Chapter 783: Epilogue – The Retired Old Man

Time is money.

Following this proverb, Al finished washing the dishes skillfully and began to prepare to go out.

“Are you going to the restaurant again today?”

“Where else would an old man with money go?”

Forest packed up and responded before stepping outside with Al.

True to Seland’s gloomy weather, the sun wasn’t shining brightly despite it being morning, but there were plenty of flashy cars on the streets.

Forest looked at one of the most dazzling cars in admiration.

“Whoa… How is that antique still running?”

The antique he referred to was none other than Al’s car.

To be precise, it was a car Forest had gifted Al when he succeeded the position of intermediary.

At the time, it was an expensive, top-of-the-line model, but almost twenty years later, it was more a marvel that it still worked.

Yet Al clung to it, insisting on using it despite the cost to maintain.

“I take good care of it, so it still runs well.”

“You’re stingy. You’re a successful intermediary now. You should get a new car, or else people will talk.”

“By now, it’s worth more than most luxury cars. It’s a true antique. But something seems off about you today.”

Forest, opening the door and sitting in his seat, replied.

“What do you mean?”

“You usually don’t comment on the car.”

“Can’t I feel mischievous once in a while?”

“Haha, mind if I ask you something then?”

“What is it?”

“Why are you sitting in the passenger seat instead of the back today?”

Al glanced over from the driver’s seat.

Normally, Forest sat in the back, but today was different.

Forest, realizing this belatedly, smirked, amused.

“I just felt like sitting here today. Any complaints?”

“No, not at all. Let’s head out.”

***

With Forest in tow, Al drove towards Forest Restaurant located on 30th Street in T-District.

However, instead of taking the direct route, Al deliberately took the long way.

It was partly to let Forest enjoy the scenery and partly the reason why Al came to meet Forest early every morning.

This much was necessary to get him there comfortably on time.

Though today seemed like an exception.

“There’s a bit of traffic today.”

“Indeed. I’m sorry about that.”

Even though it wasn’t his fault, Al apologized. An old habit. Forest dismissed it casually.

“It’s fine. It’s a nice change of pace once in a while.”

“I’m glad to hear that… Oh, sir, look at that.”

Al pointed with a mischievous grin.

In T-District, a massive billboard stood, featuring Child-Force, who pointed straight ahead.

Below, the following words were emblazoned:

[The Workers’ Guardian Angel protects the rights of workers. If you need help, contact us now.]

After reading the Red Book, the remaining Children united the workers of Randa and organized protests, ultimately turning protests into both a weapon and a product.

They used the dividends from the Redevelopment Union to establish a civic group known as the Workers’ Guardian Angel, encouraging Randa’s workers to form unions and supporting their protests.

Workers, regardless of age or gender, contributed ten percent of their wages as the ‘Workers’ Tithe.’

“It’s horrifying… truly terrifying…”

Forest recalled when the Children of ‘that one’ created the Workers’ Guardian Angel.

That billboard painted a picture of all Randa’s unions being absorbed into the Guardian Angel, accumulating wealth and power. Which is exactly what happened.

Countless Randa workers donated ten percent of their wages to the Guardian Angel, generating revenue greater than many companies.

As election season approached, the Guardian Angel’s direction often swayed the outcome of elections.

Forest, as one of Randa’s distinguished wealthy, felt like weeping.

“Hahaha… At least the City asks for your help now, don’t they?”

Al tried to comfort the gloomy Forest.

Indeed, unintentionally, the ‘Workers’ Guardian Angel’ had become beneficial to Forest.

Every time the Children caused chaos, the City Council sought Forest’s assistance, and each time, Forest gained considerable income and influence.

You might call him a consultant… or a negotiator of sorts.

Despite being retired, his bank account kept growing.

“By the way, even my restaurant staff formed a union.”

“What?!”

Forest, startled, asked in disbelief. If he had been drinking water, he likely would’ve spit it out.

After all, Forest Restaurant was staffed solely by Red Ones, with Al being their leader. Yet, a union?

“You didn’t stop them?”

“It’s to protect their basic rights. Should I have? Besides, the staff has grown.”

“You’re not fit to be a boss. You nip these things in the bud. Besides, don’t they get paid enough already?”

Indeed, wages at Forest Restaurant were quite generous. Especially considering the employees were Red Ones.

This was largely due to Forest’s policies to prevent potential rebellion.

“You really don’t like unions, do you, sir?”

“Of course not! They’re like cancer, always dragging you back when you’re trying to move forward.”

“But thanks to them, workplace accidents, exploitation, and even sexual harassment have decreased, haven’t they? Especially child labor issues.”

“Sure, but productivity’s fallen, and so have profits. Our economic growth is slowing. You’re rich, too. Think like a rich person. It’s not wrong.”

Although meant as financial advice, Al simply gave a wry smile.

Noticing the small silence, Forest continued.

