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Genius Warlock-Episode 495

495. burnt city (4)

well······. well······.

Underground of a closed slave camp. Oliver was sitting on a magical ball of light, setting up a quarter staff on the wall, and filling his stomach with calorie bars..

Because I was hungry. However, the difference from the past was that instead of pouring it into your mouth as you wanted, you ate it slowly, little by little, as if doing a chemistry experiment..

The reason is none other than the right arm. To be exact, it was because of his right arm that was burned by the devil..

Throbbing······!

While eating a calorie bar, I felt a short but intense pain in my right arm. As expected, the pain became a little more vivid every time I filled my stomach. No, is it more accurate to say it hurts more??

Anyway, when I ate some food to satisfy my hunger, the pain became worse than usual. Then, when my stomach went out again, the pain got relatively better..

As if experimenting with his own body, Oliver ate calorie bars to find out how much food he could eat to sustain himself best and recorded it in his notebook..

I feel like this is the only way my body can endure..

‘Hunger, burning pain... Should I record this too??’

Oliver thought as he looked at his own shadow reflected in the light source..

Although faint, life reactions were detected in the shadows, and sometimes they even wriggled on their own..

It wasn't strange. Although unintentional, Oliver gave life to his shadow by injecting it with his own hunger, turning it into a creature..

An amorphous creature without a shape.

The problem was that it was once destroyed by the flame created by the person who was burned..

‘Hasn't it disappeared??’

Oliver guessed. That too was quite possible..

If it is a shadow trait that has a strong connection with the magician. For example, there was a fan's shadow..

Although Pan's shadow was infected with tens of thousands of diseases, suffered enormous damage, and exhausted a considerable amount of its power, it persisted until Pan destroyed it..

In addition, his own shadow contained the emotions, magic, and vitality of a human meat cook who had turned into a dragon, and it had also absorbed many of Pan's creatures, so it was not impossible..

When it comes to black magic, the ingredients are as important as the skill of the magician..

‘hmm······. Let's watch for now?’

Oliver made a decision. It was an unintentional creature, but that made it interesting..

More than anything, I was curious about what the creature created using my own shadow would look like and what form it would have..

Creatures reflect the caster's tendencies and temperament. Unsure of his own temperament, Oliver wanted to take a look at his creature..

“You came.”

When I was finishing it up, I heard a woman's voice..

It was Joanna's voice..

“Yes, sir..”

Oliver put his notebook in his arms and stood up, lifting the quarter staff that was standing on the wall..

“Didn’t I overdo it??”

“Not at all. Although it was unexpected.”

This morning, Oliver remembered going to the Paladin branch and meeting Joanna. Oliver met Joanna under the watchful eyes of other paladins and priests and exchanged the usual greetings..

Just as they were about to part ways, Joanna offered to shake Oliver's hand. He held out his hand that secretly held her note..

Oliver silently received the note and was able to confirm the time and place to meet..

“Why didn't you expect it??”

Joanna's sudden question. Oliver couldn't answer. Why was it unexpected? Perhaps it was because of Joanna's attitude when they first met in the New World..

A withdrawn and avoidant attitude. However, I didn't feel that way now. I felt a strong energy, as if I was determined to do something..

“······No, well... Oh, but is it okay to sneak out like this? I appreciate it, but I wonder if other people might find it strange.?”

“Don't worry about that. Everyone knows that I sometimes go out to the slums to patrol. Maybe it's because of this mission, but they seem to care about me to some extent..”

“Oh, I see······. I'm just saying this out loud-”

“-I told the truth.”

Joanna cut Oliver off and spoke bluntly..

“······.”

“Sunday at an abandoned mine. I reported everything to my superiors. The higher-ups issued an order to keep quiet, saying it could cause confusion, and I decided to follow. sorry.”

Before Joanna could ask, Oliver told her what he was curious about and apologized..

Oliver didn't know how to react..

“no······. I also decided to keep quiet, so the driver has nothing to apologize for. I was just curious..”

“thank you for your understanding.”

Oliver tilted his head at Joanna's changed appearance. I couldn't say specifically, but I felt like I had become stronger. Looks like he's prepared for something.

It looked better than when we first met here, but it also looked dangerous in a different way..

“Sir.”

“yes.”

“By any chance, can I ask what happened after I passed out? I obviously couldn't defeat the Burned One, but I'm curious as to how you got out safely..”

