Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 242

Chapter 242

The Witch (9)

***

The Twelve Divine Moons, mysterious beings born inheriting the power of the twelve moons, seasons, and elements.

They were each born with different powers, and their personalities, appearances, and even individuality were so diverse that not a single similarity could be found between them.

Some hid in the cracks between dimensions and lived among spirits, while others created their own kingdoms in deep, unseen places to rule over their people.

Some slept for long periods of time, some inflicted suffering upon themselves to suppress their own power, and some even hid among humans, pretending to be human.

Grey Sky October was among the least distinctive of them all.

He simply wandered aimlessly, observing the world without interfering with anything.

However, recently, Grey Sky October’s “individuality” began to crack very slowly.

He, who never interfered with the workings of the world… began to intervene little by little.

“It can’t be helped.”

Grey Sky October moved with that thought, but he knew better than anyone that “it can’t be helped” does not exist in this world, so he fell into confusion at his own contradiction.

“Why is that?”

The world flows along its fate.

If it is fated that the neighborhood bakery owner will eat bread for breakfast today, it will surely come to pass.

He had observed “fate” many times, so he firmly believed that the existence of “fate” never changes.

However, recently.

The world is strange.

Others may not feel anything, but Grey Sky October could tell. That the world is not flowing according to the natural order of fate.

He decisively realized this when he arrived at the Leviang Coast of the Adolevit Kingdom.

“This is…!”

The Leviang Coast, which had been frozen for hundreds of years, had completely thawed and regained its seasons, no longer suffering from the bitter cold.

People were enjoying the warm summer season, coming out to the beach in swimsuits to surf, and the pirate ship Black Cross, which should have been frozen forever in the heart of the sea, had become a tourist attraction.

This is strange.

It’s far too… strange.

He knows well, having observed fate hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times.

The Leviang Coast should have been covered in an icy disaster by now, turned into a hell where no living thing could survive.

Yet, it’s pretending to be some kind of holiday tourist destination.

“What happened… while I wasn’t looking.”

He gazed at the sky with his gray eyes. No one else would be able to see the stars through the sky where the sun was shining, but in Grey Sky October’s eyes, the constellations of the night sky were clearly reflected.

“…Does this mean you won’t just observe fate this time?”

After averting his gaze from the constellations, he turned his steps.

“Hey! That’s a cliff over there! It’s dangerous to go towards the precipice…!”

A ordinary person shouted at Grey Sky October from behind, but he quickly disappeared into the gray space between dimensions.

“Huh…?”

As he vanished in an instant, the man who tried to stop him tilted his head, wondering if he had seen things.

It seems strange things have been happening frequently these days.

***

Drip-!

The sound of water droplets echoed like an echo, filling the narrow space.

Splash!

The witch, Melisher, clutched her abdomen as she slowly walked through the underground sewers of Arcaneum. The wound she had received from the witch hunter earlier had not yet healed, making it impossible to properly emit magical power.

The very fact that she had to wander through such a smelly sewer was truly disgusting and made her feel self-loathing, but there was no choice. For now, she had to be satisfied with just surviving against the witch hunter.

“Hah… but it’s okay…”

It just needs a little time.

Once she recovers a bit more, she can run the Witch Restaurant again like before.

However, she shouldn’t take too long of a break. The students who are still not very addicted will soon break free from her magic.

Especially since they are students from prestigious schools who were born with magic in their nature, that period will be even faster.

“Hey, you look quite hurt. Why don’t you come over and stop by?”

Startled by the voice from behind, Melisher quickly pointed her staff. There was a woman smiling at her.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not strange for someone to live in the underground sewers of Arcaneum, is it?”

“…Are you from the Dark Mage Alliance?”

“Yeah. You know us well? We’re not particularly hostile to you. We could even help you a little, you know?”

“Get lost. Don’t think I don’t know you came looking for my crystal ball?”

“Aw~ That’s true, but wouldn’t it be nice for us hidden folks to get along? Oh, maybe you’re different? I hear you’ve been quite active above ground?”

“I’m better than you cockroaches who hide in the disgusting sewers every time you come into view.”

“I suppose so~ But you know…”

The woman looked Melisher up and down and smiled wickedly.

“Seeing how beaten up you look, don’t you think it might be better to live in hiding?”

“You bastard…”

“Think about it again later~ It’s not so bad living here, you know?”

“No matter how ugly I become, I won’t live such a vulgar life like you.”

“Okay, okay! Well then, take care~!”

As the dark mage woman disappeared into the shadows, Melisher slumped against the wall.

“Disgusting bastards…”

Mages, dark mages, they’re all the same kind. She had to restrain the urge to tear them limb from limb, dissect them one by one, and shove their faces in it.

“When I expand my territory in Arcaneum, I’ll have to clean up the sewers first…”

She had heard that the “Mage Ruler” of Arcaneum was keeping a few bugs in the underground, but she didn’t expect a dark mage from the Dark Mage Alliance to openly show themselves.

“The Dark Mage Alliance, huh…”

Come to think of it, it’s funny.

Whether dark beings or dark mages.

They all tend to have groups, but witches don’t have such things. Born to live alone from the start, it’s impossible to form groups in the first place.

“Anyway, this is a filthy city…”

Arcaneum was sickening now, but it was too late to leave.

Having poured everything into this place, she has no choice but to run the Witch Restaurant to the best of her ability until she dies.

Tap tap tap tap!

“Go check over there!”

“Yes sir!”

