Chapter 56: The Witch and the Noble Lady (1)
Chapter 56: The Witch and the Noble Lady (1)
Translation: Godtl
Penelope couldn't quite comprehend the current situation.
What in the world was happening in the dead of night?
The big fish she had been trying to lure in—watching for any opportunity—had suddenly come leaping through the hotel door of its own accord.
"Give me another glass."
Moreover, Isolde seemed to have taken quite a liking to the cola, gulping it down in large swigs.
"My throat stings..."
"That's because of the carbonation. There's plenty more, so take your time."
By all accounts, this was a windfall—but...
How should she put it?
She felt more nervous than she'd expected.
Just as Han-bin, whom she revered, wielded 'Creation'—said to belong to the realm of gods—Isolde was a legendary alchemist who commanded 'Life.'
For anyone who walked the path of alchemy, she was an existence one couldn't help but look up to.
Even Penelope, who was never one to be intimidated by anyone, had initially been cowed.
She wasn't just called a legendary alchemist in name—she was the legend itself.
Naturally, Penelope had expected her to be brimming with some sort of unreal dignity, a fairy-tale-like mystique, but...
"Hic—!"
Watching Isolde let out a burp and then startle at her own reaction after overindulging in the cola...
It felt like her illusions were being shattered.
"I keep burping."
"As I mentioned earlier, it's because of the carbonation. You must really like the cola, don't you?"
"I dislike this part. But will you give me another glass?"
"Of course. I'll pack some for you to take on your way back."
"Thank you."
Thanks to that, her tension quickly eased, and now it was time to get to the main point.
Just as she was pondering how to broach the subject without being too obvious—
"May I see your hand?"
Her timing had been stolen.
"Pardon?"
"Both hands."
At the strange, casually uttered request, Penelope blankly held out her hands.
Isolde's slender fingers interlaced with hers.
Their palms pressed together in a clasped grip.
The cool, smooth sensation made Penelope more than a little flustered.
She couldn't quite put it into words, but wasn't this way too... intimate for a handhold?
"Lady Isolde...?"
—Huuuuuum
Before she could even gasp, mana surged and flowed into Penelope's circuits.
Startled by the sudden skin contact, Penelope's mind snapped to attention.
"Lady Isolde! What are you doing?! Your mana is—"
"Shh. Stay still."
She tried to muster her own mana in resistance, but it was futile.
Isolde's mana pressed down on Penelope's defiance and flowed in with unshakable dignity.
Pushing one's mana into another's mana circuits was something not even the closest of companions would do.
If the one infusing it had even the slightest ill intent, they could turn the other into a half-cripple.
Even without malice, the smallest mistake could lead to catastrophe.
And even if there was neither ill will nor error, if their constitutions were incompatible, it could trigger a rejection—like transfusing blood of the wrong type.
Whichever the case, it was a disaster waiting to happen.
What the hell are you doing?!?!
Penelope screamed internally, afraid that Isolde's concentration might waver.
The mana had already invaded.
Trying to forcibly tear it away now would only make things worse.
Just as a chill ran down her spine and cold sweat threatened to break out—
Penelope felt warmth spreading through her circuits.
"Ah..."
The mana flowing from Isolde's palms was indescribably mystical.
Like the great forces of nature—so overwhelming that defiance never even crossed the mind.
Like lush greenery, brimming with vitality.
Like the warmth of being cradled in a mother's embrace.
A refreshing coolness, like popping a mint candy into her mana circuits, spread through her.
"It's done."
The mana that had been circulating through the circuits was neatly gathered back into Isolde.
Isolde withdrew her hand.
Penelope, who had hastily pulled her own hand away, kept unconsciously clenching and unclenching her fist.
"This is..."
An entirely unfamiliar sensation she'd never felt before.
The feeling of her mana circuits being purified? Expanding?
Indescribably, her body felt lighter.
"What was that just now?"
"I did some adjustments to your mana circuits. There was all sorts of unnecessary buildup, so I cleaned them out while I was at it."
Adjust her mana circuits? Clean them?
Mana circuits weren't coal stoves—could you even do that?
"Try channeling some mana now."
"Right now?"
"To check if the cleaning was done properly."
"Ah."
As Isolde suggested, Penelope lightly summoned her mana.
"Eh?"
Penelope was astonished.
The condition of her mana circuits was different.
The capacity for mana had increased by at least 1.2 times based on her perception.
Right now, she could probably conjure flames even without a catalyst.
Having seriously walked the path of an alchemist, Penelope could recognize this immediately.
Isolde had bestowed an enormous favor upon her.
Yet questions still remained.