“······The devil admired Mr. Oliver and then left, burning a quarter of the city. You saved me too.”

I meant it. I didn't say everything, but what I said was sincere..

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I think I appreciated it after seeing Mr. Oliver's performance... Thank you so much for saving our city..”

Joanna adjusted her posture and politely bowed to Oliver. I greeted him very politely. It's a bit burdensome.

Oliver tried to stop her, saying she was just doing her job, but Joanna was adamant..

“No, Mr. Oliver. Whatever the reason, thanks to you we were able to reduce the damage to the city. It's something worth being thankful for..”

With those words, Oliver could no longer stop Joanna. That's because her feelings were resolute. She seemed like something was up.

“Thank you for saying that... Is this why you wanted to see me separately??”

“I have this, but I also have something else..”

“What is it?”

“There are two things I want to ask. There is one thing I want to tell you, and there is one thing I want to give you as a gift..”

Joanna spoke neatly, as if she had prepared. I was intrigued..

“What are you asking??”

“what happened to the child?”

Joanna came in with a sigh..

“A boy of about fifteen years old who was taken to the Mattel Research Institute under the School of Life for the purpose of biological experiments. May I know what happened to that child??”

“······.”

“Actually, I've always been curious about that. Shamelessly... Can you tell??”

Joanna asked with determination that went beyond pain and fear..

Oliver thought for a moment and then opened his mouth..

“I was saved with help.”

“Help?”

“Yes, someone I knew at the time helped me. Thanks to him, he was able to save it without much fuss. Now, with his help, I am in a safe place. I also received a letter.”

“······ah.”

Joanna closed her eyes tightly and made a sound that was either a moan or a sigh..

On the outside, there was no particular disturbance, but the tension and fear clinging to the inside were peeled away, and the gratitude, relief, and joy that came from deep within the heart shone through..

She wiped her eyes and opened her mouth..

“Thank you for telling me, really... thank you so much.”

“It's not really something to be thankful for..”

Oliver answered, thinking of Colin..

A boy who believed himself to be a savior..

The boy, whose body was as swollen as bread dough, was afraid of dying and going to hell and begged Oliver to save him, but there was nothing Oliver could do..

At most, all I could do was hold her hand, ask her name, and give her confession..

A person who has no qualifications whatsoever. When the memory of that time came to mind, an indescribable emotion arose. I still didn't know how to explain it..

Did those feelings leak out? Joanna said nothing to Oliver..

Oliver changed the subject..

“······You said you had two questions. What is the other one??”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you from the abandoned mine, have you ever visited the orphanage where I used to live??”

“ah······.”

Oliver exclaimed, remembering what he said to Joanna in the abandoned mine. I decided to answer honestly..

“Yes, I happened to visit nearby... I'm sorry for visiting without permission..”

“No, you don't have to be sorry..”

Sincerity. Joanna asked cautiously..

“everyone······. how are you?”

“well. It's been a while since I visited... It looked good when I visited. The children are bright, and the director and staff are friendly..”

“······When I received the order to move here from Landa, I received an additional instruction..”

“What is it?”

“Do not write letters or contact the orphanage. Of course, the letter from the orphanage didn't reach me. They say they can't focus on their public paladin duties because of their personal feelings..”

It was truly ironic. Although it was late, Joanna wanted to remain faithful to her mission as a paladin no matter what. But he heard that.

Well, a paladin's mission could be interpreted differently depending on one's perspective..

“All I could hear about the orphanage was indirectly through other paladins. They said the church had reduced support..”

“······.”

“Thanks to this, it was almost dangerous for a while, but I heard that it got better again thanks to anonymous donations from Randa..”

“That's good.”

“Yes, how happy I was when I heard it... Are you Mr. Oliver??”

Joanna asked a question. However, rather than asking out of curiosity, it was closer to confirmation. How did you notice??

“hmm······. Does it really matter who helped?.”

Oliver answered after much thought. It didn't matter if I told you, but it didn't matter if I didn't. There could have been a risk of misunderstanding. I donated anonymously through the city, but I just wanted to remain anonymous until the end..

Joanna seemed to understand Oliver's feelings and did not ask any more questions. she was just grateful.

That's right, Joanna couldn't protect the children taken to Mattel or the people at the orphanage at all, but Oliver actually protected them instead..

