City of Witches Chapter 27

"What I want isn't anything grand. Just the freedom to not live trapped in this narrow world. That's all. You'd understand if you're a slave too, right?"

Larissa spoke while still aiming her pistol.

It was a motive easily understood without much thought.

Wasn't Siwoo himself studying Magic just to escape this place?

"I'll make you an offer. All you have to do is load the Witch onto our ship. The Naga is a ship registered at the Gate's city hall with proper clearance. No one will find it strange that we're leaving. After that, you can live under the protection of the Witch who commissioned this job. You know what that means, right?"

Larissa smiled slyly.

"You can become free too. Return to the Mortal Realm."

In the seemingly sweet offer...

Only then did Siwoo realize why Larissa hadn't pulled the trigger yet.

Because he remembered something he'd read in a book before.

"It's because of the Autonomous Defense."

"Correct."

Larissa shrugged her shoulders as if she had nothing to hide.

Autonomous Defense.

One of the characteristics that naturally manifests when a Witch's Brand reaches Hierarchy 15 or higher.

Its effect is as easy to understand as its name.

An Autonomous Defense Magic Circle that responds to unexpected attacks.

When a certain level of impact or attack is applied from outside, a Barrier activates naturally without even needing to use Magic.

It's a Magic designed to prevent situations where a Witch is ambushed and killed without even being able to pass on her Brand.

Given this purpose, Autonomous Defense becomes particularly powerful when consciousness is absent, such as during sleep or unconsciousness.

Amelia was currently sleeping soundly due to some mysterious elixir.

In other words, it was a timing when Autonomous Defense was operating at its highest alert level.

"There's a saying: never disturb a sleeping Witch. Autonomous Defense detects human malice beyond just physical impact. If someone with hostile intent even lightly places a hand on her body, it'll unleash Magic indiscriminately. It's really troublesome that I can't even lay a hand on her after putting her to sleep so carefully."

If not for that, Siwoo would have been shot by the gun or killed by Fyodor's hands immediately.

Thinking that sent a chill down his spine.

"You harbor goodwill toward this Witch, so the Autonomous Defense won't activate against you. So please. Just move her to the ship."

Siwoo looked down at Amelia, who was curled up and asleep.

Curled up and sleeping like a baby, she was twitching around her eyes as if having a nightmare.

How much suffering had he endured because of this dreadful Associate Professor?

Having to clean the bathroom late at night, being told to cut off an enormous deer's antlers out of nowhere, having a full day's worth of extra work piled on after finishing his tasks...

Anyway, he'd experienced every kind of hardship imaginable over five years.

Could he guarantee he held no hostility toward such an Amelia?

"Um, I think there's a misunderstanding. I really dislike this Witch. If I touch her, the Autonomous Defense will activate."

"That's a pitiful lie, but it won't work. You're already sticking so close to her, and nothing's happening. When I tried to move her earlier, the magic power started stirring the moment I took one more step closer. Unlike with you."

"Huh?"

It was Siwoo who was bewildered.

Come to think of it, the distance between Siwoo and Amelia right now was extremely close.

Hadn't he just placed his hand near Amelia's nose to check her breathing moments ago?

"If you're really curious, check for yourself."

"That's dangerous."

"Being cautious is good, but it's better not to have foolish thoughts. The reason I'm making this offer to you is to give you a chance. It would take a bit more time, but I could capture any citizen from outside and have them move her."

-Click

"Hurry up."

"........"

The gun barrel was pointed straight at Siwoo's head.

With no other choice, Siwoo carefully placed his hand on Amelia's shoulder.

His pounding heartbeat paused for a moment.

When nothing happened, Siwoo felt relieved.

A soft sensation.

Despite Amelia carrying her head so stiffly and arrogantly, what touched his hand was just a small shoulder.

A fragile, soft sensation filled his palm.

It was warm.

"See?"

"Aren't you speaking too lightly? If that thought had been wrong, I would have died."

Larissa gave a casual laugh.

