Genius Warlock-Episode 127
"What are you doing now??”
Joanna in civilian clothes. she asked, looking at Oliver holding out a box of chocolates..
"uh..… . It's a gift?”
Oliver said in an uncertain voice..
"......."
"......."
After a moment of awkward silence, Joanna spoke again..
"Are you kidding me??”
"Did I make a mistake??”
"What is the point of giving chocolate out of the blue??”
"Because women like chocolate-”
“-Look at this.”
Joanna shouted lowly but firmly..
"I'm not a woman. He's a paladin. Is she calling me to make fun of me??”
ah..… . Joanna was truly displeased..
It seems to be a sensitive part held deep in my heart..
Oliver apologized politely..
"that.… sorry. You told me to do this?”
"Who the hell is it??”
"This is an old man from a bookstore I know..”
"bookstore..… Are you elderly??”
"yes. He's an old man who runs a used bookstore, and he told me to take chocolate as a gift..”
“..…It's because of what on earth you said.?”
"I don't know either. I was just answering a question... . Anyway, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable..”
Oliver said and took the box of chocolates back..
Joanna looked at the chocolate in silence..
Oliver asked again..
"hmm.… Would you like some chocolate??”
“..…No, it's okay..”
"Because I don't eat chocolate. I don't really have any use for it. I hope you accept what I bought..”
Joanna thought for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly and accepted the chocolate..
"what..… . Anyway, thank you.”
"No, I am truly grateful. Since you came here to meet me... . Then, shall we go into the cathedral? Oh, by the way..…."
Oliver said awkwardly as he looked at the cathedral..
Currently, the cathedral is suddenly holding services. I thought it would be difficult to talk over there..
"hmm..… . Paladin. If you don't mind, could we talk somewhere else? I don't think it's a good idea to have a conversation in a church where you're watching a service..”
"I agree… . Do you know of a suitable place??”
Oliver took out a note from his arms..
It was written down exactly what the old man in the bookstore told him, and it included compliments to be given every 15 minutes at restaurants suitable to go with women and when the other woman is with you..
Most people just complimented me on how pretty it was, so I still didn't understand why they wrote this down..
"Just in case, how about the restaurant? There is a restaurant nearby that the old man in the bookstore told me about..”
"If you're an elderly person in a bookstore, you're the one who told me to give you chocolate as a gift earlier.?”
"yes."
"Then I don’t want to go..”
Oliver nodded, somehow understanding. then..….
"Then how about the park??”
“….The park?”
"Yes, I have to go a bit far, but there is a place I want to visit. What do you think? It's a pretty pretty place.”
***
Just-just-just-
Oliver got off the taxi and arrived at the park with Joanna..
It wasn't just a park.
This was the first park I came to under Joseph's order, and there were countless people just like when I first came..
Children ran around the fountain where the cherub statue was urinating.,
A nearby booth sold hot dogs and ice cream..
A tired old gentleman sat on a bench and read a newspaper, while a couple who appeared to be married held their child's hand and went on a picnic somewhere..
Everyone looked happy.
It cannot be compared to areas W, T, and X, which are in alphabetical order..
"That's surprising."
Joanna, who had followed in silence, finally opened her mouth..
"What are you talking about??”
"I didn't know I would like this place..”
Joanna's words were sincere. She wondered why she thought that.
"I like places like this too. The emotions are bright and light... .. She’s pretty in her own way..”
"It's pretty?”
"Yes, emotions… .. It’s prettier than T, Area X, and Weinham. Do you know?”
"No, what??”
"Why is this place different from District T, Area X, and Weinham? It's bright here, but most of the emotions there are dark. I've been curious about this for a long time... . Paladin, do you know the reason??”
Joanna thought for a moment..
“..…I don't know exactly either. It's not an easy problem to explain. So I always pray and think about it..”
It wasn't a very satisfactory answer, but Oliver didn't really argue..
Because Joanna spoke the truth. She didn't even meet to ask that in the first place..
