Chapter 464: A Hollow Reunion

464. A Hollow Reunion (2)

Inside the mansion bustling with workers packing things, Edith said she sold all her shares of Prometheus Corp.

And she sold them at three times the price.

“It’s the best deal I’ve made in a while. I sold my conscience at a very high price, though it wasn’t that valuable to begin with.”

Edith smiled proudly, like a merchant who sold a cheap item at a high price.

“Weren’t you planning to meet Kenny, the founder of Prometheus Corp., to confirm something…?”

“That was the original plan. But Kenny was either castrated or just really spineless. He even called the Royal secretary in response to my bluff. So, I proposed the deal right away. After all, my main goal is to make money.”

Ah… Oliver sighed. She wasn’t wrong.

Edith did hire him for the shareholders’ meeting, but that meeting was ultimately about profit.

With the nobles’ victory in the share battle almost certain, this deal might have been the best choice.

“But what about the other shareholders? If your shares go to them, they won’t stand a chance.”

Edith raised three fingers.

“First, when Claude sided with the noble group, the share battle was essentially decided. The whole idea of digging into Prometheus Corp. was because we knew there was no answer in the share battle to begin with. Understand?”

“I understand.”

“Second, I don’t care about the other shareholders. If a speculator chooses profit, who’s to argue? If anyone complains, just ignore them. They’re not real speculators, just morons.”

“I don’t entirely get it, but I understand roughly.”

“Lastly, the third point. This one’s the most important.”

“What is it?”

“It’s none of your concern. You’re just a hired lackey, so why worry about this?”

“Ah… You’re right.”

Oliver agreed. It certainly wasn’t his place to interfere. He was just an employee, after all.

So, he decided to act accordingly, like he learned from the staff at Angel’s House about practical flattery for smooth social interactions.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Congratulations. You may not have gotten the information on Prometheus Corp., but it’s still a successful deal… As expected, you’re amazing.”

Oliver said, clapping his hands. Edith looked at him with a shocked expression.

“Whatever you’re trying to do, stop it. It’s creeping me out.”

“Yes.”

“Well… It did help in the end.”

Edith took out a piece of paper from her pocket. It was imbued with the portal magic Oliver made.

He had given it to Edith, just in case. The plan was to teleport directly to her and protect her when he sent a signal through the communicator.

“Thanks to that, I could act tough in front of the Pinkman. I don’t like to admit it, but you were helpful.”

“Thank you.”

“And by the way, there’s one thing you got wrong.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not that we didn’t get any information on Prometheus Corp. I confirmed that the noble group isn’t simply after some pocket change.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, if making some extra money was their goal, they wouldn’t have bought my shares at three times the price.”

Oh… That made sense. Prometheus Corp.’s stock was at its peak.

In other words, it was in a bubble. Adding three times the price to that already inflated value was an insane amount, especially considering how many shares Edith held.

If money was their goal, this deal wouldn’t have happened.

‘It would be like delivering all the money they earned straight to Edith.’

Oliver had calculated the money based on Forest’s training and the information Edith provided.

Naturally, this led to another question.

What is it that the noble group truly wants?

“I don’t know and I don’t care anymore.”

When Oliver expressed his doubts, Edith replied in a tone that showed she really didn’t care.

“Of course. I made an enormous profit, doubling my fortune. Whether Prometheus Corp. makes magic stones with the Red Ones, or deals with demons, it’s no longer my concern… Why? Does it bother you?”

Edith spread her chubby arms as she asked. Oliver looked at her and responded.

“No… I don’t think I’m in a position to judge anyone.”

“Really?”

“Yes… Sometimes I overstep, but then I realize it’s a mistake.”

Oliver thought of Joanna, whom he had met earlier. The woman in turmoil and distress because of him.

“You’re right… Anyway, the point is, the noble group wants something beyond money. They gave me all the money they were going to make, so… It’s no longer my problem.”

“Is that why you’re leaving?”

“Yeah, partly because I want to, but also because they asked me to leave as soon as possible. Since they paid handsomely for my conscience, I should at least respect that.”

“It’s a bit disappointing to part so quickly, though.”

“What nonsense? Of course, you’re coming along.”

“Huh?”

“Huh? My ass. Where the needle goes, the thread follows.”

“Were we even that close?”

“Oh, you bastard! That hurt my feelings.”

Edith said sincerely.

“Apologies if I offended you. But I just don’t understand why I have to follow you when you leave.”

“You’re employed by me, aren’t you? I’m leaving because I’ll no longer be involved with Prometheus Corp., but if you stay, it’ll look really suspicious.”

“Hmm… I’m a contract resolver who works on a case-by-case basis, so shouldn’t it be fine?”

“Maybe that would fly in Randa, but we’re not in Randa. Plus, we’re up against the Royal Family and the nobility. They won’t accept such logic. People who believe they’re born special tend to see the world the way they want, not as it is. They’re likely to think I’m up to something.”

(SINCERE).

Caught off guard by her reasoning, Oliver found himself in a bind. He had planned to meet Joanna after finishing this job, but now he suddenly had to leave…

“What’s the problem? Didn’t you already meet that Holy Knight?”

“Ah… Yes, I did meet her, but we didn’t get to properly talk yet.”

“Didn’t she say she had nothing more to say?”

