City of Witches

Even in the normally lively center of Sinchon, the streets would grow deserted after 2 a.m. on a weekday night.

Thanks to the short rain shower, puddles decorated the cold night street.

As he walked on that very same street, Siwoo hopped over, trying to avoid the puddle in front of him.

“Tell me your story too.”

His and the witch’s conversation began with them telling each other about their stories. With just a brief mention of how Siwoo ended up in Gehenna, and how he was able to use magic, their conversation naturally expanded.

He began his story when his life in the modern world was suddenly turned upside down after he was brought to Gehenna.

Forced to be a slave, he tried to research how to use magic so he could escape.

At one point, he managed to rescue the Gemini’s apprentice witches.

But, as a result, he got injured. He recovered after a long time, though, and managed to gain a brand.

Eventually, he returned to the modern world and started to live here again, thanks to the hospitality of Countess Gemini.

While he was sharing his experience, he made sure to emphasize how grateful the Countess was to him and how close he was to their apprentice witches.

He believed that mentioning those two points would make her more reluctant to do him harm, and also elevate his social status a little.

“Ah, so that’s how it happened.”

“Yes.”

However, Sharon’s reaction was almost dismissive.

He wasn’t expecting exaggerated reactions like, ‘Wow, you were a slave, but you researched self-essence magic?!’ or ‘You’re a crazy genius!’ or ‘A man with a brand? You’ll be a high valued research subject!’ to come out of her mouth.

Especially the last one, which he’d rather not hear from anyone.

But, her reaction was the equivalent of someone hearing news about the shipping disruption in the Suez Canal, a big event that resulted in a logistical halt around the Mediterranean, yet they brushed it off as if it was a random occurrence.

It made Siwoo wonder if he had been overly conscious about this matter due to his limited knowledge of the modern world.

“You’re not as surprised as I expected.”

“Surprised?”

Sharon turned her head toward Siwoo, her eyes widened.

At that moment, her beautiful hair fluttered, releasing a fresh fragrance.

Once again he realized how beautiful witches were.

With the neon lights of the 24-hour sticker photo booth illuminating her from behind, she looked like a magazine model.

“You know, I expected a stronger reaction…”

“Well, it’s surprising, but do you want to hear something even more surprising? I paid back 1.3 billion won over ten years, but the principal was reduced by 120 million won!”

“Ah…”

“But do you know what is even more surprising than that? At this rate, it would take me more than three millennia to pay back the entire debt along with the interests! What do you think? Mind blowing, isn’t it?”

Now, he understood where she came from.

The pursuit of magic, dreams and passions was only feasible when one was able to enjoy a life of comfort and luxury.

Sharon didn’t mention 580 billion won randomly. She was truly desperate to repay that debt, and he was literally just another guy in her life.

He was too accustomed to the witches he knew in Gehenna; The wealthy ones who never had to worry about money, thus skewing his perspective about witches in general, thinking that all of them didn’t care about money.

Now, he realized that he was generalizing them too much.

“I’m sorry to hear that…”

“Why are you— Well, if you’re truly sorry, treat me to a meal, then.”

“A meal?”

“That, or buy me something to drink.”

That was something he could do, at least.

It felt like it had been a long time since he last engaged in such a lengthy conversation with someone.

Who would have thought that he, someone who escaped Gehenna to the modern world because he hated the place, would end up forming a connection with a witch who desperately wanted to go back to Gehenna.

A good old irony.

There was a 24-hour McDonald’s in the neighborhood, so he bought one of each plum and pear chiller from the place.

The witch didn’t seem like a bad person and because it was a rare opportunity for him to talk with someone, he decided to prolong her conversation with her.

And while he was at it, he might try to ask her for some tips about the modern world. If possible, he also planned to ask for her advice to get him out of his rut. Either way, he had to treat her well.

“Thank you for the drink.”

Sharon, who received the chiller from him, let out a grin.

He still found it fascinating how his impression on someone could change after seeing them changing their expression.

Who would have thought that Sharon, who always appeared tired on clock, would have such a personality?

She was way way more courageous and spirited than he had ever expected.

“Don’t mention it, it isn’t a big deal… But, is it okay if I were to ask you something?”

“Of course.”

