Genius Warlock

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Professor Alain, who came out to meet them from Rokuri University, mentioned that the organization of Human-meat Chef was in a state of dissatisfaction.

“It’s not such a strange story.”

After their visit to Rokuri University, Kevin shared his thoughts during a dinner in his hotel room. He was savoring a dish of beef bourguignon that he had ordered.

“Why do you think so? They could have lied to get the support troops from the Magic Tower more quickly. Propagating victories is a common tactic on the battlefield.”

Terence Roar, seated across from Kevin, posed a question tinged with skepticism. He was indulging in a succulent beef steak, côte de boeuf.

“It’s possible. Despite joining forces with the police, the university has not achieved significant results, so they may have said that out of anxiety.”

“It’s a big shock. It hasn’t been very long since the Lake Village incident, but enough time has passed, and they’ve only managed to touch a mere few dozen of the lower organizations. Those bats… Ah.”

Terence corrected himself as he glanced over at Oliver, who sat beside him.

“Hmm… That woman named Unna might be right. Saying that Human-meat Chef is cunning. Having turned both Rokuri University and the Police Bureau into enemies and still minimizing the damage at the level of the bottom feeders is impressive.”

Terence’s words carried sincerity. While Rokuri University’s glory had waned compared to its past, it still stood as a formidable organization alongside the Magic Tower. The fact that such an institution could only make modest progress, even with the support of the Police Bureau, was indicative of Human-meat Chef’s astuteness.

“Or, the university and the police might be dumber than we thought. That would make more sense.”

“We can’t necessarily see it that way, there are also political and social issues in Galos.”

Yareli cautiously expressed her viewpoint in response to Terence’s hint of sarcasm. Seated between Kevin and Terence, she savored the lobster thermidor she had ordered.

“Politics? Society?”

“Yes, Colonel Terence. As you know, Galos is still a place of chaos, both politically and socially. Perhaps from the current regime’s perspective, they are more afraid of the opposition forces trying to overturn the current system than of a warlock, and therefore are passive. They fear investing too much military force there would put themselves at risk… Not that I’m defending them, but it’s a fact worth considering.”

Yareli included her remark to prevent any potential misinterpretation, and Terence and Kevin had full faith in her judgment. They trusted Yareli’s intelligence and her professional approach to her work.

“But even so, it changes nothing, Rokuri University hasn’t achieved any significant results, and now there might even be internal disputes within the Human-meat Chef… Honestly, I find it hard to believe. Do you have any basis for that?”

“Yes,” Kevin replied to Terence’s inquiry without hesitation.

“First of all, war is a tiring affair.”

“…”

“Subduing dozens of lower organizations targeting Human-meat Chef isn’t a big achievement, like you said. Probably, Human-meat Chef can handle that much.”

“Is that so?”

“But what about the ones below? I’m talking about the disciples and followers of Human-meat Chef. The lower organizations would be managed by them.”

“Wasn’t it said that Human-meat Chef has a high level of control over the organization because he manages it directly?”

“There’s a limit to that, though. Do you think he can really manage every single part of a giant organization that covers half of the underworld of Galos?”

It was a valid point. Regardless of how centralized an organization’s management might be, given its size, it was impossible for the leader to oversee every detail. To run an organization effectively, some responsibilities had to be delegated to subordinates.

“And those in charge, even if they pretend otherwise, some of them will think of it as their own possession. Like their fief. It’s the nature of that environment… What do you think?”

Kevin turned his gaze toward Oliver as he inquired. Oliver, seated across from Yareli, indulged in a mushroom pie.

“I don’t know much about how the Black Hand operates, but if it doesn’t stray from the path of a warlock, then I think that’s likely.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s mostly why they became warlocks. For a better life, for their own desires.”

Kevin nodded, affirming the sound reasoning Oliver provided.

“More than anything, the background of this incident… My guess is because of Gretel, the sister of Human-meat Chef. Because of her independent actions.”

This narrative seemed entirely plausible. Gretel had infiltrated Rokuri University, and she had acted alone in Lake Village. Neither Human-meat Chef nor his subordinates had been involved, suggesting it was a unilateral decision.

“No one likes to be swayed by unexpected chaos caused by someone else’s unilateral actions. Especially if it’s the immature younger sister of the boss.”

“That’s a plausible statement, but there’s no definite evidence, is there? Just because there’s accumulated dissatisfaction, it doesn’t immediately lead to a rebellion.”

This was a valid point. Staging a rebellion was a substantial undertaking, particularly against a centuries-old adversary.

Despite Alain’s sincerity, Oliver found it challenging to fully embrace this theory. One of Human-meat Chef’s subordinates had even questioned whether the war would cease solely with Human-meat Chef’s demise.

“There’s a second piece of evidence.”

“What is it?”

“A good number of the things said by the university turned out to be true.”

Terence and Yareli looked at Oliver, whose abilities as a warlock allowed him to perceive emotions.

Oliver responded, “From what I saw, it was sincere.”

Terence and Yareli placed their trust in Oliver’s assessment. They were well aware of his capabilities.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean we can guarantee it’s 100% true. What they wrongly understood could be believed as truth.”

Kevin pointed out the inherent limitation of warlock’s vision. Their ability allowed them to read emotions, not necessarily discern absolute truths.

