Chapter 24

24. Joseph (1)

Oliver got out of the truck and walked along the yellow wall as described in the letter.

Thanks to this, he was able to navigate the unfamiliar environment without getting lost. After a while, he could see a large square and a fountain in the middle.

In the center of the large fountain, a statue of a baby angel was urinating, and around it were benches, hot dog stands, and ice cream stands.

The visitors were mostly elderly people, women, and children, and there didn't seem to be any threatening figures.

After thoroughly observing the surroundings, Oliver went to the area near Exit 3 as instructed in the letter.

He continued to observe his surroundings, and it was indeed very different from Wayneham.

It wasn't just the number of people or the opulence of their attire.

The emotional state of the people was also different.

In Wayneham, most people exhibited negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, and hatred.

At least in this square, people seemed more relaxed, peaceful, kind, and compassionate.

Sometimes, this positivity was so intense that it manifested as a sense of superiority, but overall, it was much brighter.

Oliver was curious.

What was the difference between this place and Wayneham? What made the emotional states of the people so different?

But what he was even more curious about was the opposite side of the city, far from here.

It was emitting even more negative emotions than Wayneham.

Although he couldn't see it clearly, he could vaguely sense it.

The emotions emanating from there were so dark and malevolent that they couldn't be compared to Wayneham.

Despite the distance, it was still the same city, yet the contrast was so stark... He was amazed and wanted to know the reason.

"Have you arrived?"

Oliver, who had been observing the city, turned to one side and bowed respectfully.

In front of him stood Joseph, wearing a shiny silk hat and a cloak.

He looked exactly like the people of Randa, and if Oliver had tried to distinguish people by appearance rather than emotion, he might not have recognized him.

Joseph marveled.

"You have a good eye?"

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Money?"

Oliver tapped the bag firmly tied to his back.

Joseph chuckled and started walking, leading Oliver.

"I'm sorry, I usually don't ask people to do such errands, but this time the situation is special."

"No... But may I ask a question?"

"What is it?"

"Where is Mr. Andrew?"

"Ah... He is currently receiving treatment. It's not legal, and it's expensive, but the black magician is very skilled."

"Ah... I see."

As Oliver responded, he observed Joseph's emotions. They were not distorted, even though they seemed to be.

Oliver frowned at the rare sight, and Joseph leaned in and said,

"First, we'll go to the hotel today."

"The hotel...?"

"Yes, the hotel. It's a very nice place."

***

Joseph's words were not figurative or metaphorical.

He led Oliver to a large hotel near the square.

The hotel was grand and luxurious, and many people who looked wealthy were present. Above the main entrance, the words "Blue Moon" were written in an elegant, old-fashioned style.

Joseph seemed familiar with the place, and the doorman, bellboy, and others greeted him warmly.

"Hello, Mr. John."

"Hello, Mr. John."

"Yes, yes. Nice to see you. Nice to see you."

Oliver silently observed this, and Joseph turned to him and asked,

"Why are you surprised?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked if you were surprised that I'm familiar with such an expensive hotel."

"No... Not really."

"Huh? Most people are surprised. The reason I'm familiar with this place is that I usually visit Randa first when looking for apprentices. And every time I visit, I stay here. Do you know why I stay here?"

"Um... Because it's nice?"

"Hahaha, not a bad guess. But not entirely correct. It's because of my childhood memories."

"Memories...?"

"Yes, memories... Hmm, wait a moment."

Joseph stopped in front of an iron door and spoke.

On the iron door, a large needle and numbers were embedded. The needle pointed from 6 to 5, then to 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Ding-dong—

The iron door opened automatically, revealing a small space with a bellboy standing inside.

"Welcome, sir. To which floor would you like to go?"

"Please take us to the third floor, Jackson. Your gloves are nice. Are they new?"

"Yes, they are. Thank you for the compliment."

Joseph led Oliver inside.

