Chapter 778 – #163_Seoul And The Witch (5)
#772
1.
Twin thing.
Super curious.
“Hekyung?!”
“I’ve never seen the Vice-Professor sneeze before!”
Even an issue that would normally pass by unnoticed becomes a big deal when the twins get involved.
Odile and Odette’s eyes sparkled as they hovered around Amelia.
However, this intervention wasn’t just a conversation started out of curiosity.
Odile and Odette had also mustered some courage.
Vice-Professor Amelia was still scary.
Even after working under her for a week, they hadn’t really closed the distance.
It was a different kind of scary than with Duchess Eloa, you could say?
Actually, in the case of the Duchess, it was more the distance that came from her reputation and experience, rather than actual scariness.
Eloa was more caring to the twins than even their teachers.
On the other hand, Vice-Professor Amelia was, how should they put it, someone difficult to approach.
“Your sound is very unique.”
“It’s kind of cute.”
“It’s just a sneeze? It’s normal, isn’t it?”
They had just answered, but it felt like they would get a follow-up like, ‘You’re curious about everything. Why don’t you read one more word of your thesis during the time you’re curious about that?’
Perhaps it was because of the iron-blooded classes she had shown during her time as a vice-professor that left them with PTSD, but a pressure naturally arose that made Odile and Odette shrink back.
But this was not good.
Vice-Professor Amelia was also a rival for their assistant’s love!
If they were intimidated, they wouldn’t get anywhere.
They had to face her on equal terms, just like when they first went crazy and started a love rivalry.
To do that, they had to get closer.
They learned from Sharon that they had to get a little closer first to be able to stand up to her later.
“No! It’s definitely unique. And cute.”
“Look!”
Odile pulled out a feather that was sticking out of the backrest of the sofa.
And tickled the underside of Odette’s nose.
Odette, who was scrunching her nose and moving her mouth, soon covered her mouth and let out a refreshing sneeze.
“He, hee…! Achoo!”
“That’s normal! A sneeze that’s as refreshing as a dragon’s breath!”
“Yeah, that’s right!”
Small talk was the best way to get closer.
But Amelia seemed unfamiliar with this kind of conversation, only blinking her eyes.
Instead, another fish was lured by the bait.
“Hmm, what a frivolous topic of conversation.”
Lürie, who had been watching the League of Legends Championship and quenching her thirst with a can of beer, walked over, chewing on jerky.
“A lady doesn’t sneeze, you know.”
“Ugh, just stay out of this.”
“You have no tact. No tact.”
“You’re trying to provoke me again with your pathetic words. It’s tiring to deal with a newbie who doesn’t know respect for the Queen. Do you think my patience for you young ones will last forever?”
“The pretentious witch has arrived.”
“You’re so annoying!”
Amelia only moved her eyes to look at Lürie once, and then looked at the twins.
During her short break, Amelia had skimmed through a book.
The title was ‘Easy-to-Eat Conversation Skills Lasagna’.
Amelia, the god of memorization, recalled the techniques described from the second paragraph on page 154 to page 156.
She also realized that this situation was where those techniques could be applied.
“What about Sharon?”
“Me? I think I just go, ‘Achoo!’”
“Yeah, I think that’s what you did.”
This was called ‘joining in on small talk’.
It wasn’t just conversations with a clear topic that were helpful in improving relationships.
Rather, the everyday small talk that you forget about after doing it has an excellent effect on narrowing the distance and building bonds.
Step one, listen and empathize first.
Step two, ask questions to make it easier for the other person to speak.
Amelia, who was in full brain-power mode, called out to Lürie, who was continuing her heated argument.
“Lürie.”
“Hmm? What a surprise, the blonde is calling me.”
“I have something to ask you.”
“I grant it.”
“What does Lürie’s sneeze sound like?”
Lürie crossed her arms proudly, as if there was no need to think about it.
“Didn’t I tell you? I don’t do such frivolous things. You’re asking me about something I already said. I sense an impious intention.”
“……”
Unfortunately for Amelia, Lürie was the perfect opponent to experience being speechless, but she was a difficult opponent to practice conversation with.
“Yap!”
Here, the twins, who had been looking for an opening, put two feathers into one of Lürie’s nostrils.
It was a complete surprise, so all Lürie could do was react reflexively.
“Lüreeee!!!!! Puha!”
A loud sneeze that resembled the sound of a ship’s horn.
The twins taunted her as if they had been waiting for it.
“What? You’re sneezing.”
“You always lie when you open your mouth.”
“Y-you wicked brats!”
“The sound is so funny. Lüreee!!!!”
“I’m going to say ‘Odilu!’ when I sneeze from now on.”
“Then Sharon will be ‘Sharony!!!’”
“Why me?!”
Again, the twins, who had successfully angered Lürie and were giggling, suddenly froze.
“……”
Amelia, who was sitting in front of them, was in shock, completely soaked in the saliva that Lürie had sprayed.
There was even a piece of jerky that Lürie had chewed and spat out stuck to her hair.
“V-Vice-Professor…”
“Lürie! Get on your knees and apologize right now!”
“Wasn’t it because you put feathers in my nose that this happened! You apologize! I, I don’t know!”
For the record, Lürie was also quite scared of Amelia because of their bad first meeting.
As a result, both the twins and Lürie were in a panic.
“I-It’s okay.”
