City of Witches Chapter 15

"Hmm..."

The Twins and Siwoo were huddled together over the draft of a Magic Circle spread out on a box.

To be honest, Odil and Odette hadn't planned on discussing Magic this seriously.

Even when he confessed that about 70% of the Magic Circle was complete and roughly a year remained to open a new 'Gate', they thought it was just the delusion of an ignorant beginner.

They planned to offer some appropriate advice after seeing Siwoo's draft, which was sure to be a mess, and then use that as a pretext to lure him to Taro Town to try out various things.

"Assistant, why does it work like this? There's a weird, squiggly-looking drawing here."

"It's calculating the effective magic power value range during the transition from the expansion section to the transformation section."

"How?"

"If you think of numbers as points on a one-dimensional line, you won't understand. You have to think of it as the phase changing according to the rotation angle, not the value."

"Ah-ha~"

Siwoo picked up a pen and quickly sketched a simple diagram on the paper for her.

While listening intently to Siwoo explaining the formula calculations to Odette, Odil was lost in thought.

He had skillfully utilized dispel pins against Odil's Magic.

But that was something well within the realm of 'possibility'.

However, it defied common sense that a mere slave with no formal Magic training had constructed a large-scale Magic Circle, and one tailored to his own system at that.

"Why did you arrange the Rune Characters in series here? Wouldn't a bridge configuration be better for noise rectification?"

"Taking a bridge form halves the output. Here, you need to maximize magic power efficiency to the limit to increase stability. You know how a slowly thrown paper plane wobbles, right?"

No matter the question, an answer came without hesitation.

And with quite plausible analogies too.

"This part seems a bit off, doesn't it? It looks like the Mana Resistance was chosen incorrectly?"

"Ah, that part you can ignore. It's a ground I intentionally set with a low resistance value to prevent magic power backflow if the Magic fails."

"That's possible?"

Moreover, he was completing the Magic using methods they had never heard of or seen.

His Magic was like a building constructed in an absurdly bizarre way.

Like a building drawn by dreamy children being actually built using all sorts of unheard-of techniques.

"Still, it's not completely without issues. The biggest problem is the synthesis section. It's independent, but far too risky."

"And as long as the variable section isn't finalized, there's a possibility Assistant Siwoo won't be able to control it."

"Is that so?"

But they were Apprentice Witches, after all.

To the Twins' eyes, who had studied Magic since they were old enough to read, the flaws in Siwoo's Magic were gradually becoming apparent.

"Look here. For example, here you set the magic power load value at 11.26, right? That converts the magic power output to 0.33, so..."

And so, the three of them engaged in a heated discussion until sunset.

Siwoo's daily life hadn't changed much.

Fortunately, the Twins were extremely well-disposed towards him.

Although they threatened to tell Amelia or intimidate him with words, they didn't seem to have any real intention of doing so.

On the contrary, they even came again the next day and diligently helped him with the parts he was struggling with.

"Done for today too!"

Siwoo tidied up the last book scattered in the library and climbed down the ladder.

Tomorrow, he had to go to Taro Town again.

Because it was time to pay the 'price' to Odil and Odette.

To be honest, if he just let go a little, it could be quite an enjoyable experience.

Even if the main event, sex, was out of the question, where else would it be easy to roll around in bed with women of that caliber?

Who knows, maybe this time they'd even show him their breasts.

Just as a slight sense of self-loathing crept in while he was enjoying his lewd fantasies.

-Click-clack, click-clack

Hearing the sound of high heels, Siwoo straightened his attire.

He didn't want to hear unnecessary nagging.

Just as herbivores can instantly recognize carnivores, Siwoo could tell who the owner of the footsteps was just by the sound.

"Keeper."

It was Amelia herself, ferocity incarnate, the man-eating deer.

She swept her tousled hair to one side and stood before Siwoo.

A fragrant, sweet, yet slightly salty scent wafted strongly.

Amelia's outfit today was a navy blue dress that revealed her straight collarbones and rounded shoulder line.

Her white nape stood out, naturally drawing one's gaze there.

A glimpse of her cleavage was also visible, making it hard to know where to look.

"What brings you here?"

Siwoo bowed his head respectfully.

Partly because he had one more thing to feel guilty about, but mostly because he remembered Amelia's admonition.

"I'm planning to go to 'Border Town' tomorrow. I need company."

"As a porter?"

"Yes."

This Amelia likes me?

Looking at Amelia's face, colder than ice, it was impossible to believe Takasho's words.

If Amelia really had feelings for him, wouldn't she at least show a friendly smile like Odette's?

"I plan to go in the morning, so come to my research building by 9 AM."

"Understood."

A sudden desire to test it out arose.

If Amelia's goodwill was genuine, as Takasho said, wouldn't she forgive a comment of this level?

"But, Lady Amelia."

Amelia's left eyebrow twitched upward.

For reference, that was Amelia's body language expressing puzzlement.

"Did you come all the way here just to tell me this?"

The research building and the main library were quite a distance apart.

It was a subtly probing question, implying she might have moved to a less frequented place for a private meeting—the kind you wouldn't notice unless you were guilty yourself.

"If you have business, you could send someone. I would come directly. Would the Associate Professor need to trouble herself by moving her feet?"

This way, he could show respect towards Amelia while also covering his back.

