"-Mr. Edith?"
Oliver called out to Edith, speculating that it might be him, and his speculation turned out to be absolutely accurate.
Edith's voice resonated from the other end of the phone.
[Yes, it's .]
"Hello? What brings you to call?"
[Why do you think? Maybe because the guy who went abroad on my di didn't even bother to bring back a souvenir, let alone show his face?]
"There's such a person?"
Oliver inquired earnestly, and Edith responded with equal seriousness.
[It's you, you damn guy.]
"? Ah… I'm sorry, Mr. Edith. But I didn't go abroad, I was at a conference—"
[-Don't make such la excuses. Conferences are basically just wizards flattering each other's intelligence and drinking, aren't they?]
Oliver reminisced about the conference he had attended in Lake Village, contemplating Edith's characteristically harsh words.
"Um… It seems sowhat similar."
[See? I knew it. Taking my money to go to such a good place and not even saying thank you afterward irritates . Ultimately, it's all about my money.]
"I apologize once again. I've been preoccupied and made a mistake."
[Do you now understand how hurt I've been?]
Oliver conceded. Upon reflection, he recognized the gravity of his blunder.
While Oliver had used funds from the Magic Tower to attend the conference, Edith had generously sponsored Magic Tower students to participate, all at his request. Failing to express his gratitude afterward was unquestionably impolite.
"I apologize once again, Mr. Edith. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Edith seed to have been waiting for this mont and replied.
[Well, let's et up right now.]
"Now?"
[Yes. I know you're busy writing your paper, but I couldn't care less.]
"Ah, no worries. I've mostly… But how did you know that I'm writing a paper?"
Edith responded kindly without hesitation.
[What a foolish question. Do you think I got to this position for nothing? I have that level of pipeline.]
"You are remarkable."
Oliver once again comnded him sincerely. To him, his resourcefulness felt like a kind of magic.
[I know I'm remarkable. Now co. I think you're done for the day… Well, even if you aren't, I want you to co.]
"Yes, I understand. I'll head out right now. May I ask why you are calling ?"
[I want to see the ungrateful face… Also, I have sothing to say to that ungrateful person.]
"Sothing to say?"
[Yes. But it's not sothing to discuss over the phone, so just co to Angels House.]
***
"Whoa-! What a car!"
A young man on District O 66th Street, also known as the Street of Joy, whistled in admiration.
The car he was looking at was a special order from Dapsa, a gift from Philip to Oliver. Unlike typical Landa cars, it wasn't ostentatious but exuded an authoritative presence that captured attention.
People on the street imdiately speculated that the owner must be a wealthy individual with unique tastes. So won soliciting custors from building terraces or the streets subtly directed their attention toward Oliver's vehicle.
Of course, the car, like its owner, paid no heed and continued on its way.
Instead, the person behind the wheel was more concerned about sothing else, such as the traffic conditions.
"Was driving in Landa always this easy?"
Oliver muttered as he maneuvered the car effortlessly.
He hadn't driven in Landa for long, but sohow it felt more welcoming than he rembered.
‘Surely, when I took taxis, the drivers all seed impatient.'
Oliver reminisced about the tis he had taken taxis in the city.
In reality, navigating the roads in Landa was quite a challenge due to chronic congestion and tensions. Even seasoned truck drivers and taxi drivers found it difficult to endure the traffic without resorting to alcohol.
Strangely, everyone seed to make way for Oliver.
"How strange."
While he couldn't quite fathom the reason, Oliver expressed gratitude for their courtesy and swiftly reached his destination: Angels House, arriving more swiftly than expected.
The establishnt was a classic rectangular building with a vibrant red roof.
Upon entering, Oliver noted that the interior had undergone so changes since his last visit, yet it retained a familiar ambiance. Plush foreign carpets adorned the floor, a bar stocked with colorful magic wine glead, and quiet lounging areas beckoned.
However, so constants remained, notably the core staff.
"Dave! Long ti no see!"
A female staff mber, dressed as if she were sensitive to heat and sporting faux wings on her back, greeted Oliver as soon as she spotted him.
Other staff mbers joined in, drawing the attention of the bar's patrons.
Upon seeing Oliver, the patrons displayed a range of emotions – surprise, curiosity, and astonishnt – and engaged in hushed conversations.
"Is that Dave?"
"Yes."
"And he cos to a place like this?"
