Chapter 662 – #134_A Peculiar Date (3)
#662
1.
Shiwoo strolled down the alleyway, the pouch of portioned medicinal herbs dangling from his hand.
Linne was as unchanging as ever, as if nothing had happened.
Even so, thinking about Linne from earlier was a bit unexpected.
Linne, who had readily allowed a rear-entry relationship for the hope of becoming stronger.
With her self-centered personality, he had thought she wouldn’t care about the opinions or rumors of those around her.
But to be so actively trying to cover his mouth…
That meant she was feeling a certain level of embarrassment, didn’t it?
And that also meant that for the sake of power, she would do anything, even if it meant enduring embarrassment.
Come to think of it, this not-quite-a-date was also happening because she was humoring Shiwoo’s loose sophistry.
Anyway, his business in this alley was done.
But Linne was wandering around the alley as if she were lost in a maze.
He had quietly followed her, thinking she might have a destination, but he realized that the path they had just passed was the same one they had walked five minutes ago.
They had been going around in circles.
Wondering if she was lost, he asked.
“Master, what’s the plan now?”
“It’s a date. After returning to Hyangwol Pavilion, we will have relations in the tea room.”
Linne answered as if it were obvious.
At this point, there was one thing he had overlooked.
“Master, do you know what a date is?”
“Of course.”
“Could you explain it in detail?”
“We’re doing it now.”
“Ah.”
That’s right.
He had assumed she had a destination because she was confidently striding forward, but that was just Shiwoo’s delusion.
Linne thought that walking together in this gloomy alley was a date.
“Master, that’s not what a date is.”
“……?”
Linne looked at him as if asking what he meant.
“Shopping together can be part of a date… but the atmosphere here is a bit… you know?”
“Atmosphere?”
“Yes, like a café, a bar, or even a theater. Those places have a good atmosphere.”
“Why not here?”
He was more curious as to why she would even consider this place for a date, but when he tried to explain why it wasn’t suitable, it was difficult.
It’s always hard for Koreans to explain the taste of kimchi.
It was common sense for Shiwoo, but not for Linne.
Of course, Shiwoo wasn’t trying to convince Linne just so he could go to a secluded place and grope her butt.
He hadn’t properly observed the door, which was his original goal.
If they kept going around in circles like this, he wouldn’t even be able to see it from afar.
So, he listed a series of reasons, but Linne didn’t seem convinced.
“Actually, if you’re with someone you enjoy being with, any place is good.”
In the end, his experience led to such a vague answer.
He should have thought harder.
“……”
Then.
Linne suddenly pondered Shiwoo’s words, lost in thought.
She abruptly stopped, rolled her eyes, and nodded to herself.
He didn’t understand what point she had found convincing.
“Okay. A bar will do, then.”
“Yes, preferably one with a good view.”
Somehow, he managed to persuade her, and they left the alleyway.
He had been on edge because there were so many witches, but there were no particular troubles.
No matter how crowded the place was, the witches parted like the Red Sea when Linne walked by.
They randomly chose a bar called ‘Spin Road’.
It was a unique pub perched precariously on a cliff at the edge of the plaza.
The noise was deafening because the sound echoed more indoors than outdoors, and the smell of cigarette smoke stung his nose.
The entire interior was bathed in blue light, with neon signs here and there that hurt his eyes.
The overall atmosphere, including the central shelf displaying all sorts of alcohol, was like a bar you might find in a back alley of 1960s New York. It gave the impression of a retro pub designed for revelry rather than luxury.
It seemed like a Gehenna witch wouldn’t bother coming here unless they had a special reason.
He was a bit amazed that there was such a difference, even though they were both witches.
“……”
His musings were cut short.
The moment Shiwoo and Linne entered, a chilling silence fell over the boisterous pub.
Except for the cheerful music playing somewhere, everyone held their breath or stared at the entrance with piercing eyes.
It was a familiar sight for Shiwoo, who attracted attention wherever he went in the witch society.
“We’ll go upstairs.”
It seemed to be a familiar sight for Linne as well.
Without paying any attention to the commotion, she walked up the stairs, which were cluttered with haphazardly stacked liquor boxes, to the second floor.
Shiwoo quickly followed and overtook her.
The area was full of pubs.
There was a reason why Shiwoo insisted on this particular pub.
“Let’s sit by the window.”
The table Shiwoo led her to was a prime spot overlooking the sea where cargo ships passed and the door was clearly visible.
He couldn’t miss this perfect opportunity to observe the structure of the door while pretending to enjoy the view.
Shiwoo and Linne sat facing each other on a surprisingly comfortable sofa.
The second floor was less crowded and quieter than the first floor.
As a result, they ended up attracting all the attention, though.
Well, first he needed to go downstairs and get some drinks…
“Do you have a usual drink?”
“I’ve never had one. Just buy yours.”
Instead of ordering, Linne took out a few dollars and handed them to Shiwoo.
He was slightly taken aback.
As far as Shiwoo knew, many witches were heavy drinkers.
They willingly enjoyed the divine droplets as a small pleasure to soothe their long lives and lonely struggles.
The same question arose once again.
What kind of past did she go through to live this kind of life?
If even Dorothy, whom he thought he would never understand, had her own reasons, could it be possible this time as well?
