Chapter 33: Espionage (1)
"It seems safe now that we've come this far."
One of the senior disciples said.
He had been a senior disciple since Joseph’s time, which explained why he showed more experience and composure in unexpected situations than others.
Just like now.
"Is this... what you call a secret safehouse?"
"Yes, my lord... Joseph set it up. If we stay here, we should be safe."
Oliver looked around.
The building, located in the middle of an ordinary house, seemed livable, probably because it was maintained regularly.
"My lord prepared this place to guard against potential attacks or the Holy Knights. No one knows about it except us."
Oliver nodded and answered, then asked Mari and Peter if everyone had followed them properly.
Mari responded.
"One, two, three... Yes! Everyone is here."
"We’ve all made it here as well."
After receiving their reports, Oliver assigned everyone to rooms and ordered them to unpack and rest.
Honestly, this was his first time experiencing such an emergency, so he wasn't quite sure what to do next.
The most he could do was quickly pack as the apothecary instructed and follow the advice of the senior disciple.
What on earth was this “Firefly”?
"Holy Knights."
"What?"
"They're Holy Knights, warriors created by the Pater Church."
Oliver tilted his head in confusion.
Pater Church, God... He had heard of them before.
The overseers would sometimes talk about them. Whenever they saw children like Oliver, they would say that they were destined for hell because they hadn't received the blessing of God.
Even though the situation was dire, Oliver couldn't help but feel curious.
"What is the Pater Church, who are the Holy Knights, and what is God? Can you explain in detail?"
The senior disciple looked at Oliver in bewilderment, as if he were asking a child what the sun and water were.
"Uh... well... it's... that is..."
It was clear he didn’t know how to explain it properly either.
Understanding the situation, Oliver told him it was fine and ordered him to rest.
"My lord?"
Just as the senior disciple left, and Oliver was about to rest as well, Mari approached quietly.
"Yes? What is it, Mari?"
"Is this really okay?"
"What is?"
"Well... we didn’t manage to take much money or books when we fled in such a hurry, did we?"
That was true. The moment they received the note saying, "The Firefly has arrived. Everyone, flee quickly," Oliver had packed the bare minimum and ordered an immediate escape.
He didn’t know the full details of the situation, but trusted his gut and judgment that the apothecary wouldn’t send them away without reason.
The first thing Oliver grabbed was his emotions. As a result, he didn’t manage to take all the money he had earned recently, nor most of his books.
While Oliver thought that he had taken enough money and read most of the books, Mari seemed to think otherwise.
"If we leave things as they are, we’ll lose both the money and the books. Wouldn’t it be better to go back and get them now? Without the manufacturing lab, we’ll face difficulties for a while..."
Oliver shook his head at Mari's suggestion.
"Hmm... No. Money is important, but we only have one life."
"I-I’ll go and get them."
Oliver looked at Mari, puzzled.
"Mari? Why would you?"
"...I want to help you, my lord."
"What?"
"I want to help you, my lord. If we leave things as they are, it will cause significant losses. It cost a lot to set up the lab. This could hinder your future progress."
"...?"
Oliver looked at Mari, unsure of what she meant by 'progress.'
He thought back on what he had done so far.
After killing Joseph, he returned and ended up temporarily taking over as the leader, reading books, making filgaret, and teaching black magic.
Thanks to good luck, things had gone smoothly.
Oliver had simply done his job because he wanted to read books. There was no plan or intention behind his actions.
He couldn’t understand what Mari was thinking when she spoke like this, but he realized there was a significant gap between their thoughts.
Maybe it had something to do with the obsession and reverence Mari was exuding?
"Hmm... It’s okay."
"B-but..."
"Really, it’s okay. Things will work out somehow. For now, can you go with the others to check the secret passage? Just in case we need to use it."
At Oliver's words, Mari lowered her head and answered softly.
"Oh, understood."
"Yes, thank you."
After Mari left, Oliver thought to himself. Frankly, Mari wasn’t entirely wrong.
Although Oliver had taken what he considered enough money, it was a small amount compared to the whole.
And losing the books was also painful. Even though he had read most of them, it didn’t mean he didn’t care about losing them.
Books held knowledge that could be preserved forever.
It was a shame.
Nevertheless, Oliver decided not to dwell on it.
He didn’t know exactly what kind of beings the Holy Knights were, but from what others had said, as well as from the apothecary's note and Joseph's records, they seemed to be a natural enemy of black magicians.
Oliver simply planned to wait for the predator to leave.
...
Yet, at the same time, he was curious. What kind of existence could be a black magician’s natural enemy?
