City ​​of Witches 282

Chapter 282 – #63_Interlude(4)

#280

1.
A deep, dark space.
The darkness, so profound that the end is nowhere in sight, even steals away the sense of distance.
But what Sharon felt was not the fear and dread that darkness usually brings.
Rather, it was a feeling of returning to a familiar and cozy womb.

This was the world of the unconscious.
A conceptual space, Ain, where all the magical assets that the witches had accumulated over generations were stored.

How much time had passed?
What was happening outside?
For Sharon now, such things were trivial.

In this profound space where no emotion was felt, where even her personality seemed to be turning into fragments, she focused solely on her magic.

A massive cross-shaped structure occupied the center of Ain.
It encompassed the power of the five elements, the Orb of Elements.
Countless elements of water, fire, earth, wind, and void floated in the middle of the darkness like the dance of fairies.

“Beautiful…”

Even in a state without clear consciousness, Sharon felt awe at it.
Cold, warm, solid, and full of life, each element was endlessly interpreted and analyzed as she contemplated the harmony that encompassed all those energies.

Inside Ain, there were not only structures.
There were elements, and there was magic power.
Magic power that was not originally Sharon’s, magic power that she had received several times, swirled around the structure like a raging torrent.

-Kugugugung!

And a change began to occur.
The Orb of Elements began to resonate with a vibration that shook the heavens and the earth.

“Ah…”

In an instant, an intellectual pleasure close to ecstasy struck Sharon’s entire body.
It was enlightenment.
The wave of information and knowledge that Sharon had felt when she first inherited the brand.
It was the process of absorbing the knowledge that Sharon should have fully inherited.

-Kugugugung!

Each time a deafening roar echoed, magic power stretched into the orb as if necrotic nerves were being revived.
The parts of the brand that had become dysfunctional due to incomplete inheritance were vividly resurrected.

The elements stirred joyfully, as if celebrating the birth of a great witch who had finally obtained the rightful authority.
Each element that embraced Sharon swirled around her body like a vortex.
She willingly entrusted herself to the torrent.
A powerful shock that broke through the contradictions and contemplations she had never understood.

Along with a light that shone so brightly it hurt the eyes….

“Ah…”

Sharon, who had been lying quietly in bed, opened her eyes.

When she regained her senses, she was in a room where pleasant moonlight was pouring in at an angle.
It was a space large enough for a typical family of four to live comfortably.
She turned her eyes, which were overly sensitive to light due to being unused for a long time, and looked around. The room was filled with old-fashioned yet luxurious furniture.

Narrowing her focus a little more, she was on the bed.
The feel of the feather pillow against the back of her head was top-quality.
The feel of the blanket covering her chest was also top-quality.
She quickly realized that even the splendid canopy was top-quality, with each piece individually embroidered.

“…Ah!”

The stagnant memories chased after her as consciousness returned.
The last thing etched in Sharon’s memory was the drowned witch stabbing a pike into her chest.
And Siwoo, left alone in front of the powerful homunculus.

“Siwoo!”

Even though she knew he wasn’t nearby, Sharon frantically shouted and looked around.
Until she confirmed his safety, the fact that the complete inheritance she had longed for had been completed was not important.

“Ugh! Hngh!”

Just by stepping on the ground, her autonomous defense activated.
Her limbs had stiffened because she had been lying down for too long.

How long had it been since then?
What happened to Siwoo?
Sharon, who was almost in a panic, suddenly froze.
The scenery visible through the window had caught her eye.

“What…?”

At first, she thought she had seen it wrong.
She guessed that someone had rescued her.
She could easily deduce that they had treated her and provided meticulous care.
However, the vast garden that stretched out beyond the window, and the scenery beyond the garden, were so strange that her brain momentarily short-circuited.

That’s right.
This was not the mortal realm, but Gehenna.
The clean air, free from even the slightest dust, and the room’s Belle Époque atmosphere proved it once again.

“I see…”

Sharon soon understood.

“I’m dead…”

She had returned to Gehenna, which she had so longed to visit, and had fully recovered the brand that her teacher had passed down.
A witch with such a wretched fate as her could not have such good fortune.
This was the afterlife where all wishes were happily fulfilled.

Then, if she used Siwoo’s summoning magic, would Siwoo appear too?
No, this was heaven, so if she called Siwoo, it wouldn’t mean Siwoo would die in the real world, right?
Sharon, with a dazed mind, had somewhat absurd thoughts.

“Is that so? To my eyes, you seem perfectly alive.”
“Hiiik!”

Sharon jumped up in place at the voice that suddenly came from behind her.
She had been caught off guard.
As soon as she realized that, the delusions from just a moment ago vanished in an instant, and she summoned her witch’s robes and wand in one second, pointing them sharply behind her.

The witch who was looking at Sharon with a half-absurd expression was a familiar face.
It had been a long time since they had met directly, but she had met her very similar younger sister just a while ago.

“C-Countess…”
“Please, just call me Albireo.”

Sharon’s face turned pale, and she hurriedly hid the wand behind her back.
The instinct of a debtor was truly terrifying.
It had rapidly cooled down Sharon’s head, which was unable to distinguish right from wrong after just waking up.

“I thought you might be curious, so I’ll tell you in advance. Siwoo is safe. There was a commotion in Seoul, but word has arrived that it was resolved well. Also, this is the Geminai Count’s mansion, and there is nothing wrong with Ms. Evergreen’s body.”
“Yes…?”
“It means everything is fine, so don’t worry.”

