City of Witches Chapter 7

A body and mind exhausted from a full day of grueling labor.

The only thing that could comfort it was this lodging.

Siwoo pushed open the door of the shabby building with a weary shuffle.

Surprisingly, Siwoo's lodging was incredibly spacious.

It was only natural, as it was a converted stable that once housed twenty horses.

A disgustingly high ceiling easily over 10 meters, haystacks serving as beds and sofas.

Its advantage was the splendid sky view visible through the gaps in the split-log roof.

"And the fact there's no rent is also a plus."

Minor downsides included that, due to being built too eco-friendly, rainwater would flow in when it rained, it became bone-chillingly cold when winter came, and in summer, the smell of seeped-in excrement assaulted the nose?

Still, humans are adaptable creatures.

Even this stable, inferior to a beloved hamster cage, had become somewhat tolerable and comfortable after living in it for five years.

"Ah, damn. Speaking of which, it really poured, huh."

Perhaps because it had rained so much, the entire stable was soggy with rainwater.

The water, having overflowed the drainage ditch dug for such heavy rain, had flooded even the living area.

He took off his work uniform and headed into the haystack filling his bed.

Inside lay a single small glass vial.

It was a very high-quality, pretty-looking empty bottle, as it was a discarded perfume bottle Amelia had once used.

"This is almost empty too."

The pale blue liquid sloshing at the bottom of the perfume bottle.

This liquid, shimmering faintly with multicolored hues, was the essence of magic power liquefied by 'fixed alchemy'.

All the professors at the Academy were wealthy.

Just as the rich don't lick yogurt lids, Witches also discarded the mere few drops of Magical Power left at the very bottom of a bottle.

Even though those one or two drops could buy several packs of cigarettes.

"If I didn't even have this, I'd have been completely broke."

It was a golden opportunity for Siwoo.

He could collect the leftover drops of Magical Power, one or two at a time, while disposing of all sorts of research waste.

"Just a tiny bit..."

Siwoo tilted the empty bottle and dabbed about half a drop of the liquid onto his fingertip.

Unlike women, men cannot store magic power.

However, they could utilize the essence of magic power in contact with their bodies before it evaporated.

A light Incantation.

"Bloom."

At Siwoo's Word Spirit, the awakened drop of magic power began to glow blue and emit light.

It would be problematic if his ability to use Magic became known, so he refrained from exercising Magic outside of research as much as possible, but today he wanted to sleep on soft hay.

Focusing his mind, Siwoo recalled Amelia's telekinesis from today.

In the dark world behind his pupils, profound laws began to be woven.

Magic power is a force capable of creating anything.

Telekinesis is Magic that manifests it as invisible physical force and exercises it.

Today, Amelia manifested her magic power into hundreds of circles with different trajectories.

Like the orbits of celestial bodies dictated by the laws of the universe, she individually controlled hundreds of objects without a single overlap or collision.

Such proficient utilization was impossible for Siwoo at the moment.

However, controlling only objects with light mass wasn't a difficult task.

Therefore, Siwoo arranged an adaptation of Amelia's telekinesis.

Siwoo slowly opened his eyes.

From the corners of his eyes, a haze like smoke shimmered.

It was the magic power reflection light that naturally occurs when the human body utilizes magic power.

Around him, thousands upon thousands of water droplets were floating.

He had gathered the moisture that had been pressed into the floor, seeped into the mud, and made the straw damp.

The water droplets glittering in the moonlight were each as beautiful as a small gem.

Magic, in the end, is about realizing a mental image according to fixed laws.

The mental image Siwoo conjured was the scene of Amelia gathering dust.

All the water droplets converged to one place.

And then...

"Ah..."

Siwoo let out a low sigh.

For just a moment, his concentration wavered and the calculations went awry.

The Magic Circle Siwoo had improvised for telekinesis required a total of three paths: one for synthesis, one for change, one for deployment.

However, in one corner of the formula responsible for synthesis and deployment, the magic power collided and tangled.

While focusing solely on gathering the light water droplets and deploying the formula, as the droplets coalesced and their mass increased, a single path encountered an overload it couldn't handle.

As a result, the streams of water that had been floating buoyantly, as if they were water sprites, all spilled onto the floor at once.

The only saving grace was that while a puddle may have formed beyond the ditch, no water splashed into the area Siwoo used as his living space.

"Failed the conversion overload coefficient calculation."

As expected, using unfamiliar Magic is difficult.

Siwoo flopped down onto the straw pile.

Indeed, it wasn't easy to develop a formula solely through mental calculation, and on the fly at that.

Still, it was a much-improved result compared to the past.

In the past, just making a candle flame flicker felt like his head would explode.

With this, perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could open the 'Gate' to leave this city.

"If I add about three conversion axes connecting the change and deployment sections to dampen the shock during deployment..."

No, it's no good.

Today is too exhausting.

Closing his eyes and reviewing the Magic he had just performed, Siwoo soon fell asleep.

After finishing his morning duties and hastily eating lunch, Siwoo headed to Taro Town with Takasho.

As it was the carriage of Sophia, the Witch who controlled beasts, the horseless carriage ran as if flying, incredibly fast.

In what felt like barely over 30 minutes, they were already standing in the bustling, noisy center of Taro Town.

