Chapter 623
Chapter 623
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 623
Chapter Title: Night in the Desert (3)
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1.
Here was one great witch.
Her skin was so white it could chill the desert heat, contrasted sharply by jet-black eyes.
Silver hair sprouted from her tiny head, gleaming unnaturally as if forged from melted metal.
Alice ibn Haiyan, the Witch of Mercury.
Though banished from Gehenna for repeatedly dumping polluted water illegally, she was a legitimate witch—an alchemist on the cusp of ascending to the 20th Hierarchy, treated like royalty wherever she went.
Her family had deep ties to the Persian Empire, and twenty years ago, she was summoned as a specialist to Iran.
In nations outside the advanced Western cultural sphere, even exiles like her were scouted to counter homunculi.
Alice handled the occasional homunculus outbreaks within Iran's borders, earning her immense privileges in return.
But the reason she had crossed the border into the northern desert of Turkmenistan wasn't some imperial directive.
Iran and Turkmenistan differed in sects and ideologies, and they frequently clashed over Caspian Sea interests.
This venture was purely Alice's personal side hustle for pocket money.
Of course, the compensation from the Iranian government was substantial enough to ensure her a life of luxury.
Yet alchemy was a field that demanded vast research funds from the start.
And Alice's extravagance was infamous even among exiles.
She had accepted Iran's initial scouting offer precisely to pay off her astronomically ballooning debts.
Even for a single night in a hotel, she booked the entire top floor of the priciest one.
For short trips, she used helicopters or private jets, and even for nearby destinations, she insisted on a chauffeured limousine.
She showered gifts on women who caught her eye and threw wild yacht parties for days on vessels costing billions per day in rental fees.
Despite having no stable business in the mortal world, she indulged in luxury beyond her station.
But Alice didn't care.
A great witch deserved to revel in such extravagance.
As she grumbled about the miserly zealots who didn't pay enough to spare her from menial side jobs, she found the current situation deeply irritating.
Originally, she had planned to interpret an oracle from a prophecy agency and secretly score a big haul.
Bonus: a cozy date in the quiet desert under the starry sky with her lovers, Malisha and Manya.
But somehow, dozens of witches had already swarmed the place.
If that were all, Alice could have handled it alone.
Whether Gehenna loyalists or exiles, she could have scared them off and claimed the inheritance solo.
But with that thorn in her side, Della Redcliff, around, such bullying wasn't feasible.
Driving out Gehenna witches might provoke a fight with the hot-tempered Della, while ousting exiles would undermine her own faction's balance.
And now, with Tiferet Duke joining the fray, it was settled—they'd all compete fairly in a grand showdown.
"Alice sis, look next to Della."
"A male witch, they say. That pink-haired one is Tiferet Duke, right? First time seeing her in person. She's tinier than I thought. Bet I could take her."
Malisha and Manya pressed against the camping trailer's window, wiggling their hips as they peeked outside.
Alice leaned over to watch Della and her dining companions.
Her magic-enhanced vision captured their details from afar.
"Hmm, he's handsome."
What instantly caught Alice's eye wasn't Tiferet Duke's group, but the male witch lately at the center of rampant rumors.
As her first time seeing a male in the ethereal realm, his strikingly refined features took her aback.
Not that she'd ever spread her legs for some lowly man, of course.
"Sis, they say that guy's the one who beat the Witch of Desire. Think it's true?"
"Obviously a lie."
Alice scoffed at Manya's innocent question.
Manya had a pretty face and was great in bed, but her lack of common sense was the problem.
"Bianca Bellirilli—is that some stray dog? 22nd Hierarchy. I struggled against her myself. How could a mere male witch win?"
"Alice sis, you've fought the Witch of Desire too?"
"Twenty years ago? During that Mexico trip?"
"Whoa, sis is the best."
A lie, of course.
Alice was no stranger to combat, having survived her share of battles as a witch.
But taking down the 22nd Hierarchy witch infamous even among officials for her brawling? No chance.
Common wisdom held that a gap of two hierarchies or more made fights impossible.
Who cared, though?
Bianca, who'd scoff at the brag, was apparently dead, and Manya and Malisha swallowed Alice's tales hook, line, and sinker.
"But even if winning's impossible, rumors say he fought and survived?"
"Tiferet Duke probably finished her off. She's his identity guarantor, right?"
"Ah, makes sense."
Fair enough—but the male witch piqued her interest all the same.
A one-of-a-kind existence in the world.
Rarity beyond any limited-edition luxury bag.
Even if useless for magic research, owning him would earn admiration from countless witches.
"Sis? Something's coming this way."
"What?"
As Alice spun such fantasies, she spotted Tiferet Duke and the male witch heading toward the trailer.
