City of Witches Chapter 288

After the incident in Seoul had been resolved in various ways.

Siwoo sent a message through Eloa that he would head straight to Gehenna.

He had heard that Sharon, who had collapsed after being attacked by the drowned Witch, had recovered, so he wanted to see her face.

He needed to see the Twins, who were waiting day and night for their assistant.

He also needed to play with Takasho, who was left alone and lonely without any friends.

And he had various things he wanted to say to Amelia, who had faced the worst farewell… but.

An unexpected situation occurred, causing his trip to Gehenna for a visit to be slightly delayed.

“Hmm… this is a problem, a problem.”

Siwoo was looking at the ‘Red Branch’ placed on the desk.

Around it, battle magic papers embroidered with Magic Formulas of dizzying complexity were scattered about.

Recently, Siwoo had been diligently working on controlling the Red Branch.

Having become a Spirit Body, unable to die from old age, and having become the first male witch.

Who knows what awaits in the long life ahead?

Setting aside things like a sense of justice, one could say he felt the need to prepare for his later years?

“Sigh… does this even make sense?”

Generally, an Artifact refers to an object containing Magic within it.

For example, a music box that semi-permanently plays the song of tranquility, or the Janissary that the Twins carry for self-defense.

But taking it a step further, Artifacts that themselves exhibit Magic equivalent to innate magic or act as catalysts are called Ceremonial Artifacts, like the Wand Sharon carries or the Red Branch.

To elaborate a bit more, Artifacts are relatively easier to mass-produce or craft rare items, while Ceremonial Artifacts could be considered unique or legendary items.

But as they say, nothing in the world is free.

Although he had obtained a good item for once, Siwoo couldn’t even properly handle the Red Branch.

“I can’t get a grasp on where to start looking.”

Siwoo sighed as he looked at the Red Branch, tightly wrapped in a Black Ribbon and transformed to almost the thickness of a tree trunk.

The delay in crossing over to Gehenna was also entirely because of this Red Branch.

Despite being thoroughly packaged with the Ribbon, the powerful Distortion Field caused the coordinates of the pass to become arbitrarily tangled.

If he attempted to enter Gehenna like this, who knows what trouble might arise, so he gave up for now and holed up at home analyzing it.

“If only I could utilize it properly…”

The Red Branch, ceaselessly emitting a dangerous Distortion Field like nuclear fuel rods.

He had managed to use the Maiden’s Loom and manipulate the weaving method to somehow make it ‘portable enough to carry,’ but this was merely a temporary measure.

No matter how meticulously Siwoo wove the Ribbon, the Distortion Field slowly corroded it.

Therefore, even wrapped this thoroughly, the Ribbon needed to be completely replaced daily, and it still scattered a subtle Distortion Field around.

But conversely, if he could fully draw out this terrifying performance, it would mean a step forward in Siwoo’s preparation for his later years.

So he was earnestly researching it…

But this wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

No matter how much he observed and watched the flow of magic power with his eyes, the limits were evident with his current knowledge of Magic.

Interpreting this Distortion Field itself, which seemed like a kind of innate magic, was difficult.

It felt somewhat regrettable to have a unique item in hand but be unable to use it due to usage restrictions.

“Not going well?”

Just then, the door creaked open and Eloa walked in with light steps.

Her ponytail, a color finer than spring cherry blossoms, swayed gently from side to side.

In her hands was a tray holding coffee and fruit.

“Thank you, Master. This is harder than I thought.”

Siwoo got up from his seat, took the tray, and sat on the sofa.

Eloa often provided snacks for Siwoo, who had been immersed in research all day for several days now.

Eloa wore a warm smile as she peered at the battle magic papers Siwoo had been scribbling on.

“I wish I could be of some help. How about moving your body a bit? Sitting at the desk all day only narrows your thinking.”

Naturally, Eloa was also an excellent Witch.

But unfortunately, as she used Word Spirit Magic, which didn’t utilize magic power fields at all, she couldn’t help with interpreting the Red Branch.

Moreover, even if she spent sufficient time interpreting it, there was no way Siwoo could exactly replicate the Red Branch interpreted according to Eloa’s innate magic system.

“You’re already helping a lot. I’ll postpone training for a while. I want to enter Gehenna first.”

Siwoo gave a bitter smile and showed reluctance at Eloa’s suggestion.

Certainly, sparring with Eloa was beneficial and fun, but it consumed a lot of stamina.

For now, focusing on research seemed right.

“If I go to Gehenna, I might be able to use higher-quality materials or research equipment, so first, I’m thinking of changing the Ribbon’s weaving method just enough to carry this through a Portal.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“For just that much, I think two or three days should be enough.”

One of Eloa’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

If what he said was true, it meant that in less than a week, his research had progressed enough to completely shield a type of magic power field he had never handled before.

In fact, he should be proud rather than groaning like that.

Not boasting about such aspects was very much like Siwoo.

“You looked so frustrated I thought you were stuck in place. As expected of my disciple.”

“There you go again.”

Eloa, who had developed a taste for praising him, wore a faint smile as she watched Siwoo scratch his head awkwardly.

