â Salvation (1) â
1.
Siwoo didnât look excited.
He didnât cheer nor run wild out of joy for his victory.
Instead, he was feeling the lingering sensation in his fingertips.
His heart was still pounding wildly.
The sensation of him cutting through metal as if it was paper remained faintly amidst the rush of adrenaline.
It felt like those two things were the only thing accompanying him in this night street.
He couldnât even feel the sensation of the sword he was gripping.
No, rather than couldnât feel it, it was more like he had become one with his sword. The sword had turned into an extension of his limbs.
The techniques that he thought only existed within his head, could only feel through his instincts, materialized in reality through his body. Even when the battle was already over, he still felt the thrill that he experienced during it.
It was a clean execution without any flaws.
But he knew it wasnât the result of his own actions.
Rather, it was the manifestation of âsomeone elseâs talentâ that was lying dormant inside the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant. He was just there to pull it out of its slumber.
âSiwoo!â
As he was immersed in the feeling, reminiscing about the fall of his enemies, basking in the afterglow of the fight, Eloa came running toward him.
She stopped right in front of him, showing an intense joy, as if she was the one who achieved this.
âExcellent! That was excellent, Siwoo! Youâve applied things that youâve learned in our training properly!â
Things like the reason why Della was there or why the White Knights were chasing after her to begin withâŠ
Eloa stopped caring about any of those.
She was too overtaken by joy for her discipleâs achievement and growth.
âIâŠdid thatâŠ?â
âYes!â
That was when Siwoo finally realized what he had done.
The sense of accomplishment over cutting down five of the foes he was barely able to beat before came rushing in.
I have a feeling that I could still take them on even if there were more than five!
âCome here.â
At that moment, Eloa stretched her hand upwards.
He only watched her silently, wondering what this was all about. Her expression gradually turned from that of joy, surpassing even his own, to that of frustration.
âBend your knees a little.â
âLike this?â
âGood.â
Then, she stroked his head, as he had taken off his helmet a while ago.
Is this her way of rewarding me?
Siwoo felt embarrassed and awkward at the same time, but seeing her bright smile, he simply didnât have the heart to tell her to stop.
âIâm so sweaty thoughâŠâ
âDoesnât matter, I can just wash it off later if I need to. Come closer, let me pat you more.â
But, after this went on for more than a minute, he really thought that it was time for her to stop.
âMaster, I understand your feelings, but thereâs a more pressing matter⊠Um, we need to get Redcliffe out of hereâŠâ
He pointed at Della, whose body was still lying on the ground.
That was when Eloa finally got back to her senses. She took a deep breath andâŠ
âR-Right. I-I forgotâŠâ
For a witch, Dellaâs injuries werenât actually grave enough to kill her.
If she was a human though, she might as well be washing her feet in the Sanzu River with that kind of injury. The only thing that would wait for her was her inevitable death.
Instead of Eloa, who had just come back to her senses, Siwoo was the one who carried her unconscious body.
The two of them then headed to the Witch Point.
2.
As it wasnât really an appropriate time for a visit, the Witch Point was eerily quiet.
They had contacted Branch Manager Sua in advance, so Della was able to receive first aid immediately when they arrived.
Siwoo had to wait outside though since they needed to take off her clothes as there were serious injuries all over her body.
Inside the room, the Branch Manager Office, Sua and Eloa were having a conversation.
âPhewâŠthis subject is going to embarrass herselfâŠinjuries of such magnitude⊠It has been a long time since this subject even witnessed itâŠâ
Numerous gold and silver needles covered Dellaâs body, which were lying still on the bed.
Below the bed, there was a magic circle in the cross of a shape that let out a soft glow.
âHow is she?â
âWhile the injuries look grave, they arenât as bad as they look. Seeing that thereâs no sign of necrosis and all her organs are functioning properly, the Cowardly Witch must have taken care of her quite well.â
The terrible wounds and the burn marks which purpose was to stop the bleeding made Dellaâs injuries seem worse than they actually were. Her internal organs were all in good conditions.
One could even say that she was in a better state than Sharon.
But if one were to see it in a different perspective, this just showed how skilled the Cowardly Witch was when it came to torture. Only a skilled person could torture someone without actually threatening their life like this.
None of Dellaâs limbs were cut off and above all, her internal organs werenât afflicted by mana contamination.
After a week, she should be completely healed.
There was a good chance that sheâd regain her consciousness later today.
