Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Protection (3)
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1.
After Deneb and the twins left, the house—which had already felt spacious for just the two of them—now seemed twice as big.
"Somehow it feels empty."
"Yeah, thinking about it, you lived here alone for months."
"My place wasn't anything great either, but man, it must've been boring."
Sharon and Siu chatted idly as they prepared and ate dinner.
Today, instead of the kitchen, they sat at the living room table, eating while watching TV. The reason was simple.
They were keeping an eye on live news coverage of the shopping mall disaster.
Even a quick glance at the internet showed search rankings one through twenty dominated by keywords related to the incident.
For Siu, who had been right in the middle of that horrific event, he couldn't help wondering, Can they really cover up something this massive, even if it's witches doing it?
Surprisingly, they did.
To be precise, it wasn't covered up—it was fabricated and manipulated.
The bizarre fish that had torn into people was replaced with a gas leak and explosion causing a structural collapse.
Even the survivors' interviews parroted eerily similar lines, and footage aired under the guise of secured CCTV showed shoppers peacefully collapsing one by one.
The news condemned the construction company's shoddy work and negligence due to safety complacency.
Once the breaking news ended with arrest warrants issued for the exhibition hall's facility director, the company chairman, the construction firm CEO, and others, Siu turned off the TV.
"........."
"Siu..."
Sharon gently took his hand upon seeing his tightly pressed lips.
"You did your best. The Countess said there were way more survivors who made it out safely because of you."
"I know, but... it still leaves a bad taste. Not really dinner-table viewing material."
Thanks to that, they finished eating a bit early.
As Sharon cleared the empty dishes and headed to the kitchen, she spoke up.
"Siu, staying cooped up here is just gonna make you gloomier. Wanna go out for some fresh air?"
"Fresh air? Where to?"
"Incheon Port."
"Sounds good. Grab some grilled clams?"
It was exactly the mood changer he needed.
Without the twins' energizing passive buff, he felt a bit sluggish anyway.
No need to spread that gloom to Sharon, either.
"Grilled clams sound great. Plus, there's a Gehenna smuggler docking station there."
"Huh? There's something like that?"
"Yeah, but it's not always open. They do loading and unloading around the full moon every three months, and right now's peak season. Plenty to see, too. I haven't gone much myself except when I really needed to."
"Anything for us to check out?"
She explained further: places like this existed worldwide, not just Incheon Port.
Smugglers most often brought present-world goods into Gehenna, but the reverse happened plenty, too.
"Yeah. For example, most magic crops are grown in Latifundium, but exiles can't just waltz in and buy them. So smugglers bring them out and sell. Same with magic tools or mana fruits."
"Like a regular market."
"Exactly! Kinda like that."
Border Town's docking spot had handled transport, storage, and sales all in one, so the present-world versions probably did the same.
Back then, the dystopian fantasy vibe and melancholic atmosphere had secretly thrilled him.
He was curious what the present-world one would feel like.
"Perfect timing, too. Thanks to you, I've got a lead on restoring my stigma. Time to seriously prep for the 'Sacrifice' and my research."
"Alright, let's head out now."
Sharon paused at his words.
She tapped her toes on the floor, then slowly nodded.
Looked like she wanted to say something but held back.
"Yeah! Let's get ready quick!"
Since she let it slide without a word, Siu packed up too.
2.
They took a taxi straight to Wolmido in Incheon.
After stuffing themselves at a nearby clam grill joint, they strolled along.
Already, cranes moving containers and Incheon's inner harbor came into view in the distance.
The gentle autumn breeze carried a salty tang from the sea.
"Where are the docking spots in the present world?"
"Pretty much every major trade port. Incheon and Busan right here, Yokohama, Jebel Ali, Port Klang, Los Angeles... that's all I know."
"No China, surprisingly."
"The Chinese Communist Party doesn't take kindly to witches. That's why Wizpoint barely has any branches in that huge country. Zero cooperation with witches."
Apparently, even with close pacts between witches and each nation's elite, not every country was on friendly terms.
"Isn't that risky? Witches are the ones handling homunculi."
"Who knows? China's got the land and population, so maybe they just shrug off minor homunculus incidents. You know witches aren't exactly guardians of justice. They demand all sorts of concessions in exchange for protection."
