City ​​of Witches 395

Chapter 395 – #85_무도회(2)

#393

1.
Five minutes after passing through the border town’s immigration office and crossing the ‘gate,’ I arrived at the meeting place.

A sky so clear it seemed fragile, and the smell of oil mixed with the stench of the sea.
Heavy machinery, larger than most buildings, moved parts bigger than most trucks, a common sight everywhere.

Only fifteen minutes remained until noon.
Siwoo lit a cigarette and checked the cloak draped over his shoulders.
It didn’t hinder his arm movements, and the inner straps were connected to his wrists, allowing him to wrap himself in it at any time. It was a high-quality cloak.

Frankly, Siwoo’s reason for seeking out Flora Arabesque was akin to grasping at straws.

The numerous artifacts used by the Witch of Desire had one thing in common.
They were all weapons capable of striking from a distance.

Even with the Maiden’s Loom, Siwoo’s battleground was close-quarters combat.
The Clover alone couldn’t bridge that gap, so another means was needed.

Combining the few clues he had gathered, the answer emerged.
The conversation he had with Flora herself when he went to get a swimsuit made.

‘I don’t mind teaching you. The clothes I make with my heart can defend against most magic.’

And the casual conversation with Count Yesod.

‘If she had continued her magical research… who knows? She might have reached a very high level? She was a 22nd level mage since ancient times.’

As soon as Siwoo entered the tailor shop, he knelt and bowed his head.
He requested a ‘ceremonial attire’ level cloak, utilizing her magnetic magic to the fullest.

The reaction?
As expected.

Unlike with Periwinkle, the two had no connection other than having three outfits made.
At his unreasonable request, Flora merely fiddled with her pipe, looking annoyed.
It was absurd to ask her to make a man’s cloak, one that wasn’t even particularly pretty, with ceremonial-grade defensive capabilities.
Her saying, ‘Don’t bother me. Get lost,’ was probably a polite response in her book.

But he was lucky.
Siwoo had a platinum card, a letter of credit issued in the name of the Geminai family.

He handed it to Flora.
Even Flora, who seemed indifferent and annoyed unless it piqued her interest, smiled meaningfully and accepted Siwoo’s proposal.

Frankly, it was frightening to imagine how much gold was transferred to Flora’s vault through the letter of credit.
He felt sorry for Count Albireo, who had trusted him, but if he returned alive, he would somehow make it up to him.

“Haa…”

All preparations were complete.
The moment he took a step, exhaling cigarette smoke.

The world stopped.
An eerie silence.
The workers bustling around the shipyard, the heavy machinery, the cranes, all stopped as if frozen.
More than anything, with just one step, this world turned to night.

He had entered an otherworldy barrier.
However, it was different from an ordinary barrier.
It was a barrier created by an artifact possessed by Bianca.
Just as he had seen in the records.

“……”

Emotions too complex to process in his mind.
Sometimes, those emotions, when spoken, are organized into a single sentence.

“I’ll probably die.”

He was afraid.
Terrified.
He wanted to run away right now.
The situation was so sudden that he hadn’t said goodbye to the twins, his teacher, Sharon, or anyone else.

“Or maybe not.”

Compared to this reckless charge, Don Quixote’s charge at the rotating windmill was a very thoughtful and prudent action.

Yet, what pulled him forward was his friendship with a friend who had kept his faith.
And his anger towards the enemy who had trampled on that friend.

Like shaving off the edges, he cast aside his doubts and hesitations.
Siwoo took off his eyepatch and opened his eyes, which had been closed for a moment.

Before him was a massive ship still under construction in a huge dock.
Its scale, like several buildings put together, was even more imposing since its lower part was not submerged.
He checked his cloak once more and shouldered his spear.

All the work lights were off, and in the darkness, a light flickered at the stern, as if beckoning him.
Siwoo leaped onto the ship and couldn’t help but tilt his head.

A container ship was a cargo ship.
To describe it before cargo was loaded, it was like several large baskets connected lengthwise to maximize container space. Unlike passenger ships, it sacrificed aesthetics and charm for practicality.

However, instead of the cargo hold that should have been open at the stern, there was a splendid deck, as if he had boarded a cruise ship, and warm lights welcomed Siwoo.
It was far from Siwoo’s expectation of a brutal fight.

“……”

Amidst all the bewilderment, someone walked out from the other side.
He instinctively gripped his spear.
Dressed in a neat suit and shoes, holding a classic clipboard, its identity was…
Well, it wasn’t human.

“Mr. Shin Siwoo, it is an honor that you have accepted our invitation.”

A skull with empty eye and nose sockets.
Even the hands and wrists protruding from the suit were white bone.
If you were to make a live-action version of a skeleton from a fantasy genre, it would look exactly like this.
Its voice, as if the vocal cords didn’t exist, was closer to the sound of vibrating air than normal speech.
Probably a golem or a familiar.

The skull bowed politely with an absurdly courteous tone, like a well-trained waiter, and presented the clipboard and pen.

