Chapter 403: An Unexpected Encounter

Jane asked Oliver to introduce her to Yareli.

Upon hearing this, Oliver instinctively looked at Yareli, who was seated across from him, thinking about how to introduce her…

“…She’s someone I know.”

After pondering for a moment, Oliver gave his answer. Since they were on a mission for the Tower of Magic, he couldn’t be completely honest. This seemed like the best response.

After all, Oliver and Yareli did know each other.

Jane and Murphy, who heard the answer, seemed skeptical but didn’t question it further.

Instead, it was Yareli who seemed more concerned.

“Someone you know?”

“Uh… Isn’t that correct?”

Oliver asked, confused by Yareli’s reaction. After all, they genuinely did know each other.

However, Yareli looked surprised, even a bit disdainful.

Her reaction was particularly noticeable given that she usually didn’t show much emotion.

This created a tense and awkward silence, which Murphy quietly acknowledged.

“I feel like I’ve seen this scene before…”

Oliver nodded in agreement. He, too, felt a sense of déjà vu.

‘Ah, that’s right. The party.’

Oliver recalled the time when he went to a party with Jane. Back then, Oliver introduced Jane to Murphy as someone he knew. And then—

“—Nice to meet you. My name is Jane.”

Breaking the awkward silence, Jane approached Yareli and greeted her first.

Yareli, after looking over Jane’s outfit, seemed to recognize her as she stood up.

“…Hello. You must be Jane, the famous investor from Randa. Nice to meet you.”

Recognizing Jane, Yareli gave her a polite and respectful greeting.

Oliver was inexplicably pleased by this.

Seeing that Yareli, from the Tower of Magic, also recognized Jane, made Oliver feel proud.

As Yareli and Jane exchanged greetings, the awkward tension in the air dissipated, after which Murphy introduced himself naturally.

“Hello. I’m Murphy Kimble, a small-time trader. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m pleased to meet you as well, Mr. Murphy, a well-known businessman.”

“You know who I am?”

Murphy asked with interest. It was understandable given that Murphy was affiliated with the Crime Firm and had accumulated wealth through selling Magic Wine, earning the nickname ‘King of Liquor.’

According to occasional updates from Forest, Murphy’s influence and resources were comparable to those of high-ranking Crime Firm directors.

“Yes. I know quite a few people in Gallos, and I’ve heard about the great wines you supply that rival Bloody Wine… I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’m Yareli Iceeye of the Tower of Magic’s Scadi Group. I’m here in Gallos for some business, and it’s an honor to meet such distinguished individuals.”

Yareli immediately revealed her identity, possibly with some intention in mind.

“If you don’t mind, may I join you?”

***

Yareli suddenly offered to join the group.

Though it was unexpected, Oliver sensed she had an intention, so he decided to watch quietly for now.

Murphy and Jane, who were as surprised as Oliver, hesitated for a moment but didn’t seem to mind. After exchanging a few words, they accepted Yareli’s proposal.

“It’s rare to meet someone you know in a foreign place. How could I refuse? I’d be happy to join.”

With a lighthearted comment, Murphy sat at the table, and Jane followed suit.

“Have you ordered anything yet?

“No, not yet.”

“Great, then. Let’s place an order first. As a token of my appreciation for your invitation, I’ll take care of the bill.”

Murphy said this and then called the waiter, fluently placing the order in Gallosian.

Compared to Oliver, who had crammed the language, Murphy’s proficiency and pronunciation were impressive.

Oliver was amazed.

“You’re impressive, Mr. Murphy. Your Gallosian is quite fluent.”

“It’s no big deal. I had to learn it because negotiating through interpreters was becoming increasingly cumbersome.”

“But still, that’s impressive. Gallosian is pretty difficult to learn.”

Yareli naturally complimented Murphy, and Oliver agreed.

From grammar to vocabulary to pronunciation, Oliver found Gallosian more challenging to learn than the Kingdom’s language.

“I learned it quickly because I needed it. Thanks to that, I can save on interpreter fees nowadays.”

“…Ah, that was a joke.”

Oliver caught on quickly and responded with a keen observation.

For someone like Murphy, who had earned the nickname ‘King of Liquor’ in wealth-filled Randa, interpreter fees wouldn’t be a significant expense, so it had to be a joke.

“…Yes, it was a joke.”

Murphy displayed a mix of disbelief and familiarity.

Oliver wasn’t sure why Murphy reacted that way, but he felt satisfied.

His efforts to study humor for 30 minutes before bed each night didn’t seem wasted. He felt proud.

“Mr. Murphy, you mentioned you’re here on a business trip. Could you tell us what brought you here… if you don’t mind, of course?”

Yareli suddenly asked, catching everyone off guard, but Murphy answered calmly.

“I’m here to negotiate the price of Magic Wine. Originally, I’d planned to negotiate at the end of the year, but there’s been something unusual happening in Gallos lately.”

Oliver had a good idea of what that unusual matter might be. But now he was more curious about something else.

While he was debating whether or not to ask, Murphy, ever perceptive, spoke up first.

“Oh, don’t worry about it too much, Dave… The Tower of Magic knows to some extent how my business operates, so it’s not much of a secret.”

Oliver was surprised by this unexpected information, but it didn’t take long for him to understand.

After all, Murphy’s core business item, Magic Wine, was made using Potions, and the Tower of Magic was the main supplier of those Potions.

Once again, Oliver was reminded that in Randa, the lines between the law and the underworld were blurred.

