Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Living Together (4)
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Sharon and Siwoo's sweet cohabitation life had already been going on for a fortnight.
To roughly summarize their schedules during that time:
2 PM ~ 6 PM.
Free time with no obligations during the day.
The two spent it doing whatever they felt like.
6 PM ~ Midnight.
While Sharon headed out for her part-time job, Siwoo immersed himself in magic studies.
Midnight ~ 3 AM.
Once Sharon's shift ended, she immediately went out to post flyers.
Of course, searching for the homunculus took priority over actually posting them...
But they still hadn't found any trace of it.
3 AM ~ 6 AM.
A light midnight snack paired with movie time.
It used to be just an hour or two of snacking before bed, but since Sharon loved movies so much, it naturally extended to full screening length.
Discussing what film to watch today had become a highlight of their routine.
6 AM ~ 10 AM.
A short sleep session.
Sharon's bed had arrived during the week, so they no longer had to fight over sleeping spots.
10 AM ~ 2 PM.
Under the pretext of covering food and rent, Sharon's elemental magic class commenced.
Sharon passed on various bits of magical knowledge to Siwoo.
And right now, it was time for Sharon's lecture.
"Alright, today we'll cover the second of the four major elements: 'water.' You're progressing so quickly."
"It's all thanks to my wise master's guidance."
"Is that so?"
Sharon and Siwoo had grown close enough to exchange playful banter casually.
Sharon tapped the whiteboard with her marker to liven up the mood.
Though they now traded light jokes freely, he became utterly serious once class began.
"If the earth element we studied last time provides the foundation, stirring, and basis, then water governs flow, circulation, and transformation. In short, it's the second most important attribute. And..."
In truth, the lessons Sharon was teaching Siwoo weren't particularly advanced.
They were the absolute basics that apprentice witches were required to learn, and Siwoo already had deep mastery in one area of self-generating magic.
She was well aware his quick learning was inevitable.
Yet Sharon couldn't hide her amazement at Siwoo's aptitude.
He absorbed every piece of information at an astonishing pace, as if merely reviewing what he already knew.
"...Just as the earth element is key to understanding the foundation of all elemental magic, water will be the starting point for embracing and comprehending the elements. The human body is 70% water, right? It's the most crucial element linking the external world where magic manifests and the internal self casting it. Got it so far?"
"Yeah, more or less."
Was it just exceptional memory? Not quite.
Of course, his recall was far superior to an ordinary person's, but compared to the apprentice witches—brimming with eccentric geniuses and prodigious talents—it was solidly average, neither standout nor lacking.
However, magic wasn't merely a discipline of rote memorization.
If calculations and recall solved everything, the world's strongest witch would be a computer.
No matter how superior a witch's accelerated cognition, it couldn't rival a machine's.
Thus, Siwoo's strength lay in forging organic connections and drawing inspiration to carve his own path beyond rigid formulas.
Teach him one thing, and he wouldn't stop there—he expanded his thinking, achieved insights on his own, and even proposed shortcuts Sharon herself hadn't considered.
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
During her apprentice days, theoretical lectures that took Sharon over a week wrapped up in just one or two hours with him.
She didn't even need to explain everything.
A mere dot on a canvas, and Siwoo connected them all into a grand picture.
"Today's a bit complicated."
Sharon had planned only to cover the properties of each element separately, but by the end of his questions, Siwoo was already focusing on the interplay between earth and water, drawing his own conclusions.
Yet he didn't look particularly satisfied with his impressive breakthrough.
Probably because he had no idea just how remarkable it was.
Sharon refrained from overly praising his feats.
Pride was ever a poison to learning.
"What's complicated about it?"
"Well... Magic has always felt like math to me. Plug numbers into a formula, get a result. If a snag came up, I'd use a new formula or proof, or absorb fresh knowledge. But what you're teaching feels... I'm not blaming you, it's just a bit vague."
To Siwoo, Sharon's lectures resembled art, like painting or music.
"So it feels kinda useless?"
"No, but figuring out how to apply it gives me a headache. Like 'solve this problem artistically' or something."
Siwoo gave a wry smile.
Sharon stared intently at his face.
She liked it when he made that expression sometimes.
She couldn't quite say why... Perhaps it was the endearing mix of embarrassment and the effort to hide it?
"Come here."
"Gotta hold hands again?"
"Don't want to?"
"Not that I don't."
Sharon held out her open palm.
Siwoo intertwined his fingers with hers.
It was a ritual to share her mental imagery.
The more physical contact, the easier the 'resonance,' but given they were opposite genders, hand-holding was their compromise.
He'd grown a bit accustomed, so his heart no longer raced wildly like before.
Siwoo and Sharon closed their eyes simultaneously.
"No need to rush."
But today brought a change.
