Chapter 496: . A Busy Return

“Hmm, I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour… Is there something going on?”

Oliver asked as he approached Forest, who was sitting at an outdoor table near the cafe by the port, after getting off the passenger ship to Randa.

“I was waiting.”

“Oh… Who were you waiting for?”

“You, of course… You look quite different.”

Forest replied while looking at Oliver. Indeed, Oliver had changed quite a bit.

He was still as skinny as when he left, but now part of his once black hair had turned completely white, and his right arm was heavily bandaged, clearly in a bad shape.

As Heimdal informed me… It seems like I did the right thing by coming out.

“Heimdal, huh?”

“They informed me that you got hurt. Don’t misunderstand, we weren’t spying on you.”

“Understood.”

Oliver easily accepted and sat across from Forest. It was probably Pandora who informed him. It wasn’t bad since he originally planned to meet Forest anyway.

“It seems like you get hurt every time you leave Randa.”

“That’s not true. Sometimes I come back perfectly fine.”

Oliver spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal. There was no bragging, just sincerity. That made it more of a problem.

“I’m really concerned.”

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Of course, I should worry. You’re the best problem-solver I work with and a key to our business. Without you, could our operations even continue?”

It was a fact without any exaggeration. Currently, the two major pillars supporting the redevelopment project were Fighter Crew, led by Joe, and The Selectors, led by Marie.

Even though Forest hired some problem-solvers and mercenaries and was joined by X-District’s maintenance, they couldn’t compare to the two organizations, which were filled with high-level Dark Wizards and strong organizational structures.

The fact that these two organizations managed to unite without major issues was thanks to none other than Oliver.

“Ending up broke and on the street in old age is something I want to avoid. Nothing is more pitiful than an old man without money.”

Forest spoke in a way that didn’t seem like his usual self, but it didn’t feel offensive. Instead, it made Oliver feel a bit sorry.

He could see that Forest truly cared about him. He wasn’t just regretful that his business partner got hurt; he was genuinely concerned for Oliver as a friend.

“…I’m sorry.”

Forest took a sip of his coffee, as if trying to relieve his frustration.

“Did you get the advice you wanted?”

“Yes… It wasn’t completely satisfying, but I think I got a decent answer.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Knowing you, if it satisfied you, it must have been good advice.”

Forest called the server to get another cup of coffee, adding one more for Oliver, along with dessert.

Seeing this, Oliver ordered an additional coffee and cake.

“Wouldn’t it be better to finish the first one before adding more?”

“It’s not mine.”

“?? …Well, whatever. Is your arm okay? I heard you got badly burned.”

“Ah…”

Oliver looked at his right arm.

“I did get burned pretty badly.”

“That’s quite apparent.”

Forest observed Oliver carefully before responding. Burns are known to cause immense pain.

From Oliver’s pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes, it was clear how much pain he must’ve been enduring.

“Can it be treated?”

“It’s a rather special burn, so it won’t heal easily. Will it affect our business?”

“Normally, yes. The back alley business is quick to challenge any sign of weakness in its leader. But don’t worry.”

“It’s a relief, but why’s that?”

“Last time you came back looking like a skeleton, everyone laughed until something happened. They’ve learned their lesson.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

“So, focus on getting treated and resting. Our business is running smoothly with Marie and Joe handling things.”

Oliver nodded in agreement.

In reality, it was Oliver who eradicated Enjoyment, their biggest competitor in the early days of the redevelopment project, solidifying their position within half a day, but for most of the day-to-day work and minor cleanups, Joe and Marie managed everything efficiently. They could be trusted.

“I’ll inform everyone about your injury. It would be chaos if they suddenly saw you like this.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, you should thank me. Just thinking about it already makes me tired.”

“By the way, does my hair look okay?”

Oliver asked out of the blue while touching his hair. Forest glanced at it.

“It’s a traditional wizard hairstyle—two or more colors mixed.”

“Yes, that’s what they say.”

“Hmm… It’s supposed to look tacky, but it doesn’t seem too bad. You look more like a wizard than a dark wizard. Are you thinking of dyeing it if it’s tacky?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Oliver recalled a conversation with Kent.

In the past, Oliver had offered to create a new arm for Kent made of flesh, bones, and blood, but Kent had refused, saying all scars were part of his life’s history.

It wasn’t a logically understandable reason, but it somehow sounded cool, so Oliver decided to imitate it.

Forest chuckled softly.

“You’re really something… I’ll be off now.”

Forest placed some money for the coffee, including a tip, on the table and got up to leave.

“Leaving already?”

“I’m busy with business too. I’m being called everywhere and have a lot of things to investigate… Besides, isn’t there someone you need to meet?”

Forest subtly glanced at the ownerless coffee and cake placed beside him and Oliver.

At first, Oliver didn’t understand, but from his reaction, it seemed like Oliver caught on.

“I won’t ask for details. Privacy is important. Just take a good rest and show your face within five days at the latest. A lot of people will be worried.”

“Understood, Mr. Forest. Thank you.”

Forest accepted Oliver’s gratitude and left with Al, who had been waiting in the distance.

