Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: All Darkness Comes from the East (2)
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1.
The relationship between master and disciple is much like that of parent and child.
Especially in witch society, this bond becomes even more pronounced.
To an apprentice witch, the witch is a parent figure, and to the witch, the apprentice is a child they'd gladly give their life for without a second thought.
"However, you must not go anywhere. Stay by my side."
A forbidden relationship that must never be crossed.
The love between master and disciple.
In this way, Eloa summoning the courage to confess the ambiguous feelings she'd long harbored for Siu... was, naturally, not the case at all.
Well, Siu had briefly mistaken it for that the moment she took his hand.
"There's one thing weighing on my mind."
Periwinkle, Siu, and even Eloa just moments ago.
All of them believed the cause of Siu's impending death would be the Cowardly Witch.
Given the circumstances, it was the most likely possibility, impossible to deny.
A calamity capable of killing even a Grand Witch was set to strike Seoul within the month.
Siu held an ominous prophecy like a death sentence in his hands, and he was currently in Seoul.
The Cowardly Witch had caused multiple incidents in Seoul over several months and remained unlocated to this day.
Even setting aside the uncertainties, with this much circumstantial evidence piling up, the vague outline sharpened into focus.
'Conclusion: A massive disaster will strike Seoul before long.'
Thus, the plan was to evacuate Siu to Gehenna alongside Evergreen.
That was the moment Eloa realized something.
But what if...
What if that judgment was wrong?
What if Siu's dire prophecy had nothing to do with the Cowardly Witch?
What if some other threat—like a Public Enemy targeting Siu for his rare title as the first male witch—was at play?
Eloa bore a self-imposed duty and responsibility.
It was less a matter of choice and more a karma she carried.
No matter the options presented, she couldn't turn her back on the impending calamity.
Eloa would stay in Seoul and fight, even if it cost her life.
In other words, if Siu fell into danger in Gehenna, Eloa could do nothing to help.
She could only pray that the four-leaf clover Periwinkle had given him fulfilled its role.
Therefore, she declared:
"...And so, I shall protect you. Staying by my side is safer than anywhere else in the world."
"Hm..."
Siu quietly listened to Eloa's speech, caught in its peculiar fervor.
She articulated her points logically, and from what Siu could tell, it wasn't an impossible scenario.
It was entirely plausible.
But to be more honest about his feelings...
It was a massive leap.
The hypotheses Eloa laid out only held if every situation spiraled into the worst possible outcome.
Even accounting for her cautious nature, it was excessive worry.
"That could happen, sure."
But Siu chose not to point out those flaws.
The reason Eloa lost Rafi—speaking in results—was because they weren't together.
He hadn't heard the exact details, but apparently Rafi had fallen to Ea while Eloa looked away for a moment.
For someone with such a painful past, the mere idea of 'not keeping the predestined-to-be-in-danger Siu by her side' triggered her trauma.
And trauma was the sort of thing that made fireworks in a festival crowd sound like artillery barrages—once triggered, probabilities and likelihoods ceased to matter.
Eloa wanted Siu right in front of her eyes, no matter what it took.
"You think so too, don't you?"
"Yes, I think there's merit to what you're saying, Master."
"Then, you'll stay by my side?"
"I will."
Eloa suddenly thrust out her pinky finger right under Siu's nose.
The childish gesture came with utterly serious, desperate eyes.
"Please promise me."
Siu hesitated for a moment.
Just briefly, he pondered if this promise was the right call.
In truth, by Eloa's side, he'd be protected from most dangers.
For starters, Sharon's safety—his biggest worry—was assured.
And if an unexpected crisis hit, the four-leaf clover from Periwinkle would buy him a turn as insurance.
No.
Actually, the safest option was still evacuating to Gehenna.
Siu could even receive the Jemernai countess's protection, so there was no reason to stay in Seoul's vortex of chaos.
Even as those thoughts swirled, Siu hooked his finger with hers.
"I promise."
Because, setting all else aside, Eloa's expression looked so desperate and earnest.
2.
Now, about the two days that followed.
With Sua Branch Manager's help, Sharon was safely evacuated to Gehenna.
Afterward, the two returned to the officetel from Wizpoint's penthouse.
Having spent time in such a spacious penthouse, even the officetel with its two rooms felt oppressively intimate, like they were living on top of each other.
"Siu, are you going somewhere?"
"Ah, just stepping out for a smoke."
"Didn't we promise to stick together always? I'll come with you."
If one had to describe Eloa's demeanor since their shopping trip together—apologies for the crude comparison—it was like a puppy with separation anxiety.
She couldn't bear even a moment without Siu in sight, clinging to his side all day.
Her obsessive overprotection bordered on pathological as she trailed behind him, but knowing the circumstances, Siu could only accept it despite the slight discomfort.
"......"
That alone might have been enough to feel burdened or uneasy.
But then an additional problem arose.
A bizarre issue whose cause was utterly inscrutable.
Look at this.
Eloa, wearing the shoes Siu bought her along with a checkered skirt and blouse, climbed the stairs first.
