1.
"Ugh…"
Ea struggled to get up.
After being mercilessly rolled around the ground, raped while being pressed down, her body became battered, filled with marks of handprints, dirt smudges and dried moss.
As she staggered, trying to stand up, semen dripped down from her crotch.
After being violated for two hours, everytime her butt twitched, the white seed dripped down as if it was being pumped out.
Siwoo had repeatedly stolen her magic.
But, unlike when he stole her 'Maiden's Loom', the force he used was considerably weaker, so it took him more effort to steal anything else from her.
Though, that didn't mean he failed to steal anything, he managed to take one more magic formula off of her.
The 'brand' that she had obtained from Duchess Tipereth's apprentice witch.
"Hoaahm…"
Siwoo let out a tired yawn, fixing his gaze on Ea as he settled himself on a rock.
His hand moved through the air, inspecting the spoils he had gained.
Those loots were incredibly opulent, leaving him no room to focus on anything else.
"Another rank…"
Meanwhile Ea's rank had fallen into the 13th rank.
Her previously dense brand became empty.
In mere two hours, she lost a century of desperate hunt worth of progress.
She became a half-baked witch without any autonomous self-defense capabilities.
Ea clenched her fists, glaring at Siwoo, who was scribbling something in the air with his fingers.
"I'm going to kill you."
This place was filled with mana.
There wasn't enough time to fully convert the mana if she were to absorb them, but as long as she was willing to take the risk and damage her magic circuit, she could start a second round of fight with him.
Though, she set down her glare, which was filled with simmering anger, and swiftly turned her back.
She had already learned from her previous emotional outburst and it hadn't been long since she tasted defeat.
From her instinct, intuition and battle experience she accumulated, all of them were telling her one thing.
No matter what she did, she'd definitely lose this fight.
"Agh…! I swear I'll repay this humiliation a hundred– no, a thousand— no! A billionfold! Just you wait!"
She shouted at Siwoo, who didn't bother to spare a glance at the loser.
Though, due to her noisy outburst, he briefly casted his gaze towards him.
"Keuk…!"
With just a fleeting glance, a bone-deep fear spread through her being.
She remembered his demeanor that had dominated her in combat without a hint of him losing his breath.
His ruthlessness when he mercilessly raped her and stole her precious magic away.
All things considered, she was THE Ea Sadalmelik.
But, even THE Ea Sadalmelik was trembling in fear in the presence of this male human in front of her.
This fact humiliated her even more than the fact that he had violated her.
"J-Just you wait and see…!"
Without taking her eyes off Siwoo, she staggered and disappeared through the rift created by the Barrier Separator.
And soon, the narrowed rift illuminated the calm landscape of the Latifundium, as if a mysterious phenomenon had occurred.
Leaving Siwoo behind, sitting on a rock while lost in his thoughts.
2.
Amelia was in the middle of her research after bringing her belongings to the research building. Suddenly, she felt a heavy lump in one corner of her chest.
Despite trying to distract herself while smoking a cigarette, regrets and sadness continued to swirl in her mind.
She knew that these feelings would eventually fade away.
Just like before, time would erase the traces of loss as if they were lies.
She'd eventually forget and someday, she'd even forget the fact that she had forgotten.
Yet, despite knowing that, her mind continued to replay a single scene over and over again.
'You…damn…bitch…'
The harsh words Siwoo had thrown at her the moment he woke up.
At that time, Siwoo was in no condition to properly identify anything.
His mind functioned solely for magic, as there was no room for other emotions to linger.
'How much does he hate me?'
'How much hatred and disgust does he have toward me for him to curse me while in that state?'
Every time such thoughts crossed her mind, she felt her heart ache.
It was as if her heart was stretching thin, ready to snap into countless threads.
"…"
Back then, she told him,
'I won't give up until you can forgive me.'
'Until then, I'll wait…'
But, even she wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do.
Was it right for her to cling to Siwoo, who hated her so much, and begged for his forgiveness while shoving her love towards him when he finally came to his senses?
In truth, Amelia knew.
Siwoo was a good person.
He was also diligent and kind.
That man wasn't the kind of heartless person who'd spew harsh remarks in front of someone who was seeking his forgiveness in tears.
Maybe she said those words to him after considering what kind of person he was.
'Could it be that I just wanted to rely on his kindness and affection to alleviate my own sense of guilt?'
If so, she thought that it was selfish and cowardly of her.
That meant she'd be imposing things that he didn't want upon him again.
It was her own wish that she wanted him to forgive her.
Her wanting to go to the modern world with him was also her own wish.
So was her longing to convey her feelings for him.
None of them were something that Siwoo wanted.
Maybe, she'd be starting a cycle of remorse, imposing her wishes upon him, crying after getting rejected then repeating the same thing over and over.
"Disgusting…"
She knew that everything was just a vain delusion.
Siwoo was stuck in an uncertain state, only God knows if he could recover or not.
But, her repeated self-mockery had taken its toll on her and left her feeling depressed.
Just as she was about to let out a sigh out of habit, the door swung open.
Amelia furrowed her eyebrows.
Prior to this, she already made it clear that she wouldn't be receiving any visitors for the time being.
"P-Professor!"
The person who burst into her room was Catherine, a researcher responsible for the administration of the Trinity Academy.
"What's the matter?"
