The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 98

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – 98

The Black Divine Tree (5)

What is a witch?

To understand the origin of witches, one has to delve into the distant past.

They were those who betrayed God and made pacts with demons to wield their power.

Witches became symbols of misfortune in medieval Europe, often associated with spreading epidemics through witchcraft or tainted potions.

People labeled women who made potions, told fortunes, or practiced medicine as ‘witches’ and persecuted them.

Were they truly evil beings?

Or were they simply persecuting what they feared as the unknown?

There might have been power struggles that we, in modern times, are unaware of.

Ultimately, we only know the hidden history of the past through records.

The parties involved disappeared into history or retreated into deep forests, never to reappear.

That is why grasping the truth has become even more difficult.

The current Witch Council, which was once merely a gathering, has evolved and established itself as a guild.

This was a strategic move for the witches leading the Witch Council.

Having lived among people in various guises for so long, it was a prime opportunity to have their existence officially recognized.

Thus, the Witch Council, Walpurgis, became a rising guild spanning Europe, carrying out various activities under the guidance of twelve elders.

“In the past, men who used strange powers were worshiped as wizards, while women were hunted as witches. The core essence is the same.”

“Those must have been difficult times indeed.”

“Yes. It was an era when armed inquisitors would arrive, calling it a mystical power when a man wielded it, and sorcery when a woman did.”

Jeanne accepted Yoo Seong-woo’s proposal, willing to do anything if it meant bringing him to the Witch Council.

Perhaps that’s why she unburdened her old grievances on Yoo Seong-woo.

Knowing that he had roughly figured out their identities, she lamented how they were treated in the past.

“What is the size of the Witch Council?”

“There are twelve elders, including myself. Major decisions are made by the elders’ council, and there are a little over seventy other witches below them.”

“That’s quite a number.”

“A small number compared to the past.”

A small number indeed.

The Witch Council seems to have been active for at least hundreds of years, yet their number is only around seventy.

While witches may not be a common sight, this number is still insignificantly small considering the long history.

“Of course, not all of them are dead. There are many witches secluded in forests, and others living among humans.”

“There must be quite a few others besides witches.”

“Many. So many that we can’t keep track of them all.”

At her words, Yoo Seong-woo clicked his tongue.

He mused that various legends, myths, and anecdotes might be based on true stories.

Anyway, Yoo Seong-woo led Jeanne into the Abyss, heading to where the others were.

He wanted to introduce her to the three of them in advance, as they would be working together.

After a short walk, they arrived at a spot where the three were sitting around, listening to Shua-nel’s lecture.

“Mana is a power that must circulate. Simply consuming it does not produce maximum efficiency.”

She was explaining the principles of mana.

Listening for a moment, he found her explanation quite insightful.

“This is something that even Yoo Seong-woo cannot explain. That guy operates not in the realm of theory, but purely on instinct.”

“But why do you call Master Yoo Seong-woo by his full name?”

“It’s a special Elven way of addressing someone.”

“Enough with the nonsense.”

Before anything stranger could be said, Yoo Seong-woo appeared with Jeanne and stopped her.

Shua-nel saw Jeanne and quipped, “You picked up another girl from somewhere. You womanizer.”

“Do you want to be kicked out of the house?”

“Sorry.”

Jeanne smiled awkwardly and took off her pointed hat, greeting the three people who were looking at her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jeanne of the Witch Council, Walpurgis, the Witch of the Holy War.”

“Jeanne?”

“An elder of the Witch Council?”

The three people who were sitting stood up awkwardly at the mention of Jeanne’s name and introduced themselves.

The title of elder of the Witch Council was equivalent to that of a guild master.

If you were to name three of the most influential magic guilds in Europe, this guild would definitely be included.

Moreover, unbeknownst to Yoo Seong-woo, Jeanne was one of the most active elders in external affairs.

“Has my brother caused you any trouble?”

“Nothing happened. Rather, I was the one being rude by suddenly visiting.”

Yoo Ji-woo spoke fluently in English. Hong Seo-hwa and Baek Woo-hyun were also able to speak English to some extent, so there was no need for translation magic.

It wasn’t surprising that Yoo Ji-woo and Baek Woo-hyun could speak English, but it was unexpected that even Hong Seo-hwa could.

Yoo Seong-woo was the only one who relied on translation magic, using his enchanted bead.

“It’s my first time seeing you in person, but you really do look younger than your age. I’ve heard that most of the Witch Council elders are like that.”

Yoo Ji-woo said, scrutinizing Jeanne’s appearance.

No matter how generous you were, she looked like she was only a high school student.

Most of the Witch Council members had such doll-like appearances, which led to the ridiculous nickname ‘Flower Garden’.

“How old is she?”

“Maybe the publicly known age is twenty-nine? I think so.”

Yoo Ji-woo answered Yoo Seong-woo’s question.

Hearing the word twenty-nine, he looked at Jeanne with a slightly suspicious expression.

‘Then her actual age is…’

‘It must be ten times more than twenty-nine.’

Even so, he couldn’t publicly reveal that someone from hundreds of years ago was still alive.

