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Oliver watched the rapidly changing landscape from the inside of a car.
It was pretty impressive.
“It’s amazing.”
“What do you mean?”
“The scenery outside. I didn’t expect to see something like this,” said Oliver, looking at the lush forest.
Most of Landa’s workers’ residents were dark, and you had to go out to the streets lined with entertainment establishments to see the bright place.
Of course, there was the park in the center of Landa, but it has been a long time since he saw such a forest.
The last time he saw one was during his trip out of the mine with Joseph.
“Strictly speaking, this is not Landa.” said the man sitting across from Oliver.
He was Edith Rock’s employee who came to pick up Oliver.
“Not Landa?”
“Yes. To be exact, outside Landa. It’s a kind of neutral zone between Landa and the Empire. According to the city agreement, the city can do any development within Landa, but development is restricted in the neutral areas outside the city. Thanks to that, this place still remains as a forest.”
Oliver nodded his head.
“Um….You are smart.”
“It’s just common sense.”
“Is that so? I definitely need to read some newspapers. Thank you for letting me know anyway.”
Oliver spoke politely, but somehow the reaction of the employee wasn’t very good.
He kept his poker face, but his emotions showed suspicion and distrust in Oliver, but he seemed somewhat relieved.
‘Why is he relieved?’
Oliver thought about it and wanted to ask, but somehow he felt he shouldn’t ask, so he endured it as much as he could.
Soon, he sensed the emotions of close to twenty people.
“Are we almost there?”
“…?! Yes, yes. We will arrive at the villa soon.”
What the staff said was true. Within a few minutes, they were completely out of the forest and there was a green field and a lake, and in front of them was a huge house.
Oliver wondered where he saw a house like that before and soon remembered that he saw it in a flyer saying [Let’s go to a wonderful resort] at the hotel he stayed with Joseph.
“That kind of house actually existed. I thought it only existed in books.”
Oliver said as he got out of the car.
The employee didn’t say much, but suddenly Oliver had a question.
“By the way, didn’t you say that development is restricted in the Neutral Zone?”
“There are exceptions everywhere, especially those who are as wealthy as our Master.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Then, this way, please. The team leader is waiting for you.”
Oliver followed the staff as instructed.
The place he guided was a huge space in the mansion, a gorgeous place, and there were many chairs and unique statues, and there were people already gathered in the room.
Five people in soldier uniform, and four people who seem to be Solvers.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Oliver, who arrived last.
Maybe due to the nature of the job, as soon as they saw Oliver, they seemed to be calculating in their heads, and at that moment someone spoke up.
“Everyone has arrived.”
A bald man sitting on a chair slowly rose from his seat.
The person made quite an impression.
He was wearing several objects with magical powers on his body, and a considerable level of mana was affixed to each one.
Not only that, but he himself possessed a vast amount of mana. The amount of mana he possessed was more than that of the Magic Tower students Oliver had fought in the past, as well as the Lightning Wizard.
‘But he doesn’t seem to be a wizard, why?’
While Oliver was pondering, the bald man opened his mouth.
“Nice to meet you all. My name is Duncan. I work for the Master who hired you.”
Everyone instinctively judged the skills of the man named Duncan, so they answered calmly on the outside and cautiously on the inside.
Without minding everyone’s reaction, the man named Duncan continued his speech, maintaining a stone-calm attitude.
He looked very skillful.
“As you all know, you were hired to protect the Master’s daughter.”
“……”
“Of course, you’re not the only ones who’ll be protecting her. I and my subordinates will also be here. We hired you because we needed force in case of any contingency, so normally there won’t be anything particularly difficult. So, for the next two weeks, I wish you all the best.”
At that moment, someone raised a hand.
A tall, green-haired man, and Oliver had seen a person like him once in the contaminated zone.
“Yes, tell me.”
The green-haired man lowered his hand, crossed his arms, and asked,
“Thank you for the kind explanation. But somehow it sounds to me… like you’re saying we’re nothing but guard dogs and only have to bite when you order us to. Is it just my imagination or do you really mean it that way?”
“No. As you heard…”
The man named Duncan answered calmly and firmly.
“I am well aware of the skills of the people here. You’re talented people in your respective fields. However, security is a job that requires a little more expertise. You can rest comfortably, adjust your condition, and move when we need you.”
“Well, it sounds plausible, but I’m not sure. What kind of specialization do you have?”
At those words, Duncan pulled something from the back of his waist and swung it like a whip.
It was hard to see properly, but the stone statue next to him broke and split into two.
The part that was hit got shattered, and everyone couldn’t keep their mouths shut.
‘… … A unique club-shaped stick. The vast amount of mana inside his body got transferred to the club, and in an instant, it produced tremendous power. Interesting.’
Oliver analyzed what he saw in the fleeting moment.
“…As you can see, I’m a Magic User. I was also a Pink Man in the past. Of course, I’ve also done this job professionally. Do you have any other questions?”
Then, to Oliver’s surprise, the man who kept asking questions stepped back.
“No. Not anymore. I’m good.”
He backed off more easily than Oliver expected, and not just that, there was no anger, no embarrassment, no frustration. It was as if he had expected it in advance.
