Chapter 181 – #39_A Pleasant Daily Life (3)
#179
1.
Originally, homunculi maintained their existence by hunting witches.
Hundreds of years ago, there were plenty of witches and relatively few homunculi, making this possible.
However, as time passed, the number of witches dwindled due to various incidents, accidents, suicides, and murders.
In contrast, the number of homunculi awakening from hibernation according to their assigned schedules increased over the long years.
If the ratio of witches to homunculi was about 10 to 1 before the Middle Ages, it became 1 to 1 during the modern era, and in the present day, it has reached an extreme reversal of 1 to 10, with this gap widening rapidly.
From that point on, homunculi, lacking prey, began to devour humans.
Whether such a method existed originally, or whether homunculi, desperate with extreme hunger, devised some means, is unknown, but homunculi have a way to convert human ‘ties’ into magical power.
Therefore, the majority of homunculi chose to flock to large cities, where there was a much larger concentration of easily accessible prey, rather than wandering through remote and rugged areas.
This is why most location points are situated in major cities.
Eloa Tiferet, having passed through the ‘Gate’ of Border Town and moved to the Han River, first sought out a location point.
Among them, the Gwanghwamun branch, which, along with the Macau, Odaokou, and Shinjuku branches, was one of the most active hunting grounds in the East.
“………”
“……Oh.”
As soon as Eloa stepped out of the elevator and into the bustling office, the surroundings fell silent as if she had entered a library.
Both witches and human employees bowed slightly to show their respect.
Although Tiferet founded the location points, she relinquished all authority 50 years ago.
However, all information regarding subjugation is shared through the location point’s database, and it is the exiles, not the witches of Gehenna, who truly feel the weight of her achievements.
The respect they showed Eloa was that given to a living legend or a saint.
“Everyone, get back to work.”
Tiferet responded to their reaction with a slight wave of her hand and headed straight to the branch manager’s office on the top floor.
Most witches are independent and self-righteous.
If you were to place a witch, who must each find their own ‘answer,’ in a position with assigned duties and responsibilities, nine out of ten would run away.
However, not all witches have the same disposition.
Some find comfort in stable order, control, and management.
The Gwanghwamun branch manager, ‘Sua Agasa,’ was one of those types.
Before Tiferet could even recommend someone, she had approached first and seized the branch manager position, which was full of bothersome tasks.
The top floor, reached by climbing the stairs, resembled a classic noble’s residence or a traditional Japanese restaurant.
Instead of Western-style wooden doors, there were rows of windows with hanji paper, and the floor was heated, requiring one to take off their shoes before entering.
As Eloa took off her shoes, the windows that had been blocking the way slid open, revealing a spacious office.
Branch Manager Sua was in the middle of brewing tea at a tea table in front of a folding screen painted with plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo.
“It’s been a while, Teacher Sua. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“It has been ten years since we last met. Please, have a seat. I have brought some fine tea from Hadong.”
“I will.”
Her expression was as calm and her demeanor as relaxed as ever.
Dressed in a beautiful hanbok as if she had stepped out of a painting of a beauty, with her neatly braided black hair and clear, ash-gray eyes like a still mirror.
Sua, sitting demurely and pouring tea into two teacups, was as elegant as an orchid and as pure as a bellflower.
Sua’s gaze, sharpened by intelligence and reason, looked at Eloa with a hint of pity.
“I presume your visit here is due to the news that the witch of the constellation of the Archer, whom you were pursuing, has passed away?”
“That’s right.”
“You must be deeply saddened.”
“There’s no need to be saddened. Isn’t it my fault for being so slow?”
Eloa spoke calmly, as if shaking off raindrops from her clothes.
Her posture, sitting straight despite the futile resentment, was a model of a warrior, but Sua, her longtime friend, could see it.
The sleet-like gloom and wandering weighed heavily on Eloa’s shoulders.
“I also heard the rumors and immediately sent word to you, but…”
“I know. Your message was the first one I checked. I didn’t come here to dwell on the past.”
“Then?”
“The knight I was tracking has fled here. I would like your help in pinpointing his exact location.”
“A knight, you say?”
Sua showed a rare expression of surprise.
Eloa nodded calmly, and Sua asked.
“Do you not have the ‘contract’?”
Among the contract magic that Tiferet mainly uses, there is a clause that allows them to ‘locate each other.’
She had been using that contract to easily track homunculi once they were in her sights.
“I did. But it suddenly vanished. As if it had disappeared.”
However, while Eloa was briefly visiting Gehenna, the contract had been severed as if by a lie.
Even if it was a public enemy, a homunculus wouldn’t have the intelligence to break a contract, so she came to the location point.
“Oh dear…”
“Can I check the missing persons statistics?”
“The most recently updated information is from three months ago… would that be alright?”
“I would like to see it first.”
The knight.
At the news of the escape of that infamous homunculus, Sua raised her beautifully drawn eyebrows but got up from her seat.
Sua, walking lightly in her beoseon (Korean socks), brought a document from a bookshelf packed with various papers.
“Here it is.”
“Thank you.”
Tiferet began to flip through the documents, checking the missing persons statistics.
Those who are eaten by homunculi disappear from the records of the living world, so it is impossible to distinguish who has disappeared using general statistics provided by insurance companies or government offices.