She seemed to be operating under a new identity.

The same would likely be true of the other elders of the Witch Council.

“I have decided to help with the attack on the tree that grew in Bukhansan [mountain in Seoul] this time. I look forward to working with you.”

“It’s reassuring to have an elder of the Witch Council with us. By the way, what role have you taken on?”

“I have decided to enter the tree with Yoo Seong-woo.”

“Yes?”

At Jeanne’s answer, Yoo Ji-woo looked at Yoo Seong-woo.

Yoo Seong-woo had explained that entering the tree was too dangerous for her level and that he would go alone.

But it wasn’t long after he said that that he found a companion.

He didn’t argue because Yoo Seong-woo had his own reasons, but he felt a little put out.

In her opinion, Jeanne seemed more like a fragile magician.

Most magic divers [those who explore magical realms] didn’t have very good stamina.

Perhaps sensing Yoo Ji-woo’s concern, Jeanne smiled and said, “You don’t have to worry. I have enough skill to protect myself.”

“It’s not that I doubt the skills of S-class Diver Jeanne… it’s just that my brother’s personality is a bit… unique, you know?”

“……”

Jeanne couldn’t refute and turned her gaze away.

The traumatic experience of him trying to kill her with a sword at their first meeting was still etched in her mind.

He was more terrifying than any inquisitor she had encountered in the past.

‘Brother, what have you done?’

What on earth did she go through that she couldn’t even make eye contact and was trembling?

Yoo Ji-woo couldn’t imagine that she had suffered something worse than being grabbed by the collar and shaken.

Yoo Ji-woo hugged Jeanne tightly and said, “I’ll apologize on behalf of my brother. I don’t know what he went through in another world, but he’s mentally unstable. He’s a pitiful brother with excessive nervousness and even anger management issues, but please understand that he’s not a bad person.”

“Is it okay for you to say such harsh things to your brother?”

“Originally, siblings are designed to kill each other from birth. It’s less so with me and my brother because there’s a bit of an age gap.”

It would have been terrible if they had been born as twins.

There was a friend who had an older brother who was one year older, and they fought almost every day, and one day she got so angry that she knocked out her brother’s front teeth.

Anyway, she patted Jeanne and calmed her down.

Yoo Seong-woo was watching that scene with a frown.

“Seong-woo, that woman feels a bit uneasy.”

“What kind of feeling do you get?”

“The feeling of someone who defies providence [divine will or fate].”

“Explain it more precisely. No, just give me a binary answer. Is she someone we have to kill, or someone we don’t have to kill?”

“It would be okay if she doesn’t antagonize you. If you form a hostile relationship, it will be incredibly troublesome.”

“Why?”

“Because they are masters of spells and curses. Through their defiance of providence, they will constantly wish for your pain.”

“That would be a bit annoying.”

Yoo Seong-woo was almost immune to curses.

Whose death did the witches of another world wish for the most?

Of course, it was Yoo Seong-woo.

He was a notorious hunter among witches, cutting down every witch he saw.

As a result, he endured numerous curses and developed some resistance, which allowed him to fight with dozens of curses during the battle with the Demon God.

“Excuse me, who is this person?”

Jeanne approached Yoo Seong-woo and looked at Shua-nel.

Shua-nel is a being from another world, originating from the Abyss.

Therefore, communication was easy thanks to the ‘I guess so’ formula that allows translation.

“Why hide it? This body is the highest branch, High Elf Shua-nel, born under the great Great Sephiroth [Kabbalistic tree of life].”

‘Did this bastard really play too many games?’

His personality has completely changed.

He seemed introverted when he was in the Abyss, but after coming to Earth, he just went crazy.

At the word High Elf, Jeanne moved her gaze towards her ears and stared at her face.

Then, she coughed lightly and said, “It’s my first time actually seeing such a distinguished fairy.”

“Hmm, were there no elves on Earth? They appear in myths too.”

“There were. They sometimes had exchanges with the Witch Council, but at some point, they disappeared.”

Jeanne said bitterly.

Judging from the regret in her voice, something must have happened.

Shua-nel still seemed a bit uneasy about Jeanne, so she hid behind Yoo Seong-woo and only peeked out her head.

Shua-nel’s specialty that comes out when something seems unfavorable.

Anyway.

Yoo Seong-woo looked down at Jeanne and then said, “Then now, there are a few things we need to confirm.”

“Confirm?”

“Yes, confirm. In a day, we’ll be entrusting our backs to each other to fight, and we can’t not know the exact abilities of our fellow comrades. Any objections?”

“You’re right.”

Tomorrow, they would enter the Black Tree and fight fiercely.

But there should be no mismatch because they don’t know the abilities of their fellow comrades well.

She agreed with Yoo Seong-woo’s opinion and nodded.

“Okay, so from now on…”

Then he muttered and drew Ilseong [his sword] in one hand.

The crimson sword showed off its coolness, boasting itself.

Jeanne, whose trauma from what happened in front of the Abyss was revived, took a step back with a flustered expression, and he continued.

With a slightly sly smile on his face.

“Let’s have a match.”