Chapter 474: Awkward Companionship

“Dave…”

“Good day, Sir Knight.”

Oliver greeted him casually, as if they had just crossed paths by chance. In fact, it was somewhat true.

However, Joanna seemed deeply disturbed.

She displayed confusion, guilt, regret, and embarrassment—just like when she met Oliver at the closed slave camp. Especially embarrassment and guilt.

It was unclear why she felt so strongly, but it didn’t seem like it was just because of Fen’s shadow.

Her emotions were too complex and deep to be a simple reaction to external factors.

Watching Joanna, whose demeanor was unusual both inside and out, Oliver asked,

“Are you okay, Sir Knight?”

“Ah… Yes, I’m fine.”

Joanna finally came to her senses and responded after being asked.

However, contrary to her words, Oliver could see she wasn’t fine at all.

Her emotions were complicated, but more than that, she didn’t look healthy.

He wondered if she was hurt, but that wasn’t it. There was blood on her, but it wasn’t her own. It was probably from the battle with the Red One’s Warlock.

Oliver instinctively focused on Warlock’s Eye, and soon noticed that her overwhelming emotions were affecting her body.

Her vitality was fluctuating due to her emotions. This was evident from her pale face, the cold sweat on her forehead, and her irregular breathing.

She seemed to need some rest, but Joanna had no intention of doing so. She quickly got up after surveying her surroundings.

“Let’s go find the others.”

Oliver followed her obediently.

Objectively, a short rest would have been better, but he knew she wouldn’t be able to relax even if they were alone together.

Joanna was uncomfortable being alone with him. That was why she wanted to find the others.

It was the same as when she refused to talk to him at the closed slave camp.

As soon as Oliver agreed, Joanna pulled out a map of the abandoned mine, compared the numbers carved on the walls and pillars to confirm their location, then focused her Holy Power. A golden light emitted from her eyes as she searched for people nearby.

Oliver also used Warlock’s Eye to scan the surroundings. Fortunately, there were some people, though they were far away.

It felt anticlimactic after forcibly transferring souls all the way here.

After confirming their location and the surrounding area, Joanna instinctively started walking in that direction, and Oliver followed her.

Just like at the closed slave camp, Joanna walked without saying a word, and this time, Oliver also remained silent.

He knew just how uncomfortable Joanna was talking to him.

As a result, only the sound of their footsteps echoed rhythmically through the quiet mine.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Squish.

‘Squish?’

The strange sound made Oliver stop his steps, while Joanna moved further ahead, as if something was chasing her.

As the distance between them grew, sticky darkness squeezed between them, instantly dividing the two.

It was as if the darkness were a living being.

Oliver summoned the stored Mana within him, creating a Light Sphere to illuminate the area, but the strange darkness surrounded him, limiting his vision.

So, Oliver infused emotion into the Light Sphere, creating a black light that drove away the darkness.

“What in the world…”

Oliver murmured as he looked around after the darkness receded.

The passage in the mine, formed of soil, rock, wooden planks, and pillars, had partially transformed into a smooth, fleshy surface in shades of red and pink.

A slimy mucus covered this fleshy surface, and the floor had partially transformed into a similar fleshy matter.

In that moment, Oliver realized that the transformed mine passage had become a part of a digestive system, like an intestine leading to the stomach.

“AAAARGH!!”

“Hya! Hyahaahahahaaaaah!”

“Aahhh! Ahhhahhahahhh!!”

As Oliver observed his surroundings, he heard the sound of a beast howling from where Joanna had gone.

Looking through Warlock’s Eye, he saw Joanna surrounded by Creatures.

Using the light generated by emotions and mana, Oliver rushed through the mine passage, which had begun transforming into an intestine.

Boom! Thoom!!

As he wrapped his legs in the Black Suit to increase his speed, suddenly, the intestine-like passage trembled fiercely up and down, forcing Oliver to momentarily halt to regain his balance. Then, he looked around with Warlock’s Eye.

To his surprise, Joanna and Oliver were now separated by up and down, not front to back, and the passage Oliver was in had fully transformed into an intestine, squeezing in from all directions.

As if trying to crush and absorb anything trapped inside.

Though it seemed pointless to try to escape, as both front and back were now completely blocked, trapping him like a rat in a cage, Oliver didn’t panic. He extracted emotion and struck at the wall with Black Magic.

[Hate Bullet]

Chanting, he fired the Bullet of Hatred at the wall.

However, the enormous intestine formed by Fen merely took a scratch without significant damage.

This was due to both the caster’s skill and the materials used.

Sure, if he poured all his Mana and emotions into it, he could break through, but that would deplete all his resources.

It was a rather troublesome situation, but Oliver, unfazed, drew the blood-red Dagger at his waist and stabbed the intestine-transformed floor.

Squelch.

Strangely, the intestine that had withstood Black Magic was easily penetrated by the Dagger, and numerous diseases were slowly injected into the wound.

As the intestinal passage narrowed down to the size of a small room, the area around where the Dagger had pierced started bubbling, creating countless tumors and causing extreme pain to the intestine.

“━━━━━━━!!!”

