Chapter 42

42. First Footstep (1)

"Hmm..."

A dark space filled with the smell of decaying flesh.

Oliver was sitting there.

Opposite him, a corpse with one arm missing was leaning against an altar.

"Indeed, this seems to be the right choice..."

"..."

"Although I could use the Family as Mari suggested... I think it's better to just leave."

"..."

"That beautiful light isn't something that can be easily found just by asking... Besides, I don't want to use those people that way."

"..."

"Mari and Peter, they have their own kind of beauty. There's a will to do something... They're beautiful. So before I left, I tried to take care of them, but it got stranger and stranger over time."

"..."

"Initially, I wanted to do everything for myself, but strangely, as time went on, that will gradually disappeared, and I just waited for my end. The beautiful light faded away..."

"..."

"That's why I decided to leave. I think it's better for them without me. Of course, it's easier for me to find more of that beautiful light on my own. Being part of the organization, I found it hard to focus on my own affairs because there was always so much to do."

"..."

"Also, what Sir Paladin said caught my attention. I met him by chance the other day. His name was Joanna, right?"

"..."

"He said I was broken."

"..."

"I was a bit surprised. A few people had said that about me, but it was the first time someone showed genuine sympathy and tried to help... What do you think, Master? Am I broken?"

"..."

"That's when I suddenly wondered if I was really broken. So I want to find out. I'll try to make friends and live in the world... Then I'll know, right?"

"..."

"Whether I'm a pitiful being as she said... She's really kind, isn't she?"

"..."

"Indeed, this seems to be the right choice. The beautiful light, black magic, me... I have so many things I want to know, and it would have been difficult to continue in the organization. There would always be something coming up."

"..."

"James said that the pharmacist is trying to expand his business... It's amazing. He already has plenty of money, yet he wants more. There must be a reason for wanting more money, but most of his time is spent on making money."

"..."

"Well, my disappearance might be a bit of a problem for everyone, but since others can synthesize emotions, it shouldn't be a big issue, right? I left a note... Indeed, leaving seems to be the right choice."

"..."

"Thank you for listening. I feel more organized now that I've talked about it."

Oliver then stood up and bowed to the corpse... No, to the dead Joseph.

Of course, he didn't actually have a conversation, but talking like this was enough to help him.

Oliver expressed his gratitude again and then returned the way he came.

"..."

Before leaving the room, Oliver stopped and silently turned his head.

He looked at the altar Joseph was leaning against.

The altar with three rectangles and nine circles carved into it.

The old man on horseback...

The mysterious being that appeared when Oliver knocked Joseph down.

No, it wasn't a mysterious being. It was a demon.

But that was all he knew.

The old man on horseback, the demon, couldn't be found in Joseph's study.

All he found was the cliché information that demons threaten the human world and that black mages can trade with them to gain power.

This wasn't very valuable to Oliver, who wanted more specific and tangible information.

What exactly was it?

Oliver couldn't forget the alien yet familiar sensation he felt when he first encountered it.

But what he couldn't forget even more was that it greeted him.

It was polite and friendly... Oliver didn't find it awkward at all...

What exactly was it? And what are demons that give power to black mages and threaten the human world?

When he asked Joseph and the pharmacist about this, they only said that demons are originally such beings.

Even when he asked if they could get related books, they just shook their heads.

Despite usually helping him with almost everything.

'Demons and related information, books are too dangerous. The Paternus Church manages and monitors them directly. It's a crime to search for them on your own, and even if you find them, you can't just have them. You need a lot of capital, information, and risk management skills. You can only find them in large cults or the black market.'

'Cults... Black market...'

Oliver recalled what the pharmacist said as he went up to the ground.

Honestly, his interest in demons had relatively decreased, but he was still curious.

If there was a chance, he didn't think it would be bad to approach them.

They supposedly possessed power and knowledge that humans couldn't match, so they might help resolve Oliver's curiosity.

Of course, this would be after he had done some personal research.

"Hmm... Where should I go?"

Oliver said as he came out of the abandoned hospital and walked past the fence.

It was quite a serious problem.

Why? Although it might sound strange to say it now, this was the first time Oliver had left the world on his own will.

The places where Oliver grew up were the orphanage and the mine.

There was no such thing as a free outing there.

He left the orphanage when he was sold to the mine, and he left the mine when he was sold to Joseph.

Oliver had never thought about going anywhere on his own, nor had he had the opportunity.

That's why Oliver was feeling confused now.

Where should he go?

He decided to leave because he thought it was the right thing to do, but he had no idea where to go.

