Chapter 407: A Welcome Rebellion

“Hmm, what can I say… It’s absurd and surprising, yet not entirely unexpected.”

Terence said this to Oliver, who was sitting in front of him.

Given what he’d heard about the incident with Millieu, things do have a way of getting complicated, but who would’ve thought it would unfold like this…

Oliver, the one at the center of the event, apologized.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Terence. Professor Kevin.”

“No, no. I’m not angry. We were in great need of Millieu’s help, but I just can’t understand how you could get involved in such an incident.”

Terence genuinely meant this.

As a bodyguard, Oliver had demanded an apology from the opposing leader and humiliated his daughter, completely overturning the negotiation.

Of course, such incidents weren’t unheard of.

When an individual’s strength surpasses a certain level, these occurrences are not rare.

In fact, it even has its own branches in social science and psychology.

But, still, Terence didn’t expect Oliver to be capable of such things.

Terence didn’t claim to know Oliver well, but he at least believed Oliver wasn’t the kind of fool to act rudely or wildly just because he was strong. Though, there was something mildly odd about him.

That oddity made Terence curious despite the situation going awry.

He wanted to understand why someone as polite and cautious as Oliver would do such a thing.

“Was it really because of that girl, Jane?”

Terence asked for confirmation, and Oliver replied.

“Yes.”

“Is it okay to ask why?”

“She’s a friend.”

Such a simple answer left Terence speechless. Yareli, observing Terence, then chimed in.

“I also apologize, Lieutenant Terence, Professor Kevin. I share responsibility for our failure to respond appropriately.”

Feeling the weight of their failure, Yareli apologized. She wasn’t sure whether stepping in would have changed anything, but it was true that she had been overwhelmed by Oliver’s presence.

“No, it’s fine. There’s still something positive in this.”

“Positive?”

“Yes. Though we won’t get Millieu’s help, you demanded and received an apology right in their own stronghold. At the very least, we’ll have something to talk about when we return to the Tower of Magic.”

Terence made a joke. Though his words seemed light, it was actually quite wise.

Things had gone wrong, but anger wouldn’t change the situation.

It might be more effective now to accept reality and find a different solution without lowering morale.

“I don’t think that’s entirely necessary, though.”

Kevin, who had been quietly sitting in a corner of the hotel room, suddenly spoke up.

Terence and Yareli turned their heads, puzzled by Kevin’s unexpected words.

Kevin gestured toward the hotel door, and as Terence and Yareli looked towards it, they heard a knock.

It was a hotel staff member.

“Excuse me, guests…. Mr. Lucien Murat has requested to meet you.”

***

Kevin, Terence, Yareli, and Oliver, guided by the staff, went to the hotel hall.

There, a middle-aged man surrounded by two bodyguards was sitting.

He had dark skin, thick lips, a square jaw, and slicked-back hair. It was Lucien Murat.

He was the boss of the Murat Family in Millieu.

Upon recognizing him, Kevin led Terence, Yareli, and Oliver forward.

“Are you Lucien Murat?”

Kevin bluntly asked for his name. Lucien, seeing Kevin, didn’t show any shock; instead, he responded with a sly yet steady smile.

“Yes, I am Lucien Murat, boss of the Murat Family. And you must be from the Tower of Magic, sent to assist Loculi University… Are you the leader?”

“For now, yes. My name is Kevin.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kevin.”

Despite being strangers, the conversation between Kevin and Lucien flowed smoothly.

This was because both could see right through each other.

Kevin asked.

“May I take a seat?”

Lucien gestured and offered the seat opposite him, welcoming Kevin to sit.

As Kevin sat down, Lucien asked.

“You don’t seem too surprised that I came.”

“I had a rough idea of why you might show up.”

“Did you?”

“I heard about what happened between you and Xenon just now… So, there are only two reasons you would immediately come. Either to retaliate or to negotiate.”

Lucien widened his eyes deliberately, giving Kevin a look of admiration for his insight.

“I’ve often heard that the people from the Tower of Magic are exceptionally clever, and it seems that this statement holds true.”

“Did your sources also give you our location?”

Kevin pressed, but Lucien shook his head, his honesty apparent.

“I figured it out myself. My sources don’t have your location; I just wanted to showcase my own abilities.”

“Abilities?”

“Yes. I heard you need local forces to help you deal with the Flesh Cook.”

“Things are moving fairly quickly.”

“I thought you might prefer that. Or, if you’d rather, I could start by explaining how I found you. I bribed someone at the immigration office to narrow down the list by comparing-”

“-It turns out I do prefer when things move fast.”

Kevin’s words brought a satisfied smile to Lucien’s face.

“I thought so. In that case, I’ll get straight to the point. I’m willing to help you take down the Flesh Cook.”

Kevin displayed another emotion amidst the sudden, unexpected offer. This time, it was suspicion.

“You’re offering to help us deal with the Flesh Cook?”

“We’ve had a long-standing rivalry with the Flesh Cook, so it shouldn’t be a surprising offer, should it?”

It was a logical argument. The underworld of Gallos was largely divided between Millieu and the Flesh Cook.

So, it wasn’t strange for Millieu to want to mess with its enemy by aiding the wizards.

