Chapter 177
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Won't You Save Me?
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[So, to sum it up, this fog is what's left of the London Great Barrier from the Demon God War?]
"It's closer to a side effect than remnants... but yeah, close enough. Just think of it that way."
[Hearing that makes me even more curious why you'd call it a side effect.]
"It's nothing major. Ghosts pop up in this fog sometimes. A few people vanish without a trace every day."
[That's plenty major?!]
Yuna Kyung recoiled at Rimon's words, then tilted her head.
[Wait a second. The Demon God War happened right after World War II ended, right? And you're saying the barrier's effects from back then are still lingering?]
"Yeah. And it'll linger for another thousand years at least."
[...That make any sense?]
"Magic gets stronger the deeper it goes, and the heavier it is, the bigger the aftermath it leaves."
Yuna Kyung glanced back out at the view.
She stared at the sea of fog still churning over London and grimaced.
The fog blanketing the entire city was so thick and heavy that she doubted even hundreds of players casting Climate Alteration could clear it.
And to think this was just the trace of a spell cast decades ago.
If Rimon hadn't been the one telling her, she never would've believed it.
[...That's not how I heard it. Movies and textbooks just said witches showed up, slapped up a barrier, and stopped the Demon Gods.]
"Obviously."
[Because the historical accuracy sucks?]
"Any country will hype up their good points to death, but bury their flaws and dangers as deep as they can."
[I want to deny that, but I can't... which makes it even sadder.]
Rimon snorted at Yuna Kyung, who mumbled blankly with a shocked look.
After the Demon God War, the British Empire had seized Europe's hegemony by bragging that they were the only ones to stop the Demon Gods.
No way they'd let rumors spread that "We stopped the Demon Gods, but London got cursed in exchange."
This absurd transformation might even be part of a policy to suppress those rumors.
Those dazzled by London's theme-park makeover would, like Yuna Kyung, happily misunderstand the real reason it was called a magic city.
[Anyway, if that's the case, I get why you're looking for one of the 27 Magic Lineages' magic shops.]
Yuna Kyung muttered suddenly.
The 27 witches who cast the London Great Barrier.
A genuine magic shop from one of those 27 lineages would obviously be on a whole different level from the dime-a-dozen street performers.
The problem was that all those 27-lineage shops had turned into chain stores.
That was why Rimon was frowning.
"...Still doesn't make sense."
[Huh? What doesn't?]
"How places like that can hang out a shingle claiming to be one of the 27 Magic Lineages."
[Well... times change, right? History and tradition get monetized these days.]
"That's exactly why it doesn't make sense. Anywhere else, maybe. But in London, with magic involved? That 'modern era' excuse doesn't fly."
[...?]
"Besides, real magic shops don't do business like that, money or no money."
[What do you mean by that?]
"For example..."
Rimon paused mid-sentence, about to explain to the puzzled Yuna Kyung.
He raised an eyebrow.
Then turned toward the interior of the clock tower.
A faint scent of magic, different from the ghostly aura of the fog, had brushed past his nose.
With a Sword Master's senses, he scanned the tower's interior for the source.
He slowly approached the transparent clock face that doubled as a window, checked the position of the hands, and smirked faintly.
"Figures. I was wondering where all the real magic shops went... Hiding the entrance in a place like this."
Of all spots, they'd hidden a door that only opened at "twilight hour" where you could overlook all the fake shops.
If it was intentional, it was a pretty amusing prank.
At least it saved them pointless legwork. Yuna Kyung eyed the muttering Rimon curiously.
[A door?]
"Na-kyung, doesn't this clock face look a bit off to you?"
[...Not at all?]
Yuna Kyung blinked in confusion at Rimon's question.
And understandably so—the clock face he pointed to was showing the time normally, without anything odd about it.
The one who spoke up instead was Wailing, who had been silently following Rimon.
"The clock face is backwards."
[Backwards how? It looks like a normal clock... Huh?]
Yuna Kyung's eyes widened.
She finally realized that it looking normal at all was the weird part.
[Wait, hold on? Why's the clock face like this? It looked fine from outside, so from inside it should be flipped upside down, right?]
This was the inside of the clock tower.
If the face looked right-side up from outside, it should look inverted from inside.
So why did it look normal from both sides?
Rimon spoke calmly to the baffled Yuna Kyung.
"No need to be shocked. It's just a signpost."
[...A signpost?]
"Yeah. And a key."
Rimon crossed his arms.
He stared at the inverted-yet-not clock face, lost in thought.
'Rewinding time on the clock face?'
