747 – 8.5 Manatee (19)
The midsummer scenery is reflected beyond the crystal sphere.
Broad-leaved trees with their wide leaves wide open, and reddish soil soaked in damp moisture. Even the fierce sunlight shining through Mother Nature’s canopy.
It was a sight that could not be seen in the central region, where winter had just passed. Should I say that it truly gives a ‘foreign’ feeling?
It was worth it.
The place where the Great Witch was staying was the ‘Great Jungle’ of the southern kingdoms. The forest, commonly called the ‘Great Forest’, boasted warm and humid weather all year round due to its tropical climate.
Is it said that the occasional rainy season is the worst?
Thanks to that, it was a place with few people and infested with all kinds of magical beasts and poisonous insects. Until recently, it was the place where the legendary demon ‘vampire’ lived.
Probably, the only permanent population in the forest was the great witch.
No, to be exact, it would be two, including the great witch.
I suddenly remembered a cone-shaped hat that I missed and smiled bitterly.
“It’s been a long time, Master.”
In response to my polite greeting, the Great Witch gave a whoo and exhaled the smoke from her cigarette.
There is no need to maintain the barrier, so there will be no reason to smoke anymore.
It looks like he is still carrying a bear bag in his mouth because of his scary habits. This is something I feel every time I see it, but it was a very disjointed sight.
Because the Great Witch’s appearance was nothing more than a small and cute girl.
Even her languid eyes gave me a strange feeling about her. She was a young child who was detached from everything in the world, and it seemed like she was set up to excuse the tastes of a certain class.
Despite her appearance, she is actually an adult.
Of course, that is also the great witch’s charm.
While I was lost in such idle thoughts, the great witch’s lips softened as she let out smoke a couple more times.
[“Oh, she heard the news from afar…….”]
I felt eyes looking at me from beyond the crystal ball. Despite the considerable physical distance, light green eyes seem to be looking right at me.
The corners of the woman’s mouth quirked as she glanced at my face.
[“Your new color has become clearer. It looks like you’ve reached ‘Master’, right?”]
I was wondering what news I heard.
I did it just in case, but it was the same. Well, among the rumors about me, the most influential information was about ‘Master’.
The appearance of the fourth master.
This was information that could bring ripples at the level of a tectonic shift on the continental map that had been stagnant for about a hundred years. Moreover, swordsmen are still alive and well in the empire, and wasn’t I also classified as belonging to the empire?
Two masters in one country?
It was natural for the empire’s hegemony to be solidified. However, due to the complexity of my personal relationships, there is some debate as to whether I can be classified as a full member of the Empire.
The prevailing assumption was that the great witch of the southern kingdoms was my teacher, and that the saintess of the Holy Kingdom was practically my companion.
Of course, many of those inferences were true.
The probability of a situation in which I would come to the forefront and put pressure on the Holy Kingdom and the southern kingdoms was significantly low. Rather, I would prefer to resolve the matter through dialogue with the archwitch or saint.
But this was also a story from when ‘Geomgong’ was alive.
If the swordsman dies like this, I will have to take a more active role in protecting the interests of the empire.
This was the reason why I was not happy even with the praise I received after a long time.
“Yes, it just so happened…” Even so, it is only ‘half’. “It’s not to the point where I’m crazy about Master yet.”
[“Hmph, of course.”]
This was the answer I received with a bitter smile.
The Great Witch was suddenly showing a proud expression. She seemed to quite like the sound her student spoke after hearing it for the first time in a long time.
At best, she only looked cute because of her appearance.
Do you know my heart or not? The archwitch just continued in a somewhat excited voice.
[“No matter how much you call yourself a ‘master,’ you are still not a fledgling. In my opinion, even the Heavenly God of the Holy Kingdom and the Sword Maniac of the Empire are far away…….”]
“You mean those two people?”
[“Ha! I’ve been a master since those two guys weren’t even born. In particular, swordsman, that kid once insisted on coming to me and having a competition… At that time, I was struggling with High Expert, let alone Master. Even if you just count the years, I’m hundreds of years older than those two…… !”]
It was around that time that the Great Witch’s tone, which had been going smoothly, suddenly cut off.
A feeling of ‘oops’ passed across the face of the great witch as she told her old story with a triumphant look on her face. And she glanced at me, and her complexion even blushed a little.
It was an incomprehensible reaction to me.
So I asked back.
“Hundreds more years… And?”
Soon, the light green pupils slowly avoid my gaze.
In the end, the great witch cleared her throat cutely, hmm, hmm, and began to correct her statement.
[“Hmm, hmm… When I think about it again, it doesn’t seem like it’s been hundreds of years… Okay, anyway, that’s the end of this story!”]
Even that didn’t last long and fell over.
After dropping the topic, the great witch quickly regained her composure. Even though I was giving her a puzzled look, she steadfastly brought up a new topic.
[“Rather, yes… What do you think of the sword maniac?”]
Indeed, it was a topic that could not be ignored.
