Chapter 278
Chapter 278
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 278
Chapter Title: Priest (8)
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A catastrophe that might occur only once every century had finally passed.
Looking back, every moment was one that still made his heart race, no matter how many times he replayed it in his mind.
The white knights surging in like a tidal wave, the terrifying red knight.
If even a single person's strength had fallen short, they never would have survived the crisis.
Eloa had pushed herself to the brink and still had the contract's toll hanging over her.
Siu was covered in wounds from clashing with the red knight.
The moment he returned to Wizpoint clutching the Red Branch, he collapsed into bed and spent the entire day recovering from exhaustion.
Even for a spirit body, being driven that hard made sleep essential.
While Siu and Eloa slept, Sua Branch Manager wrapped up the aftermath.
Since everything had unfolded within the massive hidden barrier she had deployed, cleanup didn't take long.
All that was left was to recover the bodies of the two witches who had promised their aid and hold their funerals.
Witches rarely knew everyone in their circles intimately, and since neither of the two slain by the red knight had apprentices, things proceeded swiftly.
Siu was awarded ownership of the Red Branch in recognition of his contributions to the subjugation.
In truth, Eloa had done all the heavy lifting, and he'd merely landed the finishing blow, so he repeatedly refused, wondering if he deserved something so grand.
But Sua Branch Manager was profoundly grateful to him.
Eloa already wielded the irreplaceable relic sword Contract Sword, so naturally, the spoils went to Siu.
With the Red Branch formally handed over...
Eloa, Siu, and Della gathered in the cavern of the rainwater tunnel.
It was the same chamber where the altar had been set up, where Paola had met her end.
"Let's begin."
Della hadn't left Seoul during the events, recovering at Wizpoint instead.
Her eyes were filled with profound melancholy and sorrow.
As Siu recalled, she had always exuded a sharp, fox-like ferocity, but now her beautifully extended eyelashes drooped downward.
Wearing not her usual red dress but a black one, Della stood before Paola's lonely corpse beneath the wreckage of the shattered lotus.
She gently stroked the dead witch's hair with her hand, noting how one eye stared blankly upward in death.
"Now, I return your life to the light of truth. Unbind the chains of delusion that held you. Death is but a sacred rite, shedding the shell of the flesh to advance toward truth..."
Upon hearing of Paola's death, Della had asked Sua Branch Manager to allow her to handle the funeral.
A witch's funeral was typically a rite honoring the predecessor who passed on their stigma to an apprentice.
In such cases, it served as proof of fulfilled duty, so it wasn't usually somber.
But for witches who perished unexpectedly without successors, it was held in a grim atmosphere, witnessed by close acquaintances, just like this.
Of course, for someone responsible for quadruple-digit civilian deaths and the slaying of over ten witches, a proper funeral was unthinkable.
Public enemies were those who broke witch society's rules.
Any upright witch would show no mercy toward such criminals.
Normally, their corpses would be sent to Gehenna for auction at the "First Red Roof Salon," or used as research material by whichever witch claimed them.
Della offered her entire fortune to Wizpoint in exchange for the body, and Sua approved without much hesitation.
After all, Della's information had allowed them to contain the disaster before the Witch of Cowardice could wreak more havoc.
It was bitterly ironic, considering Della could have killed Paola at any time but hadn't.
Still, they couldn't fully trust Della, who had hidden Paola's whereabouts until then, so they agreed to conclude the funeral with Eloa presiding.
"Let that flesh be consumed in sacred flame, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust."
With Della's brief eulogy...
Flames erupted from her feet, engulfing the entire cavern.
The remnants of the altar that had bloomed the lotus, the half-collapsed flower itself, Paola's coldly cooled body.
All burned away amid flickering tongues of flame.
Della's pristine white fire left not even smoke behind, incinerating everything.
She stamped her heel, and the lava-like blaze subsided entirely.
"Rest in peace."
Della stared blankly at the spot where Paola had sat, lost in thought.
Siu and Eloa quietly slipped away, leaving her to grieve.
Eloa had rushed straight to the underground waterway after barely waking up, standing in for the extremely busy Sua Branch Manager.
Siu had followed her.
"......"
"......"
Honestly, he was still half-asleep, in a daze even on the way here, so no particular thoughts had crossed his mind.
But witnessing that scene left a bitter taste.
He knew the Witch of Cowardice was a monstrous butcher.
A utter madwoman among madwomen.
Yet hearing how she'd bloomed that lotus to save her long-lost disciple, and seeing her die so utterly alone... it didn't sit right.
Not that her crimes were forgivable, of course.
Emerging from the vertical exhaust shaft, they beheld Seoul's streets, bustling as ever.
Jam-packed roads full of cars, office workers slurping iced Americanos in clusters.
