Chapter 73

<73. Ambush (3)>

A little while later, Murphy came out at Oliver's call.

"W-What is this... Did you capture this one, Sir Dark Mage?"

"Yes."

"The explosion was tremendous... How did you manage it?"

"With a quarterstaff. More importantly, could you help me a bit?"

"Ah, yes... Please tell me what you need help with."

"Could you hold this one as a hostage for me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I can't manage to take care of this one as well. I think it will be helpful if you hold him as a hostage."

Oliver said this with a certain degree of confidence.

The evidence was that the mages, who were several hundred meters away from the warehouse, were extremely angry but did not rashly attack.

They were seething with displeasure, shame, embarrassment, and anger, but at the same time, they were worried and afraid for the explosive mage Oliver had captured.

They had been confident in their attack, but it seemed they had not anticipated being captured like this.

It was less about courage and more about a lack of fear.

In other words, they were not prepared to deal with such a situation.

"Because of the hostage, they won't attack the warehouse recklessly like before."

Perhaps because they were former soldiers, Murphy and the other guards understood immediately and nodded.

"Then...?"

"Meanwhile, I'll deal with the mages outside."

Oliver said this and handed over the mage.

Murphy, who had been calm until now, handled the mage as if he were a wild beast, which was a bit strange.

Everyone here was a former soldier, so most of them had a certain amount of courage, but they were overly afraid of mages.

'Hmm... Is it because they saw the power of mages on the battlefield? I can see the reverence and fear in their stories. Ah, could this be why mages join the military? To naturally show off their power and instill fear in people?'

It seemed like an exaggerated and baseless thought, but considering the attitude of the veterans, it didn't seem entirely wrong. However, that wasn't important right now.

Oliver said to Murphy, who still hadn't shaken off his unease.

"Mr. Murphy."

"Y-Yes, Sir Dark Mage."

"I'm sorry to ask you to do such a thing for the client... but I have no choice. We need your strength to protect the warehouse."

Only then did Murphy calm his wavering heart. Oliver added a few more words to reassure him.

"His ribs are broken, so even if he regains consciousness, he won't be able to move properly. So don't worry too much. For some reason, the mages seem to be quite concerned about this mage."

"I think I know the reason."

"Really?"

Murphy showed the cufflink of the explosive mage instead of answering.

The cufflink had a roaring lion engraved on it.

"The Roar family. A prestigious family of military mages."

"Are you talking about military mages?"

"Yes. A great family that has led many wars in the colonies and on the continent, earning numerous honors. They have recently ventured into politics as well. In short, he's a young master, and that's why they can't attack recklessly."

"Ah......"

Oliver nodded in surprise. Well... if that was the case, it made sense why they couldn't attack.

"But why is such a person here?"

"I'm not sure... Mages can be eccentric..."

"It's not eccentricity. It's to save the associate professor."

A strange voice came from somewhere, accompanied by a crackling noise.

Turning in the direction of the sound, they saw a square of colorful mana floating there.

"What is this?"

"It's a communication magic called 'Speaker.' It transmits will and voice through mana..."

"Huh... For a gang leader, you're quite smart."

The noise was much less than before, and the voice was clear. It was a rather young voice.

"We know you kidnapped our associate professor. So release the associate professor and John. Then, we'll back off."

John? It must be the name of the explosive mage. John Roar...

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden words of the mages, and even Murphy was speechless.

For a moment, fear rose from him, but there was also a calculated courage in his heart, weighing the benefits.

Oliver silently observed him.

"......"

The mage spoke again.

"Can't you hear me? Trash, release the associate professor and our people immediately. If you refuse, I'll wipe you all out, even if it means taking a hit. But if you comply, I'll back off."

A one-sided announcement. Despite the young voice, it carried a considerable authority, perhaps due to the mana.

Moreover, it didn't just feel intimidating; it directly pressured the mind and body.

For some reason, it had no effect on Oliver.

In any case, the warehouse personnel were visibly shaken by the mage's words.

It wasn't surprising.

Although they had managed to repel one attack, the magic missiles and explosion spells were threatening.

The firepower they had shown earlier was enough to destroy the warehouse.

Oliver looked at Murphy, his employer.

Since he was the employer, Oliver intended to follow his lead, but Murphy fell into deep thought, looking around the chaotic surroundings.

Whether to retreat meekly or fight the mages.

Frankly, the latter was an absurd idea.

Not only was the firepower overwhelming, but the range was also unmatched. They would likely be attacked one-sidedly and eventually be the first to fall.

Dark magic, after all, used limited emotions as its raw material, so a war of attrition would be difficult to win.

Hmm... Indeed, dark magic seemed to lack in resources and firepower compared to regular magic.

'If I could buy emotions in bulk, it might be better... Anyway...'

Oliver looked at the conflicted Murphy. He was still struggling.

Whether to retreat or fight. It was a ridiculous story, but he was also fighting a sense of humiliation and frustration beyond just losing a business opportunity.

Then, he remembered what Murphy had said. Why he was in this business, why he wanted to make money.

