Magic Tower (6)

Kamier’s first policy after awakening her Mana was none other than ‘Monster Extermination.’ The territory she received with her peerage could be developed as long as it didn’t exceed the permitted boundaries, but the area around Pahellen was so rugged that they were forced to live narrowly.

But now it was different. Unlike the past, when they were struggling with a shortage of talent and barely maintaining the status quo, they now had enough power to slaughter all the monsters lurking everywhere. The larger the territory, the more her own burden would increase, but Kamier declared that she would gladly accept it.

“Won’t you eat, Witch-nim?”

“I don’t need to eat.”

“Please, Witch-nim.”

There was no way jobs would stay the same as the territory was developed. Indeed, people could only be called human when they were working. The streets of Pahellen were bustling with people who had found jobs. The same streets that had been so gloomy when they were struggling with the first monster wave were now filled with the energy of life.

“I’m serious.”

“I’ve never seen Witch-nim eat anything. Please, just try this. It’s delicious!”

He twirled some red pasta around and held it out to me. I turned my head from the street outside and opened my mouth towards the fork Clark was offering.

“Nyam.”

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

It’s tomato spaghetti. It’s delicious. But I’m not the type to enjoy flavors, so that’s all I can say. He seemed dissatisfied with my bland assessment, making a slightly disgruntled face.

He twirled a forkful of noodles and shoved it into his own mouth. He seemed to have a childish intention to eat it all himself since I wasn’t reacting much. Not that I would ask him to leave any for me.

“Keheuk, keup, heuk.”

Clark’s grand plan ended with a rather bland conclusion: a throat obstruction. Clark’s face turned red as he swallowed the noodles, and he started coughing.

“Sorry, keup. I’m sorry. It got stuck in my throat.”

So hasty.

I pulled out a tissue from nearby and wiped Clark’s mouth myself.

“There’s plenty of time, eat slowly.”

“I, I’ll wipe it myself!”

He snatched the tissue at the speed of light and wiped his mouth. His mouth was clean in an instant. He wiped off all the sauce that had gotten on the table, and then, as if nothing had happened, he put the spaghetti in his mouth. He ate it deliciously. Well, I understood since all he had eaten while running here was my Breast Milk.

“Want something to drink?”

“…”

“Huh?”

At that moment, Clark’s gaze moved to my chest. It was a fleeting moment, but I saw it clearly. He shook his head and pretended he didn’t need anything, but I had already caught him. I gave a slightly alluring smile and pretended to pull on the strings of my shirt.

“Keok, keup. Witch-nim!”

“Aren’t you thirsty?”

“W-We’re outside!”

“I didn’t say anything?”

“…”

“You pervert.”

I’d been living too blandly lately, and I was lacking stimulation. I’d lived almost a month without any stimulation, and I was proud of myself for not going crazy. Maybe that’s why teasing Clark was becoming more and more fun.

The only downside was that typical sex jokes didn’t work on him. It was a flaw that he was too pure. Even when I showed him puns or finger games, he just tilted his head, making me more frustrated.

Even so.

Once I got a taste of ‘teasing,’ the brakes broke down as soon as it started. I can’t stop. Sorry, will you be my toy until I meet Shuriel again? I want to say that, but I’ll hold it in. Using this boredom as seasoning, how can I cook Clark into a delicacy? Right now, I was a chef.

“…Witch-nim? Is there something on my face?”

“No. If you’re done eating, let’s get up. We need to find an inn.”

I left the dishes and got up from my seat.

He hurriedly packed his backpack and followed me.

“Hoo. I’m full.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Thank you! I’ll pay next time.”

As if buying a meal was a big deal. I shook my head and said it was okay. He opened his backpack and started looking for his money pouch. If he ate, he had to pay.

I usually entrusted money management to Clark. Since I didn’t usually carry anything around, it was easy for Clark, who always wore his backpack like it was part of his body, to manage it. If I had it, I’d probably leave it somewhere or get beaten up and robbed on purpose. It wasn’t like I hadn’t lost money that way before.

But.

“Uh, uh…”

Clark’s face turned pale.

The backpack was empty.

As the floating population of a city increases, so do the impurities that come with it. It’s a natural process for a city to go through as it grows, but it’s kind of fucked up when it happens to me. Damn it. These moth-like bastards….

“When did you lose it?”

“I, I’m sorry. It was definitely there before we came in…”

If he lost it on the way in, it hadn’t been long.

‘Which fearless bastard took my money?’

It wasn’t just Shuriel who had changed. I had also been changed by him, by being with him. When I heard that something of mine had been taken, the first thing I thought of was how to get revenge properly. Of course, in an enjoyable way, and preferably in a bloody way.

Of course, if I told Kamier right away, she would issue a warrant and chase after the money pouch to the ends of the earth, but that would be a bit boring.

‘Within thirty minutes of memory.’

I retrace my memories. I forcibly revive and engrave in my mind even the useless information I had intentionally forgotten. I was able to recall a man among the flowing crowd who was lingering around Clark with unnatural movements.

The problem was, I didn’t know where he went.

‘If I scan the entire Pahellen…’

It would make my head hurt like it was going to explode, but… it would be better than handing over the money like a sucker. Besides, there was Clark’s money in there too.

“Ugh!”

Mana beyond imagination spread from my toes. Clark, who could feel the flow of Mana, looked at me in shock. A torrent of Mana spread like a wave throughout Pahellen. Back alleys, commercial districts, residential areas. Even near the city walls. All the information in this place entered my head.

“Ugh…”

“Witch-nim! Are you okay!”

