I and the Witch of Time Who Seeks the Past

Chapter 2 – The City of Fog (3)

December 23, 1920 – 6:25

London, the "City of Fog."

"Wow, this place is magnificent."

Lijedahl stepped down from the carriage, marveling aloud.

Yes, I thought the same.

The streets bustled with traffic. One of the earliest double-decker buses stood before my eyes, and those ornate, classical street lamps—so they already existed back in 1920.

Buildings and towers loomed around us. To my surprise, compared with how they appeared 110 years later, the architecture hadn’t changed much. But unlike in 2030, the city lacked the weight of accumulated history—it looked brighter, its surfaces smoother.

Everyone was dressed in retro outfits I'd only ever seen in British novels. The streets seemed chaotic at first glance, yet in truth were orderly. As soon as I stepped off the carriage, I noticed two London policemen directing the traffic.

At the center of the square stood a grand fountain, exquisitely designed. A thick layer of ice covered its surface. If my memory was correct, this was Trafalgar Square. The London I remember no longer has a grand fountain like this.

Unexpectedly, this London wasn't all that different from the one in my memory.

While I was still taking it in, Mr. Ken stepped off the carriage and muttered to himself.

"Hard to believe... after ten years, I've returned here again."

I caught his words. I didn't look at his expression, but from his tone I sensed something sorrowful behind it. I chose not to pry.

"Wow! So many people! That tower's so tall!"

Jona shouted excitedly. Anna, embarrassed, grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing? After riding in a carriage for so long, how do you still have this much energy?"

"Oh, come on, Anna, it's our first time here!"

"Huh? But we came here ten years ago, remember?"

"Eh? Did we?"

Jona tilted her head, pressing a finger to her lips, trying to think.

"I don't remember at all."

"Your memory's awful. Back then, you were so shy—didn't like going out or playing, always buried in books. Now you're completely different. You still love reading, but everything else has changed."

"Ah... haha, true. I used to be really shy. But when you say 'everything changed'—that includes my height, right?"

"Of course, otherwise..."

Anna stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Jona holding a hand above her forehead as if to measure.

From my perspective, it was obvious—Jona was a bit taller than Anna.

"Ugh! You're so annoying!"

I watched them bicker and laugh, their closeness plain to see.

"Wait... Will, is this... really London?"

"Hm? What's the problem?"

"It looks so different... oh my god."

"I thought you wouldn't be the one surprised."

"Huh? And why's that?"

"Because the cities in 2030 are even more breathtaking than this London."

"... That's true, I suppose. Maybe we were too busy running for our lives back then. I didn't feel anything at the time—I just thought all that technology was amazing."

"More amazing than magic? I still think magic is greater."

"Not really. If you were a mage yourself, once you grasped all the underlying principles, you'd stop finding it so wondrous."

... That actually made sense.

"Well then, have you all admired enough? We need to find a place to stay."

Mr. Ken turned to us.

"Alright. Where are we going?"

Lijedahl asked the same thing I had been about to.

"The Savoy Hotel."

What?

I had nearly forgotten—of course, wealthy people would choose a place like that. For a moment, I couldn't help but show my surprise.

"Mr. Will, are you surprised?"

Mr. Ken asked with a smile—he'd caught even the fleeting expression on my face.

"A little. That hotel is far too famous. People like me usually have no chance of stepping inside."

"Haha, is that so? Well, once we arrive, we can take a look around together."

I could only agree. In a situation like this, refusing would be impossible—and I had no reason to refuse anyway.

"Alright. I'm curious myself."

"I'll join you all as well!"

Lijedahl suddenly cut in, turning her face slightly aside.

Her eyes glimmered faintly yellow. It seemed she had the same thought.

"I'm coming too! I'm coming too! Anna, how about you?"

"Uh... I'll come as well."

The two girls joined in.

"Very well, I understand."

Mr. Ken's expression didn't change. He was genuinely glad to show us around. You could see it in his demeanor—an anticipation born from returning to a place after so many years.

"No time to waste. Let's go."

The Savoy Hotel's decoration couldn't simply be called luxurious.

Stepping inside, I realized the most "luxurious" hotels I had stayed in during my first 27 years of life were nothing more than crude imitations. This place was the very emblem of wealth and high society.

