Chapter 525: Jealousy is My Power (25)
Chapter 525: Jealousy is My Power (25)
"…You did something foolish."
Those were the first words I heard as I opened my eyes, my mind still hazy.
Whoosh. A cloud of smoke exhaled by the woman drifted like a cluster of cumulus clouds. As I stared blankly at the sight, a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
Right. I had fainted.
It was an item I had barely managed to complete after several failures. The Great Witch had been writhing in agony, and I wanted to ease that pain as quickly as possible.
So, I put it in the incense burner and lit it.
It was a stupid move.
The moment I inhaled the smoke from the burning medicinal herbs, I should have realized. This was a drug used by a Master, after all.
There was no way its potency would be weak.
I was just lucky the effect was the kind that made the body lethargic. Depending on the type, drugs could drive a person into a frenzy.
What if I had completely lost my mind?
It wouldn't have ended as a mere 'disgrace.' A martial artist who had reached the level of High Expert was no different from a tactical weapon; there was a risk of harming hundreds of lives in an instant.
Naturally, it would have been a catastrophe.
The Great Witch seemed to be pointing this out as well. I had no excuse, even if I had ten mouths to speak with.
In the end, I could only let out a sigh and bury my head back onto the table.
"I'm sorry…"
"What for? There is no need to apologize. If anything, it is my fault… You must have been startled when I suddenly collapsed."
I looked up, surprised by her nonchalant tone.
Unexpectedly, the Great Witch showed no signs of anger or embarrassment.
She was a figure called the progenitor and the root of the Southern United Kingdoms. The weakness of such a titan was of immeasurable value. If I had malicious intent, I could have thrown the Southern United Kingdoms into chaos.
And yet, the Great Witch didn't particularly force me to keep it a secret.
It was a complete reversal from her previous attitude, where she had threatened my life just to verify my innocence. I couldn't help but feel bewildered.
Regardless of my confusion, the Great Witch simply asked me in a flat voice.
"Do you have an inkling as to why I collapsed?"
She sounded as if she already knew what my answer would be.
Feeling a prick of conscience, I subtly avoided her gaze. In my haste, I hadn't thought it through, but the formula for this drug was knowledge passed down to me by 'me' from the future.
Naturally, the 'me' of this era shouldn't have known it.
But not only did I possess the formula, I had even succeeded in actually preparing it. Though, that was entirely thanks to the skills of the future 'me.'
How was I supposed to explain this?
Unable to find an answer, I chose to retreat once more.
"That, well, I'm not sure either…"
"Don't lie to me."
Of course, the attempt didn't even leave a scratch.
As I continued to hesitate despite her cold voice, the Great Witch eventually let out a sigh. A faint trace of annoyance was beginning to surface on her face.
"…I still cannot accept it."
"Accept what?"
"You. Your very existence."
Leaning back on the sofa opposite me with her head resting on her hand, the Great Witch's tone was firm.
It was as if she truly could not tolerate my presence.
"I simply cannot believe it… How can someone like you exist?"
"Hey, isn't that a bit much…?"
"Hmph. From now on, you are under my special management."
Despite my timid protest, the Great Witch had already decided my future.
Clack. The sound of her smoking pipe hitting the ashtray on the table rang out.
"From now on, you shall take on the heavy responsibility of resolving the abnormal phenomena in this area with me. Additionally, you'll have to help me with the process of selecting a disciple."
"Pardon? A disciple?"
"Yes, a disciple."
Whoosh. Exhaling the smoke she had been holding again, the Great Witch gave me a look of pathetic pity.
"Do you think I came here for a vacation? I publicly announced that I would select a disciple, so I must follow through."
"No, is there really a need for that? Given the state of emergency, everyone would understand if you let it slide… More importantly, there's no reason you must pick a disciple right now."
"Fateful intuition."
Another incomprehensible statement.
I wore a puzzled expression, but the Great Witch seemed to have no intention of rescinding her decision.
"I have a feeling that it must be done… So, you'll have to act as my assistant for a while."
"Um, I'm sorry, but I have my own things to do…"
"How much of Binding and Unbinding have you mastered?"
I fell silent once again.
'Binding and Unbinding'—it was none other than the Great Witch's secret art. Naturally, there was no way the creator of the technique wouldn't recognize it.
I had already prepared myself for this.
Nevertheless, a sense of foreboding washed over me, and I hesitated, trying to string together a pathetic excuse.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about…"
"Your level is pathetic."
But the Great Witch was not an easy opponent.
A single line of critique.
Unable to hide my surge of irritation, I shot her a fierce look.
Whoosh. The tobacco smoke scattered into the air in winding trails. A hazy light lingered in the Great Witch's eyes.
"I do not know how you learned it, but since you've gone and stolen my techniques, could you at least stop dragging my reputation through the mud? I'm so embarrassed I can't even hold my head up in front of that sword maniac or that Divine Brawler."
