City of Witches Chapter 263

When the two woke up around dawn after sleeping for about four hours.

They immediately went down to the branch chief's office due to the sudden ringing of a phone.

Because Della had woken up.

Upon arriving at the branch chief's office, Della was sitting on the bed with a white cloth roughly draped over her.

Sitting with a dazed expression as if half-dreaming, her entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages.

That alone covered so much that almost no skin was exposed, indicating the many parts that were injured.

“……Thank you for saving me.”

Della expressed her gratitude as soon as she woke up.

Her expression still seemed unable to comprehend the suddenly overturned reality.

No matter how strong one's mental fortitude is, being imprisoned in a pitch-dark underground with no light, impaled by spears, is no easy ordeal.

While Branch Chief Sua was disinfecting and tidying up the bed she had used.

Eloa stepped forward in front of Della.

Eloa, who had come down in a hurry without proper preparation, was not particularly tidy in appearance.

Her attire was just as usual: leggings with good mobility and a sports bra, with a windbreaker thrown over them.

Even her pink hair, which fell to near her hips, was disheveled as if she had just woken up.

But Tiferet was Tiferet.

The soft, fluffy appearance she had shown Siwoo last night was nowhere to be seen.

A solemn atmosphere like a finely honed blade and sharply raised eyebrows.

The subtle aura exuded a dignity worthy of the title of martial god.

“Let’s get straight to the point, Baroness Della Redcliffe. You are suspected of cooperating with the Cowardly Witch.”

“Cooperation? Is there any etiquette for treating an accomplice like this?”

Della gave a bitter smile, pointing to the bandages tightly wrapped around her body.

It was a laugh that seemed utterly weary, like someone just rescued from a prisoner-of-war camp.

“It could be a ruse to send you here undercover. In fact, not a single one of the twelve spear wounds pierced a vital organ.”

Eloa’s point was valid.

After all, Paola had only impaled Della to the wall to incapacitate her, not intending to take her life.

“I’ll tell you everything I know. If there’s even one lie, you may judge me then.”

“No need for that. There’s a more certain method.”

“Your Grace.”

The moment Eloa drew her Contract Sword, intending to tolerate not a shred of falsehood.

Teacher Sua, guessing her intention, intervened.

She likely intended to form a Contract with Della to extract her truthful confession.

If this were a leisurely situation, it would undoubtedly have been the best course of action.

But now was not the right time.

“Your Grace should preserve your combat power. Have you not already expended one Contract for Lord Shin Siwoo?”

Eloa is currently the most powerful combat asset held by Witch Point.

It takes some time for Eloa to recover her Contracts and regain the power of her Word Spirits.

Teacher Sua judged that expending a Contract in a situation where an incident could erupt at any moment was inappropriate.

“If we first hear what the Baroness has to say and something suspicious arises, it would not be too late to proceed then.”

“…Understood.”

While Sua and Eloa were conversing, Della slowly moved her pupils to look at Siwoo.

A peculiar light shimmered in her ruby-like eyes.

After all, Siwoo was a rather memorable presence in Della’s life.

“…As expected, you are no ordinary human.”

A man, yet a Witch.

Has Count Gemernai as a patron.

Although circumstances didn’t fully support it, he has a record of defeating Della.

Moreover, he is present at an important meeting where Branch Chief Sua and Duke Tiferet are conversing.

He is definitely not an ordinary man.

Perhaps he is part of a large-scale project experiment involving the cooperation of multiple Witches.

Della’s thoughts solidified in that direction.

“Long time no see. I’m sorry for suddenly hitting you with my car.”

“It’s fine. If you have alcohol, could you give me some? Preferably wine.”

As Della seemed about to speak, Siwoo preemptively apologized for the traffic accident, and Della waved her hand as if it were nothing.

After all, if she hadn’t met him, she would have been caught by the White Knight who was pursuing her.

Being hit by the car turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Della quenched her dry throat by chugging the wine Siwoo brought, straight from the bottle.

Nearly half the bottle disappeared into her stomach in one go.

“Haa… I wanted this so badly.”

Della made a satisfied expression and faced Eloa again.

“I’ll tell you everything I know.”

The reason Della risked her life to attempt an escape.

It was to inform Witch Point of the terrible calamity that would occur soon.

In truth, if someone else had been involved in this matter, Della wouldn’t have acted so zealously.

After all, all humans die.

From old age, starvation, accidents, illness, being swept up in disasters, or war.

In this vast world, tens of thousands of humans die each day, more fleeting than insects.

Even if a calamity involving hundreds of thousands or millions were to occur now, in a way, it is merely part of a cycle that has repeated from the past to the present.

Witches, who from their very existence deviate from the natural order to pursue the Magic Path, have no obligation to prevent it.

Della sincerely believed that.

But the fact that the one orchestrating this was her friend Paola made Della feel a sense of responsibility.

Although Paola has already committed an unforgivable sin, Della does not want her to be condemned more than being called the “Cowardly Witch” by other Witches.

Thus, Della calmly conveyed what she knew.

The Cowardly Witch had subjugated Enemy Knights.

