Chapter 492: The Burned City

“Wake up, hero.”

Oliver, who was lost in the abyss, began to regain consciousness when someone called out to him, telling him to wake up, calling him a hero.

“Lieutenant General… Please…”

“I don’t think this is right.”

Then, a woman’s voice followed. What on earth were they talking about… Just then, an indescribable pain surged from Oliver’s right arm, piercing his brain.

“Urgh…”

The pain forced Oliver to remain conscious, making him gasp for air, though it hurt like hell.

“He woke up. I saved him!”

A male voice, filled with satisfaction, spoke up. It was a familiar voice—Philip.

Philip, a nobleman of the kingdom, lieutenant general of the army, honorary grandmaster of the Pure Magic School, head of the Royal Magic Research Department, and leader of the Roer Family.

With great difficulty, Oliver slowly opened his eyes.

His heavy eyelids, dry eyes, a white ceiling, the pain and weakness engulfing his body, and the overwhelming pain from his right arm—all these sensations came rushing in at once.

Despite all that, Oliver could see Philip sitting beside him.

An old man with a lion-like physique, one that seemed too vigorous for his age.

“…Greetings, Lieutenant General Philip.”

“Greetings. Are you alright?”

“Uh… Yes, I’m fine.”

“That’s impressive. I thought you wouldn’t be fine with a black flame dragon in your arm.”

At those words, Oliver naturally looked at his right arm, which was wrapped tightly in bandages.

When he looked at his right arm, his tired and pain-filled brain began reassembling the events that had occurred.

With clearer memories and stronger pain, Oliver let out a groan.

Philip, watching Oliver, asked again.

“Just in case, are you really alright?”

“It seems… I’m in pain.”

“You must really be in pain. After all, it wasn’t any ordinary burn.”

“Not an ordinary burn?”

“It’s a burn that even Holy Power couldn’t heal. Because of that, I was able to get you out of the Pater Church. Even though you’ve been given painkillers, is it still painful?”

Oliver tilted his head in confusion. “Get me out? What do you mean by that?” Then, he answered.

“I’m not sure if it’s the painkillers, but yes, it hurts.”

“I see.”

Philip nodded with a hint of worry. He seemed to have some business to attend to, but he also showed personal concern, which Oliver appreciated.

“Lieutenant General Philip…”

“Yes?”

“This black flame dragon… Is that a wizard’s joke?”

Philip briefly appeared dumbfounded by the random question, then laughed. He turned to the female mage soldiers behind him and said.

“See? This is what being manly is about. Even enjoying pain. The synonym for that would be ‘crazy.’ I like it.”

The female mage soldiers looked even more dumbfounded than Philip. At that moment, Oliver called Philip again.

“Lieutenant General Philip.”

“I’ll answer your questions later, so stop with the nonsense and get some rest first. The doctor should be here soon.”

“Thank you. But that’s not what I wanted to ask… Is Joanna alright? Is Holy Knight Joanna safe?”

This unexpected question made Philip’s expression turn somewhat surprised.

“Ah, that is—”

—Knock, knock.

Just as Philip was about to answer, someone knocked on the door.

The two female mage soldiers behind Philip assumed a guard position and opened the door, revealing two men dressed in priestly robes standing outside.

“Oh… You’ve arrived quickly.”

Philip’s face showed a mix of displeasure and wariness as he looked at the priests, one of whom smiled.

“Servants of God never idle.”

***

The two priests had arrived suddenly and introduced themselves with an elaborate speech.

Oliver, due to his fatigue and pain, couldn’t fully grasp what they were saying, but in summary, it seemed they had come to check on his condition and had some questions as well.

Due to his weariness and hazy consciousness, Oliver wasn’t thinking much, but Philip expressed discomfort on his behalf.

“Asking a patient who has just woken up questions right away… Isn’t that a bit urgent, Priest?”

“For that, I apologize, Lieutenant General… But the situation demands it. Considering the state of the city, we must ask for your understanding.”

