Chapter 400: Reception

“Is there anyone here who has an issue with the team?”

On the boxing ring reserved for first-class passengers, Terence Roer asked the question while wearing gloves.

As the boxing champion of the Tower of Magic, he moved like a feather, skillfully closing the distance between him and Oliver, striking at every opening.

Despite the lightness of his movements, the sound of his blows was anything but.

Thud!

Oliver blocked Terence’s punches with his bare hands, responding.

“No, I have no complaints. It just feels like déjà vu seeing the team.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The team consisted of Oliver, Kevin, Terence, and Yareli… all of whom had cooperated for a time back at Lake Village.

“Though it may seem like a lazy decision, this team was chosen with a careful thought.”

Terence darted in again, stepping sharply like a bee, launching another punch at Oliver.

The heavy and fierce punch came down like a swarm of bees, and Oliver dodged and blocked according to the tips Terence had taught him earlier.

The sound of slicing wind and the thud of impact echoed in the gym.

‘There’s definitely a difference.’

Oliver reflected as he evaded and blocked Terence’s attacks.

Although he had learned some close-quarters combat from Joe, the difference was clear.

Terence’s style was more systematic and cleaner, making it more threatening.

Thwack!

Terence switched up his attacks, hitting Oliver’s side differently from what he had taught earlier.

Pain radiated from his side to his chest, neck, and head, but Oliver endured, counterattacking.

“…Is that so?”

“Of course!”

As Oliver countered, Terence delivered a blow to his face.

Oliver’s vision blurred briefly, sharp pain flashing through, soon replaced by a heavy ache.

His steps wobbled, and his upper body faltered.

Oliver assumed a stance to hold his ground the way Terence had taught, but Terence came at him as he’d instructed earlier and forced Oliver back with a flurry of punches.

Thud! Thud! Bang! Thwack!

“The thing is, every one of us has experience from Lake Village. Having that experience just once makes a huge difference! Plus, Kevin and I are war mages! Perfect for this kind of job!”

Even though throwing punches was draining, Terence didn’t show any sign of exhaustion as he kept talking. It was painful.

“Also, I’m practically an outsider to the Tower of Magic, and Kevin is one of those Masters without much practical authority! We can’t promise the Loculi University anything either. Do you understand?”

Oliver nodded as he blocked Terence’s punch.

Now he understood.

This group had been sent as an advance team before Loculi University dispatched proper reinforcements, but they were closer to being a reconnaissance team pretending to assist Loculi University.

To see if the Tower of Magic could successfully deal with the Human Flesh Chef, establish its own frontlines, and earn some immediate recognition.

From that perspective, this team made sense.

Despite their abilities, Kevin and Terence weren’t in positions to make any promises or commitments on their own.

So they could collaborate just enough with Loculi University while assessing the situation in both Loculi University and Gallos.

“Is Yareli here for the same reason?”

Oliver ducked low at the same moment Terence pulled back his shoulders.

Terence swung a hook, but Oliver slipped into the space at his side, getting behind him.

Terence turned his head back, while Oliver caught him with a punch to the face, attacking fiercely.

Surprisingly, despite not having reinforced his body with magic, Terence’s body was as tough and dense as a tire.

It was pure muscle power. Because of that, Oliver’s punch didn’t hit as hard as expected, and he was quickly countered.

Boom!

Oliver felt pain similar to being struck with a club as he fell down onto the ring floor.

“Would you like to tell them? Or should I?”

Terence asked while looking outside the ring. Oliver followed his gaze to see Yareli and Kevin standing there.

“Yareli? Professor?”

Covered in sweat, Oliver called to Yareli and Kevin while lying on the floor.

Yareli gave Oliver a slight nod before speaking.

“My reason for coming is different from Lieutenant Colonel Terence and Professor Kevin.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, my family is acquainted with several powerful people in Gallos, like wizard families, businessmen, and politicians. That’s why I’m here.”

Kevin added.

“Loculi University needs someone who’s familiar with the local situation for an independent investigation.”

“You and Lieutenant Colonel Terence don’t know anyone there?”

“It’s not like Kevin and I have no connections at all, but most of our experiences with Gallos involve killing Gallos residents, like during colonial wars. So it would be difficult to ask for help.”

Terence approached and extended a hand to help Oliver up. Once Oliver grabbed it, Terence pulled him up.

“Ah… I see.”

“Do you have a problem with coming along with us?”

Yareli asked from outside the ring. Oliver shook his head.

