After receiving a concise explanation, Oliver handed over both the living Carl and the deceased Theodore to rlin. He then proceeded to place the fragnts of Theodore's body and Corpse dolls into Bigmouth.
rlin initiated the opening of a portal to transport Carl and Theodore to an undisclosed location. Following this, he escorted Oliver to a makeshift lodging in Lake Village, more precisely, to what used to be a hotel.
The once-historic hotel, situated atop a substantial hill, had been utterly devastated by the recent battle. There remained no trace of its forr grandeur. The hill that had once supported the hotel had crumbled into a re mound, unable to withstand the onslaught of the battling wizards.
In addition to this devastation, signs of scorched earth and remnants of explosions were prevalent throughout the area. Yet, the most conspicuous sight was the group of wizards receiving dical attention beneath a spacious tent, attended to by wooden doll-golems.
Having previously served at rlin's mansion, these golems diligently perford the tasks of categorizing and providing dical care to the injured wizards. They did so while encircled by intricate magical symbols, almost as if they were real, living individuals.
Observing the extensive relief efforts, Oliver couldn't help but inquire, "Did you do this?"
"On my way over, saw so wizards attacked by the Life School and Life Alchemy lots. So, just dropped off so supplies and golems. Ya learn to give a bit back as ya get on in years."
"Ah… You're amazing." Oliver complinted sincerely.
rlin, ever the jesting individual, responded with a hint of humor, "I'm always amazing,"
Though rlin's comnt was light-hearted, Oliver couldn't help but feel the truth behind it. He had sensed rlin's extraordinary abilities before, but now, he was witnessing them in full force.
The wooden doll-golems that rlin employed casually surpassed Oliver's current understanding of golemcraft. Furthermore, rlin's lightning-sniping technique during the confrontation with Gretel had left Oliver astounded.
Add to that rlin's remarkable skill in organizing and treating nurous wizards; there was nothing left to say except that he was truly incredible.
Oliver's attention was drawn to a figure in the distance as he remarked, "Look, there's Archiver."
"Archiver?"
"rlin… Archiver rlin…"
"Ah, so he was the one who resolved the earlier battle?"
As rlin and Oliver walked, so of the wizards receiving treatnt and waiting began to murmur as rlin passed by them. They displayed a range of emotions towards him, including awe, admiration, respect, fear, curiosity, and questions. Overall, the sentint toward Archiver seed quite special among wizards.
Oliver couldn't help but wonder if he, too, was being scrutinized. However, the difference between him and rlin was stark—his reception was marked by doubt, skepticism, suspicion, and an ominous air.
"Have you made it here?" Kevin's voice interrupted their thoughts.
As Oliver walked alongside rlin, he encountered Kevin. Kevin had been forcefully dragged out by Finn Russo, who employed blood magic, and now he was pulling along an unconscious Finn Russo by the scruff of his neck.
Judging by the severe wounds covering Kevin's body and Finn Russo's half-burned, seriously injured state, their battle had been nothing short of intense.
"It took so ti, but here I am." Kevin replied
"I see."
rlin responded with his characteristic apathy, as did Kevin. Previously, Oliver had seen them as nothing more than a sly Master and a grumpy disciple. However, with a glimpse into their shared history, he viewed their relationship in a new light.
Despite their evidently deep connection and lingering emotions, they still maintained a Master-disciple dynamic. Oliver couldn't quite put into words the emotions this observation stirred within him.
Turning to Oliver, Kevin inquired, "How is Theodore?"
"We'll talk 'bout it later. Got more pressin' matters to sort. You comin' with us?" rlin directed their attention to the largest tent and asked.
Kevin nodded, and together with Oliver, they followed rlin into the tent.
Upon entering, rlin wasted no ti and inquired, "Everyone doin' alright?"
***
rlin entered the tent with a cheerful greeting, dispelling so of the tension that had settled in the air.
Despite its considerable size, the tent wasn't crowded; instead, it housed individuals of significant standing. Many faces were familiar to Oliver from the social gathering he had attended on the conference's first day. Most of these individuals were either associated with the Magic Tower or ca from prominent wizarding families in the central continent. Among them were so particularly recognizable figures.
“My arm may be gone, but I'm alright,” said Philip, lying on his bed, breaking the tense silence that had settled upon noticing rlin’s arrival.
"Kevin, Zenon, are you both alright?" Philip inquired.
“Things got tangled, but we're fine,” Kevin replied, tossing a defeated Finn Russo onto the ground as evidence. A wooden doll-golem within the tent promptly began to heal the fallen Finn Russo.
“I'm also fine… thanks to Elder,” Oliver responded, sticking to the narrative he had coordinated with rlin. The story was that rlin had co to his aid while he was dealing with Theodore.
Oliver had no real interest in the subject matter at hand.