"I don't know. I've heard he's an unpredictable guy, you never know."
"So the rumor that he's a regular here is true."
"He supposedly even has a wealthy lover like Shamus, with pink hair."
"Pink hair? Could it be…"
"Yes, that woman from the Sisterhood."
Conversations grew increasingly enigmatic. Just as Oliver contemplated clearing up the misconceptions, a female staff mber intervened.
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, I have been well. How have you all been?"
As Oliver politely inquired, following the etiquette he had learned here, the staff mbers chuckled and assured him they were doing fine.
"It seems like you rember what we've taught you very well, Dave. We're pleased."
Their instruction encompassed makeup techniques, etiquette, manners, and decorum.
"Um… I'm not so sure."
"Oh? What happened?"
"I complinted a woman as you all suggested, but the reaction was not particularly good."
As he recounted this, Oliver thought of Yareli. Despite complinting her on her appearance as instructed, the reaction had fallen short of expectations.
The staff at Angel's House looked skeptical.
"Really?"
"Yes. You said whether a woman is actually beautiful or not, you should complint her. But the reaction wasn't good."
"Did you also say, ‘whether you're actually beautiful or not'?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing his reply, the staff mbers smiled.
"I want to slap you."
They remarked with sincerity, reminiscent of their earlier lessons in etiquette and decorum.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Mama?"
A calm and graceful voice echoed from a distance. It belonged to none other than Elizabeth, the proprietor of Angels House.
Despite her advanced years, she exuded both dignity and tiless beauty. Upon spotting Oliver, she, like the other staff, extended a warm welco and approached him with a polite greeting.
"Mr. Dave, it's been a while. Have you been well?"
"I've been well. How have you been, Miss Elizabeth?"
"I've been doing well… You're here to see Mr. Edith, aren't you?"
Elizabeth seed to have already grasped the situation and inquired. Upon Oliver's affirmative response, Elizabeth smiled gently and gestured gracefully to one side, saying, "Then, let guide you."
"Thank you. Where is Mr. Edith?"
"He's in the VIP room… where he first t Dave."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, he specifically requested that room."
As Elizabeth had ntioned, she led Oliver to the fourth floor, the top floor. At the entrance, a muscular woman and a man with a striking presence stood guard.
There was undeniably an air of tension.
"How fascinating," Elizabeth, guiding him to the VIP room, suddenly remarked.
"What do you an?"
"When you first ca here, Dave was a dark horse who had just gained fa, but in just a few years, you've beco a big shot in this city. Surviving in this city for years is challenging."
"I was just lucky."
"If you survived by luck, that's also a skill. Even luck has its limits… If it's okay, may I make an inappropriate request?"
"What is it?"
"Could you contact Jane later? She seems to want to et Dave."
"?"
"Yes, but Dave has been busy lately, so she's been holding back. It's a bit pitiful to watch from the side."
Elizabeth spoke with aning. It appeared that she had deduced Oliver's connection to Magic Tower.
That wasn't entirely unexpected. She, too, had dealt with influential figures in the sa city as Edith.
Oliver replied, "Yes, I will contact Miss Jane as soon as my urgent business is finished. Thank you for letting know."
Satisfied with his response, Elizabeth halted in front of the most opulent-looking door, wearing her characteristic warm smile.
Elizabeth communicated with the device at the door, saying, "Rock, Dave has arrived… Yes, understood. Dave, you may enter."
***
As soon as he received permission, Oliver opened the door and stepped inside.
Seated at the dining table was a portly elderly man, appearing healthier than before, dressed only in underwear and a tracksuit.
"You arrived sooner than expected," Edith remarked upon seeing Oliver.
"Yes, the cars on the road gave way well."
"Yielded? That's unusual. It's a rare virtue in Landa. Well, anyway, does it matter? Thanks to that, I didn't have to wait unnecessarily… Sit down."
Edith gestured to the chair opposite him with his distinctive blend of gruffness and kindness.
Oliver obediently settled into the seat across from Edith.
Before them lay a table laden with roast piglet, turkey, steak, a fruit assortnt, assorted pies, and lobster.
"Did you wait for by any chance?" Oliver inquired, eyeing the untouched spread.
"I might lack manners and a conscience, but I'm not completely unaware."
"What do you an?"
"I'm not so foolish as to ignore courtesies, even to soone as high-standing as you."
Edith replied, but Oliver rely tilted his head, not comprehending the situation at all.
