Chapter 38: The Witch’s Silence (1)

“Janwol-nim!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Byeolmuri kicked off the ground and lunged toward Ianna, immediately starting to check her condition.

Although Hojoon was standing right in front of Ianna, he couldn’t stop Byeolmuri’s actions.

It had happened too fast to be called a simple sudden movement — a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

This was Byeolmuri’s ability.

‘Momentary Acceleration.’

Most magical girls couldn’t use momentary acceleration, so it was practically considered Byeolmuri’s exclusive skill.

Among magical girls, Byeolmuri boasted the fastest speed.

Excluding Heosang, who could teleport through space, she was the only magical girl capable of reaching anywhere at will.

She was fundamentally different from other magical girls.

Utilizing her low presence and explosive speed, she would stealthily approach her target and drive the Lemegeton into their chest — that was Byeolmuri’s primary tactic.

Moreover, it wasn’t as if she had low stamina.

Byeolmuri could move using momentary acceleration for over half a day without stopping.

That was why Hojoon had assigned Byeolmuri to patrol various places within the Bureau, keeping her as a sort of emergency reserve.

Even so, Byeolmuri was evaluated as the weakest among the Twelve Seats of magical girls.

In the eyes of the others, her skill was merely ‘cute’.

Of course, even Aeon, who stood at the top of the Twelve Seats, thought so while watching through the monitor.

Hojoon quickly turned around and reached for Ianna, but Byeolmuri forcefully shook off his hand and shouted in agitation.

“What the hell have you done!”

Hojoon glared at Byeolmuri with a murderous expression.

Was she unaware that the cause of Ianna’s collapse was entirely her fault?

Even if Byeolmuri — Han Byeolhwa — was his own daughter, she did not take precedence over Ianna.

For Hojoon, Ianna was the absolute priority above all else.

If necessary, he would cut down his own flesh and blood for Ianna’s sake.

Throughout history, rulers’ noble decisions often involved sacrificing their own family for the greater good.

“Think carefully.”

“What are you talking about…?”

As if realizing something, Byeolmuri ignored Hojoon’s cold reply and began checking Ianna’s body.

Ianna’s body was deathly pale.

Even more so than usual.

Her skin, marred with pronounced vitiligo, looked grotesque.

Iridescent blue gleams shimmered in places across her body.

Her mouth was dripping with a mixture of gastric fluids and a blue liquid.

Although they had tilted her head to the side to prevent her airway from being blocked, Ianna continued to thrash around.

“Ah, no, it can’t be…”

“Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“I… uh… ah…”

With a horrified expression, Byeolmuri hastily lifted Ianna.

She knew.

She understood why Ianna had ended up like this.

It was because of her.

Due to Heosang, Ianna had developed a deep fear of magical girls.

Upon seeing Byeolmuri approaching — seeing her exercising violence against her lieutenant — Ianna had instinctively jabbed countless doses of tranquilizers into her own neck.

Until now, Byeolmuri had completely forgotten about that incident, but seeing Ianna collapse had brought it all rushing back.

Byeolmuri froze in place out of extreme panic.

Yet, she could not tear her gaze away from Ianna.

Out of a desperate sense of responsibility for what she had done — and a desperate will to save her.

Hojoon also wanted to focus solely on Ianna, but the cold gaze drilling into the back of his head was unbearable.

Despite Aeon’s eyes being covered with black restraints, it felt as if she knew everything happening inside the control room.

‘…Damn it.’

No matter what, Hojoon didn’t want to rely on Aeon.

Compared to the slight fear and strong repulsion he felt toward Han Byeolhwa, what he sensed from Aeon was a boundless, hopeless terror.

Whenever they conducted regular checkups on magical girls, Aeon’s measurements always came back normal.

Whether it was brainwave analysis or physical exams, everything appeared no different from an ordinary human’s.

That was what made it even more horrifying.

It felt as though something non-human was perfectly mimicking a human being.

Moreover, no one knew where Aeon had come from.

Not the Twelve Seats scattered across the world’s magical girl organizations, not even the artificially created magical girls — no one knew Aeon’s origins.

Not even Hojoon.

An overwhelming sense of wrongness.

Hojoon felt an extreme sense of dissonance.

His daughter Byeolmuri had been highly intuitive since childhood.

