City ​​of Witches 1048

Chapter 1048 – #249_Overwork(4)

#1042

1.
The veil that had separated reality and mystery was lifted, and the present world was in unprecedented chaos due to the Flood.

The aftermath still rocked the world.

Some of the witches, who had hidden their identities according to Keter’s unwritten rules, revealed themselves to the public.
The nature of magic, which only a small number of humans had been aware of, was now clearly visible to everyone.

There were nations that had been sacrificed to homunculi and witches, and therefore hated witches.
There were nations that had avoided disaster with the help of witches, and therefore revered witches.

Although the ways of accepting it differed, it was clear that humanity had one desire.

Let’s study magic.

The potential of magic was proven when a single witch completely sank the 7th Fleet, known as the strongest fleet.

And as always, humans began a long climb to conquer the unknown summit.

Governments of each country competitively invested budgets in full-scale magic research, and private companies also conducted research to get their hands on ‘magic’.

In other words, it was a recurrence of the great alchemy era of the 21st century.

Experiments and research to break the shell of science and move forward with the new power of magic.

Just as the alchemists of the past tried to turn brass into gold, a huge amount of budget and man-hours are poured into the seemingly absurd task of ‘magic’.

However, even in this chaotic current situation, Gehenna was not greatly shaken.

Just as a huge old tree does not easily shake in a typhoon, Gehenna only watches the flow of the times like an old zelkova tree.

But that is because of Gehenna’s hundreds of years of history and firmly established system.

Hexennacht, which had just begun to emerge, was facing unprecedented chaos.

“The Solitudus Merchant Guild’s board of directors has stripped Psyche Tigarden of her position as representative of the Psyche Tea Garden and re-delegates Lydia Magnus as representative.”

Psyche Tigarden, the ‘Aries Witch’ who had caused the Flood by showing off the power of witches in the present world, was ousted.

In the beginning, Psyche received enthusiastic support from both hardliners and moderates for her remarkable achievements, but the results were worse than doing nothing.

The Flood was suppressed by an artifact called the ‘Sluice Gate’.
Urshula, the head of the New Qliphoth and the ‘Witch of Reverse Heaven’ who was promoted to Count of Hexennacht, and her partner, Priscilla, the ‘Witch of Gluttony’, died.

In other words, there were only losses and no gains.

The project that Psyche had been pushing for was completely destroyed, and as a result, Lydia, who had done nothing, regained her position as representative of the Solitudus Merchant Guild.

“A lot has happened so far. It was a waste of time with useless issues like moderates and hardliners.”

Lydia still believes that the war with Gehenna is futile and that the result will lead to the annihilation of Hexennacht.

While the public treats Gehenna as a pushover and laughs at it, the city is a lazy dragon’s nest.

She predicts that maintaining the current situation and dividing the present world without direct conflict is a long-term benefit.

Nevertheless, the Solitudus Merchant Guild no longer advocated a moderate stance.

“Truly useless fights and disputes. I won’t say that it was meaningless. I won’t say that I didn’t have my own personal greed.”

Lydia knows how to read the times.

The preemptive attack from Gehenna under the pretext of saving Shin Siwoo.
High-ranking public officials who were ground down in the process of suppressing the Flood.

The resulting dissatisfaction and chaos.

Like this, public opinion is boiling over.
If you hastily cover the lid, the foam will overflow and burn your hands.

“But there are still unresolved issues, right?”

That’s why she prepared a performance.

A performance that could expand Lydia’s position and influence, while minimizing risks, unite the shaking Hexennacht, and gain support from both hardliners and moderates.

“The Sword Witch, the Witch of Seeking. The rat bastards who betrayed Hexennacht. We can’t discuss the future cause without dealing with those bitches first.”

2.
After visiting the sick with his lovers, including the twins, Eloa, Lulue, Sharon, and Amelia, as well as his great mother-in-law, Siwoo fell into a deep sleep.

No one was too worried.

They said that there was no major problem with his body right now, and that his spirit was just exhausted from overwork, so he wasn’t weak enough to have any aftereffects.

It wasn’t just the twins whose threshold for worry had risen.

Eloa returned to the mansion for her usual rest, and the twins and Lulue messed up the kitchen and were punished with cleaning.

Sharon and Amelia decided to spend their free time with a simple drink.
Amelia didn’t really enjoy alcohol, so she drank tea instead.

“Ms. Amelia, you don’t seem as worried as I thought.”

Sharon was a little surprised by Amelia’s calm reaction in front of Siwoo, who had collapsed from overwork.

Even if her threshold had risen, Amelia was overly dependent on Siwoo.

She thought she would at least shed a tear, but she just quietly put strawberries by his bedside and went back.
She even had a cheeky thought, ‘Has her love cooled down?’

“I’m used to it.”
“Used to it?”

But there’s a reason for that.

After her teacher passed away, Amelia devoted herself to magic research in the log cabin in the Gulp Tree Forest.

It was natural for a witch to be devoted to magic, but Amelia’s obsession with continuing magic as if to atone for her sins went beyond even the standards of a witch.

