Genius Warlock-Episode 571
571. ask for help (4)
After finishing his conversation with Marie, Oliver left the forest and returned straight to the workshop..
Overall, it was a pretty satisfying conversation. I doubted Marie would agree.
Anyway, Oliver arrived at the temporary workshop set up in Area X much lighter than when he went to the Woodcutter's Forest..
Parabaraparabam!!
A loud yet familiar sound you hear as you approach the workplace. Fortunately, it seemed to have arrived on time..
“I guess you have grown up a lot now... Now I see you telling me to come and go.”
He is confident to the point of arrogance and speaks violently. It was Edith.
“Edith, thank you for coming..”
Oliver greeted the old man sitting on a huge portable chair next to the car. His nose seemed a little crooked for some reason..
“Well, isn't it natural that he is the new self-made icon who has made not a single street, but an entire district, his home??”
“I just lent my name..”
“That's the key. No matter who made it or who put the blood behind it, the important thing is the name. The one with the name is the owner.”
Edith said, pointing at Oliver with her sausage-shaped finger..
At first glance, it sounded like random chatter, but Oliver could feel the sharp insight of a resourceful person who rose from the bottom to the top..
“It's embarrassing. I thought I had made the biggest deal of my life by selling shares of Prometheus, which had become worthless, at three times their highest price, but there was someone worse than me... You can't believe they changed that shithole in Area X so much. amazing.”
Edith acknowledged Oliver through her harsh words and actions. He didn't forget to be sarcastic either..
“By any chance, did you just call me to brag about this??”
“No, it's a misunderstanding. why would i do that?”
“well? Because the guy who didn't do anything until now unilaterally notified me of the time and location? I thought they looked down on me because I was old and weak... What should I do? My life depends on you?”
Edith subtly mentioned the blood elixir..
The Bathory family's elixir that gives stamina to men and youth to women..
“Ah, now that I think about it, it’s time to give it to you..”
After calculating the date, Oliver immediately handed Edith a container containing the blood elixir..
As Edith packed the medicine cabinet, she asked if anything was strange..
“Fuck what? It's the same as usual, but there's something strange about it. What on earth is going on??”
“Miss Jane has been kidnapped..”
Stop.
Edith froze. Although it was a figurative expression, Edith was frozen as if she had been hit by an ice spell..
The complexion that had improved with the blood elixir turned blue in an instant, and the emotions that had always fluctuated like fire cooled down as if they had been poured into water..
What more? Edith thought she was going to swear, but instead of swearing, she just looked at Oliver with trembling pupils..
It's like I don't know what to do.
It was a bigger reaction than Oliver expected..
Embarrassment, worry, subtle affection, strong hatred, anger, resentment, etc. Feelings that did not mesh with each other intertwined and shined..
It made no logical sense, but Oliver accepted it..
From the beginning, emotions were far from logical..
I had already read about it in black magic books, but now I felt like I knew it more by heart..
Oliver was considerate of Edith and waited for her to speak first, but Edith did not open her mouth. In the end, Oliver spoke first..
I didn't know how to explain this type of thing, so I was the worst at talking..
“The person who kidnapped Lady Jane was the Eternal Child Pan, one of the Black Hand's fingers. You attended a party in Gallos, where you were attacked and kidnapped by a fan..”
“······.”
Edith was silent. He had a lot to say, but his pride and the feelings he didn't want to admit prevented him from doing so..
It was ironic. Even though you worry like that, your pride prevents you from doing so... Oliver continued..
“By the way, I was there too. Due to my lack of skills, I lost sight of Lady Jane right in front of me... I'm really sorry.”
“······.”
“Still, I'm going to do my best to save it from now on, so I'd appreciate it if you could wait..”
Oliver said in a dull, business-like tone..
As Oliver was about to pass Edith, he suddenly opened his mouth..
“······Are you close? With Jane?”
Oliver stopped in his tracks and looked back..
“······I think we are close. Because we are friends.”
“under······. After all, she's a very talented girl. Just like my mother, I was born with the ability to attract men..”
Edith muttered, shining with confused emotions of hatred and affection at the same time. Oliver was just silent..