"okay. Would you like to keep walking and talk? Or would you like to sit on the bench for a while??”
Joanna looked around..
I was admiring the surroundings, and for a moment, my eyes were fixed on a child walking with his father and mother..
"Let’s sit down for a bit. I'm tired.”
"All right. Well then, shall we sit over there??”
Oliver pointed to an unoccupied corner of the bench..
"yes, good.”
"Then, please wait a moment..”
Oliver said that to Joanna and left for a moment..
After a while, Oliver came with ice cream. Chocolate ice cream held by a child walking with his parents.
"This….?”
"Ice cream. Do you hate it??”
Joanna hesitated for a moment and took the chocolate ice cream..
"go… Thank you.”
"It was nothing.”
In response, Oliver took a bite of ice cream..
It was cold and sweet. That was it..
“….Do you like ice cream??”
"well. This is my first time eating it… . It's cold and sweet.”
Oliver took another bite of his ice cream..
Joanna also ate a small bite of ice cream. Why did he look happy but also bitter?.
“….Isn’t it delicious??”
"No, it's delicious... .. I'm doing this because I want to say something.?”
"Did you notice it??”
"yes..… . I guess there are a lot of parts in the scriptures that I don’t understand.?”
"yes.”
Oliver didn't deny it. No, rather I actively agreed..
Although he read the sutra several times, all he knew was that he could not understand it..
There were many reasons, but the biggest problem was the interpretation of the story..
"Sutras are inherently difficult to understand. But if you keep reading and seeking teachings, one day you will gain enlightenment.."
"Well, I'm glad, but I still don't understand..”
"I understand. Still, Oliver, you are doing well. He keeps coming to church too..”
"Oh, that's to meet the paladin. I want to meet you, but there is no other way to do so..”
Joanna's expression subtly hardened, as if she had said something strange again..
It's embarrassing, but I don't seem to hate it at all..
She thought for a moment and asked.
".....Is there anyone else but me??”
"yes?"
"Someone I want to meet. Or are there no pleasant people among the people you meet? For example, what about the old man in the bookstore? is he a friend?”
Friends…..
"well. We talked, but I don't know if we're friends..”
"Why don't you know?”
"I don't know what a friend is..”
I roughly knew the dictionary meaning. Oliver wondered if he had any friends.
I tried to match the words with people I knew, but it seemed like an error had occurred in my head and all I got was confusion..
Joanna said.
"Friends are nothing special.”
"is that so?”
"Yes, if you can talk and laugh with each other, you can be called a friend, and even if you help each other, you can be called a friend.."
I don't know what's smiling, but I can think of a few people helping me..
"There are a few people who helped me... .. There’s more than I thought..”
"is it so? That's a good thing... . So, is there anyone you helped before??”
Oliver was the one who helped me first... . Oliver thought about it. Cant came to mind for a moment, but then I shook my head..
It was Cant who first helped, and then defeating Mole and Glyph was out of repayment and personal curiosity..
Of course, Cant himself said that it was thanks to Oliver that he was able to help his poor brother, but he only did it because he wanted to see what Cant would do..
It was far from helpful..
I thought about it some more. Murphy came to mind, but he too was in return for something, and Jane was just returning the favor..
While I was thinking about it, one person came to mind..
“....Rossburn.”
"Rossburn… ? who is that?”
"This is a person who worked at the inn where I stayed..”
"What did you help me with??”
"Taught me letters and numbers.”
"Letters and numbers?”
"Yes, he said he wanted to learn, so I taught him..”
"Incredible. Really… . Can I ask why you helped me??”
"Because it's amazing.”
"It's amazing?”
"Yes, even though he was very scared, he had the courage to ask me to teach him how to read. That's great.."
"Well, that's right. Courage is a great and important virtue..”
"Yes, and the paladin was brave too..”
"Me?”
"Yes, do you remember when we first met??"
Joanna flinched at the sudden question..
