Chapter 430: A Brief Calm? (3)
Through the basement passage, Jane approached.
It was an entirely unexpected situation, which is why Oliver noticed it a beat later than Merlin did.
Wasn't this supposed to be a quiet place he'd rented for his work? For Jane to show up here was baffling.
Moreover, it was a mystery how she even found this place.
The only people Oliver had informed of the location were Merlin and Kevin.
Just in case Merlin knew something, Oliver turned to look his way again, but Merlin had already disappeared.
“Damn it...”
Oliver muttered, thinking about how Merlin had vanished like the wind. In the meantime, Jane had reached the basement’s iron door, knocked twice, and then opened it.
Bang. Bang. Creak...
The sound of metal and rusty hinges echoed as the door opened. Jane's face appeared through the gap.
Thanks to this, she saw the basement's interior.
It was filled with numerous mechanical devices connected to blood tanks, shattered bodies and corpse puppets inside them, corpses undergoing preservation, and many others hanging on drying racks after the preservation process. Beside the corpses were various organs packed in blood bags.
For reference, each corpse's shoulders were labeled with quality grades like A, B, or C, and the organs' packaging also indicated their owners, reflecting a certain level of expertise and organization.
Oliver was subconsciously curious about how Jane would react to seeing the basement's gruesome scene.
To him, it was an utterly mundane sight, but his years of social experience and the education at the House of Angels had taught him that it might not be the same for others...
As expected, Jane's gaze around Oliver's makeshift workshop revealed emotions of surprise, bewilderment, and fear.
It was understandable. There were corpses everywhere, after all. However, Jane seemed prepared, calming herself and showing no outward signs of being startled.
This, despite knowing that Oliver was a black magician capable of reading emotions. She was being considerate within her means.
With her emotions settled, Jane greeted Oliver from the entrance of the workshop, where over twenty corpses were being processed.
“Hello, Dave.”
Oliver also greeted her.
“Hello, Miss Jane... How did you come here?”
“I asked Mr. Lucien. Since he knew I was a friend of Dave's, he answered right away.”
Oliver let out a small sigh. Of course, even though he had borrowed the basement, he hadn't specifically asked Lucien not to reveal the location. It was Oliver's oversight.
His mind was foggy from two nights of staying up, making it hard to think of what to say.
This was compounded by the long conversation he'd just had with Merlin.
So, he asked the most pressing question on his mind.
“Um... Forgive me, but may I ask why you came?”
“It hurts my feelings that you would ask how I got here and why, when a friend comes to visit... It’s so cold. Do you not like me anymore?”
“Oh, no, that's not it. I just—”
“—Haha, just kidding.”
Jane said with a laugh. However, it wasn’t a simple joke. Though she appeared to be smiling and playful, she was actually worried about Oliver, for reasons he couldn’t fathom.
“Um... I just came because I wanted to have a meal with a friend. Is that okay?”
“Are you talking about a meal...?”
“Yes, looking at you, it seems like someone needs to make sure you eat.”
Jane remarked as she looked at Oliver, and her comment made a lot of sense.
Though the turmoil had subsided and he was in better shape than when they last met, Oliver's current state was still not ideal.
It was as if someone who had starved for a month now looked like they had only been fasting for half a month.
It wasn’t a bad suggestion for Oliver, either. As a fixer, his body was his asset, and when he had the chance, he needed to eat as much as possible to regain his strength. He was still constantly hungry.
Whether it was due to the effects of the famine disease, Oliver was tormented by a persistent hunger that never seemed to go away. It was troublesome, almost like a curse.
However, he felt a bit uneasy about Jane’s suggestion. Though she was his friend and he enjoyed conversing with her...
At that moment, it didn’t feel right. He felt restless and uneasy, like something was pressing on his chest.
That was partly why he had left everything to Merlin and holed up in the basement to work.
Just as Oliver was about to politely decline, citing his work as an excuse, Jane spoke first, quite firmly.
“Dave.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“You might not know this, but it's considered very rude for a man to refuse a woman's invitation.”
Oliver made a sound of realization.