City’s situation? Even in his dazed state, Oliver paid attention.

Now that he thought about it, The Burned One had said he would burn the city. And he had failed to stop him.

So, did the city get burned down in the end? No… that didn’t seem to be the case.

If the city had been completely burned down, neither he nor Philip would be lying here unharmed. If the demon had done what he wanted, everyone would have burned to death.

“I don’t understand why you’re preventing us from asking questions about this. Could it create a misunderstanding?”

While Oliver was pondering, the priest threatened Philip with a smile, to which Philip also smiled and countered.

“What misunderstanding are you talking about?”

“… … .”

“Dave or Xenon. This man is a mage of the Tower of Magic and someone I personally hired. And he’s injured. What misunderstanding do you think I’m creating by worrying about his condition?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what does it mean?”

“… … ..”

“More importantly, you just mentioned the city’s situation? Please enlighten me. I don’t know much about the city’s situation as a whole. I heard a massive fire broke out, burning a quarter of the city and killing numerous people, and even Prince was almost in danger. But, I’ve barely received any information, despite you claiming all authority as the Pater Church. Isn’t that a bit much?”

Philip used his logic, eloquence, and presence to turn the tables on the priests who had come to question Oliver.

From his emotions and actions, Philip clearly demonstrated a personal distaste for the Pater Church.

As the tension rose, Oliver spoke up.

“Lieutenant General Philip.”

“Yes?”

“I’m alright. I’ll answer the priests’ questions.”

“… Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes.”

Philip asked once more, and when Oliver responded affirmatively, he backed down, leaving the room to give Oliver space.

When Philip and his group left, only Oliver and the two priests remained in the hospital room.

The priests looked at Oliver with suspicious but restrained eyes, perhaps not expecting him to let Philip leave so easily, then briefly introduced themselves again formally. Oliver also returned the greeting.

“Thank you for receiving us despite your condition. We apologize for barging in on you while you’re in pain.”

“It’s alright… But it seems something big has happened in the city. What happened?”

Oliver asked. He had his own questions, so he allowed them in.

“Do you not remember?”

“I lost consciousness halfway. My head is all jumbled up.”

This was true. So much had happened inside the abandoned mine that Oliver’s mind was a mess.

He had met Fen, encountered a demon, used Filgarett, briefly lived Duncan’s life, and then lost consciousness.

‘…Did I eat those cookies?’

Oliver felt dizzy. Maybe he would be fine after enough rest, but not immediately.

The priests didn’t fully trust Oliver but couldn’t suspect him outright because his condition was obviously poor.

The first priest, who had no visible muscles, spoke. He seemed to have spent his life only reading books.

“Then, we’ll ask you briefly.”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember how you lost consciousness?”

“I fainted while fighting The Burned One.”

Oliver answered without hesitation.

“Is that the demon you encountered?”

“Yes.”

The priests glanced at each other. One of them asked again.

“…Can you describe its appearance?”

Oliver felt the throb in his arm as he responded.

“Um… It looked like a man who had been burned. And it was very strong.”

“Strong?”

“Yes.”

Oliver answered concisely. The Burned One had indeed been overwhelmingly powerful.

It had incinerated Pinkman with a single breath, ignored Holy Power, and turned people into pillars of salt and shattered them with just a gaze or voice. Black magic didn’t work on it at all.

Frankly, he wondered if it was even appropriate to describe it as ‘strong.’

The term ‘strong’ usually referred to something where a fight could be established, but that wasn’t the case here.

‘If it hadn’t been holding back, the fight wouldn’t have even happened in the first place.’

In any case, Oliver explained briefly how the demon’s power was untouchable and how nothing worked against it.

“Not even Holy Knight’s Holy Power worked, and I resisted, but it was useless.”

“I see… Dave, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s important, so listen closely.”

“…? Go ahead.”

“The thing you saw wasn’t a demon.”

“…What?”

