City of Witches
chapter-158

༺ Redcliffe (2) ༻

1.

From a young age, Della Redcliffe, the Witch of Ashfire, had a deep fascination with shiny and luxurious objects.

She had always adored rings with sparkly gemstones, artworks made of glass and brooches with fancy decorations.

Especially for luxurious items that shimmered and showcased their beauty when bathed in a soft glow, she adored those.

There wasn’t any specific reason behind it.

Like a crow collecting shiny objects to decorate its nest, Della had been hoarding various items since her days as an apprentice witch.

Whenever something caught her eye, she’d always make sure to get her hands on it.

One of the things she wanted was the brand that her predecessor possessed.

The accumulated self-essence magic of the Redcliffe lineage and the title of Baroness that came with it.

And so, she studied, researched, and wholeheartedly dedicated herself to attain it.

One would expect her to struggle for at least twenty years, but she managed to proudly inherit the brand by the tenth year.

Once she became a witch, Della’s interest expanded, from only going after jewelry to various artifacts and decorations that she could find in Gehenna.

Her method didn’t change; She still tried to gather them by any means necessary.

If the other person refused to sell what she wanted, she’d offer two or three times the actual price to buy it.

When she failed to get them from that person, even after all that, she’d pressure said person, both internally and externally, making them stuck in a position where they could only sell the item to her.

Soon after she became an official witch, everything fell into her hands effortlessly.

From a mansion, considered as the grandest and the most splendid mansion in Ars Magna Town.

A rare and ancient grimoire, a unique grimoire which didn’t have any copies even if one were to scour the whole world.

To a cursed diamond from an auction that took place at the Red Roof Salon.

Among her collection, there was an outstanding mijiu¹rice wine, capable of inducing a breathtaking ecstasy with just a single drop.

Even the untouched, youthful body of an adorable and charming witch didn’t elude her grasp.

Whatever she desired, it didn’t take long for her to acquire it.

After all, she was Della Redcliffe. She wasn’t just your average witch; She was a chosen Baroness, someone who sat at the 20th rank of the hierarchy.

‘But, it gets dull.’

However, the moment those items came into her possession, their value quickly diminished.

The lust, addiction, fulfillment and longing feelings she experienced when she first got said item, were quickly replaced by layers of dusty boredom.

That initial rush of adrenaline, passion, delight and a sense of accomplishment, vanished quickly into the distance.

This was how she measured the loss in those items’ value.

To her, if something failed to evoke any excitement from within her, then that item couldn’t be considered as precious at all.

And so, she shifted her focus to the modern world.

Since she found most things in Gehenna dull and boring, she figured that she could find mundane pleasures and distractions in the wider world.

She thought that going there could easily quench her thirst.

And she was correct, her earlier years of visit to the modern world were indeed, enjoyable to her.

She reveled in asserting her dominance over the Exiles, hunted down their exploits and crushed all the Homunculi she could find.

At times, she’d find herself aboard a massive cruiser, sailing the vast ocean or indulging in the pleasures of a desert city filled with casinos.

The triumphs of an unheard-of civilization filled her hungry soul with satisfaction.

A temporary satisfaction, that was.

‘This is getting boring.’

Before she knew it, she was back into square one.

Within just ten years, her thirst and hunger for something more, woke up once again.

At this point, she had given up.

She had come to terms with boredom, as she believed that it was a part of her that she couldn’t change.

And endless void that could never be filled.

That was until she encountered a witch at a divided Eastern Country she didn’t even realize its existence.

‘This place is my hunting ground!’

‘So what? It’s mine now.’

‘What…? Are you crazy? You think you can get away with this just because you’re a Baroness?’

‘Stop yapping. Witches should use their magic instead of words.’

She used her strength to subdue the impertinent witch’s aggressive attack.

And it wasn’t hard for her to handle them.

Despite her aggressiveness, in the end, she was only a 17th rank witch.

Still, Della couldn’t deny the allure that she felt from her.

The witch had a slender, pitiable face, yet at the same time, she possessed an unwavering spirit that never faltered even in moments of defeat.

Her hair was a mix of vibrant emerald and bright teal strands.

Above all, her eyes, something that drew Della in.

They tinged with jade, appeared even more alluring than any gems she had ever owned in her life.

Della sensed that her impulsive desires were directed towards the witch.

