The first thing Kevin requested was a fictional account, an account he urgently needed to communicate to the tower due to its crucial nature.
Following Kevin's proposition, Oliver began with the particulars he had collated with Willes.
The narrative included how he encountered ‘Will, the Solver' before setting out for his destination, Mountain Pace, his ascent to Mountain Pace, the investigation carried out during the journey, and even the happenings at the Chimera Research Center – he recounted everything.
Given that the majority of it was grounded in reality, it flowed naturally without any inconsistencies. Kevin too appeared to have no issues, listening to the narrative calmly, nodding in agreement.
"Bathory?"
Kevin interjected during Oliver's explanation.
"Yes, are you familiar with her?"
"I've never met her, but I did hear of her back in my days as a war wizard."
"Is that so?"
Oliver inquired back, sounding somewhat surprised.
A War Wizard, as the name suggests, is a wizard affiliated with the army. Oliver had thought the job was solely about warfare and combat.
Kevin, as if picking up on his thoughts, provided some clarification.
"War Wizards are occasionally deployed to apprehend criminals who prove too challenging for the regular police force. For instance, high-risk criminals."
High-risk criminals. This term denoted the worst offenders, universally recognized as evil.
Examples like the Eternal Life Puppet, the Human-meat Chef, the Eternal Youth Fan, and the Pied Piper came to mind.
Considering them, Oliver quickly grasped the situation. These were beings too difficult to apprehend with ordinary police forces, hence it was plausible for War Wizards to be deployed.
"So, was Lady Bathory also a high-risk criminal?"
"When I encountered her, she was a rank lower, a risk-level criminal."
"Risk-level… May I ask what the criteria for this is?"
"Well, that's not my area of expertise, so I can't tell. But more importantly, Bathory and her family operated from the central continent, so I didn't scrutinize them closely. It does seem strange now that I think about it. Why would a warlock operating on the continent suddenly cross the ocean and arrive at Mountain Pace?"
Kevin looked at Oliver as if expecting a response.
"Do you want me to tell that story as a fiction? Or, would you prefer it as non-fiction?"
Picking up on the unusual tension, Kevin broke the silence.
"Please share the non-fiction version."
At Kevin's request, Oliver relayed exactly what he had learned at the Chimera Research Center.
He spoke about the alliance between the Life School faction and the Bathory family, and the reason behind their assault.
Having heard the full explanation, Kevin appeared both astounded and convinced.
"Now I understand why the Life School faction was in such turmoil. The hit to their ego was more than just having their lab burgled by a warlock."
Recalling the Life School faction wizard who had sought him out as soon as he returned to the tower and the murmuring students, Oliver asked.
"Professor. I also have a question, what transpired while I was away on assignment? Both the Life School faction wizard and the students seem unusually agitated."
Upon hearing Oliver's question, Kevin displayed an expression of mild disbelief.
"Well… during your absence, each lab communicated the incidents directly to their respective factions. That's how I came to know about it."
"I see. But?”
"…Despite the oral relay of events, there were slight variations in the narrations. However, the essential theme remained unchanged. It was about a warlock who raided the lab of the Life School faction and remained in hiding for nearly a month, and it was you along with the Solver you employed who neutralized the situation."
"Yes, that's accurate… And then?"
"And then? What are you implying by ‘and then'? Just that accomplishment alone is significantly extraordinary."
Kevin voiced his thoughts with a serious countenance.
"Regardless of the infamous reputation, it's common for the Magic Tower to underestimate warlocks. But imagine, a warlock, not only assaulted and occupied a laboratory under the Life School faction but also managed to camouflage herself there for nearly a month. And both the Life School faction and the Magic Tower were oblivious to this for almost a month."
"Considering they could use the skin, replicate fingerprints, and extract memories from blood, it seems plausible, doesn't it?"
"So, you're implying it's not an extraordinary feat?"
"No, not at all. Lady Bathory is really an extraordinary person."
"Yes, it was indeed a commendable feat. And you managed to handle this formidable warlock solely with the Solver, bypassing any assistance from the Magic Tower. It's a notable achievement. It could have escalated into a more devastating situation. The Magic Tower's reputation could have potentially been compromised."
"Oh, I see… I appreciate your kind words."
Kevin scrutinized the indifferent Oliver, examining him closely.
He was an intriguing character.
