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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Having secured a way to charge his smartphone, Johan gazed at it with satisfaction.
Though it lacked internet access, it was still a marvel of modern technology.
It contained movies and dramas downloaded from Earth, and several useful offline apps.
‘I don’t expect to achieve anything groundbreaking with this, but…’
He couldn’t suddenly transform this world into a technologically advanced society just because he had a smartphone.
At best, it could help him with math and engineering. Nothing more.
But it was proof. Proof that his life on Earth wasn’t a dream. A nostalgic reminder of his former life, a comfort in case he ever grew tired of this world.
‘Though, my descendants will probably freak out in the future…’
He imagined how future generations would react upon discovering his smartphone hundreds of years from now. By then, he would be long gone, dust to dust.
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When Johan announced their intention to leave, Machina looked at them, dumbfounded. They had come all this way just for that?
She offered them Imperial currency and urged them to explore the Empire. The other witches, intrigued by a society that didn’t persecute witches, readily agreed, eager to see how their counterparts lived in the Empire.
“Johan, let’s go over there!”
“Alright, alright.”
Johan, dragged along by his master, toured the Empire. If their technology was powered by coal, the city should be choked with smoke, but the air was surprisingly clean.
Looking at the clear sky, Johan deduced the reason. The Empire’s technology wasn’t the product of widespread industrialization, but the creation of a single witch, distributed and controlled by the Imperial family.
The Imperial family could control pollution, and when a more environmentally friendly technology was invented, they could simply confiscate the old machines and distribute new ones.
There would be no complaints. Or rather, there would be no effective complaints. The citizens enjoyed unprecedented prosperity thanks to this technology, and they had no understanding of how it worked anyway.
‘Electric lights, is that… shaved ice…? Do they have air conditioning? How is their technology so… uneven?’
The Empire’s technology was a patchwork, a hodgepodge of inventions stemming from a single witch’s magic, not from systematic scientific progress.
Things he expected to see were missing, and things he didn’t expect were readily available…
While the witches marveled at these unfamiliar technologies, they noticed something strange.
“They’re not here, are they?”
“No, they’re not.”
They couldn’t find any other witches. Witches were rare, but if the Imperial family employed them, they should be visible, working in the city.
Yet they hadn’t seen a single witch besides Machina. This could only mean one of two things.
“Are all the witches confined to the Imperial Palace?”
“Hmm… or maybe… they just kill the rest?”
Either the witches were under strict Imperial control.
Or they were executed if deemed useless.
The group leaned towards the latter. Witches, with their powerful magic and dangerous curses, weren’t easily controlled.
Some curses were inherently harmful to humans. The Empire wouldn’t employ every witch.
“So Machina was lying.”
“It’s too early to say for sure… or, should we just ask her directly?”
“Directly? Not a bad idea.”
Evangeline and Marguerite exchanged glances, then looked at Johan.
“Johan, Master is going out for a bit. Why don’t you… wander around?”
“Huh? Master, what are you—?”
“Let’s go, Marguerite! Time’s a-wastin’!”
Johan stared blankly as Evangeline and Marguerite vanished. He then turned to the three remaining witches.
“…Should we… get some dessert?”
He led the nodding witches in search of a dessert shop.
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The two witches returned to the Imperial Palace. They didn’t need to ask for directions. Those in power always occupied the highest positions.
Finding the Emperor wasn’t difficult either. Marguerite, as the Witch of Space, possessed exceptional spatial awareness and could map the entire building with her magic.
As they walked confidently through the halls, they were stopped by the Imperial Guard.
“Halt! Who goes there!? This area is restricted—”
“Such dedication, boys.”
Evangeline grinned and snapped her fingers, disintegrating their weapons. The guards, seeing their rifles fall apart in their hands, realized they were facing witches.
“What the hell…?”
They pressed a button on a device they carried and quickly fled, knowing fighting the witches was futile.
It was a wise decision, and Evangeline and Marguerite, ignoring the retreating guards, continued towards the Emperor’s office.
They arrived to find the door slightly ajar. They exchanged glances, then Evangeline pushed it open.
Bzzzzt—!
A powerful electrical shock jolted her. The electricity melted the shelf holding a flask filled with a viscous liquid, and a noxious gas began to fill the room.
If it had been an ordinary human, or even a weak witch, they would have been in mortal danger—but these were seasoned veterans.
“Looks like he’s already gone.”
“How can you tell?”
“That was probably a signal… he can’t have gotten far—Carpet, be a dear and show us the way.”
Evangeline looked down at the carpet and used her magic. The lovestruck carpet glowed, highlighting the path the Emperor had taken.
They saw from the footprints that he hadn’t left long ago. They levitated slightly and began to pursue him, flying through the air.
The Emperor, out of shape from his sedentary lifestyle, couldn’t outrun them. They quickly caught up.
“Ritz.”
“I know.”
There was no need to chase him further. Marguerite snapped her fingers, and the fleeing Emperor appeared before them.
The Emperor, realizing his surroundings had changed, looked at the witches and chuckled dryly.
“What… kind of magic… is this…?”
“You’re the Emperor, right?”
“…Indeed. I am the Emperor. Show some respect, witches.”
“Hmm… are you sure she’s the Emperor?”
Evangeline whispered to Marguerite, tilting her head. The Emperor before them looked less like a ruler and more like a young girl.
Marguerite, equally perplexed, then saw the Imperial Guard frantically searching for them and nodded.
“She must be.”
“Alright then, Your Majesty. We need to have a little chat.”
“—A chat…? What are you—”
“Let’s go, Ritz.”
Evangeline grabbed the Emperor and teleported away with Marguerite. They then located Johan’s mana signature and reappeared beside him.
The entire process took less than a second. The Emperor felt a momentary flicker, then found herself in a teahouse within the city.
“Where…?”
“Oh, Master. You’re back?”
“Mm-hmm. We’re back.”
“Who’s this?”
“…’This’?”
The Emperor frowned at Johan’s casual tone. Evangeline, sensing her displeasure, answered for him.
“Oh, this is the Emperor… what was your name again?”
“…Friederika.”
“She says her name is Friederika.”
“Ah, the Emperor?”
“…?”
Johan, hearing this, simply looked at her, unfazed. The Emperor, bewildered by both the witch who had kidnapped her and the man who addressed her so casually, wondered if she had somehow been transported to another world.
A world where the roles of emperor and commoner were reversed. A bizarre, alternate reality.
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