Chapter 278: Master (8)

1.

With that, the massive disaster that seemed unlikely to occur once in a century, had finally passed.

Looking back, the battle was filled with heart-stopping moments and that didn't change no matter how many times Siwoo replayed it in his head.

Whether it was when he saw the White Knights come forward like a raging river or the fearsome appearance of the Red Knight.

If even one of them had been slightly weaker, both him and Eloa wouldn't have made it through the crisis for sure.

The latter's body ended up covered in wounds while suffering from the after-effects of her covenants.

Meanwhile, Siwoo got bruises all over after facing the Red Knight head-on.

After they returned to the Witch Point with the Red Branch, Siwoo just sprawled on the bed and spent the whole day trying to recover from his fatigue.

Despite him having a spirit body, he still needed a good quality sleep to recover from this level of exertion.

As the pair of master-disciple went to sleep, Branch Manager Sua successfully wrapped up the incident.

Since everything had unfolded within the vast interdimensional barrier she had set up, the cleanup itself didn't take much time.

All she really needed to do was to deal with the remnants of the two witches that had helped them and arranged their funerals.

Witches weren't usually well-connected to each other to begin with, and since both of them hadn't taken any apprentice yet, the funeral also went smoothly.

Siwoo was recognized for his contributions in this subjugation and was given ownership of the Red Branch.

At first, he hesitated to receive such a grand reward, especially considering that he had only delivered the final blow to the Red Knight, as Eloa was the one who had significantly weakened the creature.

But, Branch Manager Sua insisted on him receiving the reward, saying that it was to show him how deeply she appreciated his efforts.

Besides, Eloa had already possessed the irreplaceable mystic code, the 'Sword of Covenant', so the war spoils naturally fell to Siwoo's hand.

With that, he was granted the possession of the Red Branch.

After everything was finished, Eloa, Siwoo, and Della met up in the cavity of the waterway tunnel.

More specifically, the place where the altar was set up, where Paola met her demise.

"Let's get started."

Della hadn't left Seoul while the incident was happening as she was still recovering at the Witch Point.

She casted down her gaze, looking really sad.

Siwoo recalled her feisty and bold personality, just like a fox, but he couldn't see that in the current Della. Her beautifully extended eyelashes were drooping with grief.

Dressed in all black instead of her usual red, Della stood before Paola's lifeless body, lying beneath the shattered pieces of the lotus flower.

Upon seeing her lifeless body, with one of her eyes open, revealing her white sclera, Della gently reached out to close that eye.

"Now, I return your life to the light of truth. May the chains of delusion that bound you to be released. Death is a sacred journey of shedding one's flesh shell to embrace the truth..."

When Della first heard about Paola's passing, she asked Branch Manager Sua to allow her to hold a funeral for her friend.

Usually, a witch's funeral was held as a ceremony to honor the 'predecessor who had passed her brand to her apprentice'.

In this case, it was a way to acknowledge that the witch had fulfilled her duty, so being in a somber mood for a witch's funeral wasn't the norm in their society.

But, in cases like this, when the witch unexpectedly died and left no successors, the funeral would proceed in a somber atmosphere, watched by her close acquaintances.

Of course, considering Paola's actions resulted in thousands of deaths and the killing of over ten witches, there was no way that she'd ever get a proper funeral.

She was a Criminal Exile, a witch who had violated the rules of the witch society.

Other witches wouldn't give such offenders any mercy.

Typically, they'd send the criminal's body to Gehenna to be auctioned off at the 'First Salon of the Red Roof', or just use it for research instead.

But Della generously donated her entire fortune to the Witch Point, expressing her desire to receive Paola's body, in which the Branch Manager readily agreed to.

The fact that they could fix the situation before the Cowardly Witch could cause even more trouble was all thanks to the intel that Della had provided, after all.

Which was ironic because it was Paola who had spared her life, even though she could have easily killed her at any time.

Nevertheless, they couldn't just trust the red-headed witch that easily since she had been hiding Paola's whereabouts until now. That was why they decided that the funeral would only be held if Eloa was also present.

"May the sacred fire consume her flesh, let the earth return to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

Accompanied by a brief eulogy from Della.

Flames burst at her feet, engulfing the whole cavity.

They consumed the remnants of the broken altar, the half-crumbled lotus, and Paola's cold, lifeless body.

Everything was burned as the fiery flames came to lick them.

When Della stomped her foot, the raging flames subsided like molten lava, leaving behind a white blaze that consumed everything, not leaving even a trace of smoke.

"Rest in peace."

Then, she stared blankly at the spot where Paola had once sat.

While watching her back, the other two quietly left the scene.

As soon as they woke up, both of them attended the funeral in place of the busy Branch Manager, with Eloa replacing her while Siwoo trailing closely behind.

"..."

"..."

He was still groggy from sleep and before he arrived in this place, he had been quite disoriented, so he hadn't had much chance to contemplate.

But witnessing such a scene did leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew that the Cowardly Witch was a terrifying murderer.

And that she was a total psychopath.

Yet, after learning the full story behind her actions, to save her dead apprentice, and seeing her lonely end, he couldn't help but feel unsettled.

Of course he wasn't thinking that she should be forgiven for what she had done, that was a whole separate matter.

As they emerged from the vertical tunnel, the bustling streets of Seoul unfolded before them.

Cars filled the narrow roads and office workers passed by while enjoying their iced americanos.

This sight was a harmonious blend of the pleasant autumn breeze, the setting sun, and the sound of life that came from the people living in the city.

Siwoo glanced to the side, his gaze briefly met Eloa's.

At that comment, her previously vacant expression seemed to brighten up a little.

