Chapter 504: A New Eve?

Albert Hunt.

A wizard associated with the Moirai School.

Oliver first met him during the Seamus incident and had the chance to collaborate.

It wasn’t a bad experience… though it got a bit complicated when Oliver released Eve at the end.

“Don’t worry about it now, just let it go. More importantly, are you okay? I heard you got hurt…”

Albert trailed off while scanning Oliver. Just by looking, it was obvious Oliver wasn’t in perfect shape.

“I’m fine. I’m better than before. But…”

“But?”

“I’m worried the people at the Tower of Magic might find my hair color too tacky.”

“…”

“Just kidding.”

“Ah…”

Albert let out a sigh of relief at Oliver’s joke, even if it didn’t seem much like one.

“That was a really funny joke.”

“I read a humor book for an hour every day.”

“Ah huh…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

Albert quickly waved it off and shifted to a new topic.

“Um… if it’s not too much trouble, can we get to the point? The truth is, there’s a job I want Mr. Xenon to take on. From the Tower of Magic, that is.”

“When you say Xenon, do you mean as an employee of the Tower of Magic and not as a fixer?”

Oliver caught on quickly, nodding as Albert confirmed it.

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, that’s assuming Mr. Xenon is in good enough condition. If not, feel free to decline. It might be better for both of us that way.”

“I think it’ll be alright.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes… I can’t do anything too strenuous, but I should be able to carry out the mission. What’s the request? From the Tower of Magic?”

“Have you heard the Tower of Magic project was stolen?”

“Yes.”

“We’d like you to retrieve it.”

“Ah… I’m sorry, Mr. Albert, but I’m not skilled at finding things that have vanished without a trace.”

“We’ve found traces.”

Albert pulled a socket from his coat, placed it on the table, and snapped his fingers.

As the sound echoed, the magic contained in the socket surged out, reconfiguring magic particles and projecting an image based on the formulas stored in the machine.

“I thought all the security footage was wiped out?”

“The ones we installed separately survived.”

“Then, this is…”

“It’s the vault under the Tower of Magic’s administration. We store all the research details and results of Tower-supported projects there, as a precaution against loss or theft.”

“Isn’t concentrating everything in one place more likely to cause theft?”

“Not necessarily. It’s similar to putting treasure in a vault. But we also invest heavily in security. Although… they managed to bypass it easily.”

Albert pointed at the image floating in the air. As if on cue, a group of people appeared.

“Eight people in total. They’re all wearing identical full-body suits, so their faces are unrecognizable.”

“Magic items, I assume?”

“Exactly.”

Albert adjusted the socket, switching the display from a regular image to a magic-based one.

The image of the people and surroundings turned pitch black, rendering only the magic within the suits visible.

Blue magic glowed like neurotransmitters, rapidly traversing the circuits, drawing various spells across the suits.

“As you can see, these aren’t ordinary items. They’re military-grade. Analysis of the suit’s circuits shows it’s equipped with—”

“—Physical enhancement, defensive barriers, invisibility, and elemental magic resistance.”

Albert was stunned by the accuracy of Oliver’s assessment. Their analysis had taken two days, but Oliver figured it out in seconds. It was so baffling he wasn’t even frustrated.

“Yes, exactly. These aren’t cheap. And everyone wearing them is an expert.”

Oliver agreed, watching the video. Spending time in the underworld as a fixer helped him recognize skills and experience just by observing movements and gestures.

Everyone in the video seemed like seasoned veterans, likely soldiers or professional enforcers.

“But the most crucial element is that device she’s holding.”

Albert pointed to a woman, or more precisely, the clunky device she held. It looked like an iron, but when she attached it to the vault, it took less than two minutes to unlock it.

“To be exact, just 1 minute and 12 seconds. It broke in 1 minute and 12 seconds. Without a Net Navigator or a Druid… Do you know the vault’s specifications?”

“Not exactly.”

“It’s a vault created using the World Tree. It has eight layers of defense systems, each with different fluid patterns. It’s designed to waste time rather than withstand direct attacks.”

“It might be breakable, but it wouldn’t be easy to crack.”

“Exactly. It’s possible to break in, but it would take 40 minutes, and it’s impossible to do within 20 minutes… After the system was set up, we physically isolated the World Tree to prevent any external hacking.”

“So, it can only be hacked from right in front of it, with no external support.”

Oliver grasped the key point immediately.

It was quite impressive to break into a vault designed to take 40 minutes in just 1 minute and 12 seconds, without any prior preparation.

“Honestly, the skill or the full-body suits of the intruders aren’t what’s most shocking. They might be expensive, but money can solve that. However, that device is a different story.”

