Chapter 771: The Gardener

Time continues to flow.

No matter what happens.

Good things, bad things, incredibly tragic things, even unbelievable miracles—eventually, time keeps flowing, turning everything into the past, gradually fading their meaning and color.

That was no exception for Oliver, who had prevented the end and disappeared.

Days passed—one, two, three, four… As the sun rose and set, even that event became the past, slowly fading away.

But was that such a bad thing?

No, it wasn’t. It was a perfectly natural process, and in some ways, a good thing.

No matter how great, joyful, or miraculous something was, if it rode the current of time, it had to eventually become the past.

If anyone tried to go against that natural flow, forcing the past to stay the present, it would be like stopping a river, causing it to stagnate.

And stagnant water rotted.

So, gradually, people buried their memories and emotions of that time in a corner of their hearts, returning one by one to their daily lives.

Some found new homes to replace the ones they’d lost, others sought new jobs or left to pursue new lives elsewhere.

Moving forward, changing, adapting.

This, too, applied to those close to Oliver.

“Rise up, workers of the world!!”

“Oooooh!!”

“Oooooh!!”

“Oooooh!!”

With Oliver gone, the Children born from his hands began the work they had always dreamed of.

It was a declaration of war against Randa’s cruel labor laws and, further, a fight for a life of dignity.

“You have but chains to lose, and a world to gain!”

The Children rallied the workers, demanding a raise in minimum wage, shorter working hours, guaranteed labor safety, compensation for injuries, and the right to form unions, among other rights.

First, Second, Third, and Fourth—all the Children. Naturally, the reaction from Randa’s City Council, capitalists, and factory owners was the same everywhere.

“Crazy bastard!”

“Commie!”

“Should we kill him?”

“Let’s kill him!”

“Pinkman!”

Driven by their twisted logic, a portion of Randa’s privileged class, who saw the situation as a threat, hired Pinkman as usual, planning to shoot the protesters with machine guns. This was Randa’s freedom.

The freedom to shoot at protesters! It might sound crazy, but it was true.

Yet, it wasn’t all bad. Conversely, it also meant the protesters had the freedom to beat up the Pinkman trying to fire machine guns at them. That was Randa’s freedom!

The reason they hadn’t exercised that right until now was simply because they never had the power to enforce their freedom. But now it was different.

“Crazy bastard!”

“Son of a bitch!”

“Should we kill him?”

“Let’s kill him!”

Crash—!

There were Children leading the protests and fighting for workers’ rights.

Having fought numerous battles alongside Oliver, to them, machine guns were just toys. Demonstrating this, the Children rammed their way into the Pinkman’s drive-by vehicle, smashed it, and shoved the machine gun right up the driver’s rear end.

This story made headlines in the papers and quickly blew up into a violent protest.

“Hit them!”

“Break it!”

“Burn it!”

“Revolution!”

“Hit them!”

“Break it!”

“Burn it!”

“Revolution!”

The workers, armed with clubs, chanted revolutionaries’ slogans as they set fire to the homes and factories of those who had hired Pinkman, lynching their families and looting their properties.

Chaos spread, the police were forced to work overtime, and investment firms shorted the stocks of affected companies.

It was another peaceful day in Randa.

The City of Randa tried to send in the police to settle things before they got worse, but it didn’t go as smoothly as expected. That was because—

“We’re stronger than the police, aren’t we?”

The Children were there.

With just their fists, they knocked out the baton-wielding police, scattering them in reverse.

Alarmed, the City Council asked Forest, someone familiar with the Children, to mediate, and Forest attempted to find a compromise with the Children on their behalf.

“I’ve come to negotiate, friends.”

“We aren’t friends with filthy capitalist pigs!”

“Then from now on, let’s be friends.”

“What a joke!”

“Now, listen closely. There’s a portion of dividends set aside under Oliver’s name from the Anti-Development Committee’s shares. You all could claim it.”

“Are you trying to buy us with money? Do you mean to insult us?”

– It was way too much money to scold about, and in the end, the Children showed some flexibility, agreeing to disperse the protesters after making a slight concession from their original demands.

Truly, a Randa-style resolution, bitter to the core. Still, three facts couldn’t be denied.

