Chapter 704: Occupied City

“Ah, damn it…”

Right after asking Oliver the question, Carver groaned, covering his face.

It sounded like the groan of a boy lost in delusion, snapping back to reality. A sound filled with emptiness and shame.

But for Carver, it was a bit worse. He was already old enough to know better, given his position too.

The fact that someone like him would ask such an absurd question about ‘the apocalypse’ made him overwhelmed with shame.

“Shall I change the question then?”

“No! Don’t change it. I still don’t believe it, but I need to hear an answer. After all, the apocalypse might really be coming.”

He was being sincere. Oliver asked.

“Do you have a reason to think like that?”

“Because someone as well-educated, diligent, and competent as I am would ask such a ridiculous question—that’s evidence of the apocalypse right there, isn’t it?”

“…”

“I’m kidding. If you act so serious, you’ll hurt my feelings.”

Carver spoke with a softer tone, shedding the stiff armor of a typical government worker. Then, he took a bite of his breakfast.

He looked rather relaxed, but paradoxically, Oliver could sense a kind of resolve. A readiness to face an unbelievable reality.

“Delicious… Want some?”

Carver pointed to the most perfect dish in the world placed on the table.

At the sight of the food, Oliver felt conflicted. He wanted to eat due to the persistent hunger that gnawed at him, but at the same time, the very act of eating, a human behavior, felt strange to him.

“No… I’m alright.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I’m starving today.”

With that, Carver piled some bacon onto pancakes covered in honey and butter, took a bite, crunched into a thick sausage, and scooped up black pudding and beans as if he had a Greedy Bag.

After eating for a while, he suddenly spoke up.

“Actually, I have a lot of questions to ask. So many. For example, was it Dave who defeated the Pied Piper, or was it the Little Kingdom’s allied army?”

“…”

“The Little Kingdoms are claiming they did it, but back-alley rumors say otherwise. Personally, I believe the former.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t think the Pied Piper was something an army could handle… Maybe a monster of equal rank could, though.”

Carver stared directly at Oliver.

“Also, I want to know if you have any information about the incident in the Holy Capital, or whether the army of the dead attacking Randa is Puppet’s doing, and whether Puppet really allied with the Royal Family. For some reason, I feel like Dave knows everything.”

“Then why didn’t you ask that?”

“I like being efficient. If I understand the bigger picture, the minor details won’t matter. From what I’ve thought about, it seems like all the things happening in Randa and the world are connected to the apocalypse.”

“Do you believe in the apocalypse?”

“Of course not! I’m a well-educated, intellectual individual. The apocalypse, seriously? But, with the disappearance of the Holy Power and a demon descending upon the Holy Capital, I’m leaving all possibilities open—even wild rumors.”

Carver wasn’t joking this time.

While he didn’t want to believe in an apocalypse, he was willing to consider it. Perhaps because—

“—you’re the Minister of Internal Affairs?”

Oliver asked.

“Yes, though I’m practically unemployed now. But I still consider myself the Minister. It’s essentially the Royal Army that dismissed me anyway. Even if my pay is small, I still have to earn it. So, what’s your answer to my question?”

Carver returned to pressing the conversation. He wasn’t avoiding reality.

After a short pause, Oliver spoke. A promise was a promise.

“…The apocalypse is real.”

“…”

“A demon descended upon the Pater Church. A woman on a camel proclaimed it—the apocalypse is coming.”

The death sentence for the world was delivered so calmly and hollowly. Hearing this forbidden news, Carver nodded his head and munched on his toast.

Crunch, crunch.

Oliver asked Carver.

“How did you know I was connected to the apocalypse?”

“Let’s just say it was the atmosphere.”

“…What?”

“When I woke up at 5 AM and first saw Dave, my heart nearly stopped. The Royal Army marching down the roads didn’t scare me that much, nor did the army of the dead invading the surface. So, I figured you must be connected to the apocalypse.”

“You didn’t seem that shaken.”

Oliver lied. He had sensed Carver’s shock through his emotions, but he kept a calm appearance.

