Chapter 105 – Fortune Teller’s Shop

Inside the elevator heading to the upper floors,

Luna recalled him, whom she had met earlier.

“He is one who alchemizes gold using humans as sacrifices.”

“That is not all. He even has a plan to equivalently exchange people for scraps of knowledge. Are you still planning to shield that professor even so?”

Those words hovered in her mind.

Unable to be erased, and shocking in themselves.

Truly terrible atrocities.

Luna, taking in the panoramic view of the Imperial Capital outside the elevator, could not hide her gloomy expression.

‘I actually know. That the professor is not someone worthy of being respected by everyone.’

Ding!

The elevator came to a halt.

When she got off, students, teaching assistants, and professors from other departments greeted her.

Luna, accepting their greetings without showing it as much as possible, headed straight for his laboratory.

‘I do not know well why the professor is conducting such research.’

Professor Kane.

There was only one teaching assistant permitted by him, and that was her alone.

Within the Magic Tower Academy, there was no one else but her who could cross the threshold of his laboratory, nor any existence who could take a step closer into his bothersome private domain.

‘If only I hadn’t had excessive curiosity, I probably wouldn’t have known. I wouldn’t have known the professor’s secret until the moment of graduation.’

Though Kane was one who did not allow closeness to anyone due to his fussy and eccentric temperament, Luna was an exception.

Even when she approached, he did not frown, and he condoned her standing next to the research table and asking questions in a low voice.

It was close to permission.

‘But I do not intend to speak. The professor was my sponsor. Thanks to him, I am able to graduate safely, so I will absolutely never betray him.’

Knock, knock!

After a light knock, she stepped inside his laboratory.

Kane was sitting in front of his desk in a white martial arts uniform.

He was a man who practiced physical techniques, unlike typical Magic Tower people.

Judging by the hem of his clothes and his wet hair, it seemed he had just returned from sweating it out in the fitness room.

“Um, Professor.”

Kane cast a cold gaze.

“What is it?”

“Well…”

She recalled her meeting with him, but…

unable to bring herself to speak of it, she brought up another topic.

“I’m graduating soon, aren’t I? So I wanted to get some career counseling from you, Professor…”

“Career?”

“Yes, there are various organizations within the Magic Tower. There is the option of staying at the academy, but if I go to the Sky Island, there are the Archives and many research institutes… But I don’t know where would be good. I’m not sure if it’s right to leave here, or if places like the Magic Division or Purgatory Witches would also be good choices… Honestly, I have no clue. Do you have any places you would personally recommend, Professor?”

Luna lowered her gaze for a moment with her fingertips interlocked, then looked at Kane again.

Kane did not even show a sign of pondering.

“You suit a research position better. Do not go somewhere physical and suffer for nothing.”

“Yes…”

As she left after asking a trivial question, Kane crumpled his expression in irritation.

He was a man who extremely despised anyone coming to bother him.

That young teaching assistant was also the only line he permitted.

Kane stood up the desk frame he had kept covered and looked at a certain woman inside it.

Sophia Lazaro.

She was the reason he lived and his everything.

Kane took out a proposal from a drawer tightly sealed with magic and laid it on the desk.

[Humanity Equivalent Exchange Plan]

He tapped the plan named as such with his fingertips.

‘I have secured all the necessary funds. If only it weren’t for that strange flyer, it would have been easier… At any rate, I should begin the work soon.’

He recalled his meeting with him.

Dragon Lord Zodiac.

He, who had announced himself as the Dragon Lord, was looking for a world like a wasteland where no one lived, and Kane had a plan to create such a world.

Although the disappearance of the club’s members recently was truly painful,

it was reassuring because he had newly joined.

He didn’t know about the fellow named Kaiser, but Zodiac would assist him with all his heart and strength.

Thud!

Kane covered the desk frame again and pictured her, whom he would meet again.

‘Soon, Sophia.’

* * *

A shabby fortune teller’s shop situated at the end of an alley in the Imperial Capital.

It looked like a place for tarot readings, but in reality, it was a communication window connecting witches and humans.

Those who knew this place well, instead of getting their fortunes read, were introduced to the witches they needed.

In other words, a referral shop to be introduced to witches in secret.

“Here… I think I’ve been here before?”

Nearby was the academy she had graduated from.

It was a familiar alley, and since it was located in such a place, her memory was not wrong.

“Isn’t it just a fortune teller’s shop? Why did we come here?”

Rashid faced her before entering the fortune teller’s shop.

“Don’t you know this place?”

“It must be a fortune teller’s shop?”

“You seem not to know.”

She tilted her head instead of answering.

“It is not just a fortune teller’s shop, but a witch referral agency. It is also a place that reads fortunes quite well, but more than that, one usually gets introduced to the witches they need.”

To think this fortune teller’s shop was actually a witch referral agency.

She showed a slightly surprised look.

“This place was such a place?”

Come to think of it, during her academy days, there had been many strange rumors related to this fortune teller’s shop.

To think there was a reason for all of them.

Rashid walked into the fortune teller’s shop and stood before an old woman sitting inside.

“A youth, I see.”

The old woman, who looked at the two and handled the tarot cards in an unusual manner, made a proposal:

“It doesn’t seem to be luck in love. Shall I read your fortune regarding companions?”

