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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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After the city’s destruction, Evangeline noticed a subtle shift in Johan’s demeanor. He seemed distant.
“Johan!”
“Yes, Master? What is it?”
“Oh, nothing. Could you bring some drinks to the workshop?”
“Certainly.”
A strange distance had grown between them.
“Johan… tonight…?”
“…I’ll be ready.”
His once affectionate responses had become formal, almost businesslike.
‘Why is he acting like this…?’
The distance, however slight, was driving her mad. After making love to Johan, Evangeline left his room and went to Marguerite’s, a bottle of liquor in hand.
She forced open the magically sealed door and stepped inside. Marguerite, awakened by the shattering barrier, was startled, then relieved to see it was Evangeline.
“Riiitz!”
“…What is it? It’s the middle of the night.”
“I want… to drink!”
“Isn’t it your turn tonight? Already finished?”
“Of course I finished! That’s why I’m here!”
Marguerite sighed at Evangeline’s drunken rambling and snapped her fingers. The sparsely furnished room transformed into a moonlit outdoor space.
The moonlight bathed the two witches. The reflected light of the distant satellite shone down with surprising intensity.
“So? What’s wrong?”
“Johan… Johan…!”
“…What about your disciple?”
Evangeline recounted the subtle changes in Johan’s behavior over the past few days: his aloofness, the lack of affection, the distance she felt.
Marguerite, listening quietly, sipped her drink, then cautiously ventured,
“Do you think… he’s falling out of love?”
Evangeline froze. Every movement, from the blinking of her eyes to the beating of her heart, ceased. She stared at Marguerite.
Her eyes were cold, devoid of emotion. Marguerite, meeting her gaze, felt a chill run down her spine, like a frog before a snake. Just as a bead of sweat trickled down her back, Evangeline smiled brightly.
“Johan would never do that!”
“R-right? Silly me.”
“Yes! Silly you! Be careful what you say.”
But dismissing Marguerite’s concerns didn’t make them disappear. The problem remained.
The distance between her and Johan was still there. The wound in her heart festered.
“I wonder why he’s acting like this…”
“When did it start?”
“I don’t know! I don’t even want to remember…!”
“Think carefully. Did you do something wrong?”
Evangeline racked her brain, replaying every interaction with Johan. Yesterday, when he avoided her gaze? No. Two days ago, when she felt a slight distance? No. Three days ago, when he subtly evaded her? No…
“I don’t knoooow… Johan…! What did your master do wroooong…!”
“…If you don’t know, why not just ask him?”
“How can I do that!? Right now, it’s just my feeling, but what if Johan actually says he dislikes me!?”
Then she wouldn’t be able to deny or ignore it. A subtle, unspoken dislike was different from an outright confession of hatred.
Even if they reconciled later, it would be easier to recover from an unspoken aversion than from words explicitly stating dislike.
But to recover, Evangeline first needed to understand why Johan was acting this way.
‘He wouldn’t dislike her for no reason…’
Marguerite, suspecting Evangeline was simply overthinking things, silently sipped her drink. The liquor was strong, and she quickly felt its effects.
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Johan woke up and went to wake Evangeline, but he frowned at the strong smell of alcohol emanating from her room.
“…Master?”
“Ugh—Johan… w-water…”
“Just a moment.”
He quickly fetched a bucket of cool water. Evangeline gulped it down and sighed, relieved.
“What happened?”
“…Nothing.”
“Who were you drinking with? The smell is pretty strong.”
“…Do I… smell?”
“Yes, a little.”
Evangeline shuddered and pushed him out of the room. Johan realized he shouldn’t have mentioned the smell and went to Marguerite’s room.
There were five witches in the cabin. Excluding Beatrice and Regina, who had been with them last night, only Marguerite and Hecaterina remained. Master wouldn’t have drunk alone with Hecaterina, so Marguerite was the only possibility…
As he’d suspected, a similar smell of alcohol lingered in Marguerite’s room.
“Marguerite, here’s some water.”
“Waaater…?”
Marguerite sat up groggily and, like Evangeline, gulped down the water. She sighed and looked at Johan, puzzled.
“How did you know…?”
“I went to Master’s room, and she was completely drunk. I figured she hadn’t been drinking alone.”
“Ah—”
Marguerite nodded in understanding, then attempted to stand, but stumbled, clutching her head. Johan steadied her for a moment, then she collapsed back onto the bed.
“Ugh, Disciple… do you have anything sweet…?”
“Sweet? We’re out of honey.”
“Go buy some…”
“Buy some…?”
Before he could point out that she was the one with access to the city, not him, Marguerite pulled a piece of parchment covered in magical inscriptions from her pocket.
“This… is a scroll with the coordinates of a nearby city… If you infuse it with mana, it will teleport you there…”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner…?”
“Bring it back as soon as you’re done… it’s precious… I went through a lot of trouble to make it— Ugh—!”