Therefore, they analyze the trends of missing persons using statistics compiled separately by the location points, and based on that analysis, they identify the activity areas of homunculi.
However, there were no particular anomalies.
In a large city with the population density of Seoul, about 100 missing persons per month is not unusual.
“Have you received any other reports or suspicious signs? He was nearly dying, so he would have tried to attack civilians to recover his magical power.”
“Come to think of it, today, there was a suspicious item handed over by a witch who exchanged a large amount of crystals. According to the analysis lab, it was obtained in the process of subjugating a deformed homunculus.”
“A deformed homunculus?”
“Yes, it had well over a thousand eyes and was carrying something strange that was neither a crystal nor a relic.”
“I would like to see it myself.”
“I will guide you.”
Before the two women, who had risen together, headed to the analysis lab, Sua looked at Eloa.
Eloa, who had given up even her research on magic and dedicated herself solely to revenge, and to preventing the pain she had experienced from being repeated.
She couldn’t even begin to imagine what her feelings must be now, having lost half of her reason for living, yet still trying to fulfill her duty.
“My lady, how about you leave this matter to me and take a rest?”
Eloa paused for a moment and then gave a faint smile.
It was a pitiful smile, as if she would burst into tears if touched.
“I appreciate the thought, Teacher. I plan to rest a little after this is over. Once you’ve hooked a fish, you have to catch it with your own hands, don’t you?”
“I apologize for overstepping my bounds.”
“No, not at all. More than anything, I can’t believe that that wicked woman died so easily. If it’s that meticulous, tenacious woman, she must be alive through some method I haven’t thought of.”
“She certainly will be.”
Despite Eloa’s words, which were no different from an obsession, Sua nodded and entered the analysis lab with her.
2.
Sharon once again cursed the heavens.
“……..”
“……..”
“……..”
She had safely escaped the location point, which was a high-risk area for Della’s appearance, only to run into her on the street.
Her heart was pounding.
Sharon had something to feel guilty about with Della.
Although it was a one-sided, unreasonable claim, she had hunted in a hunting ground that had been taken away by a duel.
She had earned billions of won from it and exchanged it.
Della was the type who would persistently approach and pick fights with Sharon, acting as her personal bully, even when nothing was going on.
If she found out about this, she would surely take her money or call her a thief or something.
Moreover…
Sharon glanced at Siwoo’s face.
Siwoo had bragged that he had defeated Della for Sharon, and Sharon had pretended not to know and let it slide.
But if they ran into Della like this, both his lie and Sharon’s lie would be useless.
Then, it would be better to send Siwoo somewhere else first and deal with the aftermath alone.
Just as Sharon was about to call Siwoo,
“Hello.”
Unexpectedly, Siwoo greeted Della.
At the same time, Della’s lips twisted downward.
It was the first time Sharon had seen Della make such an expression.
It was an expression that seemed somewhat disgusted, as if she was feeling a strong sense of rejection, and didn’t know what to do.
It was the expression that Sharon always made when she met Della.
But for Della, who was so confident, even narcissistic, and so arrogant, to make such an expression!
It was impossible.
“…Hello.”
And when Della answered Siwoo’s greeting curtly, Sharon secretly pinched her thigh.
That arrogant Della responding to a man’s greeting before even picking a fight?
And ignoring Sharon?
This was impossible unless it was a dream.
“I’m sorry about what happened last time. Are you alright?”
“…It’s none of your concern.”
Are you alright?
It’s none of your concern?
Sharon couldn’t keep up with the situation at all.
Moreover, she couldn’t understand the context of their conversation at all.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
“Uh…uh…?”
Siwoo bowed lightly, as if there was no further obligation, and passed by Della.
Since they were arm in arm, Sharon, who had been stiff, was half-dragged along with him.
Siwoo showed no signs of fear, nor did he seem worried that his lie would be exposed.
His reaction was as casual as if he had met an acquaintance by chance.
But was Della a woman who could be passed by so easily?
That woman, whose grudge was like a late autumn mosquito and whose tenacity was like a leech, was really letting them go like this?
Sharon was so bewildered by the incomprehensible situation that she couldn’t even tell left from right.
“Hey.”
That’s more like it.
Now the world is starting to make sense again.
Della would surely be pouring out all sorts of insults at this timing…
However, Della, who had only turned around in place, bit her lip as if displeased and opened her mouth.
“Next time we fight, I’ll win.”
It was a venomous gaze, as if she were staring at an enemy.
A gaze that seemed like she would pounce at any moment…
No, it was also a gaze that couldn’t pounce.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. The reason I didn’t attack you again wasn’t because I wasn’t confident, but because I promised not to. Do you understand?”
“Yeah… well, I guess so?”
Siwoo trailed off, as if he found it difficult to respond to her passionate reaction.
It was a vague answer, and in some ways, it even seemed like a sarcastic one.
If it were the usual Della, she would have thrown a fit three times over that…
Della only glared with her blazing eyes, then turned her body like a model and started walking her own way.
That back view was somehow familiar.
It felt like she was seeing her own back view, when she had been full of complaints about Della but couldn’t say a word and had to run away.
“What are you doing? We’re going to be late for our reservation.”
“Huh? Oh, okay… I understand.”
Sharon, who was dumbfounded, was led by Siwoo and blinked as she entered the pasta restaurant.
