Chapter 79
Chapter 79
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Self-Entrapment (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.
My mind grew more and more tangled.
Amelia knew everything.
Even the final safeguard for escaping my slave life had been exposed.
In a situation like this, what could Amelia's true intentions be in making me solve a magic problem?
"...Understood."
But Amelia hated it when someone repeated the same thing two or three times.
Before figuring out what was really going on, it was important not to upset her.
So Siwoo's eyes reflexively scanned the problem.
A single magic circle, without even specifying exactly what needed to be solved.
Numerous straight lines and curves sprawled messily across the white paper, along with twelve rune characters.
He transcribed the magic circle—drawn with meticulous calculations and design—into his mind, line by line.
If Siwoo had one standout ability, it was his capacity to concentrate fully, no matter the situation.
His pounding heart sank into the deep silence of the ocean depths the moment he focused.
Just as he'd seen in Ain's research notes, the principles and manifestations of magic circles occurred in three dimensions.
A magic circle was merely a way to transcribe three-dimensional magic onto two dimensions for easier recording or notation by the caster.
Like how humans abstracted the natural phenomenon of 'sound'—hard to record—into 'sheet music' on a staff.
So Siwoo's mind transformed the magic circle drawn on the paper into a three-dimensional pop-up book.
What he saw was no longer a flat diagram on paper.
It was a regular icosahedron slowly rotating in midair like an intricate mechanical device, with a circumscribed sphere touching all its vertices—an entirely three-dimensional structure.
Once he'd deduced the form of the magic circle, the next step was its purpose.
He reverse-engineered how it would affect reality based on the flow of mana and the runes.
"It's a mana transmission formula. The maximum transmission capacity is the volume of the inscribed sphere."
Siwoo glanced at Amelia, asking in a calm, low voice.
He was trying his hardest not to lose his reason.
He still didn't know what Amelia wanted.
"Is that all?"
No.
The formula Amelia had given him was incomplete.
Parts had been deliberately omitted.
"As it is, there'd be too much mana leakage during transmission. It wouldn't function properly even at 50M—no, 30M."
He picked up the pen and wrote characters in three spots.
"This way, at least up to 100M can be transmitted without any loss."
Amelia stared at the solution Siwoo had worked out for a while.
Without any particular reaction, she handed him another problem.
"Solve this one too."
2.
The impromptu magic exam had begun.
Amelia kept throwing hand-crafted problems at Siwoo without end.
Even Amelia, who was feigning composure while observing the situation, couldn't hide her inner astonishment.
In terms of difficulty, they weren't that hard yet.
Problems the twins could solve adequately in a day.
But Siwoo's solving speed was anything but ordinary.
He'd glance over it a few times, pick up the pen, and jot down his own answers.
Magic had no fixed correct answers.
Even for the same spell, thousands or tens of thousands of solutions were possible.
It was subjective, with efficiency and suitability being key.
Yet Siwoo's answers were quite accurate and reasonable, even by Amelia's high standards.
On par with what she herself would have written given the same time.
So she could be certain.
Siwoo hadn't received help from anyone, nor had he stumbled into completing self-generating magic by sheer coincidence upon coincidence.
It was all his own skill.
Finally, the stack of problems Amelia had piled up was exhausted.
Only about three hours had passed.
"......."
Amelia checked the final answer sheet.
It was a problem where you had to infer the overall structure of a large-scale barrier formula from a single part.
The difficulty ramped up toward the end, so this last one was at a level where even the twins would struggle.
But he produced a suitable answer in less than fifteen minutes.
The moment Siwoo handed the final problem sheet back to Amelia, he felt a burning thirst.
It was like he'd swallowed a lump of fire.
Even the plush sofa felt like a bed of nails right now.
Why was Amelia acting like this?
If she'd found the escape magic circle draft, she could just stop him.
She could confiscate the research documents and ship him off to a labor camp.
No matter how he thought about it, there was too little information.
He couldn't pin down what she wanted at all.
And when he came to, her beautiful eyes were fixed on him.
It was an intimidating gaze that made it hard to believe she'd done something so foolish that morning.
"Lady Amelia."
"Speak."
"There's something I haven't mentioned yet. It's about Countess Gemernai..."
Amelia cut him off, as if she had no need to hear it—or pretending otherwise—averting her eyes.
"I refused."
"Pardon?"
Then, as if steeling herself anew, she glared at Siwoo.
It was more like a piercing stare, an intense gaze forced into ferocity.
"Countess Gemernai visited this morning. She proposed transferring ownership of Assistant Siwoo."
"You're saying you refused that offer...?"
"Yes."
Gemernai had said she'd prepare gifts convincing enough for Amelia.
Considering the courtesy they'd shown Siwoo in the carriage, they weren't the type of witches to make empty promises.
She'd refused even when offered ample compensation? Why on earth?
"...May I ask why?"
Now it was Amelia's turn to feel conflicted.
She'd thought she'd sorted out what to say while he slept, but facing the question directly made her hesitate a bit.
"Because I thought you could be a useful assistant."
Like a child protecting a toy she didn't want taken away, coming up with a rational excuse, Amelia said it nonchalantly.
That was the Maginot Line of conclusions she could reach.
A useful assistant?
If she'd refused for that reason, she would've met with Gemernai before discovering the draft.