“No, I just wondered if it would have been better if someone like Unner and his people also came.”

“They were dismissed because they weren’t completely trustworthy. It’s best to minimize variables for this mission… But why are you suddenly learning boxing?”

Kevin asked, puzzled. After all, not long ago, Oliver had asked Terence to teach him boxing and other close-combat techniques.

It wasn’t that strange, but for someone with Oliver’s skills, it was a bit surprising.

Hearing the question, Oliver thought back.

To Bartholomew, the elder of the anti-development committee who fought him in Z-District.

He was strong. Especially in close-quarters combat; Oliver didn’t stand a chance.

When they fought with quarterstaves, every one of Oliver’s attacks was blocked while his defenses were completely broken.

If it had really been a fight to the death, Oliver would have lost. The quarterstaff, which tore through the Black Suit in one blow, was proof of that.

“…It seems the Human Flesh Chef lineage specializes in close combat. So I thought I’d better train for that.”

Terence removed his gloves and replied.

“It’s questionable how much you’ll gain in such a short time, but it’s better than nothing. Besides, you learn quickly.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Terence shook his head.

“It’s not a compliment, just a fact. You absorb everything I teach immediately, even though you’ve already learned street fighting. You’ve got a knack for brawling, even if it’s not as good as your magic. With proper training, you could hold your own in any fight.”

That was high praise. And surprisingly, Terence was serious. Despite his easy-going and jovial nature, Terence was always serious about these matters—he didn’t joke around.

Kevin and Yareli knew that too.

“Thank you for the compliment. And for teaching me as well.”

“No problem. I was just trying to warm up my body… But wouldn’t it be better to learn a weapon while you’re at it? Like a sword?”

“A sword… you think so?”

“Yeah, if you’re going to combine a weapon with magic, swords are generally the best. They pair well with magic, they’re easy to carry, and they’re good to swing when you’re in close quarters.”

Magic and a sword… Oliver thought of Wallace, one of the leaders of the Free Independent Army in Kel.

He used fire magic and a sword. It might not be a bad idea…

“…I appreciate the suggestion, but I’ll pass.”

“I won’t force you, but is there a particular reason? Even though there’s a better option?”

Oliver recalled the cook who founded the Fighter Crew and Vatori from Mountain Face.

And the moment when their heads were severed.

Feeling an inexplicable unease, Oliver answered.

“Swords are too sharp for my liking.”

Too sharp… Terence frowned, unable to understand. It was like hearing someone say they didn’t want to drink water because it quenched their thirst.

He looked at Kevin, who shared the same teacher, wondering if there was a hidden meaning. But Kevin didn’t provide an answer either. It seemed like he might know the reason.

“You have a point there.”

Kevin climbed into the ring, pulling out a small stick from his coat. It was a quarterstaff shrunk by magic.

“You mean about not wanting to use a sword because it’s sharp?”

“Not that. It’s better to learn weapon skills… Zenon.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Let’s have a match.”

***

Vroooom—!

Amidst the crashing waves and the cries of seabirds, a heavy, mechanical sound resonated.

The horn of a passenger ship. Along with the sound, a massive passenger ship docked at the port, and people with various purposes—business, tourism, immigration, escape—poured out like a swarm of ants.

Among the crowd, Terence’s cheerful voice could be heard.

“You said you’ve hardly traveled abroad before, right? How do you feel?”

“It hurts.”

Oliver replied sincerely. Understandable, since he had been getting hit by Terence and Kevin throughout the trip, learning boxing and staff combat.

Well, it wasn’t too bad. Despite the pain, he learned a lot, and he could heal the bruises with diluted potion. Even though there was a lingering ache, it wasn’t too bad.

Terence laughed again.

“Haha! Does it hurt that much?”

“Yes, both of you are very strong.”

It was only natural. Kevin and Terence were both renowned wizards who had gained considerable fame during their time as war mages. Even without their magic, the two were still strong.

If one didn’t have a strong body, they couldn’t survive long as a war mage.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t survive long. No matter how excellent your magic might be, if you’re physically weak, you can’t endure harsh military life or life abroad. So the weaker ones usually get assigned to resource exploration or military magic consulting roles, while those like Kevin and I, who are tough, get sent to the front lines… Seems kind of unfair when I think about it.”

Terence tilted his head as he spoke.

Kevin interjected.

“Enough chit-chat, stay alert. We’ve arrived in Gallos.”

