Chapter 553: A New Phase

Creeeak…

In a shabby inn room, Oliver opened the door and walked in.

Expectedly, the creaky hinges groaned as he opened the door, but the sound quickly vanished.

As soon as Oliver closed the door and cast a soundproofing spell, every noise in the room disappeared, like erasing with a rubber.

Originally, Lucian and the bosses of Millieu offered to book him a better hotel, but Oliver refused, choosing to stay at this inn secretly for his work during his stay in Gallos.

Ordinarily, Oliver would have started his work immediately, but instead, he sat on the bed, lost in thought.

He was pondering the conversation he just had with Murphy.

‘Congratulations on becoming a Finger.’

After narrowly avoiding death by falling from a tall building and being stabbed, Murphy said this as he survived the crisis.

The problem? He meant it—this wasn’t a simple joke or just empty words.

Oliver was so taken aback that, instead of bringing up the topic of Murphy’s youngest brother, Milo, he sincerely asked what Murphy meant.

‘A Finger…? What do you mean by that?’

Murphy was shocked by Oliver’s question, full of confusion.

Oliver had no idea what Murphy was talking about, which made his reaction understandable.

The title ‘Finger’ referred to one of the top four black wizards of the organization Black Hand, a union of black wizards.

The Puppet Immortal, the Flesh Cook, the Eternal Child Fen, and the Pied Piper.

These were black wizards who had ruled for centuries, or at least decades.

But to think that such a title would be attached to Oliver? There was a lot to question.

Firstly, Oliver wasn’t even part of Black Hand.

Murphy, still visibly surprised but also as if partially expecting this, replied.

‘Oh, so you really didn’t know… But somehow, I thought that might be the case.’

He wasn’t being sarcastic. It was a genuine observation based on Oliver’s character.

After moving to a quieter place, Murphy explained further.

It was clearly a combination of calculated intentions to build a good relationship with Oliver, alongside some genuine goodwill.

‘You probably have a lot of questions, but right now, the rumors are spreading that a new Finger has emerged.’

‘And this new Finger… is supposed to be me?’

‘Yes. More specifically, it refers to the fixer from Randa, on Street 30 of the T-District, and the representative of the redevelopment project in X-District, Dave Wright.’

Murphy clarified the identities, distinguishing between Dave as a fixer and Xenon as a staff member of the Tower of Magic.

In reality, the truth that Dave and Xenon were the same person was known to even the students at the Tower of Magic, but Oliver, due to his uniqueness and Merlin’s help, had managed to maintain both identities.

Sometimes he was the fixer Dave, sometimes he was Xenon. He switched identities as he pleased.

Murphy continued explaining.

‘And the reason these rumors are spreading is none other than—’

‘—it’s about the Flesh Cook’s legacy, isn’t it?’

Oliver asked, recalling his discussion about this with Eve earlier at the restaurant. There was nothing else it could be.

Unfortunately, his bad feeling was spot on, as usual.

‘Correct. The Flesh Cook’s legacy… Officially, the Royal Family of Gallos claims to have found it, but rumor has it that Millieu did it. And some even say Dave did.’

‘Why is that?’

‘Because Dave single-handedly brought down the cult and fought on equal footing with the Finger, Puppet.’

Murphy’s tone indicated some doubt, but he refrained from asking Oliver further.

He realized that, based on Oliver’s reaction, the rumors circulating in the underworld were indeed true.

‘So, it’s true then.’

‘…’

Oliver responded with silence, both out of courtesy to Murphy, who was kindly sharing information, and because he knew that lying wouldn’t fool Murphy.

Murphy interpreted the silence and spoke again.

‘You really are remarkable. But, to be honest, I’m not too shocked. If it’s you, Dave, this seems like something you might have gotten into eventually.’

‘…’

‘Hmm, in any case, because of this rumor, people have started putting a Finger title to you, Dave. It’s unofficial, of course, but it’s widely accepted since you fought Puppet on equal terms…’

There was a lot Oliver wanted to argue about.

Yes, he fought Puppet, alright, but it was more like testing each other’s abilities rather than a true battle of equals.

Especially since Puppet hadn’t even used the Zombie Puppet from the Archive properly.

However, Oliver, who had somewhat experienced these social interactions, felt further explanation would be meaningless, so he decided to ask a more productive question.

‘As far as I know, the title of Finger refers to a Black Hand-affiliated black wizard… Isn’t that correct? So, how could I earn that title when I’m not part of Black Hand? Could it be that people think I am a black wizard of Black Hand?’

