Chapter 410 – #88_Harvest Festival(3)
#409
1.
There was a bizarre incident.
The Alcoriza Familia, notorious throughout South America.
About 10,000 members of the cartel gathered at the same place at the same time for the birthday of Alcoriza, the cartel boss.
No matter how high their power, it was unusual for members of a criminal organization to gather openly in one place, so it attracted the attention of the military, police, and various intelligence agencies.
They judged that it was a volatile situation where a war could break out at any moment.
After completing preparations for an emergency and even mobilizing military satellites to surround and monitor the mansion, the most mysterious event in history was observed.
All those members and Don Alcoriza had vanished without a trace overnight.
Those in the highest positions of power did not want the existence of transcendents to be known to the public.
Therefore, incidents caused by witches are usually concealed by state power.
However, no matter how much powerful authority and mystical power were combined, it was impossible to block the major media, foreign press, and numerous eyewitness accounts one by one.
Especially in South America, where the influence of the Location Point is almost non-existent.
Each news agency named this absurd disappearance the ‘Curse of Dawn Incident’ and gave it prominent coverage, even organizing current affairs channels.
From the bizarre tale that Alcoriza was actually a follower of the devil and sacrificed his members to the devil.
To the absurd rumor that the U.S. military, in cahoots with the Mexican government, had eliminated key members of the cartel through an unauthorized biological weapon and was playing dumb.
However, as a witch who knew the whole story, it was just ridiculous to see a scholar, who was considered quite prestigious, seriously spouting nonsense.
“Humans are so funny~ Even when something happens that can’t be solved within common sense, they try to cram it into the framework of common sense.”
The witch in a nun’s habit.
Dorothy Sahakiel, famous as the ‘Witch of Asceticism,’ watched TV with amusement, casually crossing her legs.
To her left sat Clef Asmode, the ‘Witch of the True Ancestor,’ and to her right sat Linne Samakiel, the ‘Witch of the Sword.’
The public enemies belonging to the Qliphoth who had gathered at ‘Saint Ray Mexico City’ under Bianca’s arrangement.
The reason they gathered was to discuss Bianca’s death and the ‘Curse of Dawn’ incident.
No one had directly witnessed Bianca’s death, but everyone here was certain.
A public enemy’s business like Bianca’s was not something that could be easily touched.
If she were alive, she would never have let things get this bad, and would have immediately launched a terrifying retaliation.
But the fact that she hasn’t shown her face even after enough time has passed meant two things.
Bianca Bellili was dead.
But it wasn’t Keter who purged her.
If Keter was still in power, she would never have overlooked a major incident like the disappearance of 10,000 people in front of so many people.
She would have appeared and killed them before they even attempted the plan.
“She died stupidly~ But she still confirmed that Lilith’s words weren’t a lie.”
“The Keter Duke can’t move? I can’t understand it.”
“Maybe she’s just tired of playing cop~? I’m more curious about how the Location Point will react?”
“Those cowards won’t move first. They’ll just sit back and watch the situation.”
“……”
While exchanging various opinions.
Dorothy and Linne noticed that one public enemy was as silent as a clam.
Clef had been clenching her fists and staring at her toes since the conversation began.
“That can’t be.”
With a grinding of teeth, she lifted her head, her eyes filled with a terrifying amount of blood vessels.
“That bitch Bianca, she couldn’t have died so meaninglessly, like a moron.”
What was contained within was the aura of death that would stop the heart of an ordinary human just by facing it.
A murderous intent, sharpened like a blue blade, swirled inside the room.
But those gathered here were not the kind of people who would be intimidated by that level.
“Really? Isn’t it a good thing for you~? It means you don’t have to be ripped off by Bianca anymore.”
“Shut up! You big-titted bitch!”
Clef had always been foul-mouthed, but this time, her roar was filled with a desperate resonance.
Regardless of their animosity due to their business interests, both Dorothy and Linne knew.
That Clef’s feelings for Bianca were close to love-hate.
Even if Bianca had only sucked Clef dry and coldly dumped her, they had been lovers in the past, so it was understandable that she would react so violently.
“It’s a meaningless tantrum. The Witch of Desire volunteered for the role of a lab rat. You agreed as well.”
Clef had approved of Bianca going to her death, but that was only possible because she had overwhelming faith.
The belief that Bianca Bellili would come back alive no matter what danger came her way.
That belief had returned with the bad news, revealing that it was nothing more than blind faith.
“How touching~ So you’re the type who’s attracted to bad women?”
“I’ll kill them. I’ll kill whoever did it.”
