Chapter 570: Request for Help

Chrrrrrr.

After burying Duncan completely in the ground and making a small tombstone, Oliver took out some alcohol and poured it over the grave.

“Would you all like a drink as well?”

Oliver, who had drunk about half the bottle, asked Forest, Joe, and Marie, who were waiting.

Forest was sitting on a tree root, while Joe and Marie stood upright.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

Forest, who enjoyed alcohol, accepted, but Joe and Marie politely declined.

They wished to maintain their decorum in front of Oliver.

Respecting their decision, Oliver poured a glass only for Forest, then drank the rest from the bottle himself.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

Everyone raised their eyebrows as they saw Oliver emptying the bottle in an instant. There wasn’t anything specific they could point out, but something felt different about Oliver.

“······Thank you again for coming, even though I called you suddenly.”

Oliver spoke after finishing the bottle.

“As I said before, don’t mention it. When our business sign calls, we must come.”

In an attempt to ease the strange tension in the air, Forest replied half seriously and half jokingly.

While it was true that Oliver was the face and core of the redevelopment project, that wasn’t the only reason they were here. They came willingly because it was Oliver who called.

“But is there something wrong? It’s a bit scary since you’ve never called like this before.”

Instead of answering, Oliver responded with a question to Forest’s concerned inquiry.

“······Before I answer, may I first ask if you’ve heard any rumors about me lately?”

Forest’s gaze changed at the question. It wasn’t just that something seemed different; it really had changed.

“I’ve heard. Information is life in this field······. I’ve heard some things happened while you were searching for the Flesh Cook’s legacy.”

“Yes, I hadn’t intended to, but it ended up that way.”

Forest outwardly showed no reaction, but inside, he was quite surprised.

He didn’t know the details, but the important part was that Oliver fought the Puppet, one of the Black Hand’s Fingers, to a draw.

To think he fought the Puppet Immortal, an ancient monster who had survived for centuries despite the threats from wizards and Holy Knights without dying.

It was undoubtedly an astonishing tale.

It was an even bigger deal than taking down Seamus, who was considered a living legend among troubleshooters in Randa. It was no wonder there were rumors about a new Finger emerging.

While Forest admired him, he also felt concerned.

In this field, fame and power were like medicine, but if they went beyond a certain point, they could become poison. Especially for a dark wizard.

In the midst of that thought, Oliver said something even more shocking.

“And soon, I plan to go fight Fen.”

Forest, Joe, and Marie, even the air, froze for a moment.

As if following a massive explosion, a strange silence settled, and nobody could speak for a while. Finally, with the help of alcohol, Forest managed to say something.

“You mean Fen, the Eternal Child?”

“Yes, Fen, the Eternal Child and one of the Fingers of the Black Hand.”

“Why?”

“Miss Jane was kidnapped. Miss Jane is my friend.”

That answered the question.

Honestly, there were still many things to be curious about, but there was only one reason to accept that Oliver was going to fight Fen, one of the Black Hand’s representatives.

While most people might doubt the truth or motive, words carry different weight depending on who says them. If it were Oliver, there was no doubt.

On the surface, Oliver appeared polite and, to some, might seem soft-hearted, but he was secretly the craziest person of all.

To prove just how insane he was, Oliver continued with another absurd statement.

“Of course, if it can be resolved through conversation, I’ll do that. But, if that doesn’t work, I will fight. That’s why I’m telling you in advance. I don’t know for sure, but I think some consequences will follow, and I was hoping you could prepare accordingly.”

“······What can I say. You were a madman before, but somehow now you seem even madder.”

“I apologize for acting so recklessly.”

After his one-sided notice, Oliver apologized, which was very much like him.

“Never mind. What’s the point of apologizing······. If you were never like this, it might be strange, but you were always like this, so what’s new?”

“For some reason, that makes me feel even more sorry.”

“It’s unsettling, but that’s fine. It’s that madness that brought us as far as we’ve come.”

Forest spoke sincerely. As he said, despite the discomfort, it was true that they were all here because of Oliver.

If Oliver hadn’t acted as he did, Forest might not have been able to make a comeback, the Fighter Crew couldn’t have escaped the Cook’s grasp, and Marie couldn’t have come to Randa to rename her organization The Selectors.

Everyone here had benefited in some way from Oliver’s incomprehensible madness. Because of that, they couldn’t resent his sudden actions. That would mean denying themselves.

“But do you know where Fen is? Among the Fingers, Fen and Puppet’s locations are completely unknown.”