Oliver asked, just in case. In the past, he would have ignored such nonsense, but now, with responsibilities resting on his shoulders, such a rumor was a bit of a risk.

After all, The Selectors, Fighter Crew, X-District, the redevelopment group—many were dependent on him and could suddenly find their livelihoods at risk over such rumors.

Even though he’d established an unofficial alliance with the city of Randa, expecting protection from Black Hand was unrealistic.

‘No, there’s no such rumor saying you’re part of Black Hand.’

‘Ah, that’s a relief. Then why…?’

‘Hmm… Words carry fluidity.’

‘Fluidity?’

‘Yes. The meanings of words can change, just like how the word “Kaiser,” which originally meant emperor, was once a person’s name.’

‘Oh, you’re quite knowledgeable.’

‘I read a lot. Anyway, while your understanding of the word Finger is correct, the term now is also used to refer to powerful black wizards. The intimidating aura that such black wizards have built up over the centuries has had an effect.’

Oliver understood immediately.

The Puppet Immortal, the Flesh Cook, Fen, and even the Pied Piper, whom he hadn’t yet met, were all overwhelmingly powerful figures, feared by many.

Puppet had created an army of zombies and even took control of the Archive with his Zombie Puppet; the Flesh Cook had razed the Capital of Gallos to the ground; Fen controlled a legion of creatures that even the Holy Knights struggled to face.

Most notably, the Pied Piper was a being who single-handedly beat armies from several nations joined together.

‘Amid these kinds of stories, rumors are circulating that one Finger was killed by the Archive and another may have died…’

Oliver had a feeling he knew who they were referring to—the Flesh Cook and Fen.

There were now rumors that Fen had died after failing to capture a demon on the New Continent, although Oliver didn’t believe this himself.

Murphy continued his explanation.

‘Out of the four Fingers, one, maybe two are gone. In the meantime, someone like you with such rumors circulating around them… Some people might start referring to you as a Finger.’

‘Hmm… I find it hard to understand.’

After hearing Murphy’s polite explanation, Oliver made this remark.

‘Think of it as the nature of power. Power does not tolerate voids.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes. Just look at Gallos right now. With the Flesh Cook gone, everyone is fighting to take that spot, aren’t they? It’s a completely natural phenomenon.’

‘…’

Oliver stayed silent. He somewhat understood what Murphy meant, but it didn’t change his discomfort.

Thanks to Eve, he had expected the rumors to spread to some extent, but getting a Finger title out of this was something he hadn’t foreseen.

It felt like more work was piling up amid an already busy schedule.

‘Don’t worry too much. It’s still unofficial, and besides, Dave, you aren’t easy to pin down. You’re a Tower of Magic employee and a legitimate business owner. As long as there’s no undeniable evidence, even the Holy Knights won’t bother you easily.’

Displaying his characteristic sharpness, Murphy offered Oliver exactly the kind of advice he needed. From his tone, it didn’t seem like Murphy was making it up.

‘Thank you for your advice.’

‘Considering you saved my life, giving you this information is a cheap price to pay. Can we call it even with this?’

Oliver nodded at Murphy’s joke.

‘Oh, by the way… earlier, it seemed those who attacked you were remnants of the Flesh Cook’s forces. Why did they target you? They seemed quite determined.’

Oliver asked, reflecting on the situation where Murphy was attacked and fell from the building.

‘It’s probably because I obtained the recipe for Bloody Wine.’

Bloody Wine was a specialty product of the Flesh Cook, made by blending human blood into wine and aging it with black magic.

After the Flesh Cook’s death, the supply of Bloody Wine was cut off, making it a scarce, highly-prized item in the underworld.

‘You secured the recipe?’

‘Yes, I’m quite resourceful… Of course, I don’t intend to make it exactly like the Flesh Cook did. I plan to modify it like magic wine.’

Murphy shared this information, even though Oliver hadn’t asked.

‘That’s probably the reason they attacked me. The remnants would consider the Bloody Wine recipe their own.’

‘Is that all?’

Oliver, reading Murphy’s emotions, pressed further. There was more that Murphy hadn’t shared yet.

Slightly surprised by Oliver’s sharp question, Murphy admitted.

‘…I heard they might be trying to restart their operation with the backing of certain nobles. Preemptively eliminating competition could be another reason.’

‘Ho…’

This was an intriguing development. As far as Oliver knew, the Flesh Cook had previously funded the populists. Now, to hear that his remnants were forming alliances with nobles, the populists’ opponents?

‘One side has the money, the other provides the influence. It’s really not that surprising. That’s how the world works.’

‘That’s true.’