Without hesitation, she immediately investigated her.

Sharon Evergreen.

A witch living in debt, she got exiled from Gehenna after causing a major accident.

An immature heir who hadn’t even fully inherited the brand from her predecessor.

Upon learning this information, she anticipated that things would fall remarkably into place.

Since the other witch was a poor soul with nowhere to lean on, no place to cling to, she should be easily swayed by her temptation.

‘What? You’ll give me a hundred million if I serve you during bath?’

‘Yeah. This is my mercy for you. I am well aware of your pitiful circumstances.’

Having managed to find Sharon again, Della proposed a supposedly mutually beneficial arrangement where Sharon would assist her during her bath in exchange for a substantial sum of money.

Of course, Della wouldn’t just stop at bathing.

That was just the beginning.

During the action itself, things would naturally progress to physical contact.

She expected that it would eventually lead to a passionate night in bed that would make her back arch in ecstasy.

The bath was just her attempt to lower Sharon’s guard.

Currently, the other witch was struggling to make ends meet through part-time jobs and her hunts, all while maintaining a false sense of pride that was bound to crumble.

From the moment she proposed that arrangement, Della had already imagined having her way with Sharon’s naked body.

However, to her surprise, Sharon’s response was ice cold and ruthless.

She didn’t even think twice before giving her answer.

‘What are you on about? Fuck off.’

With a glare, filled with a deep sense of disgust, Sharon expressed her disdain.

As strange as it might seem though, Della found that expression amusing.

There was a striking sense of beauty and a dignified air about her eyes.

At that moment, Della realized something.

If she couldn’t find a way to own her…

To make her eyes twist with distorted pleasure, to turn her into a mere toy…

This unquenchable thirst within her would never be satisfied.

2.

Although their clash only lasted a minute, the consequences were devastating; Their surroundings turned into a desolate wasteland.

The tunnel’s interior blazed a fiery red, resembling a furnace, emitting several hundred degrees of temperature.

Parts of its ceiling collapsed, revealing iron rails that hung like limp chopsticks. Due to the temperature, hot molten metal continued to trickle down those rails.

On the ground, the road made of asphalt melted, leaving behind sticky residues that emitted a pungent smell.

Similarly, the sidewalk block blazed with intense heat, and Sharon’s body was laid there.

Her face and clothes were covered with burn marks, and she struggled to catch her breath.

This was a clash between a 17th ranked witch and a 20th rank witch.

Della adjusted her strength to match Sharon’s level, but even when she held back that much, her surroundings were still completely devastated. It wasn’t only limited to the tunnel, but also all the buildings within the interdimensional barrier.

“Haah… Keuk… Ugh…”

Sharon’s long smoke pipe, the one she used as a sacrifice to harness the fire element, crumbled to nothingness.

She met Della’s distant and arrogant gaze with a vacant stare.

“Have you understood your place yet?”

The air was burning, enough to sear through the lungs of any human who dared to inhale it.

And Della casually dissipated that intense heat, without exerting any effort at all.

With that, the temperature immediately plummeted by 60 degrees.

Sharon was already aware that this outcome was bound to happen.

When it came to wielding the fire element, the Redcliffes were second to none.

Compared to her, who was only a half-witch, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

“Well, you’ve definitely gotten better compared to last time.”

Della said, casually lifting the hem of burnt dress.

She actually had acknowledged Sharon’s effort for the past ten years, that was why she tried to fight her seriously to begin with.

As a consequence, about 70% of her mana was consumed.

Though half of it was spent to control her own strength, that was a necessary sacrifice in this situation.

“Haah… Ugh…”

Sharon tried to exert every ounce of her remaining energy, but she couldn’t even muster enough strength to move her lips. Even keeping her eyes open was already pushing it.

Seeing this, Della took advantage of the situation, firmly pressing her shoe against Sharon’s chest as the latter struggled to stand.

“Oh dear, don’t force yourself to get up. What if your injuries get worse?”

As Della enjoyed the squishy sensation of her breasts beneath her shoe, she licked her lips discreetly.

‘How can someone have such an adorable expression?’

As for Sharon, her raging wrath had dissolved by the chilling sense of helplessness.

Her once pure and untarnished pride had been tainted by the feelings of shame and humiliation.

Seeing her making this kind of face made Della feel as if she might have just cummed right there and then.