“…Ugh!”

Hearing the shouts of some men in the distance, Melisher quickly scattered illusions in the air to hide herself.

She could kill them if she wanted to, but in her current exhausted state, she didn’t have the confidence to continuously face the endless stream of Stella Knights.

“Of all things, for Stella to move directly…”

How unlucky can one be? But it’s okay.

There are no mages who can see through my illusions and find my location.

“My range of activity has just narrowed a bit. I’ll just move carefully and reopen the restaurant.”

The Witch Restaurant itself was already an imaginary existence, so no matter how much the Stella Knights struggle, they won’t be able to catch her.

As long as that irregular witch hunter doesn’t interfere… she can draw in students as much as she wants.

“Plus, I hunted one witch hunter last time, so there shouldn’t be any problems now.”

She thought that as she got up. Now… it’s time to take a very small step towards a brilliant future.

***

Five days have passed since the terrorist incident at the Witch Restaurant.

During that time, the Stella Magic Investigation Team tried their best to find some traces here using all kinds of advanced magical equipment, but unfortunately, they couldn’t find anything.

Considering that witches are unknown beings, it might be natural.

What have I been doing in the meantime, you ask?

“Hey, Baek Yu-seol. How long are you going to keep this up? Why don’t you do something already?”

I did nothing.

I just waited quietly at the crime scene. It’s only natural that the Stella Knights are starting to get annoyed watching my behavior.

“After this incident is over, I will report your actions exactly as they were to Sir Arain. Do you think you’ve become something just because you got a temporary knight position?”

“No.”

How nice would it be if I had become something.

Rather, I have more to say to Arain. For attaching these useless idiots to me.

“Yaaawn…”

As I let out a big yawn, the knight clicked his tongue and turned away.

Five hours later.

Until the sun was setting, the knights couldn’t find anything and ended up withdrawing.

Even after everyone left, leaving only minimal forces, I stubbornly held my position.

“Exactly five days.”

The time it takes for a witch hunter to resurrect from death.

Hssss…

A dark mist rose from the crime scene and slowly floated up into the air, taking on a human-like form. After making sure no one was watching, I approached it.

And I sensed that my thoughts were correct.

“…I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s as I expected.”

-You… are…

“Long time no see. Rookie witch hunter.”

-Ah…

I had encountered this witch hunter before on the train. Probably the one estimated to have little experience.

“Did you get beaten by the witch?”

-Yes… How pathetic…

If I had to make an analogy, it’s like a tiger getting eaten while trying to hunt a rabbit. Because he lost a fight he absolutely should not have lost.

The witch hunter seemed quite discouraged, his dark form slumping.

Meanwhile, I thought to myself.

“This witch hunter is not the one from the original episode.”

The witch hunter who appeared in that episode had a trait called [Breath of the Dead Witch].

Because of that trait, Aiselle was driven to the brink of death, but was saved by Hae Wonryang and Ma Yuseong.

However, the witch hunter before me doesn’t have that trait. Instead, he has a trait that says [You will return from death once, after five days].

What does this mean?

“…There’s another witch hunter.”

It means the witch hunter who attacked Aiselle in the original game is a different person. This is a pretty bad omen for me.

Just when I thought a witch hunter had died, it turns out that’s not the case.

“Why did you come here?”

-…I heard you were hunting witches here, so I came.

“So you tried to get ahead of me and ended up in this pitiful state? How amusing.”

The witch hunter’s eyes dimmed, seemingly at a loss for words.

“I told you clearly, didn’t I? That this witch wouldn’t be easy to hunt. Why do you think I took on this human form that I despise so much?”

I just pulled out the lie I had told before and fit it to the situation, but it sounded quite plausible, so the witch hunter was left even more speechless.

-I’m sorry…

“Whatever. At least you didn’t die completely, right?”

His survival is purely due to the witch’s mistake. That witch probably has great power, but likely didn’t know that witch hunters can overcome even death.

-I’ll leave this place to you.

“You’re going back?”

-Yes… I’ve caused you trouble, shamefully.

“You know that well. But you’re just going to leave like this?”

-…?

Did you think I’d wait for a witch hunter to come back to life just to confirm it?

Of course, it was to borrow the hand of a real witch hunter for an easy witch hunt.

This guy may not have the power to deal with a witch, but all the abilities he possesses will give me a huge advantage in witch hunting.

“I’m thinking of going after that witch’s neck this time. Don’t you feel uneasy just leaving after getting beaten by that woman?”

-That’s true, but…

“Besides, you’ve broken the taboo rule of betraying your own kind that’s strictly forbidden among witch hunters.”

-Wait. It’s too much to say I broke the rules just for going after prey!

“What? How old are you? I know a guy who got executed for stealing prey. Have you seen that?”

-…No.

“Then don’t talk. I have seen it.”

Actually, I haven’t.

“Anyway, if you don’t want to die, help me out for a bit. You have a hideout, right? Open it up for a moment. Let’s go get the tools we need and come back.”

-What about your subspace…

“Aish. I told you last time. I lost it while fighting the witch. Do you want me to say it twice?”

-…Alright. I’ll open it.

Having been extorted(?) by me before, he seemed quite hesitant, but what could he do? If the threat worked properly, he shouldn’t be able to resist me any further.

Crack! Woong-!

The air split in half, revealing a dark subspace.

I took a step towards it ahead of him, the corners of my mouth curling up slightly.

Today feels like a lucky day.

End of Chapter