Chapter 618: A Druid’s Commission

Although he was just a boy, Prince Albert was indeed very responsible.

After parting ways with Oliver, Prince Albert, as he had said, was invited to various events around Randa where he took countless photos and made numerous speeches.

These events ranged from entrepreneur gatherings, women’s clubs, district meetings, veterans’ associations, to charities and religious institutions.

Whenever Prince Albert moved, hundreds of reporters followed, constantly snapping photos.

Albert himself claimed it was nothing, but to Oliver, it looked different.

At least that was Oliver’s personal impression.

For someone like Oliver, who felt burdened by too much attention, what Albert was doing seemed incredibly hard and exhausting.

Isn’t that so? Having every single step and word recorded.

What amused Oliver was how even the simplest remarks from Prince Albert were given meaning and blown out of proportion by the newspapers.

For instance, if the prince said the steak was delicious, it would suddenly mean he disliked the salad.

Of course, Oliver, who subscribed to the newspaper, was somewhat aware of this, but experiencing it firsthand through someone he knew gave it a different feel.

It felt a bit more real, you could say?

In any case, what Prince Albert was going through looked tough. If it were Oliver, he would’ve run away by now.

However, what was remarkable was that a boy who looked barely older than a young teenager was handling it all so well.

The Royal Family subtly hinted that they wanted to maintain good relations with Randa through photos and speeches, and Randa’s newspapers picked up on this.

Just a few days after Prince Albert’s visit, Randa became friendly towards the Royal Family.

And now, as Prince Albert suggested, Oliver was meeting with the Druids.

This was happening in the reception room of the administrative tower of the Tower of Magic.

Tap-!

The heavy sound echoed as the massive man with green hair placed his thick hand on the table in response to Oliver’s answer.

He showed his anger while keeping his composure, much like the first time they met.

As a coincidence, the druid standing before Oliver was someone he already knew.

In the past, when Oliver had started the redevelopment project on Forest’s suggestion, this reformist druid named Pierce had visited.

Back then, he had come to Randa to capture a druid from Enjoyment who had run away to the city due to a stifling life and harsh training, to bring him back to Greenland.

Although due to some incidents, Pierce ended up bringing back more chunks of meat than actual druids.

Anyway, his role had changed, and instead of training druids, he had returned to Randa as Prince Albert’s escort to speak with Oliver.

In a low, growling voice, Pierce asked, his appearance resembling a wild beast.

“Are you mocking me, Dave?”

Just as Oliver was about to reply, the owner of the administrative tower, Burke, interrupted and politely asked for permission.

“Ah, pardon me for a moment…”

Being someone frequently in contact with outsiders as a representative of the Tower of Magic, Burke skillfully sought permission and pulled Oliver closer, whispering in his ear.

Having cooperated in founding the School of Dark Magic, Burke spoke more comfortably, indicating a sense of familiarity. At least, that’s how Oliver felt.

“Are you out of your mind?”

To reciprocate that feeling, Oliver responded honestly.

“No, I’m not.”

“Then why did you say it like that?”

“…Did you mean when I said, ‘I don’t want to?'”

“Yeah, that. Who answers like a child in a situation like this?”

“Ah…”

Oliver couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

It seemed like he messed up. Truth be told, saying ‘I don’t want to’ wasn’t something he said without thinking.

It was an answer he prepared after careful consideration, following Forest’s advice.

Forest had told Oliver that if he really wanted to do business properly, sometimes he would have to do things he didn’t like.

To protect his interests, Oliver would have to endure arguments and be unreasonably stubborn at times.

It wasn’t something the old Oliver, who only assisted others, would have done, but with Oliver becoming more actively involved in business, like establishing the School of Dark Magic, Forest gave this advice after much thought.

‘Of course, I intend to handle most things myself. After all, the reason I took the co-executive position was for that, so don’t feel bad. I actually enjoy this kind of work… However, there will be times when I can’t step in. When that happens, Dave, you’ll have to do it.’

Forest was right. The current situation, for example, was one of those times.

So, following Forest’s advice, Oliver answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ to show his strong will.

But it seems like it was a mistake.

“Yes, it was a mistake.”

After hearing Oliver’s explanation, Burke confirmed his error.

Although it was a regrettable response, Oliver didn’t panic.

The reason for Oliver’s ‘I don’t want to’ answer was not just to showcase his strong will, but there was actually another reason.

The real reason the druids came wasn’t just about the use of natural power. That was merely an excuse; their real purpose was something else.

To prove this, the female druid sitting beside Pierce interjected.

“It seems like you misspoke, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re refusing our request… I have very sharp ears, you know.”

As Oliver and Burke looked at her, the female druid continued speaking.

Despite using magic to block sound, she still heard them. However, it didn’t seem strange or irritating.

After all, they were superhumans who handled natural power and magic. Such abilities were to be expected.

Oliver replied.

“Yes, I plan to continue using natural power, spells, and other druidic abilities because I need them for my current work.”

“Natural power and spells belong to the druids. Don’t you think it’s problematic for someone who’s not a druid to use them as they please?”

“Hmm… May I speak frankly?”

The druids in the reception room, along with Burke, responded with silence.

