“It's changed… a lot.”
After saying goodbye to Forrest, Oliver boarded a train and arrived in the vicinity of Wineham. From the train station, he hailed a taxi to reach Wineham.
While Oliver was surveying the streets of Wineham, he quietly muttered to himself, prompting a response from the taxi driver, a man with a thick beard.
Interestingly, despite appearing more disheveled than the taxi driver in Landa, this driver didn't consume alcohol.
"Have you been to Wineham before?" the taxi driver inquired.
Oliver responded politely, "Yes, I once stayed in Wineham for a short while."
"Oh… When was that?"
The taxi driver inquired with evident curiosity.
However, Oliver didn't perceive any suspicion in the driver's inquiry. He sensed no hidden motives or ill will; in fact, he understood that most taxi drivers enjoyed engaging in conversations with their passengers.
This inclination was reasonable.
For individuals who spent their entire day behind the wheel, conversing with passengers might constitute their sole form of entertainment. Understanding this, Oliver responded politely, albeit somewhat vaguely.
"Well… I'm not sure exactly. It was when I was much younger."
The taxi driver chuckled, "Haha! I see… Has it changed a lot?"
"Yes. Objectively and subjectively, it has changed a lot."
Indeed, it had. When Oliver initially followed Joseph to Wineham, he had been astounded by the city's size.
At the time, Oliver's world had been confined to the orphanage and the mines. A city like Wineham had been astonishing in itself, with its vast scale and the multitude of intense emotions it contained.
However, upon returning after a few years, much had altered.
Joseph had once described Wineham as neither too large nor too small. But after spending a few years in Landa, Wineham appeared considerably smaller than Oliver remembered, almost exaggeratingly so. In comparison, Wineham seemed smaller than even one district of Landa.
‘But emotionally, it's much better now.'
While Wineham had undeniably been a declining city, filled with negative emotions like irritation, anger, resentment, despair, and apathy, it now seemed to be in a notably improved state.
‘And fittingly, there's a certain vitality in the city.'
Oliver observed the cityscape through the taxi's rear window.
The Wineham he recalled had mainly consisted of old, vacant buildings, and the streets had been devoid of people. Now, it was different.
Though not on par with Landa, there were more inhabitants and a greater sense of vibrancy than Oliver remembered. It was the vibrancy that could only come from stable employment, homes, and a sense of security.
By all indications, Wineham appeared to be in a much better state now.
"It's thanks to the pharmacist."
"The pharmacist?"
"Yes, if you lived in this area, you'd know, right?"
"Ah… You mean, Mr. Donel Matheson?"
"Ha! You did live here! Sorry for doubting. Yes, Mr. Donel, the pharmacist!"
Donel Matheson, famously known as the Pharmacist, was the benefactor of this city and had dealings with three prominent warlock families: Joseph, Dominic, and Anthony. He held significant influence in the city's underworld.
Oliver had conducted transactions with him before departing this place.
The taxi driver genuinely seemed pleased upon hearing the name of the Pharmacist.
"Oh…! To meet someone who knows him, it's quite a coincidence. Did you also receive help from the Pharmacist?"
Oliver paused for a moment and nodded. Indeed, he had received help.
Upon hearing this, the taxi driver burst into hearty laughter.
"Haha! Of course! There's no one in this city who hasn’t received his help!"
"Is that so?"
"You bet! How could you have received help and not know it?!"
The taxi driver appeared genuinely astonished and, despite driving, turned to look at Oliver.
Once again, Oliver deflected.
"I apologize. It was when I was young. Um… If it's okay, could you share the story?"
"Oh, I can. Let me tell you!"
"Thank you. And sorry, but could you please keep your eyes on the road? It makes me nervous."
"Oh, sorry. I was just too excited."
The taxi driver swiftly turned his head and offered an apology before delving into an explanation of the Pharmacist's substantial contributions to Wineham.
"In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the reason Wineham has survived so far is thanks to the Pharmacist… No, to be precise, it started from his father’s time."
"His father?"
"Yes, the Pharmacist's father. He was also a prominent figure in the region and had done many favors for the city. He even paid my grandfather's hospital bills."
"I see."
"Yes, indeed. Apart from that, every holiday, he sent chicken dishes to poor households and donated money and job opportunities. He was a remarkable man. Of course, the Pharmacist himself is no less extraordinary."
"More than his father?"
"Yes, even more than his father! Rumor has it that a recent investment turned into a huge success, earning him a lot of money. A significant portion of that income was invested and donated here."
"When was this recent investment?"
"Maybe… 4 or 5 years ago? I'm not sure of the details, but he imported medicines from abroad and sold them. But what's important isn't that, it's the fact that he donated money for the city. He bought a lot of buildings and renovated them, renting them out cheaply. He loaned money to build factories and established transportation and taxi companies, providing employment. He paid good wages and didn't take any commissions!"
The taxi driver's enthusiasm was palpable, his emotions radiating with delight and admiration.
"…It seems you have a lot of admiration for the Pharmacist."
"Admire? No, I respect him! While most people with money nowadays are moving to Landa , he didn't. He sacrificed for the hometown where he was born and raised. You see that street over there?"
