Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 051
Chapter Title: Cindy's Revenge
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There were a few hiccups along the way, but somehow the hunt wrapped up successfully. Just a bit of cleanup left, and then I could finally crash.
I pulled out the inner core from the dead Iron Mask. Then I rifled through his belongings.
An iron mask, a strangely shaped flute, a pouch stuffed with gold coins, and a glass vial filled with black potion. From the looks of it...
'First time seeing one up close.'
Woojin examined the potion closely.
Tiny larvae, like specks of dust, wriggled in swarms within the dark liquid. They seemed to be some kind of aquatic insect, similar to water striders.
It's a risky item, but not something you come across every day. Better keep it.
'Just gotta make sure I don't lose it.'
After gathering up all of Iron Mask's possessions, I didn't forget the witch sprawled on the dirt floor. Now all that was left was heading back.
The problem was... there was no way I'd pass the entrance inspection at Pioneer City in this state. My body was covered in gray scales, and I was carrying an unconscious witch in my left hand. Anyone would peg me as suspicious.
So, I'd have to use the same method as when I left the city.
'Gotta scale the wall.'
Woojin leaped high, clinging to the wall, then climbed up like he was scaling a rock face.
As he ascended, he overheard the guards chatting. They were on night watch atop the wall, shooting the breeze.
"Heard a leopard slipped into the city."
"Just drunks talking shit, right? Why would a leopard show up here? Not even a single rabbit around."
"Yeah... damn it, I was sleeping so well."
The guards yawned and grumbled. There were more of them on duty now than when Woojin had snuck out earlier. Rumors about the leopard beast must have started circulating.
'They're too busy yapping to notice.'
Woojin slipped quietly past the two guards. They were too absorbed in their conversation to spot him. The rest of the wall was much the same, so getting back inside the city was a piece of cake.
He hopped from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding prying eyes. Before long, his destination came into view.
'Golden Beetle's mansion.'
Golden Beetle Wolf owned mansions in every major pioneer city. Woojin and Cindy were currently using this one as their base.
Standing at the door, Woojin rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a key. A spare he'd gotten in advance. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Sensing his presence, Cindy emerged from an inner room to greet him. Her eyes widened when she saw the witch he was dragging along.
"...What on earth did you bring back?"
"This is the witch. I want to tie her up and lock her in a room. Got anywhere suitable?"
"The basement should work."
The two headed straight downstairs.
They dragged over a chair and sat the witch down, then bound her with iron chains and shackled her limbs. The shackles were solid steel—nothing she could break easily.
'That should hold her.'
He planned to barricade the basement door too, so she wouldn't escape without outside help.
Woojin scanned the witch's appearance.
Her face was almost human. Glossy, seal-like skin that was pale and smooth. The webbing between her fingers stood out, but the most striking feature was...
"...No legs?"
"Yeah."
A seal's tail took their place instead. She looked just like a mermaid. Cindy kept tilting her head in curiosity.
"I've never even seen a creature like this in fairy tales... Do you know anything about her?"
"They called her a selkie. That's all I got."
"First time hearing that word."
Cindy didn't seem to know much either. The solution here was straightforward.
"We caught her to interrogate her anyway. We can just ask her ourselves."
The intel she'd gotten close to Duke Edwin for. Once she spilled that, they could also get details on her identity and shapeshifting magic in one go.
And after the interrogation...
Cindy would kill the witch herself. That moment of revenge would fulfill both their goals, bringing this witch hunt to a close.
"...But is she even alive?"
Cindy asked cautiously. Woojin held his hand in front of the witch's mouth.
A faint breath brushed his skin.
"She's alive. No clue when she'll wake up, though. Probably not till morning."
"In other words... she might die before then? She looks in really bad shape."
Woojin's expression turned odd at that.
'...Did I overdo it?'
Right before clashing with Iron Mask, midway through the fight, he'd zapped her with lightning to keep her from waking up and causing trouble.
He'd figured a leopard beast could take it... but that was just shapeshifting magic. He might have hit her harder than she could handle.
Cindy, gauging his reaction, made a suggestion.
"Should we try feeding her a potion?"
"You got one?"
"Yeah. I carry a couple as emergency supplies."
Cindy opened the pouch at her waist. A small, expensive bag made of deer leather.
She pulled out a large glass bottle from inside—like a magician yanking a rabbit from a hat.
Woojin realized what the bag was.
"Is that a spatial artifact?"
"Yep. Pretty neat, huh?"
Cindy proudly showed off the bag. It had spatial expansion and weight reduction enchantments—an upgrade over Woojin's own pack.
"I'm jealous... Where do you even find artifacts like that?"
Artifacts were rare regardless of price. Woojin had saved up a good chunk working with the Church Alliance, but he hadn't found a suitable one yet.
Cindy smiled.
"I've got a few good ones stashed away. Once this job's done, I'll gift you some."
"...Guess we better wrap this up quick, then."
That lit a fire under him. Woojin took the potion and carefully poured it into the witch's mouth.
