City of Witches Chapter 135

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Siwoo had quietly finished preparing to leave Gehenna.

Truth be told, there wasn't much for him to do.

He had no luggage to pack, and the only person he really needed to meet and say goodbye to was Takasho.

As for Amelia, not to mention Count Gemernai, who was presumably keeping the Twins under tight control, Odil and Odette hadn't even shown their faces.

"Odette must be quite disappointed."

At least Odil had the good memory of their night walk, but Odette, with their schedules mismatched, hadn't even been able to exchange greetings.

Considering he thought of them as somewhat close acquaintances, he did feel a bit regretful.

She wouldn't end up fighting with Odil over this, would she?

He was a little worried.

Anyway, given the situation, his daily routine couldn't be very eventful.

At most, he'd drink alone, and when it was about time for Takasho to finish work, he'd wander over to the Academy to chat.

Days of stopping by Taro Town for a beer or casually grabbing some snacks.

For Siwoo, who now possessed a Brand and a Spirit Body, food and sleep were secondary concerns, but perhaps due to ingrained habits, he still made sure to eat three meals a day and slept on schedule.

But was it because he spent all his waking hours intoxicated?

It felt like every moment happened in a daze.

The return to the Mortal Realm he had so eagerly awaited was approaching, yet he felt nothing.

No excitement, no anticipation, nothing—it was as if his sense of reality was paralyzed.

"Two days left."

While he was idly letting time slip by like that, only two days remained until the date Count Gemernai was scheduled to visit again.

On his way back, trudging along from the Taro Town market with a ham tied with twine in one hand.

"...Excuse me?"

At first, the voice was so small and timid he wasn't even sure it was directed at him.

Continuing on his way, Siwoo turned around at the feeling of a finger poking his back.

There stood a woman he had never seen before.

Hair tied up in a seemingly haphazard updo, wearing a comfortable-looking dress.

Over it, she wore a brown cardigan.

A generous bust, an easy-birth pelvis, gentle-looking eyes, and large pupils to boot.

There was no room for argument—she was a stunning beauty.

"Were you calling me?"

Siwoo pointed at himself with a puzzled look.

The woman, who had been staring intently at Siwoo's face for a while, smiled happily.

"Shin Siwoo... right? Have you finished your recovery?"

"Ah."

Come to think of it, there was that Witch who had treated his body, which had been in a near-wrecked state.

According to Takasho, she was probably Korean.

This woman who stopped him on the street asking if his recovery was complete, while her skin was completely pale, was also East Asian.

Then perhaps...

"Are you perhaps Witch Sumire?"

"Yes, yes! That's right."

"Hello, I've heard a lot about you. I heard you went through a lot of trouble because of me. Thank you."

"Oh, no, no! Trouble... As a doctor, I feel I didn't fulfill my duty to the end..."

"Not at all."

All Sumire could do was turn Siwoo, who was little more than a half-corpse, into a mindless magic machine.

After that, Siwoo had blocked all healing attempts on his end, so she couldn't do anything more.

Still, seeing a patient she had once been in charge of walking around so healthy now brought fresh emotions.

"........"

"........"

For Yebin, not only had she watched over Siwoo for nearly 100 days, but he was also the first patient she had properly treated, and her first experience... but Siwoo had no memory of that time.

To him, she was a complete stranger, only known as someone who had tried hard to save his life.

This awkward emotional gap summoned silence between the two.

"Um, well... Since this is a kind of fate, would you like to stop by my place for a cup of tea?"

"Ah... Sure?"

In the end, it was Yebin who broke the ice.

Siwoo, too, felt it wouldn't be right to refuse the offer from Yebin, who had reportedly worked day and night to heal him, so he accepted the invitation amidst the awkwardness.

"Then, this way..."

"Ah, yes."

With suffocating awkwardness, the two headed towards the square of Taro Town.

Yebin Sumire had received Gehenna citizenship as compensation for healing Siwoo (though it wasn't a complete success).

Not only that, Count Gemernai had arranged for her to have a residence wherever she wished, and the place Yebin chose was this very Taro Town.

It was the most populous town in Gehenna.

After failing to fully heal Siwoo and realizing her own limits, Yebin immersed herself in Magic Research while also opening a free clinic to help many citizens with her abilities.

The place Yebin brought Siwoo to was a two-story stone building.

The first floor operated as the clinic, and the second floor was where Yebin lived.

"It's a bit messy, right?"

Closing the door and stepping inside, Yebin tidied things up here and there, seeming embarrassed.

Even a cursory glance made it clear what the space was for.

A faint, prickly smell of alcohol, presumably for disinfection, along with various medicinal scents, lingered in the air.

"Are you running a clinic here?"

