Chapter 617: Druid’s Request

“Pleased to meet you. Dave… or is it Xenon?”

Prince Albert spoke, removing his hood that covered his face.

Oliver instinctively opened his mouth after seeing the revealed face.

“Your High-”

Prince Albert raised his hand, signaling for him to stop speaking.

Oliver wondered why, but soon understood.

Owen was listening.

Noticing Oliver’s gaze, Owen explained himself.

“Ah… I ran into this kid on the way here. He said he knew the boss, having received help in the past, and wanted to say hello. Did I make a mistake?”

Owen cautiously asked, worried that he might have done something wrong.

In the Fighter Crew, Owen’s size and strength were overwhelming. However, his simple and kind-hearted nature made it easy for him to believe the prince’s lie.

‘No, wait, was it really a lie?’

Oliver thought it over quietly. The prince did hide his identity, but they were indeed acquainted, and the help story was true. So technically, it wasn’t a lie.

Besides, Owen probably confirmed this through the Warlock’s Eye and brought him along.

Understanding the situation, Oliver decided to play along with the prince.

“No, it’s true. We do know each other.”

“Oh! That’s a relief…!”

Owen visibly relaxed, relieved.

“I thought about dragging him over since it didn’t feel right to call him ‘Boss,’ but he insisted on meeting alone. I wasn’t sure if I had made a mistake, but I’m glad everything is fine.”

Owen, who had a soft spot for children, said this due to his caring nature shaped by having younger siblings.

Luckily, this situation wasn’t bad for Oliver either.

If they had met somewhere more populated, someone might have recognized Albert as the prince, which would have caused unnecessary rumors and complicated situations. Owen’s innocence worked out well for Oliver.

As one question was resolved, another naturally arose.

Why had the prince come to see Oliver? And why alone, without even a secretary or bodyguard?

Even though he was still young, the prince had performed his role diligently during the New Continent’s Great Fire as a prince. Considering that, this was an extremely unexpected move.

He must have understood the implications of leaving his post alone.

Oliver became curious about why the prince had come here alone.

“Owen, you’ve done well. I’ll handle things from here, so can you step back for a moment? If anyone asks for me, please say I’m attending to some tasks.”

Before starting the real conversation, Oliver asked Owen to leave, and Owen complied.

Thanks to that, Oliver and Albert were left alone in an alley in the X-District.

“Has your hair returned to its original color?”

While Oliver was casting soundproof and disguise magic in the area, the prince suddenly asked.

At first, Oliver couldn’t understand the question, but soon it became clear.

After all, when they first met, one side of Oliver’s hair had been completely bleached white due to The Burned One.

“No, it’s dyed, Your Highness.”

“Dyed?”

“Yes, I dyed it because it stood out too much, Your Highness.”

“Is that so? I thought it looked rather enigmatic.”

“So it seems, Your Highness.”

“Ah, could you please stop calling me ‘Your Highness’?”

“Yes?”

“It’s proper etiquette in an official setting, but it feels a bit uncomfortable right now.”

“Ah, understood… May I ask you something then? Why did Your Highness come to the X-District alone?”

Oliver asked a perfectly reasonable question.

After all, it was quite unusual for the prince, who had just visited today, to come to the X-District alone.

Perhaps that was why Owen hadn’t recognized the prince’s face.

People’s eyesight isn’t as sharp as you might think, especially in situations that make no sense. Even if something happens right in front of them, they might not recognize it.

“If you had come any later, it could have been dangerous. Nighttime is always risky, but Randa’s nights are particularly dangerous.”

“I judged there wouldn’t be any trouble. I heard that the X-District, once one of the largest slums, is now as safe as the area near Randa.”

Oliver couldn’t argue with that. The prince was right.

Excluding the Y- and Z-Districts, the heavily underdeveloped X-District had undergone redevelopment, drastically improving its security.

While part of the improvement was due to the disappearance of run-down areas, the largest factor was that the Fighter Crew, The Selectors, and mercenaries and fixers hired by Forest were patrolling the X-District like a vigilante group.

Crime hadn’t completely vanished, but at least the middle-class residential areas in the K-, L-, M-, and N-Districts had seen significant improvements in security.

Considering that the X-District previously had to establish a community due to the lack of security, this was an impressive development.

However, the amazing thing wasn’t the improvement in the X-District. It was Albert’s knowledge of this despite not being from Randa.

“You’re quite well informed.”

“Our Royal Family’s secretaries are highly capable. They gathered this information.”

Genuine words. But despite the clear answer, Oliver’s curiosity didn’t disappear. In fact, it grew.

“You seem to have a lot of interest in Randa.”

“No, not particularly. It’s just that… I heard rumors about you.”

Oliver tilted his head. Rumors about him? He found it hard to comprehend.

The prince hesitated a bit before slowly opening his mouth.

“Didn’t you say before? That you prioritize your personal affairs. That’s why you turned down my offer.”

“Ah, you’re talking about the new magic institution you were setting up under the Royal Family’s direction, right?”

“Yes, exactly… Honestly, I was surprised and found it hard to understand. Working for the Royal Family should be an honorable thing, yet you refused. I felt a bit displeased.”

Oliver resisted saying, ‘Personal preferences vary.’ His years as a fixer and Tower of Magic employee taught him that it wasn’t a good idea to say such things.

“But now I understand. You didn’t just refuse without a reason. You had grand ambitions of your own. You wanted to redevelop the slums to help people and establish your own school… A sort of Noblesse Oblige.”

Albert’s words trailed off, filled with admiration and respect.

