Chapter 42: The First Footprint (1)
"Hmm..."
A dark space, filled with the stench of rotting corpses.
Oliver sat there.
In front of him, a corpse with one arm missing was slumped against an altar.
"As expected, this seems to be the right decision..."
"......"
"I could follow Mari's suggestion and use the family... but it feels like leaving is the right choice."
"......"
"That beautiful light... it’s not something that can be easily found just because you try. More importantly, I don't want to use those people like that."
"......"
"Mari and Peter. They’re beautiful in their own way. The will to do something... it's beautiful. That's why I put in some effort before leaving, but it got stranger as time went on."
"......"
"At first, they wanted to do everything for themselves, but strangely, as time passed, that will slowly disappeared, and they just waited for my command. The beautiful light I saw in them started to fade..."
"......"
"So, I’ve decided to leave. I think they’ll be better off without me. Of course, it's also easier for me to search for that beautiful light on my own. Being part of the organization made it surprisingly hard to focus on my own work."
"......"
"Besides, I’m also quite interested in what the Holy Knight said. We met by chance the other day... was her name Joanna?"
"......"
"She said I was broken."
"......"
"It was a bit surprising. Some people have said similar things about me before, but she was the first one who sincerely pitied me and tried to help... What do you think, Master? Am I broken?"
"......"
"So, I suddenly got curious. Am I truly broken? That's something else I intend to find out. As she suggested, I’ll try to make friends and live in the world... I’ll know the answer then, right?"
"......"
"Am I truly the pitiful being she described...? She’s quite a kind person, isn't she?"
"......"
"Yes, this seems to be the right decision. The beautiful light, black magic, me... If I had stayed with the organization, it would have been difficult to explore everything I want to know. There was always something coming up."
"......"
"James mentioned that the Apothecary is trying to expand his business... It’s really curious. He already has plenty of money, yet he wants to make more. There must be a reason for it, but the fact that people spend most of their time earning money just to earn more is interesting."
"......"
"Well, my disappearance might cause some trouble for them, but the others can synthesize emotions too, so it shouldn’t be too big of a problem, right? I even left them a note... Yes, leaving is definitely the right answer."
"......"
"Thank you for listening to me. Saying it out loud really helped clear my mind."
With that, Oliver stood up and bowed politely to the corpse... no, to the deceased Joseph.
Of course, there hadn’t been an actual conversation, but just talking like this had been enough for Oliver.
After expressing his thanks once more, Oliver turned to leave the way he came.
"......"
Before exiting the room, Oliver stopped and turned his head silently.
He looked at the altar where Joseph was leaning.
The altar carved with three rectangles and nine circles.
The old man on horseback...
The mysterious entity that appeared when Oliver defeated Joseph.
No, it wasn’t entirely mysterious. They had called it a demon.
But that was all.
The demon known as the old man on horseback was nowhere to be found in Joseph's study.
All Oliver had uncovered were the usual facts about demons threatening the human world and black magicians making deals with them to grow their power.
For Oliver, who sought more concrete and tangible information, it held little value.
What exactly was that entity?
Oliver couldn’t forget the strange yet familiar sensation he felt when he first encountered it.
But what he couldn’t forget even more was that it had greeted him.
With proper etiquette, in a friendly manner... and it hadn’t felt strange to Oliver at all...
What was it? And what were demons, giving power to black magicians and threatening the human world?
Oliver had asked Joseph and the Apothecary, but they merely answered that demons were naturally like that.
Even when Oliver inquired if they could get any related books, they simply shook their heads.
Though they were usually helpful with almost everything else.
“Information and books related to demons are far too dangerous. The Pater Church oversees and monitors them directly. Just searching for that knowledge is a crime, and even if you try, you can’t easily obtain it. You’d need a huge amount of capital, information networks, and risk management capabilities. Only in massive cults or the Black Market might you come across it.”
“Cults... the Black Market...”
Oliver recalled what the Apothecary had said as he ascended to the surface.
Although his interest in demons wasn’t particularly high, it was undeniable that he was curious.
If the opportunity arose, it might not be a bad idea to pursue it.
Since demons were said to possess knowledge and power that humans couldn’t rival, perhaps they could answer some of Oliver's questions.
But, of course, that would be after he’d done a fair bit of personal research first.
"Hmm... Now, where should I go?"
Having surfaced and distanced himself from the abandoned hospital, Oliver spoke as he stepped outside the fence.
It was a rather serious problem.
Why? As strange as it sounds, this was the first time Oliver had ever gone out into the world of his own will.
Oliver had grown up in an orphanage and a mine.
There was no such thing as free outings there.
The only time he left the orphanage was when he was sold to the mine, and when he left the mine, it was because he was sold to Joseph.
Oliver had never thought about going somewhere of his own volition, nor had he ever had the chance.
That’s why Oliver was feeling confused now.
Where should he go?
He had left because it seemed like the right thing to do, but he had no idea where he should actually go.
He had goals, but no clue how to get there.
