Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Pleasant Daily Life (2)
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1.
The rattling bus window revealed a forest of towering skyscrapers sliding past outside.
It was the quintessential downtown cityscape, packed with the headquarters of every major corporation—the kind of sight anyone might call the most "metropolitan" imaginable.
When she'd first laid eyes on it, Sharon had been utterly shocked...
But after a full decade living in the modern world, she'd grown completely desensitized to it.
Anyway, spotting Gwanghwamun up ahead meant their destination was just around the corner.
Sharon let out a deep sigh.
"Haa..."
"What's with the sigh?"
Siwoo, lounging casually in the seat beside her, asked.
Despite everything that had happened yesterday, the bond they'd built over time seemed sturdy enough. Any awkwardness had evaporated over breakfast, and they were back to their usual selves.
But for some reason, his friendly demeanor grated on Sharon right now.
It all felt like deception aimed straight at him—the very root of her current dilemma—which left her heart heavy and unsettled.
"It's nothing. Guess I'm still not over the fatigue."
"You're quitting the part-time gig soon, right? Why not take a real break?"
"I want to rest, but I still feel underprepared."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
The mundane exchange wrapped up, and Sharon sank back into her thoughts.
She'd come here with Siwoo to cash in the crystals from yesterday's homunculus hunt.
Of course, Siwoo—who wasn't a witch and kept his magic use under wraps—couldn't tag along into the Waypoint itself. So he'd wait nearby while she handled the exchange, after which they'd grab pasta at a spot close by. That was the plan.
The real issue was Della.
Della had declared she'd crush Sharon and claim her hunting grounds for herself.
They'd lucked out yesterday with no interference from her, reaping a solid haul. But cashing in this massive pile of crystals all at once? Word was bound to reach Della's ears somehow.
What would that psycho do if she heard...?
Worse, what if they crossed paths before the exchange and she snatched the whole haul outright?
Her mind buzzed with worries, stress churning her stomach like it might sprout holes. It felt like her gut was turning into a sponge.
"I'll just wait outside, then? How long will it take?"
"Not long. Thirty minutes tops, even if it's late."
"Cool, I'll chill at the café then."
The pair stepped off the bus side by side.
Sharon confirmed Siwoo had ducked into the café, then gave her leather pouch one final check.
It was a heirloom from her ancestors, enchanted with spatial expansion and weight reduction spells. Far roomier and deeper than it looked, the bag clinked with what felt like a full sack's worth of crystals inside.
Heart pounding, Sharon headed for the exchange counter.
She fidgeted nervously all the way, hyper-aware Della might appear, then hopped straight into the elevator to the Waypoint.
Thankfully, no other witches were at the counter.
"Welcome, Evergreen. It's been a while."
"Been tied up with stuff. Can you exchange all of this for me?"
The Waypoint staffer—dressed like a banker—greeted Evergreen with a bright, professional smile.
It didn't take long for that smile to shift into wide-eyed astonishment.
-Ching ching ching ching ching!
Sharon upended the pouch onto the counter tray, unleashing a torrent of crystals like a pachinko machine vomiting jackpot balls. They piled up endlessly.
Even the receptionist's polite smile trembled as the mound grew.
"We'll verify and process it right away."
Ever professional, she stuck to protocol, making several trips back and forth before finally weighing the haul.
Sharon leaned against the wall, anxiously glancing at the entrance.
This was taking longer than expected.
It wasn't just weighing—they were checking for fakes too, which ate up time.
Unable to bear the wait, Sharon was about to nudge her when the receptionist stepped out.
"Total confirmed: 54 kg and 552.2 g. You've been busy collecting these."
"Y-yeah."
54.5 kg.
That came out to 5.45 billion won.
The jaw-dropping sum nearly made Sharon's lips twitch in this tense moment; she had to clamp them down.
But something felt off.
Normally, they'd hand over a fat envelope stuffed with cash.
Not this time.
"Um, where's the money?"
"Waypoints at each branch hold limited cash reserves. Exchanges over 100 million won go straight to a personal account."
"Personal... account? I don't have one..."
Fake IDs were mandatory for banking.
Sharon couldn't afford one, so no online accounts either.
Heck, yesterday's online purchase had gone through Siwoo's linked internet banking.
She'd stocked her wallet with cash from that, sure.
"No worries. When we deposit exchange proceeds, it's not through regular banks—it's our Waypoint Bank."
"Waypoint Bank?"
Cheap name, Sharon thought.
But if it meant getting paid, she'd make one.
"Yes. If you haven't signed up, could you fill out these forms? Account setup to deposit takes about ten minutes."
Seeing her hesitation, the receptionist slid over a catalog.
At the top: the chilling seal of the Gemernai Count family. Beside it, the thick pillar emblem of Viscount Esode. And finally, Gehenna's vault bank symbol—a gold coin.