“I don’t know. But I’ve heard that someone knows, so I’m planning to go there first.”

“Plan? Your drive is impressive. Where exactly is that place?”

“Bean City.”

“Bean City?”

Joe, who had been silently listening, murmured as if he had never heard of it. Forest kindly explained.

“It’s a dark wizard city across the sea. To be precise, it’s a city of pirates, smugglers, and dark wizards. They say it’s built on the corpse of a giant god, but who knows if that’s true······. And you say someone there knows Fen’s location?”

“Yes, a pirate named Captain Hook supposedly knows.”

“Captain Hook······. I’ve heard of him. Troublemaking dark wizard pirate. Do you know the way to Bean City? The terrain is rough and complex, and the surrounding land is contaminated, so there’s no official route.”

“Don’t worry. Ewan has agreed to help me.”

“That makes me even more worried.”

Forest, who had some knowledge of Ewan, admitted his true feelings.

Though Oliver agreed, he assured Forest that it should be fine.

“We made a deal, and I don’t think he’s the kind of person who would abandon such a deal, even if he ran off to avoid debt.”

“That sounds contradictory, but I’ll let it slide······. Sigh, things are going to get busy again. Luckily, the X-District redevelopment is almost complete.”

Oliver could guess what might be keeping them busy.

The rumors of Oliver’s fight with Puppet and the emergence of a new Finger had already spread; if Oliver were to fight Fen, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as there’s a difference between a stone and a boulder being thrown into the water.

Not only the underworld, already in turmoil from the Flesh Cook’s death, but also the Holy Knights in the sunlight might show an unpredictable reaction.

Even if a Finger is defeated, if it’s a dark wizard, they won’t stand idly by.

That’s the identity of the Holy Knights.

That said, Forest didn’t resent or blame Oliver.

In the first place, Forest had already accepted that while Oliver paved the way forward, his role was to arrange and manage things as best as he could afterward. This headache was just his way of trying to set the course in the best possible direction.

Though it still made his head hurt. At that moment, Oliver called Forest.

“Forest, I have one more thing to tell you. This is not a personal matter, but a public one.”

“Now I’m getting slightly scared.”

“It’s a bit of a scary story for me too.”

“Come on, don’t say that······. What is it?”

“Archbishop Armand, who is also the Chancellor of Gallos, made me an offer. He wants me to fill the void left by the Flesh Cook.”

“······?”

“In return, he said he would make dark wizards a legitimate existence.”

***

Despite being busy, Oliver took the time to explain the deal proposed by Armand at a noble’s party to Forest, Joe, and Marie.

Their reactions weren’t much different from Oliver’s initial response.

They questioned if it was even possible. But after explaining what Armand had said, they were soon convinced.

Ironically, it was the Holy Knights, the archenemies of dark wizards, who could at least bring up the legitimacy of dark wizards.

“Was he sincere?”

“Yes, although the proposal had intentions and purposes behind it, there were no malicious intents.”

“But isn’t it still hard to trust completely?”

“I can’t really wrap my head around it either.”

Unlike the deep-in-thought Forest, Marie and Joe showed visible signs of suspicion. Oliver understood them.

Joe and Marie were from the lower strata of society, just like Oliver. It was hard for them to immediately trust the words of someone like Armand.

Regardless of personal credibility or sincerity, the reality was that people from different social classes find it hard to trust each other. Simply because they have no means of interaction.

But Forest, who had experience dealing with both the upper and lower classes as a broker, had a different reaction. He thought it was at least worth considering.

“What did you say?”

“I declined······. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.”

“So you’re saying not yet?”

“No, I’m still not sure. Whether I could take on such a thing······. But maybe I could. I’ll consider it as I go.”

While it sounded like a rather irresponsible statement considering the weight of the issue, Forest said nothing to criticize.

Even though it might seem irresponsible, he knew that Oliver had made a tremendous decision in making that statement. His current proactive attitude was likely due to the impact of that decision.

Then, there was only one thing Forest could do.

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll take that into consideration and think about what needs to be done.”

Forest chose to end the conversation simply rather than going into detailed speculation or laying out various scenarios like he normally would.

This wasn’t out of disregard, but rather an expression of deeper observation and consideration. Oliver caught on to Forest’s meaning and expressed his gratitude.

“Understood. Thank you.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Nothing more.”

“Then let’s end the conversation here. It looks like things are going to get busy soon, so I’d better start preparing in advance.”

