City of Witches Chapter 241

"You are far more distinguished in person than I had heard through word of mouth."

Sua said this as she poured tea into Siwoo's cup.

She had never learned difficult etiquette like tea ceremonies or anything of the sort, but the atmosphere felt extremely formal.

Was it on a different level from the sometimes ostentatious manners the Twins had learned as noble etiquette?

The combination of archaic, extreme honorifics and the hanbok made thoughts like, 'Is it okay to just sit facing each other on the sofa? Shouldn't I be kneeling to receive the cup?' keep flowing out.

Frankly, it was a bit burdensome.

"Um, you don't need to speak so formally to me."

"That cannot be. It is self-evident that had it not been for your decisive action during the recent attack incident, a calamity two or three times greater would have occurred. As it is originally this maiden's duty to safeguard the peace of Seoul, how could I treat you lightly?"

Sua said, bowing her head respectfully.

If an ordinary person spoke and acted with such self-deprecation, they would usually seem a bit easy to handle.

But this hanbok-wearing Witch lady had none of that.

She was like the personification of the proverb: 'The more ripe the rice, the lower it bows.'

"However, you seem uncomfortable. What do you think? Is this about right? After all, etiquette is ultimately for the sake of considering the other person."

"Ah, yes. Please do."

Sua gave a slight smile and changed her speech from extreme honorifics to a respectful but more standard level.

Siwoo carefully sipped his tea and answered.

"First, you said you came to have a conversation with me... Is there really a conversation you wish to have with someone like me?"

"Of course. I thought you might want to express your gratitude, and also that you would likely want to hear about the current situation and Miss Evergreen's condition."

Come to think of it, Eloa had told him that Sua was in charge of Sharon's healing.

Siwoo had believed Eloa's words that he didn't need to worry too much, but asking the attending physician directly was also the most certain way.

"Then, I'd like to ask about Sharon's condition first."

"I thought you might."

Sua nodded gently with her eyes closed, as if she had expected it.

Afterwards, she explained, laying out various pieces of magical knowledge, but unfortunately, Siwoo had absolutely no knowledge of healing Magic.

He was, after all, a self-taught Witch, not one who had gone through a formal Apprentice Witch course.

Still, because she explained so meticulously, he could vaguely guess the state she was in.

"So... her body has recovered, but the mental issue remains?"

"That is correct. Precisely, she is in a state of refusing to regain consciousness. One could also see it as a kind of autism. She herself is refusing to awaken due to fear and terror."

Isn't that a big problem?

They say wounds on the body heal and that's the end of it, but wounds left on the heart last a lifetime.

The weight carried by the word 'autism' itself is also considerable.

Seeing Siwoo's expression stiffen, Sua spoke soothingly.

"Don't worry too much. No matter how long it takes, she will definitely open her eyes within two weeks."

"Two weeks... Will there be any aftereffects?"

"If the Autonomous Defense fully settles in, I predict there won't be any serious aftereffects. Ultimately, the poison that burrowed into her neck is also part of 'Magic'."

Only then did he feel a bit relieved.

Glancing to the side, he saw Sharon lying there like Sleeping Beauty.

Every time he saw her, the sharp tip of the harpoon that had pierced through that slender back came to mind, and his throat tightened.

Simultaneously, a red-hot, awl-like hatred poked out from a corner of his heart.

Naturally, it was hatred for the culprit, the Cowardly Witch.

Siwoo wiped the cold sweat from his face once and drank his tea.

Then, one person suddenly came to mind.

The Witch who, at the moment he had given up everything, proposed a deal and saved Sharon and Siwoo.

Kibele Periwinkle.

He was too flustered to have a precise memory, but he remembered agreeing to grant one request in exchange for saving their lives.

The fact that he hadn't remembered this important thing until now made him realize anew just how out of it he had been.

"This is about other matters... By any chance, have you considered leaving Seoul for a while?"

"Huh?"

"As you can guess from the consecutive incidents, Seoul is far too dangerous. The accidents caused by the Cowardly Witch are gradually increasing the intensity of the threat. If you continue to stay here, a danger greater than last night's may befall you."

According to Sua's subsequent explanation, everything that had happened so far was the work of the Cowardly Witch.

Creating the splitting Homunculus, the perpetrator who attacked Coex, the one who created the White Knight—all the work of one person.

Moreover, hearing that four Witches had lost their lives in an instant last night made the seriousness hit home.

What kind of beings are Witches?

The Witches Siwoo remembered were transcendent beings who could escape unscathed from considerable dangers.

For four such Witches to die in one fell swoop...

He confirmed once again that surviving yesterday was truly nothing more than a stroke of luck.

"I have had the travel pass and citizenship issued at Count Gemernai's request reissued. I have also contacted the Countess, so it seems a wise plan to stay in Gehenna until the peril passes."

To escape the danger and take shelter...

It was a reasonable statement.

His own abilities, which he had been confident were sufficiently strong, were immature, and in comparison, the scale of the incidents was too vast.

A rational judgment was made that it was right to avoid, to flee, like this.

But Siwoo had already fled once before.

He got scared prematurely, could do nothing, and waited for death.

He couldn't easily accept his own self, who was considering the option of 'flight' just hours after promising Eloa he would become stronger.

Above all, now was not the time to be racking his brains with various thoughts.

There was a more important problem than that.

"I truly appreciate the offer. What about Sharon? Can't she return to Gehenna with me?"

"The safest thing would be to return to Gehenna, but... Miss Evergreen is an Exile, and moreover, she has incurred the resentment of several Witches. Even if she applied for an Exemption Right and citizenship review right now, it's highly likely she wouldn't meet the deadline."

