Chapter 1157 – #276_The Overture (5)
#1151
1.
It’s a conjecture, but the MIRACLE-Y experiment must have had the involvement of the US government.
‘Huh? No more homunculi?’
‘Do we really need to bow down to witches like before?’
‘Aren’t the Gehenna witches pro-West anyway? If Hexennacht goes wild, they’ll take care of it, right?’
If we delve a bit deeper, they probably went through this line of thought:
‘There’s already a show-off who wouldn’t be out of place challenging a rival company CEO to a sparring match, so let’s pin it on him and make a big splash.’
‘We should also try using magic now.’
‘Let’s do it!’
If it had stopped there, it might not have been a big problem.
Gehenna might have been a bit displeased, but with the veil of mystery already lifted, they wouldn’t be that interested in the current world to respond strongly to such an incident.
However, there were three situations that the US government did not foresee.
The Solidus Merchant Group released a Neo War vlog.
As a result, the 2nd and 3rd world countries were conquered by Hexennacht in three days.
Lastly, Gehenna, which had been quite human-friendly until now, stood by and watched Hexennacht’s widespread conquest.
It was only after Mexico fell in half a day that the US government hastily took action.
Securities fraud, insider trading, environmental law violations, tax evasion, national security violations, theft and private use of national secrets, and so on.
They charged the eccentric entrepreneur with every crime imaginable and brought him to court at an unprecedented speed.
The intention was as thin as a sheet of paper and obvious.
It was to restore relations with Gehenna through a clean break.
‘I am innocent! Didn’t everyone hail me as a hero? All experimental procedures were carried out legally! To treat me as a traitor now is unjust law enforcement! If the great United States of America values the fairness of the law, it should never do this!’
‘Let only those who think the progress of humanity is a sin cast stones at me!’
Koreans have a vague fantasy about the strictness of Anglo-American law, but in reality, there is no system as lenient to the rich as Anglo-American law.
Perhaps believing that, the eccentric entrepreneur stood tall, chest puffed out, and asserted his innocence without a hint of shame.
But less than a day later, all of Central and South America were overthrown, and the dictator of Russia met a death worse than a pig’s.
Powerful witches wearing cloaks with the symbol of Qliphoth declared that the age of humans was over and that the ‘Witch Empire’ would continue the era that followed.
It seems the entrepreneur finally grasped the reality.
‘I have Asperger’s syndrome.’
‘I know I sometimes say strange things or post random things.’
‘But that’s just how my brain works.’
‘I deeply regret it. Please spare me.’
But whether a witch hunt was taking place in court or not, the real witches of Gehenna were not very interested.
Witches aren’t fools; wouldn’t they know it was a show trial?
Instead, they only held cold cynicism and composure.
Since ancient times, Gehenna has hated public figures.
It’s not just a vague disdain, but an animosity stemming from the deep-rooted pride of the aristocracy.
The citizens of Gehenna are those who have upheld the order of Duke Keter for hundreds of years.
Beyond simply being benevolent and upholding order, how could they stand by and watch public figures run rampant like that?
Normally, as soon as Hexennacht engaged in such explosive and radical activities, Gehenna would have moved as well.
Looking at reality coldly, it was so.
If you consider the simple area of the surface, the flag of Qliphoth was flying over about a third of the countries.
Considering that the stability of the current world indirectly affects Gehenna, and considering that Hexennacht, which has expanded its power, will slowly reach out to the First World, a deterrent is needed at this point.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct clash with a location point.
Just by issuing a statement to Hexennacht saying, ‘Isn’t that enough?’ it would ease the tension.
But the situation had changed.
“Why should we shed blood instead?”
“In the end, Duke Erelim was right. Humans are dangerous.”
“It’s good that we don’t have to dirty our hands. They’re taking care of those disgusting things on their own.”
In the great assembly hall of the Tree of Sephiroth, where all sorts of witches gathered, there was a lot of commotion.
The beauty of a witch is magic in itself.
It’s a demonic beauty that captivates humans, regardless of gender or age.
That would have been a very annoying element for the humans of that other worldline who controlled and oppressed witches.
No matter how much they tried to suppress them, people would keep appearing who would sympathize with and help the witches.
The virtual reality red-light district location in the ‘Ark’ shows how humans solved that variable.
They mocked the dignity of witches and plunged what witches valued most into the mire.
Apprentice witches.
In principle, apprentice witches, who deserve the protection and love of all witches, were used as disposable consumer goods for fleeting desires and displayed to the public, making people think of witches as mere playthings.
No one would admire a toy.
More than anything else, that was the most fatal.
It properly touched the pride of the witches.
“What’s the difference between humans and public figures?”
“At least Hexennacht is a witch, right?”
