Chapter 809
Chapter 809
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 809
Chapter Title: Utopia (2)
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Eloa had memorized the abilities and traits of nearly every named homunculus.
The reason even she failed to instantly recognize the pig with wings and horns was simple.
Despite being a named homunculus, it wasn't high on the extermination priority list.
The homunculus, boasting swan-like beautiful wings and a unicorn's majestic horn, was called Happy Pig.
Among homunculi with all sorts of unique traits, Happy Pig stood out as particularly peculiar.
It never attacked witches or humans.
On the contrary, it possessed tremendous affinity and would approach with a sense of closeness.
The problem lay in its unique attraction magic.
Upon spotting a human or witch, Happy Pig would radiate a glow from its body out of sheer joy.
And to those bathed in that glow, it granted a dream manifesting "the happiest moment that intelligent being yearned for."
However, one could never confidently claim Happy Pig was harmless.
The reasons numbered three.
First, whether out of malice or not, any witch pulled into Happy Pig's dream found it nearly impossible to escape the illusion.
Dismissing the most ideal utopia as mere daydream and returning to reality was no easy feat.
Second, Happy Pig's magic pierced through Autonomous Defense.
Happy Pig harbored no malice or hostility toward witches.
Such pure, innocent goodwill rendered even Autonomous Defense meaningless.
In truth, Happy Pig's actions inflicted no harm on witches whatsoever. It even deployed its own barriers to protect those ensnared in the spell, allowing them to bask in bliss undisturbed.
But third, this was the domain of the Soul Witch—the exiles' space.
Compared to the assembled group's power, a mere homunculus's protection was worth less than nothing.
The party might as well have collapsed defenseless in the forest's heart, lost in deep slumber.
Yet the moment a gentle breeze rustled the hair at Eloa's temple...
The sense of crisis urging her to snap awake vanished.
The duty to realize this was a dream and rouse the others faded into obscurity, just like a dream from long ago.
"Everyone, wake up...!"
Eloa shot up from her chair, shouting.
Familiar surroundings filled her vision.
Still a bit dazed, she glanced around.
The study in Tiferet Duke's mansion in Ars Magna Town.
Languid sunlight poured through the glass windows, warmly delineating the thin boundary between dream and reality.
Beyond the deep teal curtains, lavender fields burst into violet blossoms all at once, rippling in purple waves.
It was a dreamy, resplendent library befitting one of Gehenna's three dukes.
"Hee hee hee."
Eloa's gaze turned toward the source of the laughter.
There sat her disciple, pen tucked behind her ear, grinning mischievously.
Her one and only disciple, dearer to Eloa than anyone.
"Hee hee, Master. What dream had you sleep-talking like that?"
"Rafi?"
Why was Rafi here?
Rafi was surely...
Eloa frowned, sensing something off as questions surfaced.
She'd clearly had a terrible dream.
Her head spun like this, after all.
"Shall I get you something to drink? Just no whiskey, okay?"
"Do you take your master for a drunkard, Rafi?"
"But Master always drinks so much."
What an odd thing to say.
Ever since taking Rafi as her disciple, Eloa had barely touched alcohol.
"Enough nonsense. Fetch some water."
"Yes~ Master."
She must have dozed off first while reading books in the library with Rafi.
"Here you go. Chug this cool water and wake right up."
"Thank you."
The beloved apprentice witch Rafi, whom she'd seen yesterday, a week ago—always together.
Yet for some reason, she felt a profound longing, as if reuniting after ages apart.
Eloa couldn't quite name the emotion.
She simply chalked it up to an unusually sentimental day.
"Rafi."
"Yes?"
"Come here for a moment?"
Eloa pulled Rafi into a tight embrace.
"Yes... Oh my. Master's acting so strange today. Master?"
"......"
"...Are you okay?"
Rafi flashed a playful smile before startling in surprise.
"Our Master must've had a scary dream... It's okay. It happens to me sometimes too."
Only after Rafi pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her cheek did Eloa realize tears were streaming from her eyes.
"I'll get another glass of water."
"Rafi."
Eloa grabbed Rafi again as she moved to fetch it, startled.
And once more, she clung tightly to her disciple's shoulders, whom she'd missed so dearly.
"Just stay like this a little longer?"
"Why are you like this today... Senior Siu would get jealous."