She would collapse in front of the table, pick up a pen as soon as she got up, and then collapse again…
She had been living like this for decades.

For Amelia, overwork was less than a cold, it was her daily life.

“He’ll be up and about soon.”
“Ah… By the way, you’ve been eating a lot of strawberries lately.”

Sharon, who didn’t know the situation, tilted her head and looked for another topic.
Isn’t talking about this and that what girls’ talk is all about?

Sharon’s gaze slid towards the table.
There, as if it were natural, large, plump strawberries were in place instead of snacks.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Amelia shrank her body as if she was embarrassed, but she still moved the strawberries to her mouth, munching on them.
It was a strange thing.

Many witches find another joy in life in food, but Amelia is not a witch who is particularly interested in gourmet food.
But these days, as soon as she opens her eyes, she craves strawberries.

Due to the nature of her spirit, which allows her to eat non-stop, even if she buys a box at the market in the afternoon, it doesn’t last past the next afternoon.
Should she call it an instinctive attraction?

“Ms. Sharon, you should eat a lot too.”
“Hehe, then would you like to trade this with me? It’s an egg mayo sandwich.”
“Okay.”

Amelia has a lot of preferences.
But she eats sandwiches well.

It depends on the ingredients, but generally, the taste and smell are not that stimulating.

She opened her small mouth and took a bite of the sandwich.

At that moment, Amelia’s brow furrowed.
The smell of eggs coming from between the thin white bread felt very nauseating.

“Ugh…”

In the end, even though she knew it was against etiquette, Amelia coughed and then unfolded a handkerchief and spat out the contents of her mouth.

“Ms. Amelia? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It seems like the egg in the sandwich was spoiled.”
“R-really? I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Ms. Sharon.”

While apologizing, Sharon couldn’t help but tilt her head.

This is a sandwich that was just brought from the kitchen.

In the present world, with preservation technology as excellent as it is, and the Jemernai family, who are serious about food, the eggs are spoiled?
And even the maid who was cooking didn’t notice it?

“Just a moment.”
“You can’t eat spoiled food!”
“Munch munch.”

Despite Amelia’s objections, Sharon ate the sandwich she was holding.

It tastes extremely fresh.
The taste of the eggs, finely crushed and mixed with mayonnaise, the texture of the crunchy lettuce, and the softness of the thinly spread butter are all excellent.

“It’s not spoiled?”
“That can’t be…”
“Is it not compatible with strawberries?”

Seeing Sharon enjoying the taste of the sandwich, Amelia cautiously smelled the sandwich.
And at the same time, she frowned and covered her mouth.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“There aren’t any particular signs…”

“The signs are these signs! It’s late now, so how about getting a simple check-up tomorrow when Ms. Yebin comes for a check-up?”
“No, I’m fine…”

“Could it be that you’ve developed an allergy?”
“Can spirits develop allergies?”
“It’s better to get a check-up just in case. It’s not like a check-up is difficult, is it?”

It didn’t seem like something to make such a fuss about, but if it was to that extent.

Amelia nodded.

3.
The next day, Amelia was examined by Yebin, who came to check on Siwoo’s condition.
She talked about the symptoms she had been experiencing recently and received a simple check-up from Yebin.

Until that moment, Amelia had no particular thoughts.
She was just pushed by Sharon, and she didn’t think anything would happen anyway.

“I’ll examine you.”
“Yes.”
“It’s okay, Ms. Amelia, nothing will happen.”
“Thank you.”

Amelia smiled slightly at Sharon, who was making a fuss next to her, and held out her arm.
Amelia, who was suppressing her autonomous defense to the maximum and accepting Yebin’s magic.

By the way, what could it really be?
Could it be an allergy, as Ms. Sharon said?

Compared to Amelia, who had no particular thoughts, Yebin’s face gradually hardened.
A doctor’s worry is transferred to the patient.

Sharon also asked anxiously.

“Is something wrong?”
“Just a moment, just a moment, just a moment. I made a mistake. No, it seems like I made a mistake. Could you increase the contact area of your body a little bit? I think I can examine it more precisely that way.”
“By contact area, do you mean…?”

Yebin, who was flustered, got Amelia’s permission and put her cheek against Amelia’s cheek.

“……”

Even after another magic scan was completed, Yebin did not speak.

“Is it serious?”

Now Amelia is also getting serious.
She had not been in good health when she was young.
She had been fine since her succession, but what if it was a problem that appeared after a long time?

“Hey, is that even possible? Oh, wait, could it be that? You’re craving certain foods and can’t eat foods you used to eat. It’s just like morning sickness and cravings. It’s the result of your lovey-dovey relationship with Siwoo!”

Sharon, who read Amelia’s worries, tries to ease the tension with a lively tone.

“Ms. Sharon, witches don’t get pregnant.”

Today, Amelia, who doesn’t notice Sharon’s efforts, politely declares the facts.

Then Yebin belatedly continued.

“…I think that’s right.”
“Yes?”

In a very confused tone.
With a look of doubting her own common sense.

“I think it’s pregnancy, 8 weeks.”

She gave a diagnosis as a doctor.