Marguerite suddenly gagged, her hangover apparently worse than she’d let on. Johan quickly left the room to spare her further embarrassment and looked at the scroll.
‘How do you even make something like this…’
“That.”
Regina, passing by, saw the scroll in Johan’s hand. He held it up, asking if she knew what it was.
Regina nodded.
“That’s the magical parchment I made for Marguerite.”
“…You made this?”
“Yes. I’m the Witch of Records. I can also record other witches’ magic.”
She explained that the recorded magic could be used by anyone, not just the witch who created it, and that she hadn’t made many because they were troublesome to create.
Johan realized he was holding something quite valuable and frowned.
‘No wonder she was hiding it.’
And—he realized that Regina wasn’t just a witch who pried into people’s lives.
If that were all she did, she’d be the Witch of Stalking, not the Witch of Records.
“Are you going?”
“Yes. I’d rather not go alone, so…”
Johan thought of a certain witch who was probably sulking in her room. He didn’t want to go alone, and she was the perfect companion.
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Hecaterina, appearing in a secluded alley, looked around and grumbled.
“Why am I shopping with you…?”
“It’s nice to get out of the cabin, isn’t it?”
“Shut up. Especially looking like this…”
Hecaterina frowned, looking down at herself. She wasn’t wearing her usual attire, but a sleeveless dress that revealed far too much skin.
The dress exposed her shoulders and upper chest. If she raised her arms, her armpits would be visible, and she risked revealing even her nipples.
She couldn’t maintain her usual confident demeanor and could only hunch her shoulders, trying to cover herself.
“You really are a pervert… you like this kind of thing?”
“…It was the only one of Master’s clothes that fit you.”
“Why are you putting me in her clothes in the first place!?”
“Then take it off.”
Johan tugged at the hem of the dress, and Hecaterina frantically grabbed it, preventing him from pulling it down.
Johan chuckled, seeing her reluctance despite her complaints.
“See? Just be quiet and follow me.”
“…Don’t you dare touch me again.”
“I fully intend to touch you… tonight.”
As they walked into the bustling city streets, Hecaterina felt people staring at her. Her small stature, coupled with her large breasts, drew unwanted attention.
‘Disgusting…’
Frowning, she hid behind Johan, trying to shield herself from their gazes. Johan chuckled and led her to a cake shop.
They bought a variety of sweet treats, expensive desserts most commoners couldn’t afford, then left the shop, Johan carrying the boxes.
“You dragged me out here just for this?”
“To give you some sun. Ah, wait a minute. I forgot something. I’ll be right back.”
Johan, realizing he had forgotten something, left Hecaterina outside and went back into the shop.
Hecaterina stared at him, dumbfounded. What if she ran away?
‘Does he think I’m some caged animal?’
If she escaped, she could regain her magic within a few days. And her curse, the source of her power.
Then she could easily torment Johan and the others. Unlike before, she now had information about Evangeline and the other witches. Finding a way to defeat them was only a matter of time.
She glanced at the alleyway, realizing she could escape if she wanted to.
‘…No. I don’t want to risk whatever punishment they’ll come up with.’
Resigned, she leaned against the wall, waiting for Johan. She felt a shadow fall over her and looked up.
A group of thugs stood before her.
“Well, well—how much, little lady?”
“Is she even a lady? She’s so tiny. Ah, but those breasts… maybe she is.”
Hecaterina frowned at the men blocking her path.
“…Get lost.”
“Hahaha! Did you hear that? She told us to get lost!”
“Don’t be rude, little lady. Seems like you need some… education. We’d be happy to provide it.”
They grabbed her arms. Hecaterina, startled, tried to shake them off, but then remembered her magic was sealed.
“Let go of… Mmph!”
“Be quiet and come with us. Okay?”
“Hey, get in there.”
Experienced in this kind of thing, they efficiently gagged her and dragged her into the alley.
No one intervened. Hecaterina, realizing what was about to happen, felt a wave of fear and disgust.
Mmmpph—! She struggled, but she couldn’t even break free from ordinary men. Her body, without magic, was so weak.
“Heh, you were asking for it, weren’t you, little lady? Dressed like a whore…”
The thugs’ hands reached for her. They began tearing her clothes—when someone silently approached and tapped them on the shoulder.
“What the—get the fuck ou—”
“Move.”
Crack—! Johan brutally smashed the thug’s face, then quickly dispatched the others.
He looked down at Hecaterina, who had been on the verge of being assaulted, and sighed.
“Sigh… and they tore your clothes.”
“…”
“Are you even a witch?”
“…Shut up.”
It’s all your fault.
You took everything from me, my purity, my magic.
Hecaterina swallowed her resentment and glared at Johan.
Johan, meeting her gaze, silently removed his shirt and draped it over her.
“Let’s go back.”
Hecaterina nodded and clung to him. She was annoyed. Annoyed that she had been frightened by mere humans, annoyed that she was powerless without magic.
That night, Johan gently raped Hecaterina.
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