"Haha, you're an overly kind softie. I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Would such a softie try to harm the very Witch he served? That's impossible."

A confident smile followed, pleased that her prediction had been correct.

"It's a good Contract, right? You hand over the Witch to us, and we free you from slave status. Nobody loses. Now lift her up."

Urged by Larissa, Siwoo slipped his hands under Amelia's knees and back and carefully lifted her.

Even in her defenseless, deeply asleep state, she was incredibly light.

The escape he had so eagerly awaited and prepared for was right before him.

He didn't even have to dirty his hands by killing the detestable Amelia.

Just handing her over would solve everything.

But.

"Nobody loses, you say?"

Something bothered him.

"What about Amelia?"

"That Witch is paying for her sins. An arrogant, insolent Witch becoming an offering."

"You know that a Witch whose Brand is taken dies, right?"

Larissa frowned as if questioning why he was asking something so obvious.

"So is that wrong? If anything's wrong, it's the very existence of this city. You know that too, right? You've been treated as a slave and had your freedom taken away! I'm just trying to reclaim that!"

The pistol was still aimed at Siwoo.

He didn't know what would happen if he didn't comply with her words any further.

On the other hand, there was an easy way to overcome this desperate crisis.

Just accept Larissa's offer.

Sell out Amelia, erase her from his mind forever, and enjoy the rights he should have had.

"........."

Siwoo disliked Amelia.

But had some grudging affection formed over time?

He didn't think she was an evil person who deserved to die.

"...Don't do this."

Larissa's expression twisted at the sight of Siwoo's resolute demeanor.

"Just comply appropriately. What do you gain by being stubborn here?"

Comply.

What a nice word.If I had complied from the beginning like Takasho, I could have enjoyed a more leisurely slave life.

If I had complied with Amelia's petty retaliation, I wouldn't have become so deeply entangled with her.

And if I had complied with the system, Siwoo would never have researched Magic.

Now, the only thing left is to persuade Larissa.

"The method of gaining freedom by selling another's life is wrong. I cannot participate."

Larissa's tightly bitten lips trembled.

It wasn't due to the humiliation of having her rare goodwill rejected.

Unless one is fundamentally evil to the core, they would know this is wrong.

Siwoo, reading her hesitation, added more.

There had been something in Larissa's words that bothered him since earlier.

"Moreover, this is too dangerous. The Witch who promised freedom in exchange for handing over other Witches is ultimately an Exile, right?"

Furthermore, if she's doing something like this, she must be an evil Witch among the Exiles.

Would a promise with such a Witch really be kept?

"This is a dangerous deal not just for me, but for you and the crew as well. The risk is too great..."

"So? I'm aware of that much."

There's no way Larissa wouldn't know facts Siwoo could think of immediately.

"I don't want to shoot you. Move quickly. If you're that scared of the Exile, we'll leave on our own."

As the standoff continued, a commotion arose from the staircase.

Fyodor and three crew members had come up.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"........"

Larissa shook her head side to side.

Fyodor's thick lips twisted, letting out a sneer.

"See, I told you we should have just left it to a nearby citizen. Why make us go through all this trouble? Timmy! Go bring anyone you can find!"

One person rushed back down the stairs, and Fyodor stomped heavily toward Siwoo.

"So you can't sell the Witch you serve? How touching, truly touching."

Siwoo, holding Amelia, stepped back.

But the inn room was narrow.

Before he could take a few steps back, his back hit the wall.

Against the wall, right beside his head, the flame inside the lamp flickered.

"How should I smash you to pieces?"

Behind Fyodor, who wore a cruel smile, Larissa's attempt to intervene cut in.

"Tie him up once it's over. There's no reason to torment him unnecessarily."

"What kind of bullshit is that? Who knows what that bastard might do from behind. Anyway, let's have some fun first."

Fyodor closed the distance to within arm's reach; his breath carried a nauseating stench.

Because his bloodshot eyes, scanning Amelia, radiated all sorts of sinister malice.

