Chapter 497
Chapter 497
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 497
Chapter Title: Chapter 497 - #105_향수 타이쿤(4)
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 497
Chapter Title: Prosthetic Check-Up
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After helping out at Amelia's shop, the day had slipped into evening.
Si-woo made some excuse about having a quick errand to run and stepped away for a moment.
It was the day he'd scheduled with Countess Cohab to adjust his prosthetic arm.
If there had been even the slightest sign of recovery in his arm, he would have been upfront about it.
But ever since that day, his left arm remained as lifeless as a block of wood, completely numb.
He could move it freely enough that daily life wasn't much of a hassle, but he saw no need to burden her with the harsh truth.
That said, he wasn't overly worried about his arm either.
He'd somehow pulled through after his brain had been reduced to pulp once before.
His left arm was bound to sort itself out eventually—he clung to that vague optimism.
Countess Ivonne Cohab.
Rare for a high-ranking witch, she didn't maintain a separate mansion of her own.
She resided in an annex of Duke Ererim's estate, which doubled as the main hall for the Society of Truth and True Names.
At first, Si-woo had worried he might run into too many witches.
That it could drag him into some annoying mess.
But those fears proved unfounded.
The estate grounds were as vast as a small campus, and most witches were holed up in their labs, immersed in research.
Even so, with a fair number of witches coming and going, he crossed paths with a few on the walkways.
They glanced at him curiously but showed no overt interest.
Thanks to that, Si-woo could leisurely take in the surroundings on his way to the annex.
"It feels like a temple."
If he had to describe it personally, it was like a slightly less opulent Trinity Academy.
A serene atmosphere like a church frozen in time, witches immersed in research like cloistered nuns detached from the world, traces of ancient history lingering everywhere.
It vividly showed how exquisite serenity an architectural gem gained under meticulous care over endless years.
A home reflected its occupant's temperament plainly.
Just look at the warm coziness of the Yesod estate or the refined elegance of the Jemernai mansion.
He'd never spoken to Duke Ererim personally, but touring her estate gave him a clear sense of her character.
A steadfast seeker who pursued her path unswervingly to achieve great feats.
That image came to mind.
Come to think of it, her follower, Countess Cohab, had the look of a stubbornly scholarly type, even more so than Amelia in her prime.
Amid the expansive grounds with paths barely paved, buildings dotted here and there, Countess Cohab's annex sat east of the "Hall of Truth"—Duke Ererim's residence and the society's core.
Its white roof evoked a swan alighting.
Like the other structures on the grounds, it shunned ostentation: a sturdy three-story stone mansion cloaked in ivy.
-Knock knock!
"Pardon the intrusion."
The annex door was modestly small, like one on a typical house in Tarot Town.
He knocked on the handle beside it.
-Creak!
A moment later, a freckled woman in her forties quietly opened the door.
Her attire and age marked her as a maid employed at the estate.
"Good evening. I'm Shin Si-woo, here for my 8 p.m. appointment with the Countess."
"......"
"Is Countess Cohab in?"
"......"
The maid bowed politely to Si-woo, then silently led the way without a word.
No greeting, no explanation—he stood there a beat before following her across the floorboards.
He stole glances at the building's hushed interior.
For a duke's annex, he'd expected the inside to be well-appointed despite the weathered exterior.
That assumption shattered spectacularly.
In one word: an ancient research lab steeped in silence.
The facilities were even more rundown than the lab building Amelia had used at Trinity Academy back in the day.
Passing branching corridors lined with rooms (likely labs and workshops), the hall, and climbing stairs, the only decorations were a few forlorn frames.
No chandeliers like those common in the Jemernai estate, no fresh flowers adorning corners, no displayed art, no plush sofas or ornate tables.
The floors were bare wood, not even marble—no creaks, not a speck of dust, almost obsessively pristine.
As the sun dipped low, the mass-produced decorative lamps lighting the stark interior were the sort used in Bolder Town.
They only seemed small because of the empty space; the rooms were surprisingly spacious, taking a fair while to traverse.
"Um..."
"......"
Even when Si-woo called softly, the maid quickened her steps in silence.
-Knock
Reaching the third floor, she knocked on the first door in sight, bowed quietly to Si-woo, and vanished without a sound—like a ghost.
"Come in."
The door swung open smoothly, revealing Countess Cohab's soft voice beyond.
Si-woo cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped inside.
Right at the entrance sat Countess Cohab at a sleek ebony desk, scribbling furiously with a quill.
"You're 15 minutes early. Stick to the schedule."
"Ah, yes. Sorry."
