Chapter 430: Calm?

Jane approached through the basement passage.

This was completely unexpected. That’s why Oliver realized it a moment later than Merlin.

What was going on? They had rented this place to work quietly, yet Jane showed up.

How did she even find this place in the first place was a mystery.

The only ones Oliver had told the location to were Merlin and Kevin.

Maybe Merlin might know something, but when Oliver looked over, Merlin had already disappeared.

“What the…?”

Thinking about how Merlin appeared and left like the wind, Oliver muttered to himself, and in the meantime, Jane arrived at the basement’s iron door, knocking twice before opening it.

Knock. Knock. Creeeeak…

The sound of scraping metal and rusted hinges echoed as the door opened. Jane peeked her face through the open door.

And thanks to that, she could see the scene in the basement.

There were multiple blood tanks connected to various mechanical devices, containing broken corpses and marionette puppets; embalmed bodies in the process of being preserved; and many others fully preserved, hanging on drying racks. Next to those corpses, piles of blood-packed organs were stacked.

For the record, each corpse had labels marked on their shoulders, such as A, B, or C, based on their quality. The blood-packed organs also had labels indicating their original owners, showing a certain level of experience and systematic operation in this place.

Oliver couldn’t help but wonder how Jane would react to seeing this basement scene, so he focused on her expression.

Though this was a very ordinary sight for Oliver, through years of living in society and his education at the House of Angels, he had learned that it might not be the case for others.

As expected, Jane looked around Oliver’s temporary workspace with an expression showing surprise, confusion, and fear.

It wasn’t hard to understand. There were corpses everywhere. Yet, Jane seemed prepared for this and calmed herself, not showing any outward signs of surprise.

Even though she was fully aware that Oliver was a warlock who could see through emotions, she made an effort within her capacity to be considerate of him.

Her emotions now steady, Jane greeted Oliver from the entrance to his workspace, where over twenty corpses were being processed.

“Hello, Dave.”

Oliver also greeted her.

“Hello, Miss Jane… How did you find this place?”

“I asked Lucian. He knew we were friends, so he kindly told me right away.”

Oliver made a small sound of realization. Ah… It dawned on him. Even though he asked to borrow the basement, he hadn’t specifically told Lucian not to give out the location. That was his mistake.

Due to two days of staying up late, Oliver’s mind was foggy, and he wasn’t quite sure what to say.

It didn’t help that he had just finished a long conversation with Merlin.

So, he asked the question that was on his mind.

“Um… May I ask why you’ve come here?”

“I’m hurt by that. A friend comes to visit, and you ask how I got here and why I came… It feels so cold, don’t you think? Have I done something to make you dislike me?”

“Uh, no. It’s not that. It’s just—”

“—Haha, I’m just kidding.”

Jane laughed as she spoke, but it wasn’t entirely a joke. Although she appeared light-hearted on the outside, she was genuinely worried about Oliver for some unknown reason.

“Um… I just came because I wanted to have a meal with a friend. Is that possible?”

“A meal… you mean?”

“Yes, by the looks of it, anybody would think you need to be fed.”

Jane commented while looking at Oliver, and she had a point.

His condition had improved since the first time they met after the disturbances had settled, but still, Oliver’s appearance was far from good.

It was like a person who had starved for a month but now looked like someone who had only starved for half a month.

It wasn’t a bad offer for Oliver either. For a Solver, their body was their asset, and whenever possible, they needed to eat to recover their strength. And he was feeling hungry too.

Whether it was due to the after-effects of the Flesh Cook’s curse, Oliver had been persistently dealing with this gnawing hunger that wouldn’t go away.

Though he wasn’t starving to death, the constant unsettling hunger was bothersome. It felt almost like a curse.

However, Oliver found the idea of Jane’s proposal a bit uncomfortable. Even though they were friends, and he enjoyed talking with her, it just didn’t feel right at the moment.

Right now, it felt… unsettling? More like a tightness in his chest.

That’s why, after handing everything off to Merlin, Oliver had holed up in the basement and focused on his work.

After some thought, as Oliver was about to politely decline, using his work as an excuse, Jane spoke first, and quite firmly at that.

“Dave.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Just so you know, refusing a woman’s invitation is considered very rude for a man.”

