Chapter 654: Fatigue

The Era of Magic and Industry.

This phrase represented humanity’s current Golden Age.

Every sector—technology, production, economy, military—had reached its peak.

Perhaps, there was no one who could deny this in either the past or future.

But, a true sage would say the real beneficiaries of this era were not humans but wizards.

This wasn’t a baseless claim.

Just looking at the phrase ‘The Era of Magic and Industry’ made it clear.

Magic was indispensable in critical sectors like the economy and military.

Thus, wizards who studied magic were indeed the protagonists of this era, with countless emerging each day to establish prestigious families in their own names.

Although this was partly due to the favorable times, the loose social perception that merely building some wealth and producing a distinguished individual elevated one to nobility also played a role.

In truth, there was one more thing required to become a truly distinguished family.

It was none other than history and tradition.

Even in an era obsessed with materialism, where they claimed nothing couldn’t be bought with money, there was no buying history and tradition.

This was not a matter of amount, but of domain.

History and tradition belonged to the domain of time; money, being part of the material domain, couldn’t encroach upon it.

Yet, paradoxically, the reverse was possible.

Using the domain of time, like tradition and history, to amass material wealth.

The Iceye Family, to which Yareli belonged, was a prime example of this.

With its long history, its legacy of Archive members, and the Demon Eye that could freeze others with a glance, the Iceye Family was undeniably prestigious.

At one time, the family had to flee their homeland and wander for years because of their Demon Eye, but thanks to their history, they settled in Randa.

They served as decorations to elevate the initial status of the Tower of Magic, which was a union of branches from various schools.

But it didn’t mean that the Iceye Family only had history and tradition.

If that were the case, they would’ve vanished merely as decorations—but instead, they became essential to the Tower of Magic.

This energy came from the family’s magical talents, Demon Eye, and the insight and survival strategies built up over long years of hardship.

Thanks to this insight and these strategies, they missed no opportunities and avoided crises.

This was the reason why Tilda Iceye did not side with Theodore.

And it was also the reason why Yareli was now following Xenon to the Central Continent.

She was there to observe the trends from up close.

As Xenon, the disciple (or rather, experiment) of the Archive, the hero of Randa, and the man intending to establish a school with his own strength, was practically the trend itself in the Tower of Magic.

Thus, Tilda, the head of the Iceye Family, Grandmaster of the Skadi Minor School, and Yareli’s grandmother, sent her granddaughter to follow Xenon as a retainer.

To grasp a future opportunity or avoid an unknown crisis.

And although the situation was different from what Tilda expected, Yareli indeed witnessed remarkable things.

A prime example of this was the existence of the Eves standing in front of her.

The Eve currently belonging to the Moirai School communicated with Xenon comfortably through a communication device attached to her clothes. Another Eve, called Pandora, was also assisting Xenon.

Initially, Yareli thought they were human, but upon realizing they were Zombie Puppets, she knew they were Eves.

But what was even more astonishing than the new Eves’ existence was that Pandora called Xenon her father.

This implied that Xenon—or perhaps even the Moirai School—had created Pandora and maybe even the other Eves.

Even though no one pointed this out, likely because of the presence of the Pied Piper, it was a staggering revelation.

It was significant enough to fill pages in the history of magic.

But oddly, although Yareli was surprised, she wasn’t too shocked.

It felt like something Xenon could totally do.

After all, he was at the center of numerous major events and even stabilized Yareli’s Demon Eye just by touching her head.

So, she found it easy to accept that Xenon could’ve created the Eves.

Maybe because of that, Yareli was now more concerned with herself rather than gathering more information about Xenon.

Even though her grandmother, Tilda, had repeatedly urged her to monitor Xenon more thoroughly and report more often, Yareli hadn’t reported anything yet.

Despite her efforts to be a good granddaughter since her childhood.

Instead, she was secretly gathering news about Randa behind her grandmother’s back.

Because when they last communicated, Yareli noticed that her grandmother seemed different.

Although she appeared as calm and composed as usual, Yareli detected a slight change within her.

A subtle anxiety and desire, felt only by family members who knew her well.

For some reason, Yareli didn’t ask why and instead used the communication network she had built to collect news from Randa. In the process, she discovered one crucial piece of information.

Randa City and the upper echelon of the Tower of Magic had collaborated to secretly close off certain areas for investigation. Yareli brought up this fact at the moment when Xenon was about to leave with the Eves.

Even she wasn’t sure why she mentioned it.

Whether because of the existence of the Pied Piper, witnessing Derek’s death, her conversation with Templar Joanna, or simply her personal feelings.

Regardless, Yareli brought it up, even though it was hard to speak up in such a situation, in an attempt to stop Oliver.

.

“Wait a moment. I have something to say.”

“…What is it?”

“It’s about Randa. Randa City and the upper echelon of the Tower of Magic have closed off some areas… Those areas were the ones most damaged during the Pied Piper’s invasion.”

Oliver’s gaze wavered.

