Chapter 56: The Fixer (1)
When Oliver returned, the Beggar Faction was in the middle of a party.
Dozens of beggars were fighting, from small items like clothes to larger ones like watches and valuables.
But that lasted only for a moment. As soon as Oliver appeared, the commotion died down as if it had been a lie, and everyone fell silent, lowering their heads.
"Ah... Black Magician."
A few beggars took off their hats to show respect and cleared the way.
Oliver slightly nodded to accept the gesture and walked straight ahead.
At the end of the passage, he saw Kent and the other Beggar Faction leaders. They seemed to have finally found Mole's secret stash, as they were sharing a sizable amount of cash.
"Good. I think this much should do, right?"
"Yeah."
"Me too."
"So, this is why that Mole guy acted like such a fool."
"Right... Huh? Black Magician!"
The burly beggar, the small and sly beggar, and the one with a good-natured face—everyone stood up from their seats to greet Oliver.
They held deep respect for Oliver.
After all, despite being outnumbered and out-equipped by Mole’s gang, they had won so overwhelmingly because of Oliver's presence.
If it hadn't been for Oliver, they would have been severely wounded by the armed beggars and the old man guarding the entrance and forced to retreat.
If that had happened, Mole's gang would have counterattacked the next day, wiping them all out.
It was only thanks to Oliver that they had made it through without significant damage. Otherwise, it would have been as if they had died once already.
Kent stood up and spoke.
"Did you take care of the Black Magician who was backing Mole?"
"Yes."
Oliver nodded and held up the Greedy Pouch he had seized from the Black Magician as proof.
It was a black magic item made from skin, teeth, and the emotion of greed.
The evidence was sufficient, and everyone nodded in relief.
Then Kent looked behind Oliver and asked a question.
"Good job. But who are those people following you...?"
Oliver turned to look.
"Ah... They're the people the Black Magician had captured."
"Captured?"
"Yes, they were supposed to be sold off somewhere."
"I see. But—"
"—You're amazing, Black Magician! To think you defeated the Black Magician who was backing Mole... Ah! Please, take this."
Someone interrupted. It was Bip from 2nd Street in W-District.
With a cheerful gesture, he pointed to a pile of cash stacked in one corner.
"It's your share, Black Magician."
Oliver’s share... For a moment, Oliver didn’t understand what that meant.
After all, the only reason he helped was because of Kent, so it was understandable.
However, he didn’t bother refusing since he did need some money.
"Thank you."
"No, no. Thank you... By the way, do you take on other jobs?"
Bip quickly revealed his true intentions.
"We're having some trouble with a pimp we're fighting with over wages. If it’s not too much trouble, could you just show up? Just your presence alone, Black Magician..."
Oliver, uninterested, responded with silence. Sensing his disinterest, Bip quickly shut his mouth.
Everyone else tensed up at Oliver's subtly changed attitude.
"Um... If it’s alright, could I have a word with Kent?"
"Huh? Oh... Yes! Yes! Hey, everyone, let’s clear out."
The tense Beggar Faction leaders eagerly nodded and left the area.
Thanks to that, only Oliver, Kent, and the people Oliver had rescued from Mole's hideout remained.
"Kent."
"Yes, what is it?"
"First, may I ask... would you take these people in?"
"Huh?"
"They were captured by the Black Magician and have nowhere to go. Would you be willing to take care of them?"
Kent’s expression darkened slightly.
There were nearly twenty of them, including women and children, so it was understandable.
It was no small number.
Even though they had taken down Mole and acquired a decent amount of money, it was still a burden.
"Sigh... Can I ask why you brought them to me?"
"They were locked up in cages, and I thought they’d starve if I left them. They were supposed to be handed over to a place called Black Hand... I thought you were the only one who could help. Should I just let them go?"
Kent closed his eyes tightly, deep in thought.
"Sigh... Well, somehow, I’ll manage. I’ll take care of them."
