Chapter 59: Beast Capture (2)
When they returned from V-District to T-District, the time had shifted from evening to night.
Compared to the daytime, the streets were quieter, but it wasn’t entirely silent.
Unlike W-District and X-District, where security was lacking, there seemed to be a certain level of safety here. As a result, large and small taverns along the alleys and main roads were open and welcoming customers.
This was also the case for Restaurant Forest.
Ting-a-ling.
As Oliver opened the door and entered, he was greeted by Al, the red-skinned individual who had welcomed him during his first visit.
"Hello, Mr. Dave. Welcome. It's good to see you again. The boss is waiting for you."
Al guided him, as if knowing everything, and Oliver didn’t bother asking further questions.
Although he had heard that this place was as wild as a savage market, it also possessed an unexpected sense of order and detail. It seemed that was true.
As Al had mentioned, Forest, the owner of the restaurant and a broker, was seated in the middle of the neatly arranged dining area, waiting for Oliver.
"Good to see you again. I expected we’d meet, but I didn’t think it would be today."
Forest stood up and greeted Oliver politely.
Oliver, matching the formality, responded courteously, thanking him.
"No, I'm saying this because it's impressive. I was hoping you would capture it, but I didn’t expect you to do it in just one day… That’s a bit surprising."
"It was just luck."
"These days, luck is also a skill. Have you eaten?"
Oliver thought for a moment. Had he eaten?
"...No, not yet."
"It's quite late, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to treat you to a meal. Would that be alright?"
Although Oliver wasn’t particularly hungry and had been about to decline, he changed his mind and accepted the offer.
Kent had advised him beforehand that it was best to accept when Forest extended hospitality, as he only showed kindness to people he liked.
As soon as Oliver agreed, staff dressed in relatively casual clothing brought out the food.
It was a fish dish, with sauce drizzled over the fillet.
"Do you not like fish?"
"No... I’ll enjoy it. Thank you."
Oliver skillfully cut the fish with his fork and knife and began eating.
Forest ate at a similar pace, but subtly observed Oliver as he did.
"...You eat quite well."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, pardon me. If it offended you, I apologize. It’s just, I haven’t seen someone eat with such grace in a long time."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Most people usually ask for alcohol or a big chunk of grilled meat instead. Kent was one of them."
"I see."
"Yes... So, it’s quite refreshing to see someone eating so properly."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Following Kent’s advice, Oliver kept his replies short and polite.
So far, everything was going smoothly.
Forest stared at Oliver, his gaze sharp, like the looks he’d received from Kent, the pharmacist, and James—those who seemed to see right through people.
Oliver didn’t react, merely returning the gaze as he would in any ordinary situation.
Eventually, Forest looked away and resumed eating.
Had it just passed without incident?
Oliver pondered this as he continued his meal.
Clink, clink.
Around the time the plate was half-empty, Forest stopped eating and gestured to the waiter, giving an order.
Soon after, Al returned, carrying 42 million Landa in high-denomination bills. To be precise, 35.7 million Landa.
"The reward is 35.7 million Landa. I bundled it in large bills for easier handling. Originally, the reward was 42 million Landa, but I deducted my 15% fee, which is 6.3 million Landa. Any questions?"
"No."
At Oliver’s short reply, Forest raised his eyebrows slightly, as if disappointed by the response.
Realizing the situation, Oliver spoke up.
"I don’t mind the slightly higher fee."
"..."
"Mr. Kent mentioned it. He said that while Forest takes a fee 1.5 times higher than other brokers, you deserve it."
"...Did he really say that?"
"Yes. He mentioned that you may seem cold, but you’re highly responsible when it comes to work. He also said you provide a variety of services. So, he told me I could trust doing business with you."
For a moment, Forest's emotions wavered slightly.
Regret, guilt, remorse, incomprehension, and longing. It seemed there was some history between him and Kent, but despite that, Forest quickly regained his composure.
He appeared to be someone with a strong will when it came to his work.
Interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on them, Forest spoke again.
"Thank you for the kind words… Shall we get to the main point?"
"Yes."
Oliver stopped eating and made a show of paying attention.
"First of all, let me officially congratulate you for passing the test. As promised, I’ll be your broker. Al?"
At Forest’s call, Al brought over some documents.
"It’s a formal procedure, but I’d like you to fill these out. It’s a simple employment contract."
"May I read it first?"
"Of course, naturally. It outlines the basic fees, the terms you must adhere to, the penalties for violations, and the obligations and services I’ll provide."
Listening to this, Oliver began reading the contract.
Thanks to his habit of reading books, he was able to skim through it without any issues.
There was nothing problematic in the contract.
As Forest had explained, it detailed the fees, the division of responsibilities during tasks, and the terms both parties were to follow.
It wasn’t much different from what Kent had once explained.
Though strict, complex, and somewhat lacking in warmth, the contract clearly defined the responsibilities, making it feel clean and straightforward.
It seemed to reflect Forest’s personality.
"May I ask one question?"
"What is it?"
Oliver pointed to the protective clause written in the lower section.
"What does this part mean?"
"It’s as it says. Brokers like me are scattered throughout Landa, including in the political and administrative areas like A, B, and C Districts. We belong to an association that helps and checks each other."
"I’ve heard about that."
"Good. Then you should also know that our broker association lobbies the police bureau of Landa. Thanks to that, the problem solvers who work with us receive certain benefits. For instance, minor crimes are overlooked. Of course, it shouldn’t be anything that attracts too much attention, but within a certain scope, things are overlooked."
