Chapter 1114 – #265_The Last Interlude
#1108
1.
It was a memory from a very long time ago.
A memory from the time when Keter, who didn’t need to show off her iron-blooded laws, used ordinary language without using suspicious first-person pronouns like “I.”
Keter looked down at the wide hills, a mix of green and gold, and declared her ambition.
“Blanche, I’m going to build a city of witches here.”
“Here?”
“To be more precise, this wonderful Mendel Hill is included in the Gehenna estate. I heard that grapes are a specialty here. It will definitely be a great place to produce wine, don’t you think?”
“You’ve already named it? Psyche thinks Keter’s over-excitement is the best in the world.”
Psyche Tigarden, the ‘Aries Witch’ who followed Erelim like an older sister, folded her arms and nagged.
“That’s just your personal opinion, but your naming sense is always terrible. Instead of just naming things as they come to mind, how about thinking a little more? Value is also contained in the name.”
Tiferet, her luscious pink hair fluttering in the wind, also wrinkled her nose.
But Keter, not caring in the slightest, continued.
“The name doesn’t matter. What’s important is the content. My city will be a haven for witches.”
“That’s nothing new… Isn’t that why we all gathered here?”
Next to her were the always chattering Gemini twin witches.
And Cagliostro, the youngest but second to none when it came to being noisy and boisterous.
And Nuckelavee, who had argued with Keter over big and small things, eventually chose to oppose her and didn’t enter Gehenna.
And Yesod, who embraced everyone with a gentle smile.
And Adonai, who was quick with calculations, and Kohav, who was loyal and devoted, and Gremory, who was stubborn but upright, and Ophiriel, who was shy and quiet.
Now, more than 600 years later, they are faces that cannot be seen, except for Cagliostro and Psyche.
They all fulfilled their duties as witches, entrusted their missions to future generations, and left the world.
Is it true that memories are beautified?
Even though we fought because we didn’t get along in many ways back then, they are remembered only as dear friends.
Sometimes, I missed those days.
“There’s no disagreement that there’s no progress if witches just keep killing each other like we do now.”
“It’s also getting tiresome to hide magic from humans. If ‘mystery’ collapses, we don’t know what will happen.”
“It’s more productive to gather and peacefully research magic.”
“Those idiots in the Qliphoth only think about killing each other.”
Comrades who found peace in a world full of the logic of the survival of the fittest and chaos.
Comrades who gathered their strength with the single-minded determination to create a world for witches, overcoming all kinds of obstacles.
During the day, they traveled around the world, looking for forgotten lands, seas, and rivers to incorporate into Gehenna.
At night, they had heated discussions about how to run the city.
“I want to build a theater in the city.”
“If my sister and I perform, it will always be sold out, you know?”
“Oh, that’s tempting. I’ll visit often too.”
“You like the sea, don’t you?”
“Hmm, actually, I’m still thinking about it. If I, the sea mother, leave the kingdom, wouldn’t that be strange?”
“I’m going to build a large library. I’m going to gather all the witches’ knowledge there.”
“I want a trading company. After all, the lifeline of the city is the merchants, right? The city will be vibrant if logistics are running diligently.”
“Then, should I build a bathhouse? In the Roman style. I was really impressed when I traveled there before.”
At that time, everyone worked together with one heart and mind.
They believed that what Keter wanted to achieve was for the sake of witches, and everyone was tired of the endless struggles.
In those struggles, losing precious friends and lovers was not a particularly special event at the time.
While Keter went through several trials and errors to form the ‘Gate,’ the great witches who would later take on grand titles such as counts and dukes each demonstrated their talents and helped in various ways.
Erelim, who was skilled in magic, was Keter’s assistant.
Although she was called an assistant, she was more like a gofer, so when Erelim had free time, she would look at Keter’s profile as she concentrated.
Like all the witches gathered here, Erelim loved Keter.
It wasn’t a romantic love or a burning desire.
Respect, awe, reverence, loyalty, trust, following, friendship.
There was no way to express the mixed emotions with any word other than ‘love.’
Keter was a kind mother, a dignified older sister, a good friend, and a leader to everyone.
Erelim loved Keter.
She also loved the city of Gehenna that she and everyone had created.
2.
“Head of the Academy?”
“Count Kohav. Could you repeat that one more time?”
“Ah, yes. Then…”
Yvonne Kohav looked at Erelim with a strange expression and continued her presentation.
This meeting, where all the heads of the departments of the Truth and True Name Academic Society, including the head of the academy, Blanche Erelim, were gathered, was held once a quarter.
It was a meeting to handle major and minor affairs within the academy and the city, and to determine the direction of the academy’s future operations.