‘Also, I've gained sothing even if it was unintended. So of the life school knowledge and techniques that Mr. Theodore had, and even a physical fragnt of him. Not bad.’
“It's truly a relief to know you're safe. There's nothing more joyful than knowing a comrade-in-arms is safe,” Philip said.
“Thank you for your words, General Philip.”
“In that context, how about we bring out so alcohol? These wooden dolls don't have as much sense as you.” Philip suggested, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
As Oliver prepared to retrieve his flask, Tilda interjected with her chilling voice, drawing the attention of everyone present, particularly Oliver.
“I would rather hear an explanation from the Archiver first.” Tilda stated, her gaze fixed on Oliver. While her tone bore no malice, there was a palpable urge to seek clarification.
“What explanation are you speaking of, Tilda?” rlin inquired.
“It's about Kevin, a disciple of the Archiver, employing a warlock as a personal staff mber in Magic Tower. And not just any warlock, but Dave the solver, who is rising in value in the underworld of Landa.” Tilda explained. Her knowledge of Dave the Solver didn't surprise anyone, given the blurred lines between the criminal underworld and the public sphere in Landa.
All eyes turned to Oliver, except for Philip, Terence, and Yareli. The others seed to harbor a hint of hostility, fear, and suspicion.
Oliver remained composed, expecting this line of questioning. He considered it a valid concern.
Tilda, too, felt no negativity about raising the issue; she recognized it as her duty as a leader.
‘Considering the mood around, it would be better to explain quickly.’
Oliver assessed the emotional climate in the tent—distrust and suspicion ran deep. Addressing the matter promptly was essential to prevent it from becoming toxic.
Tilda spoke again, her tone firm. “Surely you understand that this is not a matter to gloss over, even for the Archiver? There are too many eyes on this… Do you have nothing to say?”
“I do, actually.” rlin spoke up, capturing the undivided attention of everyone in the tent. Even Philip, who had been jovial monts ago, beca serious.
"As a matter of fact, had prepared two things."
"Two things?"
"Yes. First off, I'm in the dark 'bout the whole shebang, so I'm layin' all my sins on Kevin."
"……?"
Confusion and irritation rippled through the crowd, especially from Kevin.
"Does that an… the Archiver is also involved?"
"Not just involved. I threatened Kevin and ordered him to hire Dave."
"……!"
Despite the casual manner in which rlin delivered his statent, it left everyone in stunned silence. The notion that rlin, the Archiver, had instructed his disciple to collaborate with a warlock to infiltrate the Magic Tower was utterly bewildering.
It defied all conventional logic.
Yet, what followed was even more astonishing.
"Why did you do that?" soone finally managed to ask.
"‘Cause he's my disciple," rlin replied, his words filled with both truth and sincerity, echoing the explanation he had provided to Oliver.
However, the truth and sincerity didn't imdiately convince the gathered individuals. They seed to doubt their own ears, and a heavy silence hung in the air, a silence tinged with skepticism.
It was an uneasy silence.
In many ways, it was a natural reaction. Throughout various eras, the Archiver had been the most outstanding wizard of their ti. Even among wizards who followed a path distinct from ordinary humans, the Archiver was a living legend. His authority was recognized not only by the kings of England and the continent but also by the Parter Church.
Now, he was claiming to be the Master of a seemingly ordinary, irreverent Warlock. The shock was beyond words.
"Is what you're saying true?" Tilda Issai, the Grand Master of the Skadi School, questioned Oliver in confusion.
"Yes, the explanation would be long, but I am tempo… no, I'm just his disciple." Oliver responded, omitting the word ‘temporary' for the sake of coherence and persuasion. Still, it felt sowhat uncomfortable, as if he were stretching the truth.
"Ah, no…! The Archiver has a Warlock as a disciple?! What sorrowful…!" A wizard with tightly wrapped bandages around his chest exclaid, rising from his seat. Judging by his exotic accent, he appeared to be a wizard from a prominent family invited from the central continent. His sorrow was evidently genuine.
"Ah, stuffed that up. Don't get it twisted. It's true he was a Warlock, but not anymore." rlin clarified.
"What does that an?" another wizard inquired.
"I did find him when he was a Warlock, but he's not one now. When I happened to go and subdue a Warlock family, took him as both as a guinea pig and disciple, curious how much magic skill a bloke who'd made a hash of learnin' black magic could accumulate."
Oliver nodded in alignnt with the prearranged narrative. Given rlin's penchant for experintation, it seed plausible that he would have nurous experintal subjects and disciples.
"I don't quite understand." Philip interjected, asking earnestly. His intention appeared to be more to assist than out of re curiosity.
"Don't need to wrap yer head 'round it. Simple as, found the bloke and took him as a disciple."