Edith countered again, and Oliver fell silent. Indeed, Joanna had refused further conversation, so it was almost like his business was done.

Leaving with Edith now would be cleaner in many ways.

Even though his head knew it, he felt strangely reluctant to leave. Very reluctant.

“Why? From what I hear, your meeting with that Holy Knight was rather hollow.”

“It was unexpected, but not hollow.”

“Really? That’s too bad. I found it very hollow.”

“What are you referring to?”

“Kenny. He’s changed into a neutered dog since I last saw him. It was extremely disappointing and hollow. Life is fleeting. Back in the day, he was crazier than me.”

Oliver had heard enough to know what she was talking about.

That Kenny was the guy who, without any real evidence, urged Edith to invest all her wealth in him back when she had just started amassing it.

Considering the speculative madness of the time, it was sheer lunacy. That’s why Edith invested in Kenny.

“It was a crazy era, so I thought the craziest person would be the best bet. And I was right; I made a fortune. But now, he’s just scared of a bluff and secretly calls in the man he used to hate. What a disappointment, even if I did make big money off it. People are bound to let you down eventually.”

For once, Edith’s disappointment and sense of futility didn’t seem like her usual reflexive complaints but came from a genuine place.

“You must have been… close friends.”

“…Not friends. Just early business partners. When money came into the picture, I realized love and friendship were nonexistent. Love and friendship are just illusions poor people invented in place of money.”

“That’s unfortunate. I wanted to be friends with you, too.”

“…Did you learn how to flatter people?”

“Yes, the staff at Angel’s House taught me. But this is sincere. The flattery was the clapping earlier.”

Clap. Clap. Clap. Oliver clapped his hands again.

“I’m so moved I could cry. Should I give you some advice in return? When I say let’s go, just pretend you’re reluctant and come along. If you stay behind, you’ll be in bigger trouble than I am.”

“I know. The Holy Knights will surely investigate me thoroughly.”

“You see the world too positively. Why haven’t you considered that they might do more than just investigate? The noble group isn’t fond of you either.”

“Even if the Holy Knights are an issue, why would the noble group want to harm me? Once you leave, I don’t belong to anyone.”

“The fact that someone who’s been digging into Prometheus Corp. is still around is more than enough reason to harm you. Nobles and Royal Family members have killed people for far less.”

“Hmm… I’ll be careful.”

“…So, you really plan to stay.”

“Besides meeting the Holy Knight, I really want to find out if demons are being summoned here. Moreover…”

“…?”

“If you’re advising me to leave, it means you’re respecting my opinion, right?”

For once, Oliver surprisingly grasped the hidden meaning in her words. Edith smiled as she responded.

“You madman.”

Edith said, then downed a strong drink and suddenly spoke.

“Punch me in the face.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly what I said. Face. Punch. Got it?”

“No, I mean, that’s not what I meant—”

“-If you want to stay in this city and finish your business, then shut up and punch! The decision to finish the job is mine. If you don’t punch, you’re coming with me to Randa—”

—Wham!

Before Edith could finish, Oliver lightly jabbed her nose, as Joe and Terence had taught him.

The sound echoed sharply, like a gunshot.

Edith grabbed her nose as she fell backward, screaming.

“You… crazy bastard! Aw… Damn it… That really hurts!”

Pure anger and frustration filled her voice. Oliver spoke, almost defensively.

“I’m sorry. Does it hurt a lot?”

“You psychotic bastard!… Your punch was strong as hell…”

Edith got up, her chubby body shaking. Blood gushed from her nose as if her nose bone might have broken.

“Aaaaahhh… It still stings. It really stings!!… Did you put emotion into that punch?”

Edith asked, nursing her nose. Thankfully, while clearly annoyed from the pain, she didn’t seem to hold a grudge.

“Sorry… But why did you ask me to hit you?”

Oliver asked the obvious question a beat late. Edith replied while holding a handkerchief to her nose.

“…I needed to make it look like I tried hard to bring you along. If I didn’t do even this much, they’d think I was scheming or didn’t do my job properly.”

Though her reasoning made sense, it still felt a bit much.

“I’m just drawing a line. I have a feeling you’re going to cause some trouble.”

“I intend to be careful.”

“If you’re willing to punch me in the face, your idea of ‘careful’ is pretty meaningless.”

Edith cut straight to the point. She didn’t know exactly what Oliver planned to do, but the fact that he punched her in the face foreshadowed the eventual outcome.

Edith poked Oliver’s chest with her finger as she warned him.

“I tried to take you with me, but you broke the contract by punching me in the face. Got it?”

“…I didn’t actually break the contract, so could you leave that part out?”

“You crazy bastard… My nose is broken!”

Edith lowered her handkerchief, showing Oliver the broken nose his punch had left. Blood gushed out as if from a faulty faucet.

“Now get out. Once I’m ready to leave, I’ll tell the others that you left on your own. You better hide properly. The Holy Knights might come after you immediately.”

“Understood. Then, should I leave without seeing you off?”

“Yes, get lost… Oh, wait a second.”

Edith stopped Oliver and threw a note at him from her pocket. Oliver deftly caught it and read it. It had a number on it.

“What’s this?”

“A contact number for Heimdal. I don’t need it anymore.”