"Hey, kid, strip this bitch. Even if I can't fuck her, I at least want to see what a Witch's Boji looks like."

Fyodor couldn't lay a hand on Amelia's body due to the Autonomous Defense, but Siwoo could.

Therefore, he intended to make Siwoo strip Amelia's clothes.

Siwoo glanced sideways, carefully observing the lamp right beside his head.

It was a stroke of luck.

From his pointless desire, he found a clue to escape this situation.

"Do you know the difference between an oil lamp and a magic power lamp?"

"What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?"

Siwoo firmly supported Amelia with one arm.

Then, he brought his hand to the base of the lamp hanging on the wall right beside his head.

"The magic used for lighting throughout Gehenna is the 'ornamental flame.' It's a 1st Hierarchy elemental alchemy Magic that minimizes the heat of the flame while making the light brighter."

Lamps containing flames are usually made of glass.

If what's inside were a real flame, heat should be transmitted normally.

But no heat was felt from the lamp Siwoo touched.

"Seeing it's not hot... it's a lamp using an ornamental flame."

"Has this bastard gone crazy because it's his time to die?"

Siwoo twisted the lamp open and put his hand inside.

Magic power lamps are indistinguishable in appearance from oil lamps.

But the nature of their fuel is distinctly different.

"The oil inside a magic power lamp has a bit of Magical Power mixed in through alchemy."

"So what?"

Although it was impure, rough magic power unfit for magical experiments, it was sufficient for simple interference with already manifested Magic.

"Bloom."

Siwoo forcibly activated the Magical Power mixed within the oil.

The 'ornamental flame' resting on his palm began to shake violently.

-Whirrrrrrl!

He analyzed and unraveled its structure.

Removing the stabilizer, he gathered the overclocked flames and rolled them on his palm.

The violently burning tongue of flame, like a serpent, coiled around Siwoo.

All control lay within his palm.

It wasn't difficult.

After all, it was merely a 1st Hierarchy Magic.

"Wh-what is this?"

"How can a slave use Magic...!"

Larissa, Fyodor, and one unnamed crew member were astonished.

The flame, dancing and flickering in his hand as if alive, surged once more.

It wasn't the form of ordinary fire.

The ornamental flame, interfered with by magic power, writhed like a living creature and began forming a wall, separating Siwoo from the crew.

"Step back!"

But not all problems were solved.

The amount of Magical Power added to this oil was far too small.

For gently lighting a room, it would last a month easily, but creating such intense flames would last at most about 30 seconds.

Therefore, he first created a seemingly impressive wall of fire to break their fighting spirit and block their vision.

In reality, the temperature of the fire now was barely around 70 degrees.

It wasn't thick either; if they were determined, they could cross it.

Meaning, it was merely a bluff.

"What are you doing! Shoot Larissa!"

But before those unaware of such circumstances, the majestic, billowing flame, like hellfire, was impressive.

"I-I don't know anything about this!"

One crew member had already hastily fled.

But Fyodor and Larissa were different.

They knew what future awaited if they failed to capture the Witch here and even let that slave escape.

"What if the Witch gets hit?"

"If we let them go like this, we're all dead anyway, you crazy bitch!"

While Fyodor tried to snatch the pistol and Larissa blocked him, Siwoo found his next plan.

To prepare the next Magic, he needed to replenish his magic power while this bluff remained effective.

Amelia's lessons were helpful in times like this.

Unlike women, men cannot store magic power.

But unlike women, they can generate a minuscule amount of magic power.

The method is by feeling sexual excitement or during ejaculation.Even if it's a weak amount of magic power, it is far greater than the drop of magic power contained in this lamp.

If you create new Magic, you can manifest another Magic.

Siwoo lowered his gaze.

There, he saw Amelia's modest chest rising and falling slightly in rhythm with her ragged breaths.

Without hesitation, Siwoo lifted Amelia's dress.

A Word from the Author (Author's Note)

Please stay tuned, dear readers.

I'm scaredㅜㅜ