< 142. Come, Spring (7) >
#142
The sky was clear. Unseasonably cool air pervaded the dockside. Ronan took a deep drag on his cigarette and looked around.
‘It’s a rare sight.’
The frozen sea was thawing. Drift-like floes were floating on the water. Kugoogung…! Huge ice spikes that tore through the sea surface were collapsing.
Unlike the cold air, the sunlight was warm. If we waited just a little longer, the air would become warm enough for flowers to bloom. A grinning Ronan muttered as she exhaled her smoke.
“It’s spring.”
It has already been about an hour since the unprecedented prison break came to an end. The witch’s ice began to melt as soon as Asher lost consciousness.
Ronan shook off the cigarette ash and turned around. Fortress Ro Dolan came into view, her upper part completely shattered into a crater. It was a joint work between Asher and Itargand.
It would probably take dozens of skilled earth wizards to fix that. A mason or a carpenter. Numerous people were busily walking around the dock carved out of the reef.
“There, please move this!”
“yes. It’s Ahja. All prisoners on the third floor have been subdued. “There appears to be no prison escapees yet.”
“Hehe, now I don’t have to wear that stupid fur suit.”
Despite the uproar, people’s behavior overall was lively. I realized once again how terrible the winter that the witch had brought about was.
However, if you ask whether everything worked out well, it wasn’t. The biggest problem still remained. Ronan was in the midst of thinking while touching her chin. Hergé Bet, with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders, approached him.
“Ronan.”
“Are you here?”
Seeing that his complexion had improved, he seemed to have gathered himself. The hair, which had been so wet that it had turned into seaweed, was all dry. she said, holding out a blanket like the one she was wearing.
“Thanks to you, I survived. “I feel indebted to you every time.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not really. “What on earth have you been going through for the past two years?”
Erzsebet’s voice was trembling. He still couldn’t believe he had come out of that hell alive. The deepest place in Lodolan. Beneath the witch’s ice.
I was able to avoid drowning thanks to the shield, but the problem came next. When the witch froze the sea water, they were trapped in ice without light or air.
The chill I felt at that time cannot be described. If I hadn’t eaten the eternal pearl, I would have frozen to death before I could last even a few minutes.
It was entirely thanks to Ronan that he was able to escape from that hell. Erzébet shrugged her shoulders, recalling the moment of her escape.
– Move.
Ronan swung his sword without saying just one word. The scene where the sword, reminiscent of a spray of water, shattered the ice seemed like something he would never forget until his death.
After that, he was able to escape on Itargand, who came to his senses. For two years, he thought he had become quite strong, but it was on a different level.
What’s going on? She imagined Ronan, who was recalling what he had experienced in her world, opened her mouth.
“I just walked around here and there.”
“Are you going to let it go like that this time too?”
“It’s a bit long to explain it here. “Once you live, it’s okay.”
“···That’s right. “What about Asher?”
Ronan’s brow furrowed for a moment. He turned his head without saying a word and pointed at his feet with the tip of his chin.
“It’s still the same.”
Asher, who had fainted, was lying quietly. She had secretly taken Asher away before anyone else realized that he had been possessed by the witch. Hergé Bette, looking at her still pure white hair, twisted the corner of her mouth.
“Hair color… hasn’t come back yet.”
“right. “How do you really pick out that woman?”
Ronan brushed his bangs and sighed. It was fine as far as knocking him out, but the problem was what happened next.
I had no idea how to separate the witch’s soul. Even though I asked advice from Erzsebet, Itargand, and magicians who seemed to have some skills, I couldn’t find any specific answers.
‘If possible, I’d like to resolve the issue before it gets too big.’
Of course, if the news about Lodolan became widely known, people who knew the answer might appear. However, Asher’s life would be turbulent for a considerable period of time.
Considering the time remaining, in many ways it would have been better to resolve it quickly. At that time, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“Oh, you’re here.”
“Karaca?”
Ronan turned his head. Kara Ka was approaching with her back to him. A guard wearing a bird-beaked mask was walking next to him.
The two stopped in front of Ronan. They said they would come after assessing the extent of the damage, but it seemed like they had already figured it out to some extent. It’s coming. Ronan took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“How many have died?”
“There are seven people. They all tried to escape and were beaten to death by their interrogators. “I feel sorry for the deceased, but it was a truly pathetic death.”
“···Eh? “Is that it?”
“That’s right. “I was surprised too.”
Karaka shook her head. Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. It could only be considered a miracle that there were no casualties despite Asher’s telekinetic punch piercing upward and downward through Rodolan.
“Of course, Ronan’s warning was a great help, but I can only assume that it was God’s help that the number of deaths was so low. “I was really lucky.”
“Damn, that’s a real relief.”
“Instead, the number of people injured was close to 1,000, and the material damage was immeasurable. It will definitely be recorded as the worst day since the Fortress of Screams came into existence. “Hehehe.”
“f*ck.”