Although temporary, seeing his disciple grow was a Master’s joy.

But lately, teasing Siwoo occasionally and seeing him flustered had become more enjoyable.

Yes, this distance is just right.

This affectionate, harmonious, and trust-filled relationship.

Thinking so, Eloa fed Siwoo an apple speared on a fork.

While Siwoo was still pondering how to carry the Red Branch through a Portal.

Sharon was pacing in front of the Twins’ study.

She walked in circles on the red carpet laid throughout the hallway to prevent classes from being disturbed by external noise, trying to steady her troubled heart.

“Hoo…”

Last night, Sharon had visited Albireo and accepted her proposal.

To explain simply, to put it plainly, it was a decision made after much contemplation.

So that when she meets Siwoo again, she can be a confident partner standing by his side.

She wanted to be reborn from the Sharon who had only received until now into a Sharon who gives without reservation.That part, I had somehow prepared myself mentally for it...

But now that it was time to actually start the lecture, a different problem was weighing heavily on my mind.

"Alright, no problem."

Sharon, who had been pacing in circles like a puppy chasing its tail, finished taking a deep breath and opened the classroom door.

The first things visible upon entering were a fireplace occupying one wall and a window overlooking a beautiful garden.

Desks lined up opposite the teacher's desk and blackboard.

Sitting at those desks were noble young ladies, twins who were spitting images of each other.

Their unrealistically glossy black hair and their signature large half-bonnets immediately caught the eye.

Sharon, who had been feigning composure while holding the various teaching materials she had prepared for the twins.

The moment she entered the classroom, she realized her expectations were somewhat on point.

"……"

"……"

A cold silence hung in the air, and it wasn't just her imagination.

Sharon and the Twins had met before.

When the Twins made a surprise visit to the Mortal Realm with Countess Deneb, they had watched a movie together and eaten various delicious things.

Back then, the Twins felt like cute younger sisters.

In fact, the Twins had followed Sharon around quite affectionately, treating her like an older sister.

But.

Now, upon reuniting, the feeling was completely different.

"……"

"……"

Sharon unconsciously held her breath.

The Twins stared intently at Sharon with eyes so calm they were chilling.

Eyes finer than jewels had clearly locked onto Sharon as she moved from the door to the teacher's desk.

It was strikingly similar to when they had first discovered Sharon living with Siwoo.

Wary.

Suspicious.

Eyes that seemed to tightly conceal some sort of dissatisfaction and ulterior motives.

She had anticipated this much when Countess Albireo had directly intervened in the romantic front.

If winning love is a war, then Sharon was clearly perceived as the Twins' 'enemy nation.'

Although the Countess hadn't said it herself, the fact that she was so actively involved in the Apprentice Witch's romantic affairs strongly suggested the Twins had requested it.

But there was no reason to be intimidated already.

After all, the Twins were merely Apprentice Witches.

Sharon was a 20th Hierarchy Great Witch who had completely overcome an incomplete succession.

Whether they were rivals or whatever, whether they were in a competitive relationship fighting over Siwoo, a lesson was a lesson.

To lead the clearly mischievous Twins, seizing the initiative was essential.

"Hello, I am Sharon Evergreen, who will be in charge of the Elemental Theory and Applied Elemental Magic lectures starting today."

However, despite her determined heart and cool appearance, Sharon was a timid soul.

Even as she deliberately spoke with solemnity, her heart was somehow pounding thump-thump.

"Hello. I'm glad you've recovered."

"Hello. I'm glad you look healthy."

The Twins also greeted Sharon with impeccable formal respect, as if they had made a pact.

It was different from their affectionate demeanor during the short time they spent together in the Mortal Realm.

It was a subtle power play where one could instantly feel the distance.

Still, she felt bitter and secretly hurt by the Twins' changed attitude, as she had thought they had become somewhat close.

Without showing her feelings, Sharon picked up the chalk and immediately began the class orientation.

Before starting the lesson, she needed to explain what parts she would teach and what areas required preparation.

For an Apprentice Witch, studying Magic is like laying the foundation before building a structure.

How solidly it is built determines the degree and speed of mastering Magic from the Brand, so it's truly important.

"Now, we will divide it into a total of 12 parts and learn over the course of a year. There will be assignments based on the weekly lessons. At the end of each month, we will check your academic progress through regular exams."

"Yes."

"Yes."

The conversation awkwardly ended with short answers, leaving no pretext to continue.

"Are there any questions?"

The Twins briefly exchanged glances.

Without a word, they nodded to each other and spoke.

"No."

"None."

"...Then, let's proceed directly from the first chapter."

Sharon referred to the textbook and swiftly wrote Elemental Magic Formulas on the blackboard.

It was time to first gauge the Twins' abilities.

"First, Miss Odil, would you try solving this problem?"

"Yes."

Odil smoothly rose from her seat and walked to the blackboard.

Today's lesson continued in a state of palpable tension, like a ceasefire negotiation table throughout.

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The second fan art of Amelia drawn by user Haesseok!

I never knew a Witch's outfit could be this alluring!

The panty line draped over the pelvis is so artistic that I forgot to control my pace and ended up practicing continuously...!

Thank you so much!