Following the driver's pointing finger, Oliver directed his gaze in that direction.
Along the road were a series of buildings, their ground floors occupied by shops.
"Thanks to the factories, workers came to the city, and as workers gathered, one by one, shops started opening. By the way, the Pharmacist lent money to one out of every four of those shops. He saved this city, my hometown! So, how can I not respect him?!"
"I see… He truly sounds like an amazing person, the Pharmacist. So, what is he doing now?"
At that moment, the once-talkative taxi driver displayed emotions of anxiety, displeasure, discomfort, and fear, and he fell silent.
After a pause, he hesitantly began to speak.
"Well, the thing is… it's a bit…"
The visibly perturbed and uneasy taxi driver.
Oliver couldn't help but sense that something had happened to the Pharmacist.
Furthermore, he felt that it was somehow related to Marie and the Paladins.
Though he wanted to inquire further to gather more details, Oliver refrained. He had already gained substantial information from the driver's account and could deduce, from the driver's emotions, what Marie had done in the city.
‘Although the Pharmacist must have donated a lot, a significant part of his earnings probably came through Marie. Most likely, the huge profits the Pharmacist made were significantly augmented through Marie…’
Oliver surmised, considering that Marie would have required the Pharmacist's support for her business to prosper.
While Oliver was lost in thought, the taxi driver asked in a subdued tone,
"Uh… why did you come here anyway? Judging by your sophisticated attire, you seem to be from Landa ?"
In acknowledgment of the taxi driver's detailed account, Oliver placed one hand over his chest and politely replied.
"Thank you for the compliment. I came to meet a friend… um, an acquaintance."
"An acquaintance?"
"Yes. It seems there's some business to attend to… Ah, please stop the car here."
Oliver spoke, checking the view outside. It was a familiar street, the location of the Joseph Family's headquarters, the <Ham Sausage Factory>.
This was the place where Oliver had temporarily assumed leadership of the Joseph Family and relocated to as a secondary hideout in response to the Paladin attack led by Joanna.
Oliver retrieved his wallet from his pocket, added a bit more than the original fare as a tip, and handed it graciously to the driver.
Taking the notes, the driver remarked, "This is too much?"
"It's a tip. I learned it's polite to give one… and I found our conversation both entertaining and informative. Please accept it."
Touched by Oliver's genuine gesture, the taxi driver hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"You are a kind person… To be honest, I thought that most people from Landa were just wealthy without good character."
"With so many people, there might be some like that."
Impressed by Oliver's consistently polite demeanor, the taxi driver cautiously opened up further.
"Ah… Just a moment."
"?"
Drawing closer, Oliver listened as the taxi driver whispered,
"Well… I'm not sure who you're here to meet, but be careful in this city."
"May I ask why?"
"There are those Paladin guys here right now."
Pretending to hear this for the first time, Oliver attempted to gather more information. His suspicion had been spot on.
"They say there's a dangerous cult in the city, and they're searching everywhere. The local police and authorities can't do anything."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes. They might not be beating or torturing people on the streets, but if someone acts suspicious, they take them away without a sound. They don't discriminate, taking away men, women, and even children… I've heard from a bar I frequent that there are still some who haven't been released. You should also be careful. They don't seem to care who you are."
The taxi driver's voice conveyed sincerity, along with a palpable sense of apprehension and fear. He had taken a risk to offer this warning.
Despite their diminished influence, the Paladins still wielded significant authority in matters related to demon worship and warlocks. It appeared to be no exaggeration.
"Do you think the Pharmacist is also involved?"
"I'm not sure… But since the Paladins arrived, he's been locked up in his home. He's such a diligent and good man… So everyone's quite worried about him. They fear he might be harmed."
"Oh, I see. Thank you for sharing. So, this cult must be quite malevolent?"
Tossing the question casually, Oliver keenly observed the taxi driver's emotional state.
"I don't really know. I'm not interested."
A falsehood. Oliver, having gauged the driver's emotions, replied.
"Understood. Thank you once again for your detailed explanations. Have a good day."
***
‘It's exactly as Mr. Edith described.’ Oliver noted.
From a distance, Oliver surveyed the <Ham Sausage Factory>, his former residence.
The vast factory, once occupied by him and remnants of the Joseph, Dominic, and Anthony families, now stood eerily abandoned. Its doors and windows were securely boarded up, and a cross-shaped emblem resembling a sword adorned the building's pinnacle.
It appeared as though a flag had been planted on conquered territory.
‘A symbol that the cult was repelled?’ Oliver mused.
The irony of the situation did not escape him. If his suspicions were correct, much of the city's revival could be attributed to Marie. Yet, the Pater Church, which had done nothing, now claimed the territory.
It felt unjust and somewhat tragic.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder. Why did the Pater Church suddenly target ‘The Chosen Ones'?’ Oliver pondered. According to Edith's report, it had been a political maneuver to bolster someone's influence within the Church. But he couldn't help but wonder why this specific location had been chosen.
True, ‘The Chosen Ones' had been extracting emotions from their followers to create black magic items, but it hadn't been an excessive operation.
His questions lingered.
However, as he prepared to move, an enraged voice echoed from somewhere.
"Grab that kid! That kid!"