With a somewhat subdued tone, Eloa asked.

"Is something bothering you?"

"I...don't know... It's just... I don't feel as satisfied as I expected..."

Despite his hesitation, he did feel satisfied over the fact that he had somehow contributed to maintain this peace.

If it wasn't for him, the Red Knight would've killed Eloa and caused even bigger trouble.

And that would result in the destruction of this peaceful everyday life, as it would be replaced by a horrific massacre instead.

Still, he felt iffy about something. He decided to word it out though, after going through a brief hesitation.

"Uh, I know that this sounds strange but... I feel a little sorry for the Cowardly Witch."

"Yeah, I knew it. You're such a kind guy."

The cheesy response that came almost immediately as soon as he finished his words made Siwoo flinch.

He looked at her, bewildered, but when their eyes met, he could see that her gaze was steady.

Not only were her eyes looked beautiful, but there was a sincere trust in it that made it difficult for him to keep on staring at them.

Still, for her to give him such a compliment, he thought that it was a little bit too much.

"I don't think so, but sure..."

"Don't give me that 'I don't think so', you really are."

"Um, sure..."

As Eloa watched his confused expression, she flashed him a small smile.

Her delicate features and straight gaze, combined with her flower-like smile was too much for him to look at directly, so he turned his head slightly.

"Now I understand why you love to tease me so much. Is this the same reaction that I give whenever you compliment how I look and my cooking?"

"Teasing you, Master? But, I really was just complimenting you..."

"And so am I right now."

She kept on teasing him, even when he tried to walk faster, she followed him close behind.

Despite them being particularly close already, the pair had never had this kind of playful banter before.

For what it was worth, at the very least, this banter lightened up the mood.

After she flashed a delightful smile through her dimpled cheeks, Eloa cleared her throat before opening her mouth.

"You can't divide things in this world neatly into two like you'd cut an apple with a knife. There's no human being that is purely evil or good.

"The reason why you feel compassion for the Cowardly Witch is because you saw the good in her, just like you did for me."

"Why are you making it as if I did something special? Seriously, cut it out!"

Siwoo retorted, thinking that Eloa was just teasing him again.

There was a strong determination in his expression, as if trying to say that it wouldn't be easy for her to get him to blush or flinch.

But little did he know that Eloa meant every word she said. She wasn't just trying to flatter him.

Though it was because of a misunderstanding, when they first met, Eloa had punched him in the gut and put him in a near-death state.

She even threatened his friend and held onto her suspicions until the very end.

Yet, he still forgave her without feeling the slightest reproach.

And that wasn't all.

He went out of his way to comfort her and stayed by her side, even though she was a complete stranger to him.

The man listened to her worries that were bordering on obsession and delusion, and instead of running off to Gehenna for his safety, he decided to fight alongside her.

He even saved her from danger and killed the Red Knight.

And lastly, when her mana was running low...

Eloa suddenly stopped her train of thought before grumpily grumbling.

No need to dwell on pointless thoughts.

Though she said that, it was obvious to see that her cheeks had turned redder, and it was not because of the autumn sunset casting that was illuminating her cheeks.

"Whoa...!"

Just like that, his Siwoo's resolve to resist Eloa's attempts on teasing him crumbled.

Because she reached out her hand and grabbed his hand all of a sudden.

It wasn't a gripping hold, as if she was trying to cling onto him with all her might, nor was it anything suggestive.

Merely a warm touch that showed how much trust she had in him, the same kind of emotion that was shown in her eyes.

"Thank you."

She then brought his hand to her cheek before gently pressing it against the back of his hand.

It wasn't like she was doing it for any particular reason.

She did it because she wanted to.

Her soft cheek was being pressed lightly against the back of his hand.

As he felt the softness of her skin, a certain memory came flooding back.

He remembered the softness and smoothness of her body...

Before he could get into trouble due to this naughty recollection that came to him like a reflex, Eloa pulled his hand away from her cheek and asked in a light tone.

"So, what are you going to do next?"

"I'm thinking of heading to Gehenna to pick up Sharon and while I'm at it, visiting the twins, since I've promised to visit them... Then, I'm gonna go to meet someone in person..."

"I see."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but...

When he mentioned Sharon's name, Eloa's expression seemed to slightly darken.

Then, she quickly composed herself.

However, his following words shattered this facade of hers.

"Do you want to come with me to Gehenna, Master?"

Eloa knew that he'd naturally invite her along, but it still made her so happy that it surprised even herself. She had to hold back the urge to break into a wide smile.

"Sure thing. I was planning to take a breather while fulfilling the price of the covenant anyway."

She lowered her head slightly before touching her lips.

This was one of her habits that Siwoo recently came to know of.

Whenever she tried to hide her smile, this was the one thing that she'd do.

"Siwoo."

"Yes, Master?"

Brimming with excitement, Eloa pointed towards the department store.

They had been wandering aimlessly and somehow found themselves in the area near their houses.

"You know, we've been through a lot, but overall, we've done a great job. Instead of moping around, why don't we celebrate the occasion?"

"Sure...?"

"I'll take care of the cooking. Wouldn't hurt to spend the whole day getting drunk for once, don't you think?"

Seeing her skipping with excitement like a child at an amusement park entrance, a smile crept onto his face.

Sometimes, just like now, he felt like he was looking at his cute little sister rather than his master.

"Okay, let's get a move on. We don't have much time before they close."

"It's only seven, though! We've still got three hours!"

"Look, since I'm going to go all out with the cooking today, even if we shop for five hours, it still wouldn't be enough!"

Despite the lingering aftermath of the battle, the two of them headed to the grocery section with light steps. There, they shopped for a long time, filling two carts to the brim.