The Tales of an Infinite Regressor
Chapter 56 – Ruler III

[Translator – Jjsecus]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 56 – Ruler III

4

So, if you were to ask Tang Seorin, the Grand Witch, who had painstakingly crafted such a long and powerful spell, what she did with it, she would say―― nothing in particular.

“Doctor Jang, are you resilient to pain?”

“I’d say I’m on the stronger side. Why do you ask?”

“Even if I were to inflict harm upon you, do you have the capacity to forgive and move on?”

“….”

Things suddenly felt tense.

“What’s your intention?”

“First, answer me this. Do you exist, or not?”

“I can’t exactly say that I don’t exist.”

“Good. Doctor Jang. I’m going to show you something amazing.”

Immediately after saying this, Tang Seorin took out a fountain pen and pricked my right hand with it.

I screamed like Tom from Tom and Jerry, writhing in pain. Wait, is this madness?

“Wait! Stop! Hold on! I’ll do it too!”

“What?”

With determination, she pricked the palm of her left hand with the pen. Blood trickled from the sharp tip of the pen. Is this really happening?

As I looked on in bewilderment, Tang Seorin performed an even crazier stunt. While both of us were bleeding, she suddenly began to sing.

And something incredible happened.

“Ah-♪”

Swish.

A bluish ‘Libra’ appeared in the air as if it were a hologram.

And at the same time, the wound on my right hand healed instantly. Truly instantaneous. But in exchange, wouldn’t a new wound appear on my left hand?

The exact opposite happened to Tang Seorin. That is, the wound on her left hand transferred to her right hand.

Soon after, droplets of blood appeared on either side of the Libra. And then, the Libra vanished into thin air.

I was dumbfounded.

“What is this…?”

“Ah, this is what you call an exchange spell.”

Tang Seorin grinned with an otaku smile.

It was quite unlucky.

“Your pain and my pain. We exchanged our suffering.”

“Amazing!”

I genuinely admired it.

Although our wounds had simply switched places and were still bleeding profusely, it was undoubtedly a remarkable magic.

“What’s the principle behind it?”

“I told you. It’s an exchange spell. I conducted an exchange through magic that I deemed fair.”

“Wow. So, could I potentially transfer a bunch of wounds to an enemy after I’ve incurred them?”

If so, this could be a revolutionary turning point in dealing with foes.

However, Tang Seorin shook her finger from side to side with a characteristic annoyed expression.

“Tsk tsk. Unfortunately, such usage is nearly impossible. For this magic to work, the consent of the other party is absolutely necessary.”

“Ah…”

I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. So, that’s why she was asking me those strange questions earlier.

“…Wait, then where can you actually use this? Exchanging pain for pain or pleasure for pleasure, the total amount stays the same anyway. Could it perhaps be used to convert energy into energy?”

“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea, but it’s not possible. Like I said, you need the other party’s consent, and you can’t get consent from energy or matter. They don’t have brains. Ah, and it doesn’t work on plants or animals either, because they can’t understand human language….”

“Then it’s really a useless spell!”

“Magic is never useless!”

Tang Seorin’s trigger had been pushed. And when she was triggered, she immediately unleashed attack magic.

Naturally, our fight ended in my victory. For Tang Seorin to beat me, she’d need to set up her long incantations at least 30 minutes in advance. That’s the inherent disadvantage of a fair warrior against a devious wizard.

After that trivial dispute, how much time had passed?

Of course, with my [Perfect Memory Ability], instead of saying “how much,” I could precisely say it was exactly 398 days later. It’s just a literary expression. No one really cares if I kept track of time like someone with savant syndrome.

So, exactly 398 days, 16 hours, and 38 minutes later, I visited the headquarters of the Three Thousand Worlds. But Tang Seorin was not on the train.

“Ah, you mean the Grand Witch? She’s stepped out for a trial today.”

A guild member who recognized my face told me. His silver hair shimmered beautifully.

His name was Yoo Jiwon, an asset picked in the 5th run and now serving as an executive in the Three Thousand Worlds. He was quite capable but had a significant personality flaw, being a psychopath.

To add, he majored in Latin.

“A trial day? What’s that? And why is the Operations Manager handling the counter? Where are your subordinates?”

“Most of the other guild members have gone out to the plaza. I don’t have much to do there, so I’m just guarding the place.”

“Hmm. So what’s this trial day about?”

“Recently, we’ve designated the last day of each month as trial day here in Busan.”

The silver-haired psychopath adjusted his glasses.

“The Grand Witch personally judges criminals who have committed murder or inflicted serious injuries. It’s very popular with the citizens.”

Oh, by the way, ‘Grand Witch’ was Tang Seorin’s official title. Especially for guild members of the Three Thousand Worlds, this title was mandatory.

It’s similar to how everyone must call the Sword Saint ‘Sword Saint.’

Only I, during my time as the Vice Guild Master around the 5th run, was allowed to call her ‘Guild Master.’ Because that was the condition I set when I joined her.

“She’s probably on the last trial by now. It should take about an hour… Would you like to wait in the reception room? I’ll get you a train ticket.”