He had learned that at the House of Angels. The staff there used to say that it takes ten times the courage for a woman to make a suggestion to a man, and if rejected, she would feel a hundred times the shame.
They also said that a true gentleman or a Randa man should never refuse.
Though he didn’t fully understand, Oliver was willing to accept the teaching.
‘This is awkward.’
Oliver hesitated again. Jane continued.
“And you must not refuse my invitation, Dave.”
“...May I ask why?”
“We promised you wouldn’t get hurt, but you did... So, you have to eat with me.”
It didn’t make much sense logically, but Jane was firm. Her concern for Oliver was evident.
Her emotions were so palpable that Oliver, after hesitating for a moment, nodded.
“All right... But do you have a place in mind?”
“Of course. Even if the world were to end, there would still be people running businesses.”
Jane replied with a bright smile.
...
Jane’s words proved true.
Around Zone 1, on the outskirts of the devastated Laville, people who had fled the disturbance were now suffering from an unexpected bustle. Yet, separate from that, there were also people making money by running businesses.
There were those who had evicted former tenants to charge exorbitant rents to the middle and upper-class citizens from the city center, as well as restaurants selling dubious food to the refugees.
“This is one of those restaurants. But, as you can see, the food is trustworthy.”
“I see.”
Inside the restaurant, which looked plain on the outside but was rather well-equipped within, Oliver responded as he sat down for a meal with Jane.
The table in front of Oliver was already piled high with food, but the waiters continued to bring more without pause.
It didn’t pose a problem. Just like right after the battle with the Flesh Chef, Oliver’s appetite was enormous, and the dishes kept disappearing from the table.
Jane, observing Oliver, remarked.
“Are you still very hungry?”
Oliver nodded. As mentioned earlier, ever since the battle with the Flesh Chef, he had been afflicted by an unrelenting hunger.
A chronic hunger that made him feel as though he had returned to his days at the orphanage or the mine.
No matter how much he ate, his stomach never felt full, and eventually, he would just fall asleep while still hungry.
Oliver continued eating at a steady pace, contemplating why this was happening. Though it wasn’t severe enough to be unbearable, the cause of this strange condition intrigued him.
‘Could it be that the Flesh Chef’s disease-weakening curse hasn’t fully worn off? Now that I think about it, wasn’t it said that weakening-type black magic doesn’t automatically end just because the caster dies?’
As he recalled the Flesh Chef, memories of their conversation resurfaced, causing a subtle irritation in Oliver as he shook his head.
Jane, noticing his expression, asked, “Is the food not to your liking?”
“Huh? No... It’s very delicious.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. Please, don’t hold back and continue eating.”
Jane smiled as she spoke to Oliver, who was already eating without restraint.
Hearing her words, Oliver finally became aware of how much he had consumed.
“Thank you for your kindness. But are you sure it’s okay? I think I’ve eaten quite a lot.”
“Think of it as a token of gratitude for introducing me to this place.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes... Doesn’t it seem strange? How would someone who just recently arrived in Landa know about a restaurant like this?”
Hmm... Now that he thought about it, it was a bit unusual. The interior decor was nice, and the food was excellent, but the restaurant’s exterior blended in with the surrounding buildings, making it inconspicuous.
It was the sort of place that would be hard to find unless someone told you about it.
“That’s right. Someone did show me this place.”
“Was it Mr. Lucien?”
Oliver guessed. The only people Jane knew in this city were Murphy and Lucien, and Lucien was the local.
However, Jane shook her head.
“No, it was someone else. I made some friends here.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear. When did you meet them?”
“When the Flesh Chef caused the disturbance, and the wealthy citizens were evacuated to Roculi University.”
Oliver was slightly surprised. Making friends amidst all that chaos... he was genuinely impressed by Jane's skills.
“To be precise, it’s thanks to you, Dave.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You used the portal to help Mr. Lucien, Mr. Murphy, and me escape to the university, didn’t you?”
Oliver nodded. He had opened a portal in the basement to move them, considering time and safety.
“At that time, the surrounding magicians and refugees noticed us, and I was able to strike up conversations and build connections.”
“I see.”
