BXBX NOVEL Chapter 97 Repaying The Favor 1
"Oh! Magitek, over here!" Greed waved her hand at Daniel while calling out to him.
Daniel beckoned Wrath to bring their little troublemaker to the table where the group was seated.
As the group caught sight of Wrath holding little Sylvana's hand and observed her adorable features, which bore a striking resemblance to Wrath, particularly her red hair, they were taken aback. They were aware that Witches couldn't bear children with humans, so what could explain the presence of this charming child who shared some of Wrath's traits?
Could this child be Daniel and Wrath's daughter from before Wrath became a Witch? But no, that couldn't be possible. If that were the case, the child would have to be at least ten years old, yet she appeared to be only five.
As Sylvana approached the table with a plate of strawberry cake in hand, the woman in the purple dress squinted her eyes slightly. She then brought her hand to her eyes, forming a circle with her index finger and thumb, peering at Sylvana through the makeshift frame.
"I see..." she murmured softly, her breath barely audible. Suddenly, a faint purple light emanated from her eyes as she observed Daniel helping to hold the plate for both Sylvana and Wrath. In that moment, a twinge of envy flickered within her, causing her eyes to shimmer with a purple glow.
She caught a glimpse of the past, where Daniel's care and attention were shared between the two, and Wrath's happiness filled the air. However, the vision dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her to grasp the weight of what she had witnessed.
"Miss Greed, Klaus, and Miss Yuki," Daniel greeted, nodding politely to the guests who awaited him. However, as Wrath caught sight of Yuki's face, she was left dumbfounded, for it bore an uncanny resemblance to her own visage when she was seventeen years old.
Observing her friend's stunned expression, Greed realized that she had neglected to inform Wrath about Yuki.
"Oh... Wrath, I apologize. I forgot to mention something important. Please, have a seat, and I will explain everything that occurred while you were imprisoned at the Willow family," Greed said, gesturing for her friend to join them.
Greed proceeded to recount the events that unfolded after Wrath's capture and subsequent imprisonment within the Willow family. She revealed the deal Daniel struck with Yuki, enlisting her assistance in the court to clear Wrath's name. Greed also disclosed the agreement made for Daniel to alter Yuki's appearance in exchange for his creation of a homunculus body for Victor.
After hearing the full account, Wrath nodded in understanding, though a slight pout remained on her face.
"Yeah, and I had plenty of time to spare while I was confined in that Willow family prison. Why didn't you just relay all this information through our Witch connection?" She suggested it to her friend.
In response to her inquiry, Greed offered a sarcastic smile as she replied, "Excuse me? Connecting with you across the globe through our Witch connection is incredibly tedious and draining. Are you suggesting that the weakest witch among the Witch of the Seven Deadly Sins should exert her meager mana to relay such detailed information to you? Is your brain purely muscle?"
Rather than becoming angry, Wrath responded with a teasing smile, her words laced with amusement.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I forgot that your meager mana can't even handle basic body enhancement magic. My apologies," she retorted, playfully jesting with her friend. Greed couldn't help but feel a hint of annoyance at Wrath's teasing, evident in her expression.
"You...!" Greed gritted her teeth, feeling the urge to slap her friend a few times to vent her frustration. However, recognizing her own inferiority in terms of strength, she opted to restrain herself.
"Alright, alright, can you two please stop? You're both adults," the elegant woman in the purple dress scolded, attempting to intervene and defuse the tension.
"Hey, Magitek, don't just focus on that girl. We have many matters to discuss," Greed interjected, urging Daniel to shift his attention.
Hearing her words, Daniel reluctantly paused in wiping little Sylvana's mouth, as she had gotten some strawberry cake on her face while indulging in her dessert.
"Are you done reminiscing?" Daniel asked, gesturing for Wrath to take over watching Sylvana.
Daniel walked away from the nearby table toward the group's occupied table, while Wrath went to their former spot to keep an eye on their daughter.
"Now, before we proceed with concluding our business, may I inquire as to your identity?" Daniel directed his question to the black-haired, beautiful woman dressed in extravagant purple attire.
