“You said you were you.” Merlin began after hearing Oliver’s response.
“An orphan and a mine worker. Eating potato soup alone, learning black magic, becoming a solver. Just being Oliver, Dave, Zenon. Ah, and saying it’s hard to admit you can’t make jokes.”
“It’s the same now.”
“Good, good… But why do you suddenly say you don’t know yourself? I think it’s a very good answer.”
Merlin commented. Despite the dense magical barrier, his emotions were inscrutable, but Oliver somehow sensed his sincerity.
“Someone told me. That I don’t regard people as important. To me, people are like bio-mechanical beings that create interesting emotions. There are no precious people, only precious emotions. Like toys.”
“Who would say that- No, that’s not important.”
Merlin contemplated briefly before speaking once more.
“May I ask how you felt when you heard that?”
Merlin inquired, and Oliver recalled that moment. It wasn’t a pleasant memory, but since he had initiated the topic, he answered.
“Hmm. A bit annoyed… No, I think I was a bit angry.”
“Why were you a bit angry?” Merlin asked, settling into a chair, his expression both serious and fatigued.
“I don’t know? Maybe because I felt insulted?”
“You?”
“People around me too… Mr. Kent, Mr. Forrest, Marie, Joe, Miss Jane, Rosbane, and so on. They all live their lives with their own purposes and goals, and with that one sentence, they became my toys?”
Merlin nodded silently.
It was undeniably true. Even if they lacked strength and talent, it was disheartening to be treated as mere toys for their sincerity. Extremely, profoundly disheartening.
For someone like Oliver, who held those around him in high regard, it was only natural to feel angry.
“But, Elder… On one hand, I think I was angry because it hit a nerve.”
“Hit a nerve?”
“That I value emotions over people.”
Oliver confessed, reflecting on the question that had occupied his thoughts since the encounter with Human-meat Chef.
“If Mr. Kent or Miss Jane’s emotions weren’t interesting, would I have been happy to become friends with them?”
“…”
“If Marie, Joe, or Rosbane’s emotions weren’t beautiful, would I have helped them?”
“…”
“Suddenly, falling into this thought was… well… somewhat troubling.”
Oliver concluded his well-articulated thoughts with a vague statement, akin to a child struggling to express his concerns.
Following a lengthy silence, Merlin finally spoke.
“It does seem hard to purely like a person for who they are.”
“Excuse me?”
“People usually see conditions. For example, women look at a man’s wealth, men at a woman’s beauty, disciples at a master’s skill and experience. Frankly, I also wonder if this is wrong. Humans can’t all be saints, can they? So, it’s not a problem to consider one’s benefits and preferences. Your focus on emotions is in the same vein.”
Oliver nodded in agreement.
While he couldn’t discern Merlin’s emotions, it seemed the Elder understood his point. It was a common occurrence, so there was no need for undue concern.
Just as Oliver was on the verge of making up his mind, Merlin spoke once more.
“However, the interesting thing is that you can come to like someone for other reasons later.”
“Like what?”
“It’s not hard. A woman marries an old, rich man hoping he’ll die soon, but comes to like his thoughtfulness. An arrogant man marries for beauty, but falls for her again when she stands by him in tough times. A disciple chooses a master for his ability and experience, but becomes moved by his character.”
“Is that common?”
“Hmm… Honestly, I can’t say it’s common. But on the flip side, it’s not nonexistent either. My point is, you might not like someone initially, but you can come to like them over time.”
The response from Merlin was contemplative and somewhat vague, yet Oliver could sense the depth of Merlin’s thought before he replied. It was truly appreciated – an answer to his dilemma. However…
“━This might not be a proper explanation. If it were a question that could be resolved with mere rhetoric, you wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”
Merlin was right. As much as Oliver valued Merlin’s response, it didn’t entirely dispel his doubts.
“But, I can advise you on a method. I can’t guarantee it’s the right answer, though.”
“What method are you referring to?”
“Returning to the beginning. The first time you became interested in the outside world, in people.”
At that moment, Oliver recalled a long-forgotten saying.
‘Don’t stay in this darkness, come out into the world. Meet people, learn to live as a person… Wake up early, work diligently, make friends and neighbors, laugh together, mourn together. I’ll help you.’
“Sometimes going back is a way to move forward.”