Eventually, the blood vessels in her eyes burst, and Clef lost control over her blood, shedding tears of blood.
Dorothy shrugged and looked at Linne.
They were not close enough to offer comfort in the first place.
Originally, they were planning to talk about the merger and division of the business that Bianca had left behind, but if they brought it up while the emotional Clef was in this state, she might actually start a fight.
Instead, Dorothy was calculating how to maximize profits by using Clef’s rage.
“Hmm~ Then I’ll cooperate with your revenge. Bianca was our friend, after all.”
“I will help as well. It would be enough to find the one who killed Bianca.”
“…Stop with the disgusting words.”
Clef naturally bared her teeth.
The information network of those who run large underworld businesses could not be ignored, but none of them here could be trusted.
“It’s not like you’d feel comfortable receiving it for free~ So give me money. You’ll be absorbing the Familia anyway~ You can at least show that much sincerity, right?”
“Your excitement is excessive. Contact me when you’ve calmed down.”
“That’s right~ You won’t find a more reliable partner than us.”
“Get out! Get out right now! Damn it… You bastards…!”
The moment Clef was about to unleash a torrent of vile curses.
The room became eerily silent.
Just like the last meeting, the Witch of Asceticism and the Witch of the Sword here were not real.
They had only partially manifested their true forms using a ritual that sacrificed humans.
“Aaaah! Aaaah!”
Clef’s hand, unable to contain her anger, struck the head of the dying human, causing blood to foam.
With a squishy sound, the head exploded like a soft tomato, scattering brains.
Looking at the thick blood, Clef screamed like a lament.
“Bianca… Bianca… My Bianca….”
It was fine even if she was ripped off with huge fees.
It was fine even if she was just used by Clef while taking advantage of her with outrageous profits.
She thought that if she became a valuable witch to Bianca, even in this way, she would look back at her someday….
Now, she could never find or receive her cold gaze and smile.
Nor the mockery that seemed to look down on her from the top of her head.
It was completely over.
“Hic… hic….”
In the dark room, all that could be heard was Clef’s sobbing and the sound of thick fluids dripping from the exploded head.
2.
Eloa put down the letter.
[…For these reasons, I would like to ask for your assistance, Your Grace. I will await your reply.]
Elegant calligraphy written with a brush pen on a wide sheet of hanji paper was densely written over four pages.
In addition to that, there was a thick pile of documents with various photos attached.
It was a letter from Branch Manager Sua.
Communication and exchange between Gehenna and the mortal realm are mostly not immediate.
A few days after the death of the Witch of Desire, the Alcoriza Familia under her command had collapsed.
The means that made about 10,000 members disappear overnight was magic.
The purpose was presumed to be for sacrifice.
The culprit was unknown.
Even though such an incident had occurred, Gehenna was leisurely preparing for the harvest festival.
Just like how they go about their daily lives even when a civil war breaks out on the continent next door, they often turn a blind eye to what happens in the mortal realm, saying it has nothing to do with them.
But Eloa couldn’t do that.
Hadn’t she already promised Lapi?
She had vowed to protect innocent people from harm.
Moreover, Eloa and some other high-ranking witches knew from experience.
That the chaos of the mortal realm would one day inevitably affect Gehenna.
Furthermore, the scale of this incident was so large that even Eloa, who had established the Location Point, could not overlook it.
It was an incident on a scale that could not be compared to the rampage that the Witch of Cowardice had caused not long ago.
They had carried out their work without any thought of concealment, and the fact that it was being covered by major media outlets meant that they had gone far beyond the ‘line.’
Yet, the fact that there had been no visible purge meant that the biggest unwritten rule of the witch society had been broken.
The cautious public enemies would wait and see, but some public enemies who had to bide their time in Keter’s shadow would become even more active, walking a tightrope.
It was uncertain whether Keter would remain still until then.
But.
What if the Keter Duke really couldn’t move?
What if she, who had suppressed the public enemies’ rampage, had abandoned her own rules for some reason, or had become unable to uphold the rules?
Someone had to take on that role.
The iron-blooded ruler who enforces the laws written in blood.
Someone had to take the place of the blade of purge.
Eloa unfolded a blank piece of paper.
She had met Siwoo, and after Lapi’s death, she had spent happy days that she had never dared to dream of.
It was an overwhelmingly lovely moment.
The harvest festival was in three days.
Her time with Siwoo, which had been agreed upon at the council, was tomorrow.
Hoping to be granted just one more day of peace, Eloa began to write her reply.