“Why? You’re worried the Human Flesh Chef will attack us already?”

“No, I’m worried we’ll get pickpocketed. Gallos is known for that. I don’t want to deal with that hassle.”

Kevin’s serious tone made Oliver curious.

“Aren’t there plenty of pickpockets in Randa as well?”

“Yeah, Randa has its share of pickpockets, but Gallos is particularly bad.”

Yareli, who had been quietly following along, matched her pace with them and naturally joined the conversation.

Terence teased.

“You’re talking like someone who has met lots of pickpockets. A noblewoman from the Iceye family shouldn’t be very familiar with the backstreets overrun with petty thieves.”

“Isn’t the same true for you, Lieutenant Colonel Terence?”

Terence laughed loudly at her response. After all, Terence also came from the distinguished Roer Family, a well-known family independent of the Tower of Magic.

The private passenger ship he had taken with Major General Philip to the last Lake Village conference was a prime example.

Although he wasn’t from the family’s main branch, he was still a silver spoon just like Yareli, with little chance of running into a pickpocket.

“That’s because the security in Randa improves the higher the district. While you see cockroach-like petty thieves in the lower-class areas, they’re nearly nonexistent in middle-class areas, and they’re practically extinct in upper-class areas, where the police beat them immediately.”

“But Gallos isn’t like that?”

In response to Oliver’s question, Kevin just nodded and motioned for him to look at the scene ahead.

At the port city of Lengkal in Gallos.

“Ah…”

Oliver let out a small sound as he looked at Lengkal.

***

Kevin mentioned that the pickpockets in Gallos were backed by Millieu, a criminal organization in Gallos, making them worse than the ones in Randa.

While the Cralim Firm mainly consisted of businessmen who didn’t engage in such crimes, Millieu had no qualms about running organized pickpocketing and other crimes like robbery. They sent their thieves everywhere.

As if to prove his point, in every nook and cranny of the harbor, boys who looked like pickpockets were hiding like rats.

‘And there are real rats too.’

Oliver thought, spotting rats scurrying along the wet gray cobblestone roads.

With gray and black fur, they squealed and fought over food scraps.

Then, a carriage passed by, squashing the rats, but more soon gathered to devour the remains of their own kind.

“Ugh. I think I’m going to throw up. Disgusting rats…”

“First, we should go exchange money at the bank…”

“What!? Why didn’t they come out?! Hey, secretary! What’s going on?”

“Eek…! I-I’m sorry, sir! I’ll contact them right away…”

“Hurry up! Why aren’t you moving faster, you idiot?!”

“Honey! I want to head straight to the shopping center! There’s a hat, shoes, and perfumes I need—”

“—Alright, alright. I’ll buy them for you with the money I worked hard to earn, so stop nagging.”

“Oh, I love you!”

Passengers from the same ship, including Oliver, Kevin, Terence, and Kevin, made small remarks, excited about setting foot in a foreign land.

The noise and commotion created a harmony of sound.

Being at Gallos’s port city, it indeed felt more developed compared to the halfway point where their previous conference was held.

Although it was filthy, with strange posters and graffiti covering the walls, and carriages rolling by, it still felt more advanced than Halfway.

‘Not as good as Randa… but somewhere in between Halfway and Randa?’

Kevin and Terence were exchanging words at a busy intersection where the bustling crowd scattered like spiderlings.

“We’ll grab a carriage or a taxi and head straight for the train station, right?”

“Yeah, but let’s go a bit further. It looks hard to catch one here.”

Kevin looked around as he spoke. Indeed, it seemed tough to catch a carriage or taxi here.

There were far fewer carriages and taxis than there were passengers.

Even the taxi drivers and coachmen didn’t seem eager to work. They were openly drinking and arguing with customers who were asking for rides.

Some hiked the prices, some simply didn’t want to work.

‘Hmm? But those men in purple jackets…?’

Oliver noticed the men standing around the taxi drivers and coachmen.

Surely, they were part of the faction supporting Gallos’s wealthy class.

He wondered what they were doing here. Their stance reminded him of a gang monopolizing work in a specific area.

“Ah, here you are.”

Just as Kevin was about to head further out, a voice with an awkward accent spoke.

Turning toward the sound, Oliver saw two men standing there.

“Hello? You’re from the Tower of Magic, right?”

“…Who are you?”

“Ah, apologies for the late introduction. We’re from Loculi University. I’m Alain—”

“—and I’m Erard.”

“We’ve been sent to escort you.”