Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Salvation (3)
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1.
Witches, by nature, do not take orders from anyone.
They simply and silently carry out their duties within the established system.
Thus, grandiose titles like Duchess of Gehenna or Wizpoint Branch Manager did not grant anyone the authority to command them.
Sua had personally gone around securing promises of aid from seven witches in case of emergencies.
They had each claimed a sofa in the branch manager's office and were lounging in their own comfortable positions.
To an outsider, it might look like they were holding a world beauty pageant or auditioning for the female lead role.
After all, each one was a stunning beauty with different hair colors, eye colors, and skin tones.
"Yaaawn~ What's the big deal this early in the morning?"
The Witch of Agriculture, who appeared to be around 170 cm tall, let out a massive yawn that nearly split her mouth as she reclined against the sofa's backrest.
Her healthy, sun-tanned skin gleamed, her revealing, provocative dress draped sloppily without a hint of elegance, and she casually crossed her firm, prominent thighs.
The others didn't say much, but the atmosphere was roughly the same.
To elaborate, it was a vibe of "Do we really have to do this?" or "This is such a hassle."
Rather than interest in why the branch manager had summoned them, they seemed far more intrigued by Siu, who had naturally blended into the group of witches.
"Hey there? I've heard a lot about you, but this is the first time seeing you in person."
The Witch of Agriculture, Evelyn Imhotep, who had been dangling her high heel precariously from her toe, flashed a wink and threw a flirtatious glance at Siu.
"Hello."
Siu gave a perfunctory response, having no choice.
He wasn't particularly thrilled by such advances at the best of times, and even less so today.
The news Della had delivered right after waking up had dealt Siu a massive shock.
To put it in relatable terms, it felt like hearing that a radical armed religious group had announced a large-scale virus terror attack in the heart of Seoul.
This was no joke.
Really, the ten million people living in Seoul were all in peril.
Just like that horrific massacre at the department store in the exhibition hall not long ago.
For Siu, who still vividly remembered the dark store drenched in blood and scattered with chunks of entrails, that alone made his stomach churn.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone gathered here."
Sua, who had come prepared with briefing materials, entered the branch manager's office levitating a large whiteboard with telekinesis.
"Yeah, yeah, an email or message would've sufficed."
The somewhat curt reply came from the Witch of Glass, Patricia Casad.
With skin so translucent it was nearly transparent and a pallor so extreme it bordered on ghostly,
she was the kind of witch who made one wonder if the mythical snow woman from legends truly existed, and if so, wouldn't she look just like this?
"I apologize sincerely for summoning you all unilaterally in this time-sensitive matter."
"Hey, no need to go that far. You were probably holed up in your room scribbling magic anyway."
"Does the duty of a witch mean nothing to those who turn their backs and chase pleasure? Wasting time isn't even a concept for you, huh?"
Patricia and Evelyn traded a couple of barbs, seeming close enough for it.
In fact, it wasn't just them—the overall atmosphere was chaotic.
Even an elementary school class meeting would show more focus than this.
"Seoul is currently facing a crisis unlike any in history. A trap far larger than any disaster and more meticulously woven than any threat before."
Sua relayed everything she had heard from Della.
The Cowardice Witch's plan was a mass slaughter.
The preparations for it were already complete.
She didn't hide a single detail about the White Knights' existence and strength either.
Nor the fact that getting involved in this incident was extremely dangerous.
After all, the witches gathered here weren't holding the line for justice.
They were essentially mercenaries hired with promised compensation.
If Sua lied, they would pull out without hesitation if the danger exceeded expectations.
Better to lay out the truth from the start and seek genuine cooperation than have the plan unravel due to mismatched numbers.
"……."
"……."
As Sua calmly explained the situation, the rowdy atmosphere settled.
In its place, the witches regarded her with varied expressions.
Some indifferent, some shocked, some apathetic.
"Alright, I heard you out. Let's call off that prior discussion we had."
One witch, dressed in an incredibly archaic witch's robe despite the modern era, stood up without hesitation.
She was one of the witches from the Emerald Tablet whom they had painstakingly invited from Gehenna.
She must have deemed her attributes incompatible with the White Knights, as she bailed quickly.
"Sorry, but this is way different from what I heard. I'll be going now..."
A Wizpoint-affiliated witch, who had been glancing around hesitantly, also shot to her feet.
Excluding Siu, Sua, Eloa, and Della, only five remained.
"I want to hear about the plan. You're not asking for help without any preparations, right?"
As Evelyn recrossed her legs and asked, Eloa, who had been silently observing, stepped forward.
"Before the Cowardice Witch completes her 'altar.' We'll infiltrate the sealed tunnel where she's set up her workshop."
Staying put like this would hand control of the situation to Sochitl.
No matter how strong Eloa was, as Della said, she couldn't block rainwater with her palm alone.
Della didn't know exactly what the altar Sochitl was building was for.
But if Sochitl let the White Knights run rampant all at once, there would be civilian casualties—and neither Eloa nor Sua wanted that.
"It looks too dangerous. If we stir up the hornet's nest, the Cowardice Witch won't just sit idly by.
She'll realize the plan's gone awry and lash out in desperation."
"Sua has a countermeasure for that. I'll erect a barrier over all of Seoul. Unlike a standard backworld barrier, no one can freely come and go."
Sua had spent the past period installing pillars inscribed with binding spells across Wizpoint sites in Seoul.
The Cowardice Witch's goal was mass slaughter.
