City ​​of Witches 527

Chapter 527 – #111_Intimacy Work

#527

1.
Twenty crew members, one slave, and one queen, excluding the five on duty, gathered for a celebratory party after successfully completing their mock training.

After a nearly 20-minute-long speech by Luelle, it was time to enjoy the feast laid out on each table.

As Luelle had boasted, today’s menu was extraordinary.

A whole suckling pig, roasted crisp with several coatings of boiling butter.
Beef Stroganoff, made with thinly sliced beef stir-fried with vegetables, then simmered in a soup, served with mashed potatoes.
Dark bread, baked with a mix of rye and wheat.
Pirogi, filled with minced meat and fruit puree.
And a basket of fresh tropical fruits.

The mouthwatering spread was something rarely seen on the Akula.
After all, these were all ingredients that could only be found on land.

Having developed a taste for the finer things while staying at the Jemina mansion, Siwoo noticed that the ingredients for today’s meal were not frozen.

However, Luelle was still moving around among the crew, so he couldn’t even take a single spoonful and was waiting.

Watching Luelle laughing happily over there, many thoughts crossed his mind.

After the battle with the Cowardly Witch, he had read the Familiar Management Theory written by Professor Sophia.

It stated that the higher the intelligence of a creature used as a familiar, the more their cognitive and emotional processing abilities would decline.

Humans, in particular, have more complex and diverse synaptic patterns in their sympathetic nervous system than other creatures.
Therefore, except for certain witches with special magnetic magic, the ability to recognize emotions is lost.
In other words, all of Luelle’s actions with the crew were nothing more than playing with dolls.

After all, they would never have any loyalty or respect for Luelle.
The reason he felt a sense of pity for Luelle was, upon closer inspection, due to the fact that she was alone in this vast submarine.

But recently, he had begun to wonder if that theory was really correct.
Even though the crew members acted like machines towards Siwoo, he felt that something changed when they were with Luelle.

Of course, it was absurd.
It was no different from thinking, ‘I’ve been kind to Siri, so she’s developed feelings.’

It was probably just that a newly learned pattern had been added to the existing algorithm, creating a plausible interaction.
If they had been together for over 10 years, they would have developed a pretty good algorithm.

While he was lost in thought, Luelle, having praised all the crew members’ achievements, plopped down at the head of the table and picked up her utensils.

“Are you still waiting?”
“How could I possibly eat before Your Majesty?”
“Hmph! There’s no need for that! On a joyous day like today, don’t hold back and eat to your heart’s content.”
“Your grace is boundless.”

Perhaps because it was land food after a long time, each dish was incredibly delicious.
Especially the pork, which melted in his mouth, was a delicacy among delicacies.

Luelle, who had been waiting for him to taste all the dishes, asked with a confident smile as he bit into the last pirogi.

“How is it? Anastasia’s cooking skills. Isn’t it good?”

For reference, all the crew members had female names, but their original names were too drab, so Luelle had given them all new names.

“I’ve felt it before, but it’s truly excellent.”
“She was a girl who couldn’t even open a can at first. I personally bestowed a cookbook and ordered her to master it.”

She looked at the crew members, who were eating without a word on the other side, with a pleased smile.
It was like the gaze of a kind mother looking at her children.

“It wasn’t just Anastasia. They were all like puppets who couldn’t do anything on their own at first. But they were captivated by my majesty and charisma, and now they serve me with all their hearts.”
“I see.”
“They are frustrating because they can’t even speak properly, but they are members of the Nukelavi Kingdom.”

Luelle, speaking with her chest puffed out, exuded pride and dignity.
No matter how it might look on the outside, if she was happy, wasn’t that what mattered?
That thought briefly crossed his mind.

2.
A week had passed.

At first, it was a messy warehouse where he didn’t even know where to start, but after investing 10 hours a day in organizing, it had started to show decent results.

“You’ve already finished organizing the warehouse. You’re a diligent and sincere slave.”

Luelle, who had entered the neatly organized treasure room, praised his hard work with her hands on her hips.
For reference, that pose with hands on hips, chest puffed out, and chin raised was Luelle’s trademark pose.

“Here is the inventory list of the items.”
“Hmm….”

Luelle brushed her hair behind her ear, put on her monocle, and examined the list.
He felt a sense of tension, as if he was being reviewed on his performance, and he unconsciously held his breath.

“Oh?”

Her gaze, full of surprise, turned to Siwoo.

“You’ve organized it very well. I didn’t know I had so many jewels.”