“So why don’t we return to Randa? If both the City and Tower of Magic are collaborating, something serious must be happening. Also, the Redevelopment Union found the sealed zones but has chosen to remain silent on the matter.”

Oliver showed interest. It was that alarming of a news.

Such rapid cooperation between the City and the Tower of Magic was a rare occurrence in itself, signaling an unusual situation.

On top of that, the closed-off zones were the ones worst hit by the Pied Piper, making it even more concerning.

The issue was significant enough that it could serve as an excuse to return to Randa without repercussions.

However, Oliver, once he had set his course, even though he showed interest, didn’t reverse his decision.

“There are capable people in the Tower of Magic, so don’t worry. Besides, the Elder is there too.”

The Elder referred to Merlin of the Archive.

With his presence, indeed, there shouldn’t be any problems. Merlin was the greatest wizard alive. If there were issues even with his presence, then it would be more accurate to say these matters couldn’t be avoided, regardless of who was there.

Yet, despite that, Oliver asked Kevin out of curiosity.

“Professor, do you know anything about this?”

“No, I was too busy keeping an eye on the situation here. Because—”

—Knock, knock.

Someone started knocking on the door, interrupting Kevin.

It was none other than the Holy Knights. When Oliver opened the door, two knights with a nun behind them were standing there, along with about a dozen more knights waiting in the hallway.

The knight who had knocked on the door spoke up.

“Xenon Bright. Sir Roderick and the King of Aizen Kingdom are calling for you. Please come with us.”

“…The King of Aizen is here in this city.”

Kevin added that to Oliver.

It was then that Oliver realized who the guest was who had taken over Kevin’s accommodations, as the nun had mentioned earlier.

It was none other than the King of Aizen Kingdom.

Apparently, he had arrived to personally lead the army tasked with hunting down the Dark Sorcerers.

Although it was not Oliver’s area of expertise, personally leading the army and working with the Holy Knights to subdue the Dark Sorcerers would surely bolster the King’s authority.

That wasn’t a difficult story. The underlying mechanics were similar to dealing with back-alley gangs.

The issue was, unfortunately, the Pied Piper showed up right at that time.

It seemed that imposing a nighttime curfew wasn’t just to prevent chaos in the city but also to stop people from gathering and voicing their discontent against the King.

When discontent remains individual, it’s merely dissatisfaction, but when shared amongst the masses, it can become a disaster.

This wasn’t different from the mutual interests of the back alleys.

As if to confirm this, Oliver asked the Holy Knight.

“Sir, could you tell me why Sir Roderick and his Majesty wish to see me?”

“They have questions regarding the Pied Piper. Please come with us right away. The King and the Archpriest of Pater Church are waiting.”

“I refuse.”

Oliver immediately declined, which was odd for someone who usually seemed too timid when it came to most matters, prioritizing others’ comfort.

Both the Holy Knights and Yareli were taken aback by this, while Rossburn and Pandora showed no surprise.

It was a matter of how deeply one understood Oliver.

Oliver was only considerate and yielding when it came to things that weren’t particularly important to him.

Money, merit, honor were things most people would risk their lives for, but for Oliver, they were trivial.

That’s why, though he seemed polite and overly considerate, it wasn’t actually so.

He was merely willing to give up things that didn’t interest him.

To him, money was just a convenient tool, merits were easily attainable, and honor wasn’t something he particularly valued.

The proof of this was that his behavior changed completely when there was something he genuinely wanted.

Once something mattered to him, it didn’t matter what it was, who stood in his way, or what the situation was—none of it mattered anymore.

Oliver only cared about what he wanted.

And to drive this point home, he bluntly informed the Holy Knights.

“I have urgent business. I hope you understand.”

As he spoke, Oliver tried to walk past the Holy Knights.

Of course, a knight under orders from the Archpriest couldn’t just let Oliver leave.

One of the knights put his hand on Oliver’s shoulder to stop him.

“Huh?!”

Yet, despite his superior strength, the knight couldn’t grab him. He was instead pulled off balance.

This happened without Oliver using any Dark Magic whatsoever.

The knight in his confusion tried to regain his balance and increased his grip, but Oliver lightly shoved him away with his quarterstaff, making him lose his hold.

“Stop right there!”

Shouted the knights who had been waiting behind Oliver and now surrounded him.

It seemed they had anticipated Oliver might not comply so easily. Oliver paused, and one of the stern-looking knights shouted at him.

“Did you forget that you were summoned by Sir Roderick?”

“Apologies, but I’m not here on Sir Roderick’s orders. I am here to assist him, but there’s a difference between receiving orders and offering help.”

“What?!”

“Besides, I’m here to assist with the Dark Sorcerer refugee issues, not to deal with the Pied Piper.”

“So you’re running awa—”

Just as an outraged knight began to shout, another figure spoke up to stop him.

A well-groomed man with an impressive mustache, whose face seemed familiar—Galahaut.

He was the Holy Knight from Wineham who had tried to purge Marie and the chosen ones, and a follower of Archpriest Roderick who had come to Randa.

Back in Wineham, he had quickly seen through Oliver’s disguise as a Druid.