âAssume that she was detained by Xochitl, there is a good chance that she knows what that woman is up to. But, we canât ignore the possibility that this is all a ruse and they are working with each other.â
âIndeed. One fortunate thing is that her condition is well enough that an interrogation could be conducted immediately after she wakes up.â
Sua folded her sleeve after she took out a golden needle out of it before asking Eloa a question. fĐłeewebnovŃl.com
âYour Ladyship, can you please recount the situation when you encounter the Witch of Ashfire?â
âYes.â
Eloa told her of how she and Siwoo encountered Della when they were driving off somewhere after their training had ended.
Though, she added that, rather than encountering her, they hit her with their car by accident.
Shortly after, five White Knights appeared.
And Siwoo dispatched them all beautifully.
âIt was an amazing spectacle! My disciple is really amazing, isnât he? Yes, he inherited the covenant, but it hasnât even been half a year since he started training! I canât believe that he achieved this much in such a short period of time!â
âIs that so?â
âIt was like I was looking at Ravi. I wish you were there to see it too, Miss SuaâŠâ
âSuch a shame.â
Sua only smiled softly seeing Eloa rambling on and on about Siwooâs sword dance.
She knew that a great danger would approach them soon.
But, this was the first time in a century that Tiphereth ever showed this childlike excitement. She had been wandering around the world gloomily, trying to fulfill her desire for revenge obsessively. The sight made the Branch Manager forget about her worries for a moment and let out a soft smile.
After a long time had passed since she started bragging about her disciple, Eloa finally came to her senses. She rubbed her cheek awkwardly.
âThat was unsightly of me, wasnât it? Iâm sorry.â
âPlease, donât be. When this subject witnesses such joy in you, Your Ladyship, this subject also shares your joy. However, the Witch of Ashfireâs treatment hasnât ended yet, so if you may, Your Ladyship, this subject needs a little time by herself.â
âAlright. Please tell me when she wakes up. I will be waiting upstairs.â
âShe should wake up in around four hours. Please take a good rest in the meantime.â
Since Sua declared as such, Eloa decided that she shouldnât impose on her any longer.
So, she nodded and went to the hallway where Siwoo was waiting.
Since the lights were turned off, the hallway was dark. As if matching his surroundings, Siwooâs expression looked stern.
There was nothing in his hand, but it seemed as if he was gripping something, probably trying to remember the sensation that he felt during the battle earlier.
Even from Eloaâs perspective, his movements back then were without flaws.
âAh, Master.â
Since he seemed to be concentrating, Eloa didnât call out to her, but he seemed to have noticed her and called out to her.
âIs everything alright?â
âShe doesnât have a serious injury, so no need to worry about her too much.â
He nodded without any hesitation.
In his eyes, Della was an evil witch who made Sharonâs life a living hell. They also fought each other once.
He didnât have a good relationship with her.
However, he was the one who rammed into her with a car when she was clearly injured and was running away from her pursuers, so he felt a little guilty over that.
That was why he felt a little relieved when he heard that she was okay.
At least he wouldnât have trouble sleeping over this.
âSo, what happened, really?â
âWe donât know that yet, but weâll interrogate her once she wakes up.â
What exactly was the Cowardly Witch planned, they didnât know.
So far they only had suspicions on the scale of the incident she was going to cause, but there was nothing concrete yet.
That was how good she was at hiding her tracks. freeweÉnovÄl.coɱ
In that sense, it wouldnât be an exaggeration to say that whatever Della had to say would become the piece that could solve all the puzzles.
At the very least, the situation would change in one way or another.
Even Eloaâs instincts were telling her that this was the last moment of peace theyâd have for a while.
So, what should they do before that turbulent time finally arrives?
It would be to take a proper rest.
She pulled Siwooâs sleeve.
âIn any case, thereâs nothing we can do at the moment, so letâs take a rest.â
âAh, are we going upstairs?â
âWhere else would we sleep?â
Finally they returned to the penthouse after a long time.
The only difference was that Sharon was no longer there, as she was already in Gehenna.
He wasnât worried about her though since Countess Gemini offered to take care of her while she was there.
Itâs been a long time, hasnât it? Has she woke up already?
Siwoo couldnât help but wonder over her well-being.
Both Eloa and Siwoo finished their baths in different bathrooms and changed their clothes.
Eloa was wearing loose pajamas, while Siwoo just wore something comfortable.
After they were done, they went to the living room.
As usual, there was a bottle of whiskey, two empty glasses and some chocolates on the table.