Using the hearts collected through Dagon’s Flute last time, she created a large army of White Knights.

Four Witches were also sacrificed as offerings for the plan, and as soon as the unidentified “Altar” was completed, White Knights would emerge from the closed rainwater drainage channels in the near future.

To kill even more humans and gather even more magic power.

“……”

“……”

Immediately after receiving Della’s gentle, almost detached-from-reality intelligence.

The branch chief’s office was enveloped in a chilling silence.

Even Branch Chief Sua, who had lived a long life and experienced several major historical events, was shocked, her mouth agape.

Even Eloa, whose backbone was forged through all kinds of battle experiences on countless fronts, looked at Della with astonished eyes.

Siwoo was no exception.

“I thought you’d react like this. But we don’t have the luxury to be this relaxed.”Perhaps because she realized it was already too late even as she spoke?

There wasn't much enthusiasm in Della's tone.

Rather than expecting them to stop Paola, self-reproach swirled in her chest—why hadn't they saved Paola sooner?

Eloa, who had been in shock, barely steadied her heart and opened her mouth.

"...There is still no confirmation that everything you say is true."

"Which part? That Paola will soon unleash the White Knight, just as she unleashed the sea monster, to cause a massacre? That nearly a thousand humans have already been offered as sacrifices for him?"

"You are a friend of the Cowardly Witch, are you not? It could be a deception, delivering distorted information to break our will."

"It's an obvious answer, but I swear on my name as a Witch. If there is even the slightest piece of incorrect information, I will take responsibility for it in the future."

The dam was already on the verge of collapse.

It was cracked to its limit, and it was too late for belated repairs. Even a handful of rainwater would cause it to crumble and submerge the surrounding lowlands.

That was precisely the state they were in now.

"According to what you said, Baroness, the Cowardly Witch has already subjugated the Enemy Knight and formed an army with the White Knight, his replica?"

"That's correct."

"Then, what is the approximate number?"

Perhaps because not much time had passed since she awoke?

She had omitted the most crucial part.

Della slowly lowered her head and spoke.

"Twelve hundred."

"Twelve hundred..."

"It's not just the numbers. The spears they wield are replicas based on the Red Branch.

The more they gather, and the closer they are to the Red Branch, they resonate and create a defensive shield in the form of a barrier field.

Unless you possess a physical attack system like the Duke over there, it's nearly impossible to counter. Even I could only manage to take down twenty out of thirty-two at most."

Della is a Great Witch of the 20th Hierarchy.

She freely manipulates flame and heat and can cast Magic incessantly through the Relay Formula.

Even such a Della was only able to stop twenty White Knights.

Could such a thing be possible, even with poor compatibility?

"We've already given too much time. Sochtl didn't prepare this plan in a day or two. It was built piece by piece over decades. And we are trying to stop it overnight."

Paola, who had merely strengthened and commanded Homunculi, spent a long time reaching the level of replicating them.

Not stopping there, she gathered the necessary Artifacts and Ceremonial Artifacts, assembling the puzzle pieces of the picture she desired.

While the Witches of the Mortal Realm relied solely on Duke Keter and neglected dealing with the public enemy, Paola had prepared with a near-mad obsession over a long time.

"It's already too late to stop her. Only a slight reprieve remains."

"It's not too late yet."

Cutting through the gloomy air was Eloa's confident voice.

"I'll handle it."

"The closed rainwater tunnel spans 12 kilometers. There are over six vertical ventilation shafts connecting to the outside. No matter how great the Duke is, one hand cannot stop the rain."

Clearly, the Cowardly Witch had completed perfect preparations.

In comparison, it's also true that Sua and Tiferet's response has been lacking.

However, not all the aforementioned events have occurred yet.

Before the White Knights run rampant, before they burst into the Mortal Realm and slaughter civilians, there are still ways to respond.

"Therefore, before she can play any more tricks, I will go myself. Before the plan begins, I will kill the Cowardly Witch and end this entire situation."

As Eloa said, if she went down into the rainwater tunnel and killed the Cowardly Witch, the root cause, everything would be resolved.

But that meant stepping into the enemy's den, prepared with utmost caution.

It meant striking the place where the enemy's Combat Power was concentrated.

No matter how famous Duke Tiferet is for his prowess against public enemies and Homunculi.

Could he simultaneously face 1,200 White Knights, the Cowardly Witch, and the Enemy Knight?

"This girl has not been idly standing by either.

I have completed preparations to cast a barrier over the entire city of Seoul to prevent the tragedy of the past from repeating. Even if the Cowardly Witch simultaneously deploys 1,200 Homunculi, I can confine them within the barrier for a while."

Sua, too, had not been doing nothing, letting the situation slide.

Although she couldn't detain the Witches leaving Seoul or bring in any particularly significant support, she had prepared a device to act as a speed bump before the worst-case scenario unfolded.

"And right now, I will summon all Witches."

It was a race against time.

Using a pre-prepared Artifact to transmit the summons, within less than an hour, a total of seven Witches gathered at the Witch Point.

A word from the author (Author's Note)

Anomalous continuous practice!