The beggars who had followed Oliver sighed in relief.
If Kent had refused, they would have been thrown out onto the streets to starve.
Oliver asked them to step outside for a moment and wait, then turned to Kent again.
"Kent."
"Do you have something else to say?"
"Yes, a little. I have something to ask... Could you spare a moment?"
"Of course... Go ahead."
"Thank you."
Oliver took off his hood and greeted him.
Realizing this was no ordinary matter, Kent tensed up and asked.
"So, what do you want to ask?"
"Do you know anything about the organization called Black Hand?"
"Black Hand?"
"Yes, I’ve suddenly become interested. I’d like to know more."
"As I said before, it's an underworld organization mainly composed of Black Magicians. It's one of the major powers in this world."
"Yes, I remember. I’ve also heard they deal with forbidden knowledge and that it’s a place all Black Magicians dream of... Is there anything more specific you can tell me?"
Oliver's question was hard to read. However, unlike usual, it had a certain pressure behind it.
"...I don’t know the details. All I have are stories I’ve heard. Is that okay?"
"Yes, of course."
"...From what I know, it's an organization formed by powerful Black Magicians. In this world, it's half-legendary."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. They operate in many fields—producing illegal potions, supporting criminal organizations, demon worship, and even organ trafficking. But no one has ever seen their actual base. Despite that, everyone fears them."
"Why is that?"
"Rumor has it that many high-risk criminals are part of Black Hand."
"High-risk criminals?"
"The worst of the worst, deemed enemies of the world. They’re so dangerous that they can be killed on sight without trial, and there are huge bounties on their heads. You can think of them as enemies of the world."
"Oh... Who are some of them?"
"The Immortal Puppet, the Kidnapper Piper, the Eternal Child Pan, the Human Flesh Chef... They’re half-legendary figures in the underworld, like Bogeymen or Witches."
"Hmm... I see."
"Sorry, but can I ask why you’re suddenly interested in this? It’s a bit unnerving."
"Ah, my apologies... The Black Magician who backed Mole made me an offer."
"An offer?"
"He asked me to join forces with him and enter Black Hand together. He said he’d provide me with whatever I wanted."
Kent’s face remained calm, but internally, he was shaken. He was both confused and frightened.
"...What did you say?"
"I refused."
"...Thank goodness. Sorry for asking such an intrusive question."
"No problem. Actually, I almost accepted."
"......"
"I have a lot of curiosity, and I thought joining Black Hand would allow me to learn easily. They possess a lot of knowledge, and I’d also have access to the Black Market."
"...So why did you refuse?"
"Well... I just didn’t feel like it. I’m not keen on joining an organization... By the way, could you tell me more about the Black Market?"
Kent once again willingly answered.
"The Black Market... It’s a place as half-legendary as Black Hand."
"Is that so?"
"For someone like me, at least... You can find anything there—books, potions, animals, plants, magic stones, information, manpower. Everything except what you can’t."
"How can one use it?"
"Sorry, but ordinary people can’t access it. If you try clumsily, you won’t even see its shadow, and in the worst case, you could die."
"Oh... really? That won’t do. Do you know how to access it?"
"...I’m not sure, but I know one way."
"Oh, would you tell me?"
"First, tell me why you want to use the Black Market."
"...I want to learn more."
"Learn what, exactly?"
"About black magic, demons... and beautiful emotions."
"Beautiful emotions?"
Kent’s confusion deepened, and with it came a creeping fear, though he tried his best to remain calm and look at Oliver objectively.
"...Black Magicians dealing with black magic, fine. But why demons? Do you even know what they are?"
"Not exactly. Aren’t they beings who make deals with Black Magicians?"
"Yes... But they always demand much more in return. They require sacrifices, incite crimes, and in the worst cases, demand their summoning."
"Oh, I see. But why do demons threaten the human world?"
"...Because they’re demons. They defied God and are jealous of humans."
"...That’s it? Just because they’re demons?"
