Chapter 1048 – #249_Overwork(4) – DeepL
#1042
1.
The veil between reality and mystery had been lifted, and a flood had caused unprecedented chaos.
The aftermath was still shaking the world.
Some of the witches whose identities had been concealed by the unwritten laws of Kether had revealed themselves to the public.
What few humans recognized as magic was now visible to all.
A nation victimized by homunculi and witches, a nation that hates them for it.
A nation that escaped the Tribulation with the help of witches, and therefore reveres them.
Despite their differing approaches to the subject, it is clear that humanity has come to share a single aspiration.
To study magic.
The potential of magic was proven when a single witch commanded the entire Seventh Fleet, the most powerful fleet in the world.
And humans, as always, began the long climb to conquer the unknown.
Governments competitively invested in full-scale magical research, and private companies also conducted research to get their hands on “magic”.
It was the 21st century equivalent of the Great Pension Age.
Experimentation and research to break through the shell of science and into the new power of magic.
Just like the alchemists of the past who tried to turn brass into gold, vast amounts of money and man-hours are spent on the seemingly absurd task of “magic”.
But even in the midst of such chaos, Gehenna has not been shaken.
Just as a giant old tree is not easily shaken by a typhoon, Gehenna looks at the passage of time like an old oak tree.
But that’s because Gehenna has hundreds of years of history and a well-established system.
The fledgling Hexenacht was facing unprecedented turmoil.
“The High Council of Solidus hereby strips Psyche Teagarden of her position as High Priestess and reinstates Lydia Magnus as High Priestess.”
Psyche Tigarden, the “Witch of Aries,” who had caused widespread panic by flaunting her witchy powers in the real world, had been removed from office.
Psyche, whose early achievements had garnered her enthusiastic support from both hardliners and moderates alike, had failed to produce results.
The Flood was subdued by an artifact called the Armored Gate.
Ursula, the Witch of the Reversal of Fortunes and her partner Priscilla, the Witch of Gluttony, who had been elevated to the rank of Countess of Hexenacht by the god Clipport, were killed.
In other words, there was no harvest, only loss.
Psyche’s project was dead, and Lydia, who had done nothing, was once again at the head of Solidus.
“So much has happened. A lot of time wasted by moderates, hardliners, and lesser issues.”
Lydia still believes that the war against Gehenna is futile and will lead to the destruction of Hexenacht.
The public scoffs at Gehenna, treating it as if it were an island, but the city is a nest of lazy dragons.
They predict that it is in their long-term interest to maintain the status quo with as little direct friction as possible, and to split the world in two.
Still, Solidus Top is no longer a moderate.
“What a fruitless fight and quarrel. I won’t say it means nothing, and I won’t say I don’t have my own personal agenda.”
Lydia can read the tide.
A pre-emptive strike against Gehenna in the name of saving Xinxiu.
High-ranking officers torn apart while trying to contain the flood.
The resulting discontent and chaos.
Public opinion is boiling over.
If you put a lid on it hastily, it will bubble up and scald your hands.
“But aren’t there still loose ends to tie?” you ask.
That’s where the performance comes in.
A performance that would expand Lydia’s presence and voice, but with minimal risk, and one that would unite the wavering Hexenacht and win the support of both hardliners and moderates alike.
“Witch of the Sword, Witch of Composition. Rats who betrayed Hexenacht. We can’t discuss the future of the cause without cleaning up the bitches first.”
2.
After the twins, Eloa, Leroy, Sharon, Amelia, and the rest of the lovers had left, as well as their mother-in-law.
Xiu fell into a deep sleep.
No one was too worried.
There’s nothing wrong with her body, and she’s not weak enough to have overworked her spirit body to the point where it would leave any after-effects.
The twins weren’t the only ones with an elevated worry threshold.
Eloa has been sent back to the mansion to recuperate as usual, and the twins and Leroux have made a mess of the kitchen, which they’re forced to clean up as punishment.
Sharon and Amelia decided to pass the time with a quick drink.
Amelia had black tea, as she was not a fan of raw alcohol.
“Miss Amelia, you’re not as worried as I thought.”
Amelia’s calm reaction in front of Xiu, who had collapsed from overwork, was a bit surprising to Sharon.
Even though her threshold has been raised, Amelia still relies on Xiu too much.
I expected to see some tears, but instead, she came back quietly with strawberries on her bedside table.
I even had the odd fantasy of wondering if their love had grown cold.
“I’m used to it.”
“Used to?”
But there was a reason.
Amelia has been studying magic in her cottage in the Gulp Tree Forest since her mentor died.
It’s natural for a witch to be obsessed with magic, but Amelia’s obsession, which she practiced as if in penance, was beyond even the standards of a witch.
She would collapse at the table, get back up, grab her pen, and then collapse again….
She’d been doing this for decades.
