Chapter 882 – #192_King Of The Beasts (3)
#876
1.
After hearing the little mother-in-law’s confession, so hot it could burn the tongue.
After sampling a hot rice bowl, so hot it could peel the roof of the mouth, thanks to the twins’ consideration.
Deneb said to Siwoo.
‘Let’s forget about today and go back to how we were before. I think this is the best path for the twins, for you, Siwoo, and for me.’
Whether that was her true feeling, and whether it was the best way for Deneb, two things were clear.
That she, who had seemed somewhat depressed, drew a line with a smile that seemed genuinely content.
And that Siwoo and Deneb had truly returned to their previous relationship.
“Siwoo.”
“Yes?”
“Have you forgotten the dining etiquette I taught you before? I clearly told you! When eating bean dishes, use a fork, not a spoon. And the legs of poultry dishes must be cut into two pieces before eating!”
“Yes, yes….”
A barrage of criticisms poured out during the dinner.
It was exactly like the little mother-in-law scolding her unworthy son-in-law for his lack of table manners.
It was exactly the same as the way Deneb had been before they were both caught in the fish tank.
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize, but please pay a little more attention. People will talk. Review the booklet I gave you before the next meal.”
“Understood.”
For reference, the booklet was titled ‘Table Manners for Elegant Demeanor’ and was well over 50 pages long.
Some examples of its noble teachings are as follows:
When placing meat and vegetables on a fork at the same time, do so sparingly.
Do not eat only one kind of food; if there is a dish you particularly like, distribute the food on the table appropriately, and then have another serving.
Do not open your mouth for a few seconds before putting a fork or spoon in it.
If you are forced to join a conversation, wait again.
Do not open your mouth so wide that your tongue is visible to the person in front of you.
When putting a fork in your mouth, do not change the angle once it has passed above your chin.
Examples of foods that are okay to cut with a knife.
Examples of foods that are okay to use both a knife and a fork with.
Cream, jelly, ice pudding, blancmange, etc., should be eaten with a fork, but strawberry fool is an exception and should be eaten with a spoon, and so on.
For Siwoo, who loved sundae soup and chicken the most, it was a bizarre punishment game that was nothing short of dizzying.
Habits learned from childhood are not easily corrected.
Perhaps the author of the pointless book ‘Table Manners for Proper Demeanor’ would have called Siwoo a barbarian if they had seen his usual eating habits?
“Deneb, it’s a nice occasion.”
Albireo smiled wryly and tried to dissuade his younger sister.
The other lovers were also looking at her with slightly surprised expressions at Deneb’s sudden change.
Until recently, Deneb had been helping Siwoo with his meals in a very cheerful manner, though she hadn’t been feeding him directly.
“You’re too lenient, sister. Table manners are the most basic of basics.”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll pay a little more attention.”
He wasn’t particularly upset.
As long as he was going to live in witch society, etiquette was something that would be useful time and time again.
He knew that Deneb wasn’t just nitpicking, but rather was more concerned that Siwoo wouldn’t be looked down upon.
Why, even in Korea, aren’t there people who whisper about others for using chopsticks strangely?
“This time, the little master is right. While I cherish Shin Siwoo, there are times when his eating habits make me lose my affection.”
“Was it that bad?”
“What are you talking about? You eat popcorn while lying down.”
“That’s a snack, so it’s okay.”
Even R’lyeh was saying that, so there must be something he needed to fix.
Anyway, after the meal was over and the after-dinner drinks were served, the eldest mother-in-law, who was wiping her mouth with a napkin, opened her mouth.
“Siwoo, the entry permit for the exiles has been put on track as of today.”
“Is that so?”
“Gehenna’s rules have been strict until now, but they are changing with the times. If we leave it as it is, they’ll all be absorbed into Hexennacht.”
“That’s true.”
Gehenna’s exile system was a three-strikes-out system.
Up to two times, the city hall and the Tree of Sephirot would issue warnings, but these warnings would not disappear even with the passage of time or the succession of rank, and once exiled, it was impossible to return unless something extraordinary happened.
“When Gehenna was first created, witches were much more ruthless than they are now, so some strict restrictions were necessary. If it hadn’t been for that, there would be no peace now.
Anyway, the Soul Witch’s entry screening is over, so try to have a conversation with her.”
“Yes, I understand. It’s too late now, so I’ll have to visit early tomorrow.”
And so, the next day, he visited the workshop of ‘Soul Witch’ Gretel Nephtys.
He had originally wanted to visit early in the morning, but he had received a letter saying that she would only be available from the evening, so it was a little delayed.
Gretel’s workshop was located in a corner of Tarot Town.
It was a prime location, far from the market square, with a clear view of the eastern Mendel Hills.
It was a modest three-story house built with white bricks.
The reason she was able to move into such a good location was probably due to the influence of his mother-in-law.
“Hello. It’s been a while.”
