Chapter 59

<59. Capturing the Beast (2)>

When Oliver returned from Zone V to Zone T, it was the time when evening was turning into night.

The streets were less crowded than during the day, but they weren't completely quiet.

Unlike Zones W and X, the area had a certain level of security, so various small and large bars were open on the alleys and main roads, welcoming customers.

The same was true for the Restaurant Forest.

Ding dong.

When Oliver opened the door and entered, just like the first time, a red-skinned Al appeared to greet him.

"Hello, Mr. Dave. Please come in. It's nice to see you again. The boss is waiting for you."

He guided him as if he knew everything, and Oliver didn't bother to ask.

He had said that the market was wild but surprisingly systematic and meticulous, and it seemed to be true.

As Al had said, Forest, the owner of the restaurant and the broker, was waiting for Oliver in the middle of the cleared dining room.

"Nice to see you again. I expected to see you again, but I didn't know it would be today."

Forest stood up and welcomed Oliver politely.

Oliver also answered politely, as was fitting.

"Well, it's quite impressive. I had a slight expectation that you would catch it, but to do it in a day... it's a bit unexpected."

"It was just good luck."

"Recently, luck is also a skill. Have you had dinner?"

Oliver thought about it. Had he eaten?

"...No, not yet."

"Even though it's late, would you allow me to treat you to dinner?"

Oliver was about to refuse, saying he wasn't hungry, but then he changed his mind and said he would accept.

Forest only showed favor to people he liked, so Cant had advised him to accept minor things.

As soon as Oliver accepted, staff in relatively casual attire brought the food.

It was a fish dish with sauce.

"Do you dislike fish?"

"No... I'll enjoy it, thank you."

Oliver skillfully cut and ate the fish with his fork and knife.

Forest ate at a similar pace, but he was observing Oliver while pretending not to.

"...You eat quite well."

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, sorry. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize. I just haven't seen someone eat with such dignity in a long time, so I said it without thinking."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, most people ask for alcohol or large pieces of meat to be grilled instead of proper meals. Cant was the former."

"I see."

"Yes... So, it's quite surprising to see someone eat so politely."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Oliver answered briefly and politely, as Cant had advised.

So far, he was doing well.

Forest stared at Oliver intently, with a penetrating gaze like Cant, the pharmacist, and James.

Oliver didn't take any particular action and just looked back as usual.

Forest soon averted his gaze and resumed eating.

Did he let it go?

Oliver thought as he continued eating.

Clatter. Clatter.

When the plate was about half empty, Forest stopped eating and gestured to a staff member.

A moment later, Al brought 42 million randa in high-denomination bills, precisely 35.7 million randa.

"35.7 million randa as the reward. I've bundled it in high-denomination bills for easy carrying. The original reward was 42 million randa, but I deducted 15%, which is 6.3 million randa, as my commission. Any questions?"

"No."

At Oliver's short answer, Forest's eyebrows slightly raised.

It was as if the expected answer didn't come.

Realizing the situation, Oliver spoke.

"I don't mind the slightly higher commission."

"......"

"Cant said that Forest charges 15%, which is 1.5 times higher than other brokers, but he deserves it."

"......Did that friend say that?"

"Yes. He said you have a harsh side but are responsible in your work. And you provide various services, so he said I could trust and do business with you."

At that moment, Forest's emotions wavered slightly.

Regret, guilt, remorse, misunderstanding, longing. It seemed he had some story with Cant, but he soon regained his composure.

He really seemed to have a strong will in his work.

Forest interlocked his fingers and propped his chin, then spoke.

"Thank you for the kind words... Can we get to the main topic?"

"Yes."

Oliver also stopped eating and showed his focus.

"First, I'd like to congratulate you on officially passing the test. As promised, I will be your broker. Understand?"

At Forest's call, Al brought some documents.

"It's a formal procedure, but please fill these out. It's a simple employment contract."

"Can I read it first?"

"Of course, it's only natural. It includes the basic commission, the terms you must follow, penalties for violations, and the obligations and services I must provide."

While listening, Oliver read through the document with his eyes.

Thanks to his extensive reading, he could read smoothly without any hitches.

There were no problematic contents in the contract.

As Forest said, it included the commission, responsibility distribution in case of incidents, and terms both parties must follow.

It wasn't much different from what Cant had explained in the past.

While it seemed strict and cold, it clearly defined responsibilities, making it feel clean and tidy.

It was as if it reflected Forest's personality.

"Can I ask one question?"

"What is it?"

Oliver pointed to the protection clause at the bottom.

"What is this part?"

"It's exactly as it reads. Brokers like me exist throughout Randa, in the political and administrative zones A, B, and C. We belong to a single association and check and help each other."

"Yes, I've heard that."

"Good. Then you also know that our broker association lobbies the Randa Police Department. Thanks to this, the solvers we work with receive some benefits. For example, minor crimes are overlooked. Of course, they can't be publicized, but to a certain extent, they are overlooked."