"Then what about taking shelter temporarily somewhere else in the Mortal Realm?"

"Smuggling her abroad is also one method, but wandering the Mortal Realm while unconscious is also dangerous."

Gehenna is no good.

Abroad is no good.Just as I was about to grow despondent at the gloomy answer, a welcome reply came.

"Therefore, I intend to take custody of you."

That answer put my mind somewhat at ease.

I don't know what level of Hierarchy the witch named Su-a Agatha holds, but she is still the branch head of Witch Point.

Wouldn't she be a Great Witch that a mediocre public enemy probably couldn't even stand against?

"As for taking refuge in Gehenna... I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline the sentiment. Sharon is here, so I can't go alone."

Sua didn't show much surprise.

She only nodded slightly as if to say she understood.

"Then, is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Is the reason you're being so kind to me because of the incident the other day?"

The incident where Dagon's Flute, activated without a Hidden Boundary, shook COEX to its core.

During the accident, Siwoo, who was on the scene, swiftly dealt with the Piranha and destroyed the flute, reducing civilian casualties by more than half.

"That is also a reason."

According to Sharon's explanation, a 'Public Attestation' is fundamentally a pledge made with one's Witch Name, so it is by no means a light promise.

For example, attesting to Siwoo's identity means becoming his guardian and simultaneously signifying, 'I will bear equal responsibility for any mistakes or wrongdoings this person commits.'

While such a situation is unlikely, if Siwoo were to kill an Apprentice Witch or something similar, she would have to pay an equivalent price.

Even though he was grateful, Siwoo found it hard to guess why someone he had never even exchanged a word with would show such goodwill.

"Do you know... what is more precious than life to a witch?"

Sua's reply was somewhat unexpected.

"The Brand... isn't it?"

"That's correct. For a witch, the Brand is a legacy passed down through generations. It is a treasure forged from all the lives and karma of one's predecessors, reaching back to the ancestors before the ancestors.

The reason they throw away their lives like blades of grass for the advancement of Magic is also because of this.

Because the Witch Name inherited along with the Brand contains a mission and an unfulfilled calling."

If it's that, then I know.

That this race called witches considers collective suicide over long periods for the sake of magic as a matter of course.

"To that extent, the innate magic within the Brand holds deep meaning for witches. And you, my lord, possess the magic of the Duke's disciple, Raphi."

Sua poured tea into Siwoo's empty cup.

"Since that day's tragedy, this is the first time I've seen the Duke become so attached to someone else. Teaching someone, telling me stories about someone, feeling emotions other than vengeance or regret... you are the first."

The one person with whom Tiferet, suffering from an irreversible loss, could share her heart.

That meaning was Siwoo.

Siwoo had already guessed that Eloa was seeing Raphi in him.

"The Duke is a delicate person. She is a strong person who can easily handle a thousand alone, but her heart... is weary."

This was also the reason Sua provided the Public Attestation.

To help Tiferet, who was unwillingly cast out from the cycle of vengeance, regain a purpose in life.

Because she found the starting point for that in Siwoo.

"It might be an impertinent request, but... I sincerely hope you will support the Duke well."

"What can I possibly do..."

"You can. You are already doing it."

Sua recalled Eloa's appearance from before, talking about Siwoo as if it were enjoyable.

How she had started cooking again, how she had begun teaching Siwoo how to use his body, and how his achievements were exceptional.

Seeing the expression with that light, proud smile, one wouldn't know how happy Sua was.

Therefore, she also felt great gratitude towards Siwoo.

"Moreover, if you are someone the Duke trusts, then there is no reason for me not to trust you. Her eye for people has always been superior to anyone's. Surely you, my lord, must be a good person as well."

"I'm not that great of a person."

Siwoo felt awkward for no reason and rubbed the tip of his nose.

"Teacher Sua? What brings you here without notice?"

At that moment, Eloa, who had briefly stepped out, returned.

Because Eloa tilted her head, her pink hair, tied like a horsetail, swayed.

"To check on Miss Evergreen's recovery status. And I wanted to have a conversation."

"Is that so? Siwoo's stamina hasn't fully recovered yet, so please don't keep him too long."

"The conversation was just finishing, actually."

Hearing Sua's words and looking at Eloa, she seemed different now.

Elowa, who had felt distant due to her fearsome martial prowess, magic, and the title of Duke.

She was just a weak person who needed someone to lean on, exactly like Siwoo.

"Master, I'm fine."

After a moment of contemplation, Siwoo let the word 'Master' leave his lips.

It was a form of address he had hesitated over until now, wondering if it might inadvertently reopen old wounds or be an impertinent intrusion.

But if this small action could help her, he was willing to do it gladly.

"My body is fine now, so could you help me with training?"

At Siwoo's call, Eloa's eyes widened.

As if she never imagined he would call her that.

Wondering if he had gone too far, he felt anxious, but then her eyes, holding amethyst gems, curved into a beautiful arc.

"Very well. But don't overdo it today."

Elowa smiled brightly, like a cherry blossom in full bloom.

Author's Note (Afterword)

Witches' Personal Vehicles for Fun

The cars that witches in the Mortal Realm drive around!

Please just view this for fun.

Countess Gemernai - Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB

Drives it somewhat modestly.

Always accompanied by a knight!

Della Redcliffe - Ferrari 458 Italia => SF90 Stradale

Really likes Ferrari's symbolic red color, so drives it around. Not particularly car-obsessed, tends to change when getting bored of it.

Su-a Agatha - Genesis G90L

Issued to the Witch Point branch head, but has no license and doesn't really enjoy driving.

Sharon Evergreen - Walker

Walks diligently and frequently uses the subway and bus.