'No, then it'd be running backwards.'
'Backwards, reverse, opposite. Got it. It's the Upside-Down Eureka lineage.'
'Eureka loved flipping everything upside down. So the door's position...'
He tapped his fingers briefly, recalling the short, cute freckled witch.
Then he glanced across from the clock face.
He approached a full-length mirror standing alone in one corner of the tower and flipped it right over.
"'Turn it over, and it shall open to you'?"
'This guy's repertoire hasn't changed in centuries.'
After a wry chuckle at the inscription on the back.
Rimon dragged the mirror across to directly opposite the clock face and adjusted the angle so the face reflected perfectly upside down.
Then he said casually,
"Alright, let's go in."
[Go in where?!]
Yuna Kyung watched Rimon's actions in bewilderment—until she yelped.
The moment he stepped forward.
The mirror's surface rippled like water hit by a stone, smoothly swallowing Rimon's body.
By the time Yuna Kyung snapped out of her daze and got pulled in after him.
She and Rimon were already through the mirror... no, beyond it.
[What the heck is this!?]
Yuna Kyung freaked out at the sight: the clock face, the tower's interior, even the view of London outside—all flipped left to right.
Unlike her, Wailing had followed Rimon calmly and now murmured after looking around.
"So that's what you meant by the 27 Magic Lineage shops being hard to find?"
"Yeah. They weren't opening shops to make money in the first place."
Rimon sneered.
A half-baked spell-slinger hawking junk on the street was one thing.
But a true magic shop couldn't even be found by those not fated to reach it—and even if you did, no amount of money could buy a single trinket.
[If they're not in it for the money, then why run a magic shop at all? Hobby?]
"Who knows. If I had to say, it's more like a curse they can't escape."
[A curse?]
"Yeah. Real witches and wizards have no choice but to run a shop if they want to keep using magic."
[The more I hear, the less sense it makes.]
"Just accept it as is if you don't get it."
That's how magic worked.
Rimon strolled out of the clock tower as if it were the most natural thing.
Out into London's streets, shrouded in the same thick fog as outside—but far more dreamlike.
Flutter.
"A welcome? Guiding me too? This era's Eureka has some manners."
A single butterfly, glowing softly, flew in as if on cue.
Rimon followed it without hesitation through the fog, where it shone with unnatural clarity.
And so, leisurely Rimon, gawking Yuna Kyung, and silent Wailing arrived at a magic shop.
None other than [Orna the Unfolder's Magic Shop], the last one they'd visited outside the mirror.
"Hm?"
After all that to enter via Eureka's door.
Why was it Orna's shop, not [Eureka the Upside-Downer's Magic Shop]? Rimon wondered briefly.
Then shrugged and pushed the door open.
[Huh?]
Yuna Kyung's jaw dropped.
The left-right reversal was disorienting enough.
But the shop's interior was on another level entirely.
Ceiling and floor flipped as if gravity ran backwards.
Dozens of large and small doors filling all six surfaces, walls included.
Bird-shaped padlocks chirping in cages, clusters of keys skittering across walls with clicks.
It felt less like reality and more like a dream, leaving Yuna Kyung's beak agape.
But what truly seized her gaze wasn't the scenery.
It was the woman perched backwards on a desk stuck to the ceiling, chin in hand, looking down at them.
"Welcome."
A strangely antique black dress exposing arms, shoulders, even cleavage.
Crimson-black hair sharp as shadow yet flickering like flame.
Gently curved eyes and a beauty mark under her left one.
Just sitting there, she commanded attention and quickened hearts. Yuna Kyung—and even Wailing—swallowed dryly.
Rimon opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
"...Why are you here?"
"That's a cold greeting for old acquaintances."
"Cut the chatter. Answer."
"I'll answer, so don't draw that sword. A delicate witch like me clams up when scared."
The woman chuckled at Rimon, hand already on his black hilt, poised to draw.
She rested her chin on interlaced fingers and continued languidly.
"I'm here because I was waiting for you."
"Me? You? Why?"
Rimon looked suspicious.
Meeting her wasn't a surprise—Ain's prophecy had prepared him.
But meeting her here, like this? Totally unexpected.
This crimson-haired woman wouldn't show herself no matter how desperately he hunted her; she'd just hide.
So why this anomaly?
To the openly wary Rimon, she cut straight to it.
"Won't you save me, kiddo?"
"...Stop calling me kiddo, you hag."
"Can't help it. You look like a kiddo to me."
Come back after hitting a thousand to shed the baby treatment.
Rimon could only frown at the rare older woman, smiling serenely.