After all, it might just be the clue he needed to understand that beautiful light he had seen.
As a result, two conflicting desires clashed inside Oliver.
One was the survival instinct telling him to lay low and stay quiet.
The other was the insatiable curiosity driving him to seek knowledge.
Both forces held considerable sway over him.
As the quiet war raged inside Oliver, someone approached him.
"My lord...?"
"...What is it?"
Oliver responded later than usual, as his mind was occupied by the internal struggle.
Perhaps mistaking his slow response for anger, the disciple who spoke looked more frightened and nervously continued.
"I-I’m sorry. I thought it was important to tell you."
"No, it's fine. Speak freely. What is it?"
"...Dominique of the Dominique Family has arrived."
...
It sounded absurd, but it was true.
Dominique, the head of the Dominique Family, one of the pillars of Wineham alongside Joseph and Anthony, was in the basement of the secret safehouse Joseph had prepared.
He was there with just four disciples, facing off against Mari and the others.
Judging by the mood and their emotions, it didn’t seem like they intended to fight.
In fact, when Oliver went downstairs, Dominique greeted him warmly.
"Oh, you’re still alive. That’s good."
"Yes, hello."
Oliver responded as if greeting a neighbor.
The tense Mari and the others quickly relaxed with Oliver’s arrival, and Oliver gestured for them to lower their guard.
"You seem to have something to discuss. Is that right?"
"Oh, you figured it out."
"Before that, may I ask a question?"
"Hmm?"
"How did you find this place?"
Dominique looked at Oliver with an incredulous expression.
"Is that really what you’re curious about right now?"
"Yes."
"...Ha, well, it's not that impressive. Most safehouses tend to have basements or escape tunnels. In case of emergencies, they’re often connected, so we just followed the sewers and tunnels."
"Ah, I see. Did you use black magic?"
"...Yes, we used 'Sensib Nose.' It's a type of disease-based black magic that’s our specialty. It enhances the sense of smell, allowing us to track people even in the stench of the sewers."
Oliver mentally noted this information.
Lately, he had been somewhat neglecting his study of black magic, as his interests had shifted, but it was undeniable how fascinating black magic still was.
"Impressive."
Dominique frowned, seemingly displeased by Oliver's genuine admiration. His already grim expression grew even darker, but unlike before, he didn’t explode in anger.
Instead, his emotions twisted, becoming more cunning and calculating.
"Now, may I get to the point?"
"Oh! Of course. Please, go ahead."
Dominique stared at Oliver for a moment before speaking.
"Whether you know it or not, Anthony is gone."
"Anthony? As in, the head of the Anthony Family?"
"Yeah. Who else could I be talking about? The Holy Knights went straight for him, and he didn’t have time to escape. One of his disciples who managed to flee told me, so it’s confirmed."
"Hmm... I see."
Oliver reacted calmly, showing little interest.
Dominique's emotions flared with anger at this reaction.
"You’re acting like it doesn’t concern you! After Anthony, we’re next."
"Wouldn't we be fine if we stayed hidden?"
"No, the Holy Knights are relentless. They're God’s hunting dogs. Why would they stop?"
"Ah, I see. Do you know much about the Holy Knights?"
"What?"
"Could you tell me more about them? I don’t know much."
Bang―――!
Dominique slammed his fist against the wall, his veins bulging with rage. The impact left a small crack, and dust trickled down from the ceiling.
"Are you mocking me?"
"Oh... Sorry. I’m genuinely curious."
Dominique glared at Oliver, his eyes burning with fury.
...
After a moment of silence, Dominique spoke again.
"In any case, the Holy Knights are tenacious. Since they’ve already dealt with Anthony, there’s no telling when this mess will end."
"So, what’s your plan?"
"We should strike first."
"But didn’t the apothecary say to stay hidden and let him handle it?"
"Since when are we that old man’s lackeys?! He wouldn’t even be called an apothecary without us!"
Half of that was true, and half of it wasn’t.
While it was true that the apothecary earned considerable profit thanks to the black magicians, the black magicians also relied on him for easy access to materials and swift cash conversion. He also handled various cleanup operations.
But Oliver saw no reason to argue over details, so he asked innocently.
"So... are you planning to fight?"
"Of course! Why should we fear those bastards?!"
"But black magicians have a terrible match-up against them..."
"Even so, if we band together, we can win. All of Anthony’s disciples have joined me, so we haven’t lost any strength. If you, Oliver, and your people join us—"
Dominique trailed off as he noticed Oliver raising his hand quietly.
"What is it?"
Oliver answered calmly.