“It was all an act. How else could a government worker survive in this city of superhumans without a skill like that?”

“…Was that a joke too?”

“Think for yourself. Explaining jokes ruins them.”

Carver then finished eating all the food set before him.

“So, what will you do next?”

“No more coffee, please. I’ve already had three cups today.”

“I meant about the apocalypse. It’s certain to come now, so what will you do next?”

“Hmm… It’s such an inexplicable issue that I don’t know what to do. But for now… a bunker!”

Carver snapped his fingers.

“I’ll convert the underground of Randa into a bunker! The whole place!”

Surprisingly, Carver had quickly come up with a somewhat plausible plan.

He wanted to transform Randa’s underground into a bunker.

To be honest, it seemed like the most reasonable plan under current conditions. Randa’s sewer system was so vast that some called it the city beneath the city. It would be perfect for building a city-sized bunker.

One example was the army of the dead. That endless horde of zombies had hidden in Randa’s depths.

However, the plan faced a critical issue.

“Do you really think hiding underground will let you survive the apocalypse?”

That.

“Do you think the apocalypse is going to miss you just because you’re hiding underground?”

Oliver’s statement, which crushed hope, made Carver stroke his chin.

“Hmm… Dave, you’ve gotten a bit more unpleasant since last time, haven’t you?”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

“I know. I didn’t mean offense by it. Superhumans tend to be unpleasant, so in a way, this is natural. I’m just disappointed.”

“…”

“You were the only humble superhuman, which made you attractive. Now you’re a little less so.”

Oliver never thought about being ‘attractive,’ so he didn’t know what to say, and he reflected for a moment. Carver continued.

“Still, something needs to be done, right?”

“Like what?”

“Anything. I’m a public servant paid by taxpayers. I should at least waste their money on something.”

“…Will the Royal Army let you waste taxpayer money?”

“Who knows? That’s something I’ll have to think about. It’s not like you can plan everything out from start to finish. You figure it out as you go.”

Figure it out as you go… Oliver mulled that over.

Clap!

Carver clapped his hands loudly.

“Alright, now it’s your turn to ask a question, Dave.”

When Oliver stared at Carver in silence, the latter chuckled.

“Come on, Dave. You left Randa, and now you’re sneaking into my house at 5 in the morning to wait for me. That means you must want something, right?”

Oliver couldn’t argue because Carver was right. The reason he had rushed to see Carver first was that he was the most suitable person to ask about the current situation in Randa—it felt right, given their healthy distance.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Should I apologize?”

“No, don’t apologize. I like that distance too. We exchange just what’s necessary, and nothing more. Anything beyond that, I’m not interested. It’s just that other reasons make me uncomfortable about men visiting in the middle of the night.”

Oliver considered asking if it was a joke but decided not to. It probably was.

“So, stop beating around the bush already. Tell me what you want—it’s a question, I presume. And I promised you I’d answer your questions for the rest of my life.”

“…I’m a bit surprised.”

“What surprised you?”

“I thought you’d ask me for help first. To waste taxpayer money.”

“…”

“Because Randa and I are unofficial allies, after all.”

“Dave, I may be unpleasant, but I’m not devoid of conscience. I don’t intend to use someone as valuable as you for free without even making a deal first. The fallout would be terrifying. But.”

For effective communication, Carver paused briefly.

“Considering our relationship so far, I’ll do my best to offer any courtesy I can. If you have the time, could you assist this city? It’s a matter of exchanging goodwill.”

Carver proposed. A straightforward exchange of goodwill without coercion. He believed this was the most successful transaction for now.

“I have some questions. I already know quite a bit, but I’d like to hear more from someone local.”

“I’m good at that. Ask away.”

“I’ve heard many Dark Sorcerers have approached Marie. Some of them were from the Black Hand. Is that true?”

“Technically, those people intended to contact you through her, but yes, it’s true. After the Fingers fell, they seemed to want to build their power around the one who defeated the Pied Piper—you. This intel comes through the Security Bureau, so it’s solid.”

