City of Witches Chapter 109

Siwoo was deeply immersed in thought, his posture reminiscent of Rodin's Thinker.

Newly acquired knowledge and power.

The process of dissecting and reinterpreting them piece by piece was more fascinating than any game or entertainment.

Enough to make him completely forget the splitting headache that felt like his cerebral vessels might rupture, and even the phantom pain from his nonexistent left eye.

-Sway

After being absorbed in his own world for quite some time, Siwoo raised his head.

He had felt a sense of spatial distortion, a warping that shook his very being.

Looking around, the colossal ancient trees of Latifundium were nowhere to be seen.

The ambient magic light naturally generated by the dense magic power in the air was gone, as was the moss that had carpeted the ground.

Instead, there was a space like a chapel, made of cleanly polished marble, glowing with a solemn and sacred light streaming through large stained-glass windows, requiring no other illumination.

Siwoo found himself sitting on a comfortable sofa right in the middle of it.

-Click-clack

The sound of heels approached, and someone drew near before him.

Siwoo slowly lifted his gaze to look at her.

Her face was blurred and indistinct, impossible to see clearly.

It was as if light passing through a prism had been dabbed onto her, scattering colorful hues around her form.

Nevertheless, Siwoo felt a deep familiarity with the figure before him.

Because he received a feeling very similar to the Fractal Tree he had been touching and examining.

Siwoo rose from his seat.

He strode over and stood before the Witch.

He reached out, grabbed her hair, and began to sniff her body scent.

"Sniff sniff."

"How amusing."

With a light, chuckling laugh, a pale hand reached out and lifted Siwoo's chin.

The touch was reminiscent of handling a puppy.

As if intoxicated by the scent of the soft hand, Siwoo gently bit the fingertip.

How pleasurable would this woman's body be?

How fascinating would the knowledge inside this woman be?

His instincts were screaming.

That all the Magic he had consumed until now was utterly pathetic compared to this Witch's.

Unprecedented excitement made his eyes bloodshot.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him as if to devour her.

"Are you attempting to violate my body as well?"

As she had sensed earlier, looking at him was like looking at a beast in heat.

Keter had been observing everything that had transpired today.

Siwoo's battle with an Exile, and subsequently, his violation of her to steal her Magic.

It had been an amusing spectacle, briefly dispelling the weariness and monotony bestowed by the long years.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't intrigued by the unprecedented way he utilized Magic.

However, his method was one that ruined his own body.

A talent so overwhelming, bordering on a disability, that a mere human physique could not bear.

It meant a crude overclocking that pushed his fragile brain to the brink of abuse.

If he continued in this state, he would likely die within three years, his lifespan exhausted.

Just before Siwoo's hand could wrap around Keter's waist, her finger poked his forehead.

Simultaneously, Siwoo's body froze rigidly in place.

It was as if time itself had stopped.

After all, all things in the world are born only to return to dust in a fleeting moment.

There was no reason for her to feel pity for a human man with whom she shared no meaningful connection.

The reason she showed favor to him and Baron Marigold was partly because they both had their own utility value... but in truth, more than half of it was close to a trivial diversion.

In the endlessly repetitive history and events, 'something never seen before' was an incredibly valuable thing.

"Whether your existence is merely the vanguard of a banal repetition masquerading as novelty, or truly the catalyst for something new... I shall look forward to it."

A Magic Circle began to spread from beneath Duke Keter's feet.

A large tree, growing from behind her like a cast shadow, resembled the Fractal patterns Siwoo had drawn on the wall all night.

As the tree, swaying as if rustled by the wind, enveloped Siwoo's body, it soon began to shine with a brilliant light.

Duke Keter added an appropriate explanation regarding Siwoo's current condition.

That the transcendent ability which had bloomed due to this incident was ultimately something mortgaged with his lifespan.

That the overload imposed on his brain would soon take his life.

From the moment she heard those words, Amelia did not consider whether returning him to his original state respected his will or not.

[I agree.]

Duke Keter's handwriting flowed smoothly across the paper, as if she had expected this.

[As I thought?]

When no reply came, the sentence continued.

[What I desire from you is one thing: to grant a humble request in the future.]

She expected the request wouldn't be humble, but she had no intention of quibbling with her, the only lifeline available.

The most important thing now was a method to return him to his original state.

Other matters, including twisted things and tangled interests, could be undone however many times necessary.

But death was different.

Those who are gone do not return.

[I wish to know by what method you intend to heal him.]

[I shall turn back his time.]

Amelia was momentarily stunned.

Turn back time.

A Magic she had never even heard of.

Could Duke Keter accomplish something that defied the natural order?

That bordered too closely on 'Miracle' to be considered within the realm of Magic.

[It will not be a perfect reversion. I shall merely return him to a point before he sustained irrecoverable wounds. His memories will likely be disjointed for a while. There will be confusion, and caring for him will require considerable effort.]

[The precise meaning...]

She still had many questions, but Duke Keter unilaterally cut off the conversation as if her business was concluded.

[It would be quicker for you to see the details with your own eyes. One thing is certain: I guarantee his humanity. He will suffer somewhat, but I assure you it will not take long. And who knows? You might even come to like his appearance.]

With that cryptic final remark, the letter crumbled and vanished.

There was no further explanation about how the healing would be done.

In fact, this was closer to a notification than an explanation.

The torn pieces of the letter formed a specific pattern on her desk.