A pleasant autumn breeze, sunset glow, and the hum of daily life blended in perfect harmony.
Glancing sideways, Siu's eyes met Eloa's.
Life returned to her previously vacant gaze, lost in reverie.
Her expression wasn't exactly cheerful, so she asked,
"Is something weighing on your mind?"
"It's just... not as satisfying as I thought it'd be."
Thinking he'd contributed even a little to preserving this peace brought pride.
Without him, the red knight would have killed Eloa, then rampaged further.
This serene everyday life would have been stained by horrific slaughter.
Even so, Siu voiced the feelings he'd bottled up.
"To be honest—and this might sound strange—but I felt a bit sorry for the Witch of Cowardice."
"I thought as much. You're a kind soul, after all."
The cheesy line came almost instantly, leaving Siu flustered.
He looked at her in bewilderment, but she met his eyes steadily, unwavering.
Her beauty aside, those eyes brimmed with such pure trust that he could hardly hold her gaze.
He felt it was an undeserved compliment.
"W-well, putting that aside."
"It's not 'putting aside'—it's the truth."
"Yeah, well..."
Eloa smiled faintly at his floundering.
Her lovely face, steadfast gaze, and floral smile were too much; Siu turned his head away.
"I think I get why you tease me so much. Were you after reactions like this when you kept praising my clothes and cooking?"
"Tease? I was just complimenting you..."
"I'm just complimenting you too, aren't I?"
Eloa caught up to his quickening pace, hands behind her back, playfully prodding.
They'd grown close, but she'd never been this mischievous before...
Still, the mood lightened considerably.
Eloa, dimples flashing in a delighted grin, cleared her throat and spoke.
"The world's affairs don't divide neatly like a knife cut. No one is purely evil, nor purely good."
"You felt pity for the Witch of Cowardice because you saw the good in her. Just as you did for me."
"What did I even do? Stop it already—I won't fall for it."
Mistaking it for more teasing, Siu put up his guard.
His stubborn expression screamed he wouldn't blush or get embarrassed.
But Eloa wasn't lying or exaggerating to flatter him.
Even though she'd punched him into near-death on first sight—misunderstanding or not.
Even though she'd intimidated his friend and refused to drop her suspicions.
He'd forgiven her without reproach.
And more than that?
He'd comforted her despite no obligation, stayed by her side.
Rather than fleeing to Gehenna for safety amid her obsessive worries, he'd fought alongside her.
In the end, he'd saved her from peril and subdued the red knight.
And afterward, when her magic was depleted...
Eloa abruptly cut off the thought.
No need to dwell on unnecessary details.
Still, her cheeks warmed—not just from the autumn sunset filtering between buildings.
"Oh...!"
Siu's vow not to fall for her teasing shattered in an instant.
Eloa suddenly grasped his hand firmly.
Not an intertwined grip or anything suggestive—just a touch as warm and trusting as her eyes.
"Thank you."
She brought his hand to her cheek, pressing it lightly against her skin.
No special reason; she simply wanted to.
Her soft, yielding cheek pressed against his knuckles.
The contact with her smooth skin stirred a memory.
An irreverent one, admittedly... recalling how her entire body had felt so soft and silky.
Before the reflexive lewd reminiscence could land him in trouble, Eloa pulled his hand away from her cheek and asked lightly,
"So, what are your plans from here?"
"First, I'll head to Gehenna to pick up Sharon. The twins invited me to visit anyway... and there's someone I'd like to meet personally."
"As expected."
Might've been his imagination,
but the moment Sharon's name left his lips, Eloa's expression darkened slightly.
She seemed startled by her own reaction, hastily composing herself.
But Siu's next words rendered her efforts futile.
"Would you come with me, Master? To Gehenna."
She'd half-expected the invitation, but it filled her with such joy that she fought to keep her lips from curving upward.
"Of course. I was planning to rest while the contract's toll is paid anyway."
Eloa dipped her head slightly, absently touching her lips.
Siu had recently learned this was one of her habits.
She did it when trying to hide how pleased she was.
"Siu."
"Yes, Master."
As expected, her voice brimmed with excitement as she pointed crisply at the department store.
They'd wandered and ended up near home.
"We've been through twists and turns, but we pulled off something big. No point moping—how about a little celebration party?"
"Sounds good to me."
"I'll handle the cooking. It wouldn't be bad to get thoroughly drunk for once."
Seeing Eloa bounce like a kid at an amusement park entrance brought a fond smile to Siu's face.
Sometimes, she felt less like a master and more like an adorable little sister.
"Come on, closing time's approaching."
"It's only 7 PM? We've got three hours left."
"I'll pull out all the stops on cooking today. Even five hours of shopping wouldn't be enough."
Despite lingering battle fatigue, the two headed to the grocery section with feather-light steps, filling two carts to the brim after a long shopping spree.