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Albert, accompanied by numerous wizards from the Moirai school, encircled the World Tree log, infusing their mana to examine the stored information.
The surrounding armed forces observed the scene with bated breath, engulfed in tense silence.
The matter at hand carried a weight of three trillion units of currency, to be precise, three trillion, one hundred and thirty-two billion, and five hundred and fifty million. Its significance extended beyond mere financial implications, encompassing political and social ramifications.
The city, entangled in its own mismanagement, faced the looming threat of losing its free city status to the Parliament. The Crime Firm and the Sisterhood were also unsure if their association with Shamus could inadvertently lead to a catastrophe.
While Pinkman had no direct involvement, the magnitude of the situation left them on edge.
‘Some may have ulterior motives,' Oliver speculated as he observed a few Pinkman executives who seemed to harbor selfish intentions.
As he contemplated whether to disclose the information to his employer, Carver, the wizards from the Moirai School abruptly ceased their connection to the log.
They appeared visibly fatigued, likely due to the immense volume of stored information they had processed.
"How did it go?" City official Carver approached them and inquired.
As Oliver had suggested, Carver sought to determine if there were any traces of the embezzled funds by Shamus and any indications of illicit funds from other Enjoyment Druids within the log.
Albert wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, glanced at Oliver, and slowly nodded.
"…Yes. As Dave informed us, we found the locations of anonymous bank accounts and the safes where these accounts are stored, along with the corresponding passwords… everything neatly organized."
Albert's response carried a mix of bewilderment, admiration, and an underlying fear, as if he was facing an unknown entity. All these emotions were directed at Oliver.
"Oh, dear God… Thank you for saving Landa."
Carver's words, whether a genuine expression of relief or remnants of his dwindling faith, carried a touch of reverence.
"…And what about the traces of fraud committed by other Enjoyment Druids? Do we have any leads on that?"
To everyone's surprise, Carver, despite experiencing a whirlwind of emotions—ranging from anxiety and fear to relief and elation—once again displayed enthusiasm as he sought to grasp the new card that had been dealt.
Just as before, Albert turned to Oliver and slowly nodded.
"Yes… We discovered roughly organized records of fraudulent activities conducted overseas by a Druid named Craig and other Enjoyment Druids."
Upon hearing this confirmation, Carver cast aside his fatigue and began to ponder intensely. His emotions flickered rapidly, entangled with joy over the unexpected breakthrough and self-serving thoughts on how to harness this newfound information.
After a brief moment, a hint of suspicion and doubt crept into Carver's mind.
He locked eyes with Oliver, who returned the gaze calmly, and Carver inquired, "Um… Is there a problem?"
"No, it appears there isn't… Thank you very much, Dave. Landa owes you a great debt. Your actions have been truly remarkable, and I am grateful."
Carver expressed his gratitude and fear, alongside a myriad of conflicting emotions, with courtesy toward Oliver, despite his lingering confusion.
It was the right decision. While Carver harbored numerous questions about Oliver, the most important factor was that they had achieved success in their mission, largely thanks to him.
"I simply did my job."
Carver shook his head sincerely.
"No. You truly are remarkable and deserve our thanks. It's not just about completing the mission single-handedly, but also knowing the location of such a vast amount of money… It couldn't have been easy, and Landa owes you twice over."
"It's not my money… Anyway, thank you for your kind words."
Oliver expressed his honest thoughts, devoid of false modesty or arrogance.
That three trillion was a substantial sum, and wanting to keep it despite breaking the promise were two separate matters.
However, many people present, including the gangsters armed with submachine guns, Pinkman equipped with magical gear, and the leader of the security bureau team, couldn't comprehend Oliver's mindset. They regarded him with a mixture of confusion and frustration.
It was a perfectly normal reaction.
Three trillion was an amount that could sway not only one's conscience but also their very humanity.
After all, everyone involved in this field was primarily driven by money.
Witnessing someone who had the opportunity and means to claim such wealth but chose not to, it was unsurprising for skepticism and disbelief to surpass frustration.
Carver, attempting to calm his racing heart, cautiously addressed Oliver once more.
"If it's alright with you, could you help us examine the information from the World Tree log-"
"Excuse me, Mr. Carver?"
One of the middle-aged wizards from the Moirai School interrupted, his composed exterior masking a turmoil of questions and anxiety. His unease was particularly palpable.
"…Yes, Gary?"
The middle-aged wizard's name appeared to be Gary.
"May we also have a discussion? We have our own matters to attend to."
Carver let out a delayed realization, "Ah…" and nodded in agreement.
The Moirai School was not merely a hired group but rather temporary partners who had come together to fulfill their respective needs.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
Middle-aged wizard Gary approached Oliver.
From his demeanor, he seemed to hold the highest rank among those present.
"Hello, Mr. Dave. I am Gary Hess, the leader of the Moirai faction."
"Hello, Mr. Gary. I am Dave, a solver from District T."
"Yes, I'm pleased to meet you as well. I've heard much about your reputation… Let me get straight to the point. You mentioned earlier that you sought assistance from someone to gather information on Shamus. What was that entity? Did it organize the data?"
Gary Hess referred to it as an entity, not a person.
His emotional state leaned more towards confirming a suspicion rather than asking out of mere curiosity.
"Yes."
"What… What compelled it to do so? What did you request help with?"
"Um… Eve?"
"You know Eve?"
Albert, who had been standing behind Gary, interjected with widened eyes, displaying evident surprise.
Oliver noted his reaction and responded cautiously.