Sharon scrawled her signature haphazardly and handed it back.
The receptionist returned to her computer station, soon producing a card and a sheet of paper before rattling off the terms.
"Sharon Evergreen, account WB-3E1T0-1JRMNK6. Today's exchange of 5,455,552,000 won has been deposited. This account is non-transferable. Violations of Gehenna civil law or use of illicit funds may result in seizure without prior notice."
"That account number seems kinda weird, doesn't it?"
Sharon eyed the paper—account details and her (vaguely filled) personal info—plus the fine print, scrutinizing every line.
For pocket change, she'd shrug it off. But with this fortune? Everyone suddenly looked like a pack of money-grubbing vultures.
"Show the card at any major bank, and you can handle transactions normally."
In truth, this process was less for witches' convenience and more for surveillance.
It tracked fund flows between exiles and modern-world witches. It also deterred "wanted" criminals from fencing crystals under fake identities.
Even if homunculus bounties were an inter-agency pact between nations and witches, no need to let society-wide menaces profit.
Once she'd verified the deposit, Sharon thanked her and asked if today's massive exchange would leak outside—and begged for discretion.
The receptionist gave her a dubious glance but nodded agreeably.
Who knew how reliable she was, but it felt like basic precautions were in place—a small comfort.
Afterward, Sharon stopped by the Waypoint info exchange to hand over yesterday's heart samples.
They'd run initial analysis against their global DB, then precise checks by Waypoint witches.
Results would come via letter later, she was told—by which point, it'd been a full hour since parting with Siwoo.
Sharon hurried to the café where he waited.
2.
"How should I make this roll..."
Until now, every quarter had been a scramble to pay off debts. Now? She had surplus cash.
She knew money bred money in capitalist society. With seed capital, it was time to grow it.
"Seoul real estate's skyrocketing lately—what do you think?"
Reunited with Siwoo at the café, they trudged along as Sharon muttered to herself.
Siwoo chimed in abruptly.
"Real estate?"
"Yeah. Seoul land prices are through the roof. They'll keep climbing awhile. With that much, I could snag one or two apartments, right?"
"How much are they rising?"
Siwoo fiddled with his smartphone, then showed her an article.
"Holy crap... 30% annual rise?"
With her 5.45 billion, that's about 1.6 billion profit a year.
Get a fake ID with leftovers, invest—the steady returns would crush loan interest rates.
Sure, stability needed checking, but less risky than crypto.
Sharon felt a surge of elation.
Plenty unsolved issues lingered, hidden snags too. But right now? Pure bliss.
Like a beam of light piercing endless darkness.
Sharon slipped her hand into her pocket, then—without thinking—hooked her arm through Siwoo's as they walked.
Truth be told, she was holding back an urge to hug him outright, settling for this restrained affection.
Siwoo startled at the sudden arm-link and the hefty pressure of her bosom against him.
"Siwoo, wanna do that thing again today...?"
"Hey, not out here."
Her secret trick to please him, learned yesterday.
Siwoo's flustered flailing was obvious at her sultry whisper.
Sharon stifled a laugh.
Cute.
She'd always figured she'd date a steadfast, sturdy pine of a man. Lately, though? Her tastes were shifting.
"Did I say something weird? I didn't even specify."
"Ah..."
He offered massive kindness freely, yet squirmed when receiving it—embarrassed, burdened.
Despite his perfect position to lord it over her, he never did. Even minor teasing left him flustered.
Yet in crises, he'd charge ahead, risking life more coolly than anyone.
Isn't that the real mark of an awesome guy?
Sharon cupped her hands to his ear and whispered as he froze.
"Kidding. You know, the thing with my chest yesterday."
"Cut it out."
"Your face is red, Siwoo."
She giggled, and he pretended to yank his arm free—though without real force.
Sharon knew it was just shy posturing.
"You mad?"
"No, why would I be?"
"Then you're not?"
"I said yeah."
"But your face looks grumpy."
"How so?"
Written out, it read like a bickering couple. Filmed? Anyone would clock the vibe instantly.
"Like you're dying to stare at my boobs ASAP."
"We'll see 'em at home."
"Aw, considerate. Not demanding a peek right here."
Flush with her windfall high, Sharon kept teasing mercilessly; Siwoo took it defenselessly.
Their vibe was endearingly domestic.
By the end, Siwoo wore a wry smile throughout, equal parts baffled and amused.
Then.
Sharon's grin vanished as she'd been gleefully ribbing Siwoo.
Her face drained pale.
They said enemies meet on a log bridge.
She'd run smack into the worst possible foe just stepping into the alley near the pasta joint.
Head-on collision—no ignoring or fleeing.
The witch who'd hounded Sharon relentlessly: the bitch of bitches, Della Redcliff.