If she mobilized the White Knights only to find no humans left to kill, she'd surely attack the barrier to break it.
Sua's barrier was a textbook sealing technique, massive in scale but otherwise standard.
"This girl will focus on maintaining and guarding the barrier."
Her role was to hold it off and keep the backworld barrier up to prevent civilians from getting caught in the crossfire.
"So what do we do?"
"Even I can't take on all the enemies at once alone. Enter through different vertical ventilation shafts to scatter their forces."
"That's basically no plan at all."
Patricia shook her head slowly after listening to Eloa.
Her snow-white hair swayed this way and that.
It sounded plausible, but there were no real safety nets or clever strategies.
Realizing this, three witches exchanged glances and left.
The remaining witches were Evelyn, the Latina witch lounging boldly,
and Patricia, the Slavic witch with an icy expression.
Both confident in their abilities, both skilled in physical-force magic.
Fewer stayed than expected, but there was no choice.
Delaying further risked the altar's completion and unknown variables.
This was the one gap before Sochitl fully prepared.
"Thank you for staying."
Eloa bowed politely to the two.
"Gotta at least pretend to work if they're paying."
"If it gets too risky, I'm out. Don't expect too much."
The two replied nonchalantly.
Siu quietly chimed in between them.
"I'll help with the fighting too."
"Absolutely not!"
As expected, Eloa reacted almost hysterically.
Going beyond expectations, she grabbed Siu's collar with trembling hands.
"Come with me!"
With unprecedented force, Eloa dragged Siu into the hallway before releasing his collar.
Unlike moments ago when she'd maintained composure, her small frame now shivered like a rain-soaked bird.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Yes, I do."
"Haven't you already received an ominous prophecy? Even hiding quietly isn't enough, and you want to jump into that mess? With your level of skill, are you so blind you can't see the limits?"
Eloa was afraid.
Afraid of losing Siu like this, afraid of repeating another mistake.
That's why she tried to break his resolve with harsh words and tone.
"We need even the smallest bit of help."
Siu, who usually obeyed Eloa's every word no matter how trivial, was different today.
He met her gaze with steadfast eyes and shared his thoughts.
"At my current level, I can handle quite a few White Knights. Plus, I have the clover from Ms. Periwinkle as a safety net, and Master's 'contract.' I won't overdo it. Whatever I can manage within my limits, I want to do."
"I can't allow it. Absolutely not."
"Master."
"I won't hear it. Your thoughts aren't worth reconsidering."
Eloa plugged her ears, refusing even to engage.
Siu's hand gently rested on her shoulder.
Eloa wasn't a fool.
She could sense he'd made up his mind, and no brief persuasion would sway him.
Wasn't protecting people the biggest reason he'd said he wanted to grow stronger?
"Don't worry too much. I have the coordinate teleport for escape anytime, and the Orgel to hide my presence, right? If I can just buy a little time, I can get away."
Which only made her want to stop him more desperately.
Eloa vividly remembered Rafi's final moments, when she'd said she wanted to fight for people.
She knew a Siu who'd crossed another wall could serve as a joker against the White Knights, yet that's why she had to hold him back.
Eloa clutched Siu's sleeve with a desperate voice.
"Why throw yourself into this? You don't need to take risks... No one would blame you. Even witches far more experienced than you have left, haven't they?"
Her words weren't wrong.
No matter how much aid was needed, how much he'd contribute was unknown.
He might end up killing a few White Knights at best before fleeing.
"I know. I know it's a situation I could avoid if I chose to."
This wasn't like times when he was forced onto the battlefield, staking his life.
Siu's determination might indeed be overstepping his bounds, as Eloa said.
"Then... just avoid it? Why court danger?"
"Master."
Siu locked eyes with Eloa's magenta irises, his gaze solemn.
Siu didn't think of himself as special.
He was full of mistakes, clumsy, and prone to idiotic blunders.
Looking back, he'd done plenty of foolish things that made him chuckle wryly.
Shin Siu was a coward.
When crisis loomed, he wanted to close his eyes and turn away; when cries for help rang out, plug his ears and pretend not to hear; when death approached, his legs shook uncontrollably—he was that kind of coward.
Yet one unwavering conviction always remained in his heart.
A belief life itself had taught him.
"If I'd run every time I could... I probably wouldn't be here now."
Had he settled for a slave's life barely scraping by on food, clothing, and shelter, he wouldn't wield magic like this.
Had he fled upon seeing the terrifying homunculus and public enemy, he might have ended up prey alongside the twins.
Fear was always there.
But the courage to take one step forward instead of closing his eyes had forged the current Shin Siu.
And the times he'd frozen in terror, doing nothing?
He'd nearly lost Sharon to the drowned witch's curse.
In his life, nowhere he'd fled to had ever been paradise.
"I understand your concern. I'm sorry, but I don't want to watch innocent people die. If I have the power, I want to help as far as I can reach."
Eloa could no longer dissuade him.
His words evoked too strong a sense of déjà vu.
If she told him here, "That's not your duty," and urged him to back off, it felt like she'd revert to the moment she ignored Rafi's plea.
Back to her foolish, immature past self.
Eloa closed her eyes.
Her long, lovely lashes trembled with surging emotion.
"Very well. But stay by my side without fail."
"Thank you for understa—"
"And...!"
Eloa gripped Siu's hand tightly as he began to bow his head.
"If it feels even slightly dangerous, run without hesitation."
"Yes, that was my plan from the start."
Siu clasped her small hand—too small for one who'd felled mighty foes—and reassured Eloa.