"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 34: I Was in East Anhui, So Happy That I Lost Contact
 

"Good morning, Senior Mephisto."
"Good morning, Jiangcha-san."
Mephistopheles Karel was a witch with long, wavy silver hair and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses—every movement she made exuded quiet elegance.
"Thank you so much for yesterday. If it weren't for you, my project might’ve been stuck for a while."
"You're welcome~"

Jiang Cha gave a light wave, then sipped her black tea, using the cup to subtly shield her gaze.
Lately, she had been helping Mephisto with alchemical calculations. As thanks, Mephisto had invited her out today, saying there was a “surprise” waiting.
Jiang Cha didn’t really care about the surprise—but the chance to spend time with Mephisto? That was worth it.

After all...
Mephistopheles was stunning.
She had an old-world, almost aristocratic witch charm—elegance in every gesture, like she’d stepped out of a painting from old Europe. Jiang Cha sometimes wondered, half-jokingly, if this graceful, refined woman also drank black tea... while in bed.

That was her most captivating trait—she stirred a witch’s instinctive desire to conquer.
"Senior has taught «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» me so much. It’s an honor just to be able to help."
"Student Jiang Cha is always too polite. This experiment was a high-level alchemy test. It was much more than a small favor."
Mephisto smiled slightly, placing her teacup down with perfect poise. Despite the ceramic meeting the tabletop, it made no sound.

Yes, even something as simple as setting down a teacup—these noble witches used magic for that. The more refined the witch, the more excessive the elegance. It was part status symbol, part aesthetic.
Completely unnecessary, entirely inefficient—yet undeniably beautiful.
Especially when done by a beautiful woman.

"Woohoo, that hit me right in the heart."
"I’ll be honest. I asked you here today because someone asked me to. But I also thought it might be a nice surprise for you."
Jiang Cha kept her expression composed. Mephisto had no idea what Jiang Cha's intentions truly were—why she approached her or what she hoped to gain.

Nor had she discovered the true essence of this "tea-loving" girl in front of her.
Mephisto furrowed her brows slightly, as if troubled.
"What’s wrong? Is this ‘Miss Surprise’... difficult to deal with?"
"Not exactly."
She relaxed again, smiling with grace. "The person who asked me was an elder in my family. She’s powerful, but let’s just say her early education... wasn’t great."

"So she’s... not the sharpest tool in the shed?"
Mephisto nodded, still polite as ever. “You could say that.”
"So, Senior is worried I might not get along with her?"

The fact that someone as refined as Mephistopheles described a family member as “not very smart” said a lot about how far this relative had strayed from the family’s traditions.
"Exactly."
She let out a small sigh.

"This is an opportunity, yes—but also a bit of a gamble. I just don’t want you to feel obligated because of me. My aunt might have her quirks, but she has a good temper... Patience is one of the few aristocratic qualities she still holds on to."
Wow, that’s the most polite insult I’ve ever heard.
Jiang Cha kept that thought to herself, putting on a curious expression instead.
"Senior, you know I love meeting different types of witches. They’re like alchemy ingredients—each unique, and when mixed together, they always produce interesting magical reactions."

Mephisto thought about Jiang Cha’s friendly personality and her knack for chatting with just about anyone. She smiled again, a little more relaxed.
"I wish I had your open mind."
"Come on, I think I know where she’ll be at this time."

Mephisto had invited Jiang Cha to a commercial street inside Aislyn’s campus—but that wasn’t their real destination.
To be honest, it was Jiang Cha’s first time seeing the world from the “outside.”
She was excited, of course—but also quietly nervous.

So she inched closer to Mephisto, until they were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder.
"I'm glad you trust me so much, Jiangcha, but... isn’t this a bit too close?"
Since it was a casual outing, Jiang Cha wasn’t wearing her usual academy robes. Instead, she wore a pretty dress more suited to the commercial district: a soft gradient from white to light blue, with delicate lace and hollow straps that revealed her fair shoulders. Her calves were wrapped in white garter stockings, paired with brown leather ankle boots.

Youthful, lovely, and just a little provocative.
"Sorry, Senior. This is the first time I’ve really seen the witch society since I woke up..."
She curled her shoulders inward, eyes wide with a hint of fear and vulnerability—blinking just enough to show dependence.

"A little scared."
Mephisto didn’t know all the details, but from Jiang Cha’s words, she could guess the situation.
Naturally awakened witches were rare, even among a population of ten billion. Still, sages managed to rescue a few every year—it wasn’t unheard of.

"Then let me show you around Earth today, Jiang Cha. I promise you’ll fall in love with this vibrant, strange place."
"I’ll leave it to you, Senior~"
Now that her initial unease had passed, Jiang Cha was left with nothing but curiosity.
"Aislyn’s Witch Academy is on a giant artificial island in the Pacific Ocean—Academy Island. Unlike the conservative mainland or the war-obsessed space colonies, Witch Island is home to 73 academies and is considered a global hub for magical education. Over half of its 20 million residents are students like you and me. The vibe here is open, and new trends are always popping up."

Mephisto had rented a sightseeing carriage: a retro flying cart pulled by pegasus horses.
Slower than most magical transportation, it didn’t use space-folding tech or subspace tunnels—but that was the point. You could actually enjoy the view.
Like how some people prefer slow trains over high-speed rail for the scenery, witches loved sightseeing carriages for their romantic feel.

It was tradition to take one when arriving in a new city.
"As for the architecture here... honestly, I didn’t like it at first. But after living here for a few years, it grew on me. Still, I personally prefer neatly arranged manors over this kind of ‘messy charm.’"
Jiang Cha looked out the window and nodded.
"I prefer planned aesthetics too... though steampunk’s kind of nice?"

To be fair, Academy Island’s city planning was... eclectic.
From the sky, you couldn’t even tell what was residential or commercial. Everyone just built what they liked.
The result? One street might have a cobbled alley with flowing water, next to a Gothic castle, beside a wooden Heisei-era Japanese house, and across from a Chinese garden.

Witches strolled below in fashion-forward clothes. Carriages and broomsticks flew overhead.
Each building was beautiful on its own. Together? Total chaos. And yet, it worked.
Witches, after all, didn’t care for rules. If the law let them build anything, they did. The obsessive-compulsive types struggled here. But most witches loved it.

"Oh, steampunk’s nice," Mephisto said. "But personally, Chinese gardens are art."
"Agreed."
Academy Island was massive—more like a small continent than an island. But with witches, flight made everything feel close.

Soon, they reached their destination.
"This is my aunt’s place. Before we go in, I should warn you—if you feel uncomfortable at any point, don’t hesitate to say so. My aunt is... a bit wild, and not great at picking up on the subtle emotions of girls."
"Got it. Thanks, Senior."

Jiang Cha looked up at the building. It fit right in—an alchemy shop in Japanese fantasy style nestled among skyscrapers?
That’s the witch aesthetic for you.
“Sister Jasmine, is my aunt in? I brought Jiang Cha like she asked.”

Inside, a girl in leather hunting gear looked up.
Mephisto’s cousin, Jasmine, gave her a wry smile.
"Mephisto, you know how it is. Mom spends more time in East Anhui than in the shop."

"But we had an appointment yesterday..."
Mephisto looked flustered—this was her plan, and now her aunt was a no-show. But Jasmine just shrugged.
"She’s been out of contact in East Anhui for three days."

Jiang Cha: "...."
Wandong District—a notorious red-light street on Academy Island.
It was where many young witches who couldn’t afford proper clothes ended up.