Chapter 1100 – #261_His Return(5) – DeepL
#1094
1.
After a day of frantic efforts to save Dorothy’s life.
After a week when all of Gehenna was buzzing with the name of one man.
At last the hour of settlement has come.
[Le Petit Journal de Dandelion vol. 473 – Gehenna’s constellation fluctuations and road-makers]
[According to a recent report in The Gazette, the Tree of Sephiroth has formalized the long-running succession of the Duke of Keter. In keeping with time-honored tradition, a vote was held to maintain a quorum of 42 members, and at the conclusion of the vote, Count Tia Cagliostro, Dean of the Emerald Tablet, was declared the new Duke].
[Nominations were also made for the witch to inherit one of the seven vacant earldoms, and it was decided that Baron Cynthius, President of the Hessian Society, would be the next to receive the earldom].
[Baron Cynthius had made history by defeating the Witches of the Grand Duchy, the Witches of War, and even Lydia Magnus, the Witch of Libra, in his short life, and had founded and run the Hessian Society and given many lectures].
[Baron Cynthius, whose name is often associated with adjectives such as “first,” “unprecedented,” and “unconventional,” has been plagued by allegations and subsequent criticism of his private life, but it can be argued that his diligence after the rain and his remarkable accomplishments in a short period of time make him a worthy candidate for the title of Count of Gehenna].
[Baron Xinxiu has proven his potential through his many accomplishments, and it will be interesting to see what history he will make in the witch community in the future].
Xin Xiu’s nomination for the title of Earl was granted less than three days later.
He received a majority vote during the ‘nomination’ stage, which is not surprising considering Count Calliostro’s unexpected support.
“Oh ho ho, I’ve been paying attention to this article. Let’s settle the score and work together in the future, shall we?
I didn’t expect the gossipy dandelion who sniped at Xiu’s personal life last time to give me secondary support.
“You’ve gone from a snotty little sniveler who couldn’t do a homunculus to this big shot.”
“You’re being flattering. Baron Periwinkle.”
Mr. Periwinkle tossed the magazine onto the table and gave an impressed smile.
Xiu rolled onto his back and rubbed his palms together.
The baronetcy, which had been vacant for only a few months, was awarded to Periwinkle in a push-pull succession.
She’d always been a strong candidate for the title, and her very existence as a “lucky witch” has become a kind of superstition, which is exactly what she needed in this eventful time.
“Last time you snatched up the baronetcy I’d been working so hard on, and this time you’re pushing me to the edge of the stage in all your glory. I’m fed up.”
The problem is that the succession to the baronetcy, which would normally be a hot topic of discussion, has received so little attention that it can be found in the back pages of newspapers.
It was entirely due to Xiu getting too much attention.
“Why did heaven give birth to this Kibele Periwinkle and then Xin Xiu!”
“Sister-in-law, that’s enough. I brought you a gift for your promotion.”
Xiu’s magic could not be measured in normal hierarchical units.
By surpassing Herya, Xiu had established a definitive 23rd rank magic.
Not only did he fully understand and utilize the Ye Jiang Red Branch as a tool, but he incorporated it as part of his magnetic magic, which deals with the very idea of distortion.
However, his victory in the ensuing battle with Lydia and his safe return is entirely due to the clover that Periwinkle gave him.
When a man is favored, he must repay the favor.
“A gift?”
In front of Periwinkle, who shook his head, Xiu showed him a dagger wrapped in a specially made cloth.
A blunt dagger bathed in an ethereal golden glow, with no hint of its power at first glance.
It is a mistiltein.
Periwinkle’s playful demeanor turned serious at the unexpected brilliance.
“This is the lance used by Lydia Magnus.”
“This?”
Like Sharon’s wand, Xiu’s red branch, Periwinkle’s clover, and the Master’s covenant sword, the Ritual Book is not a mere artifact.
It’s more than just a tool that allows a practitioner to cast a spell, it’s a separate form of magnetic magic in its own right.
Moreover, this is Lydia’s artifact, the pinnacle of thought magic.
I’m surprised Periwinkle isn’t more interested.
Her eyes glow with desire, which is paradoxical since she’s never had much of a need for wealth and good fortune since birth.
Periwinkle is a ‘witch’ who can’t help it.
“Are you giving it to me?”
“Because all you’ve ever done is help me, Periwinkle.”
Periwinkle rose from her fancy leather chair.
Kicking off her heels, she knelt down in silence and bowed her head in an apologetic manner.
“Mr. Dean, if there’s anything you need me to do, just ask, and I’ll follow you anywhere you call, even to a cheap motel bed.”
“Then do you mind if I take a small cut in your salary?”
“Amen, amen.”
“And you’ll still be the head of the Department of Ideology, right?”
