Chapter 799
Chapter 799
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 799
Chapter Title: Lovers' Grand Assembly (4)
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1.
"What? Again?"
"No way! Assistant! We wanna come too!"
The twins' reaction was just as expected, shopping bags dangling heavily from both arms.
Lips pursed in a pout, throwing a full-on tantrum.
"It won't take as long as last time. I just need to swing by Gehenna for an hour or two."
"Why?"
"Assistant, this is suspicious. You're not sneaking off to meet some girl without us, are you?"
Odil might seem unguarded at first glance, but her instincts were sharp where it counted.
It was true he was meeting a woman, but not for any shady reasons.
More importantly, a summons this sudden had to have its reasons.
"It's nothing like that, so hang out with the others and enjoy the modern world. I'll be back before you know it."
"...Whenever Assistant says that, you always end up missing for ages..."
Si-woo soothed the sulking twins as best he could, then asked his master to watch over them.
It wasn't far—just to the Han River—and what could go wrong? Still, with their history of kidnappings even inside Gehenna, he took every precaution.
"Si-woo, I'll come with you."
"It's really nothing. I'll be in and out in no time—it'd just be a hassle for you."
"Being with you is never a hassle..."
"Amelia, please look after Odil and Odet in the modern world. If anything happens, it'll probably be more urgent there."
"See? That's even more suspicious..."
A bit awkwardly, Si-woo politely turned down Amelia and Sharon's offers to join, then headed to the Han River with his master.
"Sigh..."
"Si-woo, is it about the prosthetic check-up?"
"Yes."
There was a reason he'd hidden his true purpose and even turned away company.
First off, to spare his lovers unnecessary worry—especially Amelia.
The incident that cost Si-woo his left arm was Amelia's rampage.
Caught up in her scrambled memories within that chaotic space, he'd lost his arm saving her.
The damage at such a low spirit-body level was severe enough to be permanent, but he'd received a prosthetic rivaling modern biotech—"Kohav Count's own creation"—sparing him a disabled life.
Sensations didn't transmit properly for some unknown reason, so it wasn't fully normal, though.
Anyway.
Si-woo himself didn't dwell on it much, but Amelia surely did.
How could she not, knowing her mistake had cost the man she loved an arm?
That's why Si-woo kept his symptoms hidden from everyone but Eloa.
"......"
Still, something nagged at him.
Yebin had said the check-up would take about three days.
For mere test results—especially normal ones—did they really need to summon him so urgently?
Communication between Gehenna, wrapped in semi-permanent barriers, and the modern world was a hassle.
The anxiety that it must be worth the trouble gnawed at him.
His unease must have shown on his face.
A tug at his sleeve told him so.
"It'll be fine."
"Thanks. I think so too."
Half worry, half "what could it be?"
Si-woo and Eloa passed through immigration again within the day and entered the clinic in Tarot Town.
Yebin, poring over something at the first-floor table, greeted them with a complicated expression.
"Hello, Tiferet Duke, Si-woo."
"Working late. Appreciate your efforts."
"No, no—let me brew some black tea. Have a seat."
Yebin cleared the desk piled with books, brought thick stacks of documents with the tea, and sat.
"First off, I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
"This is beyond what I can handle."
Yebin calmly spread out her documents.
"I checked from every angle. You know the principle behind Kohav Count's prosthetic, right?"
"Yes, I've heard the explanation."
Kohav Count's "prosthetic" was literally pottery—special clay molded and fired in a kiln.
In many myths, humans are clay creations, so the symbolism converts "prosthetic" to "body" via magic.
"In spirit-body composition terms, your arm is identical to before. Kohav Count did stellar work."
"Didn't seem like a quack."
"Of course—a count, after all."
She showed what looked just like an MRI scan.
As she said, left and right arms matched perfectly, from magic circuits to bones and muscles.
"But Si-woo says sensations aren't transmitting properly... What's that about?"
"Probably a soul issue, not spirit-body. Nothing else explains it."
"...?"
Eloa couldn't follow the sudden occult turn.
Science aside, magic partially acknowledged souls.