2.
The exiles' camp definitely had a different vibe.
How to put it—tighter security, more on edge?
They were wanderers unattached to any location point, so many witches recoiled at Tiferet Duke's mere presence.
Even their casual strides carried tension.
"Don't worry too much. It'll be fine."
Eloa reassuring Si-woo like that.
Soon, three women emerged from the most luxurious camping trailer nearby.
Though a first meeting, Si-woo instantly grasped their dynamic.
One queen and two maids.
The woman striding ahead in the middle must be the Witch of Mercury.
Her hair reflected light like a halo, and above all, her aura matched the tales of a great witch.
"Perfect. I have something to discuss anyway."
"I'm the Witch of Mercury, Alice ibn Haiyan. What brings the esteemed Tiferet Duke here?"
Eloa extended a hand for a shake, but Alice kept her arms crossed, eyeing it arrogantly from above.
The blatant rudeness made Si-woo and the other two witches flinch.
But Eloa, no stickler for formality, withdrew awkwardly.
"Don't take it personally."
"Sorry, but I already am. We came all this way, and now you pop up, making it all for nothing."
More sharp complaints.
Even if laced with bravado, the message was genuine.
Likely many witches here shared her frustration.
They'd traveled far for one prey, but hunters abounded.
And with top-tier hunter Tiferet Duke among them, everyone felt their trip wasted.
Eloa understood.
Most gathered here were desperate witches chasing livelihood or research funds.
"No need for concern. I'm not joining the hunt myself."
"Then?"
"Only my disciple will participate. In exchange, can you mediate to prevent the exiles from getting ideas?"
Alice's gaze flicked to Si-woo at "disciple."
No clue how a male witch became Tiferet Duke's apprentice, but she wanted to give him real combat experience, apparently.
"I'm not in charge of all of them."
"No need. Just ensure fair loot distribution to avoid needless clashes. If trouble brews, I'd appreciate your cooperation."
In short: she'd sit it out, so respect prior claims without interference.
"Hm..."
Alice pondered.
She'd planned backstabs if rivals appeared.
But with so many witches—and peers like Della, plus Tiferet Duke—such schemes wouldn't fly.
With Della as the real threat anyway, guaranteed acquisition rights under Tiferet Duke's mediation?
Not a bad deal.
Spread the word via Manya and Malisha, and the exiles would accept without much fuss.
Half were already packing since Tiferet Duke arrived.
"Fine. We'll cooperate. First come, first served. Just punish any dissenters, right?"
"Glad we see eye to eye."
With mutual concessions, the talk wrapped quickly.
Alice peered past Tiferet Duke's shoulder at the male witch.
"By the way, Duke. That's the male witch, right? Mind if I take a look?"
Addressing Tiferet Duke, not Si-woo himself.
She beckoned with a finger, like appraising auction goods.
Her words dripped with discrimination.
"Or lend him to me."
This world, alright.
Less offended than bemused by the novel treatment after so long, Si-woo reflected.
"That's too rude."
As he pondered how to respond, a chilling voice rang out.
Alice sensed the sharp gaze slicing past her fingertip.
She knew if the Duke had drawn her sword, her finger would've been severed before she could react.
"Ugh...!"
Just moments ago, the pink-haired Duke had seemed a pushover.
Rumors were exaggerated, after all—or so she'd thought.
With her lovers watching, she'd probed boldly, emboldened by the lack of backlash.
But touching her disciple unleashed that aura.
Oppressive pressure crushed her heart from those indifferent pink eyes.
"Master. It's fine."
Only when the man's hand gripped the Duke's shoulder could Alice breathe.
She wet her dry lips and swallowed hard.
As her rigid posture slumped, she spat out the last of her bluster.
"Why get mad? It was a joke, Duke."
"......"
Fortunately, the Duke glanced away indifferently, said "Very well," and left with the man.
Malisha and Manya, who'd frozen in suspense, now made a fuss.
"Whoa, Alice sis. You're amazing."
"Not scared of Tiferet Duke?"
"If push comes to shove, we fight. I've wanted to clash with her for ages."
Alice could bluff so hard knowing Tiferet Duke was upright.
Rumor had it she'd only hunted homunculi and officials, never bullied the weak with her power.
She'd flinched a bit despite knowing that...
But good results were all that mattered, right?
"Sis, you're so cool."
"How wonderful...! I'm falling for you again..."
"Always making such a fuss..."
Alice stroked Manya and Malisha's heads as they hooked arms with her.
Or rather, leaned on them—her legs had gone weak.
Without her ethereal body, she'd have wet herself.
Recalling Tiferet Duke's eyes moments ago, Alice shuddered.