"Isn’t that enough? Like rain falls from the sky and fire burns everything, demons threaten humans. What more reason do you need?"
"I want to understand that... That’s why I want to use the Black Market."
"...Why are you so curious about this?"
"Because I want to know."
Kent stared blankly at Oliver.
It was the same look many others had given him.
They couldn’t understand Oliver and regarded him as something foreign.
But rather than disgust or fear, curiosity was stronger.
"...May I ask one more question?"
"Yes, of course."
"I’ve seen some talented Black Magicians in my time, but I’ve rarely seen someone as capable as you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I’m not just saying that... So, why did you follow me? And why didn’t you kill those guys who provoked you? With your power, you could’ve wiped them out in an instant..."
"...I don’t particularly enjoy killing."
"....."
"If necessary, I will. But killing without cause... I find it distasteful."
"...Then why did you follow me?"
"I was curious. You helped me for no reason... I wanted to know why. I’ve mostly figured it out now."
"...You’re truly strange."
"Am I? Well, someone else once told me I was broken."
"Someone else?"
"A woman named Joanna I met long ago. She offered to help me, but I ended up rejecting it. She said I was broken. She told me to meet people and get along with them, so I came here."
To Oliver’s surprise, guilt rose from Kent’s emotions. Oliver didn’t understand why.
"...I apologize. You helped me, but I made a mistake."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You’re not strange... and you’re not broken... You’re just different."
"...It doesn’t matter to me."
"But it matters to me... I’m sorry for speaking out of turn."
"...It’s fine."
"Hmm... Let me answer your earlier question. Become a fixer."
"A fixer?"
"That’s how you can access the Black Market. You have to become a top-tier fixer."
"A top-tier fixer?"
"Not just some back-alley thug. I’m talking about a fixer sought after by capitalists, factory owners, politicians, and crime bosses. The more high-profile your clients, the more access you’ll have to the Black Market. But it’s not guaranteed... I never reached that level myself."
"...That sounds good enough. But how do I become a fixer?"
"I’ll introduce you to a broker. It’s a place I used to work at, and it’s a good starting point. The person in charge is decent."
"Oh, thank you."
"But there’s a condition."
"A condition?"
"Yes, you need to train with me for a few weeks."
"Training?"
"If you want to survive in that world, you need to learn the basics and the proper attitude. Otherwise, you’ll get used, betrayed, or worse, killed. I know you’re powerful, but strength alone won’t keep you safe in that world. I’ll teach you everything I know... including how to use the quarterstaff. The more skills you have, the better. What do you think?"
Oliver thought for a moment. It didn’t seem like a bad idea. Remembering how much trouble he had with Glyp’s corpse puppets, learning the quarterstaff could be useful.
"...Yes, that sounds good. Thank you."
"No, I should be the one thanking you. You took care of Mole and the Black Magician for me."
"It wasn’t a big deal... So, can we start right away?"
"Can you wait a bit? I’d love to help you right away, but I have things to take care of. I also need to figure out what to do with the people you brought."
"Oh, right. Kent."
Oliver called Kent and handed him a Greedy Pouch.
"Huh? What’s this?"
"It’s the money from the Black Magician’s stash."
"Money?"
"Yes. There’s quite a lot. Please, take it."
Kent looked shocked.
"W-What? Why...?"
"I already got some money, so I don’t really need this."
Oliver pointed to the stack of cash he had received from the Beggar Faction.
It was enough to live on for a few months, though it was nothing compared to the money he had taken from the puppeteer.
"This is all so sudden..."
"Don’t you need it?"
"It’s not that, but this is your money. You earned it on your own."
"I don’t need it right now... I want to see what you’ll do with it. So please, just take it."
Kent looked at Oliver, utterly baffled.
"Why are you doing this? I know you’re not interested in money, but... still, this is your money."
"I want to see it."
"...What?"
"I want to see what you do with that money. So please, just accept it."