‘Um……’
Duncan spoke again.
“… Please don’t misunderstand me. Even if I give orders, it’s only for daily activities. If a rogue appears, I’ll leave it entirely up to you and you have to deal with them. We have to protect the young lady. Strictly speaking, our role is only as an assistant, so you only need to follow my orders only in normal times.”
Surprisingly, his persuasion skills were excellent.
Most of the time everyone nodded their heads as if in agreement, which ended the invisible fight.
It was as if he was weaving it.
“Then, I will assign you a place to stay. Two weeks is longer than you think and it may be frustrating, but please cooperate. Then, please wait for a while.”
With those words, Duncan went into a room with his subordinates.
Thanks to this, only the solvers were left.
They all looked at each other awkwardly, then a man opened his mouth.
It was the tall, green-haired man who asked a curious question to Duncan.
“Why don’t we all introduce ourselves? Whether you like it or not, we have to stay together in this house for two weeks.”
He was quite cheerful, but he seemed somewhat audacious.
His long hair and short beard made him look older, but in reality, he looked quite young.
A man in his mid-thirties with a huge load on one side answered.
“I refrain from talking about unnecessary things. We got together for work anyway.”
“Oh, I’m depressed. I’m new to this, so I don’t know for sure, but it’s all about relationships and networking, right?”
“Is that why you’re here? Network?”
A female solver intervened.
She was stocky and wore a tight leather vest and trousers. She also wore a silk hat and goggles on her head.
“Ah, me? …It’s because… of course, I have good connections and good skills, like you.”
“Do you know me?”
“Magic Gun Witch Nina. You’re a sniper with a pretty good reputation in the PinkMan office, right? With that powerful gun, you suppressed 3 gangs and 7 large-scale worker riots? I’m curious, why did you leave such a good job and come out into the streets?”
The woman called Nina took a cigarette from her pocket… No, it wasn’t a cigarette, it was a pilgaret, and it felt somewhat familiar to Oliver.
“Uh-huh… if you tell me why a Druid came out to the street, I’ll tell you.”
“How did you know I was a druid?”
“’Cause you look like a fu*king druid, if you want to hide it I suggest you dye that green hair.”
The druid chuckled.
“Why did I come out? Is there anything else? I’ve come to this world to follow the lively and enjoyable new teachings instead of the tight old-fashioned teachings.”
“Enjoyment?”
“Bingo! Use your talents for yourself! It’s our teaching. Now it’s your turn, milady. Why did you leave your good job and come here?”
“The salary was tight. Damn it.”
“Short but perfect reason. Is there anyone else who wants to talk?”
“……..”
Everyone was silent, and at that moment, Oliver raised his hand.
“Oh, the gloomy warlock raised his hand. Is that too discriminatory?”
The druid giggled as if he said a funny joke, but Oliver asked a question he was curious about.
“Ms. Nina What is that?” asked Oliver, pointing to the cigarette in the woman’s hand.
The woman paused for a moment before answering.
“Cigarette. Are you the type that doesn’t like women to smoke?”
“No. I think it’s a pilgaret.”
“…!”
Pilgaret.
A type of drug made by processing emotions and wrapping them in a cigarette cover.
It was Oliver’s interest in the past, and the thing he handled. However, it was not simply for this reason he stopped the flow of the conversation and asked the question.
The woman named Nina said with a sigh.
“That’s why I don’t like warlocks… Why? Are you going to report it?”
“No. I’m just trying to make sure if it’s a pilgaret. Can I see it for a moment if it’s okay with you?”
“Let’s think about it for a moment. Ummm… NO. It costs 300,000, and it’s short on supply.”
“300,000, a pack?”
“No, one Pilgaret.”
“Wow…! Three hundred thousand for a cigarette?
“It’s not a cigarette, it’s a pilgaret. The name is [Gift], not just a cheap pilgaret.”
“Gift?”
“Uh. You’re a warlock, and you don’t know? It’s a new pilgaret brand that’s been circulating through the black market recently, and it’s terribly popular. They say it’s made by a pseudo-warlock cult, and the quality is incomparable.”
The woman puffed out the Pilgaret smoke as soon as she finished her words.
“That’s why I can’t give it to you. If you want to smoke one, pay your own money to buy one.”
Soon, a laugh broke out in the crowd, and Oliver put his hand into his pocket.
Seeing his action, some people contracted their muscles nervously, but what Oliver took out was his wallet, from which he took out 600,000 Landa bills.
“How about this?”
“Ha! You want to buy one?”
“No. I want to borrow it. Please lend it to me for a moment. I have something I want to check.”
When Oliver spoke, the woman stared at Oliver for a moment, then she took a pilgaret from the pack and handed it to him.
“If you do something strange, you will get hurt.”
Oliver exchanged bills with Pilgret to express his gratitude.
Oliver looked carefully, concentrating the energy in his eyes, and soon he saw two conflicting emotions narrowly nestled in the cigarette.
‘…. No matter how I look at it, it’s my recipe.’
RATTLE
At that moment, Duncan opened the door and entered.
“Everyone, follow me. I’ll let you meet the lady.”