"Like before, come to the fountain by 10 PM!"

He waved his hand vigorously for Takasho, who was leaving for the mansion again today to become Sophia's joy-bringer.

"Hoo."

Siwoo stood still by the plaza fountain to catch his breath and looked around.

To describe Taro Town in one phrase: 'High Technology IN Renaissance'.

The well-paved roads stretching into every corner, buildings soaring to unbelievable heights for stone or wooden structures, the crowds filling every street and the lively, bustling energy were reminiscent of a modern metropolis.

Well, Gehenna had been isolated from the outside world for over 600 years.

With a peaceful history flowing for 600 years without war or epidemics, combined with Magic, achieving this level of prosperity was hardly surprising.Unlike the top-tier towns like 'Ars Magna Town' or 'Renomond Town,' Taro Town was a living space for ordinary second-class citizens.

It was also a place where various tailors, blacksmiths, clockmakers, jewelers, casters, and confectioners lived to support the comfortable Gehenna lifestyle of the Witches.

"Freshly harvested apples, just 5 pennies a box!"

"Come to the White Whale Tavern for delightful performances and music! We also have cool beer!"

"Clothes with the embroidery that's popular among the Witches, come on in!"

A coachman calming a horse startled by the loud noises, solicitors stepping out in front of shops to grab passersby, a boy selling newspapers, a merchant haggling over prices with a pipe in his mouth, an artist playing a flute under the fountain.

Given its nature as a central square, it was always lively and noisy.

Fantastical noises pierced his ears as Siwoo got off the carriage lane and moved his steps toward his destination.

From the square, he entered an alley following the road leading west.

Perhaps because the alley wasn't properly paved, the path was a bit muddy.

Passing the White Whale Tavern, overflowing with customers even in broad daylight due to the holiday, and crossing an underpass, he saw a stone building nestled in the shade.

The reason Siwoo had come all the way here, using his precious weekend time, was to visit the magical tool shop in that building's semi-basement.

"Hello."

The door was very low, so Siwoo bent down and descended the stairs.

It was a small shop of about 10 pyeong (approx. 330 sq ft) with a unique, faint smell of sulfur.

Actually, 10 pyeong isn't that cramped, but it looked especially narrow because it was so packed with furniture and merchandise.

The shelves behind the counter were filled with colorful reagents, and from the ceiling hung unidentified, withered animals strung up in clusters.

"Oh, the lad's here? I was worried since I hadn't seen your face lately."

The shop owner, wearing round monocle glasses, greeted Siwoo warmly.

He folded his newspaper and stood up.

"So, what have you come to buy this time?"

"Have any battle magic paper come in?"

"Let's see."

The shop owner skimmed through the inventory list and pulled out a bundle of paper tied with twine from a drawer.

"Just got one in. Buying single sheets again this time?"

"Yes, please. How much?"

Siwoo took out the pouch he had been carefully treasuring near his heart.

Inside, coins the size of a thumbnail glittered.

This was what he had saved for three months without spending a single penny of his weekly wage of 5 pennies.

It took 12 pennies, a mix of copper and silver, to equal the value of one silver coin, so what was inside was worth exactly 5 silver coins.

Even though he had saved this specifically to buy it, when it came time to spend the money, he felt like tears might flow.

"I'll give you three sheets for one silver coin."

"Huh? That many? Last time it was two sheets."

"Lately, you're about the only one looking for this stuff. I'll give it to you cheap, so take what I have."

"Th-thank you!"

What a windfall.

Originally, he thought he'd save a penny or so and finally enjoy eating out.

But this changes things.

Siwoo poured out all the silver coins and handed them to the owner.

"By the way, does a slave like you have a use for battle magic paper?"

"W-well, there are various circumstances."

"Well, I'm just here to sell goods. Come again next time."

After the satisfactory transaction, Siwoo turned around with a satisfied smile, only to freeze stiff.

"Hello? Assistant."

A Witch tilting her head curiously, her purple eyes sparkling.

The elder of the Twins who takes lessons from Amelia.

That is, Odil.

"Hoh, they sell magical tools even in a shabby place like this? Wow! What's this? It looks like a mummy!"

The shop owner couldn't say a word even as he watched Odil poking at the strange bones (something like a withered salamander) hanging from the ceiling.

A dress adorned with lavish lace, a half bonnet with a ribbon tied under the chin, shoes that looked expensive at a glance.

No, setting all that aside, Odil flaunted an innate brilliance and nobility, like an extravagantly decorated doll.

He simply didn't have the courage to tell her—clearly a high-ranking Witch to anyone who saw her—not to touch the displayed merchandise.

Why is Odil here?

Siwoo felt his head turn cold.

Using and understanding Magic was a secret he kept absolutely.

It was his only lifeline to escape this tedious life of slavery.

"But why would a mere slave like the Assistant come all the way to a magical tool shop in Taro Town?"

Odil giggled as she circled around Siwoo.

Siwoo tried to hide the bundle of battle magic paper in his hand, but it was a pointless effort.

"Can't answer?"

He had met the worst possible person in the worst possible place.

"This just got interesting."

Unlike at the Academy, Odil, dressed in splendid outdoor attire, curled up the corner of her mouth.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

Sorry for the delayed serialization! I guess the early parts require more attention, so it's tough!