He recognized Oliver now too, but given the situation, he had remained silent until this moment. Now, he finally spoke.

Galahaut opened with a formal greeting.

“I am Holy Knight Galahaut.”

“Xenon Bright.”

“First of all, I will acknowledge that what you said was correct.”

Several Holy Knights, particularly the younger ones, looked surprised by his unexpected statement.

Indeed, a Holy Knight treating a Dark Sorcerer like this was rather an unusual occurrence.

So, while Oliver was undoubtedly a unique Dark Sorcerer, he was still a Dark Sorcerer.

“You simply accepted Sir Roderick’s proposal. You are not obligated to follow every command.”

All the Holy Knights held their breath, watching Galahaut.

“However, as you know, these are rather special circumstances. We need your information about the Pied Piper.”

“Wouldn’t the Pater Church and Aizen Kingdom, who faced him before, have more information? Are you sure it’s just information you want from me?”

Oliver saw right through the true reason they had summoned him.

It likely wasn’t just for information. More likely, they intended to have him face the Pied Piper in combat again.

This might even be why they had brought him to the Central Continent.

After all, it was now widely believed that Oliver had saved Randa from the Pied Piper.

“I think I know what rumors you’ve heard, but they are exaggerated.”

“Are you saying you never faced the Pied Piper?”

“I did, but I didn’t stop him. I just got lucky, and he retreated on his own.”

At these words, a twitch ran through Galahaut’s eyebrows. The other Holy Knights and the nuns reacted similarly.

“I only suffered at the hands of the Pied Piper. That’s why I don’t yet have the courage to face him again.”

This was the truth. The existence of the Pied Piper was unsettling for Oliver, regardless of his own power.

He felt a strange kinship with the Pied Piper, which made encountering him even harder.

“You said ‘yet’? Does that mean you might gain the courage later? Is your urgent business related to that?”

“Something like that. There’s something I need to check, but before that, I need to visit an acquaintance.”

“An acquaintance?”

“Yes, one of my acquaintances seems to be in trouble.”

Oliver recalled what The Burned One had told him.

If what he said was true, then Amelin, the head of Ark Orphanage, wasn’t dead yet. She was in a state between life and death, as The Burned One had said, under the wrath of the most vengeful.

Galahaut looked shocked, as if doubting his ears.

“So you’re saying that because of trouble with an acquaintance, you’ll refuse the summons from the Archpriest and the King?”

“Yes.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, is there a problem with that?”

“The Archpriest and the King.”

“In the end, aren’t they all just people? Children of the Father in Heaven.”

Oliver voiced what he had always felt and had confirmed through scripture.

Priests, politicians, businessmen, magicians, troubleshooters, common citizens, gangsters, criminals, beggars—the world was full of different people, but they were all fundamentally human.

Each person had their individual traits, strengths, and weaknesses, but at the core, they were the same.

This was true even for royalty, who claimed to have special blood.

Even Prince Albert was, in the end, just a boy.

It wasn’t even a matter worth debating. The scripture said all were children of the same Father.

But Galahaut didn’t share this view, and he remained silently shocked.

“…You’re saying dangerous things.”

“I’m just quoting scripture, Sir. So, will you move aside? I’ll finish my business quickly and return. Professor Kevin will stay here in my place.”

Oliver pointed to Kevin as he spoke unexpectedly, but Kevin immediately nodded in agreement.

Yet, it wasn’t enough for Galahaut.

“I understand what you’re saying, but we have our own position to maintain.”

With that, the Holy Knights didn’t openly draw their weapons, but they placed their hands on them.

Oliver then politely asked for understanding.

“Could you please let me go? I have my own situation to handle.”

Simultaneously, Oliver’s shadow began to ripple, absorbing the surrounding darkness and exponentially growing in size.

The shadow awoke from its slumber. Just like in Neverland, just like when he faced the Pied Piper.

However, unlike then, this time the shadow grew at a controlled, deliberate pace under Oliver’s will.

As if to demonstrate this, the shadow, instead of expanding wildly, slowly grew, climbing along the floor and walls until it stood behind Oliver.

Bubbles formed on its surface, and countless unsettling eyes emerged. These eyes focused on each of the Holy Knights.

Creep…

The Holy Knights felt every hair on their bodies stand on end the moment they locked eyes with it.

The sensation was even more terrifying than facing a horde of Creatures.

Normally, their feelings would be indescribable, but coincidentally, some of the Holy Knights in the city had one word in their minds.

The Pied Piper.

After a few moments, Oliver and Pandora passed through the ten or so Holy Knights as if nothing had happened, while the knights continued standing in place.

Meanwhile, the nuns who had witnessed this scene silently moved to another nun to report what had happened.

She was the one assisting Roderick.

“He has left.”

“Is that alright?”

“He did say he would bring the key from here…”

The nuns chirped together like birds, and one of them quietly responded.

“Don’t worry. Fate cannot be altered. In the end, it will return here… as it is God’s will.”

As if someone had whispered the answer into her ear, the nun replied confidently.