“······Well, we must have talked a lot.?”
“yes of course.”
“then······. Jane. I know who her guardian is?”
custodian? Oliver paused for a moment at the unfamiliar word, but soon remembered who it was..
“Isn't this Mrs. Miranda??”
“Oh, that's true, but not that, a trustworthy guardian... Damn it, I guess you don't know.”
“Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean..”
“Miranda. It is true that she is looking after Jane for business purposes, but in other words, it is just a business relationship. A business relationship is established only when there is mutual benefit. Otherwise, it only works until a bigger benefit emerges..”
“Are you saying there is a greater benefit??”
“maybe? When a problem arises with Jane's personal life, the business is swallowed up. Otherwise why would that crazy bitch take care of those Sisterhood bitches? ······Probably, if there is no legal guardian, everything will be taken away..”
“······That's a big deal..”
Oliver answered sincerely..
Although it was an urgent situation where we didn't know what would happen to Jane's life, that didn't mean the business wasn't important..
For Jane, business meant more than just making money. evidence to prove yourself.
But Oliver couldn't even imagine what it would be like if such a business were transferred to someone else without anyone's consent..
Just as Oliver was about to ask about this, Edith stood up from her chair..
When the heavy man lifted his butt, the simple chair screamed..
“Edith. Where are you going?”
“Angel's House. Because Elizabeth and Coco might know. I'll have to look into it sometime. You're going to save that bitch anyway.?”
Edith, who had calmed down after a brief conversation with Oliver, said as she got into the car..
Oliver asked through the car window..
“Are you trying to protect Miss Jane's business??”
“······I can't bear to see my revenge trophy treated like an asshole. Well, that means my achievements are also an asshole.?”
Edith smiled as fiercely as a beast and left..
Oliver was amazed as he looked at Edith..
“After all, it's amazing.”
***
Knock. Knock.
An office that is neither too flashy nor too simple..
Someone knocked on the door. After a while, the secretary guarding the front of the office opened the door slightly and came in..
“Your Majesty (under the throne room). Paladin Lord Galahaut has arrived..”
“Tell them to come in.”
Armand, who was looking through more documents than usual to sort out a commotion, stopped his work, stretched, and answered..
Perhaps due to age, a crunchy, cool sound rang out..
“Thank you for your valuable time. Your Majesty).”
When the secretary opened the door, a middle-aged gentleman came in and greeted me..
He was a middle-aged man with neat hair like Armand, a stylish mustache, and a perfectly maintained body..
“Do you know who sent it? sit down.”
Armand neither welcomed him nor treated him poorly and suggested he sit down..
Paladin Galahaut also did not express any complaints, as if he had expected this reaction..
“So, what did Rodrik send you for??”
Even though he was a Cardinal Priest, Armand was dressed in casual clothes and personally poured coffee from a magic kettle and served it to Galahaut..
I realized that he had an unusual personality for a Holy Knight. Instead of using servants, you use magic tools..
“Did you know? majesty.”
“The only one who sent someone like you was Rodrik. Roderick knew that too and sent it..”
Armand seemed to think it was no big deal and showed insight into guessing who sent the person and why just by looking at them..
Nevertheless, meeting and talking like this was the minimum courtesy to the other person..
Galahaut got straight to the point in return for the consideration..
The business of Roderick, the cardinal priest, treasurer, and former paladin of the Holy Emperor's Office who sent him,.
“His Highness Roderick asked me to tell you how great it is..”
“her······. Even though I thinned out and thinned out, it looks like there are still rats... What's so great about it? I think I know roughly, but out of courtesy, I’ll ask..”
“You said the suggestion you made to Landa's solver Dave was great..”
I tried it just in case, but it was still the same..
Armand was impressed while drinking coffee. Legalization of warlocks. Obviously, they hadn't told the public yet, but Roderick didn't just find out in advance, he shamelessly congratulated me..
But to my great surprise, that wasn't the case. I expected this to some extent..
“Tell them it's still too early to celebrate. Dave hasn't officially accepted yet..”
“His Highness Roderick also knows. majesty. And he expects you to accept.”
