Chapter 887
Chapter 887
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 887
Chapter Title: Teacher Suah (4)
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A video Dorothy had extracted from the Memorial Stone not long ago.
The truth behind it, whose authenticity had been uncertain, came to light in less than a week.
Homunculi gain power by devouring humans' spirits, souls, and bonds.
Lower-grade ones deploy barriers themselves to hunt their prey, but the massive ones unleash large-scale disasters.
The King of Beasts and the named monsters around it had fully demonstrated what happens when history's first Homunculus legion lingers in a single region.
Even now, as the flames ignited by Russia's summons continued to roil the present world's affairs...
The South American continent, with year-end fast approaching, was beset by a chain of catastrophes.
The state of Iguaçu in northern Brazil was struck by a devastating flood.
Rain that poured down for days, exceeding the capacity of the rainforest, had produced tens of thousands of disaster victims, along with outbreaks of disease and countless casualties.
In the central-southern region of Peru, the district of Huancua was hit by a massive landslide with no warning signs.
About 20,000 people—tourists enjoying the nearby hot springs and local residents alike—were swept away by the collapsing earth overnight and perished in an instant.
In Colombia's central Gundacos Department, a massive fire broke out.
Unable to pinpoint the cause, firefighters rushed in to combat the blaze, but the inferno in the narrow, densely packed city left unprecedented losses in life and property. Even a week later, suppression efforts were still ongoing.
In Rosario—Argentina's third-largest port city and the largest trading hub in central and South America—a massive magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck out of nowhere.
Shattering buildings and road infrastructure to sow despair, the quake only subsided after spawning a colossal tsunami that inflicted several times the initial damage.
"This is the report from Duke Tiferet."
Suah calmly handed the report to Albreo.
Countess Albreo was a rarity among Gehenna witches in showing keen interest in the stability of the present world.
Every year, she donated substantial sums of location points.
"Haah... The world really seems due for its end. No reactions from Hexennacht? South and Central America should be right in their business territory."
Albreo furrowed her brow in distress.
The Jemernai Countess's fortune was on the order of trillions, even counting only assets that could be liquidated immediately.
Even if every business in the present world collapsed, it would sustain lavish spending on magical research for generations upon generations.
Their magical crop cultivation ventures in Ratipuntium and magitech sales within Gehenna were rock-solid, too.
Still, it was unpleasant to see the foundations of efforts poured into those ventures shake.
For now, the monster legion's activity was confined to South America, but no one knew where it would strike next.
"They're not mounting any major response yet."
"If only it had been somewhere like the Antarctic or Arctic, we could've done something... but South America, of all places."
"The Framework Witch has headed to South America to gather intelligence and devise countermeasures. We can only hope for good news."
"I see... Well, shall we leave the headaches at that?"
Albreo washed away the bitter aftertaste with some wine and gazed at Teacher Suah, who sat primly sipping her tea.
"How's Siu doing? You've had him for three days already."
"Just as Duke Eloa boldly proclaimed, he's an extraordinary talent. He's growing faster than any witch I've ever taught."
"Under your guidance, it was the Great Beast Battle Magic, right?"
"Yes, and I discovered his magic usage leaned too heavily toward improvisation, so I've been helping him systematize and refine it. But his progress is so phenomenal, I can't help but marvel."
"Hmm, that's a relief."
"You seem to hold Siu in very high regard."
"Who, me? For Siu?"
"Yes."
Albreo stroked her chin and let out a hollow chuckle upon noticing the slight upturn of her lips.
"As if. Just thinking of the nails he's driven into my heart...
Ugh."
Siu had caused her endless heartache and headaches—even if he was her son-in-law, she resented him for it. Yet seeing him recognized by others made her puff up with pride too.
Was she getting sentimental with age?
"May I ask one thing?"
"Of course, speak freely."
"Is it... perhaps Siu's relations with women that worry you, Lady Albreo?"
Albreo felt a pang in her gut.
It was all sorted now, but she reflexively panicked at the thought that Suah might have caught wind of things between Deneb and Siu.
"That's part of it, yeah..."
"I share your concerns. There's no such thing as a big, sweet melon without flaws, but otherwise, he's a most promising and upright young man."
"Teacher Suah..."
"Bonds formed and severed are no concern of we witches, nor is affection something outsiders should meddle in—so I have no right to meddle. But I can't help worrying."
"......"
The sudden silence left Suah a bit flustered; she glanced at Albreo cautiously.
Then she recalled that Albreo was Odil and Odet's master—and likely someone who'd pondered this issue far more deeply than she had.
"My apologies. I spoke out of turn, failing to read the room..."
But Albreo's silence wasn't born of displeasure.
Her tightly pressed lips this time came from hot tears pricking not at her gut, but her eyes.
"Right? Even you think so, don't you, Teacher Suah?"
