Chapter 60: A New Task (1)
While Forest and Oliver were exchanging various stories about Al and Oliver, the latter was already starting his second task.
The first task, naturally, was becoming acquainted with Forest and becoming a Fixer, and the second one was just as important, if not more difficult in some ways.
It was none other than securing a place to stay.
...I know. It sounds ridiculous. But, it was true.
For someone like Oliver, who lacked common experiences such as shopping or having casual conversations, finding accommodations was surprisingly difficult.
It might sound foolish, but it was more complex than capturing a chimera. Luckily, it wasn’t as hard as he had feared.
Kent had already recommended a few decent lodgings and explained how to secure a room and even how to lower the rent if he opted for long-term stays.
They had even practiced role-playing a few times, which allowed Oliver to easily secure a room in a fairly good inn a little distance from Forest’s restaurant.
Since the place operated 24 hours a day, he was able to rent a room without much hassle, and by following Kent’s advice, he managed to lower the price a bit by paying one month’s rent upfront.
Click
As Oliver opened the door and stepped inside, he surveyed the room.
It wasn’t the best room, but it was fairly spacious for the price.
For Oliver, who had slept in a beggars' den until just the day before, it was more than satisfactory.
He put down his bag, propped his quarterstaff against the wall, and took off his coat. A small sense of satisfaction washed over him.
For the first day since leaving the beggar faction, it had been quite a successful one.
Although things didn’t go as expected, he had met Forest and become a Fixer, and he had secured a place to stay for the time being... Not bad at all.
However, the joy was short-lived.
Because this was merely the starting point.
Oliver’s true goal was to independently use the Black Market to obtain the books and knowledge he sought.
But, compared to that goal, what he had done today was merely standing at the starting line... no, not even that.
Kent had told him that the Black Market was an unknown territory, inaccessible to just anyone.
Considering that even Kent, who had some experience in the underworld, spoke of it that way, it was clear that for someone like Oliver, who had just set foot into that world, getting there would require significant effort.
And even if he somehow earned the right to use it, that wouldn’t be the end. He’d need money as well.
Though Kent didn’t know the full details because he had never used the Black Market himself, based on its reputation, he speculated that it would cost an astronomical sum to use it just once.
Moreover, Oliver was after rare books about black magic and demons, which would cost far more.
Oliver agreed with that thought.
He wasn’t sure if it was the best example, but even Filgaret cost 1 million ran for just one pill, and 20 million ran for a box.
Considering that, it made sense that the rarer and more dangerous black magic books and demon-related texts would be even more expensive.
As these thoughts continued to spiral, Oliver found himself unable to sleep despite feeling somewhat tired.
Instead of feeling sleepy, his mind grew sharper.
He realized that if he didn’t organize his thoughts about this issue, he wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully tonight.
So, to clear his head, Oliver took off his shirt and grabbed the quarterstaff that was leaning against the wall.
When he held it by the end and stretched it forward, it reached the opposite wall.
In that stance, Oliver began swinging the quarterstaff, just as he had practiced with Kent.
Whoosh... Whoosh... The sound of it cutting through the air filled the room. Compared to when he first started, it was a significant improvement.
Oliver continued these movements mechanically, pondering what he should do next.
The first thought that came to mind was his goal.
And that goal was, without a doubt, the Black Market.
Though it had all started from a chance conversation, the Black Market was now essential for Oliver if he wanted to learn about the beautiful light, black magic, and demons.
To use the Black Market, he would need to establish himself as a capable Fixer, build a reputation, and form connections with big players.
These big players included the capitalists, politicians, or the heads of crime organizations like the Crime Firms that dominated Landa...
Kent had assured him that with Oliver’s skills, there would be plenty of demand, so he needn’t worry too much. However, Oliver was still unsure.
After all, he didn’t have a good sense of whether he was truly strong or weak.
Sure, he had never lost to any black magicians he’d encountered so far, but that didn’t give him confidence or make him arrogant.
There had been people like the Lightning Mage and Joseph, who had nearly killed him.
Especially the time he faced the old man on horseback—it was an unforgettable moment.
Even though the man was a grotesque figure with flesh and innards intertwined, Oliver couldn’t shake the feeling that he wouldn’t have been able to win in a fight against him.
Of course, it wasn’t so much fear as it was a strange sense of familiarity that had been stronger, but if that man had attacked instead of greeting him, Oliver was almost certain he wouldn’t be alive now.
It was an instinct without any solid evidence, but it was more convincing than any proof.
Oliver’s survival had been nothing more than sheer luck.
And that was why he tried to be as cautious as possible. Kent had advised him to do so as well.
Naturally, Oliver didn’t want to die.
Dying was frightening, especially when there were still so many things he was curious about.
Kent had told him that to avoid such terrifying situations, gathering information was crucial.
He himself had survived thanks to that, he had said.
And Oliver had every intention of following Kent’s advice.
Following Forest’s guidance, he planned to steadily take on requests, build experience, and earn trust while learning more about this world.
Though he felt a little impatient, Kent had mentioned that things had changed since his time, and this was a necessary process.
Thus, Oliver began to formulate a slow but certain plan to gradually approach the Black Market by learning more about the underworld and his position within it.
