Chapter 562: Escape

Creak…

Oliver and Jane were walking around the lake when they were attacked by Fishmen. They quickly retreated back into the villa.

The sound of the door hinges caught the attention of everyone inside.

‘Things have changed,’

Oliver thought as he glanced at the people staring at him.

Just a few minutes earlier, these nobles had appeared confident, as if they owned the world. But now, they were drowning in anxiety.

It was understandable—after all, Fen’s Creature was now targeting the villa.

He didn’t know what its goal was, but there was no denying it was dangerous.

‘Though, not everyone seems scared.’

Oliver noticed that amidst the fearful nobles, a few people remained calm.

Judging from their attire and the looks they received, they seemed to be influential figures. Some of them were conversing with the Holy Knights.

“Glad to see you’re safe.”

Lucian, who was holding a longsword, approached Oliver.

“You disappeared, and I feared the worst.”

“I was just getting some fresh air outside.”

“I assume nothing happened to you then?”

“Not quite. We were attacked by Fishmen.”

“Fishmen?”

“Yes, a creature from the lake that’s part human, part fish-”

“-Hold on.”

Jane interrupted the conversation between Oliver and Lucian, aware that it could drag on.

Given the situation, Jane cut straight to the point.

“Lucian, do you know what’s happening now?”

“Not in detail. Just that Fen’s Creature is attacking.”

“That’s accurate… So, have you decided on the escape plan?”

Jane smoothly moved on to the next point. At that moment, an authoritative voice boomed.

“Escape? What nonsense is that?”

The voice belonged to an elderly man sitting on an antique sofa in the hall.

The man was rather overweight, with a double chin and a bulging belly, indicating he wasn’t the most active type.

“Count Girard.”

Jane called out his name, showing she knew who he was.

Meanwhile, Oliver, who didn’t know the man, turned to Lucian to ask.

“Who is he?”

“Girard de Funjac. He’s a count with vast farmlands. Though he doesn’t hold an official position, he’s quite influential through his political sponsorships.”

It seemed he was quite the big shot. This big shot then spoke to Jane in a condescending tone.

“Don’t stir up unnecessary fear with your silly talk, young lady from a foreign land… The safest place right now is this villa, guarded by the Holy Knights.”

On any other day, Jane might have gone along with his mood, but this was a unique situation. She stood her ground.

“Count, with all due respect, the experts disagree.”

“By experts, you mean your friend?”

Girard scoffed, his double chin quivering with disdain as his eyes landed on Oliver.

“Are you talking about the Dark Mage who dared insult nobles in front of so many of them?”

“That’s not-”

“-I don’t want to hear it. Stop causing a ruckus with your nonsense and stay quiet. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in Gallos. The Holy Knights are guarding this place fiercely, and soon, the army will come to rescue us. That petty Dark Mage won’t-”

“-They probably won’t come.”

Oliver interrupted Girard’s words with his own.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a way of overpowering others.

“…What did you say?”

“The army. They probably won’t come.”

With those words, an ominous silence blanketed the room.

And it was no wonder—everyone had been barely holding onto their composure under the belief that the army would save them.

Girard burst out in anger.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you to stop spreading confusion?! What do you even know to spout such nonsense? If you keep running your mouth, I won’t hesitate to charge you with insulting a noble!!”

“Unfortunately, what he says is true.”

“How dare you interrupt… Your Highness?”

Girard, who had been raging at being contradicted, was shocked to see that the speaker was Armand, who had entered accompanied by a Holy Knight.

It seemed that even a count with vast lands had to lower his head before the majestic presence of the Grand Chancellor.

Armand continued speaking.

“Sadly, what he said is true, Count. We lost contact with the outside world, and thus we couldn’t request reinforcements. Expecting help to arrive is pointless.”

The cold, hopeless facts delivered with calmness left everyone feeling as if they were in a nightmare.

Even Oliver found it odd.

Oliver was here because of Jane, but Armand was the Grand Chancellor of Gallos. So, his stance should be different, yet he didn’t show any concern.

The proposal to legalize Dark Magic was like that too—he was someone impossible to read.

“So you’re suggesting we escape?”

Armand directly questioned Oliver.

Although it was Jane who first mentioned escape, Armand realized it was Oliver who actually made the decision.

Oliver answered.

“Yes, I believe it’s the safest option right now.”

“There’s even a panic room here. It’s spacious enough to fit over a hundred guests and their servants comfortably. And yet, you still think escape is the better idea?”

Armand expressed his opposing view.

“Yes, I do. Anyone else might be fine, but against Fen, it won’t make a difference.”

“And what makes you think that?”

Armand pressed for a reason.

“Fen’s Creatures can slip through cracks or move freely through shadows. No matter how well you hide or lock the doors, they’ll find you… You know this.”