Siu followed carelessly, then realized with a start.
By sheer coincidence, Eloa's skirt hem had flipped up at an odd angle, fully exposing one side of her buttock.
For reference, Tiphereth Duke's pick for the day was modest mint-green and white striped panties.
The plump allure of Eloa's rear and the soft underflesh peeking from below the elastic swayed right in front of his face as she ascended.
It wasn't even that short a skirt, and she wasn't carrying a bag or anything—Siu couldn't fathom how such a scene had unfolded.
No, even if it bunched up from sitting on the sofa, did skirts really fold like origami paper?
Eloa, oblivious to it all, spoke up.
"Have you no intention of quitting smoking? Of course, tobacco's toxins can't harm an astral body, but becoming addicted and dependent isn't good. This is already your fifth cigarette of the day, isn't it?"
Just two days ago, Siu might have frozen solid, but now he naturally sidled right up beside Eloa and climbed the stairs.
Because over these past two days, such awkward coincidences had cropped up whenever they had a moment alone.
Especially the sexual ones.
In that sense, brushing past it this naturally was a blessing.
"Doesn't Master enjoy alcohol too?"
A quick glance sideways at Eloa's rear, and the skirt was perfectly in place as if nothing had happened.
Among the accidents happening several times a day lately, this one ended without either of them blushing.
At this point, Siu wondered if some vast malevolence wasn't targeting him.
If Periwinkle's mentioned crisis of death wasn't anything grand, but simply Siu crossing a line with a fatal mistake and getting beaten to death by Eloa.
Even such conspiratorial thoughts crossed his mind.
"Alcohol and cigarettes are entirely different!"
Amid it all, Eloa raised her voice as if she couldn't tolerate anyone touching her whiskey collection.
"Alcohol isn't addictive, but tobacco is. Moreover, alcohol embodies style, aesthetics, and profound artistry of unfathomable depth. Tobacco, on the other hand, is so harmful it's classified as a narcotic."
Even if one pointed out her clear alcohol dependency disorder, what could be done?
Master insisted.
From lighting up to coming back down, Siu endured a lecture on smoking's myriad harms interspersed with fervent praise for whiskey and liquors in general.
"...Anyway, at least make an effort."
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
Eloa's sermon continued right up to their destination.
A glance at the clock showed it nearing midnight.
It was about time for Eloa to retire.
Siu didn't need sleep, but for Eloa, four hours a day was a contractual necessity.
From experience, the deeper the night, the more bizarre situations tended to escalate between them.
Siu stayed vigilant, minding his posture carefully.
"Then, I'll go change first, so wait here."
Eloa seemed aware of the oddness too, issuing double reminders.
"You must stay outside."
3.
With those stern instructions, Eloa entered her room.
"......"
Lately, something was off.
Weird things kept happening.
Like the door flying open on its own while she showered, exposing her to Siu (thankfully, superhuman reflexes let her curl up and avert disaster).
Or her hand brushing Siu's groin during sparring (she pretended it never happened).
Or underwear accidentally flashing...
Anyway, embarrassing incidents unfit for polite speech.
Eloa wasn't treating the recent string of events nonchalantly either.
Of course she felt ashamed and mortified, but she pretended to stay composed.
She couldn't bear to part from Siu over mere trifles, so she gritted her teeth and kept him close.
But...
This frequency was definitely abnormal.
She'd even briefly suspected Siu of harboring lewd intentions and orchestrating them on purpose.
"No way."
Eloa knew Siu's character and tendencies well.
Anyone else, maybe—but not him scheming against her.
Eloa stripped off her clothes, grunting as she peeled away the tight sports bra constricting her chest.
She changed into the pajamas Siu had bought her.
The cozy fabric wrapping her body induced a yawn as she pondered recent events.
"Hmm..."
Mid-chin stroke, a sudden realization hit, making Eloa jolt.
"...Huh?"
Exposing bare skin, flashing underwear, unintended physical contact.
All the recent embarrassments shared a common thread.
Embarrassed to show bare skin to her disciple?
Embarrassed to show underwear to her disciple?
Embarrassed by bodily contact with her disciple?
It made no sense.
Eloa perceived these as mishaps only because they felt awkward in a 'man-woman' context.
And that realization struck her like a thunderbolt.
A man-woman dynamic between master and disciple?
Absurd, impossible, utter nonsense.
It bordered on incest.
Siu might be excused for his inexperience, but for Eloa—the one meant to guide him—to waver subconsciously was a massive shock.
"What have I been ashamed of all this time?"
Eloa shuddered, eyes closing as if struck by great enlightenment.
Even temporarily, as his master, she should have shown only the proper demeanor.
Instead, she'd fumbled over trivialities—what must he have thought and learned?
If she'd handled the first incident casually from the start...
Siu probably wouldn't be so affected now.
A master is the disciple's mirror.
Eloa viewing Siu as a man first made it natural for him to see her as a woman.
Wrong must be righted.
With firm resolve, Eloa stepped out of the room.