Chapter 652: Fatigue (3)
Kevin spoke.
"Derek died trying to stop the Piper."
The moment he heard those words, Oliver felt a shock along with an intense surge of questions.
Why?
It was utterly incomprehensible. There was no way the Piper would have killed someone for merely standing in his way once.
Oliver had only encountered the Piper once, but even in that brief interaction, he’d grasped the man’s nature. Oliver, who was careful never to judge someone hastily, was certain of this: the Piper wasn’t someone who took lives easily.
For him, it wasn’t about good or evil, conscience, or morals. Rather, it was simply that killing went against his way. Though he held an overwhelming fury, beyond what Oliver could fathom, the Piper ironically had no interest in murder for murder’s sake.
His sole focus was abducting children. That was the only remedy he had for his own pain.
So, if the Piper hurt anyone, it would be only those who obstructed him. More precisely, those who stood in his way, fully prepared to die.
Thus, Oliver could not understand. Why would Derek have opposed the Piper so fiercely?
Derek wasn’t foolish or weak enough to underestimate the gulf between himself and the Piper.
And yet, he had stood in the Piper’s way to the very end, losing his life in the process.
Why...?
"Apparently, it was to protect the children at the orphanage."
"...What?"
Oliver blankly repeated Kevin's words, unable to comprehend.
Kevin looked into Oliver's face and repeated his words.
"He said it was to protect the children at the orphanage. The Piper killed the orphanage director and tried to take the children, and Derek blocked him."
Hearing this, Oliver unconsciously looked at Yareli, who nodded with difficulty.
Only then did Oliver fully grasp the situation.
Just as he had feared, the Piper had indeed visited the Ark Orphanage and abducted the children.
In the process, he had killed the director who tried to stop him.
That much made sense.
The director, who had confided many stories to Oliver late at night, had been a strong person in her own right. Even if the Piper had come, she wouldn’t have given up the children without a fight.
And for that director, Derek had risked his life to oppose the Piper.
Crackling...
The moment Oliver realized this, he felt as if he would vomit. He quickly went outside to breathe in the night air.
An unfamiliar sensation rose from deep within his stomach, climbed up his chest, and reached his throat.
It was a feeling he could not easily describe, but he knew he was not unfamiliar with it. He had encountered it once before in his past.
"...Surprising, isn’t it?"
Kevin, who had quietly followed behind Oliver, asked.
Though he omitted the subject, making it unclear what exactly was surprising, Oliver instinctively understood what he meant.
Oliver, as if trying to shake off the chaotic sensation overwhelming his body, answered Kevin’s question.
"...Honestly, it is surprising. I didn’t think Derek would care so much for the children at the orphanage."
Oliver shared his thoughts openly.
Like everyone, Derek had his virtues and admirable qualities, but Oliver couldn’t easily imagine him sacrificing himself for children he’d barely known.
Derek's defining traits were his high self-esteem and his relentless ambition for self-improvement.
Oliver could understand his grueling efforts and bloodshed to prove his worth. But to risk his life against an unbeatable opponent for the sake of orphaned children? That, he couldn’t quite understand.
This made Derek’s death even more shocking.
Kevin then spoke.
"People have the potential for nobility at any moment, just as they can fall into ugliness at any moment. It’s hard to predict."
It was a statement with weight.
Oliver couldn’t brush off his words and asked, "...Are you speaking of Derek? Or of me?"
"Who knows? If anything, I’d like to ask you that. Why do you consider yourself ugly?"
Kevin looked at Oliver’s emotions with the eyes of a warlock, awakened by Oliver himself, and posed the question.
To his surprise, Oliver’s emotions were filled with guilt and self-loathing—an unusual state for someone whose emotions typically showed little fluctuation.
Slightly but clearly disturbed, Oliver began to speak, surprised at his own emotional state. It was as if he were seeing the world anew, like a person opening their eyes for the first time.
"...I felt relieved."
Kevin remained silent, neither agreeing nor condemning, merely listening to Oliver.
"Even after hearing that both Derek and Director Amelin had died, and that the children had been taken by the Piper... I felt relieved. Because at least Rosburn was safe. Even now, I feel at ease."
Oliver laid bare the root of his guilt and self-loathing.
His poker face, which he had never lost in any situation, crumbled.
The sensation was new to him. Oliver looked at Kevin and asked...
"...Is this normal?"
"Who can say? Besides, what even is ‘normal’?"
"...."
"Normal is a highly relative concept. What seems normal now might be abnormal depending on the time and place. But if you’re asking whether others feel similar emotions, then my answer is yes."
With his warlock eyes, Oliver looked at Kevin's emotions. He was sincere.
"Feeling relieved over Rosburn’s safety, rather than sadness over Derek’s death, is entirely possible. Many people feel that way. After all, humans cannot treat everyone equally, even if they wish to."
Oliver understood the point.
It was a simple truth. Treating everyone the same was indeed a daunting task, even in Oliver's view.
Emotionally, it was difficult to accept, but he could not refute it.
"So, I must ask you now."
Kevin, feeling sadness and pity over Derek's death, finally spoke.
Setting aside Derek’s passing, he focused on the matter at hand.
It was a cold judgment, grounded in prioritizing matters.
To drive his point home, he asked directly:
"Are you planning to fight the Piper to save the children at the orphanage?"
Kevin's question hit the core, and Oliver’s lips tightened.
Normally, Oliver would answer “yes” without hesitation, but this time, the opponent and circumstances were different.