In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to think this deeply, but thanks to Kent’s constant advice, he now understood the importance of minimizing risk while advancing toward his goal.
‘Of course, even to become a Fixer capable of using the Black Market, I’ll inevitably face danger,’ Oliver thought.
Suddenly, Kent’s uncertain voice echoed in his mind.
Over the past three months, Kent had taught Oliver diligently, but he had always spoken uneasily about the Black Market, describing it as a realm he himself had never ventured into.
It was as if he wished he could stop Oliver from going there...
"......"
Oliver halted his quarterstaff and shook his head.
Thinking about Kent’s reluctance was pointless.
In the end, this was a path Oliver had to walk.
His curiosity might be something he could hold back temporarily, but it wasn’t something he could give up entirely.
“Ah... money’s a problem, too.”
Covered in sweat, Oliver muttered to himself.
Then, after leaning the quarterstaff against the wall, he pulled out the Greedy Pouch and the bundle of cash he had received from Forest from inside his coat.
The Greedy Pouch, made from the emotions of hunger, envy, and greed, blinked its eyes and glanced around, searching for any nearby valuables.
"...!"
The Greedy Pouch spotted the stack of money next to it.
Then, small limbs sprouted from its flesh and it waddled toward the cash.
Thud
Just as the Greedy Pouch was about to grab the bundle of bills, Oliver’s hand intercepted it.
The pouch looked up at Oliver with dissatisfaction.
Smiling, Oliver made a request.
“Greedy Pouch, I’m sorry, but could you please return all the money I put in earlier?”
At first, the pouch threw a tantrum, swinging its arms in frustration. But as Oliver continued to silently watch it, the pouch became intimidated and reluctantly began regurgitating the money by shoving its hand into its mouth.
Gag... Gaaaag
It made bizarre, retching sounds as it spat out bundles of cash.
This was the payment Oliver had received from the beggar faction. He calmly organized the bills as they poured out one after another.
Once everything was neatly arranged, he added Forest’s payment to the pile.
Altogether, it amounted to around 80 million ran.
Considering how he had been a child laborer in the mines not long ago, it was a staggering sum.
Oliver agreed with that sentiment.
But for him, the amount was still insufficient.
Besides the need to use the Black Market, Oliver also had personal projects he wanted to pursue.
For example, creating corpse puppets...
In the books he had received from the puppeteer Glyp, there were some texts detailing embalming, remote control, and the process of modifying corpses into puppets.
After reading them, Oliver had been harboring the thought of trying it himself someday.
Of course, working with human corpses would be difficult, but he figured animal carcasses would be manageable. The problem was that this work required a substantial amount of money as well.
Glyp, being a meticulous person, had listed all the costs involved in the process, from securing a workshop to purchasing embalming chemicals, various drugs, machinery, tools, emotions, and life force—nothing came cheap.
Even with rough calculations, the initial cost of creating corpse puppets ranged from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of ran.
Although the costs might decrease once the workshop was fully set up, no matter what, a significant amount of money was necessary. This meant that Oliver couldn’t immediately start making corpse puppets.
It was quite a pity.
Having something he wanted to do but not being able to do it due to a lack of money...
He was beginning to understand why so many people, like Peter and others, were so desperate for wealth.
Money was essential—from the first to the last step of any endeavor.
It wasn’t just about doing what he wanted; even basic needs like sleeping and eating required money.
This simple, obvious fact hit home for the first time in his life.
"...Interesting," Oliver muttered quietly to himself after a moment of silence.
In the orphanage, the mines, the black magic organization, and even the beggar faction, all he had to do was follow orders. But not anymore.
Whether he wanted it or not, he had to keep thinking for himself now.
How to become a Fixer capable of accessing the Black Market, how to secure the necessary funds, and so on.
To be honest, he couldn’t deny that it was a hassle and something he wished he could delegate to someone else. But even so, there was something new about the experience.
The feeling of having to figure out his own path. It was... quite fascinating.
"......."
Oliver took out 2 million ran in small bills from his total fortune, then spoke to the Greedy Pouch again.
“You can take the rest back.”
At those words, the Greedy Pouch, which had been suffering from hunger, immediately leaped at the bundle of cash and began devouring it ravenously.
Chomp, chomp It ate with great enthusiasm, and Oliver silently watched it while muttering to himself.
“Well... I suppose I need to make money first. Somehow.”
...
The next morning.
Oliver woke up early, as usual.
Compared to the beggars' den where he had stayed before, this place was practically a palace, so he had no complaints about the comfort.
After washing up and dressing neatly, he ate a light breakfast provided by the inn and left for the restaurant where Forest worked.
Fortunately, the restaurant was open early in the morning, and as always, Al, the waiter, greeted him.
“Mr. Dave... What brings you here so early?”
Oliver checked Al’s emotions. Though there was no malice, it seemed like he was hiding something.
Just like Kent said, you could never fully know what someone was thinking.
“Good morning, Mr. Al. I came by to see if there’s any more work available.”
“Ah, I see. In that case, I’ll take you to the boss... Oh, and please feel free to just call me Al. Now, follow me.”