Chapter 1100 – #261_His Return(5)
#1094
1.
The days of running around to save Dorothy passed.
A week passed when the entire Gehenna was buzzing with one man’s name.
Finally, the time for settlement has come.
[Le Petit Journal de Dandelion vol. 473 – Changes in Gehenna’s Constellations and the One Who Makes the Way]
[According to recent reports from ‘The Gazette,’ the long-standing vacancy of the Keter Dukedom in the Tree of Sephiroth has been officially addressed. In accordance with long-standing tradition, a resolution to maintain the quorum of 42 was followed, and after a vote, Count Tia Cagliostro, the Dean of the Emerald Tablet, was officially named as the new Duke.]
[Subsequently, a witch to succeed one of the seven vacant countships was also designated. Baron Shin Siwoo, the head of the Hesed Society, was decided to receive the countship.]
[Baron Shin Siwoo has single-handedly subdued the Archdemoness of Reverse Heaven and the Witch of War, and even defeated the Witch of Libra, Lydia Magnus, achieving a feat worthy of being recorded in history. He has also founded and operated the Hesed Society, conducting numerous training activities.]
[Baron Shin Siwoo, who is adorned with modifiers such as ‘first,’ ‘unprecedented,’ and ‘groundbreaking,’ has faced controversy due to allegations and criticisms in his private life. However, like the ground hardening after rain, he has made remarkable achievements in a short period, making him undoubtedly worthy of being considered for the Countship of Gehenna.]
[Based on his numerous achievements, it remains to be seen what kind of history Baron Shin Siwoo will write in the witch society in the future.]
Shin Siwoo was nominated as a Count and was granted the title in less than three days.
He received a majority vote in the ‘nomination’ stage, so it was a natural result considering Count Cagliostro’s unexpected support.
‘Oh ho ho, I put some effort into this article. Let’s bury the hatchet and get along in the future, shall we?’
I didn’t expect the gossip magazine Dandelion, which had previously targeted Siwoo’s private life, to provide a second round of support.
“A snot-nosed kid who couldn’t even handle a homunculus has become such a big shot.”
“You flatter me, Baron Periwinkle.”
Periwinkle tossed the magazine onto the table, wearing a deeply moved smile.
Siwoo bowed deeply, rubbing his palms together.
With the promotion-style succession of titles, the barony that had become vacant in just a few months was granted to Periwinkle.
She was originally a strong candidate for the barony, and her existence as the ‘Witch of Luck’ was accepted as a kind of superstition, making her an indispensable talent in the current turbulent situation.
“Last time, you snatched the barony I was working so hard to lay the groundwork for. This time, you’re hogging the spotlight while pushing me to the edge of the stage. You’re very annoying.”
The problem was that the succession of the barony, which would normally have received a fair amount of attention, was so low that it could only be found in the corner of newspaper articles.
It was entirely because Siwoo was getting too much attention.
“Why did the heavens give birth to this Cybele Periwinkle and Shin Siwoo!”
“Come on, sis. Let’s stop it. I even brought a promotion gift.”
Siwoo’s magic, which cannot be measured by general hierarchical units.
Surpassing Herja, Siwoo established a definitive 23rd-tier magic.
It was not just about fully understanding the Red Branch of the Vestment and using it as a tool, but incorporating it as part of his own self-generating magic that deals with the concept of ‘distortion’ itself.
However, the fact that he was able to win the fierce battle with Lydia and return safely was entirely thanks to the clover that Periwinkle had gifted him.
If a person receives a favor, they must repay it.
“A gift?”
Siwoo showed Periwinkle a short spear, carefully wrapped in a specially made cloth, as she tilted her head.
A blunt short spear, enveloped in a mysterious golden light that made it impossible to guess what kind of power it possessed at first glance.
It was Mistilteinn.
The playful attitude of Periwinkle became quite serious at the unusual glow.
“It’s a vestment that Lydia Magnus used.”
“This is?”
Like Sharon’s wand, Siwoo’s Red Branch, Periwinkle’s clover, and the Master’s contract sword, ‘vestments’ are different from simple artifacts.
They are not just tools that allow the caster to use magic, but can be seen as separate self-generating magic in themselves.
Moreover, this one here is Lydia’s vestment, who is said to have reached the pinnacle of conceptual magic.
It would be stranger if Periwinkle didn’t show interest.
Since she was born with all sorts of wealth and luck rolling in just by breathing, she paradoxically has no particular desires, but seeing her eyes light up with desire shows that she is also an inevitable ‘witch’.
“Are you giving it to me?”
“I’ve only received help from you, Periwinkle.”
Periwinkle rose from her fancy leather chair.
She took off her heels, quietly knelt down, and bowed her head with a gentle demeanor.
“Head of the Society, please tell me if you have any orders. I will run to even a cheap motel bed if you call me.”
“Then can I cut your salary a little?”
“Of course, of course.”
“You’ll continue to be the head of the Department of Conceptual Studies, right?”
