Chapter 431: . News

Forest’s X-District redevelopment project. Oliver had never heard of it before. Could it be about finishing the construction at Marie’s residence?

Oliver instinctively asked what it was about, but Jane said she had only recently heard about it and didn’t know the details.

Jane seemed more surprised that Oliver didn’t know. Rumors said Oliver was involved.

It was all so confusing, but it was still helpful.

Just knowing about this was useful, and Jane also explained the economic value of the X-District redevelopment project from an investor’s perspective.

‘Of course, I don’t know all the details. But I heard some things from the Sisterhood. If, by any chance, the project can proceed without interference from the Anti-Development Committee and with secure investments, there’s massive profit potential. Redevelopment, by its nature, can be very lucrative, and the X-District is one of the few undeveloped areas in Randa. Plus, the X-District was initially intended as an industrial zone during the city’s early development, so it’s in a good location. If developed, it’s like a gold mine.’

Jane explained the details to Oliver as if this was some great opportunity.

She talked about the economic benefits of the project, the potential of the undeveloped district, and the political advantages.

Oliver listened to Jane’s lecture while he ate, and only after hearing that the restaurant had run out of ingredients did he finally get up.

After finishing his meal, Oliver expressed his gratitude to Jane.

Normally, Forest’s redevelopment project would just be a topic of interest, but now, it meant so much more to Oliver.

Jane, in turn, was happy to help, saying she might exceed the expectations of the task Mrs. Miranda had given her, thanks to Oliver.

It wasn’t intended, but it all worked out. With mutual gratitude, Oliver and Jane parted ways.

“Wait a moment.”

Jane called out to Oliver just as he was about to leave. She approached him, looked him in the eyes, and said seriously:

“Don’t forget the promise.”

***

After his meal with Jane, Oliver returned to his temporary underground workshop.

Thankfully, no one had entered the basement, which was secured with multiple protection and black magic spells. Oliver lifted the spells and immediately started packing up.

‘I’m glad I worked overnight. The important tasks are already done,’ Oliver thought as he retrieved Duncan, Seamus, and Bathory – the Zombie Puppets he had repaired in the blood tank.

The injuries sustained in the fight with the Flesh Cook had been perfectly sealed with the help of the blood tank and Ptah’s Assistant.

They were not just stitched together with thread and wire but were completely fused into one.

Still, to be sure, Oliver carefully examined each Zombie Puppet’s repaired parts to check for any problems.

The repairs were flawless, much to Oliver’s relief.

“Big Mouth.”

Oliver called Big Mouth, which he had prepared in advance.

The large, fleshy artificial creature blinked its many eyes and waddled over on its stubby limbs, making a croaking sound like a toad.

“Gurrr…”

“Could you please swallow these Zombie Puppets?”

Oliver politely asked. Although reluctantly, Big Mouth complied as usual.

Using its seemingly crude arms, Big Mouth picked up Duncan, Seamus, and Bathory, shoving them into its massive mouth all at once.

“I’ll be retrieving the corpses next. Please swallow them one by one. Thank you.”

Oliver offered Big Mouth a wad of cash in exchange for the favor.

Big Mouth gulped down the money, and Oliver retrieved the corpses he had repaired from the other blood tanks and placed them in body bags.

Big Mouth croaked again as it swallowed each packaged body whole.

Oliver also packaged the preserved corpses from the drying rack and placed them on the floor for Big Mouth. He then packed the organs he had preserved in blood into boxes.

Once he had gathered all the results of his work, Oliver began to dismantle the equipment.

The operation table, drying rack, numerous blood tanks, and auxiliary mechanical devices he had set up in the basement.

“Hmm…”

A quiet hum escaped Oliver. After all the work he had put into setting things up, it felt a bit wasteful.

If he had known this would happen, he might have set things up on a smaller scale.

‘But then again, thanks to this, I managed the workload and completed the tasks efficiently. It wasn’t so bad after all,’ Oliver thought as he used a pump to transfer the preservative and blood solution from the tanks into containers.

Although it was harder than expected since it had to be done manually, his strength and stamina had improved, making the work easier.

Oliver lifted the containers one by one and asked Big Mouth to consume them. He then fetched tools from the workbench and dismantled the machines, tanks, and racks into smaller pieces that Big Mouth could swallow.

It had taken a full day to set up, but the dismantling only took a few hours, thanks to practice.

“Gurrrrr…”

“No, Big Mouth. We aren’t fighting. We’re just clearing out because of an emergency.”