"Yes, I saw that Gehenna's medical infrastructure is quite lacking. Even though it's insufficient, I wanted to be of help to others..."

As she spoke, Yebin, feeling as if she were boasting unnecessarily, blushed and changed the subject.

"I-I'll bring tea right away. Please wait there for a moment."

Yebin disappeared somewhere.

Siwoo was lost in newfound admiration.

A Witch who opens a clinic for others... It was quite different from the image of Witches he had held until now.

Yebin, who returned with tea brewed in a simple, unassuming teapot, sat down with modest snacks.

"Actually, I wanted to talk with you, Siwoo. Ah, you probably already know, but I'm Yebin Sumire."

"Yebin? By any chance..."

"Ah, yes. We're from the same hometown."

So that was the reason for the strangely familiar air about her, he thought.

"I'm Shin Siwoo. I had thought about wanting to meet the person who helped me, and it turns out you're someone doing really good work."

"Aw, it's not like that."

Yebin kept smoothing her hair, looking embarrassed.Having only seen Witches use their abilities solely for themselves, her actions of helping others without receiving any compensation left a rather good impression.

"You're quite impressive yourself, Mr. Siwoo. Confronting a public enemy to save an Apprentice Witch's life isn't something just anyone would have the courage to do."

"Ah, not at all."

This time, it was Siwoo's turn to feel embarrassed.

If it had been someone else's story, he would have thought, 'What a remarkable person,' but when it came to his own situation, looking back now, it felt like he had only done what was necessary.

"What did you do outside?"

After a brief exchange of compliments, the conversation truly began with Yebin's question.

Was it because he had been living like a stranded octopus, drifting aimlessly for a while?

Or was it because the Witch before him radiated such a comforting aura?

Siwoo found the long-overdue conversation quite enjoyable.

Moreover, the fact that they were both from Korea and had been unable to return to their homeland despite missing it made the conversation even livelier.

After all, conversation is an act that begins from a place of mutual understanding.

"Ah, I really want to eat chimaek... Fried chicken as a late-night snack while pulling an all-nighter for a report was the best."

"I think I'm returning to the Mortal Realm just to eat that too. But if you've gained citizenship, shouldn't you be able to go outside anytime?"

"Well, that's true... but I have almost no combat ability compared to my rank in the Hierarchy. I'm worried about getting caught up in something outside for no reason... and above all, the clinic hasn't settled in yet, so I think I need to manage it a bit longer."

Starting with trivial topics like these.

"Do you remember those stickers sold at the neighborhood stationery store?"

"Ah, you mean those small, round paper stickers? The ones with characters drawn on them!"

"Yes, exactly! Those."

"Do you know about this too? The water rockets we made every Science Day."

"Wow, I never succeeded in making one of those. Isn't it weird how they always broke as soon as you made them?"

Even reminiscing about the innocent days of stationery stores.

As they chatted, savoring the ticklish old memories and Fragrance, two or three hours had already flown by.

It was a delightful conversation and healing time, long overdue to clear his clogged-up heart.

So much so that he felt regretful as the sun began to set.

Yebin seemed to share this sentiment, showing a hint of disappointment as she noticed Siwoo checking the time.

In fact, Yebin's situation wasn't much different from Siwoo's.

She had been forced to leave Korea and hadn't been able to return to her hometown for a long time.

It seemed she felt a strange sense of kinship in that regard.

"I kept you for too long. It was a pleasant conversation."

"Indeed, it felt like we made up for all the conversations we couldn't have. It was truly enjoyable."

It felt like a trial version of returning to Korea.

Yebin smiled faintly at the delighted Siwoo and leaned forward to tidy up the table.

Even though he was a guest, Siwoo couldn't just sit still, so he quickly helped.

"You could have just stayed seated."

"Ah, I have to have a conscience. How could I just eat and leave?"

"Well, there's a utility room over there, so you can leave them there."

"Ah, I'll take care of it."

Perhaps because the distance between them had suddenly shortened, a pleasant Fragrance wafted gently from her.

It was a slightly sweet, powdery scent. It also smelled like milk...

She didn't seem to be wearing any particular Fragrance, but as the sweet scent temptingly brushed his nose.

"What's wrong?"

He got an erection.

And not just any erection—a full-blown one, as if he had chugged a Stamina Potion.

What the hell, why is this happening all of a sudden?

Siwoo urgently crossed his legs, suppressing his cock, which was trying to burst through his pants, and forced a smile.

"Ah, it's nothing. Where should I take this?"

Siwoo's pants were comfortable cotton slacks.

Moreover, the angle of his cock was far from ideal.

Because he hadn't properly tucked it upward, Siwoo's engorged member was lifting his pants as if pitching a tent.

The moment he stepped away from this table, Yebin would see this disgraceful sight.