'In this country, without money, you're not a person.'

"Um... Mr. Murphy. As an employee, may I offer a few words of advice?"

"Huh? What...?"

"First, half of what the mages said is true."

"......?"

"That they'll destroy this warehouse."

It wasn't a good story, and the warehouse personnel, including Murphy, were shaken.

The Speaker fell silent, seemingly listening to Oliver's words.

Meanwhile, Oliver ordered the minions he had placed around to gather the emotions he had planted throughout the warehouse. He needed to buy more time.

"But, their claim to back off is a lie. I don't know why, but they're very angry and have no intention of backing off. If you release them, they'll attack even more."

With these words, the focus returned to Murphy's eyes, which had been clouded by doubt.

The Speaker interjected.

"Are you saying I'm lying?"

"I don't know, but your emotions and words are very different. You're also using mana to spy on us."

"Ha...! A charlatan dark mage who claims to feel mana? To see a mage's emotions? You're exaggerating too much!"

"......It's not an exaggeration. In any case, that's my opinion. The choice is yours, Mr. Murphy, but you must not release them if you want to protect the warehouse."

"......"

Murphy fell silent, as if making a decision.

The Speaker said,

"Think you can beat us just because you managed to capture one?"

Everyone looked at Oliver.

"It was luck, indeed. But, since it's a job, I'll fight if you keep fighting. What will you do?"

For some reason, Oliver's words gave courage to Murphy and the other warehouse personnel.

"Sir Dark Mage, will it be enough if I just hold this mage as a hostage?"

"Yes, that would be very helpful."

The Speaker shouted,

"Hey! Do you think we'll care about a hostage?"

"Yes, you do seem to care a bit. Of course, if you get even angrier, you might ignore it... It's a difficult situation for both sides. I need to protect the warehouse, and you want to rescue the hostage."

"......"

"How about this? I'll go outside and fight. If you knock me down, you can renegotiate with Mr. Murphy. What do you think?"

At that moment, a cold rage emanated from the distant mage.

"Does a dark mage think he can beat a mage of the Magic Tower?"

"It might be difficult, but with some effort, it could happen, right?"

"......"

The mage was furious, and Murphy's subordinates were shocked, covering their mouths. Did he make a mistake?

A heavy and awkward silence filled the air.

Oliver remained silent, matching the atmosphere, but inside, he was positioning the minions who had completed the emotion recovery at designated points.

He had to use every trick to increase his chances of winning.

One second, two seconds, three seconds. The silence grew longer, and as the tension reached its peak, a calm voice came through the Speaker.

"Fine... I'll play along. Come here, and I'll show you the difference between a mage and a dark mage."

Oliver responded,

"Thank you for accepting my proposal. You're very kind."

"......"

The Speaker fell silent, seething with anger, and the communication was cut off.

With the agreement in place, Oliver took out three test tubes containing life force and emotions.

[Black Suit ver. 2] x3

After equipping three layers of the Black Suit, he took out more test tubes.

He had spent a considerable amount of money on them, and they were already running low. If this went wrong, he might die.

[Enhanced Buildup]

[Burning Life] x3

[Muscle Up] x2

[Endurance Skin] x3

To avoid dying, Oliver used a large amount of emotions to overlay various disease spells on top of the Black Suit.

As a result, Oliver's body was surrounded by a semi-transparent darkness, with a dark red aura swirling above it.

It looked like a living shadow, and everyone was tense at the sight.

"Sir Dark Mage?"

"Yes, Mr. Murphy. What is it?"

At Oliver's innocent question, Murphy swallowed nervously.

"Can you beat the mage?"

"I'm not sure. We'll have to see. I did win once in the past, but it was mostly luck."

"Thank you for your help."

"Well, it's a paid job, so there's no need to thank me... Besides, I don't mind."

"Excuse me?"

"People who try to do something... I don't mind. But may I ask you something?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"If this mage is a young master from a prestigious family, are the mages outside likely to be young masters as well? An old friend once told me that people tend to stick together, so be careful."

"......I think that's correct."

"Hmm... Then, it would be troublesome if they died, right?"

"......Frankly, it would be more beneficial to capture them."

"Um... Yes, I understand. Please hold the mage firmly."

"Understood."

Just as Oliver was about to go outside, he turned back and said,

"Oh, by the way, don't worry about those."

Oliver pointed to a few minions that had taken positions near the gang members.

The employees, who had just noticed the minions, were startled.

"Ah...! What are these...?"

"They're just here as a precaution, so don't worry. They're for safety, so don't touch them."

The gang members couldn't calm down, intimidated by the menacing appearance of the minions, which resembled meatballs. Then, Murphy said,

"Understood. I'll do as you say, Sir Dark Mage."

"......Thank you."

Oliver bowed to Murphy and went outside.

As he stepped out, he could feel the rage of the distant mage. The mages, like Oliver, seemed to be preparing for battle.

Rumble———!

Oliver looked at the turbulent sky and said,

"Lightning?"

A blue flash struck down as he spoke.