Chapter 785: Epilogue – The Retired Old Man [Final Chapter]

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

After lunch,

Forest returned to his designated seat and resumed typing.

Of course, it wasn’t just lunch.

After finishing a pressing conversation and the meal, they also talked a bit about his past.

We need book materials.

How they first met,

What conversations were had,

Significant anecdotes that lingered in memory,

Evaluations of him over time, and so on…

For reference, Marie and Joanna first met him in a small town called Wineham.

A small city that housed a cooperative of the Redevelopment Union.

Back then, Marie was an apprentice in a precarious position with the Dark Sorcerers, and Joanna had come as a Holy Knight to capture him.

I suddenly understood why it was so awkward when they were alone together.

An apprentice of a Dark Sorcerer and a Holy Knight. And yet, here they were, sitting side by side.

Even though Forest had gained considerable age, he realized that life was indeed unpredictable.

Forest asked after when they had parted from ‘him’ and when they had met again, but they didn’t talk for long.

It was a story he had heard several times already, so they simply skimmed over it and only touched on the points they were curious about. Also, Marie and Joanna weren’t the kind of people who could be held back all day.

Marie was now undeniably the leader of The Selectors, and Joanna was the de facto assistant to the Holy Emperor in her role as the Holy Virgin.

‘I’m a bit busy as well…’

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

As he mechanically tapped the typewriter, Forest thought.

Though he was retired, oddly enough, he felt as if he were as busy as during those hectic times.

The times when ‘he’ and I were working together.

It felt like a pleasant state of urgency.

Which is why, after asking Marie and Joanna the few things he was curious about based on past interviews, Forest let them go and resumed pounding away at the typewriter.

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap—

The sound of the typewriter stopped only when he reviewed previously collected materials.

Upon confirming the documents, Forest organized his thoughts, corrected himself, and resumed typing again.

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

He was so focused that even those who casually wanted to greet him couldn’t approach, overwhelmed by his intensity.

Forest continued typing tirelessly until peak evening hours and into the night.

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Tap tap tap. Clink! Clank!

Without stopping, he kept on typing and typing.

As if possessed by something.

“Hmm?”

After finishing his writing and stretching his stiff fingers, Forest sensed something was wrong and glanced around.

The place was empty. The patrons had all left.

“…Is no one here?”

Instinctively, Forest called for the staff, but luckily, though out of sight, someone responded immediately to his call.

“Yes, sir.”

A uniformed staff member approached, maintaining a polite and proper posture.

Forest glanced at the staff member for a moment before checking his watch.

[01:20]

One twenty in the morning.

No matter how popular a restaurant was, it was well past closing time.

Yet, the lights of the restaurant were still shining brightly.

Got an important case?

No.

It was because Forest was here. A retired old man.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“Please don’t worry about it, sir.”

As the staff fumbled over Forest’s apology, Al placed his hand on the staff member’s shoulder, stepping in smoothly.

With a dignified and relaxed motion, Al dismissed the staff and smiled at Forest.

“I have business to take care of anyway, so there’s no need for you to feel sorry.”

“Oh, what kind of business?”

“A big deal. I’m acting as a mediator. Feel free to stay longer.”

“No, that’s alright. I’ve wrapped things up… I’d rather head home now.”

“Then I’ll give you a ride.”

“Don’t you have something important to do?”

“I just canceled it. I’m quite a popular mediator, you see.”

Forest chuckled at Al’s cheeky attitude.

“Alright then, I’ll take you up on that.”

With those words, Forest gathered all the papers he had been writing on since morning and got into Al’s antique vehicle.

“Still feel like sitting in the passenger seat?”

“It seems so. Now shut up and drive. I’m tired.”

“Yes, sir!”

With an enthusiastic reply, Al started the engine.

Both the glistening exterior and the well-maintained interior were in excellent condition, and the engine purred with a soft humming sound.

Roar…

Al expertly drove the car, retracing the route they’d taken earlier that morning, and soon they arrived at Forest’s house.

“Sir.”

“Oh? We’re here already?”

Forest rubbed his eyes as if he had just woken up. He must have nodded off during Al’s comfortable driving.

“Yes.”

“Must’ve dozed off.”

“You looked exhausted.”

“It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t. Typing all day isn’t as easy as it used to be… If I was asleep, though, you could’ve let me rest a bit longer.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that.”