"I decide my own affairs. The Keeper should focus on minding his own business."

Amelia replied without any change in expression.

She showed no sign of being affected at all.

And listen to that tone in the meantime.

"Ah, and there's one thing I need to caution you about."

"Yes, please tell me."

"Have you been having private conversations with Apprentice Witches recently?"

Startled by Amelia's sudden question, Siwoo flinched.

Hiding his surprise as much as possible, he racked his brain.Recently, Odette and Odil had even come to the lodgings, and separately, there were times when they exchanged brief conversations upon meeting in the corridor.

"You said it was a private conversation...?"

"I'm asking if you've ever exchanged more conversation than necessary within the slave-witch relationship."

They were already exchanging more conversation than necessary.

They even debated about Magic Circles, and just four days ago, she had even helped him with oral sex.

Could they have been found out?

Where had they been seen?

Was meeting inside the Academy too dangerous after all?

"No."

He denied it for now.

He didn't know how much Amelia knew, but the moment his indiscretion with the Twins was exposed, Siwoo was doomed.

Amelia intently looked at Siwoo's face.

It was awkward.

As Amelia's icy blue eyes fixedly gazed at his face, he even felt the illusion that his thoughts were being read completely.

"The caretaker..."

Amelia hesitated briefly.

"...didn't you dislike Witches?"

True to her nickname "Ice Statue," Amelia's tone and expression showed almost no change.

But while others might not notice, Siwoo could tell.

That her current words were accompanied by a slight hesitation.

"That's... not exactly the case."

Of course he disliked them.

How could he possibly like those magic-crazed lunatics?

"Is that so."

"Yes."

"......"

"......"

This awkward atmosphere, this silence.

He had absolutely no clue what Amelia knew or why she had brought up such a thing.

"If you have nothing more to say, may I finish tidying up now?"

Moreover, it was extremely suspicious why Amelia, who usually spoke only about business matters in a curt manner, was enduring this silence and standing before him.

"Wait."

Just as he wanted to escape her gaze as soon as possible, Amelia stopped him.

"Yes."

"...That..."

Was the decisive and straightforward Amelia hesitating in her speech?

They say when a person suddenly changes, it's an omen of death—had she contracted some fatal illness?

"That...?"

Amelia's lips twitched several times.

Her appearance, hesitating whether to speak or not, was harmful to the mental health of impatient Koreans.

"Pfft, it's nothing. If you're late for our appointment time tomorrow, I'll have you clean the research building again, so you know."

As if nothing had happened, Amelia disappeared with an icy demeanor.

"What is she trying to do now."

Siwoo blankly stared at the firmly closed door of the grand library.

Someone blocked Amelia's path as she walked briskly through the corridor.

"How was it, Amelia? Was your date request successful?"

"Avene, I must have told you it wasn't a date."

Bright, vivid purple hair, black pupils.

Unlike Amelia, who clearly appeared youthful, she exuded the charm of a mature woman all the way to her ample chest.

'Sophia Avenega,' the head professor of Trinity Academy, was the only person Amelia, who was unfriendly, could call a friend.

Though that was strictly according to Sophia's claim.

"Amelia, shall I tell you something? You call me by my Witch Name when you're in a bad mood."

"That must be faulty statistics."

"Especially when you're hit where it hurts."

"I've never been hit where it hurts, Professor Sophia."

Amelia brushed past Sophia, who was clinging to her, as if annoyed.

"What did you lure him with this time? Don't tell me you used the appointment time as an excuse like last time to call him alone to the research building?"

Amelia glared at Sophia, who was giggling with an expression that seemed to say, 'Honestly, that was too obvious.'

"That wasn't a date either. And it certainly wasn't luring. I merely taught the slave about proper conduct. Does that answer your question?"

"Of course~ Associate Professor."

Amelia walked even faster to escape the clingy Sophia, but their strides were different from the start.

Compared to Sophia, no matter how much tiny Amelia toddled along, she was caught up in just a few steps.

"By the way, how long are you going to torment him? You two haven't even had a proper conversation yet, have you?"

"'Conversation' between a slave and a witch. How fitting for a Witch who doesn't live up to her name. Does such discernment disappear from rolling around with a slave in your bedroom every night?"

It was the sharp tongue for which Amelia was famous even in social circles, but Sophia didn't bat an eye.

If she were the type to be cowed by this level of harsh words, she wouldn't have remained by her side as a friend in the first place.

"For us, five years is just a short time, but not for a slave. Because you keep hesitating and tormenting him, Mr. Siwoo dislikes you too."

"He said that wasn't the case."

At Amelia's raised voice, Sophia threw up her hands in surrender.

They had been friends for over 60 years, yet how could she still be so childlike?

Amelia's inability to be honest was her greatest flaw.

"If you keep this up, shall I take him?"

"Do as you please."

"If you're going to Border Town tomorrow, shall I lend you my villa there?"

"I don't need it."

"Amelia, you don't have any mature underwear, do you? Black lingerie with lace trim is essential for a lady."

"Please don't create such vulgar essentials."

Amelia scurried away in quick steps, with Sophia chasing after her.

Their banter continued for quite some time.

Unbeknownst to Siwoo, the person who could put Amelia in the most difficult position was none other than Sophia.

A Word from the Author (Author's Note)

Sorry for being late! Still, I'd be grateful if you could leave a recommendation before you go!