But he couldn't send her away after offering to clean up first.

Well, erections are a natural phenomenon, a physiological occurrence that can happen even without any particular thoughts, but what good would it do to leave unnecessary suspicions?

After pondering for a moment, Siwoo saw an escape route.

He naturally picked up the napkin lying under the table as well.

"I'll tidy up the napkin while I'm at it."

"I'd appreciate that. I thought while we were talking earlier—you seem very meticulous."

"I tend to be like that."

Yebin didn't seem to sense anything amiss, so now he just had to drape this napkin over his crotch and leave.

Without showing any sign of discomfort, Siwoo brushed past Yebin and headed to the utility room to put away the dishes.

"...Phew."

Yebin glanced at the kitchen where Siwoo had disappeared and let out a breath she had been holding.

Right?

Probably right?

Actually, when she happened to see Siwoo, she hesitated whether to speak to him or not.

For one, the fact that they had had sex without permission, even if it was for treatment, weighed on her mind and was quite embarrassing.

Still, since he was the first patient she had treated and someone she really wanted to talk to, she invited him home.

After cautiously conversing with him, it seemed he had no memory of their secret relationship at all.

Then what was that?

The rod bulging prominently in his pants.

And the thing he lifted the napkin to cover was probably... a large object.

Could it be that he remembered everything and was just pretending not to know?

"No."

She didn't think he was that kind of sinister person.

But it reminded her of the time she stayed at Baron Marigold's mansion to treat him.

The memory of being naked, panting on top of him, and Siwoo grabbing her hair as he roughly took her from behind.

The memory of how every night, he made Yebin squirm and fidget on the bed.

Back then, she thought it was unavoidable because of the circumstances and vowed to forget it all...

But now, seeing him so composed and being alone with him, her thoughts kept drifting in a lewd direction.

Moreover, the face that smiled every time he spoke, the hand gestures as he adjusted his sleeves, the Adam's apple that moved boldly each time he drank tea, and finally, his formidable member, visible even through his clothes.Every time I recall that masculine figure, torment creeps in.

"Ugh... I'm going crazy."

Yebin pats her flushed cheeks.

She knew she tended to get a bit excited, but she had never felt her body heat up like this with an actual person right in front of her.

And then Siwoo returned.

"Thank you for the nice tea. I think I'll be heading back now."

The place Yebin had been intently watching was between Siwoo's legs.

The prominent bulge between his thighs had now completely subsided.

That meant what she saw earlier wasn't a mistake.

What should she do?

Should she just let him leave like this?

As Yebin pondered, her eyes lightning-fast caught sight of the canned ham he had moved onto the table.

Pointing at the ham with her hand, Yebin said:

"That would make a good drinking snack, don't you think?"

"Huh?"

Author's Note (Afterword)

Today's regular update might be a bit late, folks.

And regarding the Witch's personality, many of you have pointed things out—I never intended to portray the Witch as absolute good or an image equivalent to goodness.

I'm just thinking along the lines of 'as long as she's not evil' or 'a neutral being'... about that level.

Since this meta-concept of good and evil is a theme philosophy has been chewing on since ancient times, I think opinions vary greatly depending on where you place your perspective.

Even regarding the part about abducting people destined to die in Gehenna and using them as slaves, opinions seem divided between 'this is understandable' and 'it's abhorrent to capture people without asking for their consent and force them into slavery.'

I respect both sides.

However, as the author of The Witch's City, if I were to share only my own thoughts: even if it was an oppressed freedom without asking for consent, if one later learned it was the price for their life, I think they might accept it to some extent and move on.

Of course, they probably wouldn't think 'I'm grateful' or 'those Witch bastards were actually good guys!'

I'm just thinking of that kind of image.

To add a bit more, I also think Witches are products of their society and era.

Mill, a philosopher I really admire, showed genius in many aspects and presented groundbreaking theories, but he defended imperialism.

Actually, the concept that all humans universally have the right to pursue happiness, like we have now, isn't as old as you might think, right?

In the US, slavery existed until about 100 years ago, and racial discrimination remains a headache regardless of the era.

From the perspective of an old Witch with an aristocratic mindset, the social structure of Gehenna could be seen as natural—that's what I wanted to say.

The reason they can't completely break free from these aspects is because they are products of their society.

This is a slightly separate topic, but ultimately, I've come to feel that my own life in modern society is somewhat similar to the Witch's.

I happen to be eating mint chocolate right now, but a significant portion of the cocoa in it comes from labor exploitation in the Third World. Furthermore, companies like Hershey's, whose products I enjoy eating, have even been warned for child labor exploitation.

Beyond that, I benefit from medicines created through various animal and human experiments, yet I don't have a clear sense of awareness about it.

I need to become someone who lives a bit more thoughtfully.