Sharon stood there blankly for a while, as if frozen.
Tears streamed down her wide eyes.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.
Siwoo was safe.
That was enough.

“It’s a relief… It’s a relief… It’s a relief…”

Albireo watched her with a heavy heart before handing her a handkerchief.

“Sniff… Thank you… But, it’s really a relief…”
“Shall we talk a bit?”

2.
“Um… Do I have anything to say?”

A lovely appearance that made one think that if forest elves existed, they would look something like this, with large breasts and wide, childbearing hips that could not be hidden even under the loose patient gown.
While Albireo was lost in thought, looking at her beautiful figure, Sharon’s mint-colored eyes glanced around as if she was trying to read the room.

Either way, the Geminai Count was a creditor, and Sharon was a bad debtor who had not properly repaid her debt for a long time.
If they were to add to her debt under the pretext of medical expenses, Sharon would have no choice but to pay.

“Hoo, well, I thought you might be curious about what happened.”
“What happened?”
“About the recent events related to Siwoo. Strangely, he only gets caught up in big incidents.”

Albireo explained the recent events to Sharon, who was looking bewildered.
It was not strange that she, who had various contacts and informants even in the mortal realm, knew the situation inside and out.

The series of events in Seoul were the plans of the Cowardly Witch.
Siwoo, who had cooperated with Duke Tiferet, had defeated the Knight of the Enemy and the Cowardly Witch.
He had finished the cleanup without any major problems and was planning to come to Gehenna to meet the twins and Sharon.

Sharon, who had looked as if the sky was falling just from hearing that Siwoo had been in danger, finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that the incident had been resolved without any major issues.

“Ms. Sharon was in a coma. Thanks to Siwoo’s consideration, we at the Geminai Count’s family were helping her recover.”
“Thank you. No amount of thanks is enough…”

Albireo’s complicated gaze lingered over Sharon’s head as she bowed politely.
Albireo, who had heard about Siwoo’s recent situation from Deneb, could not help but admit her mistake.
She could easily guess the relationship between a man and a woman by observing their interactions and inferring from the surrounding clues.
Things like their feelings for each other, or their emotions, were trivial.

Especially in Sharon’s case, she was practically spilling clues all over the place.
Considering the clearly different quality of her magic power, it was clear that she had overcome the incomplete inheritance while she was unconscious.
Perhaps being able to get closer to the world of the unconscious was the trigger.

Moreover, she had almost died and was now alive.
The fact that the first person she thought of in such a moment was Siwoo…
Albireo’s diagnosis was that Sharon’s goodwill towards Siwoo was almost akin to blind love.

Considering that Siwoo himself prioritized Sharon’s evacuation even while staying in Seoul, and considering that the place where the two had been in trouble was a hotel, it was obvious how far their relationship had progressed.
They were even living together, so they were literally as hot as fire.

Of course, it was Albireo’s own choice to chase Siwoo out of Gehenna.
Albireo, who had noticed that the relationship between the twins and Siwoo was dangerously close to crossing the line, had decided that at least until the succession of the hierarchy was over, the three of them should be separated.
Even if they were only enjoying their relationship behind the scenes, they could make a mistake one day.

The choice she had made at the time, thinking it was for the sake of the twins, was now a regrettable decision.
In the end, she had ended up having the man the twins were deeply infatuated with stolen by a stern witch named Sharon Evergreen…
It was true that she had promised to wait for five years, but she was the one who had kicked Siwoo out, knowing that life in the mortal realm would be tough. She couldn’t blame him for having an affair with Sharon while leaving the twins behind.

However, it was not like Albireo would simply back down after giving up the high ground.
Albireo had her own thoughts.
She revealed the reason why she had initially requested a private meeting with Sharon.

“Ms. Evergreen.”
“Yes.”
“Would you consider staying at our mansion and becoming the twins’ tutor?”
“Yes…?”
“The position of the teacher in charge of the elemental system is vacant as Baron Marigold is away. The Evergreen School is the closest to the orthodox among the existing elemental magic systems, so it’s perfect. I’ve already prepared the contract, so please read it.”

For the sake of the twins, even if it was a dishonest means, it would be better to intervene here.
She felt sorry for Sharon, but even if she knew that people’s hearts could not be controlled, she could not just stand by and do nothing for the happiness of her beloved daughters.

“Huh?!?!”

Sharon, who had been skimming through the contract, was startled by the sudden proposal.
It was because the conditions were too good.

The twins were scheduled to inherit the brand within five years.
In other words, the maximum contract period was five years.

Whether the twins inherited the brand within that time, or failed to inherit it due to insufficient achievement, all remaining debts would be considered extinguished.
All research materials that had been used as collateral for the loan would be returned, and a significant amount of research funds, food expenses, housing and workshop, and maintenance expenses would be provided during the contract period.
Finally, upon the expiration of the contract period, a letter of recommendation from the Truth and Name Academic Society or a letter of introduction to the Trinity Academy.

Not only would her debt be cleared, but support was promised that would allow her to design a solid plan for her present and future.

“Okay! I’ll work hard!”

Sharon was overjoyed.
If things went this way, she wouldn’t have to rely on Siwoo anymore.
She could stand on her own two feet and be with him.
She could escape from the problems that had tormented her for decades.
It was a sweet contract that Sharon had no reason to refuse.

“However, there is a condition.”

Albireo opened her mouth, deliberately ignoring Sharon’s reaction.

“Would you please keep your distance from Siwoo?”