Chapter 40

40. Organization (2)

Vroom―――

Three trucks stopped in front of a neat factory.

Above the main gate of the factory, a sign read "Ham Sausage Factory."

As the cars stopped, everyone who had been working inside came out.

"Welcome back!"

"““““Welcome back!!!””””

The children, led by Peter, bowed their heads in greeting, and at the end of the line was Oliver, who had just gotten out of the truck.

"Yes, I'm back. You don't have to do this."

Oliver's indifferent response.

However, Peter did not waver.

"No matter what, you are the master... But who are they?"

Peter asked, looking at the people getting out of the following trucks.

At first, he didn't know who they were, but he soon realized they were the remnants of the Anthony and Dominic families.

"Are they from the Dominic and Anthony families?"

"Ah, yes... They said they wanted to join our family through the pharmacist. So I brought them. Peter, please show them where they'll be staying and explain the rules here."

"..."

Peter couldn't respond, observing the surrendered black mages. They all looked dejected.

"Ah, is it not possible?"

"Huh? No, no! Of course not. I can do it... But, Master."

"Yes, Peter."

"How should we treat them?"

"Treat them?"

"Yes, usually those who come in like this are treated more poorly."

Oliver looked at the Anthony and Dominic family members.

As soon as they felt Oliver's gaze, they lowered their eyes. It was an awkward scene, but not entirely strange.

After all, countless remnants and small-time black mages had already fallen to Oliver without a fight.

Oliver was a figure of terror, just like Joseph, Dominic, and Anthony had been in the past.

"Is there any need to discriminate? Peter, work with the others to divide them by skill level, and treat them accordingly."

"Ah, I understand... Everyone! Follow me this way."

Peter called the bewildered and anxious remnants of the black mages and led them somewhere with his senior disciples.

They followed obediently, feeling overwhelmed.

"Wow... Impressive."

James, who had come with them, said as he got out of the truck.

"Yes, what is?"

"I don't know... What is it? You really look like the master of a black mage family now. You control everything with just a word, don't you?"

That was true.

After subduing a paladin alone and becoming the master of the only large black mage organization in Wineham, the respect and loyalty of the family members had noticeably increased.

Power was inherently like that.

However, it wasn't just because of that.

Oliver had also increased and systematized training hours, and distributed weekly allowances to all disciples, which had been a privilege of senior disciples in the past, earning him respect.

It was a simple matter of fairness, not a deliberate strategy, but the results were clear.

Given this, one might expect Oliver to be proud, but his reaction was utterly unimpressed.

"Well... It's thanks to everyone's hard work."

"Haha..."

James laughed, knowing it wasn't just modesty or feigned humility.

Oliver was sincere.

That made him both alien and frightening.

Despite building an unprecedentedly powerful organization in Wineham, Oliver remained calm.

James extended his hand.

"Alright, thanks for helping today. Good job."

"Yes, you too, Mr. James."

"You can drop the 'Mr.' I should be the one using it... Anyway, when can you come for lessons?"

"Whenever it's convenient... No, preferably soon."

"Soon?"

"Yes, I want to finish quickly."

"?"

Confused, James tilted his head.

However, he didn't press the issue.

Oliver had been saying things like this for a while, so he just let it go.

After shaking hands, James got back in the truck and left. At that moment, he didn't realize it, but he didn't know that Oliver wasn't just saying it.

***

The addition of the Anthony and Dominic families didn't change much.

Oliver continued to run the family as he had before, waking up in the morning, cleaning, having breakfast, and then starting black magic training.

He trained different levels separately, and to save time, he had some senior disciples take turns training intermediate, junior, and temporary disciples.

So, what did he do with the remaining time?

He would have locked himself in the study to read books, but unfortunately, he didn't. Instead, he gathered the senior disciples for intensive training.

Currently, there were 14 senior disciples from the Joseph family (Oliver hadn't changed the name). Oliver divided them into two groups based on their characteristics and trained them separately.

The first group practiced creating synthetic emotions, which are the raw materials for Filigret.

At first glance, it didn't seem impressive, but the synthesis process and the significant backlash from failure made it quite challenging.

"Ugh...!"

Just then, one senior disciple failed the emotion synthesis and collapsed, groaning.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh, yes... I'm fine, Master."

"Then get up and try again... Black Shield."

Oliver blocked attacks from three directions with his hands.

Currently, Oliver was training the second group, which was combat training.

The second group, led by Marie, was more interested in the firepower of black magic than in Filigret production.

Oliver sparred with them in the arena, teaching them the necessary combat senses and techniques.

Of course, he also trained the senior disciples who were synthesizing emotions, making the scene somewhat chaotic, but it was a necessary measure given the lack of time. Fortunately, they had started to get the hang of it.