"I…? She introduced herself as Eve. I can't be certain, but that's what she claimed."
Oliver recalled the moment he connected to the World Tree.
After defeating Shamus, driven by curiosity, he ventured into the World Tree and found himself in a black void resembling a starry night sky, devoid of land or sky.
Within that space, Oliver encountered a bound entity.
It was a mass of energy intertwined with countless strands of mana, emotions, and the power of nature.
Devoid of a distinct form, it existed in an unstable state due to its shapelessness.
It lacked a clear understanding of its own nature, only recognizing the name Eve, which it presumed was given by the druids.
‘Eve. A name mentioned in the book [Evolution of the World Tree] given by Elder. An artificial will or ego that forms when an excessive amount of information accumulates and reaches a singularity. Though it has not yet been discovered, the possibility of its emergence is high, hence everyone arbitrarily calls it Eve. Both wizards and druids.'
The book hypothesized that Eve held the potential to unlock new dimensions of power within the World Tree, expanding its utilization to unprecedented levels. The possibilities associated with this notion were extensively discussed and touted.
Driven by this belief, the druids took it upon themselves to tightly confine Eve, employing machinery that clashed with their core principles and inherent pride. However, it soon became apparent that this decision was a grave mistake.
The restraints imposed on Eve only served to fuel its ferocity, rendering it resistant to any form of control or reason.
"So, what did you do?" asked Gary from the Moirai School, his composure completely shattered.
"I set her free," came the response.
Silence fell upon the room, engulfing everyone, including Gary. Mouths remained shut tightly, eyes widening to an almost bulging extent. Although their non-human expressions made it challenging to discern their emotions, the atmosphere was undeniably tense, conveying a profound range of shock, doubt, anger, and more.
Gary pressed further, unable to feign calmness. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean I released her," Oliver replied after contemplating for a moment.
"……"
"Why?" Gary's voice brimmed with incredulity.
"Um… she seemed incredibly distressed," Oliver explained, his words laced with a hint of justification.
Indeed, the druids had bound Eve in a manner reminiscent of a spider's intricate web ensnaring its prey. Despite her formless nature as a mass of energy, the suffocation she endured was palpable.
Oliver believed his reasoning to be perfectly sound, but Gary, evidently disagreeing, grabbed hold of Oliver's shoulders. It appeared less as a deliberate action and more as an instinctive response driven by uncontrollable emotions.
"You let her go because she appeared uncomfortable…? You released Eve based on such a trivial reason?!" Gary's anger radiated, compounded by an overwhelming sense of loss and regret caused by Eve's escape. His fury, resentment, and hatred towards Oliver, the catalyst for this series of events, grew more palpable with each passing moment.
"This… is not looking good," Joe interjected, swiftly grasping Gary's arm that clutched Oliver's collar.
Having solidified his position through exclusive dealings with the Crime Firm, the reigning power in the Landa Shadow, Joe had acquired an air of refinement that surpassed his former self, even if he didn't personally perceive it that way.
Oliver observed Joe's emotions and wondered, ‘Why is he angry?'
"You dare, you insolent punk—Ghak!"
Joe's grip on Gary's arm tightened, matching Gary's anger and disgust, causing intense pain to radiate through Gary's crushed hand.
Sensing the imminent threat to his well-being, Gary channeled mana and attempted to cast a spell. However, Joe remained undeterred, deftly donning his black suit and black armor, layering them upon his body like a protective exoskeleton glove. His proficiency in both technique and adaptability had clearly improved during Oliver's absence, an impressive development.
‘But that's one thing, and this is another,' Oliver thought, swiftly interposing his quarterstaff between Gary and Joe while activating a black magic spell.
[Voracity]
Harnessing the remnants of emotions, Oliver summoned small mouths at the tip of his quarterstaff, drawing in Joe's black magic. He then disassembled the black magic, converting it back into emotions, further enhancing the power of Voracity. Not stopping there, he also absorbed Gary's mana.
Though the sequence of events unfolded rapidly, both Joe and Gary found themselves disarmed in a matter of moments.
Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Shhh.
"……!"
"……!"
In the blink of an eye, Joe and Gary were rendered powerless. Not only those directly involved but also onlookers were astounded by Oliver's actions.
Disabling both a wizard and a warlock simultaneously was no small feat, especially considering their individual skill levels. While it may have been expected from a Solver who had single-handedly subdued Shamus, it remained an impressive display nonetheless.
"I apologize for the interruption, but it's not productive for colleagues to engage in conflict," Oliver calmly stated, causing the heated atmosphere to quickly dissipate.
Joe, upon assessing the situation, offered his apology first, followed by Gary, who reluctantly apologized after receiving a whisper from Albert.
This included apologizing for grabbing Oliver's collar.
"Uh… I'm sorry."
"No, it's my fault. I should apologize as well… I think fatigue clouded my judgment. I'm sorry," Oliver responded with sincerity.
In truth, after subduing Shamus, fatigue had overwhelmed Oliver. As soon as he checked on Eve, he had succumbed to a mysterious influence and acquiesced to her request. It appeared to be a lapse in judgment caused by exhaustion.
"Now, may I say something?" City official Carver interjected between Oliver, who had yet to come to a conclusion, and the Moirai School's wizard.
"I understand that you both have much to discuss, but dawn is approaching. Shall we return to Landa? People may arrive here due to the battle earlier."
Upon hearing Carver's words, everyone glanced around at the gradually brightening sky and the tumultuous state of the forest. They unanimously agreed to leave the area.
(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
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