Today, Amelia learned the difficulty of small talk.
2.
“Haa! This is! Totally! Paradise!”
Shiwoo, who had moved to the Levana Grand Bathhouse for his original purpose.
More precisely, it was the private pool and villa provided as temporary accommodation for the four exiles.
Zlata, wearing a bikini, was soaking in the hot spring water, holding up a cocktail glass.
It was obvious that Zlata was quite drunk.
Her healthy, Latin-style brown skin was sparkling, and Zlata’s eyes were even brighter.
He had never known because she always wore baggy hippie clothes, but this older sister had quite an aggressive figure.
As soon as she saw Shiwoo, Zlata splashed out of the bath and put her arm around his shoulder.
“A toast to your eyes! Do you want a drink, little brother?”
“It seems like you’re doing well.”
“Of course! Oh my god! Oh my god! I’m a full-fledged citizen of Gehenna! I believed in you, you know!”
“I was able to escape safely thanks to you.”
If it hadn’t been for Zlata’s cooperation, escape would have been impossible.
They wouldn’t have been able to find a hideout or collaborators.
Since it wasn’t just a bunch of empty words meant to deceive, Zlata received compensation for her contribution.
“You’re a guy who knows loyalty. I knew it when I first saw you, you know?”
It was a successful bet on a life reversal.
Zlata, who had initially cooperated with tears in her eyes, now saw Shiwoo as a lucky charm, as things were going smoothly.
Zlata went on and on about how beautiful the Levana Grand Bathhouse was, how much she had wanted to come to Gehenna, and how much of a dump Hexennacht was compared to this place.
“Come to my workshop later when you have time. I’ll treat you to the best meal. By the way…”
Zlata, who had been excitedly talking in a very excited tone, flipped her wet hair back.
The unguarded look in her eyes became serious, and her voice dropped to a low level.
“What about the VIP membership to the host bar?”
“I brought it with me. I put the business card in that bag over there, so go find it.”
“Thanks, little brother. You’re not upset, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Shiwoo smiled wryly at Zlata’s cute wink.
Her attitude of taking everything she could get didn’t feel so unpleasant.
It was a right she deserved to claim, after all.
“What are you planning to do in the future?”
“Ah, while you were passed out, I talked to Count Geminai, and I got a pretty good supply contract. I’m going to live a leisurely life in Tarot Town, doing business. You really have some amazing connections, little brother?”
“Huh?”
“I saw everything? Count Geminai Yesod, Duchess Tiferet, two terrifying public enemies, the witch of the deep sea, and an equally powerful witch were all running around trying to save you. How did you build such amazing connections? It’s hard for a normal witch to even have tea with those people.”
As she said that, Zlata’s gaze slid down to Shiwoo’s lower body.
It was as if she already knew everything.
“Do you want to build some connections with this older sister too?”
“I really appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass.”
“You’re so cold.”
Zlata laughed, as if she hadn’t meant it either.
Well, it was good to see that she was doing well.
Next, it was time to check on the three Alices who were staying in the same villa.
“Zlata, where are Alice and the others?”
As soon as Alice’s name came up, Zlata made a disgusted face.
“Ugh, I know it’s not good to talk behind their backs, but I think they’re crazy. They really don’t come out of bed all day, you know?”
“Still?”
“There are a lot of rooms here, and they’re big and soundproof, so it doesn’t matter. But if you want to join them, go ahead.”
“I’ll have to visit them next time.”
It seemed that the three of them were having a hot time.
Shiwoo, who had asked them to just say hello, headed to Yebin in Tarot Town.
His teacher had told him to wait, since it would take a little time anyway, right?
He didn’t want to reveal that there was something wrong with his left hand and worry his other lovers, so he decided to get a checkup in the meantime.
3.
Meanwhile, the meeting ended much faster than expected.
Eloa looked for Shiwoo, but her disciple was nowhere to be seen.
That was fine.
There was someone she had to settle things with after asking to be left alone.
-Click
“Come out.”
“……”
Linne, who had been released from the dungeon, stroked her wrist, which had been tied up for a long time.
Her sharp eyes, which were neither intimidated nor shrunk, shone calmly.
Eloa had heard about Linne in great detail from Shiwoo.
Linne’s memories that she had seen during the treatment process, the reason why she had to become a sword demon, and even the fact that she had risked her life several times to protect Shiwoo.
Shiwoo’s claim that he would accept her as his last lover was not without reason.
Also, if all of Shiwoo’s words were true, Linne was not a public enemy that Eloa had to resolutely eliminate.
However, Eloa had not yet found a clear answer.
It wasn’t that she doubted Shiwoo’s words.
But the long path that Eloa had walked in her life did not allow for Linne’s existence.
In her confusion, Eloa’s chosen method was simple.
Eloa, who had stepped out into the spacious garden, unfolded an otherworld barrier and took out her contract sword from subspace.
“Draw your sword.”
Linne, unconcerned, looked up at the sky.
Because there was little light pollution, the bright moonlight was pouring down on the particularly dark night sky.
“The moon in Gehenna is beautiful.”
-Sreung
Linne, holding a greatsword and a short sword in her hands, looked at Eloa.
“It’s a good night for a sword dance.”
“I agree.”
Witches speak with magic.
And swordsmen speak with swords.
Both Eloa and Linne knew that fact well.