Oliver mused as he chewed and swallowed a whole CalorieBar he held in one hand.
It didn’t seem like the wrong advice. In fact, it felt like the right answer, perhaps the best among the many truths Merlin had spoken.
‘You are… broken.’
‘You don’t think people are that important… No, you’re even worse than me. I have someone whom I care about, but you don’t even have that.’
Joanna and Human-meat Chef, despite their stark differences in gender, age, and status, surprisingly shared a similar perspective regarding Oliver.
Just as Merlin had suggested, going back to the beginning might indeed be the way forward. However, there was a challenge.
“Think about it thoroughly… Learning something after knowing it can be scarier than you think.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just an old man giving advice. Learning something, in the beginning, can be fun, but later it becomes difficult and scary.”
“Have you experienced that, Elder?”
Merlin chuckled, a somewhat melancholic laugh. “Of course… You just asked me, didn’t you? Whether I had experimented on Kevin’s family?”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
“No need for you to be sorry. It’s my deed, after all. Done by my own will, without anyone’s coercion… If I hadn’t become an Archiver, I might have even experimented on Kevin. With a smile.”
Merlin smiled.
It was peculiar. Oliver, who could perceive emotions but was somewhat detached from feeling them, sensed Merlin’s sadness.
Regret, sorrow, self-loathing.
It was more astonishing than when he had discerned the emotions of Human-meat Chef immediately after defeating him.
“Why did you stop after becoming an Archiver?”
“I realized. That they too were people. Just like me.”
***
Merlin elaborated on what it meant to become an Archiver.
It wasn’t vastly different from what Oliver already knew – inheriting the knowledge of the previous Archivers. However, Merlin emphasized that inheritance involved more than just vast wealth, accomplishments, and the reputation passed down over a thousand years. It also encompassed their experiences, insights, and at times, even their emotions.
‘Experiences, realizations, emotions?’
‘Yes, especially the intense ones. For example, recognizing that a Mormot, used as an experimental subject, was a person much like oneself. If the previous Archiver learned this through experience, the successor also gains this knowledge, whether they want to or not.’
‘I’m sorry to say, but didn’t you already know Mormot was a person?’
‘Right… But also wrong. I knew, but I didn’t know.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘It’s like sin, I guess. The sin you know because others say it’s a sin, and the sin you realize yourself as a sin… Both are sins, but completely different.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I don’t quite get it either… Why didn’t I see Kevin and his family, neighbors, friends as real people back then? What made me think I was special?’
‘…May I ask one more question? What exactly is an Archiver?’
Upon hearing the question, Merlin began to speak.
“Dave? Dave? Dave!”
“Mr. Forrest?”
Oliver, lost in his thoughts, snapped back to reality at Forrest’s voice.
Looking around, he saw people involved in the redevelopment project of District X.
Marie, from Chosen Ones, Joe from the Fighter Crew, and other volunteers from District X participating in the redevelopment project.
Among them were familiar faces.
Like Dean Clidge, the owner of the gym where Joe and Oliver trained, and Smith, the disciple of Ewan who created the Big Mouth.
By the way, Smith wasn’t originally from District X, but his innate talent in black magic craftsmanship and business acumen earned him recognition as a member of District X. He had expanded his workshop from a one-man operation to one employing three staff and ten apprentices, now catering to a diverse clientele, not just from District X but also supplying to the grey and black markets operated by Crime Firm.
Considering the reason he came to District X was due to trouble with Crime Firm, it was quite ironic.
Nonetheless, Smith had become influential enough to discuss opening a new workshop in the redevelopment area with Forrest.
Tap. Tap.
Forrest, seated beside him, nudged him gently and asked in a soft voice, “Are you very tired?”
“No, I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment… I apologize to everyone.”
Oliver extended his apologies to Forrest and the others present at the meeting.
Fortunately, not only the friendly individuals like Marie, Dean Clidge, and Smith but also the other volunteers responded favorably. It was expected. The two most influential forces here supported Oliver, and everyone recognized his pivotal role in this project.
“Sorry, but where did we leave off?”
“We were discussing how several land and building owners in the streets we intended to purchase have disappeared. It seems they’ve gone into hiding collectively.”
Neither Oliver nor the others displayed any particular reaction. They had encountered similar situations several times before.