Sharon's lecture on witches and global politics was surprisingly engaging.
"Same reason third-world or developing countries without the means to pay don't get much witch influence."
"China can rebuild, sure. But what about those places?"
"Vicious cycle. Witches who hate trouble hole up in the boonies, not infrastructure-poor spots like Cambodia or Bangladesh.
Fewer witches means more frequent disasters from naturally spawning homunculi, which wrecks infrastructure even more, scaring off witches...
So some countries offer huge sums and perks to lure witches. Scout them, basically. Ones without the cash hire them like mercenaries on short contracts—insanely expensive, of course."
Learning these things he'd never have known as an ordinary modern guy.
It also showed how deeply witches were embedded in the present world, even if unseen.
Listening made him think, People are people everywhere, huh?
"Ever get scouted?"
"I'd have to hunt public enemies that sneak in sometimes. Too tough at Hierarchy 17. Risk outweighs the reward."
Makes sense—even non-combat Yebin at 19 played it safe.
Sharon would've been even more cautious.
Chatting like that sparked a sudden question.
"Speaking of, what do public enemies even do? Shunned in Gehenna, shunned by exiles, can't use any Wizpoint services. That isolated, don't they just wither away?"
Public enemies were a tiny fraction of all witches.
With witch influence everywhere, how did they survive?
Rumor had it plenty still roamed, stirring conflicts.
"Like I said before, witches aren't righteous. They hunt homunculi for pay, earn for magic research.
Surviving public enemies are insanely dangerous.
Mostly grand witches or hanging on the edge.
Honestly, aside from Duke Tiphereth, few witches pick fights first. Rich ones ignore homunculi hunts altogether."
So, witches who grind trash mobs for pocket change to fund needs skip high-risk boss raids.
Big rewards mean massive risks.
"Public enemies have their own money-makers. Running South American drug cartels, magic plant farms, industrialized refineries.
They say chemistry started with alchemy, right? Some just run legit businesses and rake it in."
"But won't Duke Kether step in if they rampage that hard in the present world?"
Sharon shrugged at Siu's question.
"Duke Kether's... perfectly neutral? Even if I built a human trafficking ring, as long as I don't expose witches or misuse magic, she'd ignore it."
"Why?"
"No idea. Historically, dukes only wipe witches who've messed up the present world with magic, nearly exposing us.
Probably needs a cartel public enemy buying strategic nukes and launching at Mexico City to move her. They know it, so they toe the line."
Through Sharon, he pieced together unwritten history.
Why public enemies survived in the present world boiled down to:
One, most witches avoid fights, despite the name.
Two, they had ample capital already.
Three, Duke Kether tolerated as long as they didn't cross lines.
That about covered it.
Strolling and talking, buildings thinned out.
Vehicles on the wide road were mostly massive container trucks, not sedans.
Passing a tollgate into the docks, stacks of containers loomed—more than he'd seen in his whole life.
Weirdly shaped yard tractors hefted heavy loads effortlessly. Vast flatlands held dozens of huge warehouses in rows.
Most impressive: massive cranes, dozens of meters tall, plucking cargo from towering ships like claw machines.
Made him wonder if civilians belonged here.
"This way."
Sharon tugged his clothes, leading to a cluster of large warehouses, ignoring his awe.
Deep in the port, he'd worried workers in coveralls might stop them with, What brings you here?
Orgel's effect held strong—no one glanced their way.
Squeezing between tight container walls, people vanished like magic.
Machine roars and tractor engines faded.
Suddenly, one lone warehouse stood before them.
Silly, but it felt like witch enchantment.
"Kinda out in the open, huh? Guess there's a method."
"Ports are logistics hubs—gotta share. But can't build docking spots in plain sight.
From what I know, they use ley lines, water veins, and containers for a formation array.
Hit the corners in exact timing and order to reach here."
"Wild."
"Right?"
No guards at the entrance, naturally.
Siu and Sharon opened a side door and stepped into the smuggler's docking station (present-world edition).
Oh my gosh... Fanart of dark-corrupted Amelia, provided by Primitive-nim! Wow, this one's got its own killer vibe. Especially that shameless outfit highlighting her navel—it stole my heart. Thank you so much for the gorgeous fanart!!! I'll treasure it in the gallery!!!!