Chapter 915 – #199_거래(2)
#909
1.
As soon as she roughly grasped the situation, Eloa quickly gestured to Sharon.
Having been briefed on the previous situation, Sharon immediately understood her intention and rushed to the room where Siwoo was lying.
[Hello?]
“I’m listening. Witch of the Gold Coin.”
[If there are people around, it would be nice if you could have them step away. This is a phone date with the legendary Public Slayer, Duke Tifereth, and having some shady fellow eavesdropping is beyond the scope of my delicate sensibilities.]
“I’m alone.”
Eloa was surprisingly calm.
If she panicked and fumbled at the sudden contact, she might miss out on valuable information.
Wasn’t this somewhat expected, given that Dorothy’s contact had abruptly ceased?
The only thing that went wrong was the optimistic view that ‘the flood was rampant in the present world, so Dorothy didn’t have the time to contact me first.’
[Hmm, I can’t trust words. You know, Duke? A merchant doesn’t even trust their apprentice witch.]
“Is Dorothy alive right now?”
[I don’t sell witches’ corpses. Prepare a remote crystal ball. The mode is teatime. I’ll give you my personal code. I’ll give you 30 seconds, and I’ll hang up if the time passes. You wouldn’t make excuses that you’re not nearby, would you? Let’s have a proper conversation there?]
“Understood.”
Lydia’s request was concise and urgent.
It was a prompt to eliminate any nonsense, like a voice phishing scam that intentionally distracts and pressures the victim.
Eloa prepared the remote crystal ball while holding the receiver.
The crystal ball, which had been a favorite communication tool for witches for over a thousand years, had evolved to include various functions.
‘Teatime’ was one of them.
“I’m ready.”
[Good.]
Eloa closed her eyes, placed her hand on the crystal ball, and channeled a bit of magic into it.
The dark vision brightened, and the dim hotel room transformed into a garden with a gentle breeze.
In the center of the garden, with rose vines like a folding screen and green grass, stood a white table and chairs.
Teatime was a function that connected the minds of the communicators to create a virtual conversation space.
To put it simply, it was similar to VR chat.
They could see each other’s full bodies and talk, and since it was an illusion, safety was guaranteed. Most importantly, no one other than the participants could eavesdrop on the communication, making it excellent for security.
It was a preferred option when important and confidential conversations were exchanged.
“You’re smaller than I thought? I thought you’d be at least 170 from the pictures.”
Lydia’s image, leisurely crossing her legs across the table, appeared faintly.
Eloa silently glared at Lydia and sat opposite her.
Lydia, who had been chattering just a moment ago, shut her mouth tightly as Eloa sat down.
It was a strategic silence that negotiators often used.
Eventually, the one who was more desperate would speak first.
It was an intention to make it clear who had the upper hand before getting to the main point.
“……”
It was inevitable that she would be somewhat played.
Eloa would probably be the one to open her mouth first.
Eloa chose to use that time to organize her complicated thoughts.
In witch society, public enemies were often divided into two categories.
Innate public enemies and acquired public enemies.
The former were cases where they became public enemies as soon as they inherited the stigma, and the latter were cases where they committed heinous crimes in their own generation.
However, Eloa’s criteria were slightly different.
Public enemies to prioritize for subjugation and those who were not.
From this perspective, Lydia was a public enemy who was ambiguously on the middle line of all criteria.
First, Lydia was an innate public enemy.
That is, she had to bear the sins of her predecessors as fate from the moment she became an apprentice witch, even though she had done nothing.
However, as soon as she became a witch, Lydia repeatedly committed more heinous acts than her predecessors without any hesitation.
She ground witches to complete magic or traded witches themselves.
Based on the foundation she created, she gathered public enemies and exiles to create a force called the Solidus Trading Company.
If it had been just this, she would have been ranked as Eloa’s top priority for subjugation without hesitation.
However, Lydia had also shown contradictory actions that were at odds with her evil deeds.
First, she focused on subjugating homunculi in areas not influenced by Witch Points.
This was understandable.
The spoils left by homunculi were useful to witches, and it was a necessary measure for the stable value of the Solidus Trading Company.
However, at the same time, Lydia established relief foundations for poor countries around the world, established orphanages for children who had lost their parents due to various tragedies, and operated them quite soundly.
This sound operation was not limited to charity work.
The Solidus Trading Company also built several decent corporations and invested in various fields.
The soundness of the company’s current business was no different from that of Count Jemena.
Of course, the above actions were not out of good will or a sense of justice.
Even though it was much easier and simpler to remain evil, she volunteered to be a necessary evil.
Unlike other public enemies who controlled their subordinates with power and violence and walked the path of a loner, she maintained a moderate exchange with various exiles and was able to leave herself in a ‘position that was not easy to touch.’
A thorough businesswoman who always chose the most profitable option, like an insect that was not bound by the concept of good and evil.
In that sense, Lydia was a more difficult public enemy than anyone else.