“I promise! Periwinkle is the Dean’s loyal dog! A puppy!”
“Hmm, that sounds good to me.”
“Then you’re taking it? Do you really take it?”
Periwinkle rose gingerly, like a knight receiving a sword from a king, and was about to reach for the mistletoe when Xiu gently pulled it away.
“Mr. President. Will it bite me if I take it away?”
The loyal dog that had been drooling a moment ago bared its teeth and growled softly.
“I’ll definitely give it to you, but on one condition.”
“Conditions? Say it fast. Money? I’ll give you all the money in my account.”
“Let’s just collaborate for five years, and then I’ll give it to you for free.”
It’s not a bad deal for Periwinkle or Xiu.
Periwinkle is an authority, at least when it comes to ideational systems.
Xin Xiu, a lesser-trained practitioner of Thought Magic, who had once incarnated Ye Jiang Red Branch.
If he can comprehend it as perfectly as he did with the Red Branch, he can absorb its essence without the need for Mysterium.
“It doesn’t sound too bad for me.”
After hearing Xiu’s explanation, Periwinkle quickly signed the contract.
2.
While things were going well overall, there was one thing that didn’t go as planned.
Lydia’s legacy, Las Werpanas.
We don’t know for sure why Lydia left the inheritance, but we do know that Cincio is now the godfather of the Werpanas.
We’re told that he’s been trained to be loyal to Lydia’s heir, even if he wasn’t told otherwise, and that it’s a longstanding arrangement.
This is tantamount to planting loyalty all over the top of the Hexenacht megacolony of Solidus.
In addition to visible power, Xiu had gained an invisible and powerful force: an elite legion of witches.
Of course, even at this point, Xiu hadn’t let go of the question, “Is this Lydia’s trap?
It was the same reason why he hadn’t brought the Roundtable with him to the realm of the living, just in case, and had only confirmed it inside Gehenna.
“…Hmm.”
Xiu muttered to himself as he looked at the artifact.
The Werfana contacted through the artifact, the Celestial Witch, Nairi Dervana, had said that the capos would respond if they were summoned through this roundtable.
The roundtable would be highly secure, allowing Xiu to see the faces of the capos, and the capos to teleconference in a system where they could not see each other’s faces.
But more than a week after Nairi’s expectations, only seven of the 13 gems embedded in the edge of the artifact that resembles a round table were shining.
This meant that only seven Capos had shown up for the meeting.
When asked why, Nairi, who had manifested in front of Xiu through the magnetic magic of Mist Welcome, said
“The most important thing about a roundtable is security. Each capo is busy in his or her own field, so they may not have heard from you. We haven’t even finished our godmother’s funeral yet, so I’d appreciate a little more grace, I’m really sorry. Godfather.’
Inside the vault, out of sight of anyone else.
I manipulated the roundtable and called Nairi.
A moment later, a hazy mist coalesced with magical power, and a vision of Nairi appeared.
“Your unworthy daughter meets her godfather.”
She wore a black dress and a veiled beret.
It was an old-fashioned outfit that matched the quiet sadness in her eyes.
Nairi crawled to her knees and kissed the back of Xiu’s hand.
Even though he hadn’t asked her anything yet, she couldn’t meet his eyes, feeling terribly remorseful.
“It’s been almost two weeks now…. What happened?”
“I’m sorry….”
Despite her tone being as grave as possible, Nairi shivered like a bird in the rain.
It wasn’t so much that she was afraid of Xiu as it was that she felt she hadn’t lived up to his expectations.
After a few attempts to assure her it was okay, she managed to speak.
“I’m afraid the disturbance caused by the collapse of the Hexenacht ‘gate’ was greater than I expected, which is why I was unable to answer your call. If you’ll give me a little more time, I’ll be able to get to….”
“Anything unusual?”
“If there is, we’ll report it, but as of now, there isn’t.”
“Okay.”
If there’s nothing unusual, what’s there to hold on to?
There’s nothing else to talk about.
Unlike Nairi, who treats Xiu like a godfather, she’s a difficult person for Xiu to deal with.
However, he speaks up because he is haunted by her past.
“You asked me about Lydia Magnus’ last appearance, didn’t you?”
Nairi gasped and narrowed her eyes.
“Her magic was beautiful, and even at the end, she was undaunted and proud, a very Lydia Magnus final act.”
“Thank you….”
Would these words bring her any comfort?
Nairi stepped back, kissing the back of Xiu’s hand without missing a beat as she blinked back tears.
A slight sting remains, but time passes nonetheless.
Three days had passed, and the trial semester of the Hessian Academy of Magic had resumed in earnest.
The aftermath was….
far exceeded Xiu’s expectations.
