Chapter 434: Permission (2)
In T-District, the workers' residential area of Landa...
There was a cheap restaurant there. Though it wasn’t unusual for restaurants in T-District to be cheap...
At any rate, there was a large man sitting on one side of that shabby restaurant. He wasn’t absurdly big, but in a place where the residents were emaciated from harsh labor, his figure stood out.
His efforts to go unnoticed—dyeing his hair black and dressing plainly—were all in vain.
However, it was inevitable. A druid, whose body had been trained to a superhuman level through relentless practice, couldn’t help but attract attention regardless of how he dressed.
It was truly ironic. In the harsh wilderness, these individuals could hide like beasts, yet in the city, they stood out.
The only druids who managed to remain inconspicuous were the women.
It wasn’t a sexist statement, but rather a matter of fact; unlike the men, the women grew younger and more beautiful with time, resulting in fewer noticeable changes.
Like the blonde woman who stopped in front of the large man.
She sat down naturally before the rugged-looking man and began to speak.
“Did it have to be you who came? It would’ve been better to send someone else... someone less noticeable.”
Despite being a druid and a member of Enjoyment, the woman wore relatively inconspicuous clothing. Her natural beauty and the vitality gained through training drew attention, but it wasn’t problematic.
After all, she had been working as a singer in a T-District pub for the past few weeks, blending in with the environment to some extent...
Not with the attitude of Enjoyment, but with the patience fitting of a druid.
At her mocking tone, the man responded.
“Isn’t it strange for a group of women to meet in a place like this?”
“Hmm... that’s true.”
“Besides, among the men, I’m the most decent one... If anyone asks, just say I’m your older brother. Your cousin, even.”
“Ugh, no thanks.”
The woman shuddered with disgust, while the rejected man retorted in a small voice.
“That’s the cover story! The cover story...!”
The sight of the large man lowering his voice to a whisper was amusing, and the woman chuckled quietly.
Seeing her reaction, the man, despite his irritation, wasn’t entirely displeased and calmly continued the conversation.
“Phew... I heard he showed up.”
The woman nodded while sipping the cheap coffee. There was only one person they could be referring to.
“This coffee tastes awful, but you get used to it after a while... He returned a couple of days ago. To Forest’s restaurant.”
“I heard he looked terrible?”
The woman nodded again. She had been lucky enough to see the fixer, Dave, with his cheeks hollowed like a man who hadn’t eaten for days.
To exaggerate a bit, he resembled a walking corpse. It was astonishing that someone in such a state had taken down Seamus... it was hard to believe.
The woman spoke again.
“...I heard he got that way after dealing with matters at the Tower of Magic. In Gallos, to be precise.”
“You mean the uproar caused by the Black Hand?”
“Yes, there. He was dispatched under the Tower of Magic, either as an experimental subject or a hired mage, for some reason... There are so many rumors about him in Landa that it's hard to tell what’s true. Anyway, it seems he went through a rough time there... which is good news for us.”
The man agreed, his eyes gleaming like a hunter eyeing his prey.
It wasn’t the look of a druid who was supposed to worship and protect nature, but over time, such principles had eroded.
Thanks to that, their faction, Enjoyment, could emerge into the world without any objections.
“...So, you’re saying he’s weakened?”
“I’m not sure. However, some of the old folks who had been planning to rely on Dave’s reputation are hesitating after seeing his gaunt appearance. It’s typical of wealthy old men...”
Her words were laced with malice, yet they were also true.
The redevelopment of X-District... The rumors began when Forest undertook repairs on some buildings in X-District.
As expected of Landa, news spread across various fields the moment the first shovel hit the ground.
There was talk of a new opportunity for profit in the gambling circles, and of a new possibility for city development in Landa.
Countless rumors accompanied these discussions.
Some claimed that Forest, who had risen as a top broker, had demonstrated remarkable negotiation skills, while others said that the anti-development committee had collapsed, or that it was another scam like the notorious ABC.
The most credible rumor was that it was all due to Dave, the top fixer working with Forest.
A black mage who had become one of Landa’s greatest fixers after defeating Seamus—a new living legend of Landa.
It was said that he had negotiated with the anti-development committee using his overwhelming power.
Indeed, many were drawn in by the story, flocking to Forest like ants to sugar, since Dave only worked with him.
But when they saw Dave’s appearance upon his return, everyone was gripped with anxiety. His pitiful state resembled that of a person who hadn’t eaten in over a month.
Even in the violence-riddled underworld, appearance mattered.
“But we still don’t have anything definitive.”
The man grumbled.
“If you’re dissatisfied, why don’t you find out for yourself? You know men who complain a lot aren’t popular.”
“How popular do you think I am at the shop?”
“It’s probably your money that’s popular, not you... Anyway, stop whining. Unlike you, I’m finding a way to get more information.”
“You think I’m whining because I want to? It’s all because of that Special Law.”
“I know about the Special Law too, which is why I’m here.”
At the mention of the Special Law, both the woman and the man’s expressions darkened.
It was only natural, as the Special Law posed a real and direct threat to their faction, Enjoyment.
In fact, it was the driving force behind the unification of Enjoyment, a group that had always lived freely in pursuit of pleasure.
For the sake of their freedom, survival, and accumulated wealth...
They had to settle in Landa as soon as possible.
“Phew... Hopefully, he’s in as bad a condition as the rumors suggest. It would be good to finish this quickly, even though we’ll win regardless.”