I followed Mr. Ken as we walked through the halls, but the place was simply too vast to explore fully. Eventually, while Mr. Ken was still brimming with enthusiasm, the rest of us hurried after the staff to the rooms they had prepared, eager to rest.

And that was when I noticed—I was sharing a room with Lijedahl.

... It was fine. It was a double room, with two separate beds. Luckily, it wasn't a single; it would've been absurd to sleep on the sofa in a place like this.

"Ahh, finally I can lie down."

Lijedahl collapsed onto the bed, looking completely exhausted.

I set down our luggage by the door, closed it, took off my hat and coat, and sat on the sofa with a deep breath.

I was tired too—completely drained.

I thought about it. Maybe I should take a bath.

So I gathered some clothes and got ready to head into the bathroom.

"Ah, Will—you're going to bathe?"

"Yeah. We've been living together long enough; you know I always bathe in the evening."

"I know, I know... But honestly, you're not like the men I imagined."

The sudden comment almost made me choke.

"Huh? What did you imagine men to be like?"

"In my mind, men rarely care about hygiene. They're full of lies, swearing all the time, drinking and smoking."

"Uh... not all of them. There are plenty of gentlemen in the world."

"Exactly. That's why I said—you're not like what I imagined."

She glanced at me. My vision was blurry with fatigue, so I couldn't quite make out her expression.

"You're clean, you don't smoke or drink, and you're polite."

I wasn't sure what to say. I could only go along with it.

"Well, I'll just take that as a compliment."

With that, I stepped into the bathroom. The hot water washed away my fatigue, leaving my body light and relaxed. Afterward, I put on fresh clothes, gathered the used ones, and stepped out.

But to my surprise, Lijedahl wasn't asleep.

It was strange. Usually, she would doze off without a care, completely defenseless. More than once, I'd had to pull the blanket over her. This was unusual.

"Lijedahl, is there something you wanted to say to me?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Because you normally just fall asleep right away."

"... Fair point. But tonight's different. Tonight's important—I need to stay awake."

She patted her cheeks and sat upright.

Since she was determined to stay awake...

I pointed at the bathroom.

"... Oh, I see. Alright, I'll listen to you this time."

So she went in to wash up. I knew she usually took her time, so I idled around the room, looking at its lavish interior.

But after only a few steps, I noticed something on the bed where she had just been lying—a letter.

I picked it up. It was the invitation from the Magic Association.

I hadn't read it fully before, but now I could.

Beyond the preface, the letter continued.

We need powerful and authoritative mages to attend this conference to solve various serious issues that have recently appeared. The matters concern all of Great Britain and are extremely difficult to handle. If you come to London, please go to the Savoy Hotel. All expenses for you and your companions at the hotel will be on me. We just hope you will participate.

"We need powerful and authoritative mages to attend this meeting, to address the grave problems that have recently arisen—problems concerning all of Britain, of the utmost urgency.

If you arrive in London, please proceed to the Savoy Hotel. All expenses for you and your companions will be covered at my expense. I ask only that you take part.

—Wolf"

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(T/N): Heluu~ Just wanted to share, I’ve kicked off a new translation project. Feel free to take a look!

Starting Out with an Infinite Skill Tree!

“Yan”: “No matter what, a life without challenging its own limits is just far too boring!”

And so, he found himself transmigrated into a world of swords and magic.

From the very start, he awakened the ultimate gift to unlock the “Infinite Skill Tree”—the Simulated Star-Creation Map!

Yan fell into deep thought. “In the future, I could probably even play the role of the Sword Saint of Britannia… or maybe the Axe King of Uruk would work too?”

Under the name of【Mad Lancelot】, the Black Knight, he turned the tide on the battlefield, leading humanity to victory—not for his own glory.

As the Star Holy Sword Wielder, under the title of Knight King, he proclaimed the ‘Ten Knightly Declarations’, ensuring that both the profession of knight and the spirit of chivalry spread far and wide across the world.

Writing under the pen name ‘Andersen’, he penned thousands upon thousands of fairy tales.

People marveled at the legends of the distant past—that there had been so many remarkable heroes and kings, such as Brother Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Sage King Gilgamesh, and Emperor Iskandar.

Until one day, Yan raised high the divine flame of the God of Games—

A new era of【[Delight】began!

As it turned out, once humanity gains power, they can’t help but test it out.

And after all, he was human too!

By the time he looked back… it seemed he had already played this world to ruin!