“Half of them would rather die.”
Inside Gehenna, a deep-seated animosity towards the current human race was overflowing.
It didn’t go as far as the extreme opinion that all humans should be wiped out as an example, but animosity is animosity.
This was also directed at Siwoo and Eloa, who had been hiding the secret.
“Count Hesed, why didn’t you inform us of this fact sooner?”
This was because Siwoo and Eloa were also in Lydia’s vlog released by Hexennacht.
Fortunately, or perhaps not.
If it had been before, they might have been immediately branded as traitors, but now Siwoo has the title of count, which was awarded in recognition of his past achievements.
The teacher is also fine.
Because she had been respected by many witches, most of the questioning was directed at Siwoo.
“That would be the most beneficial path for Hexennacht. At the time, I thought it was the top priority to solve the immediate problem.”
Siwoo did not lose his composure.
He is not alone.
Most of the members of the Hesed Society are looking at Siwoo with eyes full of trust.
Even if it was the day the video was broadcast, they had time to talk and share opinions calmly with the members of the society.
‘We trust the judgment of the society president.’
‘We will be with you until the end.’
‘I still don’t think Hexennacht is right.’
The trust that the society members sent to the society president was thicker than Siwoo had thought.
“I understand your concerns. I was the same at first. But there is a big difference between the worldline where the terrible tragedy occurred and now.”
“What’s the difference? The two worlds are so similar that they can be considered parallel worlds.”
“The world in the Ark is a world where witches and humans have been researching magic together for hundreds of years. But isn’t it different here? The veil of mystery was only lifted recently, and the difference in power between humans and witches that Hexennacht showed was overwhelming.”
“They’ve already taken the first step. Considering the speed of modern development, it doesn’t seem impossible for history to repeat itself.”
Eloa also chimed in.
“The current human race is not yet guilty. The sins in the video are just fiction that has never been realized anywhere in this world. It is not right to hold them accountable for something they have not done. Is the pride and self-esteem of a witch so shallow that it can be shaken by mere illusions?”
“It’s not an illusion, it’s a prophecy. Duke Erelim was right. We must nip it in the bud before it’s too late! We need to put the current world under the control and supervision of witches, just like Hexennacht is doing. We had the ability to do that, didn’t we? Now we have a reason!”
“I agree with Count Hesed’s opinion. I think it’s time to pay more attention to Hexennacht’s movements. Among those who attacked the current world, there are those from Qliphoth and those from Solidus. They are not the ragtag bunch that have been growling at each other within us. They have united. We have been divided.”
Arguments and rebuttals sprang up from all over.
When the first video was released, it was filled with only primal animosity, but as the meetings continued and time passed, and their heads cooled down, the public opinion in Gehenna was largely divided into two.
First, the witches who were calling for a strong response.
Most of the orthodox witches, including the Truth and True Name Academic Society, belonged to this side.
“Now is the time for active intervention, observation, and control of the current world.”
“I think it’s better to let Hexennacht be. It’s not too late to respond later.”
“Even if that worldline isn’t real, we all saw the evil of humans, right? If they gain power in any way, and we can’t control them, it’s a future that will be reproduced.”
There were even statements that they should recognize Hexennacht’s rule.
Along with the proposal that Gehenna should control the First World instead.
Some even strongly argued that a ‘cleaning’ was necessary.
They were witches who had their reverse scales painfully torn off as much as they were stubborn.
Their number was about 40% of all witches.
However, their attitude was very stubborn, and they didn’t seem likely to change their minds easily.
Next, there are witches who put aside their animosity for a while and advocate for a cautious approach.
“Even if it’s a future that will be reproduced, there’s still plenty of time. There’s no need to solve it so drastically.”
“To be honest, I’m very angry, but for whatever reason, it’s difficult to condone Hexennacht’s expansion of power.”
“Considering that the video was released by Hexennacht, this infighting can only be interpreted as their intention. Do we need to play along even though we know it?”
“It’s a generalization to talk about the evil of humans based on one video. There are many crazy bitches among witches too, right?”
About 60% of the witches who have contact with the current world, represented by the Emerald Tablet and the Hesed Society.
For Siwoo, who had always thought of the Gehenna witches as just fussy aristocrats, it was a surprisingly large number.
But the conflict shows no sign of ending.
Because the opinions, which were divided almost in half, were clashing sharply, Gehenna was unable to decide on a proper course of action.
It was completely paralyzed.
Moreover, there is another unsettling aspect at this point.
“……”
Siwoo’s gaze turned to the highest seat on the side of the Truth and True Name Academic Society.
The seat where Duke Erelim should have been sitting was empty.
She had not shown herself even once since the world had become like this.