One, many of the workers involved in the protests were satisfied. After all, their demands were met.

Two, the world was, little by little, moving in a better direction.

And three, the Children had blended into society, living their own lives.

As Oliver had wished.

And the same was true for others.

Marie, who had taken over operations for the Redevelopment Union in Forest’s stead, ran the organization in her own way.

She continued to strip away the religious identity she had built up, maintaining a communal nature while spreading knowledge, not worship.

It wasn’t easy, but she was doing a good job.

Joe, on the other hand, had started a new business under the shadow of the Redevelopment Union.

Coming from the back streets, he founded a security and protection company with the Fighter Crew members, scouting thieves, scammers, and counterfeiters from his old connections, showing them that security and protection were more profitable than theft and extortion.

Whether the idea resonated, or due to some other reason, Joe’s security and protection company quickly gained market share, driving out the weakened Pinkman and establishing ties with the Royal Family.

Jane, meanwhile, systematized the Sisterhood and turned it into an official organization, making it a fair institution with voting rights instead of a group for the wealthy elite, balancing investment and welfare projects.

Rumor had it she bit into a deal with a fat, lecherous tycoon to secure massive funding.

The Tower of Magic was no different. Slowly but surely, they too were undergoing reform under people like Yareli.

And it wasn’t just Randa that was busy. Outside Randa, others were leading their own lives as time flowed.

Albert, who had accidentally become the Crown Prince, was reorganizing the Central Council with the help of Lieutenant General Philip and Kevin from the Archive, assuming the throne and stabilizing the chaos in the United Kingdom.

After that, he worked hard to change the United Kingdom’s colonial policies and its approach to the Red Ones.

Most of the colonial leadership and local assemblies resisted, making little progress, and Gallos and the Central Continent received the news with disbelief, expanding their own colonies instead.

Incidentally, the only backing they had came from the Holy Capital, specifically the Emperor and Lady Joanna.

Under the leadership of the new Holy Emperor, Armand, and the Lady Joanna.

Although Joanna had lost the power of the Holy Blood, she still retained the title of Saintess and Daughter of Angels, continuing her work at the Holy Emperor’s Palace, debating and planning the future path of the Parer Church and the Holy Knights.

As these days went on.

Ding—!

Someone came to see them.

“Is this the place that makes those chocolate cakes?”

The Great Ones from below.

***

Ding—!

The door of Forest Restaurant in Randa’s T-District opened, ringing its familiar bell.

The clear, bright sound of the bell was distinct, even in the busy restaurant. One of the staff members came forward to greet the new guest.

“Welcome, honored customer. Thank you for visiting our restaurant.”

“Oh, hello. Are you Al?”

The exotic woman with an unexplainable, mysterious air asked the staff member casually.

Taking a second look at the woman asking for the manager, the worker studied her carefully.

She was still mesmerizing. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly where it lay. Although her presence was strong, her appearance seemed vague, as if shrouded in a mirage.

The only clear feature was the brooch with a camel design.

The worker, coming to his senses after being entranced, responded belatedly.

“Ah, my apologies… I am not Al, I am Es. Al is the manager of our restaurant. Are you acquainted with him?”

The woman smiled and shook her head.

“No, I don’t know him. I’ve only heard of him. I was just curious and asked out of interest. Don’t worry about it. More importantly, can I be served here?”

The enigmatic woman said with mysterious words, fitting her atmosphere.

Still, the elegance, and the aura she emanated were so overwhelming, the worker couldn’t dare to refute.

The only certainty was that she must be an important figure.

Trusting his instincts, Es bowed respectfully.

“Of course. Let me guide you to your table. How many will be joining you?”

“Thank you. It’s just me for now.”

“I understand. Just in case, I will lead you to a larger table.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind.”

The woman smiled, and Es shyly led her to the inside of the restaurant.

Past the expanded Forest Restaurant, now serving a more diverse range of guests.

On the first floor, various Contractors were enjoying food and liquor in a relaxed atmosphere, while the second floor catered to the city’s wealthy, who dined and drank more elegantly.

The composition of the guests was notably different from most restaurants, and the woman commented on that.

“The customers are quite varied here.”

“Ah… yes.”