“Still, that’s what raises questions. Why are you offering help now?”

Kevin pointed out the inconsistency, and Terence and Yareli realized his point too.

Kevin’s question made sense. If they were willing to help now, why hadn’t they done so earlier?

Especially now, with Loculi University and the Gallos government banding together to attack the Flesh Cook.

It didn’t add up.

“I was surprised too. The Flesh Cook is under pressure from all sides in this critical moment, yet Millieu has been passive… Their actions were limited to handing over trivial information to the university or police, or sending some grunts to occupy areas abandoned by the Flesh Cook’s underlings. But now they come directly offering to help? Something doesn’t sit right.”

“Would you believe me if I said it was because of business?”

“No.”

“Damn.”

Lucien muttered under his breath at Kevin’s firm response.

“This is why overly smart people are a nuisance. It’s better when people are just smart enough.”

“That wasn’t an answer to my question.”

Despite Lucien’s attempt at humor, Kevin pressed for a proper answer.

At that moment, Lucien instinctively knew that if he couldn’t come up with a convincing answer, the conversation wouldn’t progress any further.

Of course, Kevin needed his help as well, but he was prepared to walk away if the answers weren’t satisfactory.

No matter how desperate he was, he couldn’t choose a dubious path.

Taking that path would be more like suicide than a challenge.

After revealing some of his thoughts, Lucien finally spoke.

“If I may say so, the greatest talent for survival in this underworld isn’t brute strength or resilience.”

It was an unexpected statement, but it wasn’t meant to be a joke. There was genuine emotion in his voice.

“Not even wealth or influence? That’s the usual belief.”

Terence, who had been listening quietly, asked. The argument didn’t seem convincing to him, but Lucien was firm in his stance.

“Indeed! No matter how strong you are, there’s always someone stronger, and even the most durable being can be crushed… Wealth and influence? They’re sometimes more worthless than trash. Even billionaires die shitting themselves if they’re stabbed. Go ahead, stab one and see for yourself.”

“Then, what is the most important skill?”

Kevin asked.

“Something more primal. The instinct to recognize a stronger predator—the prey’s instinct.”

“The prey’s instinct?”

“Yes, to survive, you must avoid fighting those stronger than you.”

“… Have you seen the Flesh Cook yourself?”

“Not just seen, I’ve even seen him fight.”

Oliver perked up at this because the information was that valuable.

Even the documents shared by Loculi University and Unner didn’t contain much direct information about the Flesh Cook’s power.

All they mentioned was that the Flesh Cook gained abnormal emotions, magic, and vitality by consuming people, used a kitchen knife as a weapon, and was proficient in dark magic related to diseases.

At first glance, it seemed like enough information, but in reality, it was far from sufficient.

These traits could be attributed to even the Flesh Cook’s disciples.

Of course, this might be the extent of it.

“What was he like?”

“A predator.”

“Excuse me?”

“He was a predator. A predator that no ordinary person could defeat.”

Predator—it was a vague and hard-to-visualize description, but it illustrated just how much Lucien feared the Flesh Cook.

Unner had once said that the Flesh Cook had deliberately chosen to control only half of Gallos’ underworld, rather than lacking in strength. That now seemed to be the truth.

“Just so you know, many others in Millieu share the same view, including myself. That’s why Gallos’ underworld has maintained its artificial order.”

Lucien revealed this startling information without hesitation.

“You seem to take pride in saying it.”

“Why wouldn’t I? Is there any shame in surviving? Honor and fairness are concepts that the strong invented to suit their own preferences.”

Lucien shamelessly asserted this, and his words held the conviction of a belief.

“Yet, why would you help us then? Despite being so afraid of the Flesh Cook.”

“Because the time has come when I think it’s worth taking a risk.”

Upon hearing the question, Lucien instinctively glanced at Oliver, and Kevin didn’t miss that look.

He intuitively understood the situation, as he had once felt the same way about Oliver.

“What do you want in return?”

“It’s quite a bit, so I’ll bring it up during the negotiations with Loculi University and the government.”

“I’m not sure if they’ll agree to negotiate.”

“Do you really think they’re noble enough to avoid dealing with a criminal organization?”

“I’m not that naive. Randa is no saint either. I only pointed it out because they have a plan to catch the Flesh Cook by exploiting his internal conflict.”

“Don’t worry about that. There’s no way it will work.”

“…?”

“Even if all his men come at him, they won’t be able to catch the Flesh Cook. I saw it with my own eyes back then.”

***

District 8, Ravely, Capital of Gallos.

This was one of the most affluent areas in Ravely, with the king’s palace and the triumphal arch.

It also boasted Gallos’ famous department stores, museums, beautiful promenades, and countless nobles loyal to the king.

In other words, this was the capital of the capital.

Because it was such a place, no disturbance was tolerated here, and any trouble was met with overreaction and thoroughly investigated.

For this exact reason, the Flesh Cook chose this spot for his restaurant.

To ensure that the country’s officials, nobles, and capitalists could use it with peace of mind.

“But what are you all doing now?”

The Flesh Cook looked at his disciples and underlings surrounding him and asked.