“I don’t think natural power and spells belong to the druids. Druids are just people who use natural power. You wouldn’t say the wind and the sun have owners, would you?”

The druids’ eyebrows twitched.

Clearly, they didn’t agree with Oliver. Well, that’s understandable. The druids had monopolized natural power for a very long time.

Because of that, many believed natural power was the exclusive domain of druids.

Perception had overshadowed reality.

But for Oliver, it wasn’t so. It seemed strange, even if you thought about it.

The druids might have been the first to discover how to use natural power, but natural power had existed since the beginning.

Claiming ownership of such a force was extremely unnatural.

Natural power didn’t belong to the druids, and druids were just people who used that power.

“The same could be said for wizards and Dark Magic too, couldn’t it?”

“Ah, well-”

“-Ahem, ahem. That’s not the topic at hand.”

As Oliver tried to reply, Burke, the head of administration, intervened.

“I understand what the druids are trying to say. I can generally sympathize with your feelings. However, we respectfully inform you that the Tower of Magic also finds it difficult to accept your request immediately.”

The Burke who had just asked Oliver if he was out of his mind earlier now displayed a flawless and official demeanor, as if he had become a different person.

It was most likely a skill he acquired after decades of working in the administration.

When the druids protested, Burke adeptly responded.

“We’re under no obligation to grant your request immediately, are we?”

“…”

“The druidic spell that Xenon mastered was learned from a druid from Enjoyment who was active in Randa. Also, the herbs Xenon is growing are not the ones from Greenland but seeds improved from the East. Frankly, I find it strange that you even made this request. There’s nothing illegal about it… And there’s definitely no law saying that only druids can use natural power, is there?”

“Well, right now the central council is-”

“-I’m sorry, but this is Randa. The Free City of Randa. The central council’s laws don’t concern us much.”

Burke, who had spoken softly to persuade them, drew a firm line the moment he felt control had swung in his favor.

The druids couldn’t respond to that.

Regardless of personal feelings, Burke’s logic was sound.

There was no law that said only druids could use natural power. If such a law existed, magic would’ve had to be treated similarly.

But of course, no such law existed. It simply didn’t make sense. Dark Magic wasn’t different, either.

Nevertheless, the druids acted this way because, due to their unique isolation and the difficulty of mastering it, they had monopolized natural power for such a long time.

Now, with Oliver’s appearance, that monopoly was being shaken—just as it had been with the wizards before.

Burke precisely pointed that out.

Indeed, a reasonable argument. Moreover, he emphasized that even if a law were created that said only druids could use natural power, Randa, being a Free City, would be an exception, thus preventing any unforeseen problems.

An icy silence filled the reception room, and druid Pierce finally spoke.

“It seems we need more time to discuss this matter further.”

“I agree.”

Burke didn’t reject it but accepted it. However, he had no intention of actually listening to the druids’ opinions. He merely intended to stall for time and wear them down, a typical Randa tactic.

“By the way, this matter… it suggests there’s another issue, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Pierce answered and, as expected, Oliver agreed silently.

From the moment the druids requested this meeting, Oliver had known they had another agenda.

Their emotions confirmed it.

Once, when Pierce came to capture the druid from Enjoyment, this second visit felt quite similar.

“We seek the services of Xenon—no, Dave. The Kel rebels have kidnapped one of our druids, and we understand they are hiding in Randa. We would like your help in finding them.”

***

The Druids, who visited Randa with Prince Albert to assist him, made a secret request to Oliver.

They asked for his help in finding the druid kidnapped by the Kel rebels.

Oliver questioned why they would make such a request. Wouldn’t it be better to formally ask the City for help?

It was true that Oliver was a capable problem solver, but even so, he was just that—a problem solver.

Typically, tasks given to problem solvers are things that people want to keep hidden.

In this case, borrowing the city’s law enforcement power would be more reasonable than relying on Oliver.

If they weren’t taking the reasonable path, there had to be a good reason.

When Oliver asked about it, Pierce dodged the question by saying it was an internal druid matter.

However, he promised a reward; they wouldn’t protest Oliver’s use of natural power and would consider it as diplomacy with the Royal Family.

In reality, it meant the druids were asking for help without offering anything in return, but Oliver didn’t take it badly.

The difference between the druids protesting and not protesting was significant.

So, Oliver accepted the request and started looking for Joe.

“Are the Sewer Snakes still around?”

“Yes. Are they still in the X-District?”

Sewer Snakes. They were one of the gangs in X-District that Oliver had previously come into contact with.

Led by the Dark Magic user, Guile, they specialized in hiding fugitives who had escaped to Randa.

Coincidentally, they previously provided shelter to a few members of the Kel Independent Free Army who had fled to Randa.

“Yes, they’re still in the X-District. Unlike other gangs, they’ve been cooperative with us. Why do you ask?”

“I need to find someone.”

“Well… From what I know, they’ve stepped away from that business since the X-District was redeveloped.”

“Still, could you help me arrange a meeting with them? Just in case… Oh, by the way, do you have a lot on your plate?”

“The City has requested something, but don’t worry about it. Who are you looking for?”

“Wallace, from the Kel Independent Free Army. I’ve heard he’s come back to Randa.”