In front of me stretched what could be called not just a garden, but a rather large park.

There was a fountain in the center, surrounded by grass and flowers. A little further away, trees bearing fruit were planted.

“Wow, this is amazing.”

“It’s the pride of the Witch Who Travels Between Worlds. There’s magic cast here, so even after you harvest, you can gather more the next day.”

“Does that mean it’s all-you-can-pick?”

“Yep. Plus, you don’t need to water anything, so the only thing to watch out for is—”

At that moment, Ermine abruptly stopped talking.

“Mei, run!”

“Huh?”

As I hesitated, something pushed me from behind.

I fell flat on the ground, and then my back was pounded again and again.

…Wait a second, am I being stomped on?

I fearfully glanced back and saw an angry, fierce-looking chicken.

“A… chicken?”

“Bawk!”

The rooster, with a magnificent comb, stomped its feet aggressively.

“Ow, ow! Ermine, help me!”

But when I looked ahead, Ermine was nowhere to be seen.

What?! Did they abandon me?

“That’s so mean…”

Just as I muttered that, something shiny flew towards me.

“Bawk!”

The chicken that had been on my back jumped up and caught it in its beak.

Then, right there on my back, it began munching away.

Wait a minute. What’s happening?

“Sorry, sorry. Koko must have been so hungry that they turned violent. If you give them this golden fruit, they’ll calm down, so remember that.”

“You could’ve told me that sooner!”

“Well, this is my first time meeting Koko too. Nice to meet you, Koko.”

As Ermine bowed, Koko responded with a “Bawk” in greeting.

And then, they started stomping on my back again.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

It hurts! Isn’t Koko supposed to calm down after getting the golden fruit?

“Oh, right. Koko is pretty strict about manners, so Mei, make sure to greet them properly too.”

“You could’ve mentioned that earlier!”

Koko kept stomping on my back.

“Koko, my name is Mei. It’s nice to meet you!”

I shouted while lying face down.

Then the weight on my back disappeared, and the chicken clucked as they moved in front of my face.

I’ve never seen a chicken with such fierce-looking eyes before…

“Oh, here Mei, give this to Koko.”

“Thanks.”

I offered the golden fruit that Ermine gave me to Koko.

Koko opened their yellow beak and ate it.

…For a moment, I thought I was going to get eaten instead.

Even though it’s just a chicken, the intensity is overwhelming.

“Bawk bawk baaawk!”

Koko puffed up their chest and let out a loud cry.

Ack! My eardrums feel like they’re going to burst!

As I covered my ears from the pain, Koko, seemingly satisfied, began preening their feathers.

“I’m glad you two made friends~,” Ermine said in a carefree tone.

Is that what this loud clucking meant? I guess it’s a sign of good mood.

Anyway, it looks like I won’t be attacked anymore, which is a relief.

As I staggered to my feet, Ermine jumped onto my shoulder.

“You seem pretty worn out. …Oh, I know! How about you try making a potion for practice?”

The potion recipe should be in the book I received, right? Let’s see, I need water and some healing herbs, I think.

“Sure, but… are there healing herbs here?”

“Of course! Oh, by the way, that tree next to the fountain is the one that bears golden fruits, so always leave at least one when harvesting. If not, Koko will go on a rampage.”

That’s terrifying. I’ll make sure to never forget.

I nodded vigorously.

“And the healing herbs are over here,” Ermine said, pointing to a spot right next to the house.

“Pick about ten of these round leaves.”

The round-leaved plants looked like ordinary weeds. I picked one and sniffed it; it had a faint minty smell.

“I’m supposed to mix this with water in the alchemy cauldron, right?”

“Exactly. It’s simple, so I think you’ll be able to make it in no time.”

With Ermine’s encouragement, I headed back to the house with the healing herbs in hand. For some reason, Koko followed along too.

Maybe they’re here to see if I have any talent for alchemy.

Okay, I’ll do my best!

I placed the healing herbs and water into the alchemy cauldron on the table and began stirring with a mixing rod.

Can you really make a potion just by stirring the leaves like this?

I imagine it’s more like grinding the leaves into powder or boiling them to extract their essence…

“Oh… The color is changing.”

The leaves started to dissolve rapidly.

“It’s done when you no longer feel any resistance while stirring. Yes, that’s it, well done! You really are the successor of the Witch Who Travels Between Worlds.”

The Witch Who Travels Between Worlds, huh…

I wonder what kind of person she was.