“No, that’s fine. Being with you guys would just waste expensive snacks. Where is the trial being held?”

“In the plaza just ahead.”

I walked to the place I was directed.

Finding the way was not difficult. It was the same plaza where Tang Seorin held her infamous ‘Monster Dissection Shows,’ known as the Execution Plaza.

[Translator – Jjsecus]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Despite the apocalypse, the well-maintained plaza was already hosting a trial. The trial was grand. At a glance, nearly six hundred citizens were sitting around, watching the proceedings.

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

“Silence! Please be quiet!”

A guild member’s voice rang out loudly.

It was probably enhanced by ‘Amplify’ magic. Since no singing was heard, ‘Silence’ magic must have been applied as well.

‘Considering there’s at least three layers of incantations, including basic repeating magic, Tang Seorin has put quite a lot of effort into this.’

I turned my gaze.

In the center of the plaza, a man who appeared to be the defendant was standing with his head bowed. And Tang Seorin, acting as the judge, was lounging with her chin on the table.

‘This is a sight I’ve never seen before.’

In my many lives, this was the first time Tang Seorin had held a public trial in front of citizens.

Curious, I watched the trial from a distance. As the plaza quieted down, a guild member raised his voice.

“Please remain silent! I will explain again! The accused is a witch who has been with the Three Thousand Worlds for six months and was assigned to the combat unit. However, during an expedition last week, she fled the battle against the monsters instead of fighting alongside her comrades, causing the front line to collapse. Although there were no fatalities, two were injured, and it nearly put the entire combat unit at great risk.”

“Booooo!”

“Coward!”

A few citizens threw stones, but they bounced off, likely due to a protective barrier around the trial area.

“Silence! Now, Grand Witch, Tang Seorin will pass judgment!”

The area fell completely silent.

The hundreds of citizens who had been jeering and partying just moments ago were now silent.

If the measure of an artist is how many people they can stir, then the measure of a ruler is how many they can silence. This scene showed the status Tang Seorin held as the guild master in Busan.

“This individual is a deserter.”

Tang Seorin’s voice rang out through amplification magic, her beautiful voice making the hair on my neck stand up.

Soft and seemingly slow, but the words flowed quickly, hammering complex terms and sentences into the listener’s ears with precision.

It was more like breathing than speaking, a voice that filled the plaza.

The guild members of the Three Thousand Worlds looked at Tang Seorin with a certain dazed reverence.

It was a bit cringeworthy, but as someone who had once been her right hand, I could understand. Her voice was indeed somewhat magical.

“Deserters are typically dealt with by immediate execution. But in this case, there were no fatalities, and the deserter turned herself in the very next day.”

“…….”

“Deserter, your actions nearly cost your comrades their lives. Do you regret your actions?”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry….”

“Can you promise me you will never make such a mistake again?”

“Of course, Grand Witch. Absolutely….”

At that moment, a blue ‘Libra’ appeared above Tang Seorin’s head.

It wasn’t a garish neon blue but a soft, twilight blue, like the glow of distant stars outlining the scales.

“Then, you can be forgiven. I, the witches of the Three Thousand Worlds, and the comrades whose ranks you broke last week will never hold [your desertion last week against you].”

Swoosh.

Black smoke, thin as thread and slithering like a snake, came from Tang Seorin and the guild members’ chests and from the direction of the Three Thousand Worlds headquarters.

These black threads gathered on the left side of the scales. The balance tilted sharply.

“In return.”

Tang Seorin waved her finger.

“You will [never retreat first in any battle, and if you must retreat, it will only be after all your comrades have safely withdrawn].”

“Ah….”

“Not just your comrades. This includes civilians on the battlefield. You will never retreat until their safety is secured. In other words, [you will always be the last to withdraw].”

“…….”

“Do you agree?”

The defendant’s face was pale.

Fighting monsters was never safe. Statistically, jumping off a cliff with a wingsuit had a higher survival rate.

But for some reason, alongside the paleness, there was a hint of relief on the defendant’s face, as if they were finally at ease.

“…Yes. Grand Witch. I agree.”

“Good.”

Swish—

A white, snake-like thread emerged from the defendant’s body. It looked like a breath in the winter air, exhaled not just from the mouth but the entire body.

The defendant gazed blankly at the white serpent leaving their body. The serpent coiled up to the right side of the scales in the sky.

With a clink, the scales balanced perfectly.

“Balance has been restored.”

“Thank you… Thank you….”

“Yes. From now on, fight at the forefront for your comrades, and above all, for the citizens.”

A few spectators let out a cheer. In response, hundreds of citizens burst into applause.

“…….”

The scene shocked me. The great magic of equivalent exchange, which I had thought useless, was now functioning as the judicial system in Busan.

This was why, even in distant future iterations, Busan uniquely resisted AI judges.

It was Tang Seorin’s ‘Witch Trials.’

[PR/N: A new spin off witch trials, I like these ones tbh.]

[Translator – Jjsecus]

[Proofreader – Gun]