Karaka chuckled, smoothing his beard. He also added that most of Rodolan’s underground layers were flooded with seawater. Ronan, who was looking at Asher with mixed eyes, opened her mouth.
“Should we hold this child accountable as well?”
“well. “I think that’s very likely to happen if we can’t separate the witches.”
“Damn it…”
Ronan twisted his lips. This was the biggest reason why the Witch of Winter had to be brought out from Asher somehow. It was her who was manipulated against her will, and now she was bound to be punished by her.
Wouldn’t it be so sad if he came back to Lodolan as a criminal even though his body was taken away? He was rubbing his chin and drooling. Karaka said.
“Still, it didn’t seem like there was any hope.”
“What do you mean?”
Instead of answering, Karaka glanced at the guard next to him. At her nod, the guard took off his mask. The face of a girl appeared.
“I… I know.”
“Hmm?”
It was a girl I had seen many times somewhere. The gentle facial features and healthy brown hair reminiscent of Kang Haji were impressive. Erzsebet’s eyes widened.
“···Eveline?”
“Hello, Senior Erzsebet. “I caused too much trouble.”
The girl bowed her head awkwardly and said hello. Ronan’s eyes also widened. She was this Belindroza who was the vessel of the witch. Her complexion had improved so much compared to when she was just taken out of the ice that she didn’t recognize her for a moment.
“I woke up a little while ago, but I thought it would make a lot of noise, so I made him disguise himself. “They say they know how to get the Winter Witch out of her friend’s body.”
Karaka said. Ronan took a deep breath. He said, holding Evelyn’s shoulders.
“Is that true? “You can take it out?”
“yes. It may take some time, but you can do it. “That shoulder.”
Evelyn’s eyes trembled as if in pain. Only then did Ronan realize that she was exerting too much strength and withdrew her hand.
“sorry.”
“no. “You’re the one who got me out of the ice, right?”
“Well, that’s right.”
“I will never forget your grace. thank you.”
Evelyn bowed deeply. Ronan waved her hand. He seemed like a pretty decent kid with good manners.
Should we say that the atmosphere of humans themselves is good? Even though she was possessed by a witch, she couldn’t believe that a girl like this could have become such a criminal.
‘There was a reason the witch chose it as the bowl. ‘Strong.’
His skills as a wizard also seemed to be considerable. It was a pity for Erzébet, but she thought that it might not be because of the witch that she lost the entrance ceremony sparring.
The time when she was possessed by a witch, and the people who imprisoned her… The questions I wanted to ask Evelyn when she woke up came to mind, but now was not the time. Ronan asked.
“So what is a method?”
“It’s simple. I become a vessel again and accept the witch. “It will be much easier since you have already been a bowler once.”
Evelyn was confident that she had some level of knowledge in magic that touches the soul. She owes it to her father, who was once a warlock. Although she felt uneasy about it, she could say that it was good news because it opened up possibilities. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan’s mind.
“for a moment. But isn’t that lady going on a rampage again? What if her personality is taken away from her again and she becomes a witch?”
“yes. So, you can seal me as soon as I move it. A sealing technique so powerful that it cannot escape for life. Then everything will be solved.”
Evelyn said with a smile. The two people’s faces hardened at the same time. Ronan, who was dumbfounded, firmly shook his head.
“That’s not allowed.”
“what? “Why?”
“Damn it, I know it won’t work if it doesn’t work out. “He’s saying something that doesn’t make any sense.”
I wondered what he was saying with his facial expression and tone of voice, as if he were giving cooking advice. In the end, he was saying that he would take responsibility for Asher’s sins, but he couldn’t just let that happen.
“Is there any other way?”
“Hmm… maybe. “It’s not that easy to find a vessel that can handle the witch…”
“Can’t it be things other than people?”
“Theoretically it is possible. But I don’t know if there is an item powerful enough to seal the witch.”
Evelyn sighed. She said that the method of separating the possessed body in the first place was similar, but the problem was that the Winter Witch’s power was so strong.
If it was moved to an awkward container, the container could break or the witch could be immediately released. It was like adding more victims. A bowl, a bowl. Suddenly, a flash of light passed through Ronan’s mind.
“There is one.”
“yes?”
Evelyn tilted her head. Ronan squatted down in front of Asher. And suddenly he started rummaging through Asher’s robe. Erzsebet asked in confusion.
“Ji, what are you doing now?”
“wait. Even when I go to the bathroom, I carry it with me…”
I’m sure I saw it being carried around even after returning from Haeju. Before long, Ronan’s face brightened. His hand slipped out from deep within his robe.
“found.”
In Ronan’s hands, he held a pitch-black book. The two women’s eyes widened. It was Vajra of Destruction, an unprecedentedly banned book. Ronan said as he handed the Vajra to Evelyn.
“How about this, isn’t this enough?”
It was a book that once contained an evil spirit that destroyed countless countries. In the first place, there was a rumor that the souls of wizards were sealed in each piece, so it was even more strange if it could not be used as a vessel. Evelyn, who was looking at Vajra, was amazed.
“I think this is possible!”