“He likes expectations. To be precise, he likes things to go as he expects... what do you think?”
Armand asked the opinion of the paladin in front of him..
Galahaut hesitated for a moment at the sudden question, but answered..
“I think you will accept it.”
“The reason is? Not what Roderick said..”
“······Because he is a cunning man..”
“guile?”
Armand asked back, frowning slightly. It's like I heard a nonsense story..
“Yes, it may not seem like it, Dave. You can easily tell just by looking at his actions..”
Galahaut spoke with confidence in his eyes and explained the whereabouts of Fixer Dave..
This is an anecdote about how he suddenly appeared in Landa one day, gained a reputation for his amazing skills and workmanship, and killed a druid solver who was called a living legend in the world of Landa solvers, garnering everyone's attention and setting up his own business..
“In just a few years, he established himself as a force in the city of greed..”
“I know that. Isn't this the typical procedure followed by superhumans with strength and resourcefulness in Landa??”
“you're right. However, Dave is different. Normally, superhumans who move like that show subversive tendencies and have people trying to keep them in check, but Dave is different. He usually didn't show any ambition or material greed, but when he came to his senses, he took over that position. He is a dangerous person.”
Armand expressed some degree of agreement through silence..
First of all, it is true that he showed unusual behavior for a problem solver, and it is also true that he gradually increased his size one level at a critical moment..
The key point here was that the power was developed in a completely unexpected place..
Fighter crews, people making choices, negotiations with anti-development committees, etc. He grew in power through unusual methods, so even the cunning Landa City Council could not put any check on his growth..
Because I grew up in such an unexpected place, I was always a beat late to react..
If that was all intentional, then even calling it cunning would be an understatement..
‘Of course, if it wasn't intentional, it's just as scary. Are you saying it’s like a predetermined fate?.’
“Thanks to this, we can't touch him either. Because the Landa City Council and the Magic Tower are protecting us... However, thanks to your wisdom, we have found a way to keep him in check..”
“······Why do you think that? I made him a beneficial offer.”
“Legalization of warlocks. At first glance, it seems like a huge opportunity, but the opportunity is also a risk. If you give him strength, his true colors will come out. And, it will be easy to catch him stuck in Landa..”
It was correct.
To get to know a person, all you had to do was give him power, and it was also true that it became easier to touch Dave. Just as the more he talks, the more mistakes he makes, it was obvious that the more he was active, the more things he would find fault with..
Taking this into consideration, Armand's suggestion to Dave was also correct. but······.
“His Highness Rodrik saw this clearly. He said if things go wrong he will support you so don't ever worry-”
“-What a great person. rodrick.”
“yes?”
Galahaut asked back in surprise. Unlike Rodrik, Armand had a reputation for being stingy with praise..
“He, the representative of the hardliners, is so kind to me, a moderate..”
“······His Highness Roderick said that doing the right thing should not be a problem. It's natural..”
“That's not it, I'm just saying that it's amazing to pretend to be friendly with an iron plate on your face. It's not easy to have the audacity to do this even though you know it won't work..”
Armand sarcastically sipped his coffee. Galahaut defended Rodrik..
“It's a misunderstanding. majesty. His Highness Roderick is doing this for the safety of the people. Just like His Highness Armand..”
“Dave. Do you think he is a danger to people??”
“yes. majesty.”
Galahaut was convinced..
“He's a warlock, and now he's got the title of Finger.”
“Not a finger. Aren’t you part of the Black Hand??”
“That hasn't been revealed yet-”
“-That's fun. The law of presumption of guilt. Well, it was once a specialty of our Paterism..”
Galahaut paused..
“······majesty. He murdered Boniface.”
“I heard they beat him to the point of death, but he didn't kill him. Because I didn't kill him. Didn’t Bonifa sacrifice himself? To return angelic powers. is not it?”
“······.”
“Well, maybe it wouldn’t be wrong to say that I was sacrificed. Prayers glorifying sacrifice were recited for 24 hours..”
Wow.
Galahaut barely suppressed the urge to slam the table..
The person in front of you was a cardinal priest, the highest ranking member of the Pater Church, a politician with enormous influence in the world, and a representative of the moderate faction of the Pater Church..