With one hand still clasped, Sharon took his free hand and gripped it firmly.
Siwoo startled, opening his eyes.
Sharon stood mere inches away, practically pressed against him.
"If you view everything through numbers and calculations, magic loses its spark fast. What you need now is to feel the element's existence as it is and accept it."
Her whisper brushed right against his ear.
At the same moment, their consciousnesses sank like the earth giving way.
"Close your eyes and paint pointillism in your mind. A vast picture made of elements. Not just viewing magic as knowledge, but feeling it, being moved by it, becoming one with it."
-Plip!
"...Huh?"
"Feel it?"
For an instant, it sounded like a water drop falling.
One clear droplet pierced the pitch-black darkness behind his eyelids, rippling the world.
The entire realm felt like one vast water surface.
Siwoo opened his eyes.
And beheld it.
A world where water spirits celebrated a festival.
Azure clusters filling the empty cosmos.
Vast blue particles surged, swirled, and spun, enveloping the expansive world.
It transformed, embraced, melted, and danced—like a festive revelry.
And against that dreamlike backdrop stood Sharon.
She smiled gently at him, holding his hand tight, eyes full of wonder.
And then.
"Ah..."
As Sharon released his hand, their brief journey ended.
Siwoo and Sharon were back in the room.
"Elements exist everywhere, yet maybe nowhere at all. We just believe in their presence and pray earnestly. 'Please grant us a miracle~'"
Meanwhile, Siwoo remained captivated by that majestic vista.
His body had returned to reality, but his mind lingered there.
Like the awe when he first encountered an Ein.
It felt like breaching yet another boundary in how he approached magic.
"Witches have varying perspectives. Some say control and efficiency are key; others view them as mere mechanisms composing a neutral world, free of good, evil, like, or dislike. But whenever I see this scenery, I find myself praying instinctively."
"Sorry, I want to try something real quick."
"Oh! Got it."
Sharon quickly stepped aside at Siwoo's calm declaration.
He rarely cut her off so sharply unless he'd grasped some vital insight.
She watched him sit at the table and close his eyes, then quietly left the room to avoid disturbing him.
"I'm jealous..."
She let out a soft sigh.
Unlike Sharon, who had stagnated, Siwoo was growing daily with his new tutor.
What kind of monster would he have become if born a woman with a proper witch's stigma?
His talent dazzled, making his teacher feel inadequate.
Envy crept in at times.
"At this rate, I'll end up learning from him."
It wasn't an empty worry, even if they'd just begun basics.
Siwoo's questions had already sparked minor epiphanies for her several times...
"Not the time for this."
Today's class ended early, leaving extra time.
Sharon glanced at Siwoo's door one last time before starting her own research.
2.
The end of an ordinary day, no different from any other.
Siwoo and Sharon each retired to bed, but Sharon lay there blinking wide-eyed.
She'd realized a major problem.
"I've been slacking off too much lately..."
Indeed.
After a life of relentless tension, the rebound had made her mindset lax.
She'd forgotten her debts for a bit, enjoyed movies, and delighted in pondering tonight's menu.
Siwoo's kindness had drastically improved her living situation—no more wasted rent.
But it didn't erase her debts.
Homunculus hunting had stalled for nearly three weeks, and she'd cut ties with the coin farm that brought in pocket money.
With tribute day looming in two months, she worried if she'd scrape together enough.
"Haa..."
Sharon sighed deeply and bolted upright from bed.
Before cohabitation, she'd forgone sleep to hustle for cash; now she slept like it was natural...
A comfy bed, abundant food, fun hobbies—the sudden change had dulled her sense of reality.
Then a memory fluttered into her mind.
Siwoo's offer at their first meeting: 'I have plenty of spare cash. I could cover the interest at least...'
She'd shot it down flat.
It felt offensive and grating.
Though misfortune had saddled her with debts, a witch's pride burned in her core.
If she were the type to lap up pity like charity, she'd have risked location tracking and abused magic for profit.
"Ugh..."
But circumstances differed now.
Back then, she knew nothing of him, so his shallow sympathy irked her.
Living together, she'd learned he was genuinely kind.
They'd grown close enough that accepting help wouldn't feel so repulsive.
Was she unconsciously riding his goodwill to escape this ordeal?
Had that safety net sapped her desperation, even in the worst case?
Sharon changed clothes.
Her elemental magic ritual garb and wand filled her hands.
"...I can't do that."
Siwoo was a good friend.
She knew he'd help without hesitation if she were truly desperate.
That's precisely why she refused to lean on him.
She wanted to remain equals.
The moment one accepted material aid, their level footing crumbled.
Even if Siwoo didn't mind, she couldn't erase the debt in her heart.
Sharon opened the balcony and leaped off.
To hunt the homunculus.