Prev I TOC I Next
Yes, if its not a problem, may I return to Landa first?
In response to Olivers inquiry, Kevin set aside the docunts he had been holding on the desk.
Whats the reason? Did sothing urgent co up? Kevin inquired, and Oliver contemplated briefly before shaking his head.
No Its not urgent.
So, sothing did co up. Can I hear what it is?
Oliver nodded and promptly provided an explanation. It pertained to the redevelopnt project in District X by Forrest that he had been inford of by Jane.
After attentively listening to the explanation, Kevin appeared puzzled.
Thats strange. Even though so ti has passed since we left Landa, does this make sense? Redevelopnt in District X?
It was a valid question. District X was renowned in Landa as an area resistant to redevelopnt due to the formidable Anti-Developnt committee, an entity even the city had conceded defeat to.
With caution, Oliver shared his perspective on this matter.
It seems to be related to .
You?
Yes, sohow I ended up asking the Anti-Developnt committee for permission. To allow so construction work Just one or two buildings.
Listening silently to the narrative, Kevin massaged his temples, seemingly afflicted by a headache.
While it might have seed like an exaggerated reaction, it was actually quite fitting. What Oliver was suggesting now was a direct violation of one of Landas long-standing regulations.
Id like to ask for more details, but lets leave it for now. The story seems like it will get lengthy.
Thank you. Ill explain later.
Please do So, youre planning to return to Landa to oversee this redevelopnt project?
No, I just want to see what its about.
To confirm?
Yes Out of curiosity, and I thought focusing on sothing else might help feel less frustrated Im sorry, but may I have your permission?
Oliver, evidently driven by personal curiosity and emotions, was prepared to montarily set aside his official responsibilities and depart.
However, Kevin did not treat Olivers words lightly, giving each one careful consideration.
This was a natural response, given Kevins familiarity with Olivers approach to his duties. Unbeknownst to him, this situation might be more serious than it appeared.
With this thought, the decision beca clear.
Go ahead.
Youre giving permission?
Theres nothing urgent for you to do right now.
Thank you.
After the recent disruption caused by Human-at Chef, Oliver, who had been feeling sowhat disheartened, displayed a glimr of happiness.
In that instant, Kevin was confident in his choice.
Just curious, how are you planning to go back?
I was thinking of using portal magic. Ive installed portal magic in my residence for retreats or quick returns.
Instead of using portal magic, take a boat, even if it takes ti.
Oliver let out a disappointed sigh. It wasnt a complex task, but he had been hoping for a swift return.
May I ask why?
Youre officially recorded as having traveled overseas by ship. How did we get here?
By ship.
Right. But if youre seen in Landa without any record of entering the country, what would happen?
Is it serious?
It could be At the very least, it could get annoying. Youre a Magic tower employee and a warlock. So, its better to follow the rules, no matter how urgent.
Oliver nodded, recognizing the wisdom in this advice. He had a duty to abide by the rules.
Yes, I understand. Then, Ill take a ship. Can I move right now?
Right now? Well, as you wish. But Yareli might be disappointed.
Yareli?
Yes, she said shed co to see you after finishing her hero duties. She was asking about your whereabouts Shes free this evening, how about eting her before you go? She seed to have sothing to say?
Yarelis desire to et him prompted Oliver to contemplate for a brief mont, approximately 0.9 seconds.
Cant she just et when she returns to Landa? Oliver responded with a direct attitude, akin to his departure from Jane and the unfinished steak at the hotel.
***
Phew
Late in the evening, Yareli entered a guest room provided by Rokuri University, closed the door, and leaned against it, exhaling deeply.
Her sigh conveyed the extent of her fatigue, both physically and ntally.
Being hailed as a hero for essentially doing nothing was a unique ordeal.
All she had done was follow orders during the disturbance, caught off guard by Dejiehe Durans ambush.
If it werent for Zenons tily intervention, the situation could have beco highly perilous.
