City of Witches Chapter 21

On nights like this, darkness descends so thick that you can't see an inch ahead once you venture a little deeper into the forest.

The lights from the harbor, the moonlight veiled by clouds—they were as good as nonexistent in this dense oak forest.

So, a magically conjured ornamental flame floated beside Amelia, illuminating their surroundings.

Cloud Mushroom Village was truly a bizarre sight.

Is this what Earth would look like after about 200 years of ruin?

A tree piercing through a mansion's roof, a tree blocking the middle of the road, a tree standing tall amidst the rubble of a collapsed house...

Each one was an oak tree over 50 meters tall, flooding the residential area everywhere.

Following a path strewn with acorns instead of pebbles, they arrived at their destination.

The only villa in this dark, former residential area from which light streamed.

Despite finally reaching the villa after much trouble, both Siwoo and Amelia were left speechless.

Because the villa they had finally arrived at was perched halfway up a tree about 20 meters tall.

Since this incident happened ten years ago and the villa was built only three years ago, it must have been intentionally constructed in such a place.

Would it be fitting to call it a unique hotel?

Aren't there quite a few like that on Earth too?

Hotels in the middle of the desert, a lone bed on a hill overlooking the Alps, a room 20 meters underwater...

This villa seemed to have been built with that kind of vibe.

"Is this really the right place?"

"It might look small, but spatial magic is probably applied."

Standing side by side, they looked up at the treehouse suspended in the air.

From down here, it really did seem to be hanging at a great height.

Amelia lightly pushed off the ground and flew into the villa like an angel, while Siwoo climbed up using a ladder lowered from above.

Climbing a ladder this high was a first in his life, and his heart pounded quite a bit.

And then.

When he finally managed to climb up, what Siwoo discovered was Amelia's frozen back, standing still with the villa's door wide open.

"Is something wrong?"

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Siwoo hurriedly pressed close to Amelia and froze just like her.

"........"

"........"

Contrary to Amelia's expectation that spatial magic would be applied, the villa was extremely small.

So small that if two people stayed together, they'd have no choice but to see each other no matter where they were.

The treehouse, which looked like something you'd only find in the American countryside, had facilities as modern as they come, despite its shabby exterior.

It was impeccably clean, maintained without a speck of dust, and its interior design was impressively reminiscent of a modern hotel rather than adhering to Gehenna's typically old-fashioned decor.

However, there was a slight issue with that very composition.

A candlestick with an erotic pink flame burning and a single, enormous bed.

Attached to the ceiling above the bed was a large mirror, allowing a real-time view of whatever happened below.

And that wasn't all.

All that separated the bedroom from the bathroom was a single semi-transparent glass wall.

What more is there to say?

It was quite simply a love hotel.

Amelia was at a loss for words, and Siwoo had even less to say.

"Manager, shut your mouth."

"I haven't said anything yet."

"Don't even think about it."

Amelia let out a deep sigh and pressed her forehead as if she had a headache.

After a moment of contemplation, she spun around and faced Siwoo.

"As you probably know, this is my first time coming to this villa."

"I know."

Otherwise, Amelia wouldn't be this flustered.

Amelia twirled her hair repeatedly as she spoke.

"This wasn't something I prepared, let alone requested to be prepared. It was completely unexpected."

"I understand without any misunderstanding, Associate Professor."

On the other hand, seeing her, who was always composed, acting so flustered was quite a precious sight.

"Good that you know."

Siwoo changed into the slippers placed side by side and entered the villa.

Closing the door somehow made the atmosphere feel even more suggestive.

It felt like they had entered a love hotel with just the two of them, Amelia and him.

Could all of this be Amelia's green light?

Deliberately heading to Border Town together on the portal's regular inspection day, wearing black, alluring lingerie, being unusually nice today for no reason, and now this villa, which has the perfect atmosphere for lovers to have sex...

She has the dignity of a Witch, and Amelia particularly values such things, so she couldn't outright ask him to serve her at night.

Could this be her subtly hinting at it?

Siwoo, who had been letting his imagination run wild, shook his head.

"That can't be."

Anyone else might, but there's no way Amelia would pull such a trick.

Especially not to spend a night with a mere slave.

-Swoosh

As Siwoo sat on the floor, practicing wall-facing meditation and indulging in various imaginations, the sound of water seeped into his ears.

It was the sound of Amelia washing herself.

Becoming a Witch grants freedom from many things.

A Witch who receives the Brand becomes a 'Spirit Body,' a transcendent physical form detached from the natural order.

They don't age or die, don't need to eat, don't need to excrete, and don't need to sleep.

They might sweat a little for body temperature regulation, but even that can be solved with Magic.

Yet, Witches still eat delicacies, sleep in comfortable beds, and bathe in large baths.

It must be that the 'preferences' they had as humans carry over as inertia even after becoming Witches.

Amelia going into the bathroom to wash herself was likely in the same vein.

Soon, the sound of the shower stopped, replaced by splashing sounds.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Siwoo very slightly turned his head to look at the semi-transparent glass wall separating the bathroom.

He could see the silhouette of Amelia, her hair tied up, sitting in the bathtub.

"Manager."

"Yes!"

Thinking his peeking might have been discovered at the sound of Amelia's voice echoing from the bathroom, he answered loudly.