In hindsight, it seemed like a foolish move. Leaving without knowing where to go...
After some thought, Oliver opened his mouth.
"Hmm... Maybe I should go there first?"
He muttered to himself, recalling the park where he had first met Joseph.
Unlike most of the scenes Oliver had witnessed, that place had been filled with kindness, leisure, and happiness—positive emotions.
Maybe, if he went there, he’d figure out what to do next.
Having made a non-decision, Oliver began to walk.
Step. Step. Step.
As he walked, Oliver observed the X-District of Landa.
It hadn’t been that long since he’d last been there, yet it seemed very different from when he had visited with Joseph.
There was more graffiti on the walls, more bloodstains on the streets, and the totems that had stood in the alleys were now in ruins.
As expected, it was a neighborhood where, despite the quiet exterior, emotions were constantly in turmoil. But there was one thing that hadn’t changed.
The people lurking in the shadows, like predators watching their prey.
They had been watching Oliver since a while ago as he wandered alone in the area.
Filled with malice, cunning, sadism, and anger, their emotions were clear.
Suddenly, Oliver stopped walking.
The reason was simple: a group of people stood waiting at the corner of the alley, targeting him.
They were filled with anticipation, tension, and impatience, waiting for Oliver to step into their trap.
"Hmm..."
Oliver pondered what to do.
They were clearly less dangerous than the gang he had faced in Wineham... no, even lower than that.
They couldn’t even conceal their killing intent or control their emotions.
Oliver slipped his hand into his pocket and checked the vials he had prepared.
The vials he had packed one by one when he decided to leave Wineham.
If he used black magic, he could easily drive them away... but he hesitated.
He didn’t want to waste the emotions he had carefully gathered, nor did he want to draw attention by causing a scene right after leaving.
Oliver knew too little about the outside world to risk unnecessary conflict. At least, not now.
So Oliver made a third choice. Retreat.
He turned and slipped into another alley.
Seeing this, the figures in the back alley were startled and began to scramble, eventually rushing after him.
"Hmm..."
Oliver continued to think about what to do.
It was his first time being out in the world alone, so he wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. While he was thinking, the back alley group had surrounded him.
"Hah... This bastard has sharp instincts, huh? Running away?"
"Boss, this guy looks scared."
"Shut up, idiot. I’m talking here. Hey... you. You're not from around here, are you?"
Oliver answered.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you... What the hell are you doing here? You don’t belong here, so why are you lurking around?"
"...I came to meet someone?"
"Meet someone? Who?"
"...Someone I owe."
"Who the hell is that, idiot?!"
"..."
"Boss, this guy’s suspicious. I think he might be one of Mole’s spies."
"Mole? Suspicious?" Oliver tilted his head, unable to understand the situation.
They didn’t seem like mere robbers. The leader, holding a club, pushed it toward Oliver and demanded aggressively.
"Hey! You! Answer me! Or do you want a beating first before you start talking?! Huh?"
"Well... it's hard to say who I owe, but... more importantly, who is this Mole?"
"Don’t play dumb! You look like someone Mole sent to spy around! If you spill it now, we might let you off easy. So start talking!"
Realizing that communication wasn’t working, Oliver sensed that staying still would be dangerous. At that moment, an unfamiliar voice cut in.
"What’s going on here?"
Click. Click. Click.
Turning his head, Oliver saw a man approaching.
A middle-aged man, wearing a shabby long coat and a beanie. He also limped, using a long wooden stick.
The people chasing Oliver seemed to know him.
“Quarterstaff Kent?”
“Yes, that’s me, Quarterstaff Kent. Thanks for the introduction... Now, what’s all this about?”
The group around Oliver visibly shrank.
It seemed this man, Kent, held some influence over them.
“A suspicious guy showed up, so we grabbed him... But Kent, why are you here?”
“Oh... I was just making a delivery.”
Kent took out a wad of cash and waved it around.
He looked like a drunkard flaunting his money, but Oliver could tell it was all staged.
“I see... well, we were just—”
“Oh? Why so eager to get rid of me? We’re not strangers, after all.”
“No, it’s not that, we just have some business to take care of...”
“Business? Ah... like interrogating this clueless kid? Let me have a look...”
Kent casually approached and examined Oliver, even rubbing his beard while he did so.
"This kid... you’re saying he’s one of Mole’s guys?”
“Well, you never know. Given the current situation, he could be.”
“Hmm... I don't know. Looks like a clueless kid to me. A lost one at that. How old are you, boy?”
"......"
"See? He can’t even answer his age. Hahaha!"
“Well, he’s still suspicious, isn’t he? It could be dangerous, you know how sneaky Mole can be. This kid could be one of his underlings.”
“That’s true, but...”
The two continued their conversation with Oliver in the middle.
Observing quietly, Oliver raised his hand.
It wasn’t a significant gesture, but it caught their attention, and they both turned to look at him.
As their gazes focused on him, Oliver finally spoke.
"Who is Mole?"