"Everyone, don't let your guard down. If you relax just because you're almost done, the emotion will backlash. Stay focused until the end, and don't relax even after completion... Hate Bullet."

Seven hate bullets flew in different directions, striking the abdomens of Marie and other senior disciples.

Thanks to the reduced power, no one was pierced, but they clutched their stomachs as if they had been kicked hard.

"Ugh...!"

One senior disciple couldn't bear the pain and vomited.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and silently watched, and soon the training ground was filled with heavy breathing and an eerie silence.

"...... What are you all doing?"

Someone asked.

"J, just... It's a bit... Tiring."

"Ah, there are recovery potions and healing ointments provided by the pharmacist. Use them if you're injured or tired."

Recovery potions and healing ointments.

They were relatively cheap for mass production, but still cost several thousand rands each.

Oliver's willingness to distribute them generously during training was a rare sight in Wineham... no, in the black magic world, and even in the Magic Tower.

Logically, everyone should have been happy, but the intense training made them more exhausted than grateful.

"...... Why are you all like this?"

A senior disciple, drenched in sweat, asked.

"J, just... Can we take a short break, Master?"

"Why? If you're at your limit, practicing now will help you improve faster."

Oliver asked, genuinely confused.

"Everyone is too tired... The medicine is there... Ah..."

Oliver finally understood the situation and spoke up.

"Do you all want to stop? Because it's too hard?"

Oliver's innocent question. Everyone shook their heads.

"No, no. It's just that pushing too hard might lead to serious injuries..."

"It won't."

"Huh?"

"Group 1, you're only using the amount I specified, right?"

"Ah... Yes, that's right."

"Then, even if you fail, you'll only get minor burns... For Marie's group, I'm careful, so you won't get seriously hurt. The medicine here is enough to keep you safe."

His polite but firm tone unintentionally carried a sense of authority, and everyone lowered their heads, unable to speak.

Like children caught slacking off.

As the heavy, uncomfortable silence pressed down, Oliver suddenly said,

"If you want to stop, you can."

Surprised by the unexpected answer, everyone looked up. Oliver continued,

"I don't want to force you to do anything. I'm just here to help because you want to learn and this is my job. If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"......"

"But, I have to ask. I don't know your reasons, but you all came here because you wanted to become black mages, right? Is it okay to give up? You won't always have the chance to train."

"......"

"Really want to stop?"

At this, Marie, who had been sitting on the ground, sweat pouring down her face, slowly got up, and the other senior disciples applied the medicine and ointment and returned.

Group 1, led by Peter, also resumed their emotion synthesis.

"Then... Let's start again?"

"““““Yes! Master!!”””"

***

After the training.

Senior, intermediate, junior, and temporary disciples dined in the newly arranged dining hall.

Unlike the past, this dining hall was spacious enough for everyone to eat together, and the quality and quantity of food were abundant, allowing everyone to eat without discrimination.

Perhaps because of this, despite the intense training, everyone was full of energy, and the atmosphere was not as tense as before. In fact, it was more relaxed.

"Today's training was really tough..."

"Was it just today? It was tough yesterday and the day before. It will probably be tough tomorrow too."

The senior disciples, who had undergone Oliver's harsh training, burst into laughter.

The training was indeed tough, but no one complained.

No one felt ashamed about having Oliver, who was younger than them, as their master.

After all, their living standards had improved, and their skills had grown far beyond what they had in the past.

If this continued, becoming a true black mage and gaining independence was not a dream.

"...... Will everyone become independent?"

A senior disciple suddenly asked.

"If we keep training for a few years, we might really be able to become independent... Will everyone become independent?"

Everyone fell silent.

Being a disciple meant being half a slave to the master.

Thus, the word "independence" was both close and distant to them.

Most masters either didn't allow it or didn't teach properly, keeping their disciples tied to them.

However, if this trend continued, most of the senior disciples here would soon be able to become independent.

Someone spoke up.

"I don't know... I haven't really thought about it seriously because the environment isn't there yet."

"Isn't it now?"

That was true. It was now. Even without considering their skills, they could save money by receiving weekly allowances.

While it wasn't enough to live off for life, it was enough to start their own families.

Ironically, as the environment improved, the desire for independence among the senior disciples... no, among all disciples, weakened.

They had realized through recent events that learning black magic alone wasn't enough for success, and they were satisfied with their current lives.

Most importantly, they all had a deep-seated fear and respect for Oliver.

Without a clear answer, the awkward silence continued until someone changed the subject.

"By the way, where's Marie? Did she collapse from the intense training?"

"No, she went to bring Master his meal."