As soon as Forest scolded him, Al immediately apologized, just as he had done earlier in the morning when they were stuck in traffic, even though it wasn’t really his fault.

After staring at Al for a moment, Forest lightly punched him on the shoulder.

Thud.

A deep sound. Al appeared surprised.

It wasn’t like Forest to hit any of his staff, except maybe when disciplining them, and even then, it was rarely with his fists but rather with a cane.

Yet here he was, weakly punching Al.

Seeing how surprised Al looked, Forest spoke.

“You don’t always have to apologize.”

“What?”

“You don’t need to apologize for everything that isn’t your fault.”

….

“Stand tall. You’re the mediator of T-District, No. 30 now.”

The corners of Al’s mouth gradually lifted as he nodded, seeming to resolve something within himself.

“Sigh… I understand. The apologies were just to appease a wealthy old man. I didn’t mean any of it, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Hah… So, I was played.”

“Yes, you were. By me.”

Forest burst out laughing, the hearty laugh of a rich man from Randa, and after collecting his things, he stepped out of the car.

“Hey, sir!”

“Hmm?”

“Are you… okay today?”

Forest smiled.

“…Of course. Just don’t come in too late tomorrow. It was a bit close today.”

“Ah… Don’t worry. Since I don’t need to pick up groceries tomorrow, I’ll definitely—”

Whump!

Before Al could finish, Forest shut the car door. Al didn’t look offended. Instead, he waved back through the window and drove off to his home.

As soon as Forest confirmed that Al had left, he unlocked his door and entered.

“Huh… I didn’t expect you to arrive so suddenly…?”

He greeted the crimson-skinned man, who was waiting inside his house without permission.

“My apologies. The only thing I learned from my teacher was to just barge in.”

The red-skinned man responded, looking unphased by his intrusion.

“I’m busy, so I could only come now… Should I return tomorrow?”

“Nah… Now that you’re here already, it’s fine. Archive.”

***

“Would you like some coffee? Or some liquor?”

Throwing his coat off, Forest pulled out drinks from a container, offering both alcohol and coffee.

“You sure are generous to an uninvited guest.”

“Despite appearances, I used to be a mediator. I’ve dealt with rude people enough to grow sick of it. If it’s you, Archive, I can afford to be polite.”

“You can call me Kevin instead of Archive. To be honest, I’m not exactly proud of that title.”

“For someone who says that, you sure do fulfill your duties as the Archive quite diligently.”

His words were teasing but not entirely untrue.

Kevin was not only the first Red One sorcerer but also the current Archive, a role in which he remained surprisingly active.

Especially compared to his predecessor, who had led a largely reclusive life.

Not only had Kevin helped the Holy Capital and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom survive a catastrophe, but he had also brought traditional factions, which had almost crumbled, back together by forming secret pacts with Puppet.

He truly had worked tirelessly, even crossing borders.

He was so remarkable that now, no one questioned the authority of the new Archive, regardless of his skin color.

It was one of the reasons why a Red One society had been established in Randa.

“It’s nothing special. But more importantly, you seem different today. I could’ve sworn you called me Kevin before. Why the sudden switch to Archive?”

“I’ve gotten old, and I feel like being difficult. So? Coffee? Liquor?”

“Coffee will do.”

Forest quickly prepared coffee for Kevin using a magical kettle from the Agni Faction that boiled water instantly and handed him the cup.

After sipping the coffee, Kevin got right to the point.

“Anyway… May I ask why you called me?”

“You cut to the chase, huh? I thought you’d throw me a hint about what’s going on with the Traditional Factions like old times.”

“I don’t cater to cranky old men. Blame it on the fact that my mentor was a man like that. Got a problem?”

“No, no, I’ll endure it. Just give me a moment.”

With stiff movements like a block of wood, Forest set down his things and went upstairs.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Kevin waited silently, a long time passing.

“Here you go.”

Forest returned and plopped down a thick stack of papers, as big as an encyclopedia, on the table with a thud.

The table trembled from the heavy sound as Forest pulled out more papers from his bag and placed them on top of the stack.

“Is this by any chance…?”

Kevin, who seemed to know something, raised an eyebrow. Forest nodded in confirmation.

“Yes. This is the book I wrote about him. I finished it today.”

For possibly the first time, Kevin looked genuinely surprised.