“Gurruk?! …Gururuk?”

“No, there will be a 2v1 fight soon. After we return to Randa, when I have time. I just haven’t had a chance because I’ve been too busy.”

Big Mouth paused in its task of swallowing the operation table and tools, looking at Oliver with what seemed like a mix of betrayal and disdain.

Seeing this, Oliver said:

“Big Mouth… Please don’t stop your work.”

Although Big Mouth’s resentment was evident, it resumed its task, albeit grudgingly. It had no choice, as it was a request from Oliver.

After hours of labor, Oliver finally completed the process, removed his work clothes, changed into regular clothing, and offered Big Mouth another wad of cash as a token of appreciation.

“I trust you, Big Mouth. I’ve seen you train with Child, so I believe you’ll win a 2v1 fight.”

Big Mouth remained silent, shrinking slightly, with its toad-like voice absent. Only its disdain for Oliver was clear.

A silent protest.

Ignoring it, Oliver sincerely thanked Big Mouth for its efforts and carefully folded the creature into a leather case on his waist. He was about to leave the basement when he encountered Lucian, who had come alone.

Lucian, the boss of the Murat Family, one of the forces within Millieu Gallos.

“Ah, Dave! … You’re still here?! I thought you had left with Jane, glad I caught you.”

“I met with Lady Jane earlier.”

“Ah… Did you have a pleasant time?”

Lucian asked as he looked around the now-empty underground workshop.

“Hmm? It looks quite empty… Weren’t you working on something?”

“I did. I just finished cleaning up. I completed the task, and a new one has come up.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I was hoping to take a look around your workshop.”

“Maybe next time, if I have the chance.”

“Really? That would be an honor.”

Lucian exaggerated his reaction with humor. For reasons unknown, he was putting quite an effort into keeping Oliver on good terms.

Oliver, remembering the help Lucian had given him, responded politely. It was only right to repay goodwill with goodwill.

“No need to be so formal. After all, you’ve helped me.”

“Haha… You’re remarkable. Often, people with great strength find it hard to maintain their manners.”

“I don’t have that kind of strength.”

Oliver answered earnestly, though Lucian didn’t seem to believe him.

Oliver wanted to ask why Lucian didn’t believe him but decided to let it be.

He had things to do and didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

After all, belief is a matter of personal choice, isn’t it?

Lucian spoke up.

“You seem busy, so I’ll be brief. Can I have a moment of your time?”

Lucian, the head of the Murat Family, a significant force within Millieu, asked courteously, almost excessively.

Oliver agreed.

“As far as I know, Dave, you’re connected to the Tower of Magic and are also a renowned fixer in Randa. It’s a bit hard for me to understand that, though.”

“I don’t fully understand it either.”

“Huh! …So, can I assume you understand the rules of the streets? Like, there’s no such thing as a free lunch?”

“I don’t know if I understand the rules, but I do know there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

“That’s a relief… Oh! Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to boast about lending you the basement or providing equipment. After all, you saved us, and that was the foundation of a new business. If anything, I owe you a debt.”

Lucian spoke eloquently, and he was somewhat sincere. However, he was also eyeing new opportunities.

Oliver understood why Murphy, a proven businessman, would deal with Lucian.

“But since we’ve helped each other, shouldn’t we expect a cooperative relationship in the future?”

Oliver nodded in agreement. It wasn’t wrong. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder.

It wasn’t that Oliver disliked Lucian. It was just that they lived in different worlds, and maintaining a relationship seemed difficult.

After all, Oliver wasn’t like Murphy, running a business here.

When Oliver mentioned this, Lucian shook his head.

“You never know what the future holds… Especially for someone as capable as you. When the time comes, I hope you’ll think more positively than others about working with Fixer Dave.”

“Well, if it comes to that, yes… But what do you mean there might be a need for my services?”

“I don’t know either. But it seems likely. Ravely has always been chaotic, and right now, it’s even more so… During such turmoil, capable friends are indispensable.”

“Ah… I see. Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

“It’s nothing. Then, I’ll trust that you’ll consider it positively. Thank you for your time… So, where are you heading now?”

“I plan to visit Loculi University. I have someone to meet.”

***

True to his word, Oliver left the basement and headed straight to Loculi University.

In the heart of the ruined City, the relatively intact university was bustling with people of all kinds.

Starting with the students and mages of the university, there were also the city’s property owners and scholars, authorized to stay by the university. Reporters also swarmed the place to interview the heroes who had saved the city.