The bellboy pressed a button next to the door, and the door closed as the space began to move.

"This is...?"

"It's called an elevator. It's safe, don't worry. Right, Jackson?"

"Yes, of course."

After a short while, the space stopped, and the door opened.

Joseph took a bill from his pocket and gave it to the bellboy, then led Oliver into a room.

Oliver was still in a daze when he entered the room, and Joseph said,

"First, I need to check if you did the errand well. Put the bag on the table."

Joseph tapped the table.

Oliver took off the bag as instructed and placed it on the nearby table.

Joseph opened the bag and started stacking the bundles of money on the table.

"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. Thirty bundles of 100,000 Randa notes. You brought it exactly as required."

"Yes, sir."

"Good job. There aren't many people I can trust with such errands."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, banknotes carry magic. If you stack too many, they can make you think foolishly. You might even become unhappy."

Oliver was confused.

"Is it some kind of black magic?"

"Black magic? Ha... Well, it's somewhat similar."

Oliver tilted his head again. The conversation was subtly off, but he didn't try to correct it.

After standing there for a moment, Oliver spoke carefully.

"Sir, is my job done?"

Joseph, who was putting the money back in the bag, asked,

"For now? Why?"

"Then, can I go back now?"

"Why? Why do you want to leave so soon?"

"Well... If there's nothing to do, I thought it would be more convenient for you if I left. Is there anything you need?"

"Yes, of course. I need to pick up Andrew tomorrow, and I need help."

"Ah, if that's the case, I'll stay."

"You're a good boy... But there's one more thing you need to help with."

"What is it?"

"We need to have dinner together tonight."

***

His words were not figurative or metaphorical.

When it was dinner time, Joseph bought Oliver a nice suit and led him to the hotel's restaurant.

They sat at the best table with a view of the outside.

"Looking at you dressed up like that, you're quite presentable. Are you uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

Oliver touched the suit he was wearing for the first time and responded.

It wasn't really uncomfortable, but it felt like his posture was being corrected.

"That's good... Ah, I'll have my usual, please. Joe."

After ordering from the waiter, Joseph looked at Oliver again.

They looked at each other in silence for a while, and eventually, Joseph spoke first.

"My goodness... Are you usually so quiet? When we first met, you were asking a lot of questions."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I was just too excited then."

"No, no. I'm not scolding you for that. I'm asking if you have nothing to say. Usually, when I'm alone with someone, they talk about anything. They ask questions or flatter me..."

Oliver thought of the children who used to flatter the supervisors in the mines.

"Today, you look... very nice?"

"You're going to make me laugh. I didn't mean to ask for flattery. And why did you add a question mark at the end?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Ha... Really, don't you have any questions for me? For example, why did I leave you as a temporary apprentice? It's like getting a backhand, isn't it?"

"I think there must be a deeper reason."

"Ha! That's how you flatter. But it's also true... Thinking about it, I haven't really given you proper lessons. I've been too busy. That's why I arranged this dinner. Answer me. What do you think is the greatest virtue of a black magician?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Oliver fell into thought.

The greatest virtue... For Oliver, who found black magic relatively easy, it was a difficult question.

Snap!

Joseph snapped his fingers and said,

"It's desire. The reason doesn't matter. It could be money or power, the desire for black magic. The desire to sacrifice anything for it. That is the greatest virtue of a black magician."

"Is that why you took in Marie and Peter?"

"Why? Did you hear something?"

"Yes... Well, I overheard it."

Joseph leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

"I remember. Marie lived near a dye factory where waste was dumped. The first time we met, she was almost raped, right?"

"Raped?"

"Yes, by neighborhood thugs. I happened to pass by and saved her. Even then, she had a fierce look in her eyes, which was impressive. She wasn't very talented, but her desire for power was greater than anyone else's, so I took her in."

"I see."

Oliver said indifferently.

Joseph, lost in his memories, continued,

"Peter lived in a one-room apartment with his family and two other families. His