City ​​of Witches 1155

Chapter 1155 – #276_Overture(3)

#1149

1.
While moving, Siwoo asked Frau, his goddaughter currently staying within Hexennacht, about the details of the situation.

[Yes, Godfather. I will check immediately.]

The United States is a representative friendly nation to Gehenna, but he wanted to confirm whether this surprise announcement was triggered from within Hexennacht.

Frau had accepted Siwoo as her godfather and sworn loyalty.
She had also secretly persuaded other Werfana, who were gathered around Finn, to return to Hexennacht.

But that was all done in secret.

Frau was still a public figure with significant influence within Hexennacht, and accordingly, she reported high-quality information to Siwoo.

[This incident is not related to Hexennacht. At least, not externally. Given the gravity of the matter, if there had been any prior signs, other goddaughters would have reported it to you, Godfather. However, I will contact the other sisters.]
“Okay. Thank you for your hard work.”
[It is my greatest blessing to be able to serve you, Godfather.]

As soon as he ended the business call, he sighed.
Just when things seemed to have calmed down recently, such an unexpected situation arose.
His head throbbed with fatigue.

“I expected it to some extent, but it doesn’t seem like it was an event orchestrated by the entire city of Hexennacht, like the last flood.”
“I understand.”

The Witchpoint Seoul branch, where he had left his car for valet parking, was already in a state of emergency, resembling a stock market hit by a big short.

Even as all the employees were shouting into their phones, the phones kept ringing incessantly, and disorganized documents were flying around like trash.

When he arrived at the branch manager’s office, which had been remodeled like a traditional Korean house, Branch Manager Sua was putting down the phone with a troubled expression.

“Ms. Sua, what is going on? There should have been regulations on magic research at the time of the agreement.”

In fact, even before the flood, magic research was being conducted secretly under the leadership of various countries.

At the time, there was a need to deal with homunculi and public enemies without the help of witches, and the ‘spiritual body’ of a witch, which promised immortality, would have been an attractive research topic for power holders who were destined to die.

However, as Eloa knew, various attempts had been in vain.

Witches were too powerful for humans to capture and use for experiments, and above all, the witch who called herself Prometheus was the one that Keter had most resolutely killed, making the involved countries pay the price.

In a sense, it was an unwritten rule that was more strictly observed than ‘witches must remain a mystery.’

Even after Keter disappeared, and even after the flood, this rule was firmly upheld.

Gehenna, at a secret meeting of the heads of each country, demanded that all magic research not be publicly announced in exchange for ending the ‘flood.’

Although other witches did not know the contents of the ‘Ark’ and the history of the world line from which the Witch of Creation had escaped, the reason for this demand was that Duke Erelim’s opinion was actively reflected.

‘Humans are very dangerous beings.’
‘At this point, when the homunculi that suppressed those humans have disappeared, we do not know when or how the wisdom of magic that has fallen into their hands will threaten us.’
‘As I have said before, I am not suggesting that we oppress them with radical and aggressive measures.’
‘However, at least some restrictions will be required.’

Duke Erelim’s remarks, who was also revered as a great sage, easily gained the consent of the orthodox witches.

Although it cannot be denied that behind such easy consent was the arrogance and possessiveness unique to witches, who thought, ‘We cannot let humans research magic,’ Siwoo, who had seen the ‘Ark’ firsthand, also tacitly agreed.

The historical truth that was realized in the Neo War was not just a fiction.
The malignancy of humanity that he had seen in the Neo War was not unfamiliar.

Rather, he felt a sense of déjà vu.

But in the end, what Siwoo, Eloa, and Linne chose was to postpone the decision.

They chose to remain silent about the truth they had learned inside the Ark.
If the witches were to learn the truth of this world, it was obvious that an uncontrollable chaos would occur, and that chaos would likely head in a radical direction.

Therefore, their stance was that it would be good to prepare for any possibility and buy time if possible.

“The White House spokesperson claims that they were completely unaware of this fact. They say that a quirky businessman, out of mere curiosity, performed the stunt on his own….”
“That can’t be true. They’re trying to play dumb.”
“I concur with the young lady’s opinion.”

The space development capabilities of a single corporation have long exceeded the discretion of other countries; the United States is such a country.

But even considering that, the technology revealed on live broadcast today was a development that made even Siwoo think, ‘This is a bit dangerous?’
It was not a technology that could be completed in a day or two after the mystery was unveiled.

If the manifested technology was simply ‘telekinesis,’ there would be no need to be so nervous.

That is a realm that can be achieved with magic power and a little talent.

“That magic particle accelerator is not that simple.”
“It draws in the sparse magic power around it, ‘magnetizes’ it, and implements its own magic?”
“If there is no manipulation in the data that was shown, then that is the case.”

Although the result is inferior, humans have created another form of ‘brand’ independently, without relying on the mystery of witches.

An initial brand made of steel and electricity.
Much faster than expected.