Siwoo's expression hardened.
Seeing it, Amelia hurriedly added, as if making an excuse.
She wasn't unaware that Siwoo wanted to leave Gehenna.
She could tell from how he'd researched independently and even begged to return to his world in that golden opportunity when anything could've been granted.
So she added urgently, by way of justification.
To persuade him.
"Of course, I know what Assistant Siwoo wants."
"......."
"But that's a request I can't grant. Your magical talent is exceptional. For a mere slave to self-study magic to this level is unprecedented.
I thought it would be a waste to let that talent rot as a slave."
Amelia took a deep breath.
She recited slowly the words she'd prepared and memorized in advance.
"So from now on, I'll teach you magic myself. You'll no longer be a slave—you'll become a retainer of the Merrygold family."
Siwoo felt a surge of anger.
Was she saying that since she was teaching a lowly slave magic and giving him status, he should forget everything and give up?
Amelia continued her piece as if oblivious.
"Shin Siwoo. You belong to me."
Siwoo bowed his head deeply.
"I can't tolerate you leaving my service without permission. Appropriate measures will be taken regarding your unauthorized escape plan."
Using Gemernai's favor to return to his world was now impossible, and she'd even figured out the magic circle he'd been researching.
On top of that, she'd declared she'd ensure he couldn't leave on his own.
It felt like everything he'd built up came crashing down.
Now, he didn't care anymore.
"........."
Amelia glanced at Siwoo, who gave no response.
Her heart pounded anxiously.
But his condition looked extremely poor.
No words, no actions.
Eyes utterly vacant and hollow.
Complete non-responsiveness.
"From now on, you'll have a good environment. You can borrow my name to get any experimental materials you want from the Academy, and the same for tools.
Meals, desserts, cigarettes, clothes—ask me for anything you desire. I'll provide it if I deem it appropriate."
In Amelia's mind, these conditions were more than enough to persuade him.
There would be fine meals.
Sweet desserts.
Freedom from slave status.
Even the cigarettes and clothes he liked were prepared.
Moreover, even as a man, now properly walking the path of magic, he wouldn't pass up the golden opportunity to receive instruction directly from a 'baroness.'
The only restriction was a bit of freedom.
Once she heard his answer, she planned to discuss other matters too.
She intended to properly apologize for the pain her whims had caused him and provide fitting compensation.
The gap in perceptions of class.
Differences in upbringing.
And Amelia's immature social skills.
These three had already created a fatal rift.
Amelia just hadn't noticed.
She was charging across a lake thinly crusted with ice, convinced it was solid ground.
"Ha...."
Siwoo let out a hollow laugh.
An irreverent act, not hiding the disgust and absurdity spilling out like breath.
Amelia raised one eyebrow quizzically.
"Shin Siwoo?"
Siwoo laughed.
He couldn't bear it without laughing.
His own recent behavior—celebrating after a few good days following years of torment—felt utterly pathetic.
"Really, I tried to endure it all, overlook it... but I can't anymore."
Five years of longing turned to bubbles.
Seeing her block what he truly wanted while tossing unwanted favors like charity ignited a flame of rage in his chest.
A sorrow and resentment he could no longer contain.
"You're a real bitch."
Bitch?
Realizing that insolent word was aimed at her, Amelia froze in place.
"Did I ask for something amazing? Minimum wage for back pay? To grant a wish?"
"What... what are you saying right now...?"
"I got dragged here against my will and slaved under you like a dog for five years. I have things I want to do outside. Duties to fulfill, parents to see...! Fuck, even the goddamn Defense Ministry fuckers gave us leave for visits... you fucking bitch!"
Amelia shot to her feet, her face draining of color.
She never imagined such words would come from his mouth.
"Wh-what... what are you saying...? Are you in your right mind...?"
Her head spun in confusion; she stammered helplessly.
The realization of the unbearable insult dawned slowly, and just as anger began to rise...
She saw it.
Siwoo shedding tears of raw sorrow.
His eyes blazing with fierce hatred, plain to see.
"Does crushing my last hope feel good? Yeah, that must be why you've been making my life hell, trying to devour me."
He wasn't yelling.
Not shouting.
But the voice thick with condensed resentment cowed Amelia.
"What the hell do you want from me? An assistant? Any witch can find one. Witches would line up begging you, a witch of your caliber, to take them as researchers... Why me? Why only torment me?"
"Shin Siwoo, I get that you're excited right now... so..."
"Tell me! What do you want from me that you're torturing me like this?"
Siwoo stood and advanced on Amelia, cornering her.
A being she could flick away with one spell.
But his first-ever explosive rage and roar.
The unfamiliar gaze laced with contempt and disdain reduced Amelia to a helpless child.
Unable to muster a spell or words, she simply backed away slowly from Siwoo.
"I'm sorry for bruising your fragile pride five years ago, but if you're going to torment me like this out of spite, why not just kill me instead?"
Before she knew it, Amelia had been pushed back to the door.
No further retreat possible.
A face filled with fear, confusion, utter incomprehension of what was happening.
Amelia's body fell under Siwoo's shadow.
"Answer me!"
"Eek...!"
Finally, Siwoo's bellow struck her ears, and Amelia hurriedly flung open the door, fleeing out.