Oliver got off the truck and walked straight along the yellow exterior wall, as the letter said.
Thanks to this, he was able to not waste time wandering in an unfamiliar environment.
After a while, he was able to see a huge square with a fountain built in the middle.
A baby angel statue was peeing in the middle of a large fountain, and around it were benches, hot dog booths, and ice cream booths.
The visitors were elders, women, and children, and there seemed to be no threat.
After looking around, Oliver went near Exit 3, as written in the letter.
Even though he was walking, Oliver did not stop looking around, and the place looked completely different from Wineham.
It wasn't just the crowd or the flashy colors.
More than that, the emotions of the people were also different.
In Wineham, negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, and hatred were predominant.
But in contrast, at least in the square here, there were more positive emotions in people's minds, such as relaxation, serenity, kindness, and mercy.
Sometimes it felt like an emotion of profound superiority, and when viewed as a whole, it was much brighter.
Oliver wondered what was the difference between this place and Wineham and what was the reason behind people's emotional states being so different.
And what was even more interesting than this was the other side of the city which was not far from here was exuding more negative emotions than Wineham.
Oliver couldn't see the details with his eyes right now, but he could feel them vaguely.
There was a feeling of darkness that was incomparable with Wineham.
Although there was a wall, it was definitely the same city, and there was such a huge difference like light and shade.
“Here you are?”
While observing the city, Oliver turned to one side and bowed his head politely.
Standing in front of him was Joseph in a flashing silk hat and cloak.
They were very similar to the people of Landa, and Oliver probably wouldn't have noticed if he had distinguished people by appearance rather than emotions.
Joseph was amazed.
“Your eyesight has become sharper?”
"Thank you for the compliment, Master."
“Money?”
Oliver patted the bag firmly behind his back.
Joseph laughed and started walking with Oliver.
“I’m sorry, I was originally careful not to run money errands like this, but this time the situation is special.”
“No… by the way, can I ask you a question, Master?”
"What?”
“Where is Sir. Andrew?”
"Ahh…he’s being treated right now. It's not legal, it requires a lot of money, but it's from a warlock who possesses great skills."
“… I see.”
Oliver answered while looking at Joseph's feelings to see whether he was lying.
It staggered as if he was lying but soon it stopped.
Oliver frowned at the rare sight he saw for the first time, and at that moment, Joseph brought his face closer to Oliver and said,
“For now, let’s go to the hotel.”
“Hotel…?”
"Yeah, hotel. It's a very nice place."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Joseph's words were not a figure of speech or a metaphor.
They went to a huge hotel near the square.
The hotel was large and splendid, and there were a lot of wealthy-looking people, and the word [Bluemoon] was written on the front door in an old-fashioned way.
Joseph seemed familiar with this place, the hotel gatekeepers, bellboys greeted Joseph warmly as soon as they saw him.
“Hello, Mr. John.”
“Hello, Mr. John.”
“Yes, yes.”
Oliver looked at them without saying a word, and Joseph turned his head and looked at Oliver.
“Are you surprised?”
"What?"
“I asked if you were surprised that I was used to such an expensive hotel.”
“No…not at all.”
"Huh, Really? To be frank, I myself was surprised. The reason I'm used to this is because of my regular visits to Landa when looking for disciples. And I used to stay here every time I visited. Do you know why I stay here?"
“Uh… Because it’s great?”
“Hahaha, that’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not entirely correct either.
“It’s because I have bad memories in this place.”
“…Bad memories?”
“Yeah, really bad ones… Well, hold on for a second.”
Joseph said, stopping in front of the iron gate.
There was a large needle and numbers embedded on the wall above the iron gate, and the direction the needle pointed changed from 6 to 5, and then to 4, 3, 2, 1.
DING
When the ‘ding’ sound was heard the iron gate opened automatically revealing a small space where there was a bellboy standing.
“Welcome. Sir. What floor would you like me to take you to?”
“Please go to the third floor. Jackson, the gloves look cool. Did you get new ones?”
“Yes. Thanks for the compliment, Sir. John.”
Joseph brought Oliver inside.
When the bellboy pressed the button next to the door, the door closed and the space began to move.
"This…"
"It's an elevator. It's safe, so don't worry. Isn't that right Jackson?"
“Yes, of course, Sir.”
After a while, the elevator stopped and the door opened.
Joseph took out a bill from his pocket and gave it to the bellboy and took Oliver to his room.
Oliver got distracted as soon as he entered the room, and Joseph spoke at that moment.
“First of all, let me check if the errand was carried out well? Put your bag here.”
Joseph pats the table.
Oliver took off the bag as instructed and placed it on the nearby table.
Joseph opened the bag and took out bundles of money one by one, then he began to stack them on the table.
“…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, 30 bundles of 100,000 Landan bills. You bought the exact amount.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You did a great job. There aren’t many kids who can do this kind of errand.”
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, bills have magical powers. When they pile up in bulk, it clouds their thinking abilities. It might make you end up unhappy."
Oliver tilted his head, not understanding.
“……What kind of black magic is it, Master?”
“Black magic? Ha…well, it’s similar to Black Magic.”
Oliver tilted his head again.
The conversation was subtly out of focus, and Oliver didn't dig deep into it.
Oliver paused for a moment, then opened his mouth carefully.
“Master. Then, is my work over here?”
Oliver asked Joseph who was putting the money back into the bag.
“For now? Why?”
“Then, can I go back?”