Oliver responded a beat late. It was hard to believe what he was hearing.

“I’ll say it again. The thing you saw wasn’t a demon.”

“…Sorry, but I’m sure I saw a demon.”

“No, you didn’t.”

The priest answered firmly. Oliver tilted his head in confusion, unable to follow the conversation.

The priest continued.

“Dave, you’ve been unconscious for the last three days.”

“Three days?”

“Yes. Since Holy Knight Joanna carried you out, until now. While you were unconscious, she told us what happened.”

“What did she say?”

“She said that Fen of Eternal Youth conducted an evil curse ritual.”

Oliver frowned. An evil curse ritual… It wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t completely accurate either.

“Then, what exactly did I see?”

“—It must have been a dream.”

The second priest, who had been silent, interjected. Unlike the thin first priest, the second priest was as sturdy and lively as a Holy Knight.

“After being unconscious for three days, it’s natural to confuse dreams with reality.”

Without a word, Oliver raised his burned right arm.

“…He said that was a wound inflicted by Fen.”

“I may be dull, and my head is foggy right now, but I can distinguish between a dream and reality.”

“That’s not what’s important. What’s important is that the Holy Knight said that, and our Pater Church has made the same judgment.”

At that moment, Oliver finally understood what the priests were getting at. They intended to conceal the existence of the demon.

Yet, Oliver couldn’t understand why they would hide something so important.

“Is that why you came to see me?”

“Yes. And we have a request for you regarding this matter.”

“What is it?”

“We need you to keep quiet about what you saw, or what you think you saw in your dream.”

“Why should I do that? It was just a dream, wasn’t it?”

“To prevent chaos.”

“Chaos?”

“Yes. You asked earlier if something big happened in this city, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Something catastrophic did happen. Starting on the day you entered the abandoned mine, the water in various parts of the city turned red, then there was an outbreak of frogs, and finally, a massive fire broke out, primarily in densely populated residential and industrial areas.”

The second priest took a breath before continuing.

“Thanks to that, this city is in utter chaos, with countless casualties and displaced people. Various conspiracy theories are fueling people’s confusion and fear. In such a situation, if someone claims to have seen a demon, this city would become a hell on earth.”

Oh, their words were convincing, especially since they were all true.

“That’s why we’re asking you. And it’s not for free. I’ve heard how much effort you put into this mission, and you’ll be rewarded accordingly. However…”

“However?”

“If you carelessly mention your dream, we’ll consider it an attempt to incite chaos and defame the Pater Church, and we’ll have no choice but to take appropriate measures… Will you accept our request?”

Oliver looked into the priest’s eyes and sensed his emotions. Though the words were phrased as a request, it was half a threat. If they could, they would deal with Oliver right this moment.

After a brief hesitation, Oliver spoke.

“May I also make a request of you?”

“A request… What is it?”

“May I see the Holy Knight? Joanna, the Holy Knight. I’m worried if she’s okay.”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“My mission was to assist the Holy Knight. I want to confirm whether I did my job properly.”

Oliver stated the obvious. The reason he entered the abandoned mine was to assist the Holy Knight.

Surprised by the unexpected response, the two priests exchanged glances before nodding.

***

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

A priest walked down a white marble corridor.

He was a priest of the Holy Emperor’s Palace, and he passed a massive statue to arrive at a gold-embellished door.

The priest stopped and straightened himself before knocking on the door. But just then, a dignified voice spoke from beyond the door.

“Enter.”

The voice, knowing of his presence, didn’t surprise him. After all, the person behind the door was one of the leaders who practically ran the Pater Church.

“Your Grace.”

The priest opened the door and entered.

Inside, he saw a huge bald man sitting against the backdrop of a massive mural depicting an angel driving away demons and foreign gods.

His name was Roderick Boer. The current Chief Priest of the Pater Church, the financial officer responsible for the treasury of the Holy Emperor’s Palace, and a former Holy Knight.