The massive intestine silently screamed as it convulsed, and Oliver pushed the Dagger deeper, twisting its handle slightly to the right.

As a result, the intestine felt even more pain, producing yellow pus, and expanding the passage to its original size, as if it had touched fire.

Despite this, Oliver pushed the Dagger even deeper, causing the floor to begin rotting and collapsing under the myriad diseases.

Not missing the opportunity, Oliver enveloped the Quarterstaff in Black Magic and threw it at the weakened floor, which promptly collapsed.

Splash!

Oliver descended with the rotting flesh, pus, and masses of tumors.

In that instant, Oliver saw something. Joanna, surrounded by pale monsters.

She was encircled by multiple Creatures, barely defending herself rather than resisting. Even though she wasn’t exhausted.

Oliver remotely controlled the Quarterstaff, plunging the Black Javelin into the middle of the Creature horde.

Boom━━!!

When the Quarterstaff, wrapped in the Black Suit, descended from above, several Creatures within its range were shattered, and those outside the range were knocked down and pushed back by the indirect shock.

However, that wasn’t the end.

Oliver used Targeting to control the Quarterstaff, unraveling the Black Suit like cloth. He spread it widely and precisely across the ground.

In this state, Oliver infused Mana into it, activating the Spell.

[Pillar-Taming Lightning]

As soon as the Spell activated, the spread-out Black Suit reassembled in the form of lightning rods, mixed with Mana, and exploded. A sharp sound rang out as a black lightning pillar shot upwards, piercing and burning all the surrounding Creatures.

Although the wide-ranging attack seemed to threaten Joanna, who was surrounded by Creatures, she wasn’t harmed.

It was natural, as the Spell focused on precise control rather than raw power.

The Creatures attacked by the lightning couldn’t even scream as they were penetrated and burned, falling lifeless to the ground, and Oliver approached Joanna. Right then.

“Graaahhh━━!!”

As those nearing death fused their hatred and resentment, narrowly avoiding extinction, they formed a new arm, and a skeletal hand gripped Oliver’s neck tightly.

In that instant, Oliver saw closely what had attacked them.

To his surprise, the Creature was modeled after a Red One.

Though it was hairless, its body pale from lack of sunlight, its back grotesquely hunched, and more akin to a ghoul from myth than a human, it clearly resembled a Red One. Given the detailed features and the nature of the creation magic, it was likely modeled after a real Red One.

Perhaps, one of the slaves who had been forced into the mines, laboring until death.

Oliver started to understand. Why Joanna didn’t attack, only defending. It was likely due to her guilt.

While Oliver focused on the sequence of events, the Red One-Creature released a flood of hatred and resentment toward him, adding its other hand to lift Oliver higher by the neck.

Gathering strength in its arms, it let out a sharp screech, as if cursing the world.

“Aaaahhh!! Kaaargghhhh━”

━Crack!!

As Oliver did nothing to resist, Joanna, who had been passively defending up until then, stood up and smashed the Red One-Creature’s face with her mace.

Caught off guard by the sudden blow, the Red One-Creature released Oliver and flew backwards, with Joanna swiftly closing the distance to finish it off.

The Creature’s head was completely crushed by the mace and it was obliterated.

Rather than satisfaction, Joanna displayed guilt as she yelled at Oliver.

“Why didn’t you do anything?! You… You were in danger!!”

“I’m sorry.”

Oliver apologized to Joanna, who had wielded her weapon despite her guilt to save him.

Joanna looked at Oliver in silence, then, overwhelmed by her heightened emotions and fatigue, she started gagging.

“Ugh! Ugghhh…”

Oliver pulled out a canteen from his belt, took a sip to taste it, then handed it to her.

“…”

“It’s a magic canteen with spatial magic, so there’s plenty of water.”

After hesitating for a moment, Joanna eventually took the canteen and drank.

While Joanna drank, Oliver pulled out four Calorie Bars from his bag and offered her one.

“I’m fine.”

“It would be better if you ate something. This one is chocolate-flavored and high in sugar.”

“Really, I’m fine-”

“-The Warden Ameline and the orphanage children would want you to eat.”

Joanna was surprised, her eyes wide, glaring at Oliver.

But Oliver ignored her glare and offered the Calorie Bar again. The chocolate-flavored one packed with sugar.

After a long stare, Joanna reluctantly accepted the Calorie Bar and ate, while Oliver, with his mouth shut, ate a Calorie Bar from a slight distance away.

Crunch, crunch, crunch…

Fortunately, the mine passage that had transformed into an intestine was quiet after its recent distress, and Oliver and Joanna were able to eat their Calorie Bars without any further disturbance.

Joanna ate one, Oliver ate three.

After Oliver finished the last Calorie Bar, he asked a question, guessing her reaction.

“Do you know what happened to the Red Ones here?”

Joanna, somewhat calmed by the heavily sugared Calorie Bar, replied.

“Yes…”

“I thought so.”

Oliver spoke as if he had expected it.

***

Pandora told him about the Red Ones Warlocks just before she connected to the World Tree and departed.

She explained why they became Warlocks and why they terrorized the City.

