Chapter 86 : A Little Mistake Or a Really Big One?
An employee leads Selina to her inn.
It has a fancy-sounding name. I hope I get to stay there, too. It would be my first-ever sleepover.
The moment Selina is out of sight, Chairman Willy lets out a long sigh, leans back in his chair, and undoes the top button of his suit jacket.
His whole posture screams, Now that it’s just the kid, I can relax. He’s already underestimating me.
Fine, my spells might not be as powerful as Selina’s, but my alchemy is way more impressive. And I was raised in the Great Forest, which has to count for something, right?
A forest witch has to be stronger than your average city mage. Probably.
He gives me a sidelong glance, sizing me up. “I heard you were Selina’s granddaughter, Miss Zoe,” he says, “but I wasn’t aware she’d ever been married.”
Wow. The second she’s gone, he starts digging. How annoying.
“And you don’t much resemble her, either.”
Well, of course I don’t. I’m a foundling.
I can feel my patience starting to fray.
“What does any of that have to do with our lumber deal?” I ask, my voice sharper than I intend. “I may not know much about the world, Mr. Chairman, but as a witch, I know enough to turn you into a swamp frog.”
I say it as a little warning, hoping to knock that condescending look off his face.
It has no effect at all.
“What a funny joke,” he says with a short laugh. “Turn me into a frog? Is that some kind of pun?”
I sigh.
It looks like I’ll have to give him a demonstration.
“You’re a fool to laugh at a witch,” I declare. “Now you’ll be a frog! Ribbit-ribbit-ribbit, croak, croak, croak!”
Singing makes the spell work instantly.
Just like that, Chairman Willy vanishes, and in his place on the chair sits an adorable little green frog.
I wonder if he’s green because of his hair.
Growing up in the forest means I’m not bothered by frogs. Bugs are a different story, but frogs are fine.
The little green guy hops right out of the pile of clothes the chairman was wearing.
“Ribbit! Ribbit!… Ribb-iiiit!” he seems to croak, which I take to mean, Ribbit, ribbit… Whaaat!
We’re clearly not going to get any business done like this, but if I change him back right away, he’ll just think it was some illusion and get even cockier.
Plus, what do I do about his clothes? If I change him back now, will he be naked?
I do not want to see some old man in the nude.
I decide to hide his clothes behind the folding screen in the corner. When it’s time to change him back, I can do it behind there, and he can get dressed in private.
“I’ll change you back if you give me a proper tour of the port and the shipyard,” I say, picking up the cute little frog. “Where do I need to go? And who can take me? No one is going to believe this ribbiting little thing is Chairman Willy.”
“Ribbit-ribbit!” Change me back!
He’s not being very cooperative. And his croaking is surprisingly loud.
“I’ll change you back,” I promise. “Just agree to the tour.”
“Ribbit!” I will!
I’m not in the habit of bullying old men, and I’m sure he won’t have such a dismissive attitude anymore.
I place the frog on top of his clothes behind the screen. “Change back!”
Nothing. Behind the screen… is still a frog.
Wha…? It didn’t work.
“Ribbit, ribbit, ribb-iiiit!” he shrieks. You fiend! You monster! Change me back!
Well, these things happen.
“Oh,” I say, thinking fast. “I did say I’d change you back after you showed me the port and the shipyard. Maybe the spell took that as a condition, and now I can’t undo it. Selina could probably fix this, but she’s likely taking a nap right now, and she’ll be in a terrible mood if I wake her.”
He’s making a racket in my hand, but I will change him back. I have to, or we can’t make a deal.
“If I can’t fix it myself, I’ll ask Selina when she wakes up. Just tell me who should give me the tour. A frog can’t exactly show me around.”
He gets even more frantic, escapes my grasp, and starts hopping wildly around the floor.
I cast Halt and scoop him back up.
“Hey, if you want to be human again, I think it’s best if we just get this over with quickly,” I say, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sorry I turned you into a frog, okay?”
The foundling thing is a bit of a sore spot for me, and I just lost my temper. It was probably unfair to take it out on the Chairman, since he couldn’t have known.
I was able to change that Almiraj back right away, so the condition must be the problem.
But I’m sure it’ll work out. Somehow.
The frog that used to be Chairman Willy seems to be thinking, all while ribbiting quietly. “Ribb-ibbit! Ribbit-ribbit-Gary, ribbit-ribbit.” Fine! I’ll have my son, Gary, show you around.
His son? If he’s the next chairman, he can probably get me inside the shipyard.
“That’s a great idea! Let’s hurry up with the tour so we can change you back.”
I call an employee back into the room. “Could you please fetch Mr. Gary?” I ask.
The employee just gives me a look that says, And where is the Chairman?
Yup, turning him into a frog was definitely a mistake. And not being able to change him back is a total disaster.
I have to get this tour done and fix him before Selina finds out. Turning a potential business partner into a frog is a super, super bad move.
I think I might have inherited my short temper from Selina.