At this point, it wasnât an exaggeration to say that them drinking together was their end of the day routine.
âPhew⊠Iâm exhaustedâŠâ
âYou immediately got into a battle right after practice, of course youâd be tired.â
As soon as his back touched the sofa, such words came out of his mouth naturally.
Morning training, sparring in the afternoon, then a real fight in the evening.
No matter how strong his body enhancement was, after going through all that, it wasnât a wonder that his muscles would be screaming in pain.
âYou did really well today. As someone who watched your progress from the side, Iâm very proud of you.â
âItâs all thanks to your teaching, Master.â
âHow is it thanks to me? I was just guiding you, you were the one who put in all the effort and refused to give up.â
-Ting!
They tapped each otherâs glasses lightly.
Seeing Siwoo having such a pleasant smile despite his tired eyelids, a smile also appeared in Eloaâs face before she realized it.
An indescribable tingle tickled her heart.
Ever since she lost RaviâŠ
She had been suffering.
The only reason why she drew in her breaths was so that she could cut her enemies. Longing for a life that had shattered all while shouldering the pain of losing someone precious to her.
Even she herself couldnât call that âlivingâ.
The only thing that kept her together was her desire for revenge.
Her hatred for Ea Sadalmelik, who had taken her most precious thing and toward herself, who allowed herself to lose that precious thing to begin with.
And then she met Siwoo.
Even though their first meeting wasnât one that could be called a âgood first meetingâ.
There was a misunderstanding between them and she ended up punching him in the gut, rendering him unconscious. Now that she reminisced about that time, she couldnât help but curl up in shame.
âMaster?â
âYou knowâŠâ
âYes?â
Even when she started teaching him, she still thought that he was just pretending to be docile.
That was how deep the scar in her heart was.
She genuinely thought that it was a karma she had to pay, something that would follow her until the day she breathed her last.
Eloa got up from the sofa and approached him.
âYouâŠâ
ButâŠ
His strong will, never giving up despite his shortcomings, his diligence to follow through her arduous training without even uttering a single word of complaintâŠ
When he managed to recreate Raviâs sword dance, something she thought sheâd never see againâŠ
ââŠAre my salvation.â
For Eloa Tiphereth, that was like a ray of light amidst the darkness surrounding her. He was her salvation.
Her tone was serious, her eyes moist.
Siwoo couldnât understand what she was trying to say.
But, he knew what he should do in this situation.
He gently opened his arms and she immediately dove into his embrace, her pink hair shook in the air.
As if she was something precious, he put his hand behind her back and her waist, hugging her tightly.
âI want to be the one who embraces you, but youâre too big.â
âWell, I am a manâŠâ
In response to his familiar curt response, Eloa giggled a little.
âI want to promise you something.â
âYes, Master.â
Eloa lifted her head to look at him.
âEven if everyone in this world becomes your enemy, I will become your sword and cut them all. I swear in the name of Tiphereth.â
ââŠM-Master, thatâs a little cheesy, donât you think? Still, thank you very much. I have no intention of doing something that would make the world turn on me thoughâŠâ
Turning the world into my enemy? No way.
I donât even have the power to do so.
He let out a bitter smile before patting her back.
âI know, but I still meant what I said.â
She wasnât admonishing him for his reply though, instead, she buried her face in his chest once more with a gentle smile.
But, she didnât notice that they were a little too close to each other.
Siwoo had been having trouble breathing since he didnât want her to notice that he was breathing from his mouth.
This was a vulgar way to describe it, but he could feel her breasts rubbing against his lower abdomen.
âShould I take you to bed?â
âNo? I can walk on my ownâŠâ
âNo, you look tired, Iâll take you.â
Siwoo didnât listen to her answer as he just lifted her in a princess carry.
Her eyes widened to the point that he could see the entirety of her magenta-colored pupils.
ââŠDo as you like.â
She suddenly lowered her gaze and curled up in his arms like a docile cat.
He expected that sheâd tease him and theyâd end up walking with a playful atmosphere, but her response created an ambiguous one instead.
Though he was embarrassed, he could hide it well. He then laid her down on the bed.
âGuess Iâll get some sleep too.â
âSleep well, Siwoo.â
âYou too, Master.â
Lying side by side on the same bed, with a little distance between them, the two of them quickly fell asleep after they said their good nights.
After four hours of sleep, dawn had finally arrived.
At that moment, their phone rang.
It was a message from Sua, notifying them that Della had woken up.
Hereâs Eloa when she was pretending to sleep a few chapters ago.