Chapter 33 – #08_Ars Magna Town (2)
#32
1.
Amelia and Siwoo got into the carriage.
It was a two-seater carriage where they faced each other, and seeing that there was no coachman, it must be Sophia’s carriage.
He had expected that they would just throw him some clothes from the academy’s supply room, but instead, they were suddenly going out.
The carriage rattled as it passed through the academy’s main gate.
“Where are we going?”
“To a tailor shop.”
“I see.”
But isn’t a tailor shop a place where they make women’s clothes?
They said they’d give me clothes, but they’re not suddenly thinking of putting me in a custom-made dress, are they?
Siwoo seriously considered if this was some new form of harassment, but soon stopped his wild thoughts.
“……”
“……”
Anyway, this is a suffocating space.
Is it because there are only two of us in this cramped space, and we have to stare at each other?
After the incident at the inn last time, Siwoo felt awkward around Amelia.
It wasn’t an emotion caused by the ‘Ho’ in ‘Ho-Oh,’ but rather an awkwardness stemming from confusion.
Of course, he felt a bit guilty about having touched her chest without Amelia knowing, but there was a bigger concern.
The main source of his confusion was why the autonomous defense didn’t work for Siwoo.
Let’s say Siwoo’s feelings of dislike for Amelia didn’t reach the threshold for the autonomous defense to activate.
But the fact that there was no reaction until the moment he touched her chest meant that Amelia’s subconscious allowed it, right?
That was the rational conclusion.
However, if you add the question, “Amelia, the epitome of an aristocratic witch? To a mere slave?” it becomes a mystery again.
Unless he asked her directly, he would never know, but when he thought about Amelia’s reaction and the danger if he told her the whole truth, it was obvious that it was pointless.
I don’t know.
Sophia, who probably understood her best, said Amelia was like a child, but even that statement didn’t make sense.
In the end, he had no choice but to wait, hoping that time would solve it.
Either that, or he would complete the magic to open the door and escape.
As he was watching the scenery flowing by outside the window in silence, Amelia cleared her throat.
Siwoo snapped out of his thoughts and asked.
“Ahem…!”
“Is there anything that’s bothering you?”
“Caregiver, is there anything wrong with your health?”
Is she trying to show that she cares now that he’s her exclusive caregiver?
Is she going to pretend that all the times she’s tormented him didn’t happen?
Siwoo was having a hard time keeping up with her sudden change in attitude these days.
“Any contagious diseases, or skin conditions? If you have any, tell me in advance.”
“I don’t.”
A person can be a little scruffy, but to say something like that to his face.
It seemed that Siwoo’s sweet home had given Amelia a big shock.
Still, Siwoo always took showers with cold water.
Fortunately, he hadn’t been itchy or anything like that.
“I see.”
“Yes.”
“……..”
“……..”
The two closed their mouths again.
It was the same awkward conversation pattern they had been repeating for the past few days.
He felt like he was going to get indigestion even though he hadn’t eaten anything.
Regardless of the awkward atmosphere, the carriage rattled along well.
Then, a scene came into Siwoo’s view.
“Huh?”
He began to see a large citadel with tall, white buildings standing densely packed together.
The ramparts, which stood with an elegant appearance as if they were carved from ivory, were imposing even though they seemed to be quite far away.
There was only one town surrounded by a citadel in Gehenna.
It wasn’t Lenomond Town, nor Tarot Town.
Then, that place must be…
“Vice-Professor, is the carriage going to Ars Magna Town?”
“Yes.”
Siwoo’s mouth fell open.
The carriage crossed the bridge over the moat and soon entered the city gate.
2.
Ars Magna Town.
If you were to say its full name, it would be eight syllables long, so it was usually shortened to White Town.
This was because the white ramparts that surrounded the town were all specially alchemized, so they emitted a subtle milky light when they were exposed to light.
First, to explain its characteristics, it was the central city of Gehenna, the wealthiest district, and the most beautiful and important town.
It was said that only witches with titles could reside in Ars Magna Town.
Therefore, the three dukes, seven counts, and thirty-two barons were the only residents of White Town.
Nevertheless, the most important facilities in Gehenna were concentrated here.
First, the ‘Central City Hall,’ which was in charge of handling minor public affairs in Gehenna, was located here, and the ‘Tree of Sephirot,’ the decision-making body that actually moved Gehenna, was attached next to the Central City Hall.
Except for the gold vault in Lenomond Town, that was all of Gehenna’s administrative agencies, so there was nothing else to mention.
However, the reason why any witch with some money would visit White Town was because all the best luxury facilities were located here.
The ‘First Red Roof Salon,’ a social club that only witches of the 15th rank or higher could enter,
The Levana Grand Bathhouse run by Count Yesod,
‘Flora Tailor Shop,’ which led the trends in Gehenna,
‘Gemini Magic Tool Main Store,’ which handled only the highest quality magic tools, and all sorts of luxurious and high-end facilities that witches would go crazy for were all packed in here.
Ordinary citizens were not allowed to enter without permission, and even if they were witches, those of a mediocre rank would feel intimidated from the moment they stepped in, so there was no way that Siwoo, a slave, would have ever been here.
