Chapter 339
Chapter 339
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 339
Chapter Title: The Witch of Sloth (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.
The mealtimes at the Yesode Countess's household always featured just the two of them.
Countess Lucy never missed dinner with her daughter, no matter how busy she was.
Especially since Diana had started being forced out of the house from morning till evening, the countess had even skipped appointments to join her for meals.
"My dear, you worked so hard again today. Mommy is just so proud of you."
The countess's face was beaming.
Truth be told, until she had kicked Diana out, she hadn't expected her to live up to expectations so diligently.
She figured Diana would just go through the motions and come slinking home half-heartedly...
But to succeed in outings for a full week straight.
And to return with all sorts of new experiences, regaling her with tales.
Now, even if she died tomorrow, she would have no regrets.
"Today, we've got plenty of your favorite lamb chops. Eat up! Ohohoho!"
"......"
But Diana simply stared blankly down at the lamb chops her mother had served her, lost in thought.
The countess was taken aback by her daughter's unusual demeanor.
Diana was the type who would put on a show of effort at the mere mention of lamb chops, even if she was slacking off.
Normally, she would be eagerly wielding her knife and fork, devouring them...
"What's wrong? Did something happen out there?"
"No, Mother. I'll eat it happily."
"Good girl. I even picked up lots of trendy sweets from Border Town. So, what did you do today?"
As always, it was report time during dinner.
Diana would recount her day's events to the countess, who would grin from ear to ear, practically melting with delight.
"I went to a host bar."
The countess's face, already primed for a smile, shattered like a plate hurled from a rooftop.
Her hand slipped on the knife as she tensed while cutting the lamb, sending the meat tumbling to the floor.
"W-What? What bar?"
"A host bar."
"You can't go to places like that! Didn't I tell you? All men are perverts who scheme to take advantage of your pretty face! Why would you go there? Are you rebelling against me right now?"
Apprentice witches had to avoid men.
This was essential to prevent any potential accidents.
But Countess Lucy's rote indoctrination and constant tirades went far beyond basic common sense.
She worried that some creep might snatch away her Diana, who wouldn't even flinch if you poked her eye.
It was a gnawing ache in her gut, a sorrow that made her repeat herself endlessly.
Honestly, just imagining her witch daughter tumbling in bed with some man was enough to plunge her into depression.
And the inevitable farewell that time would bring—how many tears would it draw from Diana's beautiful eyes...
She didn't want her beloved daughter to endure the pain of watching someone age, wither, fall ill, and depart alone in loneliness.
The mere thought made her heart ache.
"No, it's not rebellion. I heard there was a male witch there, so I wanted to see him for myself."
"Ah."
At Diana's calm response, the countess realized she had overreacted.
The Yesode family, being merchants, were quick to pick up on rumors.
She already knew a host bar had opened and that a male witch was working there as a host.
It was worth a visit out of pure magical curiosity.
"Ahem, Mommy got too worked up. Sorry, my dear."
"It's fine."
"So, what did you do there? What was he like up close?"
"...Nothing special."
The magic he demonstrated was truly unimpressive.
It was Nature Magic, but not compelling enough to warrant a special trip.
Even in combat, she, an apprentice witch, could probably win.
For a 'male witch' who had only lived a single lifetime, that had to be his limit, right?
"I see? Rumors aren't always reliable. Of course! What man could ever catch my beautiful daughter's eye!"
But something nagged at her, refusing to let it slide so easily.
The second game.
That completely unexpected move that had nearly cornered Diana.
Did he really plan it?
If so, it meant he had analyzed and countered every spell Diana had meticulously built up.
"Mother."
"Yes, my dear?"
"Am I good at Wizboard?"
The countess answered Diana's question as if it were the most obvious thing.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious all of a sudden."
"Our Diana takes after her smart mommy, so she's amazing at it! Want to take a bath together before bed and play a game like old times?"
"No baths. But objectively speaking, how good am I?"
Disappointed at the rejection of her shared bath request, the countess answered anyway.
"No other apprentice witch could match you... At your level, even most full witches wouldn't stand a chance."
"Right?"
"Of course~ You're so, so smart, my dear."
"Have you ever gone easy on me?"
"Maybe when you were little~ But now you'd notice right away and get mad."
Truth be told, she did go easy on her just a tiny bit.
No matter how equally an apprentice witch and a full witch could compete in the game, experience created a gap.
Even accounting for that, Diana's skill was outstanding.
Plus, as a sedentary hobby, she studied famous games on her own and reviewed them—making her something of a veteran.
The attack she had prepared that morning was disguised to be undetectable.
Yet the man saw through it...
Was that even possible?
Diana's worries deepened.
2.
The next morning.
Siu was sprawled on the quiet host bar's sofa, reading a book.
None other than the score of yesterday's first Wizboard game against Diana.