Yet, she was celebrated as a hero, credited with defeating nurous warlocks and uncovering Human-at Chefs plot, thereby saving the citizens.
It felt incredibly awkward.
It was Zenon who had exposed the plan and alerted everyone. Although unintended, she couldnt shake the feeling that she had usurped his credit.
Just wait a little longer
Yareli murmured to herself, thinking about Zenon, who had already returned to Landa.
Kevin had ntioned that Zenon had urgent matters to attend to, which was regrettable. They had missed each other by a re few hours.
What could possibly be so urgent that he couldnt wait a little longer?
No Maybe its for the best.
After a mont of contemplation, Yareli internally muttered to herself. She had nurous questions and things she wanted to discuss with Zenon.
She wanted to inquire about his connection with Puppet and why he had inford Zenon about Human-at Chefs plan. What did he know about Puppet, and was it truly Archiver who had dealt with Human-at Chef, with Zenon having played no part?
She also wanted to express her gratitude.
She hadnt had the chance to thank him for rescuing her from Dejiehe and other adversaries. And she wanted to apologize for her belated expression of gratitude.
And for saying sothing presumptuous about having nowhere to lean on
In any case, she had so much she wished to convey to him. It might be best to organize her thoughts now.
It was indeed peculiar.
Having been born into the Issai family and assuming the role of successor instead of her father, she was accustod to calculating her interactions with people. Yet now, the feeling was sowhat different. How should she describe it? Not as draining? On the contrary
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The sudden ringing of her communicator interrupted her thoughts. Yareli retrieved the communication device discreetly hidden between her breasts.
It was a secret direct line to her grandmother, custom-made by the Hers Company at a significant cost.
As she answered the call, she was greeted by her grandmothers crystal-clear voice, a tone befitting the considerable expense.
[Are you doing well?]
Yes, Grandmother As you instructed, I am fulfilling the schedule properly.
Indeed, Yareli, despite her reservations, had assud the role of a hero, all at the behest of the Magic Tower and her own grandmother, to elevate the reputation of both the Magic Tower and the Issai family.
[Yes, I heard. Youre doing well.]
Yarelis grandmother, Tilda Issai, the original master of the Skadi School, praised her in her usual composed, concise manner.
A praise reserved only for when she exceeded expectations.
[Thanks to your efforts, our family and school are gaining attention in the Mage Tower again.]
Yareli chanically nodded and responded.
While her grandmother might have appeared distant, she was singularly dedicated to a single objective.
The restoration of the familys and schools forr glory.
The Issai family, after relocating to Landa and establishing a reputation over the years, had achieved a distinguished standing. However, that was a bygone era.
Their status had significantly dwindled when they were compelled to join the Elental School under rlins authority before his ascension as the Archiver. They had beco just one among nurous averagely prestigious families.
Despite her outward appearance of composure, thanks to her exceptional patience and calculated logic, Grandmother Tilda Issai had made it her lifes mission to extricate the family from this predicant and regain their forr prestige.
Thats why she had gone to the extent of disowning her own son when he failed to et her expectations.
Contemplating the current situation, Yareli inquired with a coolly collected deanor.
But Grandmother, why did you call here? If you had sothing to say, you could have contacted through the university.
Indeed, the secret communicator was reserved for essential communication, as per its intended use. The longer the trail, the greater the risk of exposure.
[I contacted you here to check on sothing. About a special mission I entrusted to you.]
What?
[You really dont know? Its about Dave.]
Yareli was caught off guard. In addition to establishing her reputation as the Magic Towers vanguard at Rokuri University, Yareli had another task.
Her mission was to surveil and observe Zenon, rlins disciple, and report any unusual findings.
There was much to report, from Zenons clash with the Son of an Angel to insights about Puppet. Yet, the most crucial piece of information she needed to report was
Theres nothing to report at the mont.
[Really?]
Yes.