It was a rather long story, but in short, she expressed that their actions were a rightful claim by those who were deprived and pillaged. At least, that’s how Pandora put it.

“According to Pandora, to the Red Ones, we are nothing more than invaders who have taken their ancestors’ land… She also explained what they went through because of us.”

Oliver recounted calmly, narrating how the first explorers killed the Red Ones who had fed them, how they exploited them for gold and resources, what torture they employed for such exploitation, the massacres they committed, and how many tribes disappeared because of all of this.

“So, Pandora personally supports the Red Ones Warlocks. They’re the victims, and we’re the perpetrators… How did you find out about this?”

“…Through books recorded in the church and from Red Ones in the slums.”

“Ah…”

Oliver let out a sigh. He found it ironic how Joanna, who had faced unjust and evil situations in Randa, was again encountering something similar here.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not defending their acts of terror… It’s just that I question whether it’s right to invade the slums, torture everyone indiscriminately, and slaughter the Warlocks instead of capturing them.”

Oliver nodded silently. He had seen how the slums where the Red Ones lived were raided and interrogated.

If someone was suspicious, they were arrested and interrogated, regardless of innocence.

“Then, why did you participate in this mission instead of a escort mission…?”

Oliver stopped himself instinctively as he spoke. He realized the answer halfway through.

Joanna was a Holy Knight. She would follow orders from above.

Meeting Joanna’s eyes, he understood this, and as if she could read his thoughts, she revealed a look of shame and guilt. Just like back in the cathedral.

“It’s embarrassing. Even now, I’m still like this… I… I was really, really-”

Joanna stammered with a sad smile. Her look caused Oliver to speak words that he had kept in his heart for a long time.

“-The world is complicated, and Pater Church is a very old and large organization, so sometimes we have to compromise with the world.”

“…”

“This is what Sir Knight Elton told me. He was your partner, wasn’t he? After you were reassigned for insisting on auditing the Randa wizard, I met him.”

“…Did you know?”

“Sir Knight Elton told me. He seemed like a good person.”

Joanna nodded slightly. Indeed, he was the one who trusted her and turned a blind eye to her dealings with Black Magic.

“He told me many good things. For instance, how we can’t act solely on righteous ideals. Doing so would distance us from the problem and even lose the chance to resolve it.”

“…That’s just an excuse.”

“Hmm… No, I don’t think it is. I couldn’t refute him.”

Indeed, when Elton said those words, Oliver couldn’t respond. Not because he had nothing to say, but because he had no rebuttal.

In hindsight, it was a bit of a humiliating memory.

“I made things sound too rosy back at the cathedral, didn’t I? It was presumptuous of me… Forgive me. Sometimes I overstep.”

“No… Regardless of what excuses I make, I didn’t uphold the scriptures as a Holy Knight back then.”

Oliver remained silent. Honestly, he agreed with Joanna. A Holy Knight selectively obeying the scriptures based on the situation felt off to him.

Yet, in another sense, he understood her. He had met the people at Ark Orphanage. If they were family, he might hesitate too.

Suddenly, Oliver became curious. What if he’d grown up in such an orphanage?

‘Hmm, that’s a foolish thought.’

Oliver lamented his foolishness in less than a second. After all, his current self was the result of countless ‘what ifs’.

“Still, I think you’re better than me, Joanna. At least you’re trying to fix things, even if it’s late, and you’re wrestling with your conscience right now.”

“…”

“I still can’t do that.”

Yes, despite hearing the Red Ones’ tragedy as vividly as, or even more vividly than Joanna, Oliver didn’t feel much.

Just recognition that such a thing had happened.

It wasn’t shocking to him at all. He was no longer surprised by his own emotional detachment.

After hearing the stories of Nora and her brother Nico, Oliver hadn’t felt the minimum of empathy, guilt, or sadness, but rather sadness at his own inability to feel.

“Does feeling nothing make you… sad?”

“Selfishly, yes… Isn’t that peculiar? Someone else’s family was killed, yet I only think about how I feel. In truth, that’s why I approached you, Joanna. I thought I might get some advice.”

“…Why me?”

“I thought going back to the basics might yield an answer. You were the one who pointed out I had a problem, weren’t you?”

Upon hearing that, Joanna looked more shocked than when she was in the slave camp.

“Dave… No, Oliver…”

Joanna struggled to speak, but Oliver raised his hand to stop her.

“But then I realized something. Even now, I haven’t changed at all since the whole Nora incident. I’m still only focused on my own problems, not caring at all about how Joanna might be affected or what kind of pain and suffering I’m putting her through.”

Joanna shook her head as if to deny his words, but Oliver seemed more certain than ever.

Even after we crossed to the New Continent, I remained selfish. I didn’t care about Joanna’s situation. I only cared about myself.

“Even right now, all I want to do is talk to Joanna about my problems, even though this is the worst possible time for that.”

Oliver brightened the path, which had turned into intestines, using the black light he created.

Joanna, overwhelmed, finally noticed the changes around her.

“What on earth is this…”

“It seems to be the work of Fen, using some kind of black magic from the creation category.”