“I’ll go order for now.”
It was certainly a luxurious sentiment.
Wanting to understand her, thinking that they might be able to communicate if they talked.
It was too soft of a thought for someone who had been kidnapped.
After all, wasn’t their master-disciple relationship just a formality, and he would betray her and escape soon?
“No, that’s not it.”
Still, it wasn’t entirely useless work.
In terms of physical progress, Shiwoo and Linne were very close.
They had shared physical conversations in the training grounds during the day and in the tea room at night.
But that was all.
Shiwoo knew nothing about Linne.
It was said that if you want to understand someone’s actions, you should look into their past.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he would make Linne open up.
“Oh, no…”
He had thought it would be fine for a moment, but he regretted coming down alone.
As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he was met with a sight that made him regret it.
A dozen or so witches were all staring at Shiwoo as if a stage actor had appeared.
Should he have brought Linne with him?
Even if a blonde beauty appeared naked in a pub full of hairy men, she wouldn’t attract this much attention.
“……”
He had to remain calm in situations like this.
After all, there were no witches in this pub stronger than Shiwoo, except for Linne.
He maintained the coldest expression and fiercest gaze he could muster.
Unless they were truly crazy, they wouldn’t cause a ruckus with Linne upstairs.
“Welcome.”
The only man in this pub.
The black bartender, wearing a neat shirt and vest, who had been shaking a shaker, greeted him hesitantly.
He seemed unable to understand what was going on or who Shiwoo was.
“Two of your best-selling drinks.”
“I recommend a Moscow Mule.”
It was a cocktail he had tried during his studies abroad.
The recipe was very simple.
Fill a rough copper mug with ice, add vodka and lime juice.
Then, pour in chilled ginger beer, stir, and garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves.
Since the mug itself was made of copper, which conducts heat well, the entire mug would become damp after a short time, making the palm of your hand feel cool.
As he was smacking his lips, a witch turned her chair around and sat facing Shiwoo.
“You’re pretty. How can you be so handsome?”
It was a development that made him sigh.
“I have someone waiting for me upstairs. I don’t have time for small talk.”
“I know, I just want to feast my eyes.”
The reason was simple.
When one person started to move while everyone was sizing each other up, the herd mentality would kick in.
Sure enough, he could see witches already creeping closer.
“By the way, are you free tonight? I have a villa in the upper town, would you like to come see it?”
“Are you confident you can handle the Sword Witch?”
“When a man and woman are playing around, who cares about handling anything?”
“I’m not a free man right now.”
Perhaps she was annoyed by his curt refusal, the witch narrowed her eyes and gave a bitter smile.
“Ah, so you’re a gigolo? The Sword Witch has such tastes.”
She was a witch with a lot of nerve.
Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she was half-bluffing.
Still, Linne’s shield was remarkably effective.
Just mentioning her name made half of the approaching witches turn back.
They didn’t know what the relationship between Shiwoo and Linne was, but they didn’t want to pull the monster’s beard for no reason.
“If you’re good, I’ll give you a lot of money. Be cute.”
But this witch didn’t stop her advances, as if she had something to rely on.
Now he felt like he was starting to understand something about this city.
He had approached it too much with a Gehenna mindset.
Hexennacht was a city where 30% were public figures and 70% were outcasts who didn’t care about being public figures.
Frankly speaking, why was Linne such an effective shield?
Her strength was one thing, but it was also because she was crazy.
Not crazy in the sense of malice and ridicule, but in the sense that she was someone who might do anything if she was in a bad mood.
On the other hand, a polite response was an unnecessary element that would only give the impression of weakness in the wild world of the survival of the fittest.
The opponent was a witch that Shiwoo could easily handle on his own.
If he was even half-hearted in dealing with this kind of opponent, his future would only become more difficult.
Also, if he caused too much of a commotion and Linne came down, there was a risk that Shiwoo’s act would be exposed.
At least, the Shin Shiwoo she knew wouldn’t be someone who couldn’t handle this kind of minor trouble on his own.
“Hey.”
The witch was stunned by the sudden use of informal language.
“Huh? Hey? Are you talking to me?”
“Get lost if you don’t want to get your ass kicked.”
The interesting incident caused laughter to erupt throughout the pub, and the bartender who was making the Moscow Mule almost fainted, gasping for breath.
The witch’s eyes, which had been blank, began to glow with a venomous light.
“Look at this bastard? Do you know who I am?”
The witch was trembling with anger as she spoke, but Shiwoo didn’t even blink.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. So get lost.”
As the witch, her face red, tried to gather her magic, Shiwoo also raised his shadow.
He didn’t think he would lose in a one-on-one fight, and it was a bit of a shameless statement, but if he could just get through this situation, Linne would take care of it, whether she had a backer or not.
The witch, who had been making a menacing face as if she would attack at any moment, faltered in her magic at the sight of his cold, unwavering gaze.
There were some fights that you could tell the outcome of without even revealing your hand.
“Just you wait. I’ll make you pay for this humiliation.”
“Come back when you’re a melon.”
The witch stormed out of the pub, grinding her teeth.
“Y-y-y-your o-o-o-order… t-t-t-the c-c-c-cocktail… is r-r-r-ready.”
Just then, the bartender handed him two cool copper mugs, speaking in a broken AI voice.
