City of Witches Chapter 324

At the very center of the host bar.

Seated at table number one, Siwoo was being bombarded with enthusiastic questions.

“Can’t you show me some Magic?”

The number one customer, who had lined up since dawn and was the first to enter, was looking at Siwoo with sparkling, eager eyes.

If it were the Siwoo of the past, he would have been half-terrified.

Actually, even now, he wasn’t entirely comfortable.

You really have to experience that gaze to understand.

It felt like being a frog placed on a dissection table.

But today, he had set his mindset straight.

He had volunteered as bait for a rare opportunity; if a customer got spooked and never returned to the establishment, he wouldn’t be able to face Takasho.

“Of course. You came all this way because of me, so I should show you.”

“Really? You’ll really show me?”

“Bloom.”

For Magic of this level, an Incantation wasn’t strictly necessary, but for service’s sake, Siwoo conjured a cluster of shadows.

The Witch, with a crazed expression and drool practically dripping, brought a slide glass up to the Magic floating on Siwoo’s palm.

“Oooh…ah! Ooooh…ah! It’s shadows?”

For reference, that was a magic power pattern collector made of quartz.

The framework silicate structure, characteristic of quartz, not only easily stores magic power patterns but is also far more durable than glass, making it a favored material for collectors.

“Yes, it basically has a hook-like form, which interferes with the manifestation of Magic. Lately, we’ve been combining it with elemental system Magic to try and achieve structural stability.”

“Really? Even elemental system Magic? Combining Magic from different domains shouldn’t be easy… You’re amazing!”

She was a perfectly qualified first customer—a very well-mannered and kind Witch.

Feeling sorry for just taking up a seat, she even ordered mid-grade drinks.

“It’s an amorphous particle, so how do you bind it?”

“If you set up a virtual space using linear combination, it’s not difficult. You just outline it that way and connect the hooks to each other.”

“Aha! You’re going about it quite basically!”

Thus began the Magic discussion.

He did wonder, ‘Is this really part of a host’s hospitality?’ but frankly, this was more comfortable for him.

“If there’s anything else you’d like to ask, please feel free.”

The petite, charming Witch hesitated for a moment before asking Siwoo.

“Then, will you come to my house?”

“That’s a very flattering offer, but I think that might be a bit difficult. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m probably asking too much. I don’t have much money, so I don’t get to come to places like this often. I’ll be satisfied with the sample I obtained today.”

To think she’d back off here.

It was the complete opposite of the insane obsession Siwoo had anticipated, making him even want to give her something extra.

While they chatted about this and that, the sand in the 15-minute hourglass ran out.

“Oh my! In my life, I actually had a conversation with a male witch. How fascinating, how fascinating. I have to brag to my friends.”

The first Witch, who left a good impression on Siwoo, stood up from her seat with seemingly joyful steps.

He stood up to see her off and sat back down.

“It’s not as bad as I thought?”

He felt a bit of confidence that he might actually be able to do this.

Fundamentally, Witches looked down on men, but Siwoo’s position was somewhat special.

He was a man who could wield Magic.

Being able to start hospitality on a more equal footing was an overwhelming merit that other hosts couldn’t possess.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming.”

Of course.

Not all Witches thought that way.

The next Witch to enter was a tall blonde, about 175 cm, whose eye level would match Siwoo’s if she wore heels.

Faced with her supermodel-like proportions and fierce glare, he immediately thought to himself, ‘I’m screwed.’

Unlike the previous customer, who looked around curiously and sat down cautiously.

This Witch crossed her legs and sat down as if she were familiar with the place.

“So a host bar has opened in Gehenna. Good for you.”

“Hello. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Shin Siwoo, and I will be in charge of your hospitality for the next 15 minutes.”

He introduced himself politely from a standing position, following the etiquette taught by Takasho, but all he got in return was a snort.

“So you’re the guy who became a Witch despite being a man?”

Not all Witches found Siwoo’s existence fascinating or viewed it favorably.

For some Witches, Magic was sacred ground.

Siwoo was an impurity who had invaded the sanctuary permitted only to them.

And a nasty impurity at that, who presumed to call himself a Witch with Magic learned over someone’s shoulder.

