In the end, a decision was reached.
Angelica was temporarily banned from entering the Horizontal Horoscope and the Library of Babel, two of the primary libraries witches relied on when gathering materials for research.
Faust received a different punishnt.
For the ti being, she was prohibited from engaging in trade with suppliers. That ant whatever research she wished to conduct would have to rely solely on the resources she already possessed.
With the matter settled, Cyrene clapped her hands.
——Now that everything is resolved, I believe it’s my turn.
The witches present imdiately turned their attention back to her projection.
——This started about a year ago, when I left to deal with an Outer God.
No one interrupted.
The title of Grand Witch was not sothing Cyrene had earned rely through intellect or academic achievent. She held that title for another reason as well.
She was the most powerful witch of the current era.
Among all witches alive today, Cyrene was one of the very few capable of confronting Outer Gods.
In fact, she was the only one alive known to have actually defeated one.
——At the ti, I managed to drive away the Outer God that had been observing our planet.
Her tone remained casual. Then dipped all at once.
——But there was sothing I failed to notice.
The chamber fell silent.
——While I was dealing with it, sothing slipped past my watch.
Cyrene’s eyes narrowed.
——An Outer God has already descended into our world. And right now, I’m trying to track it down.
Among the many reactions present, Faust found herself noticing one in particular.
Angelica.
"...?"
Of all the witches gathered there, she was the one who had shown the strongest reaction.
——If any of you encounter it, retreat imdiately.
She said it as if there was no room for argunt. But that was beside the point. None of the Eruditions were confident they could even survive an encounter with an Outer God in the first place.
Not even Faust herself.
——Do not engage. Simply report its location.
That was all Cyrene had to say.
* * *
"Angelica."
"Good timing. I was just about to speak with you."
The directness of the response caught Faust off guard for a mont. She had expected resistance, perhaps even hostility, but not sothing like this.
Angelica looked straight at her.
"Faust. I’m telling you this for your own good. Let go of Lancel."
"...."
Faust said nothing.
The shift in Angelica’s attitude was sudden enough to catch her off guard. Just days ago, she had said, "Make good use of him." And now it had beco "Let go of Lancel."
Was Angelica really just bipolar?
Or was there sothing else behind those words that Faust had yet to understand?
To call them re acquaintances would have been an understatent.
The truth was far more complicated.
A long ti ago, Faust had once been one of Angelica’s ntors. Back then, their relationship had been that of master and student.
But that was centuries ago.
Since then, whatever remained between them could hardly be called anything close to a ntor and her student.
"I’m going to ignore whatever you just said."
Faust’s voice remained calm, but her gaze narrowed.
"What exactly have you discovered about Lancel?" she continued. "Why did you pour so much research into him?"
Faust took a step closer.
"Are you afraid?"
"...."
"Is that why you want to let go of him?" Faust asked. "Because you’re afraid of whatever he might know?"
Her tone dropped.
"And if that’s the case, then why let take him in the first place?"
Angelica clicked her tongue. "Tsk. What do you actually know about Lancel before he beca a slave? Do you even know where he ca from?"
"Emadestrin. An acquaintance of mine asked to save him from you, you evil bitch."
Angelica’s expression barely changed.
"Let tell you sothing, Faust," she said. "Lancel isn’t as pure or innocent as you seem to think."
"I don’t care who he was back then. He’s done no cri against ."
"...."
"And it’s rather ironic that you have the nerve to lecture about soone’s innocence," Faust said coldly. "Especially when you yourself committed a sin against ."
By now, several pairs of eyes had turned toward them.
The tension between the two witches had beco impossible to ignore.
Angelica noticed the attention first. With a sigh, she reached out and grabbed Faust’s arm, but Faust imdiately pulled it away.
"Let go of ."
"Haah..." Angelica exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "Let’s take this sowhere else, alright?"
Soon, Angelica led Faust to her office.
The room was immaculately tidy. It was the complete opposite of Faust’s own office back at ho, which was usually ssy with papers, scribbled notes, and half-finished research.
Faust stopped just inside the doorway and crossed her arms, refusing to step any further.
"I’ll give you five minutes."
Angelica didn’t seem bothered by the ultimatum.
"Do you know the Leviathan Group?"
Faust frowned. "That group of contract killers? The ones who don’t even hesitate to kill witches?"
She tilted her head.
"What about them?"
By now, Faust already had a rough idea where this conversation was heading.
Angelica spoke calmly. "Lancel used to be one of them."
"So? Are you warning that he might kill in my sleep?" Faust scoffed. "Sorry, but I’m fairly confident a man three hundred years younger than wouldn’t manage that."
Angelica shook her head. "That’s not the point. Now that you know his line of work, let tell you how this all started."
Faust said nothing. If she claid she wasn’t interested, she would be lying.
Perhaps she could spare Angelica a few more minutes.
"That man," Angelica continued, "was originally contracted to hunt a specific witch. To be exact, one of my apprentices."
"...."
"She was outside Riviere at the ti conducting field research. And Lancel killed her."
Faust’s gaze hardened. To say an ordinary human would be able to best a witch wouldn’t be strange. It had happened before. Just not all the ti.
Angelica nodded once.
"After the job, Lancel was injured. His arm had been broken during the encounter. Eventually, he ca to Riviere looking for soone who could heal it."
Faust nearly scoffed. If that were true, his shalessness knew no bounds.
"But the arm wasn’t just broken. It was cursed."
As a result, the physicians in the city referred him to soone more capable. Angelica, a witch who specialized in curses.
"When I examined him, it wasn’t difficult to piece things together."
Angelica’s eyes darkened as she recalled the mont.
"My apprentice’s mana was still present in his body."
Later that sa day, the news reached her. Her apprentice had been found dead and the convict was unknown. Of course, Angelica already knew the answer.
"So I prepared to kill him."
"...."
"But when I examined the curse on his arm more closely..." Angelica continued, "...I noticed sothing."
Her voice lowered.
"The curse itself... It wasn’t from my apprentice."
Angelica slowly t Faust’s gaze.
"It was a curse of an Outer God."
"...."
"That man... had already encountered the very sa Outer God that Cyrene ntioned earlier."
"...."
"And that happened before he ever arrived in Riviere."
Faust opened her mouth. "Why couldn’t you—"
But her words died halfway.
Angelica tilted her head slightly, clearly not catching what she had said.
"Excuse ?"
"You’re willing to explain yourself now," Faust said, stepping closer. "All because of so nobody."
"...."
"But you’ve never even explained to why."
Faust’s hands clenched slightly at her sides.
"Why did you leave my sister to die?" she asked. "Why did you... why did you kill her?"
"....’
Angelica’s pupils trembled. For a brief mont, it looked as if she might say sothing.
But in the end, she said nothing.
Seeing that silence, Faust turned away.
"Your five minutes are up."
Without waiting for another word, she walked to the door and left.
It had only been three minutes.
Reviews
All reviews (0)