“Honestly, the thing that bothers me the most is that some of these so-called ‘bosses’ are just protesting instead of working, then buying expensive cars and houses.”

The ‘bosses’ he referred to were Child-First, Second, Third, and Force.

“Don’t you mean civic leaders?”

“Whatever. They took the members’ dues and bought homes in Districts G, H, and I, and even bought several luxury vehicles.”

“How do you know all that?”

“Because I helped them with the purchases. Got a commission, too.”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No particular reason… By the way, is it true they’re using the dues for lending?”

It was true.

A portion of the massive monthly revenue from the Workers’ Guardian Angel was funneled into a lending company called GreenMoney.

GreenMoney was operated by Third, who had taken over Zombie Puppet-Seamus. Third loaned that money to Randa’s entrepreneurs and reinvested the profits into Randa’s workers.

“Reinvesting?”

“Low-interest loans, or sometimes even just the principal back.”

“Oh, then isn’t that a good thing?”

“It is. But because of that, the loan sharks taking advantage of the workers all went out of business.”

“Ahh… So that’s why one by one the smaller loan companies in Randa have failed?”

Forest nodded solemnly.

“With the small loan companies gone, their financial backers are starting to lose profits, too. Normally, this would lead to some fights…”

“But that won’t happen, right?”

Al shook his head. A rather reasonable response.

Considering how many SWAT officers, riot mercenaries, and even Pinkman got obliterated by the Children in the past. Unless someone wanted a bullet in their backside, no one dared pick a fight.

“Besides, First and Second are building influential connections among politicians. It’ll only get harder.”

Al added another point.

By controlling Zombie Puppets-Bathory and Durance, Child-First and Second were producing various elixirs with the funds from the Workers’ Guardian Angel, gifting them to City Council members and high-ranking officials, strengthening their background.

Thanks to that, the Workers’ Guardian Angel had risen as Randa’s dominant power, boasting influence in politics, finance, military, and beyond.

Looking back, it was pretty frightening.

Four Creatures had upended Randa’s entire ecosystem.

But considering who made them, maybe it wasn’t so surprising.

Whatever the case, while they were talking, the traffic began to clear, and Al’s antique car started moving forward again.

At that moment, a patrolling officer stepped in front of the car, signaling for them to pull to the side.

They had a good idea why.

“We’ll need to conduct a quick inspec… huh?”

As the officer peered into the open window, he recognized Al’s face and let out a noise of surprise.

Al, a leader in the Red Ones’ society and an intermediary, was recognized immediately. Not to mention, Forest was sitting beside him.

“Ah, hello there.”

“Is that… Forest?”

The officer easily recognized Forest, who regularly met with City Council members. Or maybe he remembered the hefty donation Forest made during the Randa Police fundraising event.

In any case, Forest spoke first.

“Is there a problem?”

“N-no! No problem at all! My apologies!”

“Thank you. You take care as well.”

The officer apologized sincerely before leaving.

Watching him go, Forest noticed that while some things hadn’t changed, certain aspects had.

For one, he received an apology.

“Al?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Let’s head straight for the restaurant.”

“Understood!”

Al replied loudly and began driving towards the restaurant.

***

The car smoothly glided down the road and soon arrived at Forest Restaurant.

“Whew…”

As Forest got out and looked at the restaurant, which had expanded even more, he was once again impressed.

It was a building he saw every day, yet today it felt new somehow.

Its size and interior had grown and changed.

Ding-

Except for one thing—the doorbell at the entrance. It rang as usual, as if time had stopped.

“Welcome, sir.”

A Red-skinned employee greeted them politely the moment Forest and Al stepped inside, as if they had been waiting for them.

Other employees glanced over and greeted them with nods, and just as Al had said earlier, the number of staff had noticeably increased.

Then again, considering the restaurant had expanded, it was only natural.

And it wasn’t just the staff that had grown.

There were also noticeably more customers in the restaurant now, too.

*Glance*

*Stare*…

Many of those customers glanced at Forest.

More accurately, they were there hoping to have a conversation or an opportunity with him.

However, even knowing this, Forest ignored them and simply headed towards his designated seat without making eye contact.

At his age and status, he couldn’t be bothered with such things.

“Everything has been prepared as usual… and your guest has arrived.”

“Thank you. Al, I’ll be off now.”

“Yes, sir… Do you have plans for later?”

“Not sure yet. For now, I’ve scheduled my appointment here.”

“Understood. If you do plan on going somewhere or heading home, please let me know. I’ll drive you.”

“Really?”

“I just feel like it today. Would you allow that?”

“Do as you like.”

It was an odd request, but Forest didn’t think much of it.

He wasn’t one to waste energy before getting down to business.

And so, they parted ways, and Forest followed the staff to his designated area.

“Good to see you, Forest.”

“Likewise.”

Waiting at the seat was Jane, a typewriter, and some fine liquor. Despite the passage of time, Jane had maintained her youthful appearance.