Contrary to his attentive and generous attitude towards others, he exhibited a peculiar indifference towards himself.
His obliviousness to his own talents and accomplishments was a case in point.
He had encountered those trying to make a name for themselves within the Magic Tower, but Oliver was a genuine entity, free of any pretense or intention.
Perhaps, if he hadn't initiated a conversation about his achievements, he might have remained completely unaware of them.
Kevin wondered if such an oddity could be explained away as just a strange personality trait.
"Could this, by any chance, pose an issue?"
"What?"
"It seems like standing out in the Magic Tower isn't quite beneficial. Especially for someone like me."
"That is a fair point."
"Would it simmer down if I kept a low profile or took a brief vacation?"
"To be honest, I'm not certain."
"Pardon?"
"If your claim holds true, the Life School faction might keep a close watch on you. After all, you might be aware of their flaws. As a matter of fact, you are aware now."
"So, what's the best course of action?"
"That's something we need to consider carefully. They might issue a cooperative document to conduct an interrogation based on your report. We must prepare adequately. Let's do it together."
"Um, thank you. That's very considerate of you."
"It's part of my job… But what's the status of Bathory?"
Kevin, who missed the last bit, inquired.
"I intend to report that she suffered injuries and fled the scene. Using the bloodstains as evidence."
"…And what about Nonfiction version?"
"I killed her."
"…You killed her?"
"Yes."
"A dangerous felon who is at odds with Human-meat Chef?"
"Yes… Her severed limbs and head are currently inside the glutton bag. Would you like to see?"
Wondering if Kevin might not trust his words, Oliver suggested this out of consideration. But Kevin gestured in refusal.
"No need… But how did you manage to kill her? I was under the impression her regenerative abilities were formidable."
"I conjured a knife with emotions. She died when I cut her with it."
Kevin's eyebrows deepened into a frown at Oliver's succinct reply.
The explanation, as he heard it, seemed to increasingly detached from reality, making it harder for him to understand.
In an attempt to clear his mind, Kevin posed another question,
"I have a follow-up. It may not be a big deal, but it's quite important. Who, exactly, is this Solver you've employed? The Life School faction could potentially scrutinize and query this. After all, he might be aware of their shortcomings."
"He's a Solver operating in the Kell community. His name is Mr. Will."
"Understood……. And his true identity?"
"He is Mr. Willes, a leader of the Kell Liberation Army."
"……What?"
"I said, he is Mr. Willes, a leader of the Kell Liberation Army. Didn't I mention it? ……Oh, I guess I didn't."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
In the staff room opposite Kevin's office, Oliver was writing a report.
Normally, he should have taken a day off and then written the report the next day, but due to the circumstances of the case and there still being a lot to tell Kevin, Oliver did not go home and wrote a report about the disappearance case in Mountain Pace.
Kevin had been kind enough to explain the report format and the points to pay attention to before he left for class, making the task of writing the report less daunting.
While there were many things to write, which took some time, the rest was straightforward.
All Oliver needed to do was transcribe the story he had coordinated with Willes according to the specified format.
"……And with this, it's complete."
Oliver, who had finished the report in orderly and elegant handwriting, declared.
The report was twofold.
It comprised a summary report that briefly outlined the main points and a detailed report that captured more extensive content.
The main distinction between the two reports was the content regarding the encounter with the Bathory Family in the Chimera Research Institute under the Life School. This was also the key element that differentiated the length of the reports.
The detailed report included speculated reasons for the Bathory Family's attack on the Life School, how they managed to deceive them and the Magic Tower, and a detailed record of their interactions and combat scenarios.
Before submitting the report to Kevin, Oliver double-checked to ensure no issues were present.
Once Kevin, who would be back from the class soon, had inspected the report, all that would be left would be to continue the rest of the story. This would then mark the end of the immediate tasks.
How he found himself teaming up with Willes, one of the leaders of the Kell Liberation Army, and why he trusted him.
‘Of course, if Mr. Willes were to spread rumors about this incident, the reputation of the Magic Tower would be jeopardized, and not just me, but even Professor Kevin, who sent me as his proxy, would be placed in a difficult situation…….'
While such a scenario would undoubtedly be a major issue if it were to happen, Oliver didn't feel overly concerned, for some reason.
This was because Willes had promised to keep the matter under wraps until the end.
Of course, human emotions can be fluid, and there's no telling what might happen as time passes, but for some reason, Willes didn't seem like someone who would easily break a promise.
