City of Witches Chapter 256

The relationship between master and apprentice is akin to that of parent and child.

Especially in witch society, that connection becomes even more distinct.

To an Apprentice Witch, a Witch is a parent, and to a Witch, an Apprentice Witch is literally a child for whom they would not regret giving their own life.

"However, you must not go anywhere. Stay only by my side."

A forbidden relationship that must not be crossed.

The love between master and apprentice.

Thus, Eloa, gathering her courage, confessed the vague feelings she usually held for Siwoo... was, of course, not the case.

Well, Siwoo did momentarily misunderstand when she grabbed his hand.

"There is one thing weighing on my mind."

Periwinkle, Siwoo, and even Eloa just moments ago.

They all thought the cause of Siwoo's impending death would be the Cowardly Witch.

Even considering various circumstances, it's undeniable she is the most likely culprit.

A calamity capable of killing even a Great Witch will befall Seoul within a month.

Siwoo holds an ominous hexagram in his hand like a death sentence, and he is currently in Seoul.

The Cowardly Witch has caused several incidents in Seoul over the past months and her whereabouts remain unknown.

Even omitting uncertain elements, with this much circumstantial evidence gathered, the vague outline becomes somewhat clearer.

'Conclusion: A tremendously huge calamity will occur in Seoul before long.'

Therefore, she tried to evacuate Siwoo to Gehenna along with Evergreen.

At that moment, Eloa recalled.

But what if.

What if this is a misjudgment?

What if Siwoo's hexagram is unrelated to the Cowardly Witch?

What if there are other dangers, like public enemies targeting Siwoo for his rare title as the first male Witch?

Eloa had a self-imposed duty and responsibility.

It was no longer a matter of choice but closer to a burden Eloa had shouldered.

No matter what options are presented, she cannot turn her back on and ignore the impending calamity.

Eloa would ultimately stay in Seoul and fight, even if it meant burning her life away.

That is, if Siwoo were to face danger in Gehenna, Eloa could do nothing for him.

At best, she could only pray that the four-leaf clover Periwinkle gave him would fulfill its role.

Therefore, she declares.

"...Thus, I shall protect you. Being by my side will be safer than anywhere else in the world."

"Hmm..."

Siwoo quietly listened to Eloa's speech, captivated by a strange fervor.

She logically presented her opinion, and from what Siwoo heard, it wasn't an impossible story.

It could very well happen.

But to be a bit more honest about his impression...

It's too much of a leap.

The hypothesis Eloa laid out was something that could only occur if every situation took the worst possible turn.

Even considering her cautious nature, it's excessive worry.

"That could be possible."

However, Siwoo chose not to point out those aspects.

The reason Eloa lost Raphi was, in hindsight, because the two were not together.

He hadn't heard the exact details, but apparently, while Eloa was distracted, Raphi fell victim to Ea.

For Eloa, with such a painful past, the very idea of 'not being able to keep Siwoo, who is destined for danger, by her side' stimulates her trauma.

Trauma is something that makes the sound of fireworks in the middle of a festival remind one of artillery bombardment; from that point on, things like probability or possibility lose meaning.

Eloa wants to keep Siwoo before her eyes by any means necessary.

"You think so too, don't you?"

"Yes, I think Master's words also have merit."

"Then, will you stay by my side?"

"I will."

Eloa suddenly extended her pinky finger right under Siwoo's nose.

Despite being a somewhat childish gesture, her gaze was endlessly serious and earnest.

"Please promise me."

Siwoo hesitated for a moment.

For a very brief moment, he pondered whether this promise was the right thing.

Truthfully, if he's by Eloa's side, he would likely be protected from most dangers.

First, the safety of Sharon, his greatest concern, was guaranteed.

Also, if an unexpected crisis arises, the four-leaf clover Periwinkle gave him would serve as insurance, buying him a turn.

No.

The safest option is still to take refuge in Gehenna.

If it were Siwoo, he could likely receive the protection of the Jemernai Count Family, so there's no reason to remain in Seoul, which will become a whirlpool of chaos.

Thinking that, Siwoo still hooked his finger with hers.

" I promise."

Setting everything else aside, because Eloa's expression looked so desperate and earnest.

Now, let's talk about what happened over the next two days.

With the help of Branch Chief Sua, they evacuated Sharon to Gehenna.

Afterwards, the two returned from the penthouse at Witch Point to the officetel.

Having stayed in the spacious penthouse for a while, even though the officetel had two rooms, it gave a sense of living in close proximity, pressed tightly together.

"Siwoo, where are you going?"

"Ah, I'm going out for a smoke."

"Didn't we promise to always go together? I'll come along."

To describe Eloa's behavior after returning from shopping together—though it feels disrespectful—she was like a puppy with separation anxiety.

As if she couldn't accept Siwoo being out of her sight, she stuck by his side all day long.

Eloa's behavior, following Siwoo around with an almost obsessive level of overprotection, was borderline pathological, but knowing the circumstances, even if it was slightly uncomfortable, he had to accept it.

"......"

That alone should have been enough to feel a slight burden and discomfort.

But here, an additional problem arose.

A bizarre problem whose cause was utterly incomprehensible.

Look at this.

Eloa, wearing the shoes Siwoo bought her, a checkered skirt and blouse, climbing the stairs ahead of him.

Following absentmindedly behind her, he suddenly realized.

Because, coincidentally, the hem of Eloa's skirt had curled up at a very strange angle, completely revealing one buttock.