As word of the District X redevelopment spread, some sought to make a quick profit, while others attempted to maximize their earnings through any means necessary.
“Again, independent gangs? I thought we had demolished them so thoroughly that none would dare interfere here anymore.” Joe commented while examining a map of District X. Due to his leading role in land acquisition in District X, his reputation had grown, earning him new nicknames like ‘Persuasive Joe.’
“The problem isn’t independent gangs.”
“Excuse me?”
“It seems Enjoyment is involved too.”
All eyes turned to Forrest. Meanwhile, Oliver took a moment to savor the aroma of the coffee that Nora had just served him.
“…The aroma is nice.”
“Ah, yes… Thank you,” Nora replied with a somewhat stiff tone.
One of the volunteers inquired, “By Enjoyment, do you mean people like Shamus?”
“That’s right. The renegade Druids.”
Sounds of disapproval rippled through the room. It was understandable since Shamus’s ABC scam had victimized many in District X.
Even though the stolen money had been recovered, it didn’t erase the terrible experience they had endured.
“It’s highly probable according to Heimdall.”
“Heimdall, as in the magic hacker group… Can they even know such things? Doesn’t seem like their usual information.”
This raised a reasonable question. The World Tree handlers were renowned for extracting high-level information within the World Tree’s jurisdiction or capturing specific regional footage, not for delving into street-level rumors. That was the realm of back-alley informants or brokers.
Instead of a lengthy explanation, Forrest produced a photograph, showing two men meeting, and Al distributed copies to everyone.
“This is the oddity, Russell.” Joe identified, and Oliver also had a vague notion of him from hearsay.
Russell, unaffiliated with Crime Firm, was a formidable mana user and an independent gang leader. A former military man who had undergone Mattel’s body modification, he had solidified his position through seven confrontations with Crime Firm. Russell now commanded a group of mana users armed with military-grade magic weapons, wielding considerable influence in Landa’s underworld, despite being an independent gang leader.
“Well, they too have been declining since the Fighter Crew made a deal with Crime Firm… The important thing is not him, but the person opposite him.”
Everyone scrutinized the photograph again, focusing on the man facing Russell. He was nearly as tall as a tree, standing at nearly 2.4 meters, almost matching Russell’s imposing stature.
“Is that Enjoyment?”
“Correct. Why would Enjoyment meet with a big fish from an independent gang at a time like this?”
Although no one said it outright, everyone understood the implications. Smoke doesn’t rise without a fire.
If there’s smoke, someone’s kindling a fire.
“We were lucky. Heimdall had just resumed activities and brought this as a greeting. Their skills were always good, but now they’ve surpassed that, reaching an excellent level. I’ve never seen such delicate Net Sailing before.”
“Shouldn’t we focus on how to resolve this situation rather than admiring it? A coalition between the Druids and independent gangs… The Druid thing we discussed last time was true.”
Joe voiced his concerns, and other attendees, like Dean Clidge, sought clarification.
Joe naturally explained, touching on Reformist Druids, special laws, and the three Druids who had come for them. They had initially chosen to monitor the situation, not wishing to entangle themselves with the royal-tied Druids, but now events were unfolding exactly as they had predicted, posing a significant predicament.
As proof, the meeting attendees, who had been engaged in a smooth discussion, started murmuring.
Everyone was aware of the Druids’ strength through rumors and personal experiences.
One misstep could lead to a major conflict, much like the Shamus incident.
Various opinions were offered. Some proposed reaching out to the Reformist Druids to form an alliance, while others suggested seeking reinforcements from Crime Firm or even launching a preemptive strike.
Meanwhile, Oliver alternated between inhaling the aroma of the coffee he had just received and examining the cookie in front of him, as if verifying something.
“Everyone, please calm down a bit. I haven’t finished my story. There’s more to say, and it’s not good.”
“…?”
“It’s already difficult to fight against Enjoyment, and now they’re in the process of making deals with the city-“
“-Mr. Forrest.”
Oliver interjected, capturing the attention of everyone in the room.
“May we take a brief recess from the meeting?”
“…? Why?”
As Oliver continued to alternate between smelling the cookie and coffee, he whispered something to Forrest’s ear, maintaining an air of calm.
“There’s poison. In mine only.”
(To be Continued)
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