Fortunately, it didn't seem he'd been caught.

"Bring glasses and wine from the wine cellar. And the cigarettes we bought today."

Was there such a thing? Looking around, Siwoo's eyes fell on a small wine shelf embedded in the corner of the room.

Unlike the distracted Siwoo, Amelia had apparently managed to spot it in the shadows.

Even without Amelia having to say it, the thrifty Siwoo also fetched an ashtray.

Straining not to look at Amelia, he placed them in front of the glass door to the bathroom.

"Ready."

"Bring them in."However, Amelia's instructions did not end there.

An additional command was issued: to enter the bathroom where she was soaking.

"I-I can't do that!"

Stay calm.

This is Amelia's trap.

If I go in here all eager and see her naked skin, a terrible punishment surely awaits.

It wouldn't be strange at all to hear, 'A mere slave, getting excited at the prospect of seeing a Witch's body. Castration would suit a caretaker.'

"I won't say it twice. Come in."

With those words, Amelia fell silent.

Siwoo took a deep breath.

Just look at the floor, go in, hand over the wine, and leave.

"Then I'll come in."

Siwoo opened the bathroom door, head bowed deeply.

Thick steam made the flickering candlelight in the bathroom blur.

The air was filled with the fragrant scent of roses.

And what Siwoo saw were Amelia's clothes and underwear, neatly folded in a basket on the bathroom floor.

Extremely mature and minimal underwear, perfectly folded, drew his gaze from within the basket.

"No need for that. There's foam anyway."

At Amelia's words, Siwoo cautiously raised his head.

As she said, the bathtub was filled with billowing foam to the point where the bottom was not visible.

Therefore, all Siwoo could see was Amelia's graceful shoulder line.

And her deer-like neckline, visible because her hair was tied up to keep it from getting wet.

"Cigarette first."

Siwoo took a cigarette from the pack and placed it between her lips.

Come to think of it, she never smelled of tobacco at all normally. Was that also a type of Magic?

"Wine."

Siwoo carefully tilted the bottle to pour wine into the glass Amelia was holding.

She closed her eyes tightly, inhaled the cigarette smoke, and then moistened her mouth with the wine.

Even though it was obscured by foam, the exposure was quite high.

Her full cleavage, her completely uncovered white arms, and her armpits were all plainly visible.

"Caretaker."

"Yes, I'm listening."

"You have one too, Caretaker."

"Yes."

Siwoo promptly put a cigarette in his mouth.

It seemed like a pretty good way to suppress the storm of sexual desire that kept trying to rise.

"You're not refusing this time?"

"Because the Associate Professor granted my request."

If Amelia had killed that middle-aged man there, even the little bit of affection he held would have completely vanished.

"I heard he was quite a capable mathematician on the outside. Is that true?"

"That's correct."

Strictly speaking, he was a budding mathematician, but.

More than that, it was surprising that Amelia knew even the trivial details of a slave's life.

Why she was suddenly bringing this up became clear not long after.

"I need a teaching assistant to organize and manage research materials."

"Yes."

"I'm telling you to come as my exclusive, just as I proposed five years ago."

"Huh?"

Siwoo's mouth hung open stupidly.

It was as if electricity had shot through his mind, jolting him awake.

Five years ago... wasn't that when Amelia asked him to attend to her at night?

What did she mean by saying she had proposed an exclusive slave back then?

"Associate Professor. May I ask one impertinent question?"

"If it's not excessively rude."

Siwoo gulped.

He felt there might have been a serious misunderstanding all along.

"Five years ago... you told me to attend to you at night, didn't you?"

In his memory, Amelia had clearly approached Siwoo after work and made a statement with that nuance.

However, Siwoo, who back then was a virgin who knew nothing but mathematics and had heard all sorts of terrifying things about Witches from the slave merchant, got scared in advance and refused that proposal.

After that, Amelia, indignant, persistently and pettily tormented the slave who had refused her proposal.

This was Siwoo's memory.

"Indeed, it is an impertinent question."

Amelia frowned as if displeased and took a sip of her drink.

"I told you to come to my bedroom after work that day. But I never once mentioned night service."

"Why the bedroom specifically..."

"I needed to test how useful you were, and it's much closer than the research building. So, Caretaker, have you been thinking of me all this time as some loose woman who lets any man into her bedroom?"

Amelia's voice was cold.

It felt slightly evasive, but he wasn't bold enough to press the point.

"I-I'm sorry."

Siwoo bowed his head in apology.

The premise itself was completely twisted.

Thinking about it, it was obvious.

He had never heard of Amelia bringing any other man into her bedroom.

She was a traditional, conservative Witch with no interest outside of Magic.

Would such an Amelia suddenly think of dragging a slave she just met into her bed?

And that too, because she suddenly fell in love?

He was deeply afflicted with axe sickness from the start.

Takasho had fanned the flames from the side, but it was a clear mistake.

"I'm sorry!"

"I don't even want to hear an apology. Well, I suppose that's how all males think."

Amelia's anger, sharper than a midwinter gale, lashed at the back of Siwoo, who was prostrating himself and bowing his head.

The earlier pounding in his chest was gone.

Now he had to think about how to appease her and improve her mood.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

The cover rough has been released.

It's Amelia.

And for those wishing for Amelia's conquest, it might be good to relax your hearts a little.