Chapter 615: Report

Flutter. Flutter. Flutter.

Tower of Magic Administration. Department Chief’s Office.

Burke Post, the owner of that office, was reading the freshly printed newspaper as usual.

Internally, the Tower of Magic Administration was responsible for various minor administrative tasks, but externally, it had to represent the Tower’s stance, so whether they liked it or not, they had to keep an ear to outside news.

And the best means for that was none other than the newspaper.

“It’s efficient. Although it may not reveal the full story, I can at least grasp whether something happened and get a rough overview. All for just a few coins.”

Burke folded the newspaper he’d just finished reading and addressed the early morning visitor.

That visitor was none other than Oliver.

“I see… Is there anything that caught your eye?”

“Plenty. I hear the central continent is in chaos. It’s causing a lot of refugees, including a troublesome number of Dark Mages.”

Since Oliver was already aware of the news, he didn’t show much of a reaction.

Oliver also read the newspaper daily and had connections such as Armand the Paladin and The Selectors’ Gallos Branch who kept him informed about local news.

“Interestingly, though, it doesn’t say why there’s chaos. Any idea why?”

“I’m not sure. Do you know, Chief?”

“Who knows? It’s the central continent. It’s always been chaotic, hasn’t it?”

Burke answered with a shrug.

Even though it was a somewhat regionalist comment, Oliver agreed.

As Burke said, the central continent was always in turmoil.

The first reason was that it was made up of numerous tiny kingdoms without large nations like the United Kingdom or Gallos, so its administrative power was weak. The second reason was that it failed to ride the wave of industrialization.

There was not enough capital for industrialization, and most of the mages had left, reducing their numbers and skill levels.

As a result, the small kingdoms of the central continent were mostly feudal in form, and it was said that there were more Dark Mages than Wizards.

“So, poverty, underdevelopment, and danger are what come to mind when you think of the central continent. It’s natural for it to be chaotic.”

“I see.”

“But, if we approach the matter more seriously, I suppose we can make some guesses.”

Burke, who had maintained a casual tone, suddenly became serious.

“Like any regular country, the small kingdoms of the central continent don’t like it when their own citizens leave. Since their nations are so small, they might even collapse. So they’ll do anything to stop those trying to flee, even mobilizing the army if necessary. What can we infer from that?”

“Maybe something scarier than the army happened?”

“Exactly. We can even guess that something so frightening occurred that even Dark Mages had to flee.”

“That makes sense. But why didn’t the newspaper mention the reason? Isn’t it like a gold mine for a news story?”

“Good question. We can speculate here as well—either they haven’t figured it out yet, or someone is controlling the information.”

“Controlling it?”

Oliver asked again. It wasn’t easy to control multiple newspapers.

It wasn’t just a matter of power, but influence and politics.

“It’s just a guess. Since the reason isn’t out yet, it’s possible. Or, maybe, the central continent is so dangerous they couldn’t find out.”

Burke shrugged again, evading the question.

It was a fitting attitude for someone busy dealing with countless issues both inside and outside the Tower of Magic.

Someone who addresses every matter with seriousness but sometimes lets it slide with a smile.

“There are plenty of other interesting articles too. Disputes over the reclaimed Sea of Oblivion, the Royal Family preparing a new magic institution. But the most eye-catching one is this.”

Burke handed over the newspaper.

[Huge Conflict in the Contaminated Zone! What in the World Happened?!]

The article reported a superhuman-level clash in the Contaminated Zone.

Oliver, looking at the photo in the article, asked. It was a picture of the Contaminated Zone’s surface, wrecked as if by an earthquake, with a massive crater in the middle.

“How was this picture taken?”

“It’s Randa, after all. Freelance journalists who’ll go anywhere for a big payday are a dime a dozen. It could have been taken by someone inside the Contaminated Zone. The important thing is that there was a massive conflict serious enough to be featured in the newspapers. What happened?”

Burke asked, and Oliver reported most of what had transpired in the Contaminated Zone.

He explained how they had gone to clean the Zone, faced a chaotic situation due to external forces, and decided to eliminate the cause.

He said ‘most’ because there were things he didn’t report.