It seemed Forest genuinely just wanted to check on Oliver’s condition, and Oliver felt grateful once again for Forest’s consideration.

“You can sit down now.”

After Forest left, Oliver spoke up. At his words, Erzebet Unner, who had been sitting quietly in a corner of the cafe, approached and sat across from him.

Once Batohri’s disciple and foster daughter, now the current leader of the Bathory Family, and now also a member of the Tower of Magic, Unner.

She greeted Oliver with a polite bow.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Unner. It’s been a while.”

It was indeed a long time since they last met, perhaps around the time Oliver had left for Gallos to face the Flesh Cook. And at the same time, it was surprising.

“Why are you here, Miss Unner?”

“To meet you.”

“How did you know I would be here today?”

“I overheard the conversation of the man who just left, Mr. Forest.”

Unner showed him a small mouse hidden in her sleeve. The tiny brown mouse was emitting a reddish aura typical of blood magic.

“We fed it refined blood. This way, we can control animals.”

As if to prove her point, the mouse quickly scurried back into her sleeve following her command.

“That’s fascinating. I didn’t know blood magic could be used this way.”

“It’s a skill more useful outside of combat. Although, it was hard because of the monster rats that eat other rats in this city.”

“Monster rats?”

Oliver recalled a newspaper article he had read. Recently, the number of rats in Randa had been decreasing, which was attributed to none other than these so-called monster rats. It was dismissed as a common rumor in Randa.

“It’s not just a rumor. My trained rats said they saw a giant sewer rat that only eats other rats.”

“Heh… That’s strange. A rat that only preys on its own kind.”

“Yes, a highly malevolent creature. Almost something you’d expect from an evil Dark Wizard… Anyway, I apologize if you were offended by spying on Mr. Forest.”

“Did you monitor Mr. Forest with ill intentions?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then, it’s fine.”

Oliver responded casually as he calmly enjoyed his coffee and dessert. Thanks to numerous experiments, he could eat just enough to satisfy his hunger without worsening the intense pain, bringing some relief.

Unner stared at Oliver for a while before speaking up.

“It seems the rumors of you getting injured in a fight with Fen are true.”

“Excuse me?”

“With Fen, the Eternal Child from Black Hand. Isn’t that right?”

“…It’s true. But how did you know that?”

“I overheard Mr. Forest’s conversation.”

Oliver looked at the direction where Forest had left. He knew Forest hadn’t told him everything, but he didn’t expect that Unner knew this well. It was puzzling why Forest didn’t mention it.

Objectively, just fighting with a Finger of the Black Hand would be considered a big deal.

‘Maybe he was just looking out for me by telling me to rest?’

“Rumors will spread soon.”

Unner spoke again.

“It will soon be known that you fought Fen, the Eternal Child, and significantly injured him.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Oliver but The Burned One who inflicted the major injury on Fen, but Oliver didn’t bother to correct her. Instead, he simply nodded.

“And how exactly do you know that?”

“There’s an information network where Dark Wizards exchange intelligence. Even though our Bathory Family has fallen, we can still access it by paying the price.”

“Even while being monitored by the Tower of Magic?”

Oliver was skeptical. After all, when Unner and her sister were first introduced, the higher-ups of the Tower of Magic were openly cautious and suspicious.

If it hadn’t been for the chaos caused by Theodore with the School of Life, the use of blood magic to clean up the mess, and the sharing of knowledge on how to concoct the elixir of blood, along with the important information on Flesh Cook, and the implementation of a safety measure that planted a metaphorical bomb in their chest, they would never have accepted them.

Of course, they were still under surveillance. It was so obvious that even Oliver could tell.

Yet they managed to use the Dark Wizards’ information network despite the monitoring? It was baffling.

“We’ve been doing everything we can, building trust along the way. While you were dealing with Flesh Cook and setting up your business in one district, and fighting Fen, we were also desperate to survive.”

“Ah, I apologize. I didn’t mean to belittle you… Hang on, what?”

Oliver tilted his head, interrupting his speech. Just now—

“—So it was true after all. You defeated the Flesh Cook.”

Oliver paused and then asked.

“…Did you find that out through the information network too?”

“Our Grandmaster told us.”

Unner was currently affiliated with a small sect of Blood Magic under the School of Life. The Grandmaster was Merlin.

“He asked us whether it was true that you defeated the Flesh Cook and his sister, and he told us it was true. It was none other than Mr. Dave who defeated them… Sincerely, thank you.”

Unner bowed her head in gratitude. Her emotions were complex, but her gratitude was sincere.

It felt rather awkward.

Even though Flesh Cook and his sister had been their enemy since the days of Bathory, it was Oliver who had killed Bathory. Although she had apologized twice already, it felt strange to receive thanks.

“Yes, Mr. Dave did kill my mother. But I know it’s common in the Dark Wizard world. Moreover, we tried to kill Mr. Dave twice and failed, yet we were forgiven. So, we can’t resent him anymore. And more importantly…”

Unner, who had been speaking as if prepared, suddenly hesitated. Oliver could see through her emotions.

“What is it you want to say? Please feel free to speak.”

“…Please, accept us.”