Yarelis resolute response dissuaded her grandmother on the other end of the communicator from further inquiries.
After all, Yareli was fulfilling her duties admirably.
In due course, Tilda Issai, the original master of the Skadi School, acknowledged Yarelis efforts, concluded the call, and Yareli switched off the device before returning it to its concealed location.
Yareli pondered her actions. Why had she concealed the report from her grandmother?
As if offering a response to her own query, Yareli walked over to the vanity in the room, removed her glasses, and gazed into the mirror.
Her eyes, emanating an icy chill.
Ordinarily, this should have been impossible. Gazing into the mirror with her uncontrolled mystic eyes had the potential to freeze her own eyes.
Surprisingly, however, Yareli could now look into her own eyes with her naked eye for the first ti since her powers had awakened.
Her eyes had achieved stability.
This had been the case ever since Zenon had placed his hand on her head.
***
Ding-
Located on 30th Street in District T, the Forrest Restaurant.
As the door of the restaurant swung open, a familiar yet long-missed bell chid.
It was a rather pleasant sound. Despite the passage of ti, the unwavering consistency of that bell brought comfort.
However, there were noticeable changes. For instance, the restaurant was unusually bustling.
While it had always been a thriving establishnt, the current situation was quite different.
In the past, it had thrived within the confines of District T, a workers residential area. But now, its success had transcended District boundaries.
This was evident from the crowded tables that filled both the first and second-floor dining areas. The staff, who typically welcod custors as they entered, were now unable to navigate through the throng.
It was that busy.
Therefore, Oliver ventured into the restaurant on his own, without waiting for Al or any other staff mber to assist him.
Is that Dave?
Wait, hold on Yeah, it looks like him.
Whats with his appearance?
Did he catch so disease?
A few custors seated in the first-floor dining area whispered upon catching sight of Olivers face.
All of them were solvers, rcenaries, information dealers, brokers, and the like, all involved in dealings with Forrest. They were quite taken aback by Olivers presence, as he had returned here after a prolonged absence following his departure for Galos.
Their reactions were not entirely unexpected. Olivers face had suffered significant deterioration due to the starvation caused by Human-at Chef. Fortunately, he had managed to avoid resembling a corpse thanks to so rest during his journey back.
Upon hearing the ntion of Dave, other custors also turned their heads toward Oliver, and soon enough, the businesspeople and capitalists in the second-floor dining area also expressed surprise at his arrival.
However, Oliver, seemingly unfazed by their stares, continued his search for Forrest.
He had already faced similar attention multiple tis during his return from Rokuri University and aboard the ship Nevertheless, there were a few whose scrutiny felt particularly unsettling.
So regarded Olivers emaciated condition as an opportunity, their eyes gleaming with the anticipation of encountering a weakened adversary or sensing a potential advantage.
Mr. Dave?
As he was about to ascend to the second-floor dining area, soone approached Oliver to greet him.
It was Al, the ace waiter of the Forrest Restaurant, who had always extended a warm welco to Oliver.
Normally unemotional and maintaining a professional deanor, Al appeared unusually disconcerted at the sight of Olivers gaunt features.
Trying to downplay the concern, Oliver spoke in his customary manner.
Hello, Al Could I et with Mr. Forrest?
(To be Continued)
CH 424-433 (Vs Human-at Chef Part4) $3CH 434-443 (Dave Vs 100 Druids) $3CH 444-453 (Adventure in New Continent) $3CH 454-463 (eting with Joanna) $3464~ $1/chapter
OR
$5/month11 chap ahead 5 chap/week$15/month17 chap ahead 5 chap/week$30/month23 chap ahead 5 chap/week$45/month60 chap ahead 6 chap/week
Prev I TOC I Next
LikeLoading...
Genius 313September 29, 2023In "Warlock"
Genius 350November 28, 2023In "Warlock"
Genius 269July 21, 2023In "Warlock"
Reviews
All reviews (0)