I knelt down and filtered the information. I had to reduce the amount of information before my brain overloaded. Clark wrung his hands as blood streamed down my nose. However, the Arch Mage’s information processing speed successfully filtered out one piece of information before my brain exploded.

“Found, it.”

That audacious bastard.

“Witch-nim! Can you get up?”

“I’m okay.”

I tore off a seemingly expensive ornament from my clothes and handed it to Clark. Then I told him to go to the owner.

“Tell him to keep it if I don’t come back. It’ll be worth more than the meal.”

“Yes? More than that, what was that just now? The Mana…”

“I found them.”

“…”

“The thieves.”

I wiped the blood from my nose with my sleeve and walked past Clark into the street. The guy was a hyena living in the back alleys, and as soon as he got the money pouch, he went deep into the back alleys. I engraved the real-time moving coordinates in my head and moved my feet.

“Witch-niim―!! Just a moment―!!”

Clark, who had given the brooch to the owner, followed me closely.

I said while staring straight ahead.

“You won’t see anything good if you follow me.”

“Haa, just. Just a moment. Just, a moment. Don’t abandon, me. Hoo.”

Unlike me, who could replenish my stamina with Mana, Clark was a weakling who struggled even to run, let alone train his body. He ran up panting like a dog.

Knowing that he wouldn’t listen even if I told him to stop, I stopped for a moment as Clark said. He arrived next to me and said with tears in his eyes.

“I, I. I don’t even know the way here.”

“…You could have waited. It wouldn’t have taken long.”

“But…”

“Haa. Come here.”

I hugged Clark and stroked his head. He was so exhausted from running just a few meters that he couldn’t resist and buried his face in my chest.

‘…The coordinate update has stopped. Did he go into a hideout?’

Or maybe he’s just taking a break. Either way, the thief has stopped moving. Then there’s no need to rush. If we quickly create distance, we can move quickly too.

“Are you calm now?”

“Hoo, yes. Yes.”

“Then let’s go. We have to go find the money, right?”

He took his face off my chest and moved in a slightly awkward posture. He seemed to be trying to hide his erection, well… I’ll have to relieve him later.

* * *

“It’s creepy.”

“Don’t make eye contact with the back alley guys.”

The back alleys of Pahellen were no different. Dropouts addicted to drugs were sprawled out in the alleys, and all sorts of suspicious transactions were rampant. The cancer of society. I wanted to burn them all to ashes, but it was ironic that their tacit rules were preventing the overflow of vermin.

Well… it’s a different story if you voluntarily enter the back alleys like me. The ‘tacit rules’ are rules that only apply to those who look menacing with knives. Delicate boys and girls like Clark and I were just prey.

As soon as we entered the back alleys, we received a grand welcome.

“Clark! Duck your head!”

“Heuk!”

―Kang!

I deflected the flying knife with telekinesis and searched for the thrower.

―Kikik.

A low-quality laugh. It seemed like he threw it as a joke. Judging by his glazed eyes, he must have taken some drugs. He frowned and focused on inhaling drugs when he saw me easily block the knife.

I thought about blowing his head off, but he was just a common drug addict. I ignored him because he looked like he was going to die soon anyway.

“W-Witch-nim. Shouldn’t we just go back? Th-The, money.”

“Clark. Have you ever killed someone?”

“…Once or twice.”

If you wander around the world alone at a young age, you can’t help but meet crazy people. Even the pure Clark must have encountered pure ‘evil’ a few times. Still. Accidental killing and intentional killing are different in the degree of acceptance.

Haa.

I hope Clark can endure it well.

I stretch out one arm and clench my fist. Telekinesis. I feel something catching on my fingertips. I ignored the desperate struggle to escape from my grasp and raised my hand high.

And.

“Haa… Why don’t you understand the subject and rush in?”

As it is.

I bring it down.

――Kwaaaang!!!

There were too many vermin. I lifted up one of the men who had been turned into a bloody mess with telekinesis. His disguise spell was released as soon as he fainted. He had been following us since earlier, and if he was using a disguise spell, he must have been deeply involved with the back alleys. Was kidnapping the purpose? Or maybe assassination.

“Clark. Don’t even think about going back alone. Never.”

He shook his head like crazy. I wiped the blood that had splattered on my cheek and went forward. The coordinates are… there was a slight movement. It seemed like they heard the commotion that happened here.

“Let’s pick up the pace, Clark. Can you run?”

“Yes, yes!”

I even used wind attribute magic to increase the speed. Clark was surprised when his feet became lighter and clung to me.

After going on like that for a while.

We were able to reach the end of the back alley.

“There’s no one here…?”

Clark muttered while looking at the dead end. The coordinates were definitely here. I didn’t let my guard down and spread Mana around.

‘Everyone is using a disguise spell. Five people.’

Did they know we were following them? They were using disguise scrolls as a group. I hid Clark behind me and whispered.

“Clark.”

“Yes?”

“From now on, I might get hurt a little. Um. Not a little, but a lot.”

“…Witch-nim?”

“Don’t be surprised, don’t cry, don’t doubt. Promise?”

“Yes, yes? Just a moment. H-Hurt?”

“Promise.”

“…I, I promise.”

“Good.”

―…Tuk.

I twisted my lips as I looked at the gray sphere rolling under my feet. Mana Stone Explosion Bomb. It was a bomb I had improved.

“Heh… It’s a good day to die. Isn’t it?”

I remember when I was raising my adventurer rank.

Back then, I was too lazy to even wipe off the blood, so I always walked around covered in blood.

Because I’m going to get it dirty again anyway.

People always said to me, who was always covered in blood.

“But it’s not me, it’s you guys.”

The Red Witch.