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Despite traveling to Burton, a small town near Landa, meeting Willes, and learning of the royal heir\'s dealings with the Demon, the world remained unchanged.

The sun rose and set, and the city functioned like a machine, just like Paul Carver said.

After completing a task outside of the city, Oliver turned his focus to capturing escaped prisoners.

Despite being a less significant matter, the prison break resulted in a high number of fugitives, making it a pressing issue.

Instead of taking a break, Oliver chose to make money during this time as the police and defense forces were busy searching for escapees, leading to a shutdown of the gray and black markets.

Fortunately, capturing the escapees was a simple task thanks to the efficient administration of Landa Prison, which kept genetic samples of all prisoners. Oliver cast [Sensitive nose] to minions to track down the fugitives, usually catching one to two individuals daily and even up to seven in some cases.

Most of these fugitives were petty criminals, but their high number still earned Oliver a decent reward.

He even considered the idea of the prison being attacked regularly.

However, there were also dangerous felons, such as a mercenary with a double ax, a manipulation-type warlock, and Enjoyment Druids who robbed 8 banks.

These individuals had bounties five to ten times higher than other escapees, but Oliver successfully captured them.

Knock, knock, knock.

"May I come in?"

Oliver asked as he approached the door of the Forrest Restaurant Underground Office.

Upon being granted permission, Oliver entered and found Forrest busily working with the books.

"You came?" Forrest greeted him.

"Yes, you look quite busy," Oliver observed.

"Yeah, all the Solvers are occupied with catching the escaped prisoners, so it naturally means more work for brokers like me,"

Forrest replied with a professional demeanor, despite the fatigue showing on his face.

"But I can\'t complain, as long as I\'m getting commissions. It\'s better than having no work at all," he added, showing a positive attitude.

"You must be very busy with your restaurant too," Oliver noted.

"The employees are handling the smaller tasks. I just need to review the expenses in between,"

Forrest explained as he put down his pen, got up from his desk, and retrieved a briefcase from the back.

"Here\'s your reward from the last time. It\'s a bit higher than usual, probably because you caught 20 people in one go,"

Forrest said as he handed Oliver the briefcase.

"Thanks to Mr. Murphy," Oliver replied.

"Murphy?" Forrest asked.

"Yes, the escapees had set up a base near the site of their operation and asked for my help, saying he was worried. He also said I could keep all the bounties for them," Oliver explained.

"So, he made you clean up for free. That guy who swims in money right now,"

It was true. Everyone else was thriving in their respective businesses while Oliver was living his life as usual.

Arthur had transitioned from being a Solver to an official city employee, while Murphy had successfully merged the Hoffman Transport Company and saw tremendous growth in his business.

Some even whispered that he was poised to become the next big shot from District T.

Regardless, everyone was working hard and seeing results.

"He supported me and provided me with information about the surroundings, so that\'s enough."

Forrest sighed softly at Oliver\'s words.

Oliver’s laid-back attitude was somewhat unorthodox for a Solver.

But, he didn\'t mean to argue about it. He already knew Oliver\'s personality, so he knew it was useless to advise him, and most of all, he didn\'t hate that strange attitude.

That loose attitude, which was hard to see on this field, ironically gave strange trust.

In fact, some customers from Districts in front of Alphabet, who are famous for being picky, send requests.

Some tried to lowball the price, but that was for Forrest to ignore.

"Mr. Forrest?"

Oliver asked after pocketing the cash into the Glutton bag.

"Can I leave now?"

"Wait a minute," Forrest replied.

"Can I ask you a few questions first?"

"Sure,"

"The emergency order is about to end," Forrest began. "Everyone has been working hard since the prison raid, but we missed some escaped outside Landa, or to District X. Those can\'t be helped. Anyway, are you going to work right away?"

Oliver thought for a moment.

"I have some personal business, so I was thinking of taking a break."

"That\'s a relief," Forrest said.

"Relief?"

"Yes, originally, I would have thought of rolling you as much as possible to get a commission, but these days, because of the current situation, we have to buy ourselves some time."

"What do you mean situation?"

"I heard that the Parter Church will soon begin a massive crackdown."

Oliver remembered the news he saw recently, the news that a strange power was detected in the Ice land, causing a stir in the Patter Church.

He thought they were just rumors, but it seemed they were true.