"Ah, how rude of me," the elegant woman chuckled before gracefully rising from her seat and offering Daniel a curtsy.
"I am one of the Witches of the Seven Deadly Sins, specifically the Witch of Envy, and I also hold the position of Grand Councilor at the Hightower. For your convenience, you may call me Envy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Magitek," Envy introduced herself with noble poise, then settled back into her seat, flashing a smile at Daniel.
Daniel's attention was immediately caught by the title "Grand Councilor of the Hightower." He narrowed his eyes and regarded Envy warily. Based on his knowledge and understanding, the position of Grand Councilor was the highest-ranking position within the organization, akin to the United Nations of the mundane world. However, this organization solely governed and enforced the laws of the Curtained World.
Taking a moment to calm himself, determined to fulfill his promises before delving into anything else. He turned to Klaus and Yuki.
"Follow me to the side room; I'll return Victor's body," he said to Yuki and Klaus. Then, he turned to his girlfriend and added, "Koyuki, please stay here and keep an eye on Sylvana."
"Understood," Wrath nodded, her attention still focused on her beloved adopted daughter.
As the Witch group continued conversing amongst themselves, Daniel, Michaela, Klaus, and Yuki made their way to the side room, which had been prepared by the Veneziale gang for private discussions.
Inside the room, a long table and several armchairs were arranged alongside tea tables.
Daniel carefully placed a flawless homunculus body on the table. The body lacked a face but possessed all other male humanoid features. It had been pre-dressed to prevent any awkward situations. Daniel had created this body using his skills as a Grand Alchemist.
The instant Klaus and Yuki laid eyes on the homunculus body, they recognized its superiority over the standard homunculi produced by the Alchemont clan. Yuki, in particular, felt a tinge of envy for her beloved Victor, who would have the privilege of using this perfect body.
"Why doesn't this homunculus body have a face?" Klaus asked, perplexed. While most homunculi relied solely on mana, a human-like face was crucial for them to blend into society.
"I assure you, it's not a design flaw or negligence on my part. I will explain the reason later. For now, bring out Victor's soul, and I will bind it to this body," Daniel ordered.
Yuki swiftly retrieved Victor's soul container and handed it to Daniel. He then placed the container on the bare chest of the faceless homunculus body. Using blood ink he conjured from his 'Universal Pocket,' Daniel began drawing a ritual array on the chest.
Within moments, the intricate array was complete. Daniel infused the array with his mana and allowed it to autonomously merge the soul contained within the soul container with the blank homunculus body.
As the magic array worked to bind the soul and body together, Daniel swiftly produced a large-caliber handgun, the same weapon he had used to eliminate the vampire reinforcements in the Willow Estate. He aimed it at the faceless homunculus head.
Reacting swiftly, Klaus infused his mana into his magic insignia, intending to subdue Daniel before he could pull the trigger. However, his actions were halted abruptly by the appearance of a silver sword, its blade pressed against his throat, drawing a small amount of blood. The touch of the blade, incredibly sharp, warned Klaus that any movement would result in the terrifying silver-haired lady, Daniel's bodyguard, severing his head from his body.
"Mr. ...Mr. Magitek, you promised to give us a chance at life! Please, don't do this! If you... if you want to seek revenge, take it out on me instead!" Yuki pleaded, offering her own life in exchange for her beloved's.
"I always keep my promises, and once made, I never break them. The promise I made was to grant you a chance at life. But if Victor does not value this one opportunity, I will end his life before he even has a chance to use it!" Daniel declared, his determination unwavering.
"Then... how, how do you know he won't value it?" Klaus cautiously asked, taking care not to move his throat any further, for fear of the blade's swift retaliation.
Daniel emitted a small chuckle. "That's a feature of this body. I designed it so that the face reflects the inner thoughts of the soul. Once it forms, the face becomes fixed permanently. If his face still resembles the old Victor, exuding arrogance, then it will be the end for him. He will only seek to use this chance to seek revenge against me or revert to the Victor I once knew," Daniel explained, awaiting the transformation of Victor's face for confirmation.