Chapter 220 – #49_회고(4)
#218
1.
After a one-sided sparring session that was too embarrassing to even call training.
Eloa returned to the hotel where she was staying.
She had an appointment with Branch Manager Sua this afternoon, but the training ended earlier than scheduled, leaving her with some time to spare.
Sitting in the lounge with a cup of coffee, she pondered deeply, replaying the events of the day.
It was Eloa herself who had initially proposed teaching him how to skillfully handle the ‘Contract of the King of All Diseases.’
There were two meanings behind it.
One was, as she had previously stated, to protect and monitor him from nearby, waiting for any possible interference from Eah.
The other was…
A faint hope that by watching him, she might catch a glimpse of Lapi’s beautiful swordsmanship, which she could no longer see.
That was all that was left for her to remember Lapi by.
“……..”
However, Eloa’s expectations were dashed in a disappointing way.
The Contract of the King of All Diseases was certainly one of the most useful magnetic magic for close combat.
It naturally showed how to move the body and how to handle weapons.
However, even if ordinary people and athletes ride the same high-performance two-wheeled vehicle, their outputs are completely different.
Siwoo’s movements did not even come close to Lapi’s.
And she would never see it again.
“It’s just a shame.”
She knew that this was not something to blame Siwoo for.
In fact, she wasn’t blaming him at all.
She was just giving a bitter smile to herself for having such expectations.
“What is it that you find regrettable?”
Branch Manager Sua sat across from Eloa, who had been muttering to herself while sipping her coffee.
She had been busy for the past few days dealing with the aftermath of the previous incident, yet she showed no signs of fatigue. She was as composed and elegant as ever.
She wore a hanbok, not a modernly modified one, but a colorful one adorned with five colors.
Just her sitting across from her seemed to give the luxurious hotel lounge a classic atmosphere.
“It’s earlier than I expected.”
“How could I ever make you wait, my lady?”
Sua replied with a graceful smile.
She rarely even uttered such affectionate words, so it could be said that Branch Manager Sua was in a good mood right now.
“I heard you took in a new disciple.”
“It’s not really a disciple. I’m just giving him some insignificant teachings.”
“If you certify his identity, look after his background, and even teach him martial arts, wouldn’t that be no different from a disciple?”
“Teacher, your jokes are a bit much today.”
Sua chuckled as she watched the embarrassed Tiferet.
She had been watching Tiferet from the sidelines for a very long time.
She had seen Tiferet burning herself out for revenge after losing her disciple.
She had also seen Tiferet denying reality and falling apart in emptiness and futility after the target of her revenge had disappeared.
Now that she had finally broken free from the keyword of revenge and formed a new relationship, how could she not be happy as an old friend?
Tiferet gave a wry smile and sipped her coffee in front of the chuckling Branch Manager Sua.
“But what do you mean by being disappointed?”
“Actually….”
Tiferet told her about the light sparring session she had with Siwoo this morning.
“His spirit to get back up no matter how many times he falls is commendable… but it remains to be seen how long that will last. In fact, I’m not even sure if that tenacity will be beneficial to him.”
“Hmm….”
Sua made a subtle expression.
Eloa had said it casually, but she could clearly feel it.
Eloa, who had lost her disciple and then her target of revenge, was projecting her empty heart, longing for her disciple, onto the man named Shin Siwoo.
She said it was for surveillance, but wasn’t the reason she was acting as his teacher and giving him lessons because she wanted to find Lapi’s image in him to some extent?
“It might be better for him if I stopped. If I try to catch two rabbits at once, I’m likely to lose both.”
“My lady.”
Sua gently admonished Eloa with her beautiful voice.
“Not everyone is born with the overflowing blessing of martial arts that you possess.”
“But….”
“The reason you wanted to teach him martial arts, if I may be so bold, was perhaps because you needed a place to rest?”
Sua tried her best not to mention Lapi and spoke very indirectly.
Eloa was a stronger person than anyone Sua knew, but she was also weaker than anyone else.
She knew very well what state she was in, as she had not taken in a new apprentice witch and had been wielding her sword without regard for her own life.
She was like a cracked piece of porcelain, making a rustling sound at the slightest touch.
“I don’t deserve to rest.”
Despite the cautious advice, Eloa replied in a stiff voice.
She wasn’t resenting Sua.
It was the strictness that a person who couldn’t forgive herself showed to herself.
“Even a mere beast needs time to catch its breath. In order to achieve what you desire…”
“Teacher Sua, I don’t even have anything I desire.”
Her voice was weary.
Sua could say with certainty that this was the first time she had ever seen Eloa outwardly express weakness.
That was why she felt a chill down her spine.
She even felt a sudden chill.
Based on her long experience, she could guess what Eloa was thinking.
Ending her given life on her own.
In other words, suicide.
The only two reasons she hadn’t taken her own life yet were probably because she wasn’t 100% sure about the life or death of Eah Sadalmelik.
And because she was in the middle of hunting down the Red Knights.
“My lady, even so, how about waiting just a little longer…?”
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps it was not enough to judge his potential with just one day, one sparring session. There are those who bloom late among talented people, aren’t there? Of course, I’m not blaming your judgment, but….”
Branch Manager Sua, who always spoke eloquently, suddenly stopped talking.
It wasn’t that she was interrupted or disturbed.
The feeling that her close friend might leave at any moment was a fear that was enough to make her hold her breath.
“…Your words make sense.”
Eloa’s expression was not very convincing.
She could tell that she was just making excuses after seeing Sua’s pale face.
“Anyway, what’s the situation with the Red Knights?”