Maybe it was the potion's potency.
About halfway through, she reacted. Her eyelids fluttered.
Woojin stepped back.
"She's waking up soon."
"Perfect. We can interrogate her right away."
They'd planned to wait till morning, but the pricey potion solved it on the spot. The witch's eyes fluttered open.
"...Heh..."
The witch let out a vacant laugh. As if she'd realized torture awaited and accepted her fate.
Woojin turned to Cindy beside him.
"You should head upstairs."
"I want to see this."
Cindy stood her ground. She wanted to watch the witch suffer.
Woojin respected her resolve.
'If that's what she wants, fine.'
Time for the interrogation.
Woojin dragged over a wooden chair and sat across from her. He pondered briefly. Where to start?
His experience torturing Enoch last time helped him decide quickly.
'Break her spirit first.'
That loosens tongues. As Woojin summoned lightning to his fingertips...
'...Something's off.'
A sudden unease hit him. He stared at the witch across from him.
She grinned idiotically. Drool dribbled from her mouth, freezing like icicles on her chin. Her eyes were dull and unfocused.
Cindy spoke cautiously.
"She seems totally broken already...?"
"......"
The witch was already shattered.
Maybe this cunning witch was faking madness to slip out of danger.
Woojin suggested as much, but...
"Something's weird."
Cindy waved her fingers in front of the witch's eyes. The witch's pupils followed... but her right eye lagged a beat behind, unfocused.
The eyes weren't syncing.
"...Can you fake that on purpose?"
"Maybe with training...?"
Woojin countered, but he wasn't convinced. She just looked genuinely broken.
Cindy asked again.
"What now?"
Woojin answered without much thought.
"Let's rest and head to the 3rd Pioneer City. We'll need Elder Bow's help."
No matter how sly the witch was, she couldn't fool Bow's Insight. They'd go back, get a proper diagnosis on how far gone she was.
If it seemed hopeless, they'd kill her. The intel would be a waste, but she was too dangerous to keep alive.
At Woojin's words, Cindy—who'd been listening quietly—spoke up hesitantly.
"Do we have to kill her?"
"Wasn't revenge what you wanted?"
"Killing her would be too quick and easy."
With that, Cindy pulled something from her bag. A necklace made of black thorny vines. It gave off an ominous vibe.
"What's that?"
"One of our family's ancient relics. Passed down for generations. I brought it specifically to use on a witch."
That jogged his memory...
—Use it on the enemy of our house.
The brothers' dormant recollection surfaced. He could guess what it did—and what Cindy wanted.
"...Alright. Do it your way."
"Thank you."
Cindy grinned mischievously and pricked her thumb on the necklace's thorns. A red drop of blood beaded like dew.
She pressed it to the gem. The white stone turned red.
Clank.
The necklace locked around the witch's neck. Cindy murmured an incantation.
"Sickatrix, Spinernum."
...Crack.
The necklace spewed black smoke, crumbling to ash. A tattoo resembling it etched itself onto the witch's neck.
Cindy extended her hand toward the witch, fingers curling as if gripping a throat.
Grrrk—
"Guhk... krrgh..."
The thorny vine tattoo constricted around the witch's neck. A strangled groan escaped her lips.
Woojin nodded approvingly.
'The curse took hold.'
A scar from the thorny vines.
An artifact designed to tame beasts. If the beast defied its master, harbored ill intent, or at the master's whim, the curse would strangle it.
It wouldn't work on strong-willed beings. A normal witch would have resisted the curse embedding itself.
That's why Cindy had planned to watch the torture and wait for her to weaken...
But the lightning bolt had shattered the witch first. The curse rooted deep into her soul.
Thus, Cindy's revenge was complete.
"This'll be fun for a long time."
...And so it began.
Cindy generously shared command authority, so Woojin could issue orders to the witch whenever he wanted.
The issue was...
"...She doesn't understand a word."
"Yeah. Gonna take some time."
The witch couldn't comprehend human speech. Orders fell on deaf ears, so her throat kept getting crushed as punishment.
"We should give her a new name too. Can't keep calling her 'witch.'"
"Selkie work?"
"Hmm... Doesn't roll off the tongue. I'll think about it before bed."
Cindy yawned as she spoke.
It was too late. The sun had set by the time the banquet started. A few more hours, and dawn would break.
"Let's crash now."
"See you tomorrow."
The two retired to their rooms.
Woojin flopped onto his bed and pulled out the inner core from his pocket. Iron Mask's core. He turned it over, inspecting it from every angle.
'...Feels gross eating this.'
Iron Mask had popped some weird drug right before the end. What if traces lingered in the core?
But it should be fine. Woojin had resistance to most poisons.
Crunch—
He chewed and swallowed the core, then stared at the shadowed ceiling, waiting for sleep.
Thinking about it...
Woojin didn't even know Iron Mask's real name. Just that he was Elder Bow's disciple. What circumstances led him to become a Dark Cultist?
'Guess I'll find out soon.'
As he closed his eyes, the familiar darkness came.