Additionally, police forces had been dispatched to maintain order and protect the area, making the university feel like a small City within a City.

Oliver blended into the crowd and made his way to the main building where Kevin was.

‘Hmm? Yareli? Lord Terence?’

When he finally reached the main building, Oliver noticed Yareli and Terence being interviewed outside the building and thought to himself.

Dozens of reporters from Gallos surrounded them in a fan shape, each holding notebooks, pens, and recording devices, as they hung onto their every word.

As if they were afraid of missing a single word.

From sheer curiosity, Oliver couldn’t help but watch. At that moment, someone approached him with a face showing both irritation and exhaustion.

“What’s with this skinny guy? …Hey, whoever you are, only authorized personnel are allowed here. Leave.”

The man spoke in Gallosian as he lightly pushed Oliver’s shoulder. However, Oliver didn’t budge, even though he hadn’t used any force.

Just as the man began to sense something strange, Oliver pulled out a temporary ID from his coat.

It was the ID provided to him, Kevin, Terence, and Yareli by Loculi University when they were sent by the Tower of Magic.

When Oliver presented the ID, the man alternated between looking at it and Oliver’s face, realizing his mistake. He stepped back and apologized.

Apparently, it took him a while to recognize Oliver’s sunken cheeks.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“No problem. But can you tell me what’s going on?”

Oliver put the ID back, pointing at Terence and Yareli, who were being interviewed by the reporters.

The man explained:

“They’re interviewing one of the heroes who helped calm the recent unrest.”

The man spoke with a hint of resentment in his tone. After all, Terence and Yareli were affiliated with the Tower of Magic.

Having them treated as heroes by Loculi University might rub some people the wrong way.

Still, it was a bit strange to hold it against them.

Oliver observed Yareli and Terence.

They answered the reporters’ questions confidently and with tact, befitting members of prominent families from the Tower of Magic.

It was as if they had been trained for this… But something felt off. It was like someone was missing.

Oliver asked the man blocking his path:

“Why isn’t Professor Kevin with them?”

***

“It’s political.”

Kevin answered inside his temporary office in the main building.

He sipped coffee while reviewing documents, his shirt wrinkled from overwork. Eight empty coffee cups sat stacked on one side of his desk, indicating he’d already had quite a bit.

“Political?”

“One of the heroes who saved the Capital of Gallos has red skin. That’s a bit hard for the public to accept.”

“Ah…”

Oliver sighed, feeling a sense of déjà vu. But Kevin didn’t seem to mind.

“Why? It’s not like I’m the real hero who saved the City.”

“Well… You did fight alongside Lord Terence and Yareli.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in pretending to be a fake hero, anyway. I’m better off declining… Seriously, do you think those two outside actually enjoy giving interviews?”

Oliver recalled the emotions he sensed from Yareli and Terence during the interview.

“No.”

“Exactly. As children of famous families, they’re stuck playing the role of heroes they never wanted. It’s not something to envy. Besides, I’m busy coordinating with Loculi University. Even if offered, I wouldn’t want the role.”

Oliver looked at the pile of documents on Kevin’s desk.

“Coordinating?”

“Yes, deciding how to divide the credit for defeating the Flesh Cook, how to allocate rights to the various otherworldly creatures we captured, and Gretel’s corpse. There are a lot of tasks. It was a big operation,”

“Are you taking on all of that, Professor Kevin?”

“For now, yes. Master is busy, Yareli is a student, and Terence technically belongs to the military, not the Tower of Magic.”

Ah… Oliver understood. With no other suitable candidates from the Tower of Magic, Kevin had no choice.

It was unfortunate, especially with such a heavy workload immediately after the chaos, but Kevin shrugged it off.

“It’s not too bad. Only those in positions of power in the Tower of Magic usually handle these negotiations. This is important work, and honestly, I’m satisfied with how things are going. If I do well, I might get the opportunity again.”

For the first time, Oliver saw Kevin’s ambition, determination, and desire for revenge. Kevin had his eyes set on a distant goal.

“So why are you here?”

Kevin, quick to catch on, asked. Always perceptive, he immediately sensed Oliver had something to discuss.

This made it easier for Oliver to share his purpose.

“I’ve come to ask for permission. This seems like the right time.”

Kevin, who was sipping coffee and reviewing papers, paused to look at Oliver.

“Permission?”

“Yes, would it be okay if I returned to Randa first?”