“Hmm… Speaking of, your body does look pretty stunning.”

Della, who had been pressing her foot firmly against Sharon’s chest, finally withdrew it.

Because she feared that the other witch might actually lose her consciousness if she were to continue.

“Since I won again, I’ll claim my prize as a winner. From now on, you are forbidden to hunt in this area. Of course, I’ll take over your current territory too.”

“Nonsense… Just… Leave…”

Anger and determination rekindled in Sharon’s eyes that were turning vacant.

But that wasn’t enough to rejuvenate her exhausted body.

Della crouched down, bringing her face closer to Sharon’s.

“Why? Because if things continue like this, you won’t have a place to earn money anymore? And if that’s the case, you will never be able to regain your citizenship?”

“…”

Sharon remained silent as Della, ever so gently, caressed her cheek with her outstretched hand.

Her slightly roughened skin tickled the back of Della’s hand.

“Why don’t we do this? Since you have nowhere to live, I can let you stay in the room I’m currently staying in. And, I’m going to offer you a job. Each time you’re doing something cute, I’ll give you money. Look here.”

Della held her finger right in front of Sharon’s mouth.

Between her fingers were two big checks that she took from her wallet.

On each of them, ‘10 million won’ was written.

“Suck my finger, pretend that you’re a baby trying to drink milk. If you do that, I’ll give you these. And by doing that, it means that you accept my offer and from then on, you’ll follow my instructions to work hard and earn your money.”

At this point, Sharon no longer had a home.

Her hunting ground was also taken away from her.

Considering that she still had the enormous 58 million won debt, the easiest way she could do to pay for everything was to discard her pride accept Della’s offer.

“…”

Sharon slowly parted her lips.

Seeing it, Della put her hand in her mouth, making it easier for Sharon to suck on her finger.

“Good. What a good child.”

Della’s face was plastered with a smile filled with satisfaction.

‘In the end, no matter how strong her pride is, she’s still a debt slave.’

Having cornered Sharon down to this point, Della planned to gradually take control of her life, starting with small things before slowly asserting her dominance.

Her main objective was to gain control over Sharon by taking over her debt, treating her as a plaything and making her completely dependent on her.

Della believed that this was the first step toward attaining that immense pleasure.

-Crunch!

However, it didn’t take long for Della’s satisfied expression to turn into a frown.

Sharon fiercely bit her fingertips with all her remaining strength.

From the other witch’s perspective, it was as if she was trying to bite Della’s finger off, but the red witch didn’t feel any pain, let alone receiving an injury from it.

But, the pain wasn’t the main issue here.

It was Sharon’s insistence to not give in to her.

Her bright blue eyes stared daggers at Della.

And Della didn’t like that at all.

“…”

An indescribable sense of humiliation pricked at her chest as she felt the limiter in her mind released with a click.

Since Sharon refused to give in even after she went this far, she had only one more option left: force.

“Sharon, my dear, it seems you’ve been hurt quite a bit.”

Della’s voice quivered from her frustration.

The fact that a lower rank witch like Sharon continued to resist, even after she had gone out of her way to show her kindness and consideration, infuriated her.

She surmised that it would be easier to just drag the weakened witch to her hotel.

After all, even if she did something to her, Sharon wouldn’t be able to lift a finger as she didn’t even have enough mana to activate her autonomous defense.

Della’s plan was to force her into submission and enjoy watching her struggle.

As for what she’d do after that, she decided that she could save that for later.

With that in mind, Della opened her mouth.

“I’ll take care of your wound. Come with me to my room.”

“Let… Go…”

Even after using all her might, Sharon still couldn’t resist Della’s attempt to lift her by the collar.

Towards this futile resistance, the latter raised her with a cold, merciless glare.

“Stop it. Your resistance is becoming more and more annoying.”

“Ugh!”

‘This is getting irritating. Should I just knock her out?’

Della pushed a surge of mana into Sharon’s body, creating a shockwave that caused her insides to tremble.

Unable to resist, Sharon’s body slumped weakly.

-Swooosh!

Suddenly, Della felt something wrapped around her wrist.

“Huh?”

She shifted her gaze towards it.

Before she knew it, a black ribbon was wrapped around her wrist, that was exposed from her torn bright red dress.

Footnotes:

• 1rice wine