Chapter 598
Chapter 598
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 598
Chapter Title: I'm Back (6)
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"What? That cringey chuunibyou witch from earlier?"
"She's really the Abyssal Witch?"
"And you seriously brought home yet another girlfriend? Assistant? For real?"
"Glad you're back safe, but... you planning to keep this up?"
"Right! How many is it now, Assistant?!"
"You're like some irresponsible butler dragging in stray cats!"
The twins, overjoyed at Siwoo's safe return, pieced together the full truth and began sweetly roasting him without mercy.
"Siwoo... haa..."
Deneb, having confirmed his safety with her own eyes, finally relaxed into some personal indulgence.
"Where the hell did those kids wander off to? Ah...! Deneb...! You again...!"
Albireo, frantically searching for the twins, suddenly succumbed to a Bluetooth-induced wave of pleasure after months of deprivation and dashed into the nearest room.
"Ugh..."
Lurye trudged down the corridor, barely having pulled herself together.
"Ha, unbelievable. I was lenient because they were mere apprentice witches, but to think they'd come at me like this."
She had cut a truly pathetic figure against the twins' combined assault, but Lurye's mental defenses were beyond imagination.
She was under a penalty anyway.
Once she recovered, she could pay them back double—no, triple.
"Next time we meet, I won't hold back. I'll give them a proper thrashing."
With that, she quickly regained her composure and proudly set off to explore the mansion alone.
The Witch City of Gehenna was aesthetically superior and refined to the point where Lurye's own humble underwater domain felt insignificant by comparison.
This mansion in particular was so magnificent that calling it a palace felt like an understatement—every corner that caught the eye was breathtakingly beautiful.
"One day, it shall all fall under my dominion."
Lurye took in each stunning vista, envisioning herself ruling this splendid city someday.
And, by sheer coincidence, at that very moment, Amelia, Sharon, and Eloa—who had ventured into the outside world for the search—had returned to Gehenna.
It wasn't because Albireo had deliberately delayed the news of "Siwoo's safe return." Pure chance.
Amelia had been busy paying fines, Sharon tutoring the twins, and Eloa restoring order to the chaotic outside world, each for their own reasons.
But Siwoo's safety and survival mattered more than any of that, so they'd thrown themselves into the search with everything they had.
However, Siwoo's safety had been confirmed to 99.9% certainty thanks to the recording Lurye had slyly slipped in.
Fueled by rage at the Abyssal Witch's insolent provocation plus that lingering 0.01% uncertainty, they'd pressed on—but after an extra month of searching, their momentum was finally waning.
The searches weren't as desperate or urgent as before anymore.
So the three agreed to a temporary halt for some rest.
They returned to Gehenna to recuperate.
"Hmm, that's quite the splendid fountain."
The orderly rose vines, meticulously arranged like stacked blocks.
Lurye halted abruptly as she strolled along the spacious path winding through them.
She'd spotted something utterly out of place ahead.
A witch dressed in outside-world casuals: comfy shorts and a windbreaker.
In Akula, spotting even one witch was a rarity, but this was the Witch City.
There was nothing strange about running into a witch in modern clothes here.
What made this witch stand out to Lurye was her extraordinarily unique appearance.
For starters, her hair—tied back in a tight ponytail—was an odd color.
A pale pink, like cherry blossom petals drifting gently in the breeze.
And her eyes were strange too.
An intense magenta that sparkled vividly, even without any magic.
The witch noticed Lurye as well and stopped dead in her tracks, staring straight at her.
Lurye twitched an eyebrow at the bold, challenging gaze that didn't flinch even when their eyes met.
"What art thou staring at so intently?"
"......"
Cheeky maids, sassy twins, and now this witch brazenly scanning her up and down like an object.
This city showed no basic respect for its queen.
"If thou hast words, speak them. But unless it's of grave import, best to let me pass. My mood is foul indeed."
Still, Siwoo had warned her not to stir up trouble, and above all, Lurye knew from experience that her current condition wasn't ideal.
She tried to brush past the silently staring witch and finish her tour.
"Halt."
A firm voice seized Lurye by the hem of her garment.
It was a voice restrained like a warrior's, yet etched with unmistakable passion.
Most witches, whether from the outside world or Gehenna, knew of the pink-haired duchess.
Eloa Tiphereth, 23rd in the Hierarchy.
How many battlefields she'd conquered.
How many homunculi she'd slain in her lifetime.
Why even the most notorious public enemies fled at the sight of those magenta eyes.
They knew.
"Ho? Dost thou command me to halt? Some lowly thing?"
Unfortunately, Lurye had no idea who she was.
Which was why she turned back with a smile, as if inviting the provocation.
And in that instant.
She flinched.
Her body trembled involuntarily.
Lips pressed thin in resolute determination, eyes piercing straight ahead.