Her amber eyes.
Her crisp black bob, as sharp as her tone.
It hadn't been that long since last time, so nothing had changed.
What surprised Si-woo was the workshop itself.
Before "witch's workshop," the term "puppeteer's studio" sprang to mind.
The interior was far more expansive than expected.
That explained why the corridors in this three-story mansion felt so cramped, like a studio apartment.
Rather than knocking down walls or raising ceilings for openness, it prioritized efficiency, devoting every inch to the workshop.
That vast space brimmed with disorder: mannequins of various body parts hung haphazardly, shoved on shelves, or scattered on the floor.
Her specialty, "autonomic prosthetics," no doubt.
Even a glance at the cross-sections showed they weren't ordinary mannequins.
Not as grotesque as severed human limbs, but the meticulously crafted veins, bones, and joints would send chills down anyone's spine alone in the room.
"......"
"I-I'm here for the check-up."
"......"
Countess Cohab continued her work without a word.
No offer to sit, no glance his way.
Was he supposed to wait the full 15 minutes early just because he arrived early?
Standing awkwardly, unsure, she finally let out a short sigh and jerked her chin.
"...Sit and wait."
He'd sensed it before, but she was a stickler for rules.
Si-woo carefully moved a mannequin off the sofa and sat.
Exactly 15 minutes later, Countess Cohab removed her monocle and stood.
In her hand was the familiar toolkit from last time, as if prepped in advance.
She walked over silently, unpacked the case beside him.
Unaccustomed lately to such dry atmospheres, he tried some small talk.
"Is there only the one servant here? The maid who showed me in earlier?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I didn't see anyone else the whole way."
"Correct."
"She was incredibly taciturn."
She glanced at him curiously at the small talk attempt, then resumed laying out tools.
At least she responded.
"The Society of Truth and True Names is a place for witches' inquiry and contemplation. Servants are forbidden from speaking without permission during duties."
"Pardon?"
But her words were ice-cold.
Her brusque manner was one thing, but the content itself was harsh.
This wasn't some hysterical high schooler prepping for exams banning talk to "focus."
Si-woo thought it excessive, but Countess Cohab offered no further explanation, as if it were perfectly reasonable.
Come to think of it, he'd heard from Countess Yesod.
The Society was Gehenna's largest school alongside the Emerald Tablet, drawing the most witches.
Highly conservative, aligned with orthodox witches.
Witches devoted solely to autonomic magic, ignoring the outside world.
A regular member might differ, but as vice president, Countess Cohab likely embodied pre-modern noble privilege to the hilt.
Not every witch was like his mentor, Sharon, or the twins; encountering ones like this always left him uneasy.
"How's the condition?"
"No external changes from last time."
"We'll recheck sensory linkage. It might sting."
Countess Cohab drew a menacing long needle and plunged it into Si-woo's left hand.
The sharp silver point pierced palm to back.
Knowing it was physical, not illusion, sent shivers even without pain.
"Still no sensation."
"...That shouldn't be."
She furrowed her brow.
She unrolled the parchment from before, ran tests, but her frown deepened unrelentingly.
"Countess Cohab, this is a prosthetic, right?"
"Yes."
"Can't we try removing it and attaching a different one?"
"Waste of time. Records show no issues with the prosthetic mechanisms. If there's a problem, it's not me... it's you."
Absolute confidence in her magic radiated from Countess Cohab.
She eyed him as if to say, "What's wrong with you?"
"For example?"
"Can't rule out issues with the ether body itself."
"Surely... ether bodies self-resolve minor problems, don't they?"
"Yes. Minor ones."
Ether bodies outstripped normal flesh in durability and regeneration.
Barring total structural collapse, severed limbs regrew.
Countess Cohab packed away her instruments.
"That's it?"
"No. We'll do a precise scan with proper equipment. Don't get your hopes up—I'm a prosthetics specialist, nothing more. Follow me."
She led him to a workbench about billiard table-sized in a corner.
Surrounding it: eerie prosthetics strewn about, bizarre tubes and hoses dangling like untidy wires, exuding a sinister vibe.
"Take off your shirt. Upper body only."
This felt like a familiar setup?
But one look at her expression, eyes, and tone banished any stray thoughts.
"You've taken quite a beating."
"You can tell?"
Explaining past events was tedious: the brutal fight with Bianca, rescuing Amelia, etc.
He had pushed his body hard lately.
Yet ether body regeneration left no visible scars at a glance.
Countess Cohab spotted it instantly.
She attached electrodes (or whatever they were) dangling from the ceiling to various spots on his body and began the full examination.
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