It seemed the second customer wasn’t too pleased with Siwoo’s very existence.

“I have been undeservedly fortunate to become one.”

“I have no particular interest in your shallow skills. I just came to take a look because your Spirit Body face must be quite shiny.”

Siwoo experienced a strange emotion.

Was it because he had the host emotion module installed by Takasho just the day before?

The blatant provocation didn’t really bother him.

“Is that so? How does it look in person?”

“…….”

Maintaining a faint hospitality smile, Siwoo popped the cork and poured champagne into a glass.

The Witch, not even looking at that, stared intently at Siwoo’s face.

The Witch, who seemed about to say something, merely twitched her lips before falling silent. Watching Siwoo pour the drink and take his seat, she spoke in a sharp, pointed voice.

“This is your first time doing this, isn’t it?”

“Does it seem awkward? I’m not usually the type to get nervous, but being next to you, Witch, makes me strangely tense. I apologize if I’ve offended you.”

This was the concept Takasho had crafted for him.

A handsome, clueless virgin. A shy nerd concept who doesn’t even realize he’s good-looking.

Frankly, when he first heard the concept, he felt a wave of reality hitting him, thinking, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

Still, it was true his virgin period had been long, so method acting was possible.

The Witch wrinkled the bridge of her nose at Siwoo’s calm, dismissive response to her criticism.

She probably wanted to see him flustered or angry, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Compared to when Amelia grilled him with genuine intensity, this was child’s play.

How to put it… When Amelia got angry, it felt like she delivered relentless true damage with her calm, measured tone.

This Witch felt more like a cat hissing in front of him.

Unlike during his slave days, going against her whims didn’t pose a threat to his life.

It was like going from playing only S-difficulty rhythm games to playing one around B+ difficulty?

“No? That’s not what I meant. As a host, shouldn’t you at least ask for the customer’s name first?”"Excuse me. May I ask your name?"

"You're too late to be lacking in basics. And you're not even using a stage name?"

Ah.

Come to think of it, that was a thing.

Everyone working at the bar, except for the manager Takasho, used stage names they had created for themselves.

Of course, Siwoo had skipped it out of embarrassment, but this Witch seemed determined to nitpick every single detail.

"Lacking basic manners, yet you want to do customer service…."

It was time to use one of the skills Takasho had taught him.

Siwoo, who had been avoiding eye contact with gentle glances until now, looked directly into the Witch's eyes.

As Takasho said:

When you want to flatter or lie, look into a woman's eyes with a clear, mirror-like heart.

Women don't doubt lies told while making eye contact.

Or so he said.

"Suddenly getting serious? Are you angry? Getting this angry means you're not even qualified as a host. Did I buy your time just to get annoyed?"

"I forgot something important."

His tone, which had seemed angry from the excessive provocation, was now the complete opposite—soft.

The Witch seemed flustered by the dissonance, raising her eyebrows.

"Then, would you give me a name, Witch-nim?"

"What? Why, why should I?"

"If it's a name given by Witch-nim, I think I'll be able to cherish it meaningfully during my future host activities."

For just two weeks, though.

He kept that part to himself.

As soon as those words ended, he noticed the Witch's consistently sharp eyes wavering back and forth.

He also saw her swallow lightly.

In contrast, Siwoo maintained a calm composure and attended to her with an utterly sincere heart.

"……."

No matter how much she tried to provoke anger, her opponent didn't even bat an eyelid.

If it had stopped there, it might have fueled her competitive spirit and rising irritation.

But he admitted his mistake, apologized, and was even handing over the 'special role' of naming him.

The meaning of names in witch society is deeper than one might think.

Even if it's just a stage name for a host.

And crucially, for pushing blindly while getting angry… the closer she looked, the more handsome he seemed.

"My name is… Ceres Cyconax."

"That's the name of a goddess. It seems to suit you well."

"Really? I've never really thought about it."

"Then what would be a good name for me? We still have about 10 minutes left, so it might be fun to think about it together."

This man, suddenly diving right in.

Ceres, attacked from an unexpected angle, blinked rapidly before crossing her arms.