"Y-Yes?"
Albreo rocketed up from her chair like a spring and seized Suah's hands.
"It's not just me being weird—everyone thinks that, right?"
"What in the world are you..."
"I mean, normally, that's just not how you make a girlfriend, right?"
"Huh? What?"
Not content with gripping her hands to the point of pain, Albreo was even tearing up.
Suah couldn't fathom the dramatic, theatrical reaction at first, but Albreo's emotions ran far deeper than that.
He'd vanish without warning, get kidnapped, nearly die.
And worse—each time, he'd return with a new girlfriend in tow.
After it happened repeatedly, even ensnaring his clever little sister in its wake, Albreo began doubting her own sanity.
And why not? Among everyone attending the banquet, aside from her, not a single woman hadn't shared his bed.
Not one.
Did that make any sense?
She felt like the two-eyed freak in a one-eyed village.
Then came this reasonable reaction—a fellow two-eyed normal.
How could she not welcome it?
"As expected from the wise and renowned Teacher Suah. Indeed, indeed."
"L-Lady Albreo, please mind your dignity..."
Suah, who'd only ever seen the countess's poised demeanor, wanted to gently withdraw her hands.
2.
This operation was top secret.
Hexennacht was already on high alert after the fiasco during Siu's extraction.
If they learned that traitor Dorothy had stormed their front yard as part of a Gehenna ploy, it could ignite the powder keg and shatter the cold war.
Hexennacht's mood was already a hornet's nest upended once over—tacitly permitting spy activity notwithstanding.
If discovered mid-op, per Gehenna command's consensus that full-scale war was premature, it would be publicly framed as Dorothy's solo act.
No room for negotiations or prisoner swaps.
It was expected. Accounted for.
Thus, it took Dorothy two days to reach the nearby Caribbean islands en route to her recon target in Colombia.
Alternating air, land, and sea routes to evade any watchful eyes had caused considerable delays.
Arriving first at a private island near the Dominican Republic, Dorothy sighed in relief at the sight of her intact villa.
"Luckily, it's fine~"
After her betrayal went public, her businesses had taken massive hits too.
Warehouses scattered and hidden were raided; safehouses worldwide struck.
Hexennacht's retaliation, in other words.
She would've shed bloody tears if she hadn't been winding down operations.
Fortunate among misfortunes, her favorite villa had survived unscathed.
-Ding ding ding ding
Dorothy picked up the hefty-looking phone the moment she entered the office.
A satellite phone, capable of transmission anywhere on Earth.
Using star positions for intercontinental comms wasn't impossible with magic—but magic invited surveillance.
Science was far more reassuring.
[Tiferet First Era]
"Yeah, Duke. I've arrived."
[Any special issues?]
"Suffered a bit cramming into that dream-dream trunk~ But I'm safe. Planning to slip into Colombia via Cartagena tomorrow."
[Stay vigilant and careful.]
"This much risk is what makes it fun~ Our darling will love me even more for it."
Her playful retort drew a wry chuckle through the receiver.
[You know this, but I'll say it anyway. Avoid direct combat.]
"Thanks for worrying. Obviously~ that's the plan."
Setting aside the Beast King of unknowable threat level, soloing even one named Homunculus was impossible.
The op's key was stealthy gains, nothing more.
[One more time: thank you.]
"Duke, get this~ Am I the first to hear those words from the fearsome Tiferet Duke herself?"
[Come to think of it.]
"You'll treat me to some fine whiskey when I get back safe, right?"
[Naturally. My treat.]
With brief farewells, the call ended.
Through the floor-to-ceiling window facing the beach stretched a pristine shore that seemed like God had put extra effort into crafting.
The endless curve of the horizon was turning into a fiery plain under the slowly setting sun.
"Wanna come here with darling someday~"
The scenery was familiar now, but she longed to watch this sunset with Siu one day.
Judging by the world's state, it'd be a while off.
Then.
-Beep beep beep
A dry tone emanated from the satellite phone she'd just set down.
The caller: one of Dorothy's subordinates.
Salome, the exiled witch who'd handled South American dealings.
Dorothy wasn't so irresponsible as to overlook retaliation hitting her crew after her Hexennacht betrayal.
She'd notified them via emergency channels to hole up in safehouses.
Yet contact right upon reaching the villa? The timing was suspiciously perfect.
-Beep beep
Salome might already be captured, cycling calls to pinpoint Dorothy's location.
"......"
In the past, she wouldn't have answered.
Salome and her were just boss and subordinate, bound by business.
But after much hesitation, Dorothy picked up.
[Lady Dorothy, help me...]
"What's wrong? If it's personal business, ~I hope it's not some shady trap."
The voice cracked like a sob bursting forth.
Dorothy's eyes sharpened coldly at Salome's tone, grasping for a lifeline amid despair.