Forest stood up from where he was sitting. Taking that as a sign, Marie and Joe also began to move.

“Marie, could you stay for a moment?”

Oliver specifically called out to Marie, who was about to leave.

Marie looked puzzled by the unexpected call, but soon nodded, and Forest and Joe wisely gave them some space.

When they were alone, Oliver checked the time before speaking suddenly.

“Marie, you haven’t used that power yet, have you?”

“That power?”

“Your unique dark magic that turns your whole body black.”

“Ah, yes······. As Dave instructed, I haven’t used it.”

“Thank you for keeping your promise.”

“No, a promise is something that must be kept······. But why are you asking about this now?”

“Please continue not to use that power.”

“Pardon?”

Marie responded with slight discomfort.

It was understandable, considering that the dark magic Oliver had forbidden her to use was Marie’s most powerful. The one that turned her entire body black not only bestowed an incredibly powerful physique but also granted overwhelming regenerative abilities.

It was so potent that using ordinary dark magic felt cumbersome.

Even recalling her past fight with Oliver or her recent battle with Lilith, who received a powerful body from the Puppet, made it clear how effective it was.

Against Lilith, who perfectly implemented a new magic as part of the Tower of Magic’s secret project, Marie had not been pushed back one bit.

In fact, she severed one of Lilith’s arms and even overwhelmed her.

Asking her not to use such a skill indefinitely was definitely an unreasonable request.

“If that’s due to Dave’s order······. But if you’d allow it, I’d like to ask the reason.”

Oliver considered giving a vague answer to Marie’s question but decided not to after seeing the determination in her eyes. On top of that, Marie was directly involved in this matter. She had the right to know.

‘I should explain it properly to ensure Marie won’t use it.’

With that thought, Oliver started explaining about the royal prince candidate of the Swan Sect he met while acquiring the Flesh Cook’s legacy.

He described the powerful physical abilities that could match hundreds of opponents, a regeneration ability beyond normal limits, and mysterious summoning powers.

“It is very similar to the dark magic you use, Marie.”

“······Are you saying that black hand was also involved?”

Oliver nodded in affirmation.

“Yes, while it’s different from yours, there was a black hand above his head. It was a black hand that only I could see······. This is the biggest reason I’m asking you not to use it. I suspect it may be related to demons.”

Oliver spoke his honest thoughts.

That black hand, which only Oliver could see. Though its true identity wasn’t clear, Oliver speculated it was related to demons.

After all, the royal prince candidate of the Swan Sect, who worshiped demons, had it.

“Dave. I swear, I’ve never made a deal with or worshiped a demon.”

“I know, Marie. And I didn’t mean it like that······. In the demonology books I’ve read, there are cases where demons unilaterally grant power······. Anyway, I know you’re not like that. So don’t worry.”

“But wouldn’t that mean it’s safe to use?”

Oliver hesitated at Marie’s words.

“······What exactly do you mean by ‘safe’?”

“I believe that Dave didn’t want me to use it due to concerns about side effects. But if I know I didn’t worship or make a deal with a demon, then there shouldn’t be any side effects.”

Oliver raised one eyebrow.

Surprisingly, Marie’s guess was to some extent correct. In cases where a demon unilaterally provided power, there were no costs or side effects.

Since the consent was not mutual, but one-sided. For this reason, such cases were said to be exceedingly rare in human history, counted on one hand.

Marie just so happened to be one of those rare cases. However—

“—I’m sure demons don’t give out power without a plan. If you rely on that power, it might tempt you later on.”

“I apologize, but may I ask just one more question?”

“······? Yes, go ahead.”

“Do you think I have that much value? Enough for a demon to tempt me?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Oliver was momentarily silent.

“······Yes, Marie, you’ve expanded the influence of your sect across the country on your own.”

“The achievement of our believers is not their power, but the power of God.”

Marie denied Oliver’s words. Oliver remained silent.

“Forgive my impertinence, Dave······. However, if I did receive such power, I believe it’s because of you, not me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“It’s because······ you’re special, Dave.”

Marie barely suppressed the urge to praise him with hundreds of words and dozens of sentences, instead voicing only the most important one.

That Oliver was a special existence. Because he truly was special.

He was the one who had given meaning to someone like her, who could have been born without purpose and died without purpose.

Looking at Marie, who told him this, Oliver responded. Somehow, his usually expressionless face seemed a bit sad.

“But I don’t want to be special. That’s too heavy, tiring, and lonely.”