“Don’t worry too much about that.”
“Huh?”
“Killing him isn’t the only option, is it?”
“...??”
“Just wait and see. I haven’t been wasting my time singing and gathering trivial information... I’ve been making some interesting friends. Like a cute and foolish little lady.”
The man tilted his head in confusion at the woman’s cryptic remark...
...
Rustle. Rustle. Scratch. Scratch. Rustle. Scratch.
Inside a fighter crew’s residence in X-District, Landa...
Oliver was sitting in the corner of a spacious meeting room, writing something on a piece of paper.
It was a design blueprint to process Deziche Durans into a corpse puppet, with books and papers such as The Medical Book of the Magician, Advanced Theory of the Correlation Between Organs and Magic, Introduction to the Flow of Magic in the Human Body, Easy Introduction to Gallos Mechanical Engineering, and What is a Magical Weapon? Even a 10-year-old Can Understand piled up beside him.
“Hm... The general framework is coming together,” Oliver thought as he looked at the paper.
The paper showed two blood tanks, each containing a corpse and the extracted organs from that corpse.
Normally, organs were not needed to create a corpse puppet, but Oliver had the idea of converting the organs into biological components to incorporate them into the puppet.
Organs... particularly those from mages, had high magic conductivity.
In the past, he wouldn’t have even considered such a method, but after three encounters with Puppet, acquiring Theodore’s knowledge by chance, learning blood magic, and obtaining high-quality materials, he felt the urge to try.
It was both an interesting challenge and an opportunity to strengthen his forces.
“...And the difficulty is just right.”
It was a difficult but achievable task, perfect to undertake alongside the redevelopment project.
Oliver began adding details to his basic idea.
For instance, how to preserve and convert the organs into biological components, and how to ensure compatibility between the organs and the corpse puppet.
“Use Ptah’s Assistant to semi-preserve the organs at the cellular level, add mechanical parts using Gallos technology... The tricky part is connecting the puppet to the organ components...”
Oliver pondered for a while before coming up with a solution.
He would connect the artificial blood vessels to the organ components. Since the organ components would also use life force and blood as fuel, compatibility should not be an issue.
“Then, after connecting everything, immerse them all in the blood tank to activate. The artificial blood vessels will need to be made of low-water-resistance material... Hmm, that will increase the cost. The consumption of blood and life force will also rise.”
Oliver contemplated whether it was wise to increase the expenses for the corpse puppet amid the ever-increasing maintenance costs of the Child.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry much about money anymore.
The 20 billion Landa he earned from Seamus was still intact, and he had also obtained a 50 billion reward for the Flesh Chef...
A staggering 70 billion Landa was at Oliver’s disposal.
“Hmm... Let’s proceed for now. If the cost becomes too high, I can always make adjustments.”
As Oliver made his decision and completed the new design for the corpse puppet-Durans, someone entered the room.
It was Jo, the owner of the building, Mari, the representative of the Chosen Ones, and Forest, who managed them.
“You’re here?”
Oliver tidied up the papers as he greeted them.
Forest returned the greeting in his usual manner, while Jo and Mari bowed politely. The atmosphere between them still seemed awkward.
Forest sat down in the corner opposite Oliver and spoke.
The seat at the head of the table was open, but for some reason, everyone stood or sat around Oliver.
It was a peculiar situation...
Forest spoke up.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No need to apologize, I was taking care of my own business here.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. It looked like you were doing some research. Is it going well?”
“Yes, I’ve managed to establish a rough framework... Would you like me to explain?”
“Hmm, no, that’s alright. I wouldn’t understand it even if you did.”
Forest glanced at the various books piled beside Oliver, the words ‘medicine,’ ‘body,’ and ‘organs’ causing some unease.
“Let’s talk about what I’m more familiar with. The X-District redevelopment project... Are you interested?”
At Forest’s question, Oliver glanced at Mari and Jo, who stood by. They awaited Oliver’s response, their expressions showing concern.
When they first met Oliver upon his return to Landa, they had fussed over his gaunt appearance, and they still seemed worried.
Regardless, Oliver gauged their emotions and sensed that they would support whatever decision he made.
Whether it led to gains or losses.
“Hmm... The Development Opposition Committee has promised not to interfere with the redevelopment.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. I thought you were going to give me some bad news.”
“...Why did you think that?”
“Your expression... no, never mind. I can’t really tell.”
Oliver unconsciously touched his face, wondering if Bartholomew’s cryptic words had unsettled him.
“In any case, with the Development Opposition Committee’s approval, the biggest obstacle is essentially gone.”
“There are still the local communities and unaffiliated gangs.”
Jo interjected with advice. Forest replied nonchalantly.
“Those issues can be resolved with money and force... So, should I take this as a sign of your interest in the project?”
Forest looked at Oliver, awaiting his answer, and after a moment of thought, Oliver spoke.
“...Yes, I think it will be fine.”
A rather ambiguous response for a massive project requiring hundreds of billions of Landa just to take the first step.
Of course, no one had a problem with Oliver’s attitude.
The project’s fate ultimately rested on Oliver’s decision.
He was the only one unaware of his own significance.
Oliver spoke again.
“But I have one request.”
“What is it?”
Forest asked seriously, ready to accommodate any of Oliver’s demands.
After all, Oliver was not only the key figure in the project but also held sway over the major factions involved.
Oliver responded with a completely unexpected answer.
“Could you remove me from the position of CEO?”