"I see."

"And the same applies to black mages like you. Black magic uses humans as materials. In fact, just being a black mage is enough to be arrested."

Oliver nodded.

He already knew this from Joseph's study and Cant.

That's why black mages either hide in the shadows or use fake identities to conceal themselves.

Of course, if the police department wanted to catch them, they could catch many, but the enormous cost, risk, and chaos prevent them from doing so.

It's like not catching cockroaches you can't see, but killing them when you do.

"I understand."

"Yes, but as long as you don't cause major problems while working with me, there shouldn't be any issues. Even if an accident happens during work, I'll protect you to a certain extent."

"I understand. So, I just need to avoid the items listed here, right?"

Oliver pointed to the items again, which included demon worship and illegal human experiments.

"Yes, those are absolute no-go items. If any of them appear, our contract is automatically terminated. Also, crimes that occur during missions without my involvement are not protected, and the same goes for other disturbances in daily life. Do you understand?"

Oliver nodded. In other words, he would only receive Forest's protection when he behaved well and performed his missions.

Honestly, it wasn't bad. He had no immediate plans to do anything else and didn't intend to cause trouble. There was no problem.

However, the human experiment item caught his attention. He wondered if it included the corpses of dogs or animals.

The book he obtained from the puppeteer Glib contained methods for preserving and modifying corpses, and ways to control them remotely.

He was personally curious about the content and wanted to experiment if he had the chance.

At least with animal corpses... Of course, if possible, he wanted to try with human corpses as well.

However, the content in the document was concerning.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, there isn't."

Oliver decided it was inappropriate to ask immediately and postponed the question.

Cant had said that once he gained more experience and a good reputation, he could make personal requests, so it would be fine to ask later.

Forest seemed suspicious but didn't press further and moved on to the next topic.

"Sorry, I made it sound too grand. Don't take it too seriously. We entered into a contract out of necessity, and it just means we have minimum obligations to each other. That's all."

"Yes, I understand."

"...Do you have any more questions?"

Oliver wanted to ask about the black market but held back, exercising patience.

He thought it was inappropriate to immediately bring up the black market.

As he had said, he would first gain experience here, understand the workings of this world, and build some credit and reputation before asking.

If he mentioned the black market, he would likely be asked for a reason. He planned to answer that he was looking for books on black magic, as he had practiced several times.

Good, it was perfect. It was a bit disappointing that it would take time, but he would surely learn something in the meantime.

Oliver strengthened his resolve.

"No."

"Good... That's all. Do your best from now on."

"Yes, thank you. Ah, right..."

Oliver took out ten 100,000 randa bills from the stack he received as payment.

He asked to exchange them for 50,000 randa and 10,000 randa bills.

While 50,000 randa was fine, 100,000 randa bills were too high-denomination and would draw attention.

"Can you exchange them?"

"Yes, Cant told me that Forest provides such services."

"Then you must have heard that the exchange fee is 10%."

"Yes, that's fine."

"Understood."

Forest handed the ten 100,000 randa bills to Al, who went to the office and returned with half in 10,000 randa bills and half in 50,000 randa bills.

He smiled kindly and handed them to Oliver, who bowed politely and accepted the money.

After finishing, Oliver cut the remaining food into large pieces, ate them, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood up.

"If you don't mind, I'll take my leave now."

"Of course, good work."

Forest stood up and extended his hand to Oliver.

Oliver shook his hand and quietly left.

He greeted each staff member he passed.

***

"What do you think?"

After Oliver left, Forest, who remained seated, finished his fish dish and asked Al, the staff member.

"He seems a bit naive, like a child stepping out into the world for the first time, but he seems fundamentally good. He's easy to communicate with and not eccentric. According to what I heard from Martel, he seems to have real skills."

"That's the problem. I've never seen a black mage who is both skilled and has a good personality. They are beings that oppose mages, but fundamentally, they are similar to mages."

Al smiled and advised.

"It's not a story that other black mages would like to hear."

"True, but it's the truth."

The sound of cutlery clattered again.

"More importantly, what will you do? Boss. Martel asked for Dave's information. Will you accept?"

Forest was silent.

Martel Life Research Institute, established by the Life Magic School, was a giant research group created by the combination of capitalists' money and mages' technology.

It held numerous patents and had significant influence in the medical field.

Its official image was good, but in reality, it was a group of madmen obsessed with magic supremacy and eugenics.

According to rumors, the chimera that escaped this time wasn't actually lost but was deliberately released to gather data on how well it could perform independently.

Of course, it was just a rumor, but it was a plausible story for Martel.

These people were interested in the young black mage who had just entered today.

"...I'll refuse for now."

Al nodded at Forest's answer.

"Understood. But will it be okay?"

"From the tone, it seems they're just probing. There's no need to react to such things. Let's wait and see."

"Understood."

Al answered and took away the plate Oliver had cleaned.

Forest was left alone in the hall, smiling meaningfully.

"It seems I won't be bored for a while."