NOVEL WEB Chapter 17
The 213th Regular Academic Conference has come to a close.
Despite a brief incident involving Witch Erpa being dragged off as an Abomination, the conference resumed safely once again, showcasing remarkable advancements in magical technology and defining the direction of new technological revolutions.
All presenters gave exceptional papers, yet no one could overshadow the sensation and completeness of the research on the Three Primary Colors.
The lead presenters sat in the front row of the audience, all gazing at Witch Erpa with astonishment.
Her four arms remained, but she was no longer wearing a mask.
As a result, her radiant beauty was fully displayed to everyone.
Even during the days when she hid her face, she received countless love confessions from plenty of wizards, just from her right cheek that had been exposed.
Now that her left side was complete, her beauty could act as a mesmerizing spell by itself, without the need for any other magic.
“Thus, we conclude the Regular Academic Conference! A modest tea party is prepared, so please enjoy it!”
The conference was over.
True to their nature as wizards, they waved their wands once, and the conference hall was instantly tidied up, revealing tables laden with snacks, drinks, and wine, as the gathered people began to indulge in refreshments and conversations.
Naturally, the center of attention was Witch Erpa.
Before the conference resumed, the priests of the White Church ascended the podium and declared that Erpa was no longer an Abomination, thanks to the miracle of the Saint of Healing, and had completely returned to being human.
She was a great researcher in the history of the Three Primary Colors who had even experienced a miracle.
It’s hard to imagine why anyone wouldn’t be curious about that.
“Lady Erpa, I have a question.”
“Did you really experience a miracle? As a wizard, what are your thoughts on miracles?”
“Were you truly an Abomination? What happened to your left side?”
“Can we utilize the research on the Three Primary Colors in our company? The optimization of magic is a very important issue for us as an automobile company…”
Surrounded by countless people, Erpa was bombarded with an endless barrage of questions.
With a smiling face, she calmly responded to each and every one of them.
Due to her upbringing and past experiences, she was quite shy.
Even when she had to appear on such a grand stage, her norm was to give her presentation and swiftly retreat, leaving her little chance to be recognized by those outside the Mage Tower.
However, in such an extraordinarily dramatic manner, her face had now been firmly etched into everyone’s minds.
As a miracle’s direct witness and one of the most brilliant individuals in the history of the Mage Tower.
“Ha ha! I never would have guessed you were such an amusing person! Humble yet overflowing with confidence! Absolutely splendid! Here! Take my business card! I’d love to keep in touch!”
As Erpa’s pocket swelled with numerous exchanged business cards, Tower Master Jurgen carefully pushed through the crowd.
“May I have your attention for a brief announcement?”
After tapping his wine glass with a teaspoon to focus everyone’s attention, Tower Master Jurgen stepped forward with a smile.
“Here stands Witch Erpa, who has lived in the Mage Tower for nearly a decade. She is an extraordinary witch and has never caused major issues in terms of character or personality. Though she had concealed her left side until now, as you can see… she has experienced an incredible miracle and has returned to her original self.”
Jurgen looked at Erpa with a proud expression.
At the same time, his face showed a hint of regret.
“When the White Church pointed her out and she was taken away, I could do nothing. Erpa had every right to resent all of us. But after experiencing a miracle, she said all those things are simply part of the past. She declared her desire to continue her career.”
Jurgen slightly bowed to Erpa, offering an apology.
“Her character, goals, and outstanding talent were more than enough to inspire me. Despite being unable to take any action while my witch was being taken away, she has proven to be significantly more mature and exceptional than I am. I thought that such a person… should naturally become my successor.”
Gasps of surprise spread through the audience.
Right now, Jurgen was announcing that he would appoint Erpa as the next Tower Master of the Mars Branch Tower.
“I will soon step down. My body has aged, and my mind no longer functions as swiftly as it once did. It’s time for me to become obsolete.”
Although he said this with a chuckle, everyone in the room knew.
Jurgen was far too powerful a wizard to be called obsolete.
He was one of the few people to have received the title of Grand Magician directly from the Emperor.
And now, the person he declared to be even greater than himself stood before them.
“Erpa will succeed me and lead the Tower. So, even if one day I disappear and can no longer be seen, I hope no one will be surprised. Cheers!! For the bright future of the great witch!”
Jurgen raised his wine glass and shouted.
Everyone gathered burst into laughter and raised their wine glasses in unison.
“To Witch Erpa!”
“Cheers!”
Cheers erupted.
Applause followed.
The gazes of admiration and respect directed at her.
These were the very things Erpa had always dreamed of.
But now, all of it didn’t seem to matter anymore.
It felt truly ridiculous.
When she yearned for all of this, there lingered an ever-present feeling of insecurity and fragility, as if everything could shatter at any moment. But having cast that all aside, her dream had materialized in a form so perfect that it could no longer be broken.
‘Amael.’
Erpa reminisced about one particular name in her heart.
It was all thanks to him.
Her life,
all this glory,
everything was due to that man’s grace.
Now, her career, all her efforts, and glory were destined for Amael.
Thinking that, Erpa raised her glass.