“It has. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll bring some black tea.”
However, Gretel, the person in question, didn’t seem very impressed.
Whether it was plain or indifferent.
The three Alice girls, who had sent him letters a few days ago, and Zlata, who had already become a host club regular, had expressed their gratitude with big smiles.
“I’m satisfied. Life here is fine.”
“Yes?”
“It’s all written on your face.”
“Ah….”
“Show me what you brought first.”
Gretel, who had a slight smirk, sat across from him and examined the materials Siwoo had prepared.
It was helpful material that Amelia, Sharon, and recently Siwoo had joined in searching through the secretarial archives.
There was also material related to prophecy, but since the part Gretel had agreed to help with was the method of controlling the unconscious, he had narrowed it down to that area.
“Do you want to drink it? I’ll look through it.”
“Yes.”
Gretel flipped through the papers, resting her chin on her hand or nodding her head, carefully examining the materials.
It was almost three hours before she finally opened her mouth, just as he was starting to get restless.
“As expected, there’s a lot of high-quality material in Gehenna. I’ve got a rough idea.”
“Is that so?”
“If we develop it a little more from here, I think it will be possible to ‘seal’ it much better than what I’ve temporarily done.”
It was good news to hear.
According to her explanation, the consciousness structure of Siwoo and the Black Knight was originally like a piece of paper with one side completely touching.
The more sides that were touching, the easier it was to be influenced.
For that reason, Gretel minimized the contact point between consciousness and unconsciousness and created a ‘door’ to lock it.
It was a crude analogy that ignored various magical variables, but if it were to be diagrammed, it would be as follows.
(Consciousness)
========
========
(Unconsciousness)
The state was changed to.
(Consciousness)
===||====
||(Door)
===||====
(Unconsciousness)
However, there was a problem with this.
The existence of a ‘door’ meant that while it was easy to control, it could also act as a passage for the unconscious to flood into the conscious.
The purpose of Siwoo and Gretel’s joint research was to firmly lock this door.
“By the way, I’ve heard a lot about you?”
“Weren’t you just arriving today?”
“I entered Gehenna a week ago. It was quite noisy while I was waiting for the screening at the immigration office. They said you were a very, very great rookie witch? I was surprised. I knew you were strong, but I didn’t know your reputation as a scholar was so high.”
He was already used to it, but praise was still awkward.
Especially when a beautiful woman was staring at him with interest.
“So I wanted to sleep with you.”
“…….”
“Handsome, good body, and smart too. Isn’t that sexy?”
“Is that why you called me in the evening?”
“That’s right.”
Gretel admitted it nonchalantly.
For someone making such a bold proposal, she had no sex appeal at all.
Her tone was also the same as her usual conversational tone, and her overall style was like a wicked witch from a fairy tale, wasn’t it?
At least, she wasn’t dressed to seduce a man.
“Are you joking?”
“I’m pretty when I dress up. My body is also amazing.”
Now that he thought about it, her chest did seem a bit big….
“As long as you don’t ejaculate inside, there’s no limit to the ‘number of times,’ so there’s no problem, right? How about it? Should I go change and put on makeup now?”
Of course, he had no intention of accepting the offer.
However, he couldn’t afford to upset her and lose her cooperation, so he refused as indirectly as possible.
“I’ll get into trouble if I do that. It’ll cause problems for you too, Gretel.”
“That’s a shame. Well, I’m scared of your girlfriend too.”
Fortunately, she didn’t act out by saying things like, ‘Can’t we just do it secretly?’
She probably knew that if she messed up, she could get a full-body fifth-degree burn from playing with fire, as she had seen the dreams of lovers.
After cutting off the pointless flirting, he got to the main point.
Unlike the materials he had given her, he had another set of materials in his possession.
“Gretel, I have a plan I came up with.”
“A plan?”
“Yes, I’m going to try to make good use of the ‘door’ you gave me.”
It was an initial draft of a new magic created by weaving together the Palace of Memory and the Maiden’s Loom.
The distortion of the Red Branch would act as the driving axis of the magic.
The black eyes, which had been filled with a slight disappointment and grumpiness, were soon filled with surprise.
“Haha.”
Gretel’s lips trembled.
She, who always had a mask-like expression, laughed until her white teeth were visible.
“Did you come up with this? From beginning to end?”
“Yes, I did.”
“You look like a gigolo, but you’re a completely crazy guy, aren’t you?”
“The world is dangerous these days, isn’t it? It’s a kind of insurance.”
After laughing for a long time, Gretel looked at Siwoo with a very intriguing gaze.
It was a gaze that was not only expressing admiration for his ingenious idea but also full of goodwill.
The times are changing.
There’s no telling how much more the world will change.
It would be best if he never had to use it, but if he could realize this plan, he could say that he had secured a minimum safety net.
“Okay, I’ll help you. I’m very interested.”
Gretel’s answer was YES.