‘Is it because of entering the tower? …Strange? He already knew, so why is he acting like this all of a sudden?"
Oliver pondered Edith's inexplicable conduct but found no imdiate answers.
"Mr. Edith… may I ask why you called here?"
"Um… let's eat first. I'm starving."
Edith playfully drumd his bulging belly.
Without hesitation, he dug into a turkey leg.
Unsure if it was appropriate to dive straight into business after being invited, Oliver also began to eat.
His thesis had kept him from eating properly.
This marked their second al together.
Oliver sampled a bit of the various delicacies piled high on the table and savored them thodically but consistently.
The cuisine was exquisite.
"You not only drink well, but you also eat well." Edith remarked when about half the food had vanished from the table. Indeed, Oliver had quite the appetite.
While Edith had initially devoured his al but eventually set aside his fork and knife as his stomach filled, Oliver continued to eat.
"It's delicious."
"It's unfair. You eat more than , but why doesn't your belly protrude?"
"I exercise daily, morning and evening."
Edith, seemingly no fan of exercise, frowned and shifted the conversation.
"Is your thesis coming along?"
Oliver continued to eat as he replied.
"It's going so-so. I've chosen a topic and am smoothly gathering data."
"Yet you say ‘so-so'… Why does it sound to my ears like it's not going well?"
Faced with the pointed question, Oliver admitted, "…Actually, I am struggling a bit."
"Really? Unexpected. I thought you'd handle it easily."
"I've been distracted by various things recently… How did you know I'm writing a thesis?"
"I told you earlier, I have a pipeline."
"I'm curious how you built that pipeline."
"It's one of the secrets of my business. And you want to just tell you? Seems there's a bigger thief here than ."
"Ah, I apologize."
As Oliver backed down gracefully, Edith wore a peculiar expression and continued.
"You just need to buy people."
"Buy them?"
"Yes, even the most formidable organizations have people who are short on money or have embarrassing tastes. You curry favor with these people, and sotis they bring you useful information. I've had so fun with that too."
"I see… When did you establish this? Have you been interacting with the Tower originally?"
"No. When I went to sponsor the last conference, I also talked about investnt with other places. At that ti, I made it. Did you really think I went all that way just to help you? With this heavy body of mine?"
Edith playfully drumd his belly once more.
Although his manner appeared nonchalant, it was nonetheless impressive.
To have networked with other wizards and established a pipeline in the process was quite an accomplishnt.
"But this pipeline is not all-powerful, it's weak in the details. No one knows what kind of paper you're writing… What are you writing now?"
"I am writing a paper on the production and fusion of artificial bodies and organs based on blood magic and life magic."
"Sorry, I lost you at blood magic. Explain it to in a way I can understand."
Edith made a bold request, and Oliver continued to explain his ongoing research calmly while eating.
After he had finished his explanation, Edith remarked, "So, basically you're using corpses like clay to make new arms and organs,"
"Yes, that's right."
Edith, who had initially claid not to understand, now pondered the matter seriously and posed an intriguing question.
"Can it be utilized in other ways?"
"What do you an?"
"Like treating spinal injuries or arthritis."
"Well, I'll need to research that in detail, but theoretically, it seems possible. Although there could be side effects from using blood magic."
"Hmm… It slls like money."
Edith said earnestly.
"Well, I question its economic viability given the high costs involved."
"What did you say?"
"I said I'm uncertain about its economic viability. Just the cost of the materials is in the billions, and the required level of expertise is also quite high, so I'm not sure if it's comrcially feasible."
Edith widened his eyes, clearly taken aback.
"…My God. I didn't mishear you. Talking about economic and comrcial feasibility."
"Did I make a mistake?"
"No, it's just surprising to hear such words from soone who chose questions over two hundred million just a few years ago. Economic viability, comrcial feasibility, you say."
"Value is relative, isn't it? Even if I could go back, I would choose questions."
"Well, it wasn't bad for either. Thanks to that, I also got to know your real na… OLIVER."
Edith emphasized the last word.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, indeed. Nas may not seem important but can reveal a lot more than you think."
"What do you an?"
"Like the fact that you're the god of a cult religion ford in Wineham, for instance?"
Oliver, who had been eating steadily, paused.
Instinctively, Oliver glanced at Edith, and Edith also t his gaze, their eyes locking.
"That's the reason I called you."
Reviews
All reviews (0)