"…I'm the one who stabbed that 'Divine Brawler.'"
The rebuttal slipped out before I could stop it.
At that, the Great Witch took another drag of smoke and exhaled. Her lips curled into a twisted smirk.
A faint chuckle escaped the woman's lips.
"So you've got some spirit to match that ego, do you?"
"Isn't that a given for a martial artist?"
"Hmph. And yet you can't even argue against the fact that you stole the techniques…"
I had no words to throw back at her.
In truth, I wasn't the one who had been granted the secret arts by the Great Witch. The techniques I used were essentially stolen after peeking into his memories.
Perhaps that was why it bothered me deep down.
Maybe that was why I felt particularly annoyed.
Why did the fact that the Great Witch didn't acknowledge me weigh so heavily on my mind?
I looked away, feeling as unpleasant as if I had swallowed a fishbone.
"I want to dig into the details right this second, but consider yourself lucky. We have to resolve the immediate problem first."
It was a declaration that allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
I didn't know what caused the change of heart, but the Great Witch didn't seem interested in interrogating me further. She likely judged that seeking my cooperation was the better priority.
Conversely, it meant the situation had worsened that much.
Seeing the question in my eyes, the Great Witch feigned a reluctant air.
"It seems the 'Vampire' is targeting the Academy."
"Isn't that obvious? We've already seen the subordinates."
"It's not just subordinates… The main body is coming here."
Before I could follow up with another question, the Great Witch exhaled smoke once more.
Unlike before, the smoke didn't dissipate immediately. The billowing, translucent vapor began to draw a picture in the air.
It was the shape of a single bat trapped inside a circle.
"This is the rough layout of the barrier that imprisons the Vampire. This vast barrier exists solely to trap a single Fiend. And this barrier is directly connected to my body, but lately, it's been strangely…"
The Great Witch trailed off and flicked her finger.
Then, the bat inside the circle began to move violently. Every time the bat slammed its body against the circle, the smoke scattered slightly.
"…It's been having seizures. That's why I suddenly collapsed in front of you."
"Then doesn't that mean the main body is still inside the barrier?"
"Yes, it certainly should be…"
A shadow now loomed over the Great Witch's lamenting face. She looked as displeased as a soldier reminiscing about their first kill.
Snap. Another crisp sound echoed.
Soon, the bat made of smoke began to split into two.
"I don't know what method was used, but it seems the vessel containing the main body's consciousness has escaped. Even though the physical body, which holds the majority of the power, remains trapped within the barrier."
I crossed my arms and remained silent.
Just hearing it made it sound like there was a flaw in the barrier, but this was a spell the Great Witch had created by exhausting most of her power.
There was no way it could be breached so easily.
If it were that simple, the Vampire would have been roaming the outside world long ago.
As such, several questions remained regarding the incident.
However, the one thing we had to do was clear.
"…You find it."
Whoosh. As the Great Witch exhaled smoke again, the shapes of the circle and the bat blurred.
Visible beyond them was the woman's face, looking exceptionally fatigued.
"There must be a reason it's going to such lengths to interfere with the barrier. It's likely because it's that wary of me… But you'll be fine. In fact, you'll be more helpful since you have many acquaintances at the Academy."
"Most of the people I know have probably lost their minds by now."
"Surely not all of them… Even a Vampire's spell has its limits. It doesn't work well against those who are outliers in terms of strength."
I swallowed a dry laugh upon hearing that.
'Outliers in terms of strength.'
Easier said than done; one would need to be at least a 'High Expert' or an 'Archmage' to earn such a description. In other words, Professor Derek was the only one among my acquaintances who fit the bill.
Just as I was about to voice that rebuttal.
"Wait, there is one, isn't there?"
Did she somehow know about Professor Derek?
As I sent her a questioning look, the Great Witch's mysterious smile deepened.
"Someone very strong, who can also be of help to you."
*
And a little later.
A middle-aged man with graying hair sat across from me. If I had encountered him at a ball, I might have mistaken him for an elderly gentleman, but his physique was on another level.
Taut muscles and the relaxed aura unique to the powerful.
The room was dim since the curtains hadn't been drawn. Nevertheless, his blue eyes, flickering like flames, were never swallowed by the darkness.
The Empire's Sword Duke.
In front of one of the only three absolute beings on the continent, I swallowed hard and spoke.
"…The Great Witch said she wants to take me as her disciple."
Then, silence.
After some time had passed, the lips of the Sword Duke, who had been sitting without a word, slowly opened.
"That washed-up old hag dares?! Trying to steal our Empire's treasure… Has she finally gone senile from living too long?!"
He slammed his hand onto the table.
Watching the Sword Duke vent his fury with a flushed face, I could only squeeze my eyes shut.
Was this really the best way?
I asked myself.