"Why would you do this for me...?"
"Just felt like it."
"Perhaps you have some connection to the Rosemore Count family—"
"None."
Come to think of it, she'd often heard rumors about Isolde.
Given how Isolde was a recluse shrouded in mysticism, it was unlikely she'd do something for the Rosemores.
Considering her abilities and achievements, she could've easily been granted a countship, yet she reportedly had no established faction.
No matter how she looked at it, there was absolutely no connection between her and Penelope...
If it wasn't this or that, then...
"Could it be... that I have some genius-level talent as an alchemist?"
Had Isolde recognized that talent and decided to bestow this opportunity?
"No, your talent is average."
Nope.
Penelope's lips jutted out slightly.
"Well, not exactly average."
Penelope's face brightened with hope.
"Slightly above average. About a 6.5 out of 10."
Penelope was disappointed again.
Before she could even process that disappointment, Isolde rose from her seat.
Her attitude suggested her business here was concluded.
"You're leaving already?"
"Kid, are you participating in this Red Moon subjugation?"
"Huh? Yes, I am. Though I'm not a kid..."
"What's your assignment?"
"Actually, that's something I wanted to ask you about—"
"Join my team. I need someone to handle supplies."
"...!"
"I'll take the cola."
Just as suddenly as she'd appeared, Isolde vanished.
Dazed as if possessed by a goblin, Penelope soon snapped out of it.
"It's done! It's really done! What kind of miracle is this?"
She didn't understand any of it.
She truly didn't understand, but this was incredibly fortunate!
She'd only meant to ask Isolde for a favorable position, but against all expectations, she'd ended up joining her team for the subjugation.
With this, she might even aim for a royal commendation.
The type would depend on her performance, but all commendations came with the coveted benefit of 'tax reductions.'
Including corporate taxes!
"Ufufu..."
She had a feeling this Red Moon's spoils would be especially bountiful.
The Litchfield Hotel boasted various lounges.
From the lobby lounge—a social hub for high society—to the library lounge for reading and contemplation, and even an exclusive lounge for top-tier guests.
Among these, the club lounge was a small-scale space designed for private conversations.
Though modest in size, everything from the solid wood bookshelves to the leather sofas was of the highest quality, befitting the hotel's prestige.
The cultured classical music flowing from the gramophone and the aromatic incense imported from the East.
It was a space crafted by gathering only the most refined elements from across the eastern and western continents.
In the privately reserved club lounge, the four heroes were tilting their glasses late into the night.
Though they were collectively known as the Six Heroes of the Great Subjugation, each had their own responsibilities and standing in peacetime, making frequent gatherings rare.
A long-awaited reunion with comrades who had shared hardships for a full five years.
With so much to catch up on, the drinking naturally stretched late into the night.
Kailus, the "Sword Saint," his face flushed from alcohol, spoke up.
"But Lady Isolde, you and Han-bin really aren't on good terms, right?"
"Tsk, Kailus. You've had too much to drink."
"Don't act like you're not curious too, Brok. Right? Han-bin hasn't shown up to any of our gatherings—always says it's because of work, but isn't it just because he can't face Lady Isolde?"
"Kailus."
Brok, the Iron Mountain, chided him with dignity, but strangely enough, even Ravina, who usually kept things in check, took Kailus' side.
"I am curious. From what I remember, the two of them... almost looked like lovers."
"Exactly! There was definitely something unusual between them, but by the end of the subjugation, they'd completely split."
"...A lovers' quarrel, perhaps?"
"Hmm, that makes sense."
Even Stella, who would normally put a stop to such talk, chimed in.
She, too, had long held the same question.
"Now, now. Gossiping behind someone's back isn't proper."
"Brok, we're not doing this for fun. If we want them to get along like before, we need to know why they fought, don't we?"
"If you're that curious, why not just ask Lady Isolde directly?"
"Don't joke. I'm scared of her. I can't even begin to guess what she's thinking."
Isolde had been their comrade during the Great Subjugation.
Yet, she had always been an outlier in the group.
It wasn't that the others had excluded her—rather, she had made no effort to blend in.
Nor was she the warm type to engage in casual conversation, so emotional exchanges were kept to a bare minimum.
As a result, there was an unbridgeable psychological distance between her and the others.
A distance that, though seemingly close, would never truly close.
Had it not been for Han-bin acting as a mediator, they might still be strangers to this day.
"Actually... I did see something once."
"What?"
"The two of them arguing. I was too far to hear clearly, but..."
"Really?!"
Stella cautiously opened up.
She admitted to having witnessed the two of them once, sparks flying as they clashed in a heated debate from afar.