For reference, Duke Tiferet's pick today was a modest mint and white striped panty.

Eloa's plump-looking buttocks and the flesh of her lower buttocks protruding below the elastic band as she climbed the stairs shimmered right before his eyes.

It wasn't even that short of a skirt, and she wasn't carrying a bag or anything, so how such a scene was being produced, Siwoo couldn't fathom at all.

No, even if it got folded like that from sitting on the sofa, do skirts normally fold like paper like that?

Eloa, seemingly completely unaware of the situation, opened her mouth."Do you have any intention of quitting smoking? Of course, the toxicity of tobacco leaves cannot harm your Spirit Body, but becoming addicted and dependent is not good. Isn't this already the fifth time you're going out for a cigarette today?"

Just two days ago, Siwoo would have been flustered, but now he naturally climbed the stairs right next to Eloa.

Because over these past two days, such awkward coincidences kept happening whenever there was an opportunity.

Especially of a sexual nature.

In that sense, if they could pass over it this naturally, it was a fortunate matter.

"Master, you like alcohol too, don't you?"

Slipping to stand beside her and glancing toward Eloa's backside, her skirt was properly arranged as if nothing had ever happened.

Among the several accidents happening daily these days, this level was considered one that ended without making either of their faces burn with embarrassment.

By this point, Siwoo even began to wonder if some great malice was targeting him.

Whether the death crisis Periwinkle had mentioned wasn't ultimately the fate of Siwoo, who had crossed a line, being beaten to death by Eloa.

Such conspiratorial thoughts even crossed his mind.

"Alcohol and tobacco are distinctly different!"

Amidst this, Eloa raised her voice as if she couldn't tolerate anyone touching her whiskey collection.

"Alcohol isn't addictive, but tobacco is, isn't it? Moreover, alcohol contains style, aesthetics, and profound art with unfathomable depth. In contrast, tobacco is so harmful it's classified as a drug."

Though there clearly exists a disease called alcohol dependence, what could he do?

If Master says so.

Anyway, Siwoo listened to a passionate eulogy about the absolute harmlessness of smoking and the various merits of alcoholic beverages, led by whiskey, until the moment he finished his cigarette and came back down.

"...Anyway, do try to make an effort."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

The lecture from Eloa, which had continued until their arrival, finally ended.

Looking at the clock, it was already nearing midnight.

Now it was about time for Eloa to go to bed.

Siwoo didn't necessarily need to sleep, but for Eloa, four hours of sleep per day was an essential price of the contract.

Based on experience, the strange situations occurring between them tended to intensify as the night grew deeper.

Siwoo remained vigilant and careful with his demeanor.

"Then I'll go change first, so wait here."

Perhaps Eloa was also conscious of the strangeness, as she gave two reminders.

"You must stay outside."

Having earnestly instructed him, Eloa entered her room.

"......"

Something felt off lately.

Strange things kept happening.

Like when the door suddenly swung open by itself while she was showering, showing Siwoo her in the shower (of course, she crouched down with superhuman reflexes to avoid a greater disaster).

Or when her hand landed on Siwoo's groin during sparring after he fell (she pretended it never happened).

Or when her underwear was accidentally exposed...

Anyway, they were embarrassing incidents.

Eloa didn't take the recent series of events lightly either.

Naturally, she felt ashamed and awkward, but she acted as calmly as possible.

She gritted her teeth and endured, keeping him by her side because she couldn't possibly distance herself from Siwoo over just these matters.

But...

This frequency was definitely abnormal.

For a moment, she even suspected whether Siwoo might be harboring sinister intentions and deliberately causing these incidents.

"That can't be."

Eloa knew Siwoo's character and disposition well.

He wasn't the type to plot such schemes, especially not against Eloa.

Eloa took off her clothes and, with effort, removed the constricting sports bra that tightly bound her chest.

Then she changed into the pajamas Siwoo had bought for her.

Wrapped in the cozy fabric, a yawn escaped her, and she pondered deeply about the recent events.

"Hmm..."

While stroking her chin, a sudden thought made Eloa flinch.

"...Huh?"

Showing bare skin, exposing underwear, physical contact...

The various ordeals that had recently brought Eloa shame all shared the same premise.

Feeling ashamed because her disciple saw her bare skin?

Feeling ashamed because her disciple saw her underwear?

Feeling ashamed because her body touched her disciple's?

It didn't make sense.

Eloa considered the series of events unfortunate because they were awkward matters within the context of a 'male-female relationship.'

And that came as a shock to her.

A male-female relationship between a master and disciple?

Unthinkable, unspeakable, unreasonable.

It was no different from depravity.

Even if Siwoo, still unfamiliar with many things, might be excused, the fact that she herself, who should maintain her center and guide him, was unconsciously wavering was a great shock to Eloa.

"What have I been ashamed of all this time?"

Eloa closed her eyes and trembled as if having a great realization.

Even if temporarily, as a master, she should have shown only the proper demeanor.

Yet she had shown rashness and fluster over trivial matters, so it was conceivable what he might have seen and learned.

If from the first embarrassing incident, Eloa had handled it nonchalantly...

Perhaps Siwoo wouldn't have made such a big deal of it either.

A master is a disciple's mirror.

Because Eloa first thought of Siwoo as a man, it wasn't strange for Siwoo to see Eloa as a member of the opposite sex.

If there is a mistake, it must be corrected.

With determined resolve, Eloa stepped out of her room.