When Oliver looked at Jane and Lucian, they quickly nodded without hesitation.

They had a history with Fen’s Creatures. During the Flesh Cook’s uprising, they had escaped into the sewers to avoid Fen’s Creatures, only to be hunted and cornered.

It still puzzled them why Fen had let them and Oliver go peacefully at that time.

If Fen had harbored even the slightest ill intent back then, Oliver wouldn’t have been able to help Jane.

It didn’t seem right to think that Fen was merely trying to sabotage the Flesh Cook by letting them go.

‘But that’s not important now.’

Oliver quickly pushed these thoughts aside as Armand started questioning him again.

“If that’s true, it’s quite dangerous… Is that all?”

“There’s more. Staying here is risky for other reasons too.”

Oliver examined the weaponry of the Holy Knights.

The Holy Knights here had an unusual combination of cold weapons like longswords, spears, axes, and maces, as well as firearms like gatling guns, shotguns, and submachine guns.

“These firearms infused with Holy Power… They’re powerful and unique, but they’re also consumable weapons. No matter how much ammunition’s prepared, without reinforcements, the longer this drags on, the worse our situation will get.”

“What are you saying? As long as we have Holy Power, we can annihilate Dark Magic in a flash!”

Girard interjected, knowing full well that Holy Power is the greatest counter to Dark Magic. But as with all things, there are exceptions.

“I’m sorry, Count Girard, but Fen’s Creatures have developed a certain resistance to ordinary Holy Power.”

“Resistance?”

“Indeed.”

Armand confirmed.

“What are you saying, Your Highness? Holy Power doesn’t work?”

“It’s not that it doesn’t work… It just doesn’t work as well as it normally would against Dark Magic. These Creatures are tricky.”

“Fen’s Creatures use more than just emotions as their materials.”

“So, Count Girard, could you please stand back? It’s for everyone’s safety.”

Armand made the request with a mix of authority and courtesy.

Deflated by the plea, Girard reluctantly stepped back, allowing Armand to continue speaking with Oliver.

“So, you’re saying there’s nowhere safe to hide and the longer we stay, the worse it’ll get. Therefore, escape is our best option.”

“Yes, exactly. Fen may be in control of the surrounding area right now, but if we push out to the outskirts, we might find a way out.”

“Not a bad suggestion… Right now’s safety could become tomorrow’s danger… But that doesn’t mean current safety isn’t crucial. What about the damage we might suffer while trying to reach the outskirts?”

Armand pointed out the most critical issue.

The reason other than fear that kept everyone holed up in this villa, including Girard, was because defending this location was the most strategically sound choice.

“We have about thirty Holy Knights here, and the total number of guards for the guests is less than 500. Meanwhile, we have over a hundred people to protect. Defending this place is one thing, but on the move, those numbers become unmanageable.”

Oliver couldn’t dispute that logic. Guarding one person typically requires a team of three or four, if not ten or twenty.

That meant defending people wasn’t just hard—it was extremely difficult.

Given the situation, even if Fen’s Creatures attacked while they were on the move, they could suffer losses well beyond half, perhaps even total annihilation.

‘The average bodyguard won’t stand a chance against Fen’s Creatures, and the Holy Knights are geared more toward offense. They’re not suited to protecting such a large group during an escape.’

Based on what he’d seen, Oliver assessed the Holy Knights.

Though they were shields guarding humanity, their primary focus was on wiping out Dark Mages and demon worshipers, so they were better equipped for offense.

“And to make matters worse, that earlier fight destroyed many vehicles and carriages. If we have to go on foot, it won’t be an exaggeration to say we’ll be completely wiped out… Did you consider a solution to that before making your proposal?”

“Yes, I did.”

Oliver tapped the leather case on his back, specifically the Big Mouth inside it, as he responded. This was something he had already discussed with Jane.

***

“Uh… What is that?”

“Disgusting.”

When Oliver took Big Mouth out of the leather case, several women cringed and muttered.

It was understandable.

The sight of Big Mouth, bloated like dough with countless eyes and limbs sprouting from its fleshy surface, was indeed grotesque.

Oliver, who was used to seeing it, didn’t react, but those unaccustomed to it found it somewhat revolting.

“Gurruk?”

Now fully awakened, Big Mouth surveyed its surroundings with its multiple eyes rolling in different directions, croaking like a toad through the zipper mouth on its stomach.

“Eek!”

“Eek!”

The women who had earlier been repulsed by its appearance let out startled cries, laced with a visceral sense of disgust.

It was unfortunate, really. After all, Big Mouth was a being with emotions, yet it received nothing but revulsion.

And, almost as if to express its frustration, Big Mouth turned one of its hands in the direction of the noise and held up its middle finger.