It wasn't as ancient as chess, but it had a long history, with many famous witches' games preserved.
Siu's impression after skimming through them...
"More fun than I thought?"
Yeah.
What to say—it was a game he never would have imagined.
With runes placed randomly, there were tons of variables. Unlike typical 2D board games, the board itself formed a 3D shape, leading to countless possibilities.
If he had to compare it to familiar games: like connecting stones in Go-Stop to complete spells, then battling with those spells like in chess, all while claiming territory like in Go?
Requiring complex calculations, multidimensional thinking, psychological warfare—it was impossible not to enjoy.
So after work, he had stopped by a nearby gallery's bookstore and bought a collection of scores.
There were strategy guides on basic openings and standard plays, but he skimmed them and set them aside, bored.
Too many weird terms popping up.
After that, he had spent the night alone studying scores to grasp the overall flow.
So absorbed, he lost track of time until the sun rose.
-Bang bang bang!
Still too early for any preparations.
7 a.m.
A knock already sounded.
He opened the front door to find his expected guest standing there demurely, like a picture.
"I'm back."
"Good morning, Lady Diana. You're early."
Siu greeted her politely with his ingrained etiquette and ushered her inside.
Plenty of time before opening, but that was fine.
Siu had a strong competitive streak.
He was ready to redeem yesterday's humiliation.
Whether he could win was another matter, of course.
"I'll order drinks today too. Since I'm early, three bottles like yesterday. Okay?"
"One bottle is plenty. I've got time to spare anyway."
He set up the Wizboard as soon as they sat.
He had fully recharged the mana stones yesterday, so they could play all day if needed.
A sudden curiosity struck him.
"Does the countess know you frequent places like this? Not that I should say it, but... for an apprentice witch..."
"She knows. Enough. Hurry and prepare."
"Yes, ma'am."
Diana seemed oddly fired up too.
Her competitive vibe was cute, and somehow reminiscent of the twins, making her feel approachable.
3.
With the game set, Diana casually made her opening move.
She had waited all night for this moment.
She had skipped everywhere else after breakfast and come straight here.
"I'll spot you nine moves again today. You first."
She offered the nine-move handicap as if it were natural.
Even with yesterday's surprise result, she had still won despite giving nine moves—it was a perfectly fair penalty for Diana.
"Ah, no need today. I did some studying yesterday."
But his response?
A bold refusal of the handicap.
Diana barely kept her face from twisting in annoyance.
He must have gotten cocky from their even match yesterday.
In Wizboard, where every move was life or death, he lost even with that massive handicap, and now what?
Studied for one day and doesn't need it?
His arrogance was beyond exasperating—it was pitiful.
"...Fine."
But blushing and explaining step-by-step here would only lower her stature.
Show him the overwhelming skill gap, and he'd realize his place naturally.
Diana resolved to kick this fool from the peak of ignorance into the valley of despair.
And so the first game began.
Diana and Siu took turns claiming mana sources.
Diana placed hers textbook-style, spacing three every two spaces.
Siu clustered his three together, just like before.
"......"
The moment she saw it, Diana fidgeted restlessly.
Not out of anxiety.
It was sheer absurdity—she couldn't hold back without saying something.
After much deliberation, she spat it out.
Not kindly, of course.
"You said you studied."
"Yes, I reviewed scores all day."
"Do those scores show plays like this?"
"No, but it suits my style better."
A new test of patience?
Such mana source placements did exist.
But they were more like surprise tactics to catch opponents off-guard, akin to yesterday's strategy.
By midgame, the momentum faded, and in the late game, they couldn't win a frontal clash—a clear limitation.
Did yesterday's lucky trick work, so now he's recycling it?
Diana felt her insides boil.
His very existence was grating, and now every little thing he did rubbed her wrong.
Even the laid-back Diana couldn't tolerate it anymore.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you."
She wanted to crush him from start to finish, but first, she needed to secure her defenses and key runes.
Heart burning, mind cool—Diana's solid opening.
Meanwhile, Siu's opening was utterly ambiguous.
Not concentrating power anywhere, scattering moves everywhere.
Impossible to guess his aim.
What a waste of time.
He's just a narcissist drunk on his fame as the first male witch, full of flash and no substance.
Yesterday's game was pure luck, obviously.
Better to end this boring game quick and go see a play instead.
With that conclusion, Diana aimed to complete a spell with her usual stable moves.
And then.
"......"
Amid Siu's haphazard opening, one move dropped.
As if waiting for it from the start, it pierced straight through the triangular pyramid mana battery Diana had built.
A single move that shattered the stabilizer and severed the circuit linking mana from the sources.
What Siu had prepared was a linear spell array that blocked spell activation at the source.
One that required understanding the target's principles and structure to use.
It was a Dispel Pin.