Even luck with companions.

“Just read my fortune.”

Looking at Rashid’s face, the old woman shuffled the tarot cards fiercely.

“Draw from here, young man. I shall read your fortune.”

When he drew a few and laid them down, the old woman’s face suddenly turned cold.

“You are…”

There was no room for interpretation.

Because interpretation itself was impossible.

And the one born with such a fortune in the world was already determined.

“What business brings you here?”

“How did my fortune turn out?”

“I think it is better not to speak of it. It is extremely volatile.”

Rashid laughed softly.

‘Usually, players are volatile.’

He thought that perhaps this old woman knew his identity.

“I wish to meet a witch. Named Veronica. Tell her an inquisitor has come to find her.”

To think he would mention the witch’s name directly.

The old woman asked with a surprised expression:

“Do you know that person?”

“I also know that you are younger than you look.”

The old woman smiled faintly.

“I shall deliver the message. Where will you meet?”

“Lavender Garden. Since that will be the most suitable place.”

“Understood.”

Rashid walked outside, but Varasha, who had followed him, remained in her seat for a moment.

Seeing this, the old woman smiled faintly.

“Shall I read your fortune as well?”

Rashid went outside the shop, seemingly uninterested, while she, remaining in her seat,

suddenly became curious about her own fortune.

“Would you read my fortune as well?”

And so, when she had it read,

a bunch of bad things came up.

The old woman seemed to know the reason,

but did not explain it directly.

“Bad luck has attached itself to you. It is not bad luck that will stay long, but you had better be careful for the time being.”

Quick-witted as she was, she asked:

“Is it related to that man?”

Instead of an answer, the old woman showed an overt smile.

“If you are curious, you know what you must do, right? The first time is free, but the next time is not.”

Before she could even make a decision,

he, who had gone out first, came back inside to find her.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

Thus, she was unable to hear the answer she wanted.

* * *

Lavender Garden.

Rashid came to receive suspicious glares from her, who was sitting across from him.

“I was told bad luck has attached itself to me. Could that be because of you?”

“Bad luck?”

Rashid thought it was a ridiculous notion.

“Bad luck is always tagging along. Did you think your luck would strike gold if you hung around with me?”

Right on cue,

before the ordered coffee could even come out, someone made an appearance.

“Oh, my darling. You went and got a girlfriend behind my back?”

She had come.

Veronica, who had crossed over through a portal, looked back and forth between Rashid and Varasha sitting in their seats.

“Is it that woman?”

“Yes. She is the Magic Tower person who will help us.”

Seeing the stiff atmosphere between the two, Veronica sat next to Rashid with a smile.

“So, what is the reason you called me?”

Rashid handed her a magic book he had taken out beforehand.

“This is in return for the matter back then. It is related to Kaiser.”

Her expression was not entirely pleasant.

“No, you’re giving this to me only now? Where is your conscience, and where is the interest?”

“Interest, my foot. Anyway, this is an interim settlement. With this, the past matter is settled.”

“I think this calculation is a bit wrong? Hey. Why don’t you calculate properly?”

“Be quiet. I still have two more books on my end.”

The talk of business began.

“The reason I called you is simple. Professor Kane. I need you to raid his laboratory at the Magic Tower Academy. What I need is materials related to human alchemy. If you succeed, I will give you another magic book you want. Since I possess everything Kaiser had.”

She glared with a gaze filled with dissatisfaction.

Of course, only half of it was sincere.

“What if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, this deal is off.”

Rashid recalled what Kaiser had said.

That she would never be able to give up those magic books.

“Will you do it?”

“But what are you going to do with that?”

“I plan to hand over those materials to the Ethics Committee. Then Kane will be under attack.”

Although she did not say it out loud,

she thought it was a laughable attack.

“That won’t even come close, you know? Their sense of ethics is completely different from the people of this lower world.”

It was merely the beginning anyway.

Creating a crack first, and the real blow was after that.

‘Ultimately, to target him, I must drive a wedge between him and them.’

Breaking the relationship with Zodiac was the next step.

Only then would he be able to beautifully crush Kane.

“Anyway, I’m counting on you. No need to drag it out, raid it tonight. And the materials will be received here tomorrow at the same time.”

“By the way, my darling. There is a rumor that you recently got fired from the Inquisition Bureau?”

She smiled detestably.

“So you’re unemployed?”

Rashid, letting out a short groan, gave her a displeased look.

“I wasn’t going to say this much. But there is something I brought back when returning from Hell.”

“Huh?”

“It is the power to employ you as the handmaiden of an archdemon.”

“That… is Gehenna’s power, isn’t it?”

“If you want to quit being a witch and work as a handmaiden, feel free to babble all you want. Or shall we test it? I was curious too, whether that power works properly.”

Naturally standing up, she showed a polite attitude.

“Oh, don’t be like that. Then I’ll be on my way. See you tomorrow.”

Turning around, she left with a coldly settled face.

Seeing this, Varasha showed a somewhat worried expression.

“A deal with a witch…”

Veronica was a witch she was also seeing for the first time.

“How did you get to know that witch?”

“It just happened that we got entangled by chance. That woman will bring the materials. Let’s start with that first.”