“I was also lucky. Some of the people I spoke with were natural-born entrepreneurs. Despite the disaster that hit the city, they were looking for ways to make money and were gathering investors to make it happen. Isn’t that remarkable?”
Oliver nodded in agreement, but at the same time, he found it unsurprising.
It was something he had seen often in Landa. As Forest had once said, when an airship accident occurred, people would rather short-sell the airline’s stock than help rescue passengers. It was the same kind of mentality.
“The problem was that the damage to the city was so extensive that it was difficult to raise enough money using the usual investment methods. That’s when Mr. Murphy, Mr. Lucien, and I stepped in. I could pull in funds from the Sisterhood, while Mr. Murphy and Mr. Lucien could each bring in resources from the Crime Firm and Milieu... That’s how I came to know about this restaurant. So, it’s thanks to you, Dave.”
Oliver quietly admired the fact that, in the midst of catastrophe and chance, Jane had not only seized an opportunity but made the most of it. It was fascinating.
“Now, could you share what happened, Dave?”
The sudden question caught Oliver off guard. Judging by Jane's emotions, it was clear that this was the main topic she wanted to address.
Considering what she had shared and the meal they were having, Oliver decided to follow the story he had agreed upon with Merlin.
“After I parted ways with you, Miss Jane, I went to stop the Flesh Chef. It was too difficult on my own... As you can see, I got hit by the disease-weakening black magic. During that time, the Archive—”
“—That’s not what I’m asking.”
Jane interrupted.
“I’m not asking about your injuries, but whether you’ve been troubled by anything. Physical wounds are important, but the mind matters just as much.”
Jane asked sincerely, her concern for Oliver evident. She had debated with herself, wondering if she was overstepping, but ultimately, her worry won out.
Sensing her emotions, Oliver put down his fork and knife, even though the hunger still gnawed at him.
The words of the Flesh Chef echoed in his ears.
“...Why are you asking that?”
Jane shrugged, reminiscent of the innocent, pure-hearted girl from a wealthy family she had pretended to be when they first met.
However, there was a difference now. She was dressed in a more androgynous style, with numerous black piercings in her ears, projecting a bold image that contrasted with her previous appearance, though the essence of her character remained the same—or perhaps had even deepened.
“It just seemed like you had something on your mind.”
At her remark, Oliver touched his face.
“Do I look like I have a problem?”
Jane shook her head.
“No, not really. It’s just a feeling... After all, I’m your friend, Oliver.”
Friend. The word struck a chord in Oliver, but then the Flesh Chef’s previous words came back to him, stirring an uncomfortable question.
Was Jane truly a precious friend to him, or was it merely their feelings that he valued?
‘To you, people are just biological machines that produce fascinating emotions. I chose the wrong tactic to threaten you. I made a foolish mistake by trying to intimidate you with harm to someone precious. You don’t even have a single cherished person in your life, do you? All you care about are the emotions themselves, like a beloved toy.’
Despite the length of the statement, Oliver remembered every word clearly.
It was something he could have easily dismissed, yet it kept nagging at him.
In a way, he was genuinely curious. If Jane had died during the recent disturbance, would he have grieved? If he had, would it have been due to the loss of a friend, or for some other reason?
Moreover, the very fact that he was questioning this seemed wrong somehow.
To forget such troubling thoughts, he had worked tirelessly for two nights straight, but the confusion only grew more muddled in his exhausted mind.
Staying up all night had been a mistake. Or perhaps, he simply needed a different focus.
Oliver cautiously responded.
“...Would it be okay if I told you a bit later? I haven’t slept, and I’m having trouble organizing my thoughts.”
“Of course. Take your time and think it over. But you must tell me, okay?”
Jane leaned forward slightly as she spoke, and Oliver nodded in agreement.
Jane, satisfied, leaned back and playfully continued.
“Thank you. As a reward, I’ll share some news from Landa with you. If you’re interested... Actually, that’s partly why I came.”
“What is it?”
“It seems Mr. Forest is planning a business venture. It’s related to the redevelopment project in Zone X. Isn’t that an interesting coincidence? Do you happen to know anything about it?”