but to go slay dragons elsewhere. They’d be like, “You killed their dragon; why can’t you kill ours?”

And if that happened, I could kiss my laid-back life good-bye.

My days would be filled with adventure, packed with hard labor from morning till night. In the end, I’d work myself to death.

Not that. Anything but that…

I’d have to keep the rumors from spreading.

“Um, miss, could you remind me of your name?”

“It’s Natalie.”

What, Natalie?! Impossible! Is she immortal, too? —Probably not.

The name wasn’t super-unique. The two just happened to share it, that’s all.

The name Masayuki was used during Japan’s Warring States period, and it’s still around in the current Heisei era, too.

“Natalie, keep this just between us, please. After all, a status is like a personal secret. You wouldn’t want people gossiping about your bust size, would you?”

“I’m fairly secure in my bust size.”

Show-off.

Shoot, so she doesn’t have a complex about her bust… She’s definitely bigger than I am. Leveling up doesn’t seem to change your cup size, and my figure’s been the same for three hundred years.

Let’s stop talking about this…

“In any case, don’t tell anyone about my status. That’s all right, isn’t it?”

“I understand. I’ll take care not to let word get out that you’re the most powerful of all, great Witch! I’d love to sing your praises to everyone, but as a resident of this village, I would never betray you!”

The prestige of the highland witch came through for me.

Good, very good. If I can get her to stay quiet, this’ll all work out.

In three hundred years, the only one who’d ever taken an interest in my status was this woman, Natalie.

In other words, my peaceful days could very well last for another several centuries! Yeah, let’s do that!

Relieved, I returned to my house in the highlands. To test whether that status was real, I used an Ice and Snow spell on a waterfall in the forest.

I still didn’t believe it. After all, I’d felt almost nothing to suggest I’d gotten stronger.

“Freeze everything! Hiyaaah!”

The waterfall froze solid.

“Guess you could call that ‘solid’ proof…”

***

For a few days after that, I lazed around the house reading grimoires I’d bought a long time ago.

On a side note, I cooked in large batches, freezing most of it with my Ice and Snow magic, which I hadn’t even realized I’d learned. To thaw out my food, I used Flame magic. I adapted that to use as fire in the kitchen, too. In a single bound, my magic raised my standard of living to the equivalent of modern society on Earth.

Which meant I was now able to spend all day lounging and dawdling around.

Leveling up is the best!

At this point, I could say this was real luxury, the true pleasure of living.

During my days as a corporate wage slave, going home on time had been like an urban legend. Even so-called holidays had often been consumed by work that came in the day before or by having so much to do in the first place that I was forced to go to the office in an attempt to catch up.

Honestly, I don’t care to do that ever again. I am hell-bent on my loafing.

That said, I have a whole lot of the same food frozen, and I do get tired of it.

“Maybe I’ll go to a restaurant in the village and eat out. It’s been a while.”

I headed down to Flatta.

I had spells that probably would have gotten me there easily, like Levitation and Teleportation, but I was afraid that if people saw those, they’d figure out that my level was high. So I walked. It’s better for your figure anyway.

On the way, as expected, I encountered a slime.

So three hundred years isn’t enough time for slimes to evolve? I thought, flicking it with a finger.

That was all it took to end the slime’s life. Come to think of it, my knife had eventually become too bothersome, so for the most part, I’d taken to smacking them to death.

Was that also because I had unwittingly raised my attack power?

Still, I thought, witches have pretty strong physical attacks, too.

Even if my level was high, I was conscientious about picking up the magic stones the slimes generated. I had no other source of income. I wasn’t hurting for money, but if something was there for the taking, I wouldn’t pass it up.

After killing several slimes, I reached the village. The way there was downhill, which made it nice and easy.

I entered a restaurant called the Savvy Eagle.

This place had good omelets. They kept lots of chickens at the shop, and the eggs were fresh.

“It’s been a while. It’s me, Azusa.”

“Well, if it isn’t the great Witch of the Highlands!”

I greeted the restaurant’s owner, who was in charge of the cooking.

When I sat down in my normal seat, the proprietress brought me my usual drink before I even ordered it. My body was seventeen, but yes, I drank alcohol. After all, I’d lived in this world for three centuries.

“Here you go, great Witch. One stiff drink.”

“Thank you much. I think I’ll have an omelet again today. Oh, and bring some beef stew as well, please.”

“Yes, great Witch.”

It’s nice to be a regular.

When I was an office worker, I had been under too much stress to check out new restaurants. At lunchtime, all the places were jam-packed with customers, and I wasn’t able to take my time. As a rule, I ate extremely unfeminine meals, like convenience store bentos and instant ramen.

Before long, my omelet arrived.

You could tell it was a masterpiece just by looking. I totally would have Instagrammed it.

It was faintly sweet from the first bite. Truly delicious.

“Your omelets are the best in the world, aren’t they?”

“Your long life has earned you some skill with your compliments, great Witch. Have you ever actually gone to another town and tried their omelets?”

“They’re the best in my world, and that’s good enough for me!”

“True, of all our customers, I think you’re the one who savors them the most.”

The proprietress and I have been bantering like this for over fifteen years, so we’re seasoned experts.

“Oh, by the way, great Witch, there was something I wanted to ask you,” the woman said.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Is it true you’re level 99?”

The light faded from my eyes.

“Huh? Where in the world did you hear such a completely unfounded rumor?”

There was nothing for it but to play dumb. If I acted shocked, it would come back to bite me later.

“I don’t really know where it started, but that’s what I heard. The neighborhood children were talking about it.”

So where had the children heard it?

Actually, it was too late. This wasn’t a big village, and I was the closest thing to a celebrity around here, so there was a good possibility the story had gotten out.

I’ll have to give Natalie a talking-to later. What’s done is done, but I’ll make her think long and hard about breaking her promises.

Well, unless I showed them my magic, no one could prove my level was high, so ducking the issue wouldn’t be impossible. No one can tell you’re level 99 just by looking at you.

“Madam, slimes are just about the only things I’ve ever killed. How could I be so strong? I’m just a humble witch with a simple life and no ambitions for anything more.”

“Witch” is an entirely different class from “mage.” Mages are the ones who fling spells around like they’re going out of style, while witches are more knowledgeable about things like restorative herbs and ores. That’s why I make medicines.

“Is that right? From what I heard, you have incredible stats, and you’re so strong no monster or adventurer could ever defeat you.”

That’s unexpectedly specific… For starters, I’ll go see Natalie and find out what’s actually going on.

After finishing my meal, I visited the guild.

The woman was at the reception window, as always.

“Natalie, there’s rumors going around! You told them I was level 99, didn’t you? After I asked you to keep it a secret and never tell anyone, no matter what!”

“Huh…? I haven’t said a word. I wouldn’t do anything to betray the great Witch of the Highlands.”

Natalie looked bewildered. That wasn’t the expression of a liar. In that case, where did it come from?

But then something occurred to her.

“Ah, I see… Yes, that’s probably it…”

“Did you remember something?”

“As I recall, when I checked your status, there was another adventurer in the guild.”

“Oh…”

The guild was a public space. Yeah, even though it was a small village, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for another adventurer or two to be there.

“That’s right, yes! Mr. Ernst was there, and he’s a notorious blabbermouth. I’m sure that’s how word got out!”

So the one who’d overheard us was a chatty adventurer…

In that case, it was only a matter of time until the cat was completely out of the bag.

If worse came to worst, it might reach the neighboring towns and villages, too!