For example, that Pinkman-backed traditional Gaia Faction Mage was behind commanding unaffiliated gangs, or that Pinkman were digging around for demon-related research underground in the Contaminated Zone.

The reason was simple: it seemed like it would cause a lot of trouble if reported.

He had an idea who might be behind using Pinkman for demon-related deals and research, and it seemed likely he’d get caught up in more complications if he reported that he knew about the demon underground in the Contaminated Zone.

So Oliver used the tactic of feigning ignorance, a survival skill he’d learned in Randa.

“So, you’re saying this happened during your confrontation with the gangs digging for research materials underground?”

“Yes, Chief. I don’t know what the research materials were, but that’s how the gangs there described it.”

“The gangs were from the Shield Brotherhood, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, that’s strange. The Shield Brotherhood is an organization founded by ex-soldier gangs, but they managed to use such advanced magic.”

“It seems they hired mages from outside, but I can’t say for sure.”

Although his answer lacked clarity, Burke didn’t press further.

After all, Oliver had reported everything else honestly.

“Should that information not have been included in the newspaper?”

“No, it’s not that. If we really didn’t want it in, it wouldn’t have been published at all.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Most of the Randa newspapers are cooperative with the Tower of Magic. The Tower accounts for a significant portion of their advertising revenue.”

“Ah.”

Oliver was reminded of an obvious fact. The Tower of Magic, which operated numerous magic-related businesses, was one of the largest clients for the newspapers.

“I was just curious about who might be behind this.”

“So, I didn’t make any mistakes then?”

“No, you actually did quite well. You eliminated most of the criminals, and most of the illegal refugees were put under control. What is it you want?”

Burke asked as if he could see through Oliver’s intentions. When Oliver asked how he knew, Burke answered like it was no big deal.

“People who bring about impressive results often have something they want.”

A reasonable statement. Oliver didn’t hide it and got straight to the point.

“Um… Before I tell you what I want, can I ask what you personally think about my effort to establish a Dark Magic Faction?”

“Why do you ask?”

Instead of a cliché answer about the Tower’s benefits, Burke asked why.

Oliver took this as a positive sign.

If he had a negative attitude, he wouldn’t have even bothered to ask, and most importantly, Burke’s overall emotions leaned towards goodwill. There was some concern and anxiety, but that was still a good enough response.

To reciprocate Burke’s reaction and feelings, Oliver answered honestly.

“I’m curious if you’ll help me or not.”

Burke didn’t immediately respond to Oliver’s straightforward words and remained silent.

A heavy silence pressed down on the space for a while, and then Burke finally spoke.

“Personally, I’d like to help you.”

Earthy sincerity.

“The Tower of Magic is doing well right now, but when things are good, that’s when we need new stimulation. Without it, we might stagnate. Besides, your Dark Magic Faction could be very beneficial for the administration.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The administration’s presence within the Tower isn’t as strong as it should be, considering its role and authority.”

Oliver understood what Burke was saying.

He was aware of the Tower’s origins and the status of its administration.

“If I, Xenon, help you found a faction, the administration’s standing in the Tower will certainly rise. Having the right to establish a faction and actually doing so is worlds apart. And if the Dark Magic Faction is established, it will likely be cooperative with our administration, which would be beneficial for us as well.”

“You’re more honest than I expected.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.”

Oliver shook his head, genuinely meaning it.

Considering that some mages work with fingers or others to protect their achievements, it wasn’t in Oliver’s nature to criticize someone who wanted their organization to prosper.

“Anyway, I’d like to help Xenon with this matter. But it won’t be easy. As I’ve explained before, it’s highly unusual to establish a faction under the leadership of just one person. Especially when it involves Dark Magic, you’ll need—”

“—more verification and scrutiny,”

Oliver accurately summarized based on his past conversation with Burke.

Oliver sighed as he pondered.

“Um… If that’s the case, could I receive support in another form?”

“Another form?”

“Yes, something like a support system within the Tower of Magic.”

Oliver pulled out a document from inside his coat. It wasn’t difficult to complete, as he only needed to follow the appropriate format.

This was the business support system for employees, teachers, and students affiliated with the Tower of Magic. If the project was deemed promising, it could receive funding and benefits from the Tower, such as tax breaks.