The Piper...
A monster unlike the Flesh Chef or the Eternal Child Fan...
Since his encounter with the Burnt One, Oliver had never felt such a formidable wall as with the Piper.
Even if they fought again, he didn’t feel confident about winning.
However, the true issue wasn’t just winning or losing—it was the promise he had made with him.
The Piper had promised that if Oliver refrained from interfering in his affairs, he would no longer pursue Prince Albert and would leave Landa for good.
During his dealings with Puppet, the Piper had made this offer even after overpowering Oliver.
It was a deal overwhelmingly in Oliver’s favor, practically an act of grace.
Perhaps sparing Rosburn, Yareli, and possibly even Joanna had been part of that same gesture of consideration.
The Piper seemed to be fully aware that these people were connected to Oliver.
Despite his overwhelming fury, the Piper had shown such regard for Oliver...
The reason for this feeling of camaraderie and sympathy he had toward Oliver was unclear, but one thing was certain: Oliver, too, felt the same strange connection and pity for the Piper’s anger.
It was perhaps for that reason that Oliver hesitated.
Even after the deaths of Derek and Director Amelin and the kidnapping of the Ark Orphanage’s children, Oliver hesitated to confront the Piper.
If he broke their agreement, he couldn’t predict how the Piper would react, and personally, he didn’t want to go back on his word with him.
Oliver shared these feelings with Kevin openly.
"I... I really don’t know."
"Still, you have to decide. Especially now. If you don’t choose anything, you’ll only be swept along."
Kevin offered advice to the hesitant Oliver again.
Though it wasn’t a demand, Oliver understood it was advice meant for his benefit. Yet, he still couldn’t make a decision easily.
The tragedy at Ark Orphanage weighed heavily on his heart, but so did the sense of kinship and sorrow he felt toward the Piper.
Was that why he felt so pressured, why he unintentionally asked this?
"Did the Elder tell you to say this?"
Oliver mentioned Merlin’s order for Kevin to accompany him.
It was merely speculation, without solid proof, but it wasn’t wrong.
"He did say to offer advice if it seemed needed. Do you think my advice is wrong?"
"No... It’s correct."
Oliver acknowledged the truth: he needed to decide what to do now. As Kevin said, if he didn’t make a decision now, he’d merely be carried along.
Whatever outcome resulted, whether he moved forward or stepped back, it was Oliver’s choice.
Whatever consequences that choice brought.
The problem was that even though he knew this in his head, taking action was easier said than done.
He recalled something Merlin had once said:
"To know is pain." And now, Oliver felt the weight of those words.
He thought that perhaps it had been better back when he knew nothing beyond curiosity...
Just as he struggled with his decision, Rosburn emerged through the door and called out to him.
"Sir... The Holy Knight has awakened."
Oliver flinched at Rosburn's words.
Joanna was awake.
He recalled seeing her moments ago.
Lying on the bed, her whole body wrapped in bandages.
It was the first time he’d seen her since they’d parted at First Step in the New World.
He should have felt glad and relieved, but with the Piper’s recent abduction of the children, awkwardness loomed over him more strongly.
If Joanna were to ask him for help now, what answer could he give her?
That question lingered in his mind, bringing to light a memory of their time in Landa.
Back then, Oliver had pleaded with Joanna to save Rosburn, and she had refused.
Now, ironically, their roles were reversed.
Finally, Oliver understood how Joanna must have felt at the time—the sense of helplessness in the face of a choice that couldn’t be made lightly.
With this realization and a newfound sense of empathy, Oliver felt an odd mix of wanting to see Joanna and wanting to avoid her.
At that moment...
"Sir...?" Rosburn spoke to Oliver cautiously.
"Yes, Rosburn."
"Have you... ever told the Holy Knight about me?"
"Why do you ask?"
"When we went to Ark Orphanage, she looked at me and suddenly apologized. She even cried a little."
"...."
"I didn’t understand why... but please, don't worry about it."
Rosburn trailed off, noting Oliver’s expression, and quickly silenced himself.
But Oliver had already absorbed the information he needed, and he carefully reflected on Rosburn’s words.
Joanna was still carrying that memory deep within her heart.
The memory of that day, when she’d turned away from a small, frail child.
Though she had rejected him then, she had never forgotten and had continued to bear that memory within herself.
Realizing this, Oliver placed a hand gently on Rosburn’s head and turned back toward the mansion.
Then, ignoring the fear and resistance rising within him, he slowly climbed the staircase, step by step.
Kevin and Rosburn followed silently behind him.
With each increasingly heavy step, Oliver pondered a question within himself.
If Joanna were to ask him to save her siblings, what answer could he give her?
Perhaps he would only know once the words were spoken.
Step... step... step...
Seeking an answer within himself, Oliver finally returned to the room he had left.
Inside, he found Joanna, now awake, with Yareli and Pandora supporting her.
Joanna was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
Aside from being conscious, she looked almost exactly as she had when he first saw her.
Her broken limbs, the gauze and bandages covering half her face, the bruises tinged with blood...
From her appearance alone, Oliver could see how fiercely she had fought to protect her younger siblings.
Oliver looked at Joanna without any greeting, waiting for her to speak.
Their eyes met, and Joanna, finally recognizing Oliver through her foggy vision, focused her gaze.
Her mouth moved slightly, and soon, she spoke.
To Oliver’s surprise, her words were entirely unexpected.
“Ha... ha, ha.”
After a moment, Oliver’s soft laughter filled the room.