Because it was one of the most urgent issues at the moment. A great adult of the imperial family and one of the masters of the continent is dying.
Of course, the great witch also had information worth hearing. Isn’t the wound inflicted on her by none other than ‘Delphi Rem’?
I couldn’t even smile bitterly and just sighed.
“This is the worst. According to the old man, there are about two months left.”
[“Is this credible? “It’s probably not a terrible death, right?”]
“It doesn’t look that good to me. According to the elder, it is a curse of the concept of hastening the end called ‘death.'”
[“Tsk.”]
The great witch clicked her tongue as if she did not like my continued testimony. At first glance, he seemed annoyed, but I knew. A faint feeling of pity and concern is coming out of that face.
In one way or another, they were people who had lived side by side for decades.
Even though he was a ‘master’, his heart was not strong. You can’t feel good about the death of someone you were attached to.
This was the same for me as well, so a voice came out that could not let go of its lingering regret.
“Master, is there no way? Isn’t this a curse that makes no sense according to common sense? Even the Master has to wait for death once he is defeated…… !”
[“Because Delphirem is that kind of being.”]
But the tone in which he cut through my plea was extremely firm.
The Great Witch continued speaking calmly, but also in a bitter tone.
[“In the first place, it is not a being that can be explained by the laws of the world. After the Heavenly God first created heaven and earth, the one who twisted and reorganized the rules was Delphirem. Of course, it is impossible to explain with our common sense.”]
“Still, at least try something… ….”
[“I also devoted my life to studying Delphirem.”]
I kept my mouth shut at that one word.
Looking back, it was like that. There was no way the Great Witch wouldn’t have done that.
My sister, my family, my hometown.
The person who was taken away without leaving anything behind was the Great Witch. By none other than the hands of the Dark Church.
On the contrary, it would be weirder if you didn’t delve into it like crazy.
That’s why the Great Witch’s tone was low but unwavering.
[“However, the magic used by the Dark Church, including Delphirem, is different from ours. Unless it is a shaman that has been studied for a long time like ‘Contract’, it takes a long time to find even a clue to the solution.”]
“Have you ever studied the curse that the Sword Master suffered?”
[“I’ve looked through thousands and thousands of old books, but today is the first time I’m hearing this… There is no way for records from thousands of years ago to remain properly.”]
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Phew, the end of his words become blurred along with the cigarette smoke he exhales.
It was a pessimistic answer no matter who heard it. I guess I should say that it is comforting that I have become a master and the swordsman can leave with peace of mind.
Finally, when I could not give up my regret, the great witch put her stick in her mouth and said one of her words.
[“It is not without possibility.”]
Hope thrown out of nowhere.
It was natural for my downward gaze to suddenly look up. It’s just that the great witch, who was looking at me expectantly, had a somewhat uneasy expression on her face.
She said.
[“Of course, the probability is so slim that it can be called a miracle… ….”]
“Are you saying it’s not impossible?”
[“Now look what happened to you, who was terminally ill not long ago. “It’s ridiculous to even talk about ‘impossibility’ now.”]
Actually, it was just as he said.
If I had to consider ‘possible’ and ‘impossible’, it would have been normal for me to have died a long time ago. Because many people, including swordsmen, only did things they were told not to do.
And yet I am standing here.
I haven’t come up with a method yet.
Even the Great Witch probably didn’t give her the comfort she had been hoping for. It’s just that his student was looking lonely, so he probably wanted to comfort his heart.
This was enough for now.
Also, the death of the swordsman was not the only problem I faced.
“Thank you for saying that. Well, but… Actually, there is one more reason why I contacted you… ….”
[“Tsk, tsk, I was wondering when I was going to tell you.”]
It was before I could even finish speaking.
The great witch clicked her tongue as if she did not like it, and then she started screaming in a certain direction.
[“Second child!”]
And silence.
Several seconds passed since the Great Witch screamed her cry, but no sign of change was felt beyond her crystal orbs. Still, the great witch showed no signs of panic.
She just gave an expression that said she knew this would happen.
Huh, continued the cry of the great witch with a wicked smile.
[“The first one wants to see you! If you don’t like it, well… ….”]
Changes were noticed immediately afterward.
A faint ‘crashing’ sound echoed in the distance, and then I felt someone running. There was an image that naturally came to mind just by hearing those footsteps.
You’re running hard.
I couldn’t stop the laughter from flowing out, so I waited with a faint smile on my face. There was no need to be patient for long anyway.
The very next moment, there was a face that pushed the archwitch and entered her crystal sphere.
The girl wearing the cone hat welcomed me with a name I had not heard in a long time.
[“Master!”]
Unchanging affection is conveyed through a title that has been used in the past and a voice so excited that it cannot be hidden.
I had no choice but to greet him with the same joy.
“It’s been a while, Elsie.”
First of all, he was my fiancé.
Maybe.
He was also the person who would solve the last difficult problem I faced.
It was a problem about ‘Celine’.