It seemed like he remembered it. It was the same for Oliver..
Sewers, darkness, blocked roads, crisis, Joseph Pilgeret... .. Joseph’s memories and emotions that flowed in as soon as he took that pill..
"yes.… . Do you remember.”
"At that time, the paladin was really brave. It was beautiful again.”
"Are you talking about beautiful light? ....It is the light that shines brightly before a person dies.?”
"Yes, the Paladin shined, but he was braver than anyone else... .. If you don’t mind, could you please answer? What was he thinking then? I asked you once before, but I never got an answer..”
Oliver asked, feeling like he had found the money he had forgotten to put in his coat..
Fortunately, I got an answer this time..
"..…I thought about God.”
"Was that all?”
“….And I thought about my younger siblings too..”
"Brother? Do you have a younger brother??”
"Yes, although he is not my real brother..”
"...??"
"I'm from an orphanage..”
"...!!"
Oliver was surprised..
Could it be that Joanna is an orphan like herself?.
There was no basis or reason, but Oliver never thought of it like that..
"Is it strange??”
“no.… . It's not strange. But, it's surprising..”
"What's surprising??”
"What can I say... .. The paladin doesn't look like an orphan. They are very different from the orphans I know..”
Joanna smiled softly..
"I don't know what the difference is, but that's not true. People are not inherently different. We are all God's beloved children..”
"is that so? Coal mine supervisors say that orphans are cursed beings, abandoned even by God. Because of that, we said we would go to hell even when we die..”
"That's they're wrong. god loves everyone.”
Joanna said firmly and confidently:.
"Can I ask why you think that way??”
".…Just when I thought everything was over, God gave me the talent to protect everyone, and furthermore, gave me the ability to have a conversation with you. You too can meet and talk to so many people. If that's not proof that God loves us, what is??"
Something didn't make logical sense, but I didn't bother to question it..
I have to say it's a bit difficult to judge.?
Just as Oliver was about to ask another question, Joanna spoke first..
"hmm..… . oliver.”
"yes?”
"Can we just say goodbye for today? It's almost evening time so I think I should go back..”
Oliver looked at his watch. It's definitely time for dinner..
"ah..… . It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped. May I know when we can meet again next time??”
"well? … .Please come to the church in area P as usual and I will come find you..”
"If you don't mind, is there any way for me to contact you first? This is because I want to contact you right away if I have any questions or would like to tell you something. It's okay just once.”
Joanna thought about those words for a moment and then spoke as if she had made a big decision..
“..…If it is really urgent, please tell the priest at the church in Area P. Then I will come just once. Unless there are circumstances that I cannot avoid..”
"oh.… . That's enough. thank you very much.”
***
As we parted ways with Joanna, the sun sank beyond the horizon and the sky turned orange..
It was evening.
time to end the day.
Oliver also planned to end the day..
Normally he would have gone home and rested, but instead, Oliver immediately changed his destination to an inn..
The reason is none other than to meet Rossburn..
I completely forgot about it for a while, but it came back to me during a conversation with Joanna, and I remembered that I had promised to go see her once..
Of course, I never went there.
I felt a little sorry. I feel like I broke my promise.
So, even though it was belated, I decided to visit the inn to keep my promise..
The inn was lit with yellow lights as usual, and the smell of cooking permeated the first floor..
"Who is it... oh. You came?”
The inn hostess looked at Oliver and said. It was like she didn't know it was coming..
"hello? how are you?”
"yes..… . Of course I'm doing well. how about you? They said they would come, but they didn't come, so I thought they were dead..”
"I have some work to do.…..."
Oliver trailed off and looked around the inn..
Usually, around this time, it would be Rossburn's turn to show up, carrying sacks of potatoes, but for some reason he wasn't there..
"But where is Rossburn??”
“Rossburn? I left.”
"leave?”
"Yes, Magic Tower said they would sponsor me as a student. What kind of research institute did they say…? . Oh, I said Mattel.."
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