The atmosphere had been unusually tense, so she'd thought it improper to eavesdrop and left.
Given how close they had been, she'd assumed they would reconcile quickly—but the outcome was as everyone knew.
Their relationship had shattered beyond repair.
"It's puzzling. Why would Han-bin, who adored Lady Isolde so much... have fought with her?"
"Curious?"
Everyone's hearts nearly leapt out of their chests.
Because Isolde, who had been absent until now, had suddenly appeared in the lounge.
"L-Lady Isolde?! Wh-when did you get here?"
"Kailus! It was Kailus! That bastard started it!"
"Hey, hey! Why just me?!"
Isolde, in her usual flat, unreadable tone, calmly settled the commotion.
"I'll tell you."
"Huh?"
"You said you were curious."
"Well, yes, but..."
She didn't seem particularly upset about the gossip.
Instead, she traced her lips thoughtfully before speaking.
"During the subjugation of the Eastern Deep Sea Demon Realm, we got caught in one of the Cult's rituals. A ceremony to summon the Sub-god of the Devourer."
As always, Isolde's explanation was far from considerate.
But Stella, the Saintess of the church, understood immediately.
"Wait a minute. Did you say a ritual to summon a Sub-god?"
"A Sub-god? What's that?"
"A Sub-god... is a form where an evil god descends into the mortal world through a proxy's body. In essence, it's no different from an Apocalypse-class monster—an extremely dangerous entity."
None of them had as much knowledge about Black Mages as Stella did.
Their enemies had always been monsters, not 'The Cult.'
But everyone knew the danger level of an 'Apocalypse-class' monster.
Apocalypse-class.
A threat ranked only five times in human history.
Each time one appeared, dozens of legendary heroes who once ruled the continent perished, and there were even cases where an entire nation mobilized all its forces to subjugate it, only to fall into decline afterward.
During the Great Subjugation, they barely managed to defeat one, but it was a monster they never wanted to encounter again.
"Only Han-bin, Beatrice, and I were there at the time."
"Beatrice?"
"I sacrificed Viche to stop the summoning. Her Mana Circuit was optimized for sealing."
"...?"
"Thanks to her, the summoning ended incomplete, but Han-bin seemed really angry."
Silence fell.
Everyone stared blankly at Isolde.
"Ha, hahaha..."
Kailus was the first to burst into laughter.
That set the tone, and soon, awkward chuckles followed.
Because the words that had come out of Isolde's mouth were utterly absurd.
For one, no one had ever heard of a name like Beatrice before, and Isolde, who had just dropped such a serious revelation, didn't seem the least bit serious.
Her nonchalance came across as a subtle reprimand for their rude curiosity.
"Lady Isolde, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I feel kind of sorry for asking..."
"I should've cut it off sooner... To be honest, I just wanted to see you and the Witch make up."
"You're not serious, are you?"
Isolde stared at her companions for a moment before speaking.
"It's a joke."
"Whew."
"What kind of joke is that?"
A round of exhausted laughter followed.
"I don't know what you fought about, but I hope it's resolved so Han-bin can join us next time."
"Right. That brat's got a punchable face, but I kinda miss him."
"Witch, sit down. Isn't it too cold to just stand there after meeting us after so long? We should do what we always did before heading out."
"Ah, I forgot about the toast."
Isolde nodded.
"Good timing. I brought something."
She rummaged through her cloak and pulled something out.
"Huh? Oh! Isn't that cola?"
"Cola? What's that? Some kind of alcohol?"
"It's a popular drink up north. I saw everyone carrying it during the march."
It was seven bottles of cola she had brought after tending to Penelope's Mana Circuit earlier.
"Oho, the bottles look quite unique."
"But why seven?"
"Han-bin's share."
"But even counting Han-bin, who isn't here, that's only six."
Kailus voiced his confusion, but—
"Just because."
"Ah."
They accepted Isolde's straightforward explanation.
Well, of course! The Witch's always been eccentric like that!
Leaving two bottles on the table, she handed out the remaining five.
"Alright, let's smash this mission and come back victorious!"
The clinking of cola bottles.
Foam bubbled over in the commotion.
"Whoa! This is amazing! So tasty! Kehehehek!! Ah, it burns my throat!"
"Hey! Kailus! You damn idiot! It's splashing everywhere!"
"Ooh, this is fascinating! I should grab some on the way back."
"The taste is good... but it wasn't made with any impure ingredients, right?"
Isolde took a step back, silently watching her rowdy companions...
"..."
Then, she shifted her gaze to the two remaining cola bottles, clinked them together as if in a toast, and—