"Just a couple of things. First, we’re still the Joseph Family, not the Oliver Family."
"...What?"
"We haven’t changed the name. Joseph established the group, and I’m just leading it temporarily."
"You’ve got to be kidding me..."
"And second, I have no intention of fighting."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"If the enemy is dangerous, why would we fight them?"
"Didn’t you hear me?! They’ll chase us down to the ends of the earth!"
"Then we’ll just keep running. Why risk—"
"Coward!"
Dominique spat at Oliver’s face in disgust.
Despite being spat on, Oliver didn’t show any signs of distress. He simply wiped his face calmly.
"Well... If that makes me a coward, then I suppose I am one. But I don’t see any reason to put myself in danger."
Dominique straightened his posture, looking ready to attack at any moment.
"So, what? While we’re out there fighting the Holy Knights to the death, you’ll just sit back and reap the rewards?"
"No, I don’t intend to freeload, but I’ll certainly be grateful... If you’d like, I can repay—"
"—Kill this bastard!"
Dominique, unable to hold back any longer, lunged at Oliver, but then suddenly froze in place. His legs were ensnared by shadow tendrils.
"Ah... Are you thinking of fighting me?" Oliver asked, showing both palms in a placating gesture.
His demeanor was incredibly polite, but the shadow tendrils binding Dominique’s legs were as solid as ancient tree roots.
Tensions escalated as Dominique’s followers and Oliver’s disciples prepared to fight.
"Can you please try to understand?" Oliver asked again, hoping to defuse the situation.
"...Everyone, we’re leaving."
"Sorry?"
"We’re leaving!" Dominique growled. "We don’t have time to waste on cowards like you when we’ll soon be fighting the Holy Knights."
At Dominique’s command, his family members reluctantly lowered their weapons, and Joseph’s disciples followed suit.
Oliver released the shadow tendrils from Dominique’s legs.
"...After we deal with the Holy Knights, you’re next. You’d better be ready."
"Thank you for your understanding. I’ll be sure to repay you properly."
Dominique sneered in disgust and left through the secret passage he had come from.
With that, the sudden visit came to an end, and everyone in the basement sighed in relief.
"That was close. I thought something terrible was going to happen."
"Yeah... I’m glad nothing serious happened."
"Get ready to move again."
Oliver’s quiet voice cut through the murmurs.
"Sorry?"
"I’ve got a bad feeling. It’s dangerous to stay here, so pack up again and get ready to flee."
"......"
No one responded immediately, simply staring at Oliver in a daze. Eventually, Mari snapped out of it and barked orders.
"What are you all doing?! The master told us to move! Are you just going to sit there?!"
At her words, everyone hurried into action.
Peter approached Oliver.
"So, where to next?"
"I don’t know. Are there any other safehouses?"
The senior disciple nodded.
"Yes, there are two or three more, though they’re farther away and not as well maintained."
"Great. Take everyone there."
"Sorry?"
"I’ve got something else to do."
"Where are you going?"
Mari asked, alarmed.
"I’m going to follow Dominique’s group."
"What?"
"They said they’re going to fight the Holy Knights, so I want to see what they’re like."
Mari looked utterly baffled. But to Oliver, this was an innovative idea.
He could hide and observe the fight between Dominique’s family and the Holy Knights.
It was the perfect compromise—minimizing risk while satisfying his curiosity.
However, Mari clearly didn’t see it that way.
"But... that’s too dangerous."
"It’s fine. I know how to hide. You all should head to safety."
Mari’s emotions fluctuated wildly—confusion, fear, worry, all negative feelings.
It was like she was facing a life-or-death battle.
"I’ll just grab a few test tubes and—"
-Grab.
Someone caught hold of Oliver’s sleeve. It was Mari.
"M-Mari?"
"Then we’ll come with you. At least let me come. It’s too dangerous to go alone."
Oliver looked down at Mari’s hand gripping his sleeve.
Her emotions glowed brighter than ever, so strong they almost physically transferred to him.
It was fascinating.
He didn’t know why she reacted this way, but if he had time, he’d like to find out.
But for now, there was something more urgent.
"It’s okay, Mari."
"B-but..."
"I prefer to go alone. I need to move quickly and stay hidden."
At those words, Mari reluctantly let go of his sleeve.
"...So, are we... in the way?"
Her emotions, which had been swirling like muddy water, grew even more turbulent—shock, disappointment, despair, fear, and self-loathing.
All these tangled emotions surged within her.
Looking into Mari’s eyes, Oliver spoke.
"Well... you could say that. Everyone, take care and evacuate safely."
With that, Oliver left.