Oliver let out a small ‘Ah’ sound.

He had learned that in the House of Angels. The staff there mentioned that when a woman invites a man to something, it takes ten times the courage it does for a man, and if they are rejected, they feel a hundred times the shame.

Therefore, a true gentleman or a Randa citizen should never refuse such an invitation.

He didn’t entirely understand that, but Oliver accepted the teaching willingly.

‘This is tricky.’

Oliver pondered again, and then Jane continued.

“And you, Dave, are not supposed to refuse my invitation.”

“…May I ask why?”

“Because you promised not to get hurt, yet here you are, hurt… So, you have to eat with me.”

It wasn’t logical, but Jane had made up her mind. There was no misunderstanding her concern and determination for Oliver.

Her emotions were so clear that after a moment of thinking, Oliver nodded his head.

“Alright… But do you have somewhere in mind for us to eat?”

“Of course. There’s always someone in the world still running a business, even if it’s the end of the world.”

Jane answered with a broad smile.

***

Jane was right.

Though Ravely’s outskirts had been ravaged, especially around District 1, people had fled to avoid the disturbances [騷擾], gathering in large numbers which led to unexpected bustling activity, yet there were still people making money off the situation.

Building owners drove out existing tenants, and restaurants were selling dubious food to refugees while gouging the middle-class and wealthy people from the city center.

“This is one such restaurant. But don’t worry, the food is trustworthy here. As you can see.”

“I see.”

While the exterior of the building was nothing special, the interior was well-maintained. Sitting at a table inside, Oliver responded to Jane while having a meal.

Although a massive amount of food was already piled on the table in front of Oliver, the waiters kept bringing in more.

But there was no problem. Just like after the fight with the Flesh Cook, Oliver continued to eat in large quantities, creating more room.

Watching Oliver, Jane remarked.

“You look very hungry, don’t you?”

Oliver nodded. As mentioned before, since the fight with the Flesh Cook, he had a persistent feeling of hunger that wouldn’t go away.

Chronic hunger. It felt like returning to the days of the orphanage or the mines.

The hunger was so bad that even after eating all he could, he still went to bed feeling hungry.

As Oliver skillfully and steadily ate the food, he thought about why this was happening. While it wasn’t too severe to the point where he couldn’t bear it, he was curious about the cause of this phenomenon.

‘Could it be that the Flesh Cook’s Disease-Weakness curse hasn’t fully lifted? Come to think of it, the Disease-Weakness death magic doesn’t necessarily end when the caster dies.’

As Oliver recalled the Flesh Cook, the conversation they had came to mind, and Oliver felt a disturbing sensation, shaking his head.

Seeing Oliver like that, Jane asked.

“Does the food not suit your taste?”

“Pardon? No… It’s very delicious.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear. Don’t hold back, keep eating.”

Jane smiled as she spoke to Oliver, who was already eating without holding back.

Hearing those words, Oliver finally realized how much he had eaten.

“Thank you for your kindness. But are you sure it’s alright? I’ve been eating quite a lot.”

“Consider it a reward for introducing me to this place.”

“Thanks to me?”

“Yes… Isn’t it a bit strange? How would someone like me, who hasn’t been in Randa for long, know about such a restaurant?”

Hmm… now that she mentioned it, it did seem a bit odd. The interior decor was nice, and the food was excellent, but the restaurant’s exterior wasn’t particularly noteworthy to outsiders.

It wasn’t easy to find unless someone told you about it.

“That’s right. Someone did guide me here.”

“Was it Lucian?”

Oliver guessed. In this city, the only ones Jane had connections with were Murphy and Lucian, and among them, Lucian was a local.

But Jane shook her head.

“No, someone else told me. I made friends with them here.”

“Oh, that’s great to hear. When did you make friends with them?”

“When the Flesh Cook caused the disturbances [騷擾], and Loculi University took the wealthy city dwellers into their protection.”

Oliver was a bit surprised. She made friends even in the midst of that chaos? Oliver was genuinely impressed by Jane’s capability.

“Truthfully, it’s more thanks to you than my efforts.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You used the portal to evacuate Lucian, Murphy, and me to Loculi University, remember?”