***

Jane.

They had grown close through one of Edith’s requests. Once just a bastard child, she had risen to become as wealthy as Forest.

Having used the inheritance she received from her father and the funds she wrangled from a wealthy, lecherous man, her investments had grown and multiplied. Some claimed she collaborated with the spirits of the World Tree.

Otherwise, her near-supernatural investment instincts seemed inexplicable.

Forest didn’t know if the rumors were true, but one fact remained: she was one of the richest and most astute investors in the world.

“Please, don’t call me an investor or a wealthy woman; address me as the leader of the Sisterhood.”

Jane, youthful as ever, complained petulantly as she often did in her maiden days.

“I’m doing more social work than investing these days… it’s unfair.”

“I did ask for this interview, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t meddle with my writing.”

“I’m not meddling; I’m correcting inaccuracies. Also, how long are you going to keep doing these interviews? Will the book ever actually be finished?”

She was referring to the book compiling tales and conversations about ‘him.’

Originally, Forest aimed to finish it quickly, but over time, he kept rewriting it and redoing interviews to ensure accuracy.

“Ahem…”

Embarrassed by how long it was taking, Forest cleared his throat.

But he had his reasons.

Once published, the book would be irreversible, so he had to be thorough.

Even a single sentence or word could distort the story’s meaning, and memories could change over time.

“That’s why I keep doing interviews to ensure accuracy.”

“But there’s a limit to that.”

“We’re talking about his story… Don’t you agree?”

At that, Jane hesitated.

Whenever ‘he’ was brought up, she reacted like a girl.

“Well… it’s not that I disagree. It’s just that… with your age, Forest, I’m worried you might pass away before finishing it.”

“Hahaha, don’t worry. I still have plenty of money to spend before I can die. Speaking of which, how’s your father? I haven’t heard any news, so I assume he hasn’t passed.”

“Unfortunately, no. He’s still alive.”

Jane shuddered as if just the thought was repulsive.

The fact that Edith, that old fat man, was still alive was indeed a bit creepy. It seemed logically proper for him to have died by now.

But Edith’s fate wasn’t the important thing here. The critical point was Jane still knew about his fate.

The fact that she knew her father’s condition so well meant that…

“You’re still in contact with him, aren’t you?”

“…Only rarely.”

Jane didn’t deny it.

There was still some father-daughter bond left between them.

Realizing this, Jane tried to explain.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I only want his noble title.”

That was true. Edith was a noble, the head of a noble household.

When the great disaster struck the Capital twenty years ago, Edith’s wife and her family had died, and he had solidified his status as a proper noble.

Once a fat pauper from Randa’s slums who became a rich merchant, he had transitioned to a true nobleman.

Jane claimed she was playing the part of the daughter just to get his title.

“I see.”

Forest accepted her explanation, though she still seemed displeased.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“No, I believe you. Look into my eyes. They’re filled with trust.”

Forest pointed at his eyes, which were brimming with ‘trust’ (dishonesty).

“You used to be such a gentleman. Now, you’re getting so cranky in your old age.”

“That’s one of the perks of aging.”

“Ugh… Anyway, just sign these.”

Jane pulled two papers from her bag.

One was a petition to ban child labor, the other for women’s suffrage.

“Women’s… suffrage?!”

Forest, upon seeing the papers, shouted.

“Shouldn’t thoughts like that stay internal?”

“My apologies. I was just caught off guard. Is there a sheet to sign opposing it? I’d really like to sign that.”

“…Just sign the petition to ban child labor, please.”

“I don’t want to deny children the freedom to work. Kids deserve the right to work, too. This is a free city.”

“Thinking about it now, I don’t like you anymore.”

***

After some brief but meaningful conversation, Forest and Jane parted ways.

Forest took notes of their discussion and reviewed them alongside past data, using them to update and revise the book he was working on.

Of course, he didn’t forget to thank Jane for her help.

‘Thanks for the help.’

‘I’ll remember you didn’t help.’

‘I’ll be sure to sign that petition opposing it.’

Jane didn’t seem too pleased, though.

Regardless, Forest continued his regular work on his book.

Clackety-clack. Clackety-clack. Ding! Clack!

Clackety-clack. Clackety-clack. Ding! Clack!

Clackety-clack. Clackety-clack. Ding! Clack!

Suddenly, in the midst of the rhythmic sound of the typewriter,

“Sir.”

A staff member approached Forest.

“What is it?”

“Your two appointed guests have arrived. They’re waiting for you in the private room.”

“I see.”

Forest responded briefly and shouldered his ‘luggage’ as he followed the staff.

The private room, reserved for his guests, was a recently built secret room when the restaurant was expanded.

Screech.

Inside, two women, both untouched by the passage of time like Jane, were seated.

“Good to see you, Marie. And Joanna. Thank you for coming.”

Forest greeted the two women.