He seemed to have more to say, but Albert held back, likely out of his characteristic patience and caution.

A very subtle emotion. Nonetheless, Oliver noticed it. That complex emotion aroused Oliver’s curiosity, making him more honest in his response.

“Your Highness, I don’t mean to disappoint you, but to be honest, that’s not what it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s true that I helped with the slum redevelopment and am trying to establish a new school, but that wasn’t my original intention. And it wasn’t the reason I refused your offer.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes, it just happened somehow. The redevelopment of the X-District seemed like a good business opportunity, and the school… I’m only establishing it recently due to tax issues.”

Albert’s eyes wavered. His expression was one of someone realizing that babies aren’t brought by storks but are made on beds.

Of course, Oliver, being an orphan, had known from the start that they were made on beds.

“…Still, I heard that you’ve helped a lot of people? In the Contaminated Zone? You even went out of your way to provide jobs for the refugees there.”

Oliver quietly admired the Royal Family secretaries. They really were capable.

“That’s true. When circumstances allow, I plan to provide shelter and even build factories to create more jobs. But it’s not what Your Highness referred to as Noblesse Oblige.”

“Then there’s another reason?”

“Yes, honestly, I’m doing it for selfish reasons. I want to see if I can become a good person.”

“A good person?”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing Oliver’s explanation, Albert frowned with a complicated expression.

“I don’t quite understand what you mean… Wanting to be a good person?”

“I mean it literally. I want to be a good person… because good people are just that.”

The more he listened, the more Albert seemed to sink into a quagmire. Understandably so, as he was hearing equal parts about processes and outcomes intertwined nonsensically.

It was an explanation that only grew more frustrating the more he listened. Yet, instead of getting angry, the prince simply chuckled.

Just like when they conversed on the New Continent.

Trying so hard to act grown-up, Albert briefly revealed an age-appropriate expression as he chuckled.

However, shortly after, he pulled the mask and cloak of seriousness over his face and body again.

“Ahem, ahem. My apologies… Frankly, I don’t understand anything you’re saying.”

“Sometimes, neither do I. I often don’t even know what I’m saying or doing myself.”

Albert quietly smiled.

“Still, I don’t think it’s bad. Compared to the people I usually meet, you’re more honest… so I don’t dislike you.”

“Are the people you normally meet not straightforward with you?”

“Oh, if it sounded like I was badmouthing them, let me clarify: I didn’t mean they’re liars. It’s just that they don’t show their true intentions. It’s a fact. My family is royalty, and I’m a prince, after all.”

Oliver understood what he meant. It was something that inevitably came with being in a high position.

The prince gave a bitter smile.

“I understand it’s inevitable, but still, it’s exhausting at times. That might be why your unclear but honest attitude doesn’t seem so bad to me. Whatever it may be, it’s true that you’re doing good things.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“And I should be the one thanking you. Whether for personal reasons or not, thanks to you, citizens of the United Kingdoms are receiving help. Though I’m not the crown prince, I express my gratitude as a member of the Royal Family.”

Albert spoke with an authenticity that was more natural than usual—evidence of genuine feeling.

“In fact, I came here secretly because my brother, Edward X, urged me to. He told me to meet you.”

“Secretly? That’s why instead of using an intermediary, you came directly? To avoid leaving any trace of your visit?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why did your brother want you to meet me?”

“He told me to make another scout offer. He said the new magic institution the Royal Family is establishing needs talented individuals.”

“Ah…”

Oliver let out a short exclamation, not because he was convinced, but because he didn’t quite understand.

“Don’t worry. I couldn’t refuse my brother’s request outright, but I don’t intend to trouble you.”

“…It seems that you respect your brother.”

“Although he caused a lot of trouble in the past and still does occasionally, he’s becoming more suitable as the crown prince of a country… But why do you ask?”

“No reason… It just feels like I’ve made you come here on a wild goose chase, and I’m sorry for that.”

“No, that wouldn’t be fair. I came here on my own accord. Besides, I personally wanted to meet you again too. Ever since seeing you on the New Continent, I thought you seemed like an interesting person, so I wanted to see you again.”

“Then I’m glad… How long will you be staying in Randa?”

“I’ll be here for a while. I have several matters to attend to, actually. I came today because I’ll be busy starting tomorrow. If I didn’t come now, I wouldn’t have the chance.”

“It sounds like you’re working hard.”

“It’s my duty, so I have no complaints… Besides, my secretaries and central assembly members who accompanied me will handle most of the work, so I don’t have much to worry about. I’ll just attend a few events, take some photos, and read a few speeches.”

“Work is important, no matter how big or small. What matters is that you do your best, right?”

At Oliver’s words, Albert showed yet another age-appropriate expression.

Freed from the shackles of duty, tension, and fear, the muscles in his face formed a natural expression. The prince expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you… I feel much better now.”

“I’m glad.”

“On that note, let me give you a bit of advice.”

Albert suddenly spoke.

“You should meet with the envoys who came with me.”

“Are they the Druids?”

“So you knew. Yes, they are. They might confront you regarding the use of natural forces. While I doubt any serious conflict will arise, I would advise against any unnecessary friction. They are currently assisting the Royal Family, but they can be quite aggressive. I’m sincere in my advice.”

Albert’s sincerity was evident, and Oliver responded to it.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

Time passed, and a few days later.

A large man with green hair dressed in a suit spoke.

“Stop using the power of nature and spells. Abandon the usage of the Druids’ power.”

To this, Oliver responded.

“No.”