But the praise was not as great as he had expected.
Compared to the previous records, which were at the level of a child’s diary, he thought his meticulous organization was astonishing.
Luelle glanced at the space where the jewels were displayed nicely, but didn’t show any particular admiration.

“Is there anything that I have done poorly?”
“No. You have done your best in the task you were given.”

Given Luelle’s inability to lie, it wasn’t difficult to realize that it was just lip service.
Luelle pondered for a moment.

“…Gold and jewels are just shiny and boring.”
“Ah.”

After five years of reading the room, he realized where Luelle’s somewhat lukewarm reaction came from.

In the first place, if it was just a simple organizing task, even an merman could do it.
But the reason why she specifically brought a modern-day slave to organize the warehouse.

It was because she wanted interpretations and explanations of modern items.

However, Siwoo was so engrossed in the glittering gold that he naturally prioritized organizing them, and he didn’t pay much attention to the modern items that were closer to sea trash.

Although she didn’t show it openly, it was natural that Luelle was disappointed.

“I’ll have to think about your next assignment. You’ve worked hard. You can rest a little early today.”
“I am grateful.”

He returned to his room.
He lay on the bed, rolling around for the first time in a while.

He wasn’t just rolling around aimlessly; he was thinking about an escape plan, combining the information he had gathered.

First, he had succeeded in building a certain level of rapport with Luelle.
However, he had not yet expressed any desire to contact the outside world or return home.

It wasn’t that Luelle was scary, but because he remembered the advice Takasho had given him in passing.

‘If you want to persuade someone, it’s best to do it in one shot. People’s minds accumulate a certain amount of discomfort and burden even when they are in the position of refusing. If you keep making unreasonable requests, eventually negative feelings will transfer to the persuasion itself.
So, it’s best to pass with just one request at the right moment.’

It was something he had said while drunk when he was working part-time at Rose Glass, but it seemed valid, so he was actively referring to it.

Therefore, rather than escaping immediately, he focused on understanding the situation of the submarine and Luelle’s personality.

The previous Nukelavi might have been a terrifying old witch, but she was a cautious person who cherished her apprentice witch.

She had forbidden all external activities until Luelle overcame her ‘trial,’ and even sealed the deep-sea kingdom where her legacy remained.

To follow that will, Luelle was conducting magical research in this workshop without any contact with the outside world, and despite showing curiosity, she was extremely wary of the outside world.

If he even hinted at other witches or stories from the outside, her voice would immediately become stiff.

One way or another, it meant that there was not enough intimacy to ease her learned wariness.
In that situation, Siwoo’s primary task was to somehow gain Luelle’s trust and affection.

“Hmm….”

Here is the analysis and countermeasures.

Luelle had a strong curiosity and a lot of free time.
According to the world setting, she often talked to Siwoo, who was a slave, or had quite long conversations, which clearly showed that she felt bored.

So, wouldn’t it be best to make Luelle happy, build a relationship of trust, and then attempt to escape?

And he had some experience with this.
He had once played the role of a playmate, taking care of the unmotivated Diana.

“Is this why they prefer experienced workers?”

He found himself doing all sorts of things since getting involved with Gehenna, and went to find Luelle.

3.
Luelle was studying in the magic library, sitting on a pile of magic books that reached her waist.
It was where she spent most of her day, so it wasn’t difficult to find her.

“Are you saying… you will become my jester?”
“Is that how it’s interpreted…?”
“To alleviate my boredom and provide entertainment. If that is not the duty of a jester, then what is it?”

As soon as he found her, he made a roundabout proposal, and that was her reaction.
Luelle crossed her arms and tapped her forearm with her finger as she continued to ponder.

It was a rather long silence, but honestly, he could already hear the answer.
As soon as she heard the proposal, her eyes sparkled like stars.

“Hmm, I am busy with the affairs of the kingdom and magical research. I do not have the time to devote to entertainment, even if it means giving a slave the position of jester.”

Translating Luelle-speak, it meant, ‘It’s not proper to nod right away, so give me a more plausible reason to encourage me.’

“Your words are wise. However, proper rest is bound to help improve work efficiency. Entertainment is also a form of rest, and I believe it will also be beneficial to Your Majesty’s reign.”
“Hmm….”

Luelle nodded as if that was enough.
Luelle stood up as if she was about to wag her tail if she had one.

“A wise ruler is one who listens to the voices of even the lowest beings. Even though you are merely a slave, I have heard your sincere advice.”
“I am grateful.”
“Start your duties immediately!”

And so, in a week, he was promoted from slave to jester.
He wasn’t sure if it was really a promotion.