Even so, Galahaut could not completely get rid of the anger boiling inside him..
Probably, it was because Galahaut also agreed to some extent with the statement that Bonifa was sacrificed..
Armand got up from his seat, went near the window, looked at the scenery outside, and apologized..
“······That was harsh. I bet you feel uncomfortable about that too. However, any choice comes with a price, so don't feel too resentful. Because you are the one who decided to follow Rodrik..”
“······He wants to protect humanity in his own way..”
“If you think so, then so be it..”
“Are you saying there was something else to the reason your majesty proposed a deal to Dave??”
Galahaut asked, more like an interrogation than a question..
Of course, it was unacceptable for a Cardinal Priest of the Church of Pater to really try to make a deal with a Warlock..
“······What I mean is exactly what you are trying to investigate. Through him, we are only trying to stabilize the current chaotic situation where not only warlocks but also all kinds of cults are running rampant. If he does as expected, we will cooperate, but if he is as cunning as you say, we will just punish him. So tell Rodrik straight. He told me not to manipulate him.”
After hearing Armand’s intention, Galahaut stood up..
“All right. majesty. I will convey it properly..”
Just as Galahaut was about to leave, Armand warned again..
“Don't listen to my warning in vain. You should respect me as much as I respect you. If you do something pointless, the archive will step in before I do... Well, maybe that's why I can't move right now..”
Galahaut said hello to Armand and went out the door, unable to say yes or no..
After sending him away, Armand sat down at his desk again to work..
“It must have arrived soon.”
***
“Is this an empty city??”
Oliver, who came out with Iwan through a crack in the air, looked around and asked.
Red soil, hills, and clear skies. Green grass and bushes appeared sparsely as if they had been painted with paint..
It wasn't as green as the forests of Gallos, but it had its own scenery..
Lee Wan responded by replacing the human head attached to the tip of the head grinder..
“no? I think it's nearby. a bit far away.”
“It's a bit far away.?”
“Yeah, I'm not complaining?”
“no······. However, it’s strange that we didn’t go right in front of the empty city..”
“why? I thought this was a taxi that would take me right to where I wanted to go.?”
“Wasn't it? Didn't you say that if you think of a place you want, a crack will open to that place??”
“They said that if you think of the conditions you want in your head, a crack will be provided in a roughly similar location! Grump... If it was such a convenient item, I would have gone straight to the gate where the human meat cook hid it..”
“ah······.”
Oliver let out an exclamation..
“What do you know... why? You shouldn't have asked me to take you to where the fan was.?”
“······Is it possible?”
“Is it possible? If you use it on an island in the middle of the ocean, you might fall into the water. Plus, it won't be a normal place with fans, so I don't know what the consequences will be..”
Lee Wan kindly explained and looked around..
“Hmm... Fortunately, it's similar to what I remember. It's such a fucking country place..”
Oliver partially agreed. Not to mention Landa, even the big city of Gallos could tell that it was an age of magic and industry, but this place was very idyllic compared to those places..
Oliver asked as he took out a car that had been shrunk with a miniaturization spell..
“Do you know which direction to go?”
“Fortunately, I get it. Roughly over there-”
-Wow!.
Just as Iwan was about to speak, a scream and a small human figure were seen over the distant horizon..
Even though the distance was considerable, the surroundings were quiet and loud, so the screams were small but clearly audible..
It is impossible to tell who someone is with the naked eye..
Oliver opened the warlock's eyes, and Iwan took out a telescope with human eyes and eyelids and looked at it..
I saw a man carrying a luggage..
“Do you know??”
Oliver asked, seeing through Ewan's emotions. Judging from his reaction the moment he saw the man, it seemed like he knew him..
“uh. I'm a smuggler working in Vienna City..”
“Well then, let me go and help you..”
“no.”
“yes?”
Oliver asked back. If you know someone and are related to Vienna City, there will be plenty of reasons to help..
However, Oliver soon guessed the reason..
“no way······. Do you owe that person too??”
Ewan was silent, and Oliver muttered softly..
“oh my god.”
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