Chapter 449: Situation Review

After a pleasant conversation with Child, an employee at Angel’s House, Oliver headed to the temporary office.

Passing through the bustling streets filled with redevelopment and greeting people along the way, he soon arrived at the office.

Creak.

As Oliver approached to knock on the door, the old door opened. It was James.

“James, have you finished your conversation already?”

“Ah, yes… Mr. Forest explained everything well. Nothing’s been decided yet, but I have something to report to the boss.”

James’s emotions were more satisfied than they had been earlier. Forest’s proposal seemed quite appealing.

That was a relief. He felt guilty about breaking his promise repeatedly.

“Mr. Dave, if you don’t have any business left, could I return to Wineham? I need to report my conversation with Mr. Forest to the boss.”

“Ah, of course… I’ll probably stay around for another week or so. If you’re not satisfied with the proposal, let me know. I’ll make sure to keep our appointment with the pharmacist.”

“Thanks for the kind words… May I ask what’s so important? Is it as crucial as the Tower of Magic or the redevelopment? Just curious.”

He was sincere. James wasn’t trying to pull anything; it was pure curiosity.

It was an understandable reaction. Although Oliver had disappeared suddenly in the past, he was generally someone who kept his promises and didn’t care much about profit and loss.

Unusual for a dark wizard.

Even though he had postponed their meeting three times, it didn’t seem like Oliver was playing any tricks, rather he was just dealing with something serious.

Oliver answered.

“There’s someone I want to meet. They’re quite far away.”

“Oh… Is it a woman?”

James asked half-jokingly. However, Oliver seriously pondered the question before answering.

“Hmm… Yes, it’s a woman.”

***

“That doesn’t suit you at all.”

After finishing his conversation with James, Oliver entered the office, where Forest suddenly commented.

Forest had overheard the conversation with James unintentionally.

“What do you mean by that?”

“That you’re going to meet a woman. It’s normal for a man, but it sounds strange when you say it.”

Oliver tilted his head in confusion. It was a reaction similar to James’s. Even Joe and Al standing next to Forest had a similar response. Why?

“Is it… that strange?”

“I’m not criticizing you, just saying it’s odd. Is she pretty? The lady you’re meeting?”

Forest asked, trying to lighten the mood with a joke.

But just like before, Oliver seriously thought about it. Like when he tried to recall whether they were male or female.

“Hmm… I think she was pretty. Not sure about now.”

“Oh… Is that so? Now I’m curious about who this lady is, that you’d go meet her despite being so busy.”

“I’m curious too.”

A meaningful reply. Forest decided to change the subject.

“…Alright, enough chatting. Let’s get down to business. That’s why you came here. Dave, please take a seat there, and Joe and Al, could you step outside for a moment?”

They were going to have an important business discussion among the directors.

Joe and Al nodded immediately and politely left the room, and Oliver sat in the chair as Forest instructed.

Forest poured the prepared liquor into a glass and handed one to Oliver.

Oliver asked as he took a sip of the drink.

“Did your talks with the City go well?”

“It went just as expected.”

“So, it went well.”

Forest nodded.

Yesterday, Forest met with Minister of Internal Affairs, Carver, and mentioned Oliver’s raid on Enjoyment.

Carver asked what had happened, and as Forest explained, Carver learned that Oliver had actually taken down Enjoyment.

Oliver had promised to do it, and Forest trusted him, but seeing it happen for real was an altogether different shock, especially for Minister Carver.

So, Forest decided to play his trump card.

He told Carver that Oliver would somehow secure the Druid knowledge and offer it to the City.

Though he hadn’t yet detailed how, Forest persuaded Carver solely on the trust he had in Oliver.

Carver, who had built a personal network with Oliver, decided to believe Forest for the time being.

The fact that the damage had already been done also played a part.

Thus, with one foot now stuck in this direction, Carver immediately gave Forest some advice.

He mentioned how the City Councilors might react and the impact it could have on the city.

Carver warned that the City Councilors might see Oliver as a threat due to the magnitude of the incident.

Especially considering they had their own plans for Enjoyment and that the new elite class of superhumans was also emerging as a variable.

So, Carver offered to arrange a meeting where Forest could persuade the City Councilors directly.

He emphasized that his influence as a City official and his ties with Dave only went so far.

Fortunately, that wasn’t too difficult. After all, they had a compelling card to draw the City Councilors’ attention.

“Did the Druid knowledge sway them?”

“Very much.”

Forest replied succinctly and firmly.

With Carver’s help, Forest entered the Council meeting and immediately played his trump card.

He presented a copy of the Druid knowledge that Oliver had secured.

Negotiations usually progressed naturally, as each side slowly confirmed their needs. But sometimes, just like during an air raid, it was necessary to shock the other party into action. That was one of those times.

Forest recalled the moment.

The Councilors’ reactions at that time. They visibly faltered.

It was quite a surprising reaction.

Councilors, who had survived in this city, where the boundary between light and darkness was blurred, and where superhumans ran rampant, rarely showed signs of disturbance.

It indicated just how significant a bargaining chip they had presented.

One of the Councilors asked.

‘How did you acquire this?’

‘I don’t know the details. Dave was the one who secured it. All I know is that Dave will soon obtain several times more knowledge like this and plans to share it with the City.’

‘Why? Why would he hand over such a treasure?’

‘Because we promised to do so.’

Everyone fell silent. Keeping your word—such a rare thing in Randa, where people were more sensitive to profit and loss. But it carried a different weight when spoken by someone who had lived that way his entire life.

At that moment, the City Councilors were overwhelmed by Oliver.

Nothing is more frightening than that which is hard to understand.

From there, it wasn’t too difficult.

Convincing them to lower their guard against Oliver and accept him.