Boer was, as usual, waging a war against a mountain of paperwork.

“We have received news from the New Continent. The solver has awakened and has accepted our request.”

The solver referred to none other than Dave Wright, a solver in Randa’s T-District.

A solver who had been involved in a series of major incidents recently.

Though this was a significant matter, Roderick didn’t show any surprise or joy. It was all just one step towards the greater goal, something so monumental that it didn’t permit any swaying emotions. Still, he was somewhat relieved that things had worked out.

Roderick continued working on the documents, while the priest leaned in to whisper.

“Your Grace… May I offer a word?”

“Speak.”

Despite the massive workload and the busy situation, Roderick allowed for the priest’s suggestion without frowning.

Loyalty sometimes grew more from a single word than from material rewards.

“Thank you for granting me this opportunity, Your Grace… Wouldn’t it be better to take decisive action rather than rely on vague requests?”

The priest lowered his voice. He was suggesting they should take care of Dave. He was saying it out of loyalty, but it was a foolish suggestion. It was laughable for a common priest, a non-Holy Knight, to propose killing someone. Truly, courage comes from ignorance.

“That’s unnecessary. I’ve investigated this solver, Dave. His success rate is 100%, and his credibility is solid. If he says he’ll do something, he will.”

This was true. After receiving a report from Galahaut, Roderick had taken the time to gradually investigate Dave Wright through various channels.

A mysterious solver who had suddenly appeared in Randa a few years ago.

He was an enigma, although not much was known about his past. Rumors connected him to the Tower of Magic, labeling him as one of their experiments. Nonetheless, he quickly earned a reputation with his outstanding skills, remarkable problem-solving ability, unwavering credibility, and his lack of fuss despite these traits.

The general consensus was that he was an inscrutable man, especially since he had no visible ambitions, no material desires, and no discernible pattern, despite working in the dangerous underworld where life could end in an instant.

Yet, there were also rumors painting him as a playboy who kept a wealthy woman as his lover, and regularly visited brothels.

And more recently, there were even reports suggesting something else entirely.

After taking down the Druid, known as Randa’s living legend, he had apparently made his ambitions clear.

Using his remarkable skills, he negotiated with the Anti-Development Committee, redeveloped the X-District, and then merged the externally raised organizations with Fighter Crew to rapidly establish his own power and influence.

In this process, he had displayed overwhelming performance by raiding and subjugating his strongest competitor, Enjoyment, single-handedly, forcing the remaining smaller forces to submit to him.

From a seemingly thoughtless solver, he had transformed into a man with extraordinary patience, strategies, and ambitions. A contradictory existence without a consistent pattern.

“Then doesn’t that make it even more necessary to eliminate him? We don’t have to assassinate him, as we have enough evidence to arrest him, don’t we? The evidence from that cult group… With that, we could even subdue the old lion of the Roer Family who’s protecting him.”

The priest was referring to the special custom vehicle left behind by Dave at Company B.

Indeed, with that, Dave and even Philip Roar could be implicated. But it wasn’t time yet.

“If we act now, there’ll be inevitable friction with the Royal Family, Tower of Magic, and Randa. Even with that old man… There’s no need to rush yet.”

“But still-”

“-No need to worry. Timing is everything when it comes to information. If we just get through this moment, the black magician’s statements will become meaningless. And even if that’s not the case, we can proceed then. Got it?”

Faced with Roderick’s firm words, the priest could only nod.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“By the way, how is Boniface doing?”

“He’s still under treatment. He’s been searching through ancient texts to heal his injuries-”

Roderick paused his paperwork.

“Ah, not that. Is he still reciting the prayer?”

“Ah… yes, Your Highness. He’s been continuously reading the prayer about the noble sacrifice. Sacrifice is truly beautiful and sublime, and sometimes, it’s inevitable.”

Roderick resumed his paperwork.

“Good. Keep having him recite it. He needs to elevate himself. To face demons, we need a true son of an angel.”