To Amelia, the pattern, which was neither a Magic Formula nor anything recognizable, shimmered with light and disappeared, and in its place, a small glass vial appeared.

Inside was a milky white liquid, and a tag was attached to the vial's mouth.[Administer five drops daily.] Such a crude tag, of all things.

She felt dazed.

Even as she wrote to Duke Keter with the desperate hope of grasping at straws, she never truly expected a reply.

Yet not only did she receive a response, but also a firm promise of treatment.

Could it be that her overwhelming despair had grown so large that she was now facing a hallucination?

Frankly, that thought felt more realistic.

Should she be happy, or should she be sad?

No, Amelia stood there blankly, not even knowing what emotion she should feel.

She lowered her gaze to look at the glass vial, proof that all of this was not a dream.

-Flip

The tag turned over, revealing the writing on its back.

[Go to his room]

There was no need for deeper thought.

Amelia began to run at the fastest speed she had ever managed in her life.

She resembled a cheetah.

She flung the mansion door open and ascended the stairs.

No one could accurately predict the extent of Duke Keter's abilities.

They could only believe that she was the Witch closest to the realm of the 'Witch of Creation' and that she effortlessly performed incomprehensible Miracles.

Could she possibly have completed the healing in such a short time?

Would they be able to converse like before again now?

Just as Amelia was about to burst through the door immediately, she froze the moment her hand grasped the doorknob to Siwoo's room.

She was afraid.

She felt as much fear as she did desire to see him.

Because she had received no definitive answer about what words he might utter once he regained his senses, or how their relationship would proceed from there.

The too-sudden progression of events gave Amelia a sense of speed she couldn't keep up with.

"Hoo... ha... hoo..."

Amelia took deep breaths.

She tidied her hair and clothes, disheveled from running, and quietly twisted the doorknob to open the door.

What entered her sight was the wall inscribed with his Magic Formula.

The bed, left out so she could quickly check his condition at any time.

And on it, Siwoo lay covered by a blanket.

With a pounding heart, Amelia stood right beside the bed.

And then she felt a slight sense of dissonance.

Because she thought, 'Was his body under the blanket this small?'

Amelia's hand, trembling with unease, slowly pulled back the blanket, revealing...

"Ah...?"

An adorably handsome little boy.

Amelia stared blankly, her mouth agape.

Siwoo is a healthy 28-year-old young man.

But the person lying on his side, sleeping soundly on the bed now, was a small child who looked barely ten years old.

However, they had spent five years together.

Looking at the bridge of his nose, the shape of his eye on the side opposite the eyepatch, the corners of his mouth, looking anywhere.

If she examined him carefully, piece by piece, she could tell this boy was Siwoo.

Except, it was Siwoo from his childhood.

She had thought the phrase 'rewind time' meant he was returned to just before he was injured, but...

Didn't this rewind him too much?

"Mm... mmm..."

Before the dumbfounded Amelia, the boy Siwoo tossed and turned.

His furrowed brow seemed displeased at the disappearance of the blanket.

Siwoo, wearing sky-blue dotted pajamas, opened his eyes and looked around.

And the moment he saw Amelia, he froze stiff.

His expression, unable to hide his fear at all, even showing a sense of distance.

He was the spitting image of Siwoo.

His eyes, which always used to gaze into empty space, now held a glint of intelligence.

His face, which was always expressionless no matter what, now bore distinct hues of emotion.

Amelia felt her chest tighten.

He had returned.

Siwoo had returned.

Whatever form it took was unimportant.

"Siwoo..."

Unconsciously, Amelia reached out and stroked Siwoo's cheek.

His soft, plump cheek felt warm.

"You're awake."

"Yes..."

Even his voice was childish.

It was a thin voice, indistinguishable from a girl's, let alone having undergone puberty.

"Do you recognize who I am?"

Siwoo, who had been glancing back and forth between Amelia's hand stroking his cheek—as if it were burdensome—and her face, which was too close, hesitantly opened his mouth.

"Lady... Amelia..."

The tears that had welled up in Amelia's eyes trickled down.

This shouldn't happen.

She must confess her wrongs to him, but it must not turn into a melodrama meant to force forgiveness.

Yet, unconsciously, Amelia pulled Siwoo into a tight embrace.

There were so many things she had wanted to say all this time.

Even though she had resolved not to make mistakes this time and had organized her thoughts over and over, there were words she still couldn't condense.

As if all sorts of words and phrases were tangled in her throat, she couldn't properly utter a single one.

Amelia barely managed to voice one word of atonement.

"Sorry... I'm sorry..."

Her vision blurred with tears.

Holding him as if he might break, afraid he might disappear, afraid he might leave.

Confirming his existence, Amelia simply sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

A smile kept forming.

Even though it was this sad, this joyful, and this guilt-inducing.

Even though tears flowed like this, a smile lingered.

"Thank you... for coming back... thank you so much..."

After being held tightly in Amelia's embrace for a while, Siwoo cautiously opened his mouth.

It was a statement that, in a different sense, left a dark line across Amelia's heart.

"Lady Amelia, did I... do something wrong...?"

Siwoo asked in an innocent, pure voice.

As if frightened.

Author's Note (Afterword)

Waaah, I'm baby Siwoo

Since a sudden cherry blossom viewing appointment came up for April 2nd, continuous updates might be difficult

I'll go heal and come back~