“I never thought it would be completed in my lifetime… This is way too thick for just one book.”

“The book was completed long ago. I just needed time to fill in the missing parts and fix any mistakes. And as for its thickness… Well, give me a break. The fact that we managed to summarize even this much of one person’s life is a miracle, isn’t it?”

Kevin couldn’t argue with that, so he agreed.

“Feels like you finally finished your overdue homework. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. I had no idea it would take me this long.”

“But why show it to me? I’m not a publisher.”

Kevin’s eyes gleamed as though he had caught onto something.

“It seems like you’ve figured it out already, and you’re right.”

“You want me to publish it for you?”

“Yes.”

Forest boldly made the request, acting as if he were offering nothing more than a mere trifle.

He was essentially asking Kevin to publish the manuscript he had painstakingly written.

While narrowing his eyes and scrutinizing Forest critically, Kevin did not display any irritation. Instead, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Why me? Why ask me to put a period at the end of something you’ve worked on for so many years?”

“Even though I’m retired, I’m a mediator at heart. A mediator’s duty is to assist from the shadows, quietly supporting the process. This aligns with my professional ethics.”

“Forest…”

“Also, as a mediator, I believe it’s more appropriate for this book to come out of your hands, as the Archive, instead of mine.”

“…Given the subject matter, everyone will know you’re the one who wrote it.”

“The name on the cover is what matters. You know exactly what impact that book will have.”

Forest knew, and Kevin, as the Archive, surely understood.

As expected, Kevin soon grasped the point Forest was making.

“…That book will turn into a scripture. If not officially, at least it’ll be treated similarly. After all, it’s about ‘him.’ So yes, it’s better for someone with recognized authority, like the Archive, to publish it rather than some back-alley mediator. People love nitpicking.”

“Of course, some also love glorifying everything. I was under the impression you leaned more towards the critics.”

“Oh, I certainly am. I am a rational and cynical man from Randa, so I prefer criticism over praise. But when it comes to friends, it’s different.”

“Friends?”

“Yes, he and I were partners at the start—mediator and contractor—but we became friends over time. Writing a book about a respected friend… I wouldn’t want to leave any room for criticism. Especially if it’s someone I admire.”

Kevin quietly used his Warlock’s Eye to observe Forest, sensing the sincerity behind his words.

“Besides.”

“…What now?”

“Strictly speaking, I’m not asking you to publish the book. I’m telling you to do your job. As the Archive.”

“My job?”

“Didn’t you once tell me that the Archive exists to assist ‘him’?”

“It’s annoying but true.”

“Well, don’t get annoyed just yet…”

“Pardon?”

“There’s one more thing I need to ask you.”

Forest brought over a quarterstaff, wrapped in a cloth, and placed it on the table with a heavy thud.

***

The conversation Forest had with Kevin was the same as the one he had with Marie and Joanna.

As expected of the Archive, Kevin quickly understood the situation and silently took both the quarterstaff and the stack of papers Forest had written.

There was nothing significant after their conversation.

Kevin drank the rest of his coffee before disappearing like the wind.

Forest wasn’t particularly sad to see him go.

After all, the reason Kevin and Forest had met was purely for the book interview.

After Kevin left, Forest went about his usual routine.

His routine wasn’t anything grand—just undressing, washing up, reading a book, and going to bed.

Although he felt tired enough to skip the washing up and go straight to bed, his ambition for a classy and leisurely life, which he had dreamed of since his younger days, didn’t permit that.

“Quite… satisfying.”

Lying down with only the bedside lamp on, Forest muttered while staring up at the ceiling.

Overall, his current life reflected the one he had dreamed of during his youth.

No, he couldn’t sleep in leisurely every morning, but he could enjoy breakfast without hurrying, read the newspaper in peace, and never worried about the rent. He could spend as much time as he pleased at a restaurant without feeling awkward.

Sure, some things were unfortunate, and he had his regrets, but life itself was always going to be dissatisfying.

Forest decided to appreciate the life he was currently living.

“It was fun… I had fun.”

As he recalled the times he had spent with ‘him’ while working on the book, he couldn’t help but agree. It had been fun, despite the chaos and the whirlwind of it all.

Maybe that’s why he felt a tiny bit afraid of tomorrow morning.

After all, with the book he had slaved over completed, there would be nothing left to do.