“Where is Marie now?”

“It’s a long story, but to put it simply, she fled to Z-District to avoid the Royal Army. I’m not sure how she got there.”

“Is that why the Royal Army attacked Z-District in tandem with the Randa Defense Force?”

“I don’t know the exact reason. I’ve only heard rumors of some hidden treasure in Z-District, but I can’t confirm that. Maybe they just want to show their strength.”

Oliver recalled the treasure Bartholomew had shown him in the past. When they had smashed the walls of buildings barely held together after the Catastrophe, gold and silver had spilled out. It wasn’t impossible.

Z-District and Y-District, which were now the most taboo places, were once home to royals and nobles. Even after enduring the Catastrophe and the passing of time, treasures were still hidden away there.

Yet, treasure hunting in such times seemed out of place. Especially with Puppet involved.

“Maybe I should see for myself?”

As Oliver pondered about whether to go, Carver added.

“If you do plan on going, you should prepare.”

“Why?”

“The reinforcements from the capital are in charge there, and they seem quite strong. They’ve crossed the River Sem, taken over Y-District, and are directly pressuring Z-District.”

That was surprising news.

Even Randa had essentially given up controlling up to Y-District due to the strength of the Anti-Development Committee. The City had 26 districts, but only 24 City Councilors for that exact reason.

Yet, the Royal Army, which hadn’t been in control of Randa for long, managed to take Y-District and pressure the Anti-Development Committee in Z-District?

This meant there was real strength behind the Royal Army. Enough power to suppress those who had bodies and souls cursed by the Catastrophe but had gained monstrous strength in return.

Oliver thought of Puppet, who had been in hiding in the Holy Capital, observing.

“This is worse than I expected.”

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to say, but Marie is actually in a better situation. At least she hasn’t been captured by the Royal Army. Forest and Joe, on the other hand, are in their custody.”

“…I can understand Joe being captured since he’s a Dark Sorcerer and part of the underworld, but why Forest?”

Though Forest had been a broker and part of the underworld, that was in the past.

He still operated as a broker but had transferred much of the work to Al, transitioning into a (seemingly) legitimate businessman. It was strange that someone like him would be captured.

“Did his illegal dealings or broker work get exposed?”

“I wish it were that. Something like that would be easy to sweep under the rug. No, Forest got captured because he challenged the Royal Family directly—over ownership of an island.”

“I don’t understand. Why would Forest challenge the Royal Family? What’s this island?”

“Do you remember when you and your master, the Archive, went to wipe out Fen?”

Oliver froze, the memory flooding back. Though it hadn’t been long, it now felt far in the past.

Back then, Oliver had gone to Neverland to help Jane confront Fen, and he had asked Merlin to deal with the sea monster in his place. Too scared to face reality himself. Merlin had graciously accepted.

“Ah…”

At that moment, Oliver let out a sigh. Merlin had fulfilled his request, but Oliver himself had fallen short in doing the same.

“The island that Fen had stolen from the kingdom was returned to the Royal Family. An island in the vast and treacherous sea where one could rest briefly. It seems you didn’t know, but Forest sought to secure ownership of the island with help from Archive. It would have brought enormous economic gain. That’s what caused the conflict.”

“I don’t understand. I know the island is highly valuable, but is Forest really the type to run such risky business ventures?”

“Good observation. I have my doubts too. Forest isn’t a coward, but he’s not foolish enough to start a fight just because he has a strong ally. Yet, I don’t know the details.”

“…”

“Do you want me to tell you where Forest is being held?”

Oliver hesitated before shaking his head. He decided to tackle things one step at a time.

“No, I’ll deal with where Marie is first.”

“As you wish. Then, I’ll give you information about the Royal Army surrounding Z-District. Sneaking in might be a good idea. I doubt you’ll lose, but there’s no need to fight.”

“Do you know anything specific?”

“Yes, the Randa Defense Force and the Security Bureau have also been drafted, and neither of them likes the Royal Army. Does that answer your question?”

Carver grinned.