“Before you enter, would you please sign here?”
“What is this?”
“Would you please sign here?”
“……”
“If you do not sign, entry will be difficult.”

However, it seemed to lack a sophisticated thought process, like an AI with a few flaws.
Siwoo cautiously accepted the clipboard.
On the parchment-like paper, the name Bianca Bellili was written in bold strokes.
There was no choice anyway.

The moment he dipped the pen and wrote Shin Siwoo’s name on the parchment.

-Woong

He could feel a surge of magical power enveloping his body.
It was similar to the surge he felt when he made a contract with Eloa.
The ledger itself was an artifact.
An artifact that required a mutual contract to complete a certain agreement.

“Thank you. If you follow the carpet, you will find Ms. Bellili waiting for you.”
“……”
“I hope you have a pleasant time.”

The hatch leading to the cargo hold opened.
Below it, a red carpet stretched along a long corridor.
The lights were all out, and he walked through the dark, narrow corridor.
Each step felt like walking towards death, a heavy sense of urgency with every breath.

After passing through two doors and turning a corner, the massive cargo hold, capable of storing dozens of containers, finally appeared.
The steel partitions and the vast space, intertwined in a cross shape, resembled a giant’s jungle gym.

-Pat! Pat! Pat!

As soon as Siwoo entered, the LED lights used for stage lighting lit up in sequence.
The small bulbs wrapped around the steel pillars and railings emitted a rainbow of colors, and fireworks and confetti burst from somewhere, even cheerful music.
The desolate and bleak place had instantly transformed into a carnival from a foreign land.

“¡Hola!”

Bianca Bellili appeared under the spotlight with a cheerful voice.
She was lightly dancing to the rhythm of the music, holding the hem of her skirt.

“I sincerely welcome you to my party!”

Bianca smiled brightly, spreading her arms wide like a theater actor.

“……”

When Siwoo didn’t react, she pouted as if her excitement had waned.

“Are you serious? I worked so hard to prepare.”

It didn’t matter.
What kind of whim this crazy enemy had.
What would happen in the future, none of it mattered.
There was only one thing to focus on now.

“Where’s Takasho?”

The surroundings were exactly the same as what he had seen in the crystal ball.
Even the dark bloodstains at Bianca’s feet, right under the spotlight, confirmed it.

“Straight to the point? How about a dance first?”
“Takasho comes first.”

Bianca snapped her fingers as if her excitement had faded, and the loud music and the dry ice smoke that had been spewing out stopped.

“You kept the time. You brought the red branch, and you came alone. I even played along with your tricks from the entrance. Let Takasho go.”
“You’re so worried about your friend?”

Jade-colored eyes stared at the guest who couldn’t fit into the party with a pitiful look.
In contrast, the corners of her mouth melted like rotten cheese.

“Don’t worry so much. Takasho entertained me.”

Somehow.
Even before she spoke, an ominous feeling crawled up his spine.

“As soon as I finished filming the video, I poked three holes in him and threw him into the sea. So you don’t have to worry about whether you can save him or not.”
“……”

He had expected it.
Bianca was different from Sochitl.
A completely different breed from Sochitl, who had tried to correct her mistakes, albeit in the wrong way, out of regret.
A pure evil like Ea Sadalmelik, with no room for improvement or consideration.

“You’re not as surprised as I thought? Then why did you come here? Do you like my face?”

Takasho was different from Siwoo.
He didn’t know how to use magic, nor was he the first male witch of Gehenna.

If she could just film the video to lure Siwoo out, he was a human with no value after that.
From the enemy’s point of view, he was just a talking ant with no rarity.
That’s why she didn’t intend to keep her promise and killed him so easily.

“Honestly, I don’t really want to fight. It’s not like I can keep throwing eggs at rocks. Every time I fight monsters like you, it’s scary and painful. Maybe it’s better to be treated like a slave.”
“That’s good. Then hand over your weapon and come with me. I’ll treat you very well as a test subject or a slave.”

But not for Siwoo.
He was a precious friend who had tried to keep his friendship even in that terrible pain.

He could feel the torrent of emotions he had barely held back breaking the dam and flowing out.
Even if it was reckless.
Even if it was ridiculous.
Even if death lay ahead.
A hot flame that did not allow compromise.

“But, you killed my friend, and you’re going to take me?”

His golden eyes, not covered by the eyepatch, began to absorb magic.
The overwhelming flow of magic, shaking the area like a storm, became a single wind, and soon a storm.

“Okay, try it.”

A thick shadow enveloped his body.
The armor, forged with smooth curves, settled into a dull, dark color.
The tip of the red spear, out of control, glowed as if it were melting.

Between the helmet, a pair of eyes burning with anger at the loss of his friend glared at the mighty enemy.
An invincible foe.

“But you’re going to risk your life too.”
“Ahahaha!”

Along with Bianca, who burst into laughter as if she had heard a funny joke.
The dance of death had begun.