Under normal circumstances, Amelia wouldn't hold back her displeasure, but right now, she couldn't even muster such feelings.
After responding with a melancholic voice, she looked at Catherine and sensed that something unusual had occurred.
Catherine was a witch famous for idolizing and imitating Baroness Marigold.
Even in dire circumstances, she'd dress herself similar to how Amelia would dress herself while using perfume that was similar to hers.
She'd put on a cold and aloof demeanor along with a tinge of awkwardness, trying to mimic Amelia completely.
But, such Catherine had come running in such a frantic manner, completely tearing away her facade. That meant this wasn't a small matter.
"R-R-R-R-Reply…"
"Please calm down and explain it slowly."
In response to Amelia's growing impatience, Catherine placed a pristine white envelope in her hands.
A clean envelope the size of Amelia's palm.
It was sealed with sealing wax to prevent others from opening it. On the envelope was a stamp.
A stamp with a crown pattern on it.
Catherine, who had been gasping for breath like an asthma patient having a seizure reported in a barely audible voice.
"We've received a reply from the Ivory Tower!"
The sender of this letter was the Duchess Keter herself.
3.
If one were to ask the witches, which was the second most beautiful building in Gehenna, their opinions tend to differ.
Some would say it was the Trinity Academy, the bastion of knowledge, reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles.
Others would say the Levana Public Bathhouse, the refined rendition of Rome's communal baths.
There were also some who'd say First Red Roof Salon, the place where one could enjoy blooming flowers in all four seasons.
And there were those who'd mention Duchess Tipereth's Hanging Garden, as the Duchess herself was renowned for her exceptional aesthetic sense.
Each witch would name various places according to their tastes.
However, if they were asked to choose which was the prettiest of them all, they'd unanimously mention the Ivory Tower, the tower standing tall in the middle of Ars Magna Town.
It was rumored that the tower was created by Duchess Keter herself, from its design to its construction. The tower was made entirely by specially crafted marble and stained glass created through alchemical processes.
Even describing how it looked with words was a challenge, because there were no words that could truly capture its essence.
The Ivory Tower didn't follow the architectural style of any era.
Its design was unprecedented and unique, constructed with precise calculations based on the perfect golden ratio, resulting in a flawless construction.
It wasn't something that existed for someone to evaluate or compare it to other things, but for someone to admire and worship.
That sentiment also applied to its owner, the person who resided in this beautiful tower all by herself, Duchess Keter.
She was a being that every witch looked up to with awe.
They called her the unparalleled witch, the only person who's reached the 30th rank by herself, without inheriting her brand from anyone. She was the highest-ranked and the oldest witch.
It had been eighty two years since she secluded herself in the tower, yet there were still witches who were lurking around the tower, seeking for her teachings.
Not only that, it was also said that 20% of Gehenna's letters were addressed to her.
Despite that, Amelia had never heard of the news of the Duchess actually replied to one of those letters.
As for Amelia herself, she had visited her in person and sent over 70 letters to her, but the Duchess never responded.
Catherine couldn't hide her curiosity over this matter, but Amelia firmly sent her away.
There was no reason for Amelia to indulge in the witch's curiosity.
She carefully took out a silver letter opener and delicately removed the seal.
As she unfolded the letter inside, she was greeted by a white piece of paper.
A blank paper without anything written on it.
Letters in Gehenna weren't always written properly.
Case in point was this letter, a 'remote letter', a magical correspondence using two interconnected sheets of paper, acting more like a fax than anything. If one were to write on one side, the writing would appear on the other side as well.
Despite her enigmatic and mystical appearance that was shrouded behind many mysteries, Duchess Keter's method of answering Amelia's letter was quite plain and basic.
As Amelia waited while holding a pen with a nervous expression, letters began to appear on the piece of paper.
Have you been well?
It was written casually and naturally, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Her handwriting looked incredibly smooth and elegant, resembling that of a professional calligrapher's.
There's no need for formalities. We've read through your letters one by one, so we know your sincerity runs deep.
Amelia, who had been pondering over what to say, quickly wrote a response upon reading the Duchess' words.
Are you going to grant my request? To put it shortly, yes. With our talent, it is more than sufficient to heal him.
Amelia felt her heart skip a beat.
After wandering in the darkness for so long, she finally felt like she had found the light.
However, that joy was overshadowed by a single suspicion that arose in her heart.
'Is this really something that he desires?'
Amelia might think that his condition was abnormal, but there was a chance that he actually liked being in this state.
After all, no one would want others to take away the power they had just acquired.
She wanted to respect his choice.
While she was hesitating like this, new words appeared on the paper.
Today at noon, we checked on his condition when he entered your garden. It would only be natural for any witch to feel regret at the loss of such talent.
'She personally checked on his condition?'
As Amelia began to wonder, a sentence appeared that solidified her decision.
However, if things continue as they are, he will definitely die. His excessive talent will overwork his physical body, leading to his certain doom.
Seeing this, Amelia didn't hesitate any longer and asked,
What do I need to do?
Duchess Keter, someone who received hundreds of letters a day and ignored them, couldn't have helped her out of pity. After all, they had never met before.
The reason why she did this was to offer Amelia a proposal.
It seems that you've caught on.
Seeing that phrase, Amelia was certain that the Duchess was smiling behind this piece of paper.