“… …”

“… …”

As Big Mouth made its expressive gesture, everyone fell silent, shocked. Meanwhile, Armand, who had been discussing something with Jane, turned to Oliver and asked.

“Is that the solution? To make up for the lack of manpower and transportation?”

To Big Mouth’s obvious confusion, it looked back at Oliver for confirmation.

Oliver nodded.

“Yes, it is. It’s our best bet for contending with Fen’s Creatures and a means to transport us.”

“Gurruk?!?!”

Big Mouth widened its eyes in disbelief, as though telling Oliver it was not meant for combat.

It had clearly misunderstood, but Oliver calmly reassured it.

“I know you’re not meant for combat, Big Mouth. You’re misunderstanding. Calm down… Have I ever asked you to do something beyond your limits?”

“Gurruk!”

Big Mouth let out a resolute croak and shook its body, as if blaming Oliver for overworking it.

It pained Oliver a bit to see it misinterpret his intentions, but given that Fen’s Creatures could attack at any moment, he pressed on, asking Big Mouth for its help.

“Big Mouth, could you please bring out the Zombie Puppets? The ones designed to assist Bathory?”

Oliver was requesting the Zombie Puppets, specifically the twenty auxiliary Zombie Puppets created as a set for Bathory.

The auxiliary Zombie Puppets were devised to overcome the limitation of how many Zombie Puppets could be controlled at once.

By transferring partial control to Zombie Puppet-Bathory (Child-First), they could manage a larger number of puppets simultaneously.

This wasn’t an easy feat, but thanks to the efforts of Zombie Puppet-Bathory (Child-First) and improvements in puppet-processing techniques, they managed to achieve this. They proved their worth when they faced up to Enjoyment in X-District.

In the middle of Enjoyment’s hideout, they summoned a massive number of these auxiliary Zombie Puppets to unleash a devastating magical attack.

Relieved to know that the auxiliary Zombie Puppets, not itself, would serve as the shield, Big Mouth began vomiting out the twenty or so Zombie Puppets as Oliver requested.

“Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck! Kweck!…”

Big Mouth continued to regurgitate the Zombie Puppets steadily, while Oliver spread emotional particles to neatly organize them.

Kwooooom…

The sight made a few of the Holy Knights frown deeply.

These Holy Knights seemed to be a bit more moderate and flexible in their thinking than other Holy Knights, but still, a Holy Knight is a Holy Knight.

Seeing items made from human bodies or outright Zombie Puppets was naturally difficult for them.

Even so, the reason they remained quiet was due to the previous conversation between Oliver and Armand.

That’s why, despite what they were seeing, they remained silent.

It was possible that Armand’s earlier talk with Oliver served to preemptively shut down any backlash.

At that very moment, Armand addressed Oliver once more.

“These are the reinforcements you mentioned?”

“Yes, all are Magic-Users captured from the underworld, and their performance is decent.”

“Magic-Users… They might be capable as cannons, but as shields? That’s questionable.”

Armand’s observation was correct—Magic-Users weren’t suited for shield duty.

“Don’t worry. I’ve made several improvements to make them more durable.”

Recalling how he had implanted some of Theodore’s cells into the auxiliary Zombie Puppets, Oliver responded.

Though it was only a tiny experimental amount, the effect was extraordinary. Just enough to help them pursue and take down scattered Druids.

Armand didn’t press further when Oliver spoke with such confidence. But then Lucian asked a question.

“Isn’t it difficult to control twenty Zombie Puppets at once? Will you be okay?”

“No, it is difficult. In fact, I don’t manually control the Zombie Puppets myself.”

Oliver admitted the truth.

The standard method of controlling Zombie Puppets was for the summoner to guide them manually.

It required a lot of attention, and as the number of puppets increased, so did the demand for focus.

To such an extent that it could leave the summoner vulnerable.

However, for Oliver, who was proficient not just in manipulation but also in firearms and diseases, such a control method was not only inefficient but also dangerous.

So he devised a workaround using Child to handle the Zombie Puppets. He planned to use that method again.

Using Creation-Type Dark Magic to control the Zombie Puppets.

Oliver compressed the emotional particles he had spread while organizing the Zombie Puppets and made a thin cut on their necks.

To his surprise, blood started oozing from the wounds.

It was the artificial blood in the tubes connected to their veins.

Blood Wizard Bathory had added that feature to help control the auxiliary Zombie Puppets more easily.

Zombie Puppet-Bathory had used this blood as a medium to control the auxiliary Zombie Puppets more effectively, meaning the blood had accumulated data from all of Bathory’s previous commands.

Basing his actions on that specific data collected in the blood, along with his control over emotions, Oliver activated a combination of Blood Magic and Creation-Type Dark Magic.

[Memory of Blood]