Rafi gave a wry smile but returned her master's hug.
"Haa~ What a day..."
Rain and the city.
To Dorothy, those two words made for an especially dreary pairing.
Add summer to the mix, and it plunged from dreary straight into depressing.
Watching the wipers squeak across the windshield...
Turtle-crawling cars' brake lights sparked the thought.
A peninsula's summer, surrounded by sea on three sides, was so humid that even the AC couldn't dispel the car's stuffiness.
A short walk left her skin sticky like a frog's; she showered five times a day.
Feet throbbed from all-day heels.
Eyes ached from eight-plus hours staring at the monitor, dark circles from sleep deprivation.
The worst? It was Monday.
Four more days like this before scraping together a brief weekend rest.
She'd surely relaxed over the weekend, so why did her stored energy drain in one day?
Why the endless unpaid overtime?
Sure, the salary was high, but was grinding people like machine parts really right?
"Argh, what's with me today~ I passed the mart."
She'd firmly reminded herself it was discount sale day before clocking out.
But all her griping made her miss the turnoff.
"Nothing goes right... So depressing~"
Dorothy sighed deeply, thunking her head on the wheel.
An hour in rush-hour hell, reinforcing her lesson: Next time, just take public transit.
It was past 8 by the time she finally got home.
Dorothy's home was an unremarkable apartment in Bedtown new town.
A 32-pyeong unit with living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms.
Five more years of mortgage payments made it basically the bank's.
Still, home was home?
Stepping through the door charged her 0% battery to 10%.
She kicked off her heels haphazardly and beelined for the sofa under the family photo.
"I'm home~ Huh? What's that smell?"
"Welcome back?"
The appetizing aroma tickling her nose was kimchi stew.
Siu emerged from the kitchen in an apron, arms wide for a hug.
"Figured you'd be late, so I prepped dinner. Traffic brutal?"
"Ugh~ Heard the rep, but it's insane. Worst traffic I've seen, even beats New York."
"Told you to take the bus."
"Like I knew it'd be this bad."
Dorothy pouted childishly on the sofa; Siu chuckled at his homemaker best.
What a smug face.
"Daughter?"
"Sleeping over at a friend's tonight."
"Whose?"
"Odil and Odet, you know."
"Oh~ The opera ones?"
"Yeah."
Siu sidled up to Dorothy with a meaningful smile, apron still on.
"Dear Dorothy, you must be beat today. Let me rub your shoulders."
"Nah~ Told you, I'm wiped."
"That's why I'm offering a shoulder rub."
It was a rare chance.
Unlike their childless newlywed days, Lurye was home now, cramping hot nights.
What if she heard, woke, or walked in midway?
Couldn't relax fully.
But hot nights varied in intensity.
Exhausted as she was, tangling with her stallion of a husband late would dread tomorrow's commute.
"Rough day?"
"Don't ask. Nearly bashed the section chief with my nameplate. That good-for-nothing pisses me off."
"Can't have this. Just smash him and make him pay damages."
"And the loan?"
"Pay off the loan first, then smash."
Shoulder massage loosening her up, she vented work woes, lips curving despite herself.
Truly lucky to marry such a gem.
So what if he didn't earn big bucks?
Mastered chores, massages, cooking, bedroom—plenty.
Plus their precious golden daughter, whom she'd trade eyes for.
Lost in such thoughts, her shirt buttons were undone, flung open.
Bra's front clasp unhooked like magic.
Siu's sly hand had slipped in, kneading her breasts.
Once subtle touches turned blatantly lewd, like working dough.
Fingertips tapping nipples knew exactly how to tease her to desperation.
"Whose naughty hand is this?"
"Just giving a massage."
She shot him a pouty glare; he answered coolly.
He wasn't always this sly—growing foxier by the day.
"Eish~ You're such a handful."
"Shower together?"
"Tempting?"
"Come hither, milady. Cleaned the bathroom spotless. I'll wash every nook and cranny."
"Eek, that tickles~ Stop."
Playful kisses led them to the bathroom, clothes shedding with each step onto the floor.
"You deep-cleaned good."
"Of course—who do you think I am?"
Room tidied impeccably, dinner ready, even toilet gleaming.
A bit tired, sure, but couldn't ignore such effort.
Time to muster some energy.
Dinner would have to wait a bit.