"Um, it could be interesting if he did break it, though."
Murmuring thus, Oliver carefully moved the finished report to one side of the desk and pulled out his notebook.
He had been keeping this notebook since his time working at the tower, and it contained tasks that he, as a personal staff member of the professor, had to undertake, as well as Kevin's schedule.
Occasionally, Oliver also jotted down his personal schedule at the back. Just like now.
"Hmm… There's a lot to do."
Oliver murmured as he scribbled down the tasks he needed to handle in his notebook.
[Identify the nature of the notebook confiscated from Lady Bathory]
[Investigate the Life School faction's research on Enhanced humans]
[Show the Flesh Hammer, which absorbed a large amount of Lady Bathory's blood, to its original creator, Ewan Bremner]
[Create corpse dolls using Lady Bathory and the female warlocks], and so on.
"And I also need to learn about the Tick-Tock Apocalypse……."
At the very bottom of the notebook, Oliver wrote [Tick-Tock Apocalypse].
An ancient prophecy about the end of the world he had heard from Ewan Bremner.
Originally, he had returned to the Tower after his vacation to ask about this. Upon reflection, it felt like he had taken a huge detour from his initial objective. Not that he disliked it, though.
"Thanks to that, I've learned a lot of interesting things… After wrapping up work with Professor Kevin, I need to ask if there's a way to get in touch with Elder."
After muttering to himself, Oliver neatly folded the notebook.
Having written down all the tasks he needed to do, there was now really nothing left.
Normally, he would either assist Kevin or go and attend other classes, but since Kevin had advised him to limit contact with others as much as possible, even that was currently not an option.
So, Oliver decided to clean the staff room in a practical manner.
Having been away for a few days, dust had accumulated here and there.
He took out cleaning tools for corpse cleanup that he had bought from the black market from his magic bag. Just then, there was a timely knock on the door.
Knock- Knock-
Oliver looked beyond the door with his Warlock's vision. It was a familiar face.
"Miss Yareli?"
Oliver greeted the girl standing in front of the door as he opened it.
Yareli, with her silver curly hair and thick glasses, stood there with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
"….Hello, Mr. Zenon."
"Yes, hello."
"……."
"……."
There was silence between Oliver and Yareli, with Oliver being the first to speak.
"……If you're looking for the professor, he's not here right now, but if you have any business, would you like to leave a message? Then, I will pass it on to him."
Oliver took out a notebook and pen from his pocket. Yareli hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, it's not the professor I want to see, but you."
"Me?"
"Yes, I wanted to apologize."
"Apologize?"
"I think I was too blunt last time without knowing better."
Oliver tilted his head.
"Um… I'm sorry, but when were you too blunt?"
"…When I told you to do your job properly at the library. I said that if you don't do your job properly when you're young, you won't even have a place to lie down when you're old."
Oliver remembered.
"No, you were right. I should do my job properly.”
"No, I'm sorry. I think I misunderstood you. I heard the disappearance case in Mountain Pace was quite serious, but you solved it yourself?”
"Technically, the solver I hired did it all by himself."
"And the train case too."
"The train?"
"Yes, I heard you suppressed the train robbers and helped the people. Isn't that right?”
Oliver thought for a moment.
“Um… ah, yes. Somehow it turned out that way.”
"That's impressive. Thanks to you, the honor of the Tower has been greatly elevated. As a student affiliated with the Magic Tower, I am grateful.”
Yareli apologized and expressed her gratitude, and that was it. She had really come to apologize and say thank you.
Since he didn't expect it, Oliver didn't know what to say in response.
"Um… You don't have to thank me. I just happened to do it… Is that all you have to say?”
"Yes. That's all.”
“Um, I see… Although I don't really need an apology, I appreciate it since you apologized. I didn't really mind, so you don't have to worry about it.”
The conversation ended there.
Oliver said farewell and quietly closed the door, and Yareli awkwardly nodded her head.
"Strewth, mate! That was the most awkward male-female conversation I've ever laid eyes on!"
As soon as the door closed, a familiar voice came from inside the staff room where there should have been no one but Oliver.
When Oliver turned his head, he could see Merlin sitting in front of the desk reading a report.
(To be Continued)
OR
$5/month6 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$15/month12 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$30/month19 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$45/monthAll advance chap + 6 chap/week
