Chapter 551: . A New Phase

It seems word about Dave’s efforts in securing the Flesh Cook’s inheritance is spreading, both inside Gallos and beyond.

Oliver paused his meal when he heard those words.

Although he had somewhat anticipated it when Eve started talking, it was still surprising to actually hear.

After all, it wasn’t a situation he particularly wanted.

Maybe that’s why he looked at the newspaper on the table with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t understand. How could that become a rumor?”

The newspaper, purchased with a tip from a newsboy, had a large article in Gallosian.

‘The Legacy of a Major Crime Boss: Recovered to the State Treasury.’

It was an article about how the state had recovered the Flesh Cook’s legacy, which Oliver, Ewan, and the Millieu had found.

This was due to a prior agreement between the Millieu and the Royal Family.

Although this side had actually found it, officially, it appeared that the state had retrieved it through a civilian organization.

At first glance, it seemed useless and cumbersome, but when you heard the details, it made sense.

The Millieu and the Royal Family were in a mutually beneficial relationship.

With the Flesh Cook gone, the underworld had become a battlefield, and the Millieu needed backing while the Royal Family needed a force to bring order to the chaos.

Moreover, the Millieu had received the Holy Knights’ assistance in searching for the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

So, it wasn’t odd for the Royal Family to take credit for finding the legacy.

By doing so, the Royal Family, who had lost prestige due to the recent turmoil in the capital, regained some influence, and the Millieu was able to boost its prestige in the informal underworld.

It was a highly efficient method, feeding two with one meal.

Additionally, through this deal, the Millieu could launder the immense criminal profits from the Flesh Cook’s legacy into legitimate money.

Lucian, the Millieu boss, said while a huge amount would be deducted as taxes, there wasn’t much complaint about it.

‘Is that so? In Randa, people dread taxes, but it seems Gallos is different.’

‘No, we dread taxes too. We think of them as worse than bandits. However, we received something else. We gained legitimate entry into the redevelopment of Ravely’s capital. Overall, it’s not a loss.’

Indeed, by giving credit for securing the Flesh Cook’s legacy to the Royal Family and the government, the Millieu reaped many benefits.

No longer just another criminal organization in the underworld, previously divided out of fear of the Flesh Cook, the Millieu gained the opportunity to run legitimate businesses, similar to the Crime Firm in Seland.

Though the Crime Firm, a criminal conglomerate often compared to the Millieu, differed significantly as it ran many legitimate businesses,

the Millieu couldn’t match the Crime Firm in profit margin, akin to the difference between a warrior and a merchant.

Lucian seemed to be targeting such organizations as the Crime Firm.

Since the Millieu was rumored to have gained the Flesh Cook’s inheritance in the informal underworld, handing the credit to the Royal Family wasn’t a loss.

Considering the other interests gained through the deal with the Royal Family, the difference in taxes on the collected inheritance was minimal.

It was more beneficial to use the money as a growth driver for the organization.

But the most important thing was that the process allowed for Oliver’s name to be hidden as much as possible.

Whether it was as Dave Wright, the troubleshooter, or Xenon Bright, the low-level Tower of Magic employee.

Officially or unofficially, the government and the Millieu would take credit for securing the Flesh Cook’s legacy, and Oliver’s name would naturally be buried.

Yet Oliver couldn’t understand how word of his involvement had spread.

Lucian also said he would try to help.

‘Um… I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up too high.’

Oliver relayed Lucian’s exact words to Eve, asking why things turned out this way.

“He clearly said he’d try.”

[It sounds to me like he meant he’d try, but succeeding would be difficult. Dave.]

“Really? I guess I wasn’t paying attention because I was tired… But why did the rumors spread?”

[I couldn’t see exactly what happened in the Sleeping Forest, so I can only speculate based on what you’ve told me, but there’s one possible reason.]

“What is it?”

[There were simply too many eyes and mouths.]

“Are you referring to the Millieu members?”

Oliver asked curiously. The bosses, executives, and even the underlings had all promised to keep quiet. They even assured Oliver more than he expected.

[No, remember that you saved some people in the Sleeping Forest.]

“Oh…”

Oliver let out a sound as if he had finally remembered.

After meeting the Princess of the Sleeping Forest, Oliver had confronted a Swan Sect prince candidate.

In the process, Oliver rescued countless people who had been absorbed into the flesh sword, a weapon wielded by the prince candidate in the Sleeping Forest.

There was a certain person there. One who sensed emotions and magic. Could it be they were familiar?

Anyway, the number of people freed from the flesh sword was in the hundreds, and all those people witnessed it.

They saw Oliver subdue the Swan Prince and fight Puppet.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t strange at all for rumors to spread.

[But why did you save those people? Wouldn’t it have been better if fewer eyes were on you?]

Eve asked via communicator, so her emotions were not visible, but she genuinely seemed puzzled.

Based on her timing and the subtle tone, Oliver could guess. He was satisfied with his improved communication skills as he answered.

“Because of Red Hood. The wolf using black magic.”

[Wasn’t he your enemy?]

Eve, who had not only watched Oliver fight Red Hood but also helped him, questioned.

“Well… Rather than an enemy, he was more of a competitor aiming for the same goal, don’t you think?”