In a way, it might be understandable.

In the Neo War world line, the reason why humanity had difficulty handling magic was because science was so far behind.
The current world line is an era where footprints were left on the moon half a century ago.

The base technology they already possess is different.

“…Gehenna will become noisy again.”

Many witches will probably not welcome this.

Especially Duke Erelim, who has been quiet lately, will react sharply.
He already felt a headache coming on and unconsciously wanted to reach for painkillers.

“What should I do?”

He could not be sure whether the same tragedy would be repeated in this world line as a result of magic falling into the hands of humans.
But he could not say that it would not be repeated either.

The possibilities were open in any direction, making the choice even more difficult.
That was the path of anguish that Eloa and Siwoo had chosen to walk.

But there was no time to dwell on his frustrating thoughts.

“Branch Manager Sua!”

A witch who had rushed into the branch manager’s office urgently showed her terminal with a pale face, as if screaming.

A video was playing on the channel that had previously broadcast the sinking ceremony of the US 7th Fleet in Hexennacht.

Judging by the curvature of the surroundings and the unique waves spreading to the edges of the screen, it was filmed by a magic crystal ball.
Eloa and Siwoo gasped as they checked the video.

Inside a building that could only be described as a state-of-the-art museum.
On the glass windows, the colorful neon signs shot from the tall buildings left afterimages like crushed insects.

In the center of the screen, a drone was floating around, diligently fulfilling its duty with a lively mechanical sound.

[The exchange between humans and witches first began around the 15th century. Witches imparted magical knowledge to humans, and humans spread science to witches.]

[Witches naturally took their place in the upper echelons of human society and, in collusion with a small number of power holders, exploited humans.]

[Since witches are virtually immortal, this class structure was very solid. A deformed pattern occurred in which a relatively small number of witches monopolized wealth and power.]

[During this period, humanity was little more than slaves to witches.]

The video contained records of the inside of the ‘Ark.’

2.
In the past, magic crystal balls were revolutionary items.

They were transcendent ‘artifacts’ capable of long-distance real-time video communication, recording videos and photos, and various other functions.

However, things changed with the spread of the convenience of civilization called smartphones.
Magic crystal balls were more expensive than the latest smartphones, inconvenient to carry, and difficult to manage.

Nevertheless, the reason why many witches still use crystal balls as communication devices is not simply due to stubborn inertia.

There are a few unique advantages.

One of them is that ‘it is very difficult to manipulate recorded materials.’

Although manipulation itself is easy, it is quickly noticeable.

Unless they were focused on research, there were no idle witches who would put effort into learning how to manipulate videos without being noticed, so they were sometimes adopted as meaningful evidence in legal battles within Gehenna.

What Finn found in Lydia’s vault was a video contained in such a crystal ball.

And a brand that was magically perfectly sealed, almost crumbled, and barely recognizable.
A bizarre angel’s brand, half meat and half machine.

[Let’s see…. Okay. Future City Daejeon Exploration Vlog. I, Lydia Magnus, am recording this because it seems useful.]

The abandoned human city ‘Ark,’ which had prospered unrealistically.

The untold story of this world, the identity of the Witch of Creation, flowing from the drone’s mouth in the museum.

Witches conquered by cruel humans and turned into sex toys.

The ultimate weapon ‘Angel’ that overwhelms Urshula and Priscilla.

All of those scenes were captured in the crystal ball.

Finn’s political sense was excellent, so he could predict the butterfly effect that would occur if this video were made public.

Gehenna, which has inherited Keter’s legacy for generations, has a pro-human aspect.
Hexennacht, on the other hand, can be seen as an extreme, radical witch-supremacist group.

But there is one thing that Gehenna witches and Hexennacht witches have in common.

They all have pride and self-esteem that reach the sky.

What would happen if this video were made public to such Gehenna and Hexennacht?

How would the witches, who had been so proud of their greatness, react when they learned that a world existed where their pride had been trampled into the gutter by human hands, and that it was still ongoing?

Chaos.
Chaos.
Nothing but utter chaos.
Unpredictable chaos and destruction were there.

“Mother….”

Finn could also understand why his mother had stashed this video in a vault where she kept her personal belongings.

His mother was a cold businesswoman.

She acted when it was profitable, and she did not act when it was not profitable.
Unlike other public figures, she was a public figure who preferred to find profit in a tense order.

Therefore, when she had the video in her possession, she must have judged that it had no meaning.

This video was an extreme move that completely overturned the game board.

She must have thought that chaos that even she could not predict was not needed on the game table.

But it was different for Finn.

Being able to shake up the board without mercy when everything was at a disadvantage was no different from arbitrarily rearranging the pieces on a chessboard just before checkmate.

Thus, Lydia Magnus’s true legacy, the game-changer, was not the Gnosis’s egg with its powerful magnetic magic, nor was it the strongest artifact that could defeat any enemy.

It was one truth that was too clear.