Sharon responded while sipping her chiller through her straw, as if trying to cherish it.

If Siwoo had known that she’d enjoy it so much, he would have bought another one for her.

“If other Exiles were to see me, how would they react?”

“Well, I don’t know… It should be different from person to person. Some will care, some will not, like me, some might think about causing you trouble and so on. But, I don’t think they’ll do anything after seeing that ring. Most people aren’t crazy enough to go up against the Geminis.”

“Hmm…”

“*Slurp* …Anyway, what were you doing out there? From your words, it seems like you are trying to hide from us witches, but did you not consider the possibility of you encountering one of us when hunting the Homunculi?”

Sharon asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“I saw Homunculus killing people… I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing…”

Once he finished speaking, Sharon stared at his face for a long time.

Her gaze made him feel embarrassed, so he sipped his chillers to cover it.

At that moment, Sharon made a rather casual remark.

“Yes. A lot of them died.”

To Siwoo, that was a shocking revelation. As for Sharon, it felt like she treated it as something normal.

Though, one shouldn’t really wonder why she acted that way. She had known about the fact for a long time, after all.

“Exactly how many of them died?”

“No one knows for sure. It doesn’t happen that frequently. Especially with the small fries, like the one we hunted today, it only happens maybe once or twice a year? Anyway, those guys aren’t the problem, the ones with multiple ‘eyes’ are.”

“Multiple ‘eyes?’”

“Are you telling me you decided to hunt them without even knowing about that? You’re way more courageous than I thought.”

Sharon shook her head in disbelief at Siwoo’s lack of knowledge and impulsive actions.

“There are different levels among the Homunculi. Generally, we use the number of their eyes to tell the level of danger they hold. Starting from the weakest ones, the one-eyed, the more eyes they have, the more dangerous they are.”

“So, there is a way to tell that, huh?”

Siwoo had realized how the black dog-like Homunculus he had encountered was much easier to deal with than the one he had encountered in the Latifundium.

Each of the dogs didn’t seem to possess any unique magic and their appearance looked the same.

‘Come to think of it, the one I encountered in the Latifundium has three eyes…’

“Yes. Well, those with multiple eyes are rather rare and hard to find. But, they won’t be doing something petty like attacking humans one by one. Rather, they’ll do their things in a flashier manner.”

“In a flashier manner?”

“Such as causing large-scale disasters. Massive fire, epidemic, destroying buildings blindly, replicating natural disasters and so on… In any case, they’d get a lot of people either injured or killed.”

‘I thought those guys were supposed to be guardians? Why would they do something like that?’

He just couldn’t fathom them causing such destructive acts for no reason.

Understanding what was going on in his mind, Sharon made another remark.

“What you’re thinking is correct, but keep in mind that they’ve been around for a very long time.

“They still need a way to maintain their existence, that’s why they went around to kill witches and absorb their mana. They’ve been doing that for thousands of years.

“But, they can’t keep on doing that. The number of witches had dwindled to less than a tenth of what it used to be. There just isn’t enough food for them to eat.

“That’s why they switched to humans. Instead of mana, they absorb their fate and life force. All to sustain their lives…”

After recounting that shocking tale, Sharon straightened her body.

Siwoo followed her gaze, only to find out the identity of the thing she was captivated by; A steamer that started to release its steam.

Her eyes carried a deep sorrow, as if she had finally been reunited with the lover she thought was killed during the military service.

Well, if she didn’t open her mouth while drooling, Siwoo would probably get caught in the atmosphere and tear up.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes! …Ah, n-no…”

Sharon nodded before shaking her head hastily, trying to compose herself afterwards.

Seeing her acting like this, Siwoo scratched his cheek and tried to enter the store.

He felt pity for her, the woman who was longing to eat but unable to afford a good meal.

She had been working hard, even taking up a part-time job at a convenience store, but it seemed like she could barely even live with the money she earned. It made him wonder how hard her life actually was.

Well, even if it wasn’t the case, he felt that befriending her wouldn’t cause him any loss.

After all, this woman had been living as an Exile for ten whole years. She should have valuable knowledge that she could share with him.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

“Yeah, of course. It would be nice to chat while eating, no? It’s time for a late-night snack anyway.”