“Considering the ‘White Knight’ you discovered and the surrounding circumstances, it is highly likely that they are colluding with the public enemy. It is believed to be the work of the ‘Cowardly Witch,’ but….”
“I see. Please contact me anytime if there is any progress.”
As Eloa got up from her seat, Sua belatedly called out to her.
“Tiferet.”
Eloa, who had paused for a moment, slowly turned around.
Looking back, it was a distant past when the last smile bloomed on that face.
“What is it?”
Suddenly, she felt that she had to say these words before it was too late.
“…Thank you for being my friend until now. And I look forward to your continued friendship.”
“Teacher Sua, you’re saying such embarrassing things too.”
Eloa gave a wry smile and turned back to her room.
2.
Sharon had been examining the brand that Siwoo had pierced with his overwhelming magic power all night.
Sharon, who had created a four-elemental chamber and sat cross-legged for the first time in a long time, closed her eyes and examined the Ein.
Her consciousness, which had been drawn into the unconscious, endlessly observed and contemplated the state of the brand.
It was amazing.
Thin strands of magic were flowing through the three strokes that had been completely disabled due to incomplete succession.
Of course, it wasn’t magic that Sharon could intentionally control, but it was a miracle that the brand, which had been silent no matter what she did, had come back to life.
To make an analogy, it was like a toe that had been completely necrotic down to the capillaries and was about to fall off was regenerating.
It was hard to believe even while seeing it with her own eyes.
“Hoo…..”
She tried her best to bring in and analyze the knowledge within the brand, but it was impossible.
But there was no need to be disappointed.
Compared to the past when she couldn’t even approach it, this alone was a huge step forward.
When Sharon opened her eyes and came out to the living room, Siwoo was sprawled out on the sofa, exhausted.
“What? When did you get here?”
“About… 30 minutes… ago….”
Siwoo, who had been rolling and rolling for two or three hours, was almost crawling on the floor like a rag.
Looking back, he didn’t know how he had gotten down from the rooftop to the sofa.
“Did you get hit a lot?”
“I didn’t get hit hard… I’m just tired.”
How could he be okay when he was being tossed around, shaken, and beaten like a bundle?
Still, he didn’t give up because he had actively volunteered to do it, but it felt like he was being turned into minced pork.
“How is it?”
“What?”
“Lady Tiferet.”
“She’s freaking strong. I can’t even touch her with a finger.”
“Of course she is. How can you expect to be full on the first try?”
It felt like he had been toyed with by a fighting game pro.
The only difference was that instead of sneering, “Yeah, go memorize the frame data,” she pointed out what he needed to fix.
But her advice was all easy to say.
When he actually tried to follow it, it was so difficult that he couldn’t put any of it into practice.
“Oh my, what should we do about our poor Siwoo? I’ll have to cheer you up.”
“Eek! Don’t touch me, I’m sweaty.”
“What does it matter?”
Sharon hesitated for a moment, then hugged Siwoo tightly.
His hair was soaked with sweat, and he should have felt uncomfortable.
But she didn’t seem to mind at all.
The problem was that she was hugging him so tightly that he felt excruciating pain in his arms and legs, which were already screaming.
It was an enormous muscle ache.
Well, even professional fighters get exhausted after sparring, and Siwoo had been sparring repeatedly, relying only on his spirit’s durability.
“I’ll have to wash you.”
“Can’t you just do it with magic…?”
“No, I’m going to wash you myself.”
Sharon gave a playful smile and used magic to float Siwoo’s body into the air.
She laid Siwoo, who had been transported in an anti-gravity state, in the bathtub and took off his clothes.
“Raise your hands. Raise your hands.”
“I can take off my clothes myself.”
“No, no, you’re tired. Just stay still.”
Siwoo grumbled but quietly raised his hands.
His top, which had been clinging to his skin, was removed, revealing his muscular upper body.
Sharon swallowed unconsciously.
It wasn’t just muscle built through exercise, but a body that seemed to have been trained in actual combat.
When the spirit, which kept the body in its optimal condition, met a man’s body, it created a physique like a Greek sculpture.
And then there was the sweat that exuded masculinity.
Sweat was supposed to be dirty.
But it didn’t feel dirty at all.
Rather, she didn’t know why her heart was pounding so hard.
Was it because of pheromones?
Then she remembered when Siwoo had been wall-slammed in the refrigerator before sparring with the duchess.
The rough voice and words that had made him unable to move as if he was being bound.
As those memories were added, her body seemed to have turned into a furnace of desire.
“I, I have to take off your pants too.”
“No, I said I’d do it…”
“No way! You’re tired!”
“This is more mentally exhausting.”
The struggle between Siwoo and Sharon, who had been bickering for a while, eventually ended in Sharon’s victory.
She triumphantly, but with a flushed expression, took off Siwoo’s pants and underwear.
Siwoo, who felt like he had returned to his slave days, looked up at Sharon awkwardly.
He could now guess what she was thinking from the atmosphere.
“Sharon, I’m sorry, but I’m really out of energy…”
Sharon didn’t say anything and took off her shirt.
Then, she quickly took off her dolphin shorts, which revealed her white thighs, and her underwear, which covered her private parts.
Sharon got into the spacious bathtub where two people could lie down comfortably.
Even though he thought he was going to pass out from exhaustion, his lower body was automatically filled with blood when he saw her naked body.
“You can leave it to me… I said I’d cheer you up…”
“Hey, hey, hey…”
Sharon didn’t say anything and overlapped her body with Siwoo’s sweaty body.
Right now, she didn’t think about the recovery of the brand through sex or anything else.
She only had the desire to be held by him.