In fact, the Truth and True Name Academic Society had already built such a solid foundation that special topics rarely came up.
Who would dare to challenge the authority of the academic society?
What event would make the academic society’s grand progress falter?
In normal times, they would only touch on simple agenda items related to the operation of the academy.
However, this meeting was unusually long.
At the center of it were the agenda items related to the Hesed Academy and Count Shin Siwoo.
“The growth of the Hesed Academy is explosive. It is providing high-quality lectures at low prices, befitting its founding purpose as a magic university, and is receiving favorable reviews even though it is still in the pilot semester. Even the exiles who have recently acquired citizenship are flocking to the Hesed Academy, which is showing a receptive attitude.”
“In addition, they are about to prove their research capabilities by taking on a large-scale project to repair the ‘Gate.’ The deadline is set for six years, but considering that his self-generating magic includes ‘dimensional magic,’ it is expected that they will show explicit results within half a year at the latest. Explicit results refer to the complete restoration of the Gate.”
“They are also continuing to improve relations with the Emerald Tablet, which has been a source of indirect checks, and are gradually building a partnership.”
“Therefore, I believe it is time for our Truth and True Name Academic Society to prepare countermeasures.”
Duchess Erelim rarely shows her emotions on the outside.
Even her closest aide, Yvonne, could not always see what she was thinking.
An old witch who has lived for over a thousand years is a being that is difficult to fathom, even among transcendent witches.
However, it was known through various circumstances and events that she harbored hostility towards Shin Siwoo.
It was a clear hostility that could not be explained by simple jealousy or envy.
That’s why Count Kohav was cautious while giving her report.
The other department heads were the same.
“……”
Duchess Erelim is currently the most revered figure in Gehenna.
It is not blind respect, but awe derived from the enormous achievements she has accomplished.
Even if Shin Siwoo has recently made great achievements, they pale in comparison to Erelim’s achievements over hundreds of years.
As such, the countermeasures prepared by the department heads were also aggressive towards the Hesed Academy.
Even if they had no particular grievances against the Hesed Academy or Siwoo, they shared the stance that ‘Duchess Erelim’s enemy is our enemy.’
“There are several ways the academic society can take action. First, we can lower the standards for regular membership in the Truth and True Name Academic Society to attract influential witches.”
Originally, the qualifications for regular membership in the Truth and True Name Academic Society were strict.
Also, they were restricted from belonging to more than two academic societies.
Since the Hesed Academy was expanding by forming partnerships with minor academic societies and seeking to incorporate them, the method was to cut off the connections by preemptively incorporating them.
“Also, there is a way to dry up the Hesed Academy’s funds by greatly increasing the participation rate in research projects, and a way to create confusion in decision-making by co-opting the person who received the voting rights of the Hesed Academy.”
The reason why they were so relaxed despite the Hesed Academy’s remarkable achievements was not only due to the vertical and conservative decision-making structure.
Even if the Hesed Academy established its position, if the academic society decided to be difficult, it could mobilize more cards than imagined.
The department heads gathered here were witches who were prepared to follow Duchess Erelim’s cause rather than the overall development of Gehenna.
“That’s enough.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve heard enough. Thank you.”
Erelim stopped Count Kohav’s presentation of ‘101 Ways to Screw Over the Hesed Academy.’
In fact, Blanche still didn’t understand Keter.
She had assisted her in every way for the past hundreds of years.
Even when there were differences of opinion, she had bent her beliefs and followed her will.
They had built and developed the city together. Even when she could no longer intervene in the world, she had silently kept her place.
But why did Keter make that choice?
Why did she leave her inheritance to a man she had never seen before, instead of to herself, who was ready to give everything for her, and without a single word?
The answer could not yet be given.
Even though she visited the Ivory Tower every day, Keter did not appear.
A man she didn’t have to hate, but had no choice but to hate.
The image of Shin Siwoo came to mind.
His achievements and explosive growth, reminiscent of Keter in the past, evoked both acceptance, jealousy, and resentment at the same time.
But.
“We will not take any separate measures regarding the Hesed Academy in the future.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s move on to the next agenda item.”
The puzzled gazes of the department heads and Yvonne’s particularly surprised expression caught her eye.
This was enough.
There was no need to understand.
It didn’t seem like she would ever come to like Shin Siwoo.
But if this was her last will.
If it was the right choice for this city for Shin Siwoo to inherit Keter’s mark.
If Shin Siwoo was truly proving her choice.
She would accept it, putting aside her doubts, stubbornness, and self-righteousness.
It was the last offering of flowers for her friends who had become stars and for Keter, whom she had once loved the most.