"So I think it would be better to take a break for a while. Of course, the city will protect you, so you don\'t have to worry too much, but it\'s better to stay low during the crackdown. I\'ll find you a decent job in the meantime. Rest well for now."

"Yes. I will follow your advice."

"All right. You’re free to go now. Have a nice rest."

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

After collecting the reward, Oliver stepped out of the restaurant and headed straight to his home.

On the way, he stopped at a street grocery store and purchased newspapers from various publishing companies.

The grocery store owner greeted him,

"Good choice, Mister. There are many interesting articles about the city. Thanks to that, it sells two or three times better than usual. Isn\'t it a relief?"

Oliver wasn\'t sure if it was a relief, but what the owner said was accurate.

When he arrived back at his accommodation, he read through the newspapers and found many interesting articles.

Reports of city damages caused by escapees and brave cops trying to solve it were widely discussed and published in editorials.

Scholars and city councilors analyzed the problem and proposed solutions, such as strengthening the police force, treating prisoners less leniently, developing contaminated zones, and building prisons there.

“Interesting…”

Oliver found it all very interesting and even admirable how the city was using the prison case to further their projects.

"What’s so interesting?" a third voice intervened.

"Um? It\'s amusing to see a viewpoint that others can’t see,… Elder." he replied as he turned back.

And at the point where his gaze stopped, stood Merlin.

"Not surprised to see me?" Merlin asked.

"No, I figured you might show up anytime since you were the one who used the portal to send me here,"

"Have you ever been told you\'re not funny?"

"How did you know?"

"Let\'s just say, it’s an old man\'s intuition," Merlin shrugged.

Merlin then picked up Oliver\'s newspaper and read it.

"Interesting. So, they\'re trying to establish an armed group to keep the wizards in check, aren\'t they?"

Oliver was shocked,

"How did you know?"

"Another old man\'s intuition," Merlin smiled.

"Oh, that\'s great.”

"No, I\'m lying. Did you believe that? I get a lot of information here and there. I can predict it by listening to it."

"……"

"Don\'t look at me like that, mate. I\'m teaching you a lesson here. It\'s the basis of magic."

"Is it lying?”

"No… yes, but no. It\'s pretending."

"Pretending?"

"Yes, pretending to be wise, pretending to be great. That\'s the foundation of magic. People are more likely to admire you and not resist if you give off that impression," Merlin explained.

"Is that why you\'re here, to teach me this lesson?" Oliver asked.

"Do I look like I have that much free time? No, I\'m here for another reason,"

"And that is?"

"The place to send Rosbane and the kids has been decided,"

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

Rosbane and the other children who had escaped from Mattel were to be housed at a branch owned by the School of Elemental Magic.

To ensure their safety, they would be sent to a remote location, and all the kids agreed to this arrangement.

As Merlin and Oliver walked down the hallway of the mansion, Merlin commented on the situation.

"Some of them don\'t have a choice, they\'re just kids. But everyone understands their circumstances."

"I see," Oliver replied,

"You’re cold, mate. Aren’t they pitiful?”

"I\'m sorry, but there\'s nothing I can do,"

Merlin smirked at his response, and Oliver felt it was a pity that he couldn\'t read his emotions.

Merlin continued, "The children will be trained in magic at the branch. Mattel has altered their bodies to contain and harness mana, and they\'ll be training them to make the most of it. It\'s better than doing nothing."

"I understand, but why did you bring me here?" Oliver asked.

"The children wanted to meet you before they left. They wanted to thank you and say something."

Oliver was at a loss for words.

He didn\'t want the children to thank him in the first place.

Merlin spoke in a serious tone, as if he could sense Oliver\'s thoughts.

"Life at the branch will be tough for the kids, especially for Rosbane who is already 15 years old and much older than the typical age for starting basic education in the Magic Tower."

"What should I do?" Oliver asked.

"Give them some advice, or something. They seem to admire you," Merlin suggested.

Oliver was taken aback by the suggestion. "Admire me?"

"Yes, you," Merlin confirmed. "Sometimes, a little lie can help someone face a difficult life. It might seem strange, but it\'s true."

Oliver didn\'t quite understand, but he felt compelled to nod in agreement.

The two entered a room together soon after.

It was presumed that the children stayed in the room.

There were five beds, and children were sitting in front of them packed.

"Uh…!"

As soon as the children saw Oliver, all kinds of bright emotions– welcome, longing, gratitude, worship, and goodwill shone.