But only as mana equivalents—resources.
On ghosts, afterlife, soul magic? Most witches agreed:
"Souls themselves" don't meaningfully affect world laws without mana conversion.
"Pardon the rudeness, but... isn't this off-topic?"
Si-woo wished he could agree with his master, but...
Unfortunately, it hit too close.
"Is that thing still inside Si-woo...?"
"Yes. Probably this."
Si-woo sighed.
The unconscious New Si-woo.
The black knight hanging upside-down at A's depths.
Since sinking it during the Nukelabi palace "trial," it hadn't surfaced once.
Unknown motives, but it'd tried possessing Si-woo's body before.
"I'd cautiously guess that's the issue."
Yebin said flatly.
Probably why she and Kohav got different results—whether they knew of the black knight.
"Really sorry, but... I can't help more. Not my magic's domain."
"No, you've done plenty."
He tried not to show it, but his face darkened anyway.
His master looked glum too.
Like visiting a specialist after local docs failed, only to hit a wall.
"But it's not hopeless."
Yebin hurriedly added.
"As you know, Smirna specializes in body and spirit-body healing via self-generated magic. But there's the opposite path."
"A soul researcher...? Such a witch exists?"
"Yes, 'Soul Witch' Nephthys."
More details followed.
Name unknown, but "Soul Witch" was an exile like previous Smirna.
They'd walked the witch path together for nearly 60 years, joint research.
Divergent magic views split them.
Smirna believed transcendence lay in the body, focusing on spirit-bodies and recovery.
Nephthys eyed mind and soul beyond flesh.
No consensus on research; they parted for solo paths but stayed cordial.
"I met her twice as an apprentice. Know her workshop. Can write an intro letter."
"Then we proceed with checks there."
No clue how it'd go.
But a path forward eased Si-woo's mind a bit.
"One issue, though..."
"What?"
Yebin trailed off, then said,
"Hate to gossip, but... her personality is really prickly."
2.
While Si-woo and Eloa visited Gehenna briefly, the lovers finished department store shopping and headed back to the officetel.
For a satisfying haul, the mood was awfully tense.
The twins and Sharon were arguing fiercely.
"What? Obviously not."
"Why?"
"We're just looking."
"You're still apprentices. The count entrusted you to me—what'll she think if I take you there?!"
The twins wanted to visit an adult store.
A rare modern spot hard to find in Gehenna, right?
Plus, useful for fun times with Assistant—two birds, one stone.
How could they resist?
In Gehenna, they'd sneak over walls at night, but sadly, this was the modern world.
No moving without a guardian.
"Anyway, forbidden. No."
Sharon had her stance, stubbornly refusing.
Even if the twins had half-stepped into adulthood secretly, they were still apprentices needing protection.
As the most familiar with the city, Sharon was guardian and guide.
Escorting them to an adult store?
Neglect of duty as Gemernai Count Family tutor.
Responsible Sharon couldn't allow it.
"Sharon sis is so mean..."
"She had her fun and now hogs it..."
The twins no longer hid their anger.
Had they not tailed her that day, they wouldn't know—but they did.
Sharon's refusal didn't seem pure duty anymore.
"What?"
"We know everything!"
"You lugged bags home alone that makeup day!"
"H-how do you know?!"
Sharon, unaware of the tail, panicked as Dorothy, who'd watched, chimed in.
"Sharon, was it?"
"Y-yes."
"Just looking's fine, right? They're curious."
"Even so..."
"It's okay~ Curiosity's natural. Better to experience under supervision—builds healthy sexuality."
"Dorothy's right. Even I fancy peeking at adult toys."
Lurye joined Dorothy in backing the twins.
Sharon looked to Amelia for advice.
The ex-professor scared the twins—one word could calm them.
But...
"I'm okay with it."
Amelia was curious about modern lewd artifacts too.
Majority ruled, but grasping at straws, Sharon eyed the new Sword Witch.
She hoped kimono-clad, demure Linne might oppose.
But...
"......"
She was withdrawing won from the department store entrance exchange machine. For some reason.