Having saved so much money, he had nothing but free time. He should’ve been happy about that, yet the empty schedule looming ahead left him a bit uneasy.

Like standing at the edge of an unfamiliar road he’d never walked before…

“I really am getting old.”

Forest rolled over and turned off the bedside lamp, trying to position himself comfortably for sleep.

‘Whether I want it or not, tomorrow will still come,’ he thought.

No amount of fear or unfamiliarity would change that.

He just had to accept it, get used to it, and endure it.

Just like when he was a restaurant worker.

Just like when he was a mediator.

Moreover, now with so much money, he knew that when tomorrow came, it wouldn’t be such a big deal.

With those thoughts settled, Forest lay still and soon fell into a deep sleep.

For a long time, he slept.

The soft, steady sound of his breathing filled the room…

…swish, swish, swish…

…swish, swish…

…swish…

…

For an unusually long time.

“Huh?”

In the dead silence, Forest slowly woke up.

It was too still, too quiet—so quiet that it woke him, absurd as that might sound.

And it made sense too; by now, his alarm should have gone off.

Perhaps he’d awoken too early, and he was about to check his clock when—

“You’re awake?”

A familiar yet distant-sounding voice rang out.

Upon hearing that voice, Forest froze in place as if struck by lightning. Slowly, he propped himself up and turned his head.

And there he was.

Sitting leisurely on a sofa against the backdrop of a strange, unknown dimension, was him—Oliver.

The boyish face he remembered was gone, replaced by the face of a young man.

Oliver smiled and greeted him.

“It’s been a long time, Forest.”

***

Oliver, who should not exist in this world anymore.

He was sitting next to Forest, greeting him.

Forest took a deep breath and responded.

“It really has been a long time.”

“You’ve grown quite old in that time.”

“And you’ve lost all sense of manners. So… I’m dead, right?”

“Yes.”

Oliver nodded calmly, as if responding to something entirely natural.

Perhaps it was Oliver’s attitude, but Forest accepted the fact that he was dead without much surprise.

“I guess I never really expected to go to heaven… Still, dying painlessly isn’t such a bad way to go, huh?”

“Does this place seem like hell to you?”

“I’ve got a conscience, you know.”

“Hahaha…”

Oliver’s laugh was genuine—so natural.

“It seems you’ve been through a lot yourself. You’re even smiling now.”

“Is that a compliment?”

Oliver offered Forest a glass of liquor from nowhere.

Upon closer inspection, it was the brand Forest liked best.

“…It’s tasty. Truly.”

“I talk to people for a living now.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, the job I have now. I talk to the dead. About their lives, their regrets, and their joys. I listen to all of it, and I respond.”

“You talk to all the dead?”

Oliver nodded, sipping a glass of milk he had conjured out of thin air.

Given how many people die each day, listening to every one of them seemed impossible.

Yet, somehow, because it was Oliver, Forest found it believable.

“Well… that must be hard.”

“There is satisfaction in it. And besides, I’ve now gained the chance to talk with you, haven’t I?”

“…Do you plan to meet others as well?”

“Someday… But you seem oddly indifferent. Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

“Honestly, this all feels so sudden… Can’t I just choose not to say anything?”

“It’s a choice like any other, so that’s fine.”

Oliver’s expression showed that he genuinely didn’t mind.

His facial expressions had become so expressive, Forest mused, as he thought of what he wanted to say.

“I do have a report. As a mediator.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I finished it. The book about you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Mind telling me the title?”

“The Genius Dark Sorcerer.”

“The Genius Dark Sorcerer?”

“Yes, I felt it suited you best. Any complaints?”

“Hmm… Well, no. But if the book flops, I’ll know who to blame: the title.”

“Or maybe the protagonist just isn’t interesting enough.”

“Oh, I’m definitely interesting. I guarantee that everyone laughs at my jokes.”

“Now I’m certain. This is hell.”

Forest refused to acknowledge Oliver’s humor, while the latter simply kept smiling.

And in the quiet, Oliver stared at him.

Unable to bear the silence, Forest finally asked a question.

“So, what happens if we finish talking? Do you leave?”

“Leave? No… Once the conversation ends, I give you a choice. Whether you want to rest in heaven, atone in hell, or be reborn as a human.”

“? I feel like most people would choose the first option.”

“Not always. Some people, after talking, end up choosing the second or third options.”