Es, the worker at Forest Restaurant, fumbled with his answer.

He couldn’t exactly say that Forest, the owner of the restaurant, was a powerful broker who operated in both the light and the shadows.

If Al had been here, he would’ve deftly made a joke to lighten the mood, but Es lacked such experience.

“Ah. There it is.”

At that moment, the woman spoke with excitement and walked briskly toward a table in the corner of the restaurant.

Es panicked, following after her. There was already someone seated at the table, and that person was—

Click-clack, click-clack. Ding—! Clink!

Click-clack, click-clack. Ding—! Clink!

Click-clack, click-clack. Ding—! Clink!

It was Forest, the owner of Forest Restaurant.

Click-clack, click-cl—

Snapping out of his reverie, Forest paused his typing and lifted his eyes ever so slightly.

The woman standing in front of him had an unusual air about her.

“Customer?”

Es hurried toward them.

Forest raised his hand to stop Es and greeted the woman politely.

“Good day, Miss. That’s a nice brooch. Is that a camel?”

“Yes, it’s a camel. Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine. It’s been a while since such a beautiful lady approached me… But may I ask, do you know me? Not to be rude, my memory isn’t what it once was.”

The woman gave a faint smile, the kind that could stir any man’s heart.

“No, I don’t know you personally.”

“But you know someone who knows me, yes?”

“I like how quick you are.”

“Haha, thank you for the compliment… Es?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Could you bring over a chair? Our guest seems willing to join me. Would that be alright with you, Miss?”

Forest’s question was answered with a ready nod from the woman.

“Of course.”

Soon after, Es brought over a chair and placed it next to Forest.

The woman gracefully sat in the chair, facing Forest.

Screech.

Forest carefully pushed his typewriter aside, and the woman pointed at it curiously.

“Are you a writer?”

“I’m planning to publish a book, but I wouldn’t call myself a writer. Just an old man keeping busy after retirement.”

While running the Poor Brothers Orphanage, advising Marie and Joe on management, and handling the Red Ones’ issue with the Children, Forest still found time for these smaller tasks.

“If it’s not too much to ask, may I know what kind of work you do? You’re so captivating; I must know.”

“Hmm. I have a small role taking care of things, so nothing really worth boasting about.”

“Ah, may I at least know your name?”

“I’d love to tell you, but I have too many names, I’m not sure which one to give you.”

Though her response was playful, Forest continued the conversation earnestly.

“Then I’ll just call you Miss.”

“Sounds good. It makes me feel younger. By the way, could I place an order?”

“Of course. What would you like?”

“Chocolate cake. I’d like to try that first, though I’m tempted by other things too.”

“Ho, have you tried our cakes before?”

“Not here, but I’ve had it packaged to go.”

“I’ll make sure they pay extra attention while making it.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Forest asked Es to ensure the chocolate cake was made with extra care, and after a long wait, the cake was presented.

The woman smiled, full of happiness, as she ate the cake.

“Mmm. Oh, my… The food here really is something else.”

“It’s an honor to hear such praise… Did you come to Randa for fine dining, by any chance?”

“No, though the good food is a bonus. I’m here for business.”

“Business, you say… May I ask what kind of business it is?”

“It’s nothing special. My job is undergoing some changes, and I’m here to step down from my current position. Plus, stop a few colleagues looking to cause trouble.”

“Sounds like an unusual workplace.”

“I think so, too… Oh, and one more thing. I didn’t bring cash, only some gold. Can I pay with that?”

She produced an ancient-looking gold coin from her hand like magic.

Forest politely refused.

“Please, don’t worry about the payment. This meal is on me.”

“Oh, really?”

“You’re beautiful, and I’m a wealthy old man. Normally, I’d pay for such occasions.”

“I like that logic.”

“Though it isn’t much of an exchange, could I ask you something?”

“Of course. As long as it’s something I can answer.”

“What is Oliver up to these days?”

Noticing something, Forest’s gaze sharpened as he inquired about Oliver.

The woman, hearing the question, responded with an enigmatic smile tinged with respect and expectation.

“He’s probably…”

“Probably?”

“Meeting with his father.”

“His father?”

“Yes, to become his successor.”