LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 889
It’s natural for people to want to gather around a common point.
In the same country.
In the same region.
In the same school.
In the same profession.
People instinctively seek to form a group and move to establish a small society.
And the same goes for Ability Users.
Ability Users gather among their kind and share friendships.
Witches do the same.
No, in fact, they tend to hold gatherings even more frequently than other Ability Users.
This can be attributed to the nature of their profession.
In the past, when the existence of Ability Users was kept hidden, witches faced severe discrimination.
Wizards gained their power by colluding with the powerful, and Warriors were treated as divine beings in the East and as capable knights in the West, while Alchemists were respected as valuable scholars on both sides.
However, witches were treated as seductresses or yokai in the East, and in the West, they were oppressed as villains who made pacts with evil beings to spread plagues. This oppression reached its peak in the Middle Ages when Abrahamic religions began systematically hunting witches, publishing witch-hunting manuals like “Malleus Maleficarum, a powerful hammer that judges all witches and heresies.”
Hunting.
As if they were mere sea pests to be eradicated.
Like catching beasts or insects.
Very ruthlessly, indeed.
Countless witches died in that brutal history, along with many more innocent women.
Hatred and fear of witches, along with the vile intentions to seize the properties of widows—numerous reasons intertwined, spreading a collective madness called “witch hunts” throughout Europe, leading witches to move secretly and hold gatherings just to survive.
For survival.
For exchanging information.
The gatherings of medieval witches were not just luxurious parties but venues for vital information exchange and efforts to avoid danger.
And this ethos has continued to this day, even after the frenzy of witch hunts has subsided.
An unforgettable history.
Countless gatherings that have continued like inertia.
And due to the nature of witches living long lives, the pace of generational change is slow.
Various factors have led witches to gather more frequently compared to other Ability Users—no, even when compared to those renowned figures who attend parties all the time to build connections.
…It’s truly bothersome.
“Sigh. Goodness, so many of these gatherings…”
Odilia let out a frustrated sigh and half-closed her green eyes.
She then nonchalantly snagged a glass of champagne from the tray carried by a passing servant and gulped it down, exhaling a sigh mixed with the scent of alcohol as she scanned the gathering location.
The wallpaper in a horrid Paris Green color, which had once fallen from grace in an era of fame.
Decorations made of natural peridot scattered throughout the party venue.
Dishes made of green vegetables and cocktails that looked suitable for St. Patrick’s Day—green, green, green.
It was an outright festival of green.
“I didn’t want to come, sigh…”
In this “green hell,” which was different from a jungle, Odilia squinted her eyes and let out a sigh.
She resented being forced to attend, but the aftermath of not attending was even more frightening, so she had no choice but to resign herself to being there.
The sadness of having to stay in this green hell until the party ended.
Odilia let out a sigh mixed with various emotions and gazed towards the center of the banquet hall.
There, a witch dressed in Scheele’s Green was chatting with another witch.
A witch with long, shimmering light green hair dusted with green jewel powder.
Known among witches as “the green-obsessed girl” or “the green frog,” the Great Witch Joanna.
A fashion industry giant who had built a reputation for herself for decades, an entrepreneur managing several luxury brands, and a powerful Great Witch who practiced witchcraft to mineralize plants—she was the host of this gathering.
Yes.
The reason Odilia was forcibly attending this gathering, the “Charity Auction for the Restoration of the Patracius Mosaic,” was precisely because of her!
“Sure, the theme of the gathering isn’t bad. Summoners have gatherings just to show off their cute summon creatures and claim their summon creatures want to meet friends. Compared to that, this seems legitimate…”
But the issue was why Odilia had to be at this gathering.
It wasn’t a mob-like demand to donate since she had made quite a bit of money, nor was it a superstitious or religious insistence to do good deeds because of an unfortunate year. Nor was it an attempt to catch up after not seeing her for a while.
“No, they said I should be here because the theme is green, and I have green eyes. What is this…”
It made no sense at all, an utterly incomprehensible, not even relatable reason for her to be there—she had to attend against her will.
The insanity was dripping from every word spoken!
“…If I get in Joanna’s bad books, things will become troublesome, sigh…”
This was Odilia’s reason for being forced into this gathering.
She didn’t want to go, hated flying, and had a hunch that her luck wasn’t great lately, so she wanted to keep a low profile… but she couldn’t ignore the craziness of Joanna, the witch known as “the green-obsessed girl” among witches…
The only fortunate thing was that this eccentric lady seemed satisfied with just having Odilia attend.
She came wearing a green evening dress to match the dress code, and Joanna didn’t arbitrarily dye it, saying, “This isn’t the green I wanted.” She didn’t insist on sewing a new dress on the spot because she didn’t like her fashion, nor did she demand Odilia stick to her side and follow her around as if she had to blend into the theme.
A sense of calm.
This was the serenity amidst the madness…
“Why have I been entangled with such crazy women lately?”
There was that bizarre girl, Rise, who had collared her and made her a servant back in America.
And now, out of the blue, that green-obsessed lady had contacted her after years to drag her to this gathering.
Why has it been that, after decades of living, these seemingly rare, mad characters suddenly keep popping up?
Odilia pondered seriously.
Could it be karmic retribution for her actions, leading to this bad luck?
If her bad luck was truly a consequence of karma, then she should ask Park Jinseong for a more powerful talisman or spell…
“No, this is still bearable. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not bad enough to warrant a protective charm or spell…”
Odilia raised her head, thinking to herself that it was mild enough to get through.
And the moment she raised her head, she found herself locking eyes with someone.
Midnight blue hair, deep enough to appear dark blue.
Blue eyes that looked darkened by depth.
A stiff expression as cold as ice.
An impression that felt like a volcano forged of ice…
A woman in a blue dress was staring intently at Odilia.
Her intense gaze was mixed with swirling emotions.
Odilia frowned slightly at the look and met the woman’s eyes.
She responded with a gaze full of annoyance and disgust, as if to say, “What do you want?”
“Gabriella. Why is that woman here at this gathering?”
The dark-haired witch.
The Great Witch of Alchemy.
Once Odilia’s close friend and business partner, now turned into someone worse than a stranger.
She had suddenly appeared at the same gathering as Odilia.
…She had arrived at this banquet hall without Odilia knowing.
“I never heard that woman would be attending this gathering.”
It could only be one of two possibilities.
Either Joanna invited her secretly, or that blue-haired lady had sneakily come to the banquet hall, and Joanna had let her stay illegally.
…Either way, it was unfortunate for Odilia.
Oh dear-
Why do I keep getting wrapped up with strange women lately-
“It must be some kind of hex. I guess I need to ask for help.”