Before she knew it, her aversion to the presumptuous title 'male witch' had faded, and instead, she found herself pondering what name she could give him to make it feel meaningful.

"Hmm, what would be good?"

Takasho, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the side, smiled with satisfaction.

He had been nervous from the start, worried about the fussy customer.

But it was needless worry after all.

If it was Shin Siwoo, who had seduced not one, not two, but three Witches and even charmed an Apprentice Witch, he couldn't be the Shin Siwoo of the past.

Look at him now.

The smooth moves that didn't even seem intentional.

In his experience, that unpolished charm appeal was deadly to a woman's heart.

The reason why 'no-makeup makeup' is popular among women is because the less artificial it is, the more effective it is.

The juniors who had closely pursued Takasho when he held the top position all exuded that kind of aura.

Though, whether they were all soft-hearted, they generally failed at customer management or fell into genuine love, retiring not long after.

If this had been Kabukicho.

If Siwoo had accumulated enough experience and competed with Takasho, who would have been the winner?

Siwoo's customer service was so excellent in many ways that it made him entertain such trivial thoughts.

After that, there were no further troubles.

With the quick wit honed from years of grinding in the host bar, Takasho supplemented what the customers needed before they even asked.

The 30 hosts, trained solely in customer service for nearly three months, also satisfied the Witches without major issues.

Although he had temporarily banned after-parties for a while, considering the influx of customers, many Witches already seemed to be thinking about a second round.

Thus, the Gehenna debut of Glass Rose ended splendidly.

At 2 a.m., after the Witches had left and the bar grew quiet.

The hosts, looking utterly exhausted, gathered in the center of the bar after finishing cleaning.

"Attention!"

With the day's business over, it was time to settle accounts.

"You all worked hard today. I think your efforts have finally borne fruit."

Takasho stood on the stairs, encouraging his colleagues who had struggled through the day.

Standing on the stairs, he calmly scanned the faces of the hosts who had shared hardships with him for months.

Tense from serving customers and drinking.

After over 12 hours of work and cleaning, they were all worn out, but their expressions were bright.

Some were even grinning.

"Now, I'll announce today's sales."

At that moment, everyone tensed up.

"Today's sales: 2,112 pounds in gold coins."

"Huh…?"

"Huh?"

"T-two thousand pounds?"

The hosts buzzed with agitation at the staggering amount.

Even Siwoo, who had been leaning against the stairs after collapsing from dealing with over a hundred Witches in a row, gaped.

In just one day, roughly 1.7 billion and 74.08 million won.

Maybe because it was a money calculation, his mental arithmetic clicked into gear.

"Subtracting the alcohol cost… 1,267 pounds."

"……."

"……."

The buzzing died down, and silence fell.

Of course, after deducting monthly debts and interest, side dishes, labor costs, basic alcohol setups, and other management expenses, it would drop by half.

But calculating just the alcohol cost, they had made a net profit of 1.06444 billion won.

In just.

One day.

Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at Takasho as he continued the announcement in a calm voice.

"There might be special circumstances since it's the first day. It won't be like this every day. And tomorrow, the day after, and for a while, we'll be busy. Rest without letting go of your tension."

"……."

"……."

"But still…."

Takasho bowed his head, then clenched his fists, shedding hot tears.

"We did it! Guys! You worked so hard! Let's keep it up from now oooooon!!!!"

"Woooooooh!!! Takasho hyung-niiiiim!"

"This is all thanks to Shin Siwoo-nim here! Praise him, you brats! This is my friend!"

"Siwoo! Siwoo! Siwoo!""Takasho! Takasho! Takasho!"

What followed was a frenzied whirlwind that would likely require cleaning up all over again.

While hugging each other and jumping around, they carried Takasho on their shoulders and ran about in a daze, and Siwoo was tossed into the air several times.

The reward was all too sweet—for the daily struggle to reduce losses by taking on odd jobs, for the constant anxiety in a workplace that could vanish at any moment, for desperately honing customer service skills whose usefulness had always been uncertain.

With arms around their coworkers' shoulders, Siwoo and Takasho danced wildly for a long time, cheering like mad.

It was a splendid night when a man's dream came true.

A Word from the Author (Author's Note)

Happy Fri-yay