Oliver remained silent, agreeing with Albert.

At first glance, the device seemed like a crude iron, but to penetrate the Tower of Magic’s security alone… It was nearly impossible with current technology.

“Using that video, we’ve tracked them down. We want Mr. Xenon to recover the stolen project and secure that technology.”

Recover the Tower of Magic’s stolen project and secure an unknown technology… It was a logical request, except for one thing.

“Why me?”

“Because we trust Mr. Xenon’s abilities… and because you’re the one we can count on the most. Naturally, we’ll compensate you accordingly.”

“Hmm… A particular concern is bothering me. Would you mind answering?”

“What’s bothering you?”

“What’s the real objective?”

“…”

Oliver asked, and Albert remained silent.

Whether it was from surprise or being caught off guard, Albert kept his silence. Oliver didn’t stop, though, and moved closer.

“Is it related to Eve?”

“…?!”

Albert, a Net Navigator with strong mental fortitude capable of withstanding the information flood of Root Net, was silently stunned.

“…How do you know that?”

“Hmm… Just a hunch?”

Oliver deflected the question, half-truthfully.

Something about seeing the invisible Eve through the World Tree and the Moirai School’s obsession with her just gave him that feeling.

Unable to believe the absurd explanation, Albert half gave up and spoke.

“There’s no point in denying it now, is there?”

“No, would you explain it to me?”

“That’s difficult.”

Albert flatly refused. When Oliver asked why, he explained.

“Because Mr. Dave previously released Eve without permission. We can’t entrust anything related to Eve to someone like that.”

“It’s Xenon in the Tower of Magic.”

“I don’t really have an argument for that… Regardless, it’s impossible.”

“I see. But can I investigate it on my own?”

“Of course not.”

Albert was genuinely repulsed. Was this even a question?

“Eve is of immense importance not only to the Moirai School but also to the Tower of Magic. I’m sorry, but the only task Mr. Xenon can take on for this mission is retrieving the stolen project and drawing attention. Anything else requires the Tower’s approval.”

Albert responded, looking troubled. It made sense; the original plan was to use someone as unpredictable as Dave as a diversion while eliminating any variables. But things had already gone off track before even starting.

However, things were about to get even more complicated. That’s because Oliver pulled out a resignation letter from his coat.

“A resignation letter?”

“Yes.”

“What…?! Ugh… Why do you suddenly have a resignation letter with you? Were you planning to quit the Tower of Magic?”

“No, I’m not planning to leave. I like the Tower of Magic—lots of books, and the pay is steady.”

“Then why?”

“A book called [Advice for Office Workers] said every employee should carry a resignation letter with them at all times. So I prepared one in advance.”

“Please, stop reading weird books, including those humor books. They’re not helping.”

“That’s harsh of you… Anyway, I sincerely intend to submit this resignation letter now. If I’m no longer affiliated with the Tower, I can do as I please, right?”

“I’m confused… Are you threatening me?”

“No, it’s not a threat. I’m serious. I do like the Tower of Magic, but I’m also not one to force myself into something I don’t want to do. That’s why I try to avoid belonging to any organization… If our opinions don’t align, it’s best I leave.”

Calm and composed madness. But it didn’t sound like a lie.

Considering he already established himself as both a fixer and a businessman in Randa, it wouldn’t be a big loss if he left the Tower of Magic. More importantly, he wasn’t the type of person who would make empty threats or bluff.

“Haa… What is it you want?”

“First, finish explaining about Eve.”

Despite his gentle tone, Oliver was firm. Albert rubbed his temples as if he had a headache before crossing his arms and started explaining.

“…After Mr. Dave set Eve free, we tracked her. That’s how much she means to us.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t have let her go. You may understand the words but not the meaning behind them.”

For the first time, Albert revealed his deeply held resentment. It wasn’t hard to understand.

The artificial intelligence Eve, created using the World Tree, was the dream of everyone who worked in that field, be they Wizard or Druid.

And Oliver just let it go? It would be strange if there wasn’t any resentment.

“Well, I think it’s a matter of perspective. Eve certainly holds immense value, but she also has self-awareness. I wasn’t sure if it was right to confine such a being against its will. Isn’t that a bit… problematic?”

Albert remained silent. A fixer who made a living through dark magic and people’s blood was saying this; he had no idea how to respond. So, he just continued.

“…Anyway, we found out where Eve went.”

“How did you find her? It couldn’t have been easy.”

“Interestingly enough, we tracked her using that device.”

Albert pointed to the iron-like device in the video.