"Hmm, that's interesting. Very interesting… May I ask why? Why did Archiver take a Warlock as a disciple? Did you suddenly want to conduct such an experint?"
rlin, understanding Philip's aning, responded, "Well, yes, General Philip. Partly 'cause I was curious… but mainly 'cause the bloke's got talent."
As he had previously told Oliver, rlin reiterated that he had taken Oliver as his disciple due to his exceptional talent.
rlin then added, "Regardless of the era, age, or nationality, the greatest value of a wizard lies in their talent."
"Talent… you say?" Philip inquired.
"Yes, the greatest value of a wizard is not sothing else but talent. Even I, Archive, took him in because he had a talent too valuable to simply kill."
rlin concluded his explanation, placing his hand on Oliver's shoulder.
Having witnessed Oliver's remarkable abilities, Philip, Terrence, Yareli, and even Tilda, who had initially raised the issue, found themselves unable to dispute his exceptional talent.
"But still, to take in a Warlock like that…"
"He was just a beginner in black magic, barely worthy of the title ‘warlock.'"
"I have no intention to argue, but as far as I know, his level of black magic is extrely high. His reputation in the back alleys is proof."
Rather than being flustered by Tilda's question, rlin responded enthusiastically, pointing at her.
"That's the point, Tilda. Bloke's got mad skills, whether it's regular magic or black magic. Can copy any ol' spell or curse like that—never seen anything like it."
While rlin praised Oliver's talent, Oliver himself felt a bit embarrassed. He had a vague awareness of his talent, but he wondered if it truly warranted such praise from rlin.
As a hushed silence settled over the gathering, Philip interjected once more.
"I wholeheartedly agree with that statent. The level of talent Zenon has shown is astonishing."
All eyes turned towards Philip, conveying expressions of bewildernt, as if asking, "What are you talking about?"
However, Philip clarified his stance.
"If even half of what that guy showed in front of is true, then Archiver's words are true. He interfered with the fog barrier that no one else could, freely used blood magic, and even perford well against Theodore."
Terrence echoed Philip's sentints, adding, "I agree with that as well. He has done more than anyone here. He rescued the trapped wizards of Magic Tower, minimized damage by moving Theodore to another location using the fog barrier… Honestly, if he hadn't been there, resistance would have been impossible."
Terrence's words carried sincerity and weight.
Indeed, it was a fact that without Oliver's intervention, they would have remained trapped within the fog barrier, facing dire consequences.
Philip emphasized the point further, making a significant observation.
"What's more, how would it look if it becos known that, while the Life School and the Alchemy Departnt—two groups of wizards—betrayed and attacked the Tower wizards, and a warlock was the one who helped? Where would that leave our reputations? Would you walk around with your faces held high?"
Philip's tone, usually jovial, had grown cold and calculated. His statent carried significant political implications, and its impact was palpable.
In essence, if they continued to deny rlin's words, they would be left with the uncomfortable truth that the warlock they so despised had co to their rescue. It was a challenging situation.
rlin glanced at Philip, who had spoken, and they communicated silently through their eyes. rlin then redirected the discussion.
"General Philip is correct. Got more pressin' worries than my disciple, don't we? Talkin' 'bout the backstabbin' from the Life School and the Departnt of Life Alchemy."
A heavy silence fell over the gathering, signaling that rlin's words had struck a chord.
In reality, the matter at hand was more critical than Oliver's situation, but it had been conveniently pushed aside due to its complexity.
Human nature often led to avoidance of the most significant issues.
"This is a big deal, right? Betrayal from the Life School and that Alchemy mob. Not just an overseas kerfuffle; they've ssed with the whole Lake Village population, causin' a heap of civilian casualties. It ain't just a wizarding issue. It's got political tentacles, affectin' not just our kingdom but also Galos and other smaller nations in the guts of the continent."
rlin personally conveyed the gravity of the situation, and those present could only swallow hard.
"Depending on how we play our cards, could make or break wizards' freedom and rights goin' forward. Reckon it's ti we put our noggins together instead of sussin' each other out. Bit funny that I, a retiree, am saying this… So, what's the consensus, eh?"
rlin shifted the decision-making to the assembled wizards, tossing the taphorical ball into their court.
However, the issue extended beyond this point.
Rose, a student in the Departnt of Life Alchemy, was the younger sister of Human-at Chef, a scandal of considerable magnitude. Even Oliver, who was not well-versed in politics, knew this much.
rlin had ntioned that he would discuss this matter when only the higher-ups remained, and if this fact ca to light, it would likely overshadow everything else.
‘If I'm lucky… I'd rather stay in the Magic Tower.' Oliver thought to himself, casting his gaze around and contemplating the Magic Tower's library and classes.
Amidst the prevailing tension, Tilda, who had initially demanded an explanation from rlin, spoke in a cold, asured tone.
"You're right. Zenon… his case is important too, but for now, let's discuss what to do about this issue first."
Reviews
All reviews (0)