Oliver nodded. He had opened a portal in the basement for them to move quickly and safely.

“At that moment, I caught the eye of some wizards and refugees nearby, and from there, I was able to strike up conversations and build connections.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I was also quite fortunate. It turns out some of the people I spoke to were natural-born entrepreneurs. Even though the city was in chaos, they were still seeking out opportunities to make money and were gathering investors to bring their ideas to life. Isn’t that amazing?”

Oliver nodded in agreement. But at the same time, he naturally accepted it.

That was a common sight in Randa. Hadn’t Forest said, “If an airship accident occurs at the station, people won’t save the victims; instead, they’ll short-sell the airship company’s stock?” It was much the same as that.

“The problem was that the damage to the city was so severe that they couldn’t raise enough money using the usual investment methods. That’s when Murphy, Lucian, and I joined forces. I could pull in capital from the Sisterhood, while Murphy and Lucian could bring funds from the Crime Firm and Millieu, respectively… That’s how I found out about this restaurant. So, it’s thanks to you too, Dave.”

Oliver quietly admired her. It was fascinating to see such opportunities arise amid disaster and coincidence, and even more so that she managed to seize them.

“So, could you tell me now, Dave? What happened to you?”

The sudden question. Oliver could tell from Jane’s emotions that this was the main point of her visit.

Though recalling what Jane had said and considering the meal she bought him, Oliver decided to answer in line with what he and Merlin had agreed upon.

“After we parted ways, Miss Jane, I went to confront the Flesh Cook. It was hard to do it alone… As you can see, I got hit with Disease-Weakness death magic. During the fight, the Archive intervened—”

“—That’s not what I’m asking.”

Jane cut him off.

“I’m not asking about your injuries but whether you’ve got something on your mind. Physical well-being is important, but so is mental well-being.”

She earnestly asked, genuinely concerned about Oliver. She had considered and reconsidered whether she was overstepping before mentioning it.

As soon as Oliver sensed those emotions, he set down his fork and knife. Even though he was still hungry.

The voice of the Flesh Cook echoed in his ears.

“…Why do you ask such a question?”

Jane shrugged. It was like when they first met, and she’d acted innocent, pure, just like a rich girl—except now she wore more neutral clothing, her ears adorned with black piercings, giving her a confident presence. Yet, it still felt similar. No, perhaps even more so.

“You just seemed like something was troubling you, that’s all.”

Jane’s words prompted Oliver to touch his face.

“Do I really look like I’ve got a problem?”

Jane shook her head.

“Not really. It’s just a feeling… After all, I’m your friend, aren’t I?”

Friend. At that word, Oliver reacted. However, as the Flesh Cook’s words replayed in his mind, a disturbing question arose.

Did he truly consider Jane and Kent to be his precious people? Or was it their emotions he valued? Were they just like cherished toys to him?

‘To you, people are just biological machines that generate interesting emotions… I must have been wrong to threaten you when I invited you here. It was a ridiculous mistake on my part… You, who, unlike even myself, don’t seem to have anyone dear to you. Only those precious feelings, like a child cherishing a toy.’

It was a long remark, yet Oliver clearly remembered every word.

And although he could simply ignore it, it constantly nagged at him.

To be honest, he was curious. If Jane had died during the disturbances [騷擾], would he have been sad? If he was sad, would it be because of the death of a friend?

Actually, this kind of doubt itself indicated that something wasn’t right.

To forget these concerns, he had thrown himself into his work for two days without sleep, but rather than sating his curiosity, his dulled mind only grew more confused.

Staying up all night seemed to have been a mistake. Or maybe he just needed something else to concentrate on.

Oliver cautiously responded.

“…Could you give me a bit more time to answer? My thoughts aren’t well-organized since I haven’t slept.”

“Of course. Take your time organizing your thoughts, but you have to promise me you’ll share with me then, okay?”

Leaning slightly forward as she spoke, Jane looked at Oliver, who nodded and promised.

Satisfied, Jane leaned back and playfully added.

“Thank you. As a reward, I’ll share some news from Randa if you’re interested… Actually, that’s also part of why I’m here.”

“What is it?”

“It seems Mister Forest is planning a business venture. It’s a redevelopment project for X-District. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it? Do you happen to know anything about it?”