“We analyzed the residual traces left by the device in the vault. Our investigation revealed the device wasn’t just a hacking tool but also a conduit.”

“A conduit?”

“Someone controlled it remotely through the device. We traced the signal all the way back… and found Eve at the end.”

“…Eve?”

“Yes, surprisingly, we found that Eve was chasing another Eve.”

Oliver froze at that. Eve was chasing another Eve? He remembered Pandora, whom he encountered in the New Continent, and the other Eve, who isolated Lake Village.

‘It’s not Pandora… Lake Village’s Eve? Or is it someone new?’

Oliver pondered, recalling the first time he smashed Eve with his hand.

“The Tower of Magic and our Moirai School plan to pretend we’re searching for the stolen project while secretly tracking down and securing Eve. If possible, both; at least one, though.”

“That’s your real objective.”

“Yes. We can always create new projects, but not another Eve.”

“You should let me handle the Eve situation.”

Oliver, out of nowhere but with determination in his voice, said.

“What?”

“Eve. Let me deal with her.”

“…Are you saying you’ll secure Eve for the Tower of Magic?”

“No, I don’t plan to secure her. I plan to convince her.”

“What do you mean?”

“It sounds like Eve needs someone to protect her… If you meet three conditions, I’ll try persuading her to come to the Tower of Magic.”

“I can’t answer that on my own.”

“Then can you pass the message along? To the Tower of Magic or the Moirai School?”

Albert, who usually kept his composure, now partly gave up and answered.

“…So, if we don’t agree, you’re going to resign and interfere with us?”

“No. Interference? No… I’m just going to do what I want.”

In the end, Albert was forced to yield to Oliver’s persistence.

“…What exactly do you want?”

“First, allow me to handle Eve—”

“—No, that’s not what I mean. Why would you do this for Eve? You don’t seem particularly interested in her value or symbolism.”

“Hmm… I’m not sure? I guess… I feel guilty?”

Oliver remembered how he never got to thank Eve.

***

“Hmm…”

With pale white skin, shining blonde hair, a slender neck, and body.

A beautiful woman, completely out of place in a dying city, sat leaning against a giant tree, her eyes closed, making a strange sound.

It was an odd sight, but the woman’s appearance turned even this scene into a piece of art.

“Is something wrong?”

A man approached the woman. He was a ruggedly handsome man with sharp features, a tall and strong body that exuded power. Yet, he still carried the scholarly vibe typical of wizards.

“You’re late, aren’t you?”

The woman opened one eye slightly to look at the man. A massive ice sheet spread behind him, freezing the ground and numerous buildings. The faint white mist in the air was the only indicator of the freezing cold’s intensity.

“I didn’t even take five minutes.”

“Yes, dealing with some backwater scum who dealt in human trafficking.”

The woman mocked him with exaggerated politeness. The man frowned, having no retort, though this was rather unfair.

Even though this was a city slowly dying because of Randa, the city’s gangs, led by the Enjoyment Druid, were reasonably formidable, especially given their involvement in human trafficking.

Of course, that was five minutes ago. Now, only the frozen corpses remained.

“Get the druid bodies and dispose of the rest. Druid bodies are hard to come by.”

The man awkwardly nodded, clearly not used to taking orders from the woman, and instructed his companions.

“With the interlopers gone, let’s get started immediately.”

“You’re in quite a hurry.”

“Even though we’ve physically confined Eve to this city, it’s still a far-off place. We can’t waste time. There might be more interlopers.”

“Oh, how boring… But you’re not wrong. Especially since someone from Randa is already coming to interfere.”

“Interfere? Who?”

“It’s the Tower of Magic. Turns out they actually have some capabilities, seeing as they managed to find me.”

The man frowned again. The Tower of Magic had long ago betrayed and abandoned them; he found the thought of them still bothersome.

But the woman didn’t care. To her, such trivial matters were just ingredients. Ingredients to know the future.

And with those ingredients, she was about to craft the future she desired.

“I should contact the local Road Gang.”

“Do you really think some gangsters will be of any help? They might only buy us some time.”

“Isn’t that enough? Or are you scared because it’s the Tower of Magic?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she smiled a strange little smile. Despite knowing the woman in front of him wasn’t really a woman, the man couldn’t help but bristle.

“Do you think I’m scared of those betrayers?”

“Good to know. If the gangs can buy time or gauge the enemy’s strength, that’s more than enough. Meanwhile, let’s slowly tighten the hold around this city’s World Tree and drive Eve into it, trapping her.”

The woman patted the World Tree beside her.

“If we can manage that, the Skadi Faction will be able to get Eve in their hands.”