"I see."
"And the same goes for black magicians like you. Black magic involves using humans as material. Technically speaking, a black magician can be arrested just for being one."
Oliver nodded.
He had already learned this from Joseph’s library and from Kent.
That’s why most black magicians either went into complete hiding or disguised themselves with fake identities.
While the police bureau could round up many of them if they really wanted to, they refrained due to the enormous cost, risk, and chaos it would cause.
It was like the logic of not going after a cockroach unless you see it.
"I understand."
"Good. As long as you work with me and don’t cause any major problems, there won’t be much to worry about. Even if something happens during a job, as long as it doesn’t exceed a certain level, I’ll protect you."
"I understand. So, as long as I avoid the actions listed in this section, I should be fine?"
Oliver pointed to the section that listed forbidden activities such as demon worship and illegal human experiments.
"Exactly. Those are absolute no-go areas. Even one violation will automatically nullify our contract. Additionally, any crimes committed during missions I didn’t assign won’t be covered, and any personal disturbances in your daily life won’t be protected either. Understood?"
Oliver nodded. In short, Forest’s protection applied only when he behaved and during assignments.
Honestly, it wasn’t bad. He had no plans for any other work at the moment, and he didn’t intend to cause trouble, so it wasn’t a problem.
However, the clause regarding human experimentation did bother him. He wondered if it also applied to the corpses of animals or beasts.
One of the books he obtained from Puppeteer Glyp contained methods for preserving and modifying corpses, as well as techniques for controlling them remotely.
He was personally quite curious about the contents and wanted to experiment with them when he had time.
If only he could start with animal corpses... or even human ones, if possible.
But the contract’s stipulations caught his attention.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, nothing."
Oliver decided it was inappropriate to ask now and postponed the question.
He figured that with more experience and a stronger reputation, he could make personal requests, so he could ask then.
Though Forest seemed somewhat suspicious, he didn’t press further and moved on to the next topic.
"I suppose I made things sound too serious. Don’t take it too harshly. We’ve simply made a contract out of necessity, and we both have minimum obligations to uphold. That’s all."
"Yes, I understand."
"...Do you have any other questions?"
Oliver wanted to ask about the black market immediately but decided to exercise patience.
As he saw it, it wasn’t the right time to bring it up.
Following his earlier plan, he would gain more experience, learn the ways of this world, and once he had earned enough credibility and reputation, then he would inquire.
If he were to mention the black market now, Forest would likely ask why. Oliver had already rehearsed his answer several times: he would say it was to find books on black magic.
Yes, it was a perfect plan. Though it would take some time, there would surely be things to learn in the meantime.
Oliver solidified his resolve.
"No, I have no other questions."
"Good… That concludes our discussion. I look forward to working with you."
"Yes, thank you. Oh, right..."
Oliver took out ten of the bills he had received as payment.
They were ten 100,000 Landa notes, and Oliver asked to exchange them for 50,000 and 10,000 Landa notes.
After all, 100,000 Landa notes were too conspicuous, so he wanted smaller denominations.
"Exchange them?"
"Yes. Mr. Kent mentioned that you provide such services."
"Then you must have heard that the exchange fee is 10%."
"Yes, that's fine."
"Very well. Al?"
Forest handed the ten 100,000 Landa notes to Al, who quickly went to the office and returned with the amount split into 50,000 and 10,000 Landa notes.
With a courteous smile, Al handed the money to Oliver, who accepted it with a polite nod.
After finishing his business, Oliver took a large bite of the remaining food, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood up.
"If it’s alright, I’ll be taking my leave now."
"Of course, you’ve done well."
Forest rose from his seat and extended his hand to Oliver.
After shaking hands, Oliver quietly withdrew.
He greeted the staff he encountered along the way, one by one...
...
"How do you think he is?"
After Oliver left, Forest continued eating his fish dish and asked Al, who remained.
"He seems a bit naive, like someone who’s just stepped into the world, but overall, he’s a decent person. He communicates well and doesn’t seem difficult to deal with. According to what I heard from Martel, he’s certainly skilled."
"That’s the issue. I’ve never seen a black magician who’s both skilled and good-natured. They may have been born in opposition to magicians, but fundamentally, they’re similar."
Al smiled as he offered his advice.
"That’s not the kind of talk other black magicians would appreciate, sir."
"Is that so? But it’s true."
The sound of cutlery clinking against plates resumed.
"More importantly, what will you do, sir? Martel requested to share information about Mr. Dave. Will you agree?"
Forest remained silent.
The Martel Life Research Institute, founded by the Life Magic School, was a massive research group combining capitalist funding and magical expertise.
They held countless patents and had significant influence in the medical field.
Their public image was quite good, but in reality, they were fanatics deeply entrenched in magical supremacy and eugenics.
Rumor had it that the chimera that had escaped recently wasn’t a mishap, but something they deliberately released to gather data on how effective their biological weapons were in real combat.
Though it was only hearsay, such a story seemed plausible when it came to Martel.
And now, they were showing interest in a young black magician who had just stepped into the world.
"...Decline for now."
At Forest’s response, Al nodded.
"Understood. Are you sure that’s alright?"
"From the way they phrased it, it seemed like they were just testing the waters. There’s no need to respond to something like that just yet. Let’s keep an eye on things for now."
"Yes, I understand."
Al agreed and disappeared with the empty plate that Oliver had left behind.
Forest remained alone in the hall, chuckling to himself with an enigmatic smile.
"It looks like things won’t be boring for a while..."