‘Um… There’s something else, too. I hesitated to mention it because I don’t want to overstep, but I think it’s better to say it now. If it’s inappropriate, I apologize in advance.’

‘? What is it?’

‘There’s also a rumor going around that you, Dave, might have some connection with the Flesh Cook.’

At the recollection of Murphy’s statement, Oliver opened his eyes and returned to reality.

Murphy had mentioned that some had speculated Oliver’s actions while retrieving the Flesh Cook’s legacy hinted at this possible connection.

The beheadings, an iconic move of the Flesh Cook,

The raw power to shatter massive fists with bare hands.

At that time, Oliver was too caught up in the situation to think about it, but hearing it later made him realize the implications.

‘I didn’t bring this up expecting an answer. Everyone has secrets, after all. Just be aware that this rumor is also spreading.’

Thanks to Murphy’s consideration, Oliver was able to gather information without having to lie or keep silent.

It was a fair trade for the help he had given.

‘Hmm… Should I head back to Randa?’

Oliver briefly considered returning to Randa instead of attending today’s scheduled party.

The party was officially to raise funds for Ravely’s reconstruction, but in reality, it was an event to celebrate the private organization Millieu for recovering the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

Oliver had also been invited to the party, by the Holy Knight.

Considering the overall situation, it seemed wise to skip the party and leave.

Although the Holy Knight probably wouldn’t harm Oliver, it wouldn’t be beneficial to get involved with them after receiving a title like ‘Finger’.

However, Oliver quickly dismissed the idea.

Breaking a promise didn’t sit well with him, and he was also curious about this Holy Knight.

How should he put it? This Holy Knight was unlike any he had met before.

This Holy Knight lacked the usual wariness, hate, arrogance, and superiority complex that others had toward black wizards.

Oliver was curious to know what this Holy Knight wanted from him.

‘Hmm, I think I should keep my promise after all.’

After weighing the risks and his curiosity, Oliver decided to stay and attend the party. In the meantime, he decided to make good use of his extra time.

Oliver then began his work.

‘Big Mouth.’

Oliver called out as he pulled Big Mouth from the leather case on his back.

At his call, Big Mouth swelled up as usual, eyes and limbs sprouting all over its body.

‘Gururururuk.’

Big Mouth, now much fuller than usual, let out a dull growl.

The reason? Because it had devoured half of the massive legacy hidden by the Flesh Cook, it was now nearly at its limit.

Though Big Mouth seemed quite happy nonetheless.

‘Guruk!’

‘Big Mouth.’

‘Gruurk?’

When Oliver called, Big Mouth squinted its many eyes warily.

It was worried Oliver might ask it to cough up the gold bars, cash, and jewels it had swallowed.

In truth, Oliver had suggested it stop eating when he realized it couldn’t possibly swallow everything, but Big Mouth refused, insisting it could. Eventually, it ended up devouring all of the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

This was thanks to the Greedy Bag’s innate desires for possessions and gluttony.

Originally, Big Mouth’s share was supposed to be just one gold bar, one bundle of bills, and the most faded gem, but…

To start working, Oliver decided to ease Big Mouth’s concerns.

‘Don’t worry, Big Mouth. I called you for something else.’

‘Gurrr?’

‘Can you get me the book?’

At Oliver’s request, Big Mouth’s expression changed as it happily opened the zipper made of human teeth and started regurgitating its contents.

‘Gwaaeeeeeck!’

And out came a demonic tome. During his stay in Gallos, Oliver had read all the books found in the Flesh Cook’s vault and transcribed the important parts.

Things like specific methods for summoning certain demons, or analysis on demon summoning, for example.

This set of books contained more practical and direct information than the ones he had read before, with a few intriguing details.

The most interesting thing was the analysis of demon summoning, which stated that the key to summoning a demon wasn’t the ritual or the offering, but the demon’s own will.

According to this, no matter how perfectly the ritual was performed, or how precious the offerings were, if the demon wasn’t interested, summoning it would be impossible.

Just as a human wouldn’t care if an ant brought them a valuable offering, the demon might only respond out of casual interest, according to this theory.

‘Then why did the demons that responded to the summonings, like The Burned One, actually do so?’

A small question popped into Oliver’s mind, but he quickly pushed it aside.

This wasn’t a matter to be dwelling on for his current work.

From the pile of books that Big Mouth had spewed out, Oliver found what he was looking for.

It was a tome given to him by Edith, a blank book that was the first demonic text Oliver had obtained.

Looking at it, and comparing it with the demonic tomes he had already read, Oliver spoke to Edith’s book.

‘It’s time to eat.’