Yareli seemed satisfied with Murphy’s response and turned her attention to Jane.

“Ms. Jane, are you visiting Gallos to invest in the Magic Wine business?”

It was a plausible thought. The Millieu, a union of criminal organizations in Gallos, was known for their strong individual combat abilities, but relatively low capital due to their lack of business acumen.

However, Jane shook her head.

“I’m here on business, but it’s not for that reason. I’m looking into real estate.”

“Real estate?”

“Yes, I’m interested in the urban development project that the Gallos royal family is pushing. I just happened to run into Mr. Murphy, though I’ve received quite a bit of help from him.”

“So, this is what you mentioned about checking into property the other day at the hotel.”

Oliver, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up.

Back then, when Jane unexpectedly joined while Oliver was conversing with Mari.

Oliver, Mari, and Jane talked about various things, and during that conversation, Jane mentioned she might leave Randa temporarily due to work.

When asked where she was going, Jane strangely kept it a secret at the time.

“At the time, I just wanted to keep it a secret for fun… But I never expected we’d meet under these circumstances.”

“Neither did I. But it’s not bad. It’s kind of amusing.”

“Amusing, in what way?”

Yareli asked. Just as Oliver was about to reply, Jane answered instead.

“It’s similar to when we met at the hotel… Dave was talking with a beautiful woman, and I showed up and joined the conversation… It feels like someone’s playing a prank.”

“A beautiful woman?”

Murphy, showing interest, reflexively asked.

There were many rumors about Dave, particularly regarding women, but as someone who knew him personally, Murphy dismissed most as unbelievable.

But the mention of a beautiful woman piqued his curiosity.

And it wasn’t just Murphy who was intrigued. Yareli also raised an eyebrow with interest.

“Mari… She’s just someone I know.”

Oliver explained Mari exactly as he had introduced her to Jane at the hotel. It felt like a somewhat incomplete explanation, but it wasn’t wrong.

However, Jane, with a hint of sarcasm, said:

“It seems like you know a lot of pretty people, Mr. Dave.”

A similar tone to what she used at the hotel.

The problem was that, even after all this time, Oliver still didn’t understand why Jane acted this way. So, he decided to respond sincerely to her comments. It was the polite thing to do.

“I agree. I do know a lot of pretty people. I’m lucky that way.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Murphy, Yareli, and Jane all stared silently at Oliver. Worried he had made a mistake, Oliver added:

“To be honest, I think all the staff at Angel’s House, Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Coco, and of course, you, Ms. Yareli, are all beautiful…”

Yareli flinched at this. It was a reaction similar to when they parted ways after returning to Randa on the airship.

Yareli looked flustered as she stared intently at Oliver, who, unable to understand why, discreetly asked Murphy.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Like I said last time, please stop dragging me into this.”

Murphy expressed his extreme refusal by raising both hands.

Jane’s mood seemed to worsen.

“Ah… Yes, of course, Ms. Jane, you are beautiful.”

“Oh my God.”

Murphy was appalled and muttered quietly. It was the reaction of someone who expected this but still couldn’t believe it.

Yareli’s expression went from surprise to one of irritation, and Jane similarly displayed some frustration as she rested her chin on her hand and stared at Oliver.

She looked as if she wanted to crack open Oliver’s head to see what was inside.

It was undeniably frustrating and unfair. If they would just tell him why they were acting this way, all of this confusion could be avoided.

So Oliver decided to finish what he had to say.

“And Mr. Murphy, you’re beautiful too.”

Pffft━!!

Yareli and Jane, who had been drinking water while glaring at Oliver, simultaneously sprayed their water.

They were surprised, but so was Murphy.

He quietly opened his mouth, shocked.

“Alright… Let’s stop talking and focus on the meal. Just the meal. They’re bringing the food now.”

***

Yareli and Jane silently agreed with Murphy’s suggestion, and Oliver decided to follow along.

Everyone at the table wanted it that way.

Following everyone’s wishes, Oliver quietly ate his late lunch without saying another word.

Not a single word.

Only the clattering of utensils echoed.

Despite the gathering of four people, it seemed likely they would part ways without any conversation. It was a shame, but just then, Murphy, who had finished eating first, spoke up.

“Mr. Dave.”

“Ah, is it okay to talk now?”

Murphy, recalling the earlier conversation, made his refusal clear.

“Yes, of course… Just don’t talk about who’s beautiful anymore, at least not while I’m here.”

“Understood.”

Since it wasn’t a difficult request, Oliver agreed immediately.

Murphy, reassured by Oliver’s answer, continued.

“Phew… Actually, I have a favor to ask. The reason I joined you was because of that.”

Oliver wasn’t surprised. He had sensed this during the conversation Jane and Murphy had before joining them.

“Originally, I was going to handle it on my own, but since I ran into you, Mr. Dave, I thought I’d ask for your help… Could you assist me?”

“What exactly do you need help with?”

“Of course. I’ve already mentioned it.”

“Mentioned it?”

“Yes. I’m planning to negotiate with my business partners in Millieu regarding the Magic Wine trade. Could you act as my bodyguard, even if just briefly, during the negotiations? Though I’ve prepared, it’s a bit unnerving to negotiate on their turf.”

Although unexpected, the request wasn’t shocking. Oliver considered it briefly before deciding to decline, as he had other obligations.

“I’m sorry, but—”

“—If you help me, I’ll assist you with whatever you’re working on.”