Siwoo’s mouth was agape at the scenery flowing by outside the carriage.
It was the first time he had seen so many witches at once.
Though it was a small number compared to the city streets wide enough for eight carriages to pass at once, a rough count easily exceeded 50 people.
“Wow…”
Forgetting Amelia was beside him, Siwoo gaped and looked around.
To sum up the magnificent scenery of Ars Magna Town in one word, it was a city straight out of mythology.
Gothic, Baroque, Rococo—architectural styles from a time when reinforced steel and concrete weren’t used in construction. If you were to stack those buildings to their limits, tall, large, and pristine, it would roughly resemble this town.
Siwoo couldn’t believe his eyes that such a beautiful city could be built without using any modern construction materials.
“It’s truly beautiful.”
He had thought the scenery of Lenomond Town was quite beautiful when he first saw it, but this place was on a different level. If the buildings of Lenomond Town were world cultural heritage-level, the buildings of White Town were world mystery-level. Without magic, such buildings could never be built.
“Is it?”
Besides the opportunity to study magic, seeing such a beautiful city was one of the few advantages of Gehenna. Still, he felt excited, as if he were on a rare outing.
“Is the Vice-Professor’s mansion here as well?”
“Yes, it is.”
Living in a place like this would be as good as living in Hannam The Hill, he thought, suddenly curious about the mansion owned by the Marigold family.
“I’d like to visit it sometime.”
“I’ve never been there either.”
An unexpected answer. Come to think of it, Siwoo knew very little about Amelia.
He knew the survival essentials—what she disliked, when she got angry, the expressions she made when she was sulking, and how to measure her rage level. But he knew nothing about what Amelia liked, the moments she was happy, or her past.
He suddenly became curious and asked. It was a welcome change to have a conversation that wasn’t constantly interrupted. Perhaps it was because seeing all the fascinating things had eased his mind, but the conversation flowed smoothly.
“Why is that?”
“Because I’ve lived in a cabin in the woods with my teacher since before I became a witch.”
“The woods? Which town was that near?”
“It wasn’t near any town. It was just a pretty forest full of cork trees.”
Not every place in Gehenna was a town where people lived. Some were farmlands, pastures, or undeveloped forests. The place where Amelia had lived was probably one of those.
“It’s not as beautiful as it used to be now, though.”
Her profile looked somewhat lonely as she said that. Just as Siwoo was about to say something, Amelia beat him to it.
“We’ve arrived. Please get out.”
The two horses that had been pulling the carriage without a coachman stopped in front of a splendid building. The sign read, “Flora’s Fashion Boutique.” It was a building that looked like a church, about five stories tall.
Filled with anticipation for the new clothes and a vague unease about having them made at a fashion boutique, Siwoo stepped out.
3.
Amelia knocked on the door twice with the doorknob, and a massive iron door, easily 5 meters tall, opened on its own.
The fashion boutique, which Siwoo had thought was about five stories tall from the outside, was actually a single-story building. It just had an incredibly high ceiling, like a Gothic-style chapel.
And reaching all the way to the top of that high ceiling was a storage unit that filled one entire wall. Colorful fabrics were packed tightly into the storage unit without a single gap.
A red carpet covered the entire floor. Siwoo looked around, examining the interior structure of the fashion boutique. It felt more like a hotel lobby than a humble place that made custom dresses.
Then, a woman walked out from one corner.
She was a very sexy woman with a dress that boldly exposed one leg, a long pipe in her mouth, and hair swept over one eye. And she was probably a witch too. She didn’t seem intimidated by Amelia at all; instead, she was exhaling smoke.
“A dress I made ten years ago. Back then, I used snowflakes as my inspiration. I think Sophia was the one who bought it… You must be that Marigold, right?”
“Yes.”
It was an incomprehensible remark. It didn’t sound like she was addressing a customer, nor did it seem like she was trying to build rapport.
“True beauty doesn’t change with the passage of time. That dress, even though it’s quite old, isn’t the least bit outdated, is it?”
Even Siwoo was struggling to figure out what to say, so how much more would Amelia be? The witch exhaled smoke again. Perhaps it wasn’t a question that expected an answer in the first place.
“I’m late with the introduction. You probably already know, but for formality’s sake, I’ll do it. I’m Flora Arabesque, a witch who weaves threads. The clothes you’re wearing were also made by me.”
“I came to have a suit made.”
“A suit? Where are you going to wear it? Modern? Gehenna?”
“Here.”
Flora suddenly interrupted the conversation as if she had just remembered something.
“Great, some Turkish mohair wool just arrived, and I had a suit I wanted to make. I’ll weave it beautifully for you.”
He had had a custom suit made once before. It was necessary to attend academic conferences. But back then, they had spent almost two hours asking Siwoo what he wanted, and it had taken over 15 days to make.
But this witch wasn’t even taking his measurements. Just as Siwoo was feeling bewildered, Amelia pointed at Siwoo with her fingertip.
“Please make a suit for this man, not me.”
A strange light flickered in Flora’s eyes.