He had a goal in mind, but he didn't know how to get there.

Thinking about it, it was a pretty foolish thing to do, not knowing where to go and just leaving...

After some thought, Oliver spoke.

"Hmm... Maybe I should go there first?"

He recalled the park where he met Joseph.

Unlike the scenes he usually saw, it was a place filled with kindness, leisure, and happiness.

Maybe if he went there, he would see the next path.

With this not-quite-decision, Oliver started walking.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

As he walked, Oliver observed the X district of Randa.

It didn't seem that long ago, but it looked quite different from when he came with Joseph.

The walls of the streets were covered with more graffiti, there were more bloodstains, and the totem poles on the side streets were broken.

It was a neighborhood that seemed quiet on the surface but was filled with many emotions inside, yet there was something that hadn't changed.

The many people hiding in the darkness, like predators waiting for prey.

They had been observing Oliver, who visited alone, since he arrived.

Filled with malice, cunning, sadism, and anger.

Oliver stopped in his tracks.

The reason was a group of people standing at the corner of the alley. They were targeting him.

They were waiting for Oliver to enter, filled with impatience, anticipation, and tension.

'Hmm...'

Oliver pondered what to do.

They seemed to be a gang he had dealt with in Wainham... or something lower.

The fact that they couldn't hide their killing intent and couldn't control their emotions was a clear sign.

He checked the test tube in his pocket.

The test tube he had collected one by one when he decided to leave Wainham.

If he used black magic, he could easily drive them away... But he hesitated.

He didn't want to use the emotions he had collected this way, and he didn't want to draw attention right after leaving.

Since Oliver's knowledge of the outside world was limited, he wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible. At least for now.

So Oliver made a third choice. To turn back.

He changed direction and took another path.

The people in the back alley were surprised and fumbled, but soon started chasing Oliver.

"Hmm..."

Oliver pondered what to do.

It was his first time being alone in the outside world, and he couldn't grasp what was the best course of action. Meanwhile, the people from the back alley surrounded him.

"Ha... This guy has good senses? Trying to run?"

"Boss, this guy seems scared?"

"Shut up, kid. I'm talking, you know? Hey... You're not from around here, right?"

Oliver replied.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you, kid... What are you? Why are you lurking around here if you're not from around here?"

"...I came to meet someone?"

"Meet someone? Who?"

"...Someone I owe?"

"Who is it, kid!!"

"..."

"Boss, this kid is suspicious. He might be sent by the mole?"

Mole? Suspicious? Oliver tilted his head, confused by the situation.

They didn't seem to be after money, and the leader, holding a club, pressed him.

"Hey! You! Answer quickly! Do you want to get beaten up to talk? Huh?"

"Well... I don't know who I owe... Who is the mole?"

"Don't play dumb! It's obvious you were sent by the mole to check if there's anything to eat here! If you confess now, we'll let you off easy, so spill!"

The situation was getting out of hand. Just then, a strange voice intervened.

"What are you all doing?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Turning his head, a man was approaching.

A middle-aged man wearing a shabby long coat and a beanie, limping and holding a long wooden stick.

The people who chased Oliver seemed to know him.

"Q, Quartershaft Cant?"

"Yeah, it's me. Quartershaft Cant. Thanks for the introduction... But what's going on?"

The people surrounding Oliver visibly lost their nerve.

It seemed that this man called Cant had some influence over them.

"We caught a suspicious guy... But why are you here, Cant?"

"Ah... I just delivered some trash."

Cant took out a wad of money from his pocket and waved it.

It looked like a drunk customer showing off his money, but Oliver could tell it was staged.

"Ah, I see. Then you should go on your way..."

"Ah? Why are you trying to chase me away like that? We're not strangers, you know?"

"No, it's not that, I have some business..."

"Business? Ah... You're interrogating this naive-looking kid? Let me see..."

Cant approached Oliver closely, examining him while touching his bearded chin.

"...Is this kid a mole's subordinate?"

"Maybe... You know, these days..."

"Hmm... I don't know. To me, he looks like a naive kid who's lost his way. How old are you?"

"..."

"See? He can't even answer his age. Hahaha!"

"Still, he's suspicious, right? It's even more dangerous. You know, the mole is cunning. He could be one of the kids under him."

"That's true, but..."

The two men talking with Oliver in the middle.

Oliver quietly raised his hand.

Even though he didn't do anything, the two men, who were engrossed in their conversation, soon noticed him.

As their gazes focused on him, Oliver spoke.

"Who is the mole?"