Oliver couldn\'t say anything because the light was burdensome, and the children, too, stood up and wriggled their fingers nervously.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Meanwhile, Rosbane desperately and courageously approached Oliver.

It was similar to the first time he asked Oliver to teach him.

"Tea… Teacher."

"Yes, Rosbane."

"Tha.. thank you. Thanks to you, I got a place to stay. The.., They said I can learn magic, too.”

In line with that, the other children also approached carefully and greeted them.

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

"Thank you very much."

"Thank you…"

Oliver was silent, not knowing what to say.

This kind of thing… It felt difficult for him.

He realized again that he was stupid, as he didn\'t know what to say in this situation.

Oliver racked his brains for something to say.

"…Um, can I speak comfortably? I don\'t know much about this."

Rosbane, who was standing tense, replied.

"…Yes."

"I think everyone is scared of something right now. Can you tell me what\'s scary?"

The children did not deny it. While everyone was hesitating, Rosbane spoke as a representative.

"Well, can we adapt well there? I mean. Can we really be Wizards?”

"Um? I don\'t know about that….. But I can tell you one thing."

"……."

"I also became a Warlock\'s disciple at the age of Rosbane. Master, I mean, I met my teacher then.”

"Really?”

"Yes. So Rosbane and others could become wizards as well."

It wasn\'t very logical, but fortunately, it seemed to work. The fear that dominated the children\'s minds was relieved a little.

Except for Rosbane.

He saw hope and was again seized with despair.

"But…"

"Please speak your mind. I\'m here to listen."

"Uh, it\'s just that. Teacher, you\'re an amazing person, but I feel like I\'m nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"I mean it literally. I read it in a book here. Magic requires talent and I won\'t have any."

"You won\'t know until you try."

"But I\'m sure I won\'t be good enough. Not just talent, but also courage and wisdom. I don\'t think I can do it well."

"What are you talking about? You have courage."

"…?"

"Rosbane, do you remember the day you came to me and asked me to teach you?"

"…Yes."

"You were brave then, braver than I was. I\'m serious."

"……."

"I couldn\'t do that. I became a Warlock\'s disciple, not because of bravery, but because I was lucky. If my Master hadn\'t found me in the mine, I\'d still be there even if I had talent in black magic."

Rosbane asked hesitantly, "Really?"

"Yes, I was just lucky. Compared to me, you\'re braver. I didn\'t have the courage to talk to anyone when I was in your position."

Oliver glanced at the other children.

"The same goes for all of you. You took care of each other when you were caught, you didn\'t try to run away alone, and you didn\'t cry. I think that’s courage."

The children listened in silence.

Oliver looked at Rosbane again and said,

"I can\'t predict the future and I can\'t promise anything, but I believe that if you try, you\'ll do well. You\'re a quick learner and smart."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Rosbane was speechless and lowered his head.

"Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"I\'m angry at Mattel. I want revenge, but is that wrong? What should I do?"

Rosbane\'s anger and hatred that he had suppressed deeply came to the surface.

"I want to repay them, to make them feel the fear and pain we did. I try to forget, but it doesn\'t work. What should I do?"

Oliver thought for a moment and answered,

"Do whatever you want if it\'s truly unforgivable."

"…Can I?"

"Yes, Rosbane. I don\'t understand emotions like anger and forgiveness, so I can\'t give you a good answer."

"……."

"As a Solver, I have to kill people if necessary. Can I ask for forgiveness from the people I kill? That\'s not right."

Rosbane\'s emotions were leaning towards anger and hatred.

"But Rosbane."

“……”

"From what I know, even if you build up your strength and seek revenge, it will be very difficult. The world is like a big machine and it doesn\'t tolerate anyone trying to stop it."

"…I don\'t care."

"That\'s fine. But if you do, you\'ll have to dedicate your hard-earned knowledge and strength to fighting for the rest of your life. Did you try to learn from me to fight like this?"

"……."

"I\'m not forcing you, I just want to know. When you told me you wanted to learn how to read and write, what were your thoughts and what did you aim for? At least I don\'t think it\'s because of the fight."

"……."

"I’ll say it again. I have no intention of stopping you even if you want revenge. That\'s your right. But if you give up revenge and pursue the goal you originally dreamed of, well…… I\'ll help you one more time when you need me."

(To be Continued)

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