The reason Oliver initially aimed to establish a faction was because of those tax breaks. That’s why he planned to set aside the faction-building for now and approach it differently.

“What’s the business venture?”

Oliver took out the business documents from his inner pocket. It wasn’t hard since he just had to fill in the template.

“A pharmaceutical product combining Druid herbs and Dark Magic? I heard you know how to use Druid spells, and I guess it’s true.”

“Yes, the detailed information is in the report.”

Burke skimmed through the report quickly.

“But there’s no magic in it, right?”

“Since the assessment will be done by the Tower of Magic, that shouldn’t matter, should it?”

Burke had no rebuttal to Oliver’s argument.

After all, the evaluation of the project was solely in the hands of the Tower, and there really was no external regulating body that oversaw it.

At most, there was the Randa City’s Office of Business Regulation, but even they only checked if the business was legal or illegal.

Since Dark Magic was involved, there could’ve been some legal gray areas, but with the added Druid herbs, it became a bit more ambiguous.

And since Randa City had a strong hunger for new technology, they wouldn’t necessarily interfere with a Druid spell-based business.

Burke picked up on this right away.

“If the Tower of Magic doesn’t approve this proposal, you’ll just take it straight to Randa City, won’t you?”

Oliver neither confirmed nor denied it, which in itself was an affirmation.

Founding a faction to officially belong to the Tower and receive tax breaks would take too long in reality.

So Oliver opted for the Tower’s support system as a backup option, and if that didn’t work out, he planned to bypass the Tower and go directly to Randa City.

It wasn’t easy to grant tax breaks, but conversely, it meant they could be given if the value was shown to be significant.

‘There’s also the Blood Elixir, the Druid spells, and Life School’s techniques.’

Oliver contemplated the numerous cards he had.

The issue was that if it came to this, the Tower’s reputation could take a significant hit.

And since Oliver wanted to move things along smoothly and peacefully without friction, it was a situation he wanted to avoid. That’s why he asked Burke if he was willing to help.

“What other conditions do you have? After this much discussion, there’s sure to be more.”

“I’d like to rent the entire Contaminated Zone.”

“The whole Contaminated Zone?”

“Yes, I have a promise to keep with the refugees there. In exchange, I’ll thoroughly clean up the Zone while I rent it.”

It wasn’t a bad deal. Aside from evicting illegal residents within the Contaminated Zone, cleaning up the dilapidated buildings and contaminated land was also a big task. Especially purifying the contaminated land, which was one of the most troublesome jobs.

“I plan to purify the contaminated areas by creating a Druid’s Forest. It’s different from Holy Power, but Druid purification magic is still powerful. I might even create an entire forest, and if you want, I can share it with the Tower.”

“Are you serious?”

Burke didn’t ask whether it was possible. With Oliver’s reputation as a problem-solver and his standing as Xenon, an employee of the Tower, combined with Burke’s direct experience of meeting Oliver, he knew Oliver wasn’t one to bluff.

In a city like Randa, where con artists were everywhere, Oliver was a rare breed.

But because of that, his words carried extra weight. The fact that he had forged ahead solely on his skill made it even more credible.

Oliver answered.

“Yes, it’s only right to share good things.”

“If that’s the case, it’ll be easier for me to convince others. I’ll make sure to negotiate as quickly as possible and match the funding too.”

Burke promised, and Oliver got up to leave, eager to start working right away.

***

Fortunately, Burke’s words weren’t empty promises.

Before long, Burke, as the head of the Tower of Magic Administration, approved funding for Oliver, allowing him to secure the resources needed to clean the Contaminated Zone.

With this, Oliver could fulfill his promise to the residents of the Contaminated Zone by setting up temporary shelters and cleaning service companies that provided them with work and pay. Thus began the cleaning of the Contaminated Zone.

Due to the size and state of the Contaminated Zone, the process didn’t move quickly, but they steadily cleaned up one area after another.

Meanwhile, Oliver found time to converse with people from the Redevelopment Union and also taught Marie new Dark Magic.

It was a gesture to make up for her inability to use her existing Dark Magic because of Oliver.

As the days went by, one day, Oliver met Merlin, who informed him.

“A prince is coming to Randa soon.”