“Um…."
A dark space with the smell of rotting corpses.
Oliver was sitting there.
And opposite him was a corpse with one of its arms being torn off, leaning against the altar.
“Yeah, I think this is the right thing to do…”
“……”
“As Marie said, I could use the family for my needs, but I think it’s right to just leave.”
“……”
“It is not easy to find about the beautiful light… And above all else, I don’t want to use them like that.”
“……”
"Marie and Peter. They are both talented in their own way. They have the will to do something… which is good. So before I left, I tried to take care of them, but it got weirder."
“……”
“At first, they were doing everything for themself, but strangely as time went on they stopped thinking for themselves and started to wait for me for everything.”
“……”
“So I decided to leave. I think it would be better for them without me. It will be easier for me to know about the beautiful light if I’m on my own. Being part of an organization, I have a lot of work, so it’s difficult to focus on the other things.”
“……”
“Aside from that, I’m also very interested in the word that the Paladin mentioned. It was the woman I happened to meet last time. Her name… I think it was Joanna.”
“……”
“She said that I was broken.”
“……”
"I was a little surprised. There are very few people who looked at me and said that, and it was the first time someone showed genuine sympathy and wanted to help me… What do you think, Master? Am I broken?"
“……”
"So I suddenly started to wonder. Am I really broken? So I'm trying to find out about it too. I want to meet people and live the world according to what she said… Then I can figure it out, right?"
“…..”
“I wonder if I am a pitiful being as she said…”
“……”
“I think this is the right path for me. Beautiful lights, black magic, me… There are a lot of things I want to know, and it would be difficult for me to know about them if I were to be a part of an organization.
“…”
“James said that the pharmacist is trying to expand his business… It's interesting. They already have enough money, but they still want to make more money. There must be a reason to make money, but I don’t know why they keep spending most of their time making money.”
“……”
“Um, it may be difficult for everyone because I disappeared, but still, other people can synthesize emotions, so there’s no big problem, right Master? Moreover, I left a note too….”
“……”
“Thank you for listening master. My mind has been cleared up after talking to you.”
“……”
Oliver got up and politely bowed his head to the corpse… No, to the dead Joseph.
Of course, he didn't actually have a conversation, it was Oliver's one-sided talk, but it was helpful enough.
Oliver thanked him once again and went back the way he had come.
“……”
Before leaving Oliver stopped and turned his head without saying a word.
Then he looked at the altar on which Joseph was leaning.
On the altar, there was a carving with three rectangles and nine circles.
Old man on horseback…
The unidentified presence that emerged when Oliver defeated Joseph.
No, he wasn't an unidentified existence.
Joseph said he was a demon.
However, that was the only information Oliver had about him.
A demon named ‘Old Man on horseback’ could not be found in Joseph's library.
All that Oliver found was the stereotyped information about the demons threatening the human world, and that warlocks can trade with them to increase their power.
Oliver, who wanted more specific information wasn’t interested in such tangible information which was not of much value.
‘What was that?’
Oliver could not forget the foreign yet familiar feeling he had when he encountered that demon.
However, what was more unforgettable was the fact that it bowed to him.
The demon was polite and friendly, and Oliver didn't feel anything awkward about it.
What was that? Was that the demon which empowers the warlock and threatens the human world?
Oliver had a lot of questions about it.
He asked James and the pharmacist about this, but they just replied that the demons are originally like that.
When he asked if they could get him some books related to demons, they just shook their heads.
Oliver recalled what the pharmacist had said as he climbed up from the underground.
“The information and books related to demons are too dangerous. They are directly managed and monitored by the Parter Church. It is not something that can be acquired by just looking for it at will. A huge amount of capital is a must, and you must have information and risk management skills. You can only see it in a huge cult or in a black market.”
‘A big cult… a black market……’
To be honest, his interest in demons had been declining relatively, but it's true that he was curious about them.
If there was an opportunity, he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to look into it once.
Humans possessed unparalleled power and knowledge, so perhaps Oliver thought they could satisfy his curiosity.
Of course, that's only after some personal exploration.
“Um… by the way, where should I go?”
Oliver asked himself when he came out of the underground and walked out of the fence away from the hospital building.
It was a pretty serious issue.
Why?
Because this was the first time Oliver had come out to the world, that too on his own accord.
Before this Oliver grew up in an orphanage and lived in a mine.
There was no free outing there.
The first time he came to the outside world was when he was sold to the mine, and the second time was when he left the mine and was sold to Joseph.
Oliver had never thought of going anywhere of his own will, nor had he had the opportunity to do so.
So Oliver felt confused now.
Where should he go now?
He left while thinking it was right for him to leave, but now he had no idea where he should go.
He had a goal that he wanted to achieve, but he had no idea how to reach that goal.
Oliver opened his mouth after contemplating.
“Um… first, shall we go there?”
He murmured to himself as he recalled the park where he previously met with Joseph.
Unlike most of the places he had witnessed, that place was full of positive emotions such as kindness, leisure, and happiness.