“I promise! Periwinkle is the Head of the Society’s loyal dog! Woof woof!”
“Hmm, satisfactory.”
“Then, can I take it? Can I really take it?”
Just as Periwinkle, who had been drooling just a moment ago, was about to reach for Mistilteinn, like a knight receiving a sword from a king, Siwoo subtly pulled it away.
“Head of the Society. If you give it and take it back, will I bite you?”
The loyal dog, who had been drooling just a moment ago, bared its teeth and growled eerily.
“I will definitely give it to you. But there’s a condition.”
“A condition? Tell me quickly. Is it money? I’ll give you all the money in my account.”
“Let’s do joint research for just five years. I’ll give it to you for free after that.”
It was a condition that was not bad for either Periwinkle or Siwoo.
Periwinkle, an authority on conceptual systems, at least.
Similarly, Shin Siwoo, who uses conceptual magic that few handle and has experience embodying the vestment Red Branch.
If a perfect understanding is possible, as with the ‘Red Branch,’ it is possible to absorb the essence without the need for Mistilteinn.
“It’s not a bad deal for me either.”
After hearing Siwoo’s explanation, Periwinkle readily signed the contract.
2.
While things were generally going smoothly, there was one thing that was not going as planned.
It was the matter of Las Wuerfanas, Lydia’s legacy.
The reason why Lydia left the legacy is not clear, but it is certain that Shin Siwoo is now the godfather of Wuerfanas.
From the beginning, they were trained to be loyal to Lydia’s successor even without separate instructions, and he even heard that it was a long-planned arrangement.
This is equivalent to planting loyal followers throughout the Solidos Merchant Guild, a large group in Hexennacht.
Siwoo has gained not only visible power but also invisible powerful forces, an elite witch army.
Of course, even at this point, Siwoo had not let go of the question, ‘Isn’t this Lydia’s trap?’
Just in case of a counter-tracking, he did not bring the Round Table Conference to the present world and only checked it within Gehenna for the same reason.
“…Hmm.”
Siwoo muttered, looking at the artifact.
Nairi Derbana, the ‘Witch of Thousand Shadows’ of Wuerfanas, who had contacted him through the artifact, replied that she would respond if the capos were summoned through this Round Table Conference.
Through the ‘Round Table Conference,’ which maintains thorough security, Siwoo can check the faces of the capos, and the capos can have a remote meeting in a system where they cannot see each other’s faces.
However, even though it had been a long time since the week that Nairi had promised, only 7 of the 13 jewels embedded on the edge of the round table-like artifact were shining.
This meant that only 7 capos had responded to the meeting.
When asked why, Nairi, who appeared before Siwoo through the self-generating magic ‘Mist Illusion,’ said this:
‘The most important thing about the Round Table Conference is security. Each capo is busy working in their respective fields, so they may not have been able to check the contact. It is not yet the end of the Great Mother’s funeral, so I would be grateful if you could give me a little more time. I am truly sorry, Godfather.’
Inside a vault where no one else’s eyes can reach.
He manipulated the Round Table Conference and summoned Nairi.
Soon, a hazy mist gathered with magical power, and then Nairi’s illusion appeared.
“Your humble daughter greets you, Godfather.”
She was wearing a black dress and a beret with a veil.
It was a classic mourning dress that suited her eyes, which were filled with quiet sadness.
Nairi, who crawled on her knees and kissed the back of Siwoo’s hand, was still in a low posture.
Even though he hadn’t asked anything yet, she couldn’t meet his eyes, looking very apologetic.
“It’s been almost two weeks… What happened?”
“I’m sorry…”
Even though he spoke in the most indifferent tone possible, Nairi trembled like a wet bird.
It seemed to be due to her self-reproach for not meeting his expectations rather than fear of Siwoo.
After comforting her a few times, she managed to open her mouth.
“It is believed that the disturbance caused by the collapse of the ‘gate’ of Hexennacht was larger than expected, which is why they could not respond to the call. If you give me a little more time…”
“No special circumstances?”
“If there are any special matters, I will report them. But there are none so far.”
“Okay.”
There are no special circumstances, so what else can he hold on to?
There is nothing else to say.
Unlike Nairi, who treats Siwoo like a true godfather, she is a difficult opponent for Siwoo, and he doesn’t know how to treat her.
However, because her previous appearance lingered in his mind, he added a word.
“You asked about Lydia Magnus’s last moments, right?”
Nairi held her breath and widened her eyes.
“Her magic was beautiful, and even her end was not cowardly but dignified. It was a fitting end for Lydia Magnus.”
“Thank you…”
Will these words be of some comfort to her?
Nairi retreated, her eyes filled with tears, but without a single flaw, after kissing the back of Siwoo’s hand.
Although a slight unease remained, time still flows.
Three days later, the pilot semester of the Hesed Magic Society, which had been suspended, was officially resumed.
The aftermath was…
It was far beyond Siwoo’s expectations.