Though slightly shorter than Lurye, she exuded the pressure of a mountain crushing down.
The opponent merely had her hands in her windbreaker pockets, yet it felt like a razor-sharp sword aimed right at her spine.
Lurye had never felt such overwhelming pressure in her life.
Could a fellow witch truly emit this kind of presence?
"I have questions."
With each step the pink-haired witch took closer, Lurye instinctively backpedaled.
Humiliation flooded her.
Even in her weakened state, the Queen of the Nucelabi Dynasty retreating before a mere approaching foe?
"What is it! Come no closer! Ask from there!"
Unacceptable.
Lurye raised her voice, puffed out her chest, and glared fiercely.
Sure enough, the pink witch froze in place, cowed by her regal authority.
"Dost thou recognize this?"
She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a palm-sized cassette tape—a compact recording medium all too familiar to Lurye.
It was the one she'd secretly planted, containing the recording of her relationship with Siwoo and her declaration of war.
Which meant this pink-haired witch was one of Shin Siwoo's lovers too.
"So you do recognize it."
Lurye hadn't said a word, but the pink-haired witch deduced her identity from the reaction alone, like a seasoned detective.
Lurye was confident in her abilities.
Even against mighty foes, she could repel them with her familiars and the power of the maelstrom.
Weakened or not, she'd handle it with queenly dignity—that optimism had let her strut through the mansion carefree.
But seeing the witch casually stuff the tape back into her pocket cracked that optimism.
What had she recorded again?
Something about permitting lowly things like concubines—words bound to enrage her opponent.
To think karma would come knocking like this.
"Th-thou art also Shin Siwoo's lover?"
"Indeed. And thou art the Abyssal Witch, no doubt."
"Wait! I told thee not to move!"
Lurye felt true terror for the first time in her life as Eloa closed in with frightening speed.
"Then one more question. Where is Siwoo right now?"
First, she had to escape.
Even at full strength, victory wasn't guaranteed against this powerhouse.
Visions of her head on a pike, courtesy of Gehenna's vicious witches, flashed in her mind.
"Sink deep!"
Inexperienced she might be, but Lurye was a grand witch.
Learning from her failure against the twins, she executed flawless magic even with her limited power this time.
Waves of mana crashed in from both sides.
Her plan: illusion to distract, then full-speed escape.
"We'll settle this later! Once my power returns, I'll face thee proper! Gah!"
But Lurye collapsed backward, neck seized, tumbling in the midst of her dash.
Looking up, she saw the witch's impassive face pinning her down.
"H-how...?"
She'd clearly seen the defenseless foe swept away by the surging waves.
Even at apprentice-witch power levels, it wasn't weak magic.
Without magic, bones would shatter from the tumble.
Yet the witch had slipped through without casting a spell and subdued her.
"Eek...!"
Terror gripped Lurye at the sight of the clenched fist casting a shadow over her face.
Flat on her back, defenseless, that punch to the face would land unblocked.
It was bound to hurt like hell!
"......"
But after squeezing her eyes shut, tears welling, and waiting ages—no pain, no impact.
Peeking with one eye, she saw not rage, but a troubled, hesitant pink witch.
The pressure on her neck had eased too.
In truth, Eloa had recognized Lurye the moment they met.
Unlike the twins, who missed the tape due to committee issues, she vividly remembered that distinctive speech and voice.
As Siwoo said, not an evil witch—but after such brazen provocation, punishment was only fair.
She'd planned to thrash her until tears flowed.
But for some reason, the Abyssal Witch couldn't wield her full power.
And her actions screamed amateurish, immature witch.
What good would serious scolding do?
"Didst thou return with Siwoo? Is he safe?"
"Y-yes!"
Lurye scrambled up, dusting off her clothes.
"Where is he?"
"In the main mansion, that way."
She pointed to the building she'd slipped out of earlier; the pink witch nodded.
She hesitated briefly, then turned and walked off, back exposed to Lurye.
She'd retreated from a fight she'd completely won.
Could it be?
Despite having the upper hand, sparing further blows and withdrawing meekly.
Had she finally realized not to trifle with Lurye's dignity?
In other words, had Lurye's charisma triumphed over mere strength?
"Pink-hair!"
Once a safe distance apart.
Lurye, confidence restored, shouted at Eloa's retreating back.
"My power is limited now, forcing me to show such disgrace—but in this week, nay, three weeks, I challenge thee to a rematch! Then, I shan't let thee off so easily!"
Eloa's expression went slightly blank as she hurried to see Siwoo.
Not because she'd been cowed by charisma or frightened, of course.
She still had questions for Lurye, so turning her back to go find Siwoo felt off-priority.
And then this rematch declaration out of nowhere.
A first in her life.
"Savor what happy moments remain in thy life until then!"
Eloa watched Lurye's scampering figure for a long while after she flung her words and bolted.