“May I ask how you persuaded them? Just curious.”

“First, I explained the early spirit of Randa and the driving force behind its development. I said Randa’s progress lies not in exclusion, but in acceptance.”

“So they were persuaded by that?”

“No, that was just the wrapping. The real substance came later. I warned them that rejecting you would not only jeopardize the redevelopment of X-District but also mean losing the Druid knowledge. Moreover, many talented people who had established themselves in Randa might lose trust in the City, leading to its decline.”

“Ah…”

“And, even if they drove out a brilliant talent, they’d just end up joining outside forces. That’s the reality… And most importantly, I explained the current political climate.”

“By political climate… You mean the Druids?”

“Yes. The Druids, who had secluded themselves in Greenland for so long, have finally allied with the royal family. It seems they’ve developed a desire for worldly power. And, as a result, the royal family and the Central Council are getting stronger.”

Oliver nodded. Especially since their supporters were connected to Edward X, who had ties to demons. Even Oliver felt that something unusual was unfolding.

“Moreover, it’s said that even the factions within the wizarding community are starting to move.”

“By factions… You mean the Tower of Magic?”

“No, I’m not talking about the Tower of Magic, but the original factions from which they originated. Those factions are all based outside of Randa.”

Ah, Oliver finally understood.

The origin of the Tower of Magic branched from those original factions.

Oliver had learned this while studying the history of the Tower of Magic in Merlin’s study.

The current Tower of Magic was formed when branches of those original factions each became independent and then united.

In other words, although Mjolnir, Skadi, Agni, and other factions within the Tower of Magic had their roots in them, they were separate entities.

Looking back now, it seemed like a rather distorted structure.

“Are they also interacting with the royal family?”

“Yes, with the royal family, the Central Council, the nobles, or even foreign governments. They’re more actively engaging now, though they had contact before. It’s a tense situation no matter how you look at it.”

Forest took another sip before continuing.

“But interestingly, this situation benefitted us. Thanks to that, I was able to convince them not to treat someone like you lightly.”

“Ah… You’re truly impressive, Mr. Forest.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s the Councilors who are impressive.”

Forest attributed his success to the City Councilors, not out of modesty, but sincerely.

“No matter how we persuade them, if they don’t listen, it’s all in vain. Usually, when people reach a position like theirs, their judgment becomes clouded, but the Councilors coolly acknowledged the situation. They may be corrupt, but they’re not entirely rotten.”

Oliver understood what Forest meant to some extent.

“As we wrapped up the discussion, I delivered the final blow, and the negotiations concluded well… By the way, do you think it’s really possible to turn the forest in the middle of X-District into Randa’s resource?”

***

Indeed, the critical factor that swayed the alert Councilors was the promise to develop the forest in X-District into a resource using the Druid knowledge and the battle with Enjoyment.

“I can’t say for certain, but if we try, it might be possible.”

Oliver responded calmly, as he always did. In a place like Randa, where competition was fierce, such a response would usually earn him a slap, but surprisingly, it only increased Forest’s belief in him.

After all, Oliver had never failed despite speaking like this.

“With Third’s help, we’re securing the Druid knowledge, and we also have the herbs and seeds collected during the battle by the corpse puppet. If we research and analyze everything, I think we can transform that forest into a Druid forest. Plus, we have Seamus with us.”

That’s right. Oliver had a plan to utilize the forest that had emerged in the central region, turning it into a sanctuary similar to Greenland using the corpse puppet—Seamus.

It would be a waste if the newly formed forest were to disappear.

That’s precisely why Child’s training was so important. To develop the forest using the corpse puppet—Seamus and Bathory, he needed someone who could at least converse with them.

“Speaking of which, have you found any Druid corpses in the Black Market?”

Forest shook his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry. It’s not as easy as I thought. We’re searching not only in the Black Market but also the overseas black markets, but someone else is taking them all. Probably the Reformist Druids.”

Oliver wasn’t surprised. They had collected every living member of Enjoyment as well as the corpses. A Druid remains a Druid even in death.

“Well, there’s no helping it, then.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Yes. More hands would be ideal, but I’ve already been collecting tissue samples bit by bit.”

The tissue samples Oliver referred to were from the 82 Druids currently lying in a freezer warehouse.

While Third was reading through the Druid knowledge and memories, Oliver had been carefully collecting tissue samples.

“If we can use those to enhance Seamus, he might be able to manage the entire forest on his own.”

Though it was just speculation, Forest didn’t take Oliver’s words lightly.

After all, everything Oliver had said so far had come true. Suddenly, Forest realized how dramatically his life had changed.

He had planned to spend his remaining years just doing small tasks, but after Oliver suddenly came into his life, not only had he been entrusted with major responsibilities, but he was also leading district-level projects and negotiating with City Councilors.

These were all things he had dreamed of back when he was a poor employee. Forest felt a renewed sense of determination to work even harder.

“…Alright. I’ll make sure to keep looking for more Druid corpses. With the Reformists driving up prices, there’s bound to be suppliers.”

“Thank you. Oh, by the way, may I ask what you discussed with the pharmacist’s assistant? You seemed quite satisfied.”

“Nothing much. The pharmacist seems to have a keen interest in Druid herbs, so I suggested a collaboration. I explained our project… We’ll have to discuss it further, but I think they’ll agree. They want to research Druid herbs, so it’s hard to refuse.”

“That’s a relief.”

Oliver felt reassured. If necessary, he would have kept his promise to the pharmacist, but he preferred to move quickly.

Did Forest notice such thoughts? He asked.

“Ah, by the way, who is this woman you’re meeting? Just curious.”

“Her name is Joanna. She’s a paladin.”

“…”

“She’s currently in the New Continent.”

Oliver responded without a hint of hesitation.