I still had a lot of questions, but I didn't have the right to ask myself. Not yet.

“Are you okay? Sir.”

“Oh, yes... it's okay. Also, thank you.”

“yes? what······.”

“Just everything.”

“hmm······. If you don't mind, may I ask a question??”

Joanna nodded..

“On the way here, I was able to tour the nearby slums. The situation seemed very bad..”

“Because the wrath of the great fire is directed at the red people. Although the police, military, and our Holy Knights are preventing it, revenge assaults and murders are occurring sporadically..”

Oliver nodded. In fact, even the newspapers here speculated that red people worked together to start a fire, and that retaliatory assaults and murders as a result were common. But there was something else that bothered me the most..

“There is a rumor that the red people will be moved out of the city. Is this true??”

“······yes.”

Joanna hesitated and then nodded..

“He said it was something that had been discussed before. Expulsion of red people. This opinion came about when red people slavery became illegal and most red people were driven into the poor class. Still, it was only at the level of discussion, but I think it gained momentum from the Great Fire..”

hmm······. Oliver didn't know how to react. What the Red Man Warlocks did for revenge ended up putting their people in greater danger..

No, is it because you interfered? My thoughts became complicated. But she had a separate question..

If he had left the burned people alone and burned down the entire city without stopping them, would the red people living in the slums have been safe?.

I thought it might be difficult. Slums are also areas included in the city. If the entire city burned down, it would be difficult for even the slums to survive..

“Is it confirmed? Well, is there any way to stop it??”

Joanna shook her head, beaming with sadness and regret..

“sorry······. It will be realistically difficult.”

Oliver agreed silently. Oliver also expected this to some extent..

There would have been no way to prevent the expulsion of the red people at a time when even Kenny, who founded the Prometheus company, had sacrificed himself to appease the countless people who lost their homes and property in the great fire..

Even dull Oliver could tell about these matters..

If I had to find a way, it would be to kill all the people in the kingdom except the red people.?

However, that also could not be called a method. Then the army will come.

Paul Carver, the city's Secretary of the Interior, was right. This problem was truly difficult. To the point where I could feel how foolish Oliver himself was..

“Do you know where you are being deported??”

“no. That is under the jurisdiction of the Government General... However, it may not be a good place to live. There won't be much property you can take with you. So the red people are also discussing among themselves what to do..”

“How do you know??”

“Thanks to a few small helpings, we started a relationship..”

Oh, Oliver understood right away. Joanna provided her with supplies with her own money and donations, and patrolled her slums to help keep them safe..

“hmm······.”

Oliver groaned and searched inside his arms. he soon found.

“Please take this.”

Oliver held out a bankbook. The bankbook said it was Rand Bank..

“What is this?”

“I met the prince today. Prince Albert. He gave it to you. It's a small gift in return..”

Joanna opened her Rand Bank account. She looked at the amount and was surprised, covering her mouth.

“This, this······?”

“Please accept it. I thought it wasn't my money to begin with..”

“but-”

“-The reason I took on this job in the first place was because of Lieutenant General Philip, not because of the prince. So there is no reason to take that money. Also, I gave it to you as a thank you for protecting the city, so I don't think there will be any problem if the driver receives it. After all, I have no use for that money, but the driver has it. So please accept it.”

Oliver said, and Joanna thought about it and took it, holding the bankbook tightly..

“really······. thank you.”

“The driver deserves it too - what is that??”

Oliver asked as he watched Joanna put the bankbook in her pocket and take out something else..

There was an old book in her hands.

“It's a scripture.”

Oliver looked at the booklet in Joanna's hand. As she said, it was a scripture. That is also the scripture that Oliver returned to Joanna at the cathedral..

“This is the gift I would like to give to Mr. Oliver. I want to give it to you again... Could you please accept it??”

Oliver looked at the scriptures and then looked at Joanna. Her feelings too. She felt bitterness, guilt, and fear of being rejected. Her determination to endure that fear shined through. It was pretty.

“Thank you very much.”

“really?”

“yes. I was thinking about buying a scripture at the same time..”

Oliver received the scripture with his left hand, which had been holding out his bankbook. Just as he was about to put him in his arms, Joanna grabbed Oliver's hand..

Shining with determination, earnestness, desire, hope, etc..

“Sir?”

“You asked me when I first came here.?”