[If competing for each other’s lives defines a competitor, then that’s not a wrong expression. But what do you mean you saved them because Red Hood was there?]

Eve asked as if she still didn’t understand. It was reasonable. Even ordinary people wouldn’t have understood, so it was normal for Eve to be confused.

Oliver shrugged as he replied.

“Because I know him.”

[Know him?]

“Yes.”

Oliver answered firmly to Eve’s question.

“And because of that, I saved people glowing with beautiful emotions like ambition, determination, and an unbreakable will. Ending their lives by being absorbed into a sword… felt too sad.”

Those words were vague, but Eve caught the point.

[You seem to really appreciate beautiful emotions.]

“Yes, because they’re beautiful. Though what’s even better is a beautiful light.”

Oliver agreed without hesitation. In fact, one reason he left Wineham and the Joseph Family was for that beautiful light.

Just then, Eve asked an unexpected question.

[Then, why is it you like that beautiful, radiant light?]

“What?”

Oliver asked back in surprise. He hadn’t anticipated this question.

Does there need to be a reason to like something beautiful and radiant?

[Oh, I apologize. I just thought Dave would have a reason for liking the radiant light.]

“No need to apologize. But honestly, I’ve never questioned why I like the radiant light… I’ve figured out what it roughly is, though.”

[What is it?]

“Something more important than one’s life. Whether it’s a belief, a goal, or a will.”

Oliver recalled those who had exuded beautiful light.

His mentor Joseph, Duncan, Seamus, and the Flesh Cook. Their common trait was they all prioritized something over their own lives, whether it be ambition, a goal, or a sibling.

From those experiences, Oliver guessed that might be the source of the beautiful light.

Perhaps that’s why Oliver liked the beautiful light.

Because he didn’t have anything like that himself.

When Oliver fell silent, lost in thought, Eve spoke up.

[Are you alright, Dave?]

“Oh, yes… yes, I’m fine. In any case, I saved Red Hood because it felt personally regrettable. And now that I think about it, maybe it’s not so bad if the rumors spread a bit.”

Oliver resumed his meal, finishing off the remaining piece of steak.

Millieu had fabricated a formal request to the Royal Family on Oliver’s behalf, erasing any illegal elements.

If he gained some fame from this, it might be beneficial for business.

Forest mentioned that a large part of the redevelopment business they ran was thanks to Oliver’s reputation. Gaining more fame from acquiring the Flesh Cook’s legacy might not be a bad thing.

Oliver decided not to worry about it anymore. Eve too didn’t bring it up again.

There were still unresolved matters, like his encounter with the Fingers, but through their conversation, Eve noticed that Oliver wasn’t ready to discuss it yet.

She couldn’t tell if it was due to the accumulated fatigue from securing the Flesh Cook’s legacy or something else.

While Eve sorted out her thoughts, Oliver finished his steak and, after debating whether to eat more, decided on dessert and called the waiter.

The waiter, seemingly tipped off by Lucian, responded with excessive politeness, promising to bring it quickly.

During that free time, Oliver began to read through the various newspapers he had bought before visiting the restaurant.

[Any interesting articles?]

“Hmm… quite a few, actually.”

Oliver replied as he skimmed the newspapers.

“There’s an article about real estate speculation in Ravely’s redevelopment, an op-ed on suspicious women’s meetings, and a story about a giant sea monster attacking a merchant ship in the Atlantic.”

[A sea monster?]

“Yes, some are calling it an insurance scam, but with no survivors, nothing’s certain. As a result, the stock prices related to shipping companies are dropping.”

[Interesting, but in the end, it all comes down to money.]

Oliver nodded in agreement.

Natural disasters, accidents, and incidents nearly always boiled down to money.

Evidence of that was how the largest portion of the newspapers was still about the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

Even with the front-page article about the state reclaiming the Flesh Cook’s legacy, the papers were filled with speculative articles about hidden treasures, promoting public interest and greed.

It was like a treasure hunt.

Some newspapers harshly criticized how the frenzy over the legacy was causing so many superhumans to fight, negatively impacting public order, wasting administrative power with police, military, and even Holy Knights being deployed.

[It seems rather foolish to me. It feels self-destructive.]

“It could be. But on the other hand, I do understand it.”

[Really?]

“Yes, having a lot of money is convenient and good. After all, I’m one of the ones who got the Flesh Cook’s legacy. And under the best conditions, too.”

Indeed, Oliver, who seemed uninterested in money, was actually the biggest beneficiary of the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

Thanks to the Millieu taking care of matters like taxes, which would have been quite a burden, Oliver didn’t have to pay a penny, so his profit was maximized.

Sharing the legacy with the Millieu and the Royal Family turned out to be more profitable.

If Oliver had tried to keep it all to himself, he might’ve been captured by the Holy Knights and taxed heavily or had the whole fortune confiscated under the pretext of it being criminal proceeds.

As Oliver and Eve chatted, and as Oliver read the newspapers, he suddenly paused while eating his crème brûlée dessert.

Noticing this, Eve asked,

[What’s wrong?]

“I see a friend mentioned in the paper.”

[A friend?]

“Yes.”

Oliver answered as he read the article.

The title read:

‘Female Entrepreneur from Randa, Jane. After supporting an orphanage, she invests in a textile factory for single mothers. A Stalled Factory Project Gains Momentum.’