Finally, after organizing her thoughts, Eloa opened her mouth.
Of course, she had no intention of quietly giving up the initiative.
“I assure you, if even a single hair on Dorothy’s head is harmed, I will erase the Solidus Trading Company from the world. I swear on the name of Tifereth that I will eliminate even the last remnants.”
Eloa’s tone was indifferent, but her words were by no means light.
In fact, Eloa had the ability to do so.
Of course, the probability of being stopped in the middle was much higher, and Eloa would also have to bear great risks.
“Really? It won’t be easy.”
“Do you think I can’t do it?”
“You might be able to cut off the limbs of the Solidus Trading Company one by one. And maybe someday you’ll reach my neck. But you know, right? That countless relief organizations and orphanages in the anti-Western camp that Gehenna abandoned are receiving support from my company.”
“……”
“If the Solidus Trading Company collapses, the astronomical flow of money to relief organizations will be cut off. More people will die in this already harsh world without knowing why. Can you make that choice?”
Lydia’s tone wasn’t particularly provocative.
She was just showing her insurance policy, which she had prepared by spending hundreds of millions of dollars annually in preparation for Tifereth’s attack.
The act of saving the poor who were dying from epidemics and starvation and taking care of children who had lost their parents might be close to good, but its purpose was not much different from a hostage situation.
It was frustrating, but the insurance policy was indeed effective for Eloa.
As if to soothe Eloa, who was biting her lip, Lydia continued softly.
“Don’t think too badly of me. I just captured Dorothy in a fair duel. It’s only natural to receive a ransom for a captured noble, right?”
“Are you saying you’ll make me pay a ransom?”
“That’s right.”
“I need to confirm her safety first.”
“Sure.”
As if she had expected it, Lydia stretched one arm to the side.
As if drawing back a curtain, the scenery of the garden folded, and beyond it, the scenery of a luxurious room was revealed.
It was the place where Lydia was communicating from.
Dorothy, lying diagonally on the sofa, was sleeping with soft breaths.
“As you can see, I haven’t touched her. Neither magically nor sexually. Before that, it’s really amazing, isn’t it? I thought you’d just think of her as a disposable pawn, but it turns out that Tifereth is actually willing to negotiate for a public enemy. Is she your girlfriend? A forbidden love between a public enemy and Duke Tifereth….”
“Enough with the nonsense. What do you want from me?”
Even under Eloa’s gaze, which felt like being stabbed with a knife, Lydia leaned back in her chair like an arrogant nouveau riche and crossed her arms.
“Read this.”
Then, she stretched her arm through the curtain and tossed a thick stack of documents in front of Tifereth.
The format was different, but the content was similar to what she already knew.
“A sluice gate?”
“You already knew? That’s a bit unexpected.”
It was about the sluice gate that could control the flood.
It was the information that Siwoo and Eloa had decided it would be better to wait and see.
Since she already knew the content, she could also deduce Lydia’s request.
“Are you saying you want to exchange the sluice gate for Dorothy?”
And that was a request she couldn’t grant.
Eloa’s belief was to protect the stability of the world by carrying on Rapi’s will.
If the sluice gate fell into the hands of a witch like Lydia, the repercussions would be uncontrollable.
“I wish that were the case, but if I asked for that much, I’d probably be treated like a peddler.”
“……”
In front of Eloa, who was affirming with silence, Lydia tossed another document.
“There are two other public enemies who have noticed the existence of the sluice gate besides me. Urshula and Priscilla. You know them, right?”
“The Witch of Reverse Heaven and the Witch of Gluttony?”
“That’s right, they’re the vanguards of the new Qliphoth who came to the present world to declare war. Urshula received the information from the Witch of Whispers first. Priscilla heard it from Urshula.”
Surprisingly, Lydia was freely giving Eloa information about Hexennacht.
“Now that both the Hexennacht and Gehenna gates are closed and chaotic, Urshula intends to monopolize the sluice gate. Priscilla agreed to help her in exchange for sharing the benefits.”
Lydia even provided a series of materials to support her words.
Transcripts of conversations that were clearly obtained through eavesdropping.
Reports that Hexennacht was unaware of the sluice gate.
She even handed over documents that recorded the activities of public enemies in South America, Hexennacht’s front yard, for the past few days.
It was a clear act of betrayal.
“I want you to stop them. The terrible tragedy of the sluice gate falling into the hands of the wicked Hexennacht public enemies. You can control the sluice gate, or you can destroy it.”
If you only listened to the content, it was a very sarcastic tone, but Lydia’s tone was very serious.
In short, Lydia wanted to use Eloa as a contractor in exchange for handing over Dorothy’s custody.
At the unexpected request, Eloa asked carefully.
“Why aren’t you thinking of taking it for yourself and giving me the information?”
“I’m not as honorable as you, but I know where to interfere and where not to. In my opinion, the current Qliphoth needs to be muzzled. That’s all.”