“Cheers!!”
In the laughter and applause, Erpa was recognized as the next Tower Master.
It was a brilliant and glorious moment, yet for someone, it was a scene filled with agonizing jealousy.
From a distance, a witch observed Erpa.
Tydel.
Clenching her fist tightly enough to draw blood, she glared at Erpa.
After watching Erpa smile amidst the cheers and blessings for a while, Tydel turned on her heels and began walking away.
“This isn’t over.”
Her face twisted with rage and disgust, she muttered with a devilish smile.
“A miracle? A saint? How can such a thing even exist?”
The term “saint” had become synonymous with “fraud” by now.
Tydel believed there was no such thing as a true saint or genuine miracle.
If she could expose that the Saint of Healing was a fake,
that he wasn’t the true saint but rather a cleverly crafted fraud,
then Witch Erpa’s stature, saved by that fraudulent saint through a miracle, would naturally waver.
The White Church could once again arrest her as an Abomination.
“Just wait. Saint of Healing. I will undoubtedly uncover the truth—that you are a fraud.”
Tydel laughed.
The game was not yet over.
Erpa still had a chance of downfall.
***
A large truck and various heavy machinery steadily made their way into the cleared factory site.
“Remember!! It’s a massive high-rise building! We need to solidify the foundation! Start digging!!”
Jonathan Karma confidently led the workers as they continued the high-rise construction.
And most of those who volunteered to work were the impoverished from the slums.
“Here! Please collect your wages for today! It’s the will of the Goddess of Grace! We will pay 1 Saled for a day’s work!”
The Lilia Church was bearing immense financial losses by employing all of them and putting them to work.
I watched all of this with a pleased smile.
Yeah!
You guys are doing great!
That’s a massive expenditure.
Thanks to my orders, even the Knights of the Sun Church are getting paid.
I’ve entrusted substantial funds to Jonathan Karma, a failed businessman who ruined his factory.
He’s dishing out absurdly high wages to the poor and even providing meals, so money is certainly disappearing in a way that’s truly hard to fathom.
Though Vice President Yodel may currently wear a pious and faith-filled expression, once time passes and money has disappeared astronomically, if he discovers that I haven’t stopped there and continue to squander money extravagantly, he’ll probably leave in horror.
My plan was steadily coming together.
I set up a shabby clinic near the construction site, treating the ever-incoming poor and praying for the swift bankruptcy of the Lilia Church.
“O Saint.”
After treating patients all day long,
Jonathan Karma approached me cautiously and spoke.
“While digging for the foundation, we encountered a massive rock that’s delaying our progress. The stone is incredibly hard, and we can’t break through with the excavator we’re using.”
My ears perked up.
“What should we do then?”
“We need to rent more expensive, high-grade equipment. To do that… it might require quite a bit of money.”
“Go ahead.”
The heavens are on my side!
The sky helps us!!
Spend heavily!
Spend like there’s no tomorrow until the Lilia Church goes bankrupt!! Hurry up!!
“Yodel. Please rent the high-grade equipment requested by Jonathan right away…”
“Saint!”
Oh crap.
Shit!
No way!!
Witch Erpa! Not you again?
“Witch! Just in time!”
Of course, before I could even attempt to obstruct anything, the witch had already heard Jonathan and, with a smile, pulled out her wand.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this!”
Troll!!
There are trolls like this that are beyond belief!!
Stop hindering my plans and just disappear already!!
I need the Lilia Church to go bankrupt; do you even know how much money I’ve saved up because of you?
Please!!
…This desire to scream was only in my heart.
How could I yell at someone who could wipe out the entire empire with a super nuclear bomb?
I was forced to watch the witch approach the construction site with her wand raised.
“Huh? Is that a mana-absorbing stone? Why is it so huge?”
The witch’s surprised voice briefly drifted through before the earth shook violently.
Turning my head, I saw the witch striving to pull out a massive black stone embedded in the center of the construction site with her wand.
“It’s absorbing mana, making it tough to pull out with magic! I think we need to join forces to help!”
“Sure!”
The workers from the slum, who had been laboring, rushed over and began to exert their strength on the colossal rock.
“Alright! Let’s push! One, two!”
With a cracking sound, the gigantic black stone was abruptly pulled high into the air.
This is annoying.
Just by looking, it appeared excessively solid and heavy; had I gotten them to extract it with equipment, I could have made them spend way more.
But let’s keep some perspective.
Even the idea of erecting a tall building on that worthless patch of land in itself was already a mind-blowing waste of money.
At this rate, the Lilia Church is bound to go bankrupt…
“Something’s rising from the ground! Witch!!”
With a delightful ‘bang!’, a refreshing sound echoed as something began to spill out.
I turned my gaze back and saw the workers stepping back in panic.
Glistening blue water was endlessly gushing from the ground where the massive rock had just been removed.
The wand-wielding witch approached the water with a bewildered expression.
Carefully touching it, the witch gasped and exclaimed,
“Elixir… it’s the source of the Elixir!”
El… what?
Elixir?
No, why is that coming out from there?
Why in the world is it coming out from there!