He thought maybe if he go there, he might find a way.
Oliver took a step forward after making such a decision
TAP TAP TAP
On the way, Oliver observed Landa's District X.
It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but it seems a lot has changed since he came with Joseph.
There was more graffiti on the walls of the street, an increase in blood stains, and the totem standing on the side road was terribly broken.
Even though it seems to be quiet on the outside, it was like a town full of emotions, but there was one thing that didn't change.
That was, many people hiding in the dark as if looking for prey.
They had been observing Oliver who had visited this place alone, for a long time.
Malice, cunning, sadism, anger, and many other malicious emotions could be seen.
Oliver stopped his steps.
The reason was none other than because of a group of people on the corner of the alley.
They were aiming for Oliver.
They were waiting for Oliver to come, with nervousness, anticipation, and a bit of tension.
‘Um……'
Oliver pondered on what to do.
Apparently, they were like the gangsters he faced at Wineham… No, they were below them in terms of capability.
Oliver placed his hand into the pocket and checked the test tubes placed inside.
When he decided to leave Wineham, he saved some test tubes for his personal use.
Perhaps, if he were to use black magic he could have easily gotten rid of them… But he looked reluctant for some reason.
He thought of the time when he extracted the Life-force during ingredient collection.
Oliver thought, that if he stood out like that time, he might once again end up in trouble and he didn’t want to end up in one as soon as he came.
Currently, Oliver has limited knowledge about the outside world.
He wanted to avoid friction as much as possible, at least for now.
So Oliver made a third choice – Going back.
Turning around, Oliver went on a different path.
After seeing this, the people in the back alley were startled, and then they hurriedly started chasing Oliver.
Oliver pondered on what to do.
It was the first time he came out into the world alone, so he had no idea what to do in such a situation, and soon, the people who were chasing him surrounded Oliver.
"Ha… Is it nice to have the sense of a dog?…."
“Brother, I think this bastard is scared, huh?”
"Shut up, fu*ker. Can’t you see that I’m talking? Hey…you're not from here, right?"
Oliver answered.
"Me?"
“Yeah, you bastard….what the hell are you? You’re not even from here, so why are you sneaking around?
“…… I came to meet someone.”
“Meet someone? Who are you going to meet? Who?”
“Um…. Someone I’m indebted to…”
“That’s what I’m asking? Who the fu*k is that?”
“…..”
“Brother, this guy is not answering. He’s suspicious. I think he was sent by Freckle?”
‘Freckle…’
Oliver tilted his head with an incomprehensible expression.
It didn't seem like they were just looking for money, and the one who seemed to be the leader of the group pulled out a club from his hand and waved it in front of Oliver’s face.
"Hey! You! Are you going to open your mouth now or after you get a few hits?! Huh?"
“That… It’s hard to answer who I am… and who is Freckle?”
“How dare you pretend to be innocent! Just looking at you, it looks like you are sent by Freckle to spy on something! If you tell everything, we will end in moderation!”
The situation did not make any sense to Oliver.
At that moment, when Oliver felt like he couldn't stay like this, an unfamiliar voice intervened.
“What are you all doing?”
TAK TAK TAK
Oliver turned his head to see a man approaching him.
A middle-aged man, wearing a shabby long coat and beanie.
He was limping on one leg while holding a long wooden stick.
The people who surrounded Oliver seemed to know him.
"Qua… Quarterstaff Kent?"
“Yeah, that’s me. I’m Quarterstaff Kent, thanks for the kind introduction… I asked you, what's going on.”
Those men around Oliver were stunned.
Apparently, this man called Kent seemed to be someone who has some kind of influence on them.
“There was a suspicious person, and we caught him…. Rather, why is Quarterstaff Kent here…?”
“Ahh… I delivered some trash.”
With those words, Kent took out a bundle of money from his pocket and shook it.
It was the appearance of a drunken customer bragging about money, but Oliver could see that it was an act.
“I see. Then please take your leave…”
"Ah? Why are you so desperately trying to kick an old man out? How about we have a chat."
“No, it’s not that. It’s because I have some work to do…”
“Work? By work do you mean… Interrogating a kid who seems to have some mental issue? Let’s see….”
Kent came close to Oliver, then scratched his bearded chin while looking at Oliver.
“… you think he’s sent by Freckle?”
"…. We don't know, maybe? There have been several cases like that these days."
“…well? From my point of view, he looks like a kid who doesn’t know anything about the world. He’s also a lost kid. How old are you?”
“……”
“Did you see that? He doesn’t even answer about his age. Hahaha!”
"But isn't it suspicious? Furthermore, it may get more dangerous. You know, how sneaky Freckle is. Thinking we might not doubt a kid, he might have sent him here.”
“That’s possible, but…”
With Oliver in between them, the two people had a serious conversation.
Oliver watched them silently, then quietly raised his hand.
The two, who were having a frantic conversation even though it was nothing particularly special, suddenly noticed Oliver.
As their eyes gathered, Oliver opened his mouth.
“Who is Freckle?”
(To be Continued)
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