“yes?”

“He said he had something to consult with me. It's sad that I can't feel anything.”

“ah······. Yes, she didn't feel any empathy for the child who was grieving the loss of her family. I felt sad for myself. Selfishly.”

“There's no need to be sad.”

Joanna said. In a voice full of determination.

“There's no need to be sad?”

“yes. That's my advice to you. Because you think and act.”

“I don't really understand what you're saying..”

“Humans are inherently insensitive to other people’s emotions. Especially in this day and age. It's a society that has no choice but to become insensitive..”

Sincerity.

“You can't help but become even more insensitive to people you see for the first time or who are far away. Emotions are also a limited resource..”

Oliver couldn't deny it. As a warlock, Oliver knew better than anyone else how limited emotions are..

“still······.”

When Oliver tried to ask a question, Joanna held his hand tightly. It felt like her emotions were coming through her skin..

“They say a person's true self is revealed not in words, thoughts, or beliefs, but in actions..”

Come on. Joanna tightened her hands..

“I may be foolish, but there is one thing I know for sure. You moved to save a child in danger, you came to me across the sea because you were worried that you were in the wrong, and in the meantime, you saved the city and willingly gave your own money for those in need..”

“······.”

“If you don't relate well, it's probably because you're having a hard time..”

“······Maybe not??”

Oliver had his doubts. Because he couldn't trust himself more than anyone else.

“Well then, I will believe it. No matter what happens, I will believe in you, support you, and help you..”

Joanna promised. With a smile stronger than anyone else's.

***

“It's so damn deep?”

Late morning hours. A Holy Knight belonging to the First Step Branch of the New World was leading his servants to explore an underground cave..

According to Joanna's report, it was said to be a cave dug by the Eternal Child Pan through the Creature, but it was so deep and complex that it was doubtful that statement was made..

‘There is no maze.’

The paladin who received the same mission shouted at the same time..

“Hey, it's not that way! be careful. There are oysters all the way up and down, so if you get lost, you'll be in big trouble.!”

At those words, the paladins, who had almost taken a different path, took the correct direction again and maintained an appropriate distance..

The reason the paladins visited this place was to confirm the demon summoning site that Joanna mentioned..

I visited as soon as I heard the report, but time was delayed due to the deep caves, complex terrain, and traps installed here and there..

It was questionable how Joanna arrived at the scene of the summoning ceremony in such a short period of time..

‘Well, you'll find out soon.’

As the paladin thought, the party was soon able to reach their destination..

As soon as the paladins arrived at their destination, they used holy magic to light up the space and look around. It was literally a huge underground cavity..

I never would have guessed that a cave like this was dug under the city. I got goosebumps.

However, those thoughts disappeared like snow when I saw the traces of a terrible consciousness in the middle of space..

As Joanna said, an estimated hundreds of burned people were piled up around the place where the totem of the Red Man tradition was located, and charred corpses were lined up..

In particular, the most horrifying thing was the girl with her legs torn apart, and she looked horrible to even describe. The disgust was doubled by the sight of blackened humans around her kneeling in a praying posture..

It's been my 6th year as a paladin, but this is the first time I've seen such a horrifying sight..

Was it because of that? I even thought that this space itself was not reality..

“Sir, sir. I took all the pictures.”

A servant holding a camera reported.

The mission this time was to take pictures, look at the surroundings, preserve the scene, identify unique features, and report back..

Now it's the Paladins' turn to move..

As the paladins took their steps, something stirred on top of the pile of hundreds of burnt corpses..

Is the decaying corpse filled with gas? It was definitely all burned down?

The moment the paladins were suspicious and raised their weapons to prepare, a man suddenly stood up..

It was a red man. A red man holding a small child in his arms, one leg lumped together with flesh, and his skin mottled and discolored..

“iced coffee······! Ahhhhh······!!”

The red man rose from the pile of corpses and cried as if the world had collapsed..

The embarrassed paladins tried to use holy magic to subdue him, but Hongin swung one arm first, and the heads of the paladins, including the servant, fell from the body..

Crooked vision. The head fell to the ground, and the paladin could see through his upside-down vision..

A red man warlock howling like an animal. He screamed indescribably and prayed to the dying boy in his arms..

“do not die! Ahhh!! Please don't die...!! You fucking god bastard!!! Ahhhh······!!!!”