For Amelia, being overworked was a routine that was less than a cold.
“I can shake it off and get back up.”
“Aha…. By the way, you’ve been eating a lot of strawberries lately.”
Sharon, who had no way of knowing such a thing, shook her head and found a topic to follow.
Isn’t that what girls talk about?
Sharon’s gaze slid to the table.
A large, plump strawberry sat in place of the appetizer as if it were a matter of course.
“I know.”
Amelia shrank back in embarrassment, but gingerly moved the strawberry to the corner of her mouth.
It was a strange thing.
While many witches find food to be one of life’s great pleasures, Amelia was not a particularly gastronomic witch.
But lately, she’d been craving strawberries as long as she could keep her eyes open.
Her spirit body can eat nonstop, so when she picks up a box at the market in the afternoon, she can’t wait until the next day.
It’s an instinctive attraction.
“Sharon eats a lot of them, too.”
“Hehe, can I trade you for this, it’s an egg mayo sandwich.”
“Okay.”
Amelia has a lot to hide.
Still, sandwiches are a common food.
It depends on what’s inside, but generally the flavors and aromas aren’t too overpowering.
I open my tiny mouth and take a bite of the sandwich.
At that moment, Amelia’s eyes narrowed.
The aroma of the eggs through the thin white bread was overwhelmingly disgusting.
“Ewww….”
After gagging, which she knew was unseemly, Amelia opened her handkerchief and spit out the contents of her mouth.
“Miss Amelia, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I think the egg must have gone bad in my sandwich.”
“Oh, really, I’m sorry.”
“No, Miss Sharon, it’s not your fault.”
Even with the apology, Sharon couldn’t help but shake her head.
This is a sandwich that just came from the kitchen.
The preservation is as good as it gets, and there’s a real Zemernai egg in the food?
And the maid who was preparing it didn’t even notice?
“Just a moment.”
“You can’t eat spoiled food!”
“Mmmm.”
Sharon ate the sandwich in her hand, despite Amelia’s protests.
It tasted so fresh.
The flavor of the eggs cracked and mixed with mayonnaise, the texture of the crunchy lettuce, and the softness of the thin slice of butter between them.
“It’s not stale, is it?”
“Of course not….”
“Maybe it doesn’t go with the strawberries?”
Seeing Sharon still savoring the flavors of the sandwich, Amelia sniffed it cautiously.
At the same time, she frowned and covered her mouth.
“Are you sure you’re not sick or something?”
“Not really, the signs are….”
“Signs are signs! Since it’s late now, why don’t you have a quick checkup tomorrow when Ms. Yebin comes to see you?”
“No, I’m fine….”
“Do you think you might have developed an allergy?”
“Is it possible to be allergic to your spiritual body?”
“Well, you might as well get tested, it’s not like it’s a hard test, is it?”
I don’t think it’s that much of a stretch, but I’ll take it.
Amelia nodded.
3.
The next day, Amelia went to see Yevin when he came to check on Xiu.
She tells him about the symptoms she’s been experiencing lately, and he runs a quick test.
Until that moment, Amelia hadn’t thought much of it.
She’s just being pushed around by Ms. Sharon, and she doesn’t think much of it anyway.
“I’ll take care of her.”
“Yes.”
“It’s okay, Ms. Amelia, you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you.”
Amelia smiled slyly at Sharon, who was fussing over her instead, and held out her arm.
Amelia suppresses her self-defense as best she can and accepts Yevin’s magic.
What’s really going on, anyway?
Did she develop an allergy like Ms. Sharon said?
Yevin’s face hardened as he watched Amelia’s unconcern.
A doctor’s worry is inevitably transferred to the patient.
Sharon asked unnecessarily anxiously.
“Is something wrong?”
“Wait, wait, wait, I must have made a mistake, no, I must have made a mistake. Do you think you could increase the contact surface of your body just a little bit, so I can examine you more closely?”
“What do you mean by…?”
Yevin stammered, and then, with Amelia’s permission, pressed his cheek against hers.
“…….”
After another magic scan, Yevin didn’t speak.
“Is it serious?”
Amelia was getting serious now.
She hadn’t been well when she was younger.
After the succession, she was fine, but what if it was something that had appeared after a long time?
“Oh, is that possible? Oh, by the way, isn’t that what happens when you crave certain foods and can’t eat what you used to eat? It’s just morning sickness and morning sickness, the fruits of your labor of love with Xiu!”
Sharon, reading Amelia’s concern, tries to ease the tension with a cheerful tone.
“Miss Sharon, witches don’t get pregnant.”
Amelia, still oblivious to Sharon’s efforts, politely declares the fact.
It’s then that Yevin speaks up.
“…I think you’re right.”
“What?”
In a very confused tone.
As if doubting my common sense.
“Pregnant, yes. Eight weeks.”
I made my diagnosis as a doctor.