Siwoo walked into the store, wearing a casual and considerate approach. He didn’t want her to feel that he was pitying her.

Initially, Sharon hesitated and declined his offer, but in the end, she followed him inside.

“If you say so, but…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it. As an exchange, could you tell me more about how things work here?”

“Sure, I’ll tell you everything.”

Siwoo’s daily consumption of crustaceans averaged about three king crabs per day.

Considering how he had eaten thirty of them at once yesterday, it was no surprise that the store owner recognized him.

“Hello.”

“Oh my! You came today too, Kid!”

When the store owner saw him enter through the door, he ditched the TV they’d been watching and hurried over to his side.

“How many should I pack for you today?”

“Ten of the largest ones. Can I eat here?”

“Now, I don’t know about that… We don’t usually let the customers eat here after midnight…”

“…My place!”

As soon as the owner’s disapproving words came out, Sharon shouted loudly, trying to join the conversation.

“You can pack them… And we can eat them at my place…”

Her cheeks turned as red as cherries, probably out of embarrassment due to her sudden outburst.

The owner and Siwoo exchanged glances with each other.

“Oho~ I thought your girlfriend is a foreigner, but it turns out she speaks Korean well. Got it! Just wait for a bit, I’ll pack them up for you in a jiffy!”

“Huh? O-Okay…”

The bald man, thinking that he grasped the situation, gave Siwoo a thumbs up and whispered a few words to Siwoo before heading straight to fetch the crabs from the tank. All were done without Sharon able to notice it.

“Good luck, Kid!”

Hearing his words, Siwoo realized that the man had misunderstood something.

But, he decided that he didn’t need to correct it, so he kept his mouth shut.

Before long, he found himself holding bags filled with King Crabs in both hands.

With each step he took, the bag swayed, releasing the fragrant aroma of the crabs.

Beside him, Sharon was walking at a surprisingly fast pace.

Just a while ago, she was still walking normally, but at the moment, it was as if she was participating in a race.

Her long hair, extending down to her hips, swayed like a dog’s tail.

It seemed like she really loved those crabs.

‘But, how long do we have to walk?’

They had been walking for more than twenty minutes, but it didn’t seem that she’d be stopping anytime soon.

The village of studio apartments in Sinchon was divided into three areas. First, the fancy area near the station where Siwoo lived.

Second, the steep clusters of studio apartments that were located on the hills between Myeongmul Street and Ewha Womans University.

And the third, the downtown studio apartment complex, the place where the two of them were currently strolling through.

After walking for a while, Sharon finally stopped at a place; A residential-commercial building, where a pub called ‘ㅇㅇ Food Cart’ was located on its first floor.

“It’s a little far, but we’re here.”

After climbing up the first, second, third, fourth and fifth floor, they finally reached the rooftop. A room was installed there.

“Welcome! Please come in.”

“…Then, please excuse me.”

Even on the first floor, the building looked old and weathered, so Siwoo didn’t have any expectations that she’d be living in a great place.

But, as he entered her place, he realized that he was still underestimating how bad it was. The place was far from the ideal rooftop room one might hope for. Hell, any hope one might have would be crushed the moment they saw this place.

“Sorry, it’s a little messy here.”

The ‘messiness’ she mentioned wasn’t even a problem.

Rather, the room itself was one. A huge one, to be exact.

To begin with, the room was small, even for a rooftop room; only about 6 pyeong¹Around 19.83 square meter..

Not only that, there was a pillar right in the middle of the room, further reducing the already limited living space.

The bed was covered with clothes that were thrown haphazardly, as if she had been using it as a wardrobe. All over the walls were faded, yellowed old wallpapers that seemed to have been plastered there for a decade.

Not only that, there was also a sink and a gas stove sticking out from one of the walls…

Siwoo had heard about her substantial debt, but witnessing the state of her room made him truly understand the gravity of her situation…

At that moment, all his worries and doubts about her disappeared.

As he stood there in shock, he heard a gulping sound coming from behind him.

“Hey, when are we going to eat the crabs? I already set up the table.”

When he turned around, he saw Sharon, already setting up the table with plates, acting as if she had been waiting for them to dig in.

Footnotes:

• 1Around 19.83 square meter.