She had the uncanny ability to discern truth from lies based on only minimal clues.

That observational prowess came from Hojoon himself.

He possessed an even sharper intuition, superior intellect, and keener observation skills than Byeolmuri.

Hojoon’s instincts were more acute than anyone present.

More than Heosang, and even more than Ianna.

And now, his instincts were screaming.

Warning him not to touch Aeon.

Warning him that Aeon was Pandora’s box — and if disturbed, everything he had planned would crumble to nothing.

Bowing his head would be humiliating, but if it could protect the greater cause, Hojoon could endure it countless times over.

No, he could even endure worse. Pride alone could not be allowed to bind him.

He must not approach.

He must not look.

He must not be conscious of her.

He must not peer into her.

He had tried to adhere to these four principles regarding Aeon.

But under these circumstances, there was no choice.

And.

Watching the entire scene unfold, Aeon lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and spoke.

[It was just a joke, but Janwol has become quite cute and squishy too. Doesn’t time fly so fast?]

“…Indeed.”

Hojoon could only force himself to agree.

There was nothing he could do except humor Aeon.

At least for now.

[So, what will you offer as a sacrifice? I’d prefer something soft and untouched by anyone.]

Hojoon felt a chilling fear from Aeon’s voice, but he struggled to maintain his composure, subtly glancing at Byeolmuri.

Byeolmuri was tending to Ianna’s condition.

Unaware of the schemes her own father was plotting.

Hojoon, pretending to check the monitor and Byeolmuri alternately, subtly gestured.

[A shame, Hojoon. Unfortunately, your daughter is not to my taste. What a pity.]

Hearing Aeon’s chilling voice seep into his ears, Byeolmuri glared at Hojoon with a look of disbelief and said,

“…Han Hojoon.”

There was no longer even a trace of respect for him in her voice.

Hojoon, maintaining his composure as if nothing had happened, spoke calmly and leisurely.

“Right now, ensuring the Director’s safety comes first.

Han Byeolhwa, please transfer the Director to the infirmary. However, if an incident like before happens again, I will not hesitate next time.”

“It won’t happen again…”

“Then hurry.”

Byeolmuri, setting aside her anger toward Hojoon for the moment, realized that Ianna’s collapse was her fault.

Shoulders slumped, she lifted Ianna and carried her out of the control room.

Ianna continued to convulse in her arms.

Byeolmuri’s hands, cradling Ianna, trembled slightly.

It wasn’t the shock that her father had tried to offer her up to Aeon that crushed her — it was the realization that she had been the one to push Ianna into this state.

“…I’m sorry.”

Byeolmuri choked back tears.

She hadn’t meant for this to happen.

She didn’t want to do something like this.

Clutching herself with guilt, she softly pressed her lips against Ianna’s cheek.

And then, she made a vow.

She would uncover the truth.

She would save Ianna, who was being controlled.

However.

If Ianna wasn’t being controlled —

If she had killed the magical girls by her own will —

Then Byeolmuri would guide her back onto the right path.

She vowed to repay all the kindness Ianna had shown her.

Even if it required violent and coercive means.

For Ianna’s sake.

For the sake of upholding justice, she would do whatever it took to pull Ianna back within the bounds of morality — and to exact rightful vengeance for the magical girls who had perished.

That was what Ianna had taught her.

That, no matter what, a magical girl must uphold justice, help the innocent, and defeat evil — armed only with conviction and principle.

If Ianna had forgotten that—

Then she would remind her.

She needed proof.

Proof that Ianna wasn’t a hypocrite.

Proof that she still harbored a pure and righteous heart unlike the vile humans.

Proof that respect for life and the standards of justice still remained within her.

‘Please endure it… This is for you…’

Getting closer.

When Ianna awakened, Byeolmuri would approach her even closer.

For justice.

For the truth.

To reveal the facts.

Byeolmuri quickly reached the infirmary.

And there, she waited desperately for Ianna to regain consciousness.

***

[Such a loving father and daughter you have, Hojoon.]

“…Thank you.”

The control room was colder than ever.

None of the other ‘people’ besides Hojoon could open their mouths.

[So… what sacrifice will you offer?]

It was a bizarre situation where a magical girl was openly demanding a human sacrifice, yet no one else in the control room seemed to feel any sense of wrongness.

Except for Hojoon.