“Why? Why are you trying to go back already?”
" I thought it would be inconvenient for Master if I stayed without anything to do, Or, is there anything for me to do here, Master?”
"Yeah, of course, there is. I'm going to pick up Andrew tomorrow and I need someone to help me."
“If that’s the case, I’ll stay.”
"That’s good…but before that, there's one more thing I need you to help with.”
“Tell me, Master.”
“You should have a grand dinner with me today.”
Those words were not a figure of or a metaphor.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
In the evening, Joseph bought Oliver a decent suit, and he was taken to a restaurant.
Then they sat down together in the best seat overlooking the beautiful scenery outside.
"You look pretty good when you dress up like this. Is it uncomfortable?"
"Slightly."
Oliver answered, glancing at the suit he wore for the first time.
It wasn't really that uncomfortable, but it felt like his posture was restricted according to the clothes.
"I'm glad that's the case…Ah, Just bring me the usual, Joey."
After ordering the Waiter, Joseph looked back at Oliver.
The two looked at each other silently, and after a while, Joseph opened his mouth.
“Oh my gosh…Why are you so quiet today? Even when we first met, you kept on asking a lot of questions.”
“… I’m sorry, Master. I was so excited back then.”
"No, no. I'm not scolding you, I'm just asking if you have anything to say. When you're alone with me, you can say anything. Ask a question or even flattery will do…"
Oliver recalled the children who used to flatter the supervisor in the mines in the past.
“Today, Master… you look cool?”
"My head’s spinning. I'm not really asking you to flatter me. Also, why did you ask with a question mark at the end?"
“I’m sorry, master.”
"Ha…really, ask me anything. For example, when I brought you to the family, why did I just leave you as an informal disciple? Although you didn’t ask this, hasn't this always been in your heart?"
“I think there must be a deep … meaning.”
“Yes, that’s how flattery works. And you're right… Come to think of it, I never really gave you a proper class since there was a lot of work. Thinking that I have prepared this place today, so answer me. What do you think is the basic qualification for being a warlock?”
Oliver was lost in thought when asked a sudden question.
The qualification…
It was a difficult question for Oliver, who easily became a Warlock.
“Aspiration.”
“Right!”
Joseph said while snapping his fingers.
"It’s the aspiration. The reason doesn't matter… Whether it's a desire for money, power, or black magic. A desire for something. That's the greatest quality of a Warlock."
“…if so, then why did you take in Marie and Peter?”
"Why? Did you hear something?"
“Yeah… I just happened to hear it.”
Joseph leaned thoughtfully on the back of his chair.
“…I remember. Marie lived in a place where the filth of a dye mill was pouring out. She almost got herself raped when I first met her?”
“Was she scared?”
"Yeah, they were neighborhood thugs. I was just passing by, so I saved her. At that time, the poison in her eyes was impressive. She didn't have much talent, but she had a great desire for power, so I bought her."
"… I see."
Oliver said numbly.
Joseph spoke again as if lost in memory.
“Peter lived in a single room with three other family members besides his family, and every day was hell. Thanks to that, he had a great desire for success and he also had some talent, so I took him in.”
Oliver nodded and asked.
"Then… Are the other disciples also similar?"
“Yes. The more desperate they are, the more eager you are to learn black magic and the more you can immerse yourself in it…. But you lacked that.”
"Pardon?"
"A desire for black magic. You thought it was fun and was willing to learn, but you thought nothing more. What can I say… There was no other way. So I put you in as an informal disciple. I thought you might fall into despair when you got pushed around. But, it didn’t work out.”
“Sorry for my incapability, Master. I will study hard.”
“Then….., if Andrew returns and asks you for the position of Direct Disciple again, are you planning on offering it?”
“Yes, all I need is to learn black magic……”
"That's not possible. A warlock is all about power. Power is Absolute. A person who easily yields his place to others, no matter how talented he is, he will soon be eaten."
"…Did Master become a warlock that way?"
"What?"
“Ah, I’m sorry. I asked a question without permission… I was curious.”
“Did you ask how I became a warlock?”
“Yes, please forgive me if I made a mistake, Master.”
"Well, not to that extent… Actually, Like you, I was picked up by my master and I became a warlock."
“Is that so?”
"Yeah. I learned how to run a family from my master. And at first, I wasn't a very enthusiastic disciple. I was satisfied in life without begging or stealing."
“then…”
“Because I got to see a wider world. That’s right, this hotel.”
Joseph exaggeratedly stretched out his hands and pointed to the hotel.
“When I came to this hotel while helping my master, it was the first time I knew that there were such wonderful places in this world. And I also learned a sad fact.”
“What is that Master?”
“If I live like this, neither during this life nor after death, I would never be able to taste this world….So I tried to become a capable warlock like my Master, this is how I became a great warlock.”
“Then, Master must have developed a passion for black magic after coming to this hotel.”
"Yes! That's right. I decided to become a great warlock by any means. And, God helped me."
It was ironic.
Oliver wondered how God helped Joseph to become a warlock.
"…if it's okay with you, may I ask how your master taught you?"
At that moment, Joseph's emotions flickered as if that question stabbed him at his sore spot.
"that…."
“You must have been waiting, Sir. The food has arrived.”
A waiter appeared just in time.
He skillfully put down the plate.
On a pure white plate, there was a dish of white fish with a dipping sauce, which smelled very good.
Joseph patted his mouth.
“First eat, let’s talk after eating, I’m hungry.”