“It’s getting confusing… So, what’s the point?”

“Nothing much. We just have to inform the tower of this fact, and you and I will really help Rokuri University. Let’s do our best.”

Kevin gestured toward himself and Terence.

“If it’s true, there’s no need for the tower to take risks and create a front on its own.”

“Well, okay. Plans can change a bit on the field. I have no complaints if it’s resolved like that… Then, what about these two?”

Terence pointed at Yareli and Oliver.

“Weren’t we originally going to use Yarelli as a bridge to explore the surrounding information together?”

“Let’s just come up with a decent excuse to separate these two, have them investigate Galos instead of us, as originally planned… Rokuri University won’t be bothered by that much detail.”

“Hmm… Not bad, but are you sure?”

Terence concurred with Kevin’s suggestion and turned to Yareli. Yareli nodded, her sense of responsibility shining through.

“Yes, I can do it.”

Clap!

Terence clapped his hands together.

“Then that’s settled… You’re okay with it, right?”

Terence inquired about Oliver’s ability to assist Yareli, and Oliver nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine, and I actually prefer it.”

“Why do I feel uneasy when you say it’s okay?”

“Take it as a sign of normalcy and be happy.”

Kevin unexpectedly played along with Terence’s jest.

With roles somewhat defined, they continued their meal, and nightfall enveloped them. Eventually, they retired to their respective bedrooms for rest.

***

The following morning, Kevin, Terence, Yareli, and Oliver put their plans from the previous evening into motion.

Kevin and Terence departed from the hotel early in the morning and headed to Rokuri University. Meanwhile, Yareli and Oliver left the hotel two hours later.

Their delayed departure was not due to laziness but rather a consideration for the etiquette of the situation. Arriving too early would have been impolite, so they synchronized their schedules with others.

As evidence of their diligence, Yareli spent the two-hour gap meticulously crafting a list of places to visit, while Oliver utilized his time by revisiting the Galos language, studying the intricate geography of Ravel through maps, and perusing a history book about Galos. They made the most of their available time.

Surprisingly, they found this preparation quite enjoyable.

“It’s good that Zenon is enjoying himself as well.” Yareli remarked inside a restaurant where they had paused for a late lunch.

They had come in to refuel, and Yareli’s voice carried a hint of weariness.

After all, she had been out of the hotel since 9 AM, navigating various appointments and conversations well into the afternoon. Interacting with people, each with strong opinions, had left her feeling significantly drained, although she didn’t let it show on the outside.

‘Miss. Yareli herself doesn’t particularly like dealing with people… Although she does it well.’

Irrespective of personal preference, Oliver observed Yareli diligently carrying out her assigned tasks and inquired, “It seems you are quite tired, is there anything I can help you with? Please let me know if you need assistance.”

Upon hearing Oliver’s offer, Yareli adopted a defensive posture, as if she regretted revealing her inner fatigue too readily.

“…I made a mistake. Could you pretend you didn’t hear that?”

Yareli defensively withdrew her earlier admission upon realizing how easily she had let her guard down.

Oliver readily respected her request. If she was unwilling to discuss it further, there was no point in pressing the matter. Instead, he shifted the conversation to a different topic.

“Yes, I understand… Anyway, I’m having a good time. In fact, I wanted to look around like last time. In Galos.”

By “last time,” he referred to their journey back to Landa, and Yareli recalled that period as well.

“Ah, I remember. We left straight away, although it wasn’t a sightseeing trip.”

“Yes, of course, we’re not here for sightseeing now either, but it’s still enjoyable to explore Galos while working. This city and its people seem to have a different charm from Landa… How should I put it, it seems like everyone is brimming with passion.”

Oliver reminisced about the individuals he had observed while wandering the capital of Galos, Ravel, alongside Yareli. From a young man delivering a fervent speech in an alley to the city’s upper class whom Yareli had encountered, they all seemed to possess unwavering convictions, regardless of their social status.

“The people of Galos are mostly passionate, especially when it comes to politics and what they believe to be right. Because of that, there have been numerous events in the last 100 years.”

Oliver nodded, refraining from inquiring further about the specifics of these events, as he had already gained a rough understanding from a book he had perused back at the hotel.

‘Liberalism was established by beheading the king and setting up a republic, but soon after, they served an emperor, and then that empire fell, the old dynasty returned, and then another revolution happened.’

Oliver recalled the historical tidbits he had encountered in the book. While not his area of expertise, he found it rather remarkable that the nation of Galos persisted through such tumultuous times.

“And yet, the people still seem passionate.” Yareli remarked with a touch of bitterness, reflecting on her conversations with the individuals she had encountered.

The individuals Yareli encountered through her family connections represented a diverse mix: wizards, formerly noble figures who had regained their status, and the emerging class of city capitalists. However, the common thread among them was their lack of valuable information.

Strikingly, they displayed a remarkable indifference to the conflict between Human-meat Chef and Rokuri University. Their conversations revolved around their own political grievances, the urban development initiatives led by the royal family, or inquiries about Landa.

According to them, Galos was deemed too tumultuous to consider living in.

“Perhaps, they were hiding their true feelings or lying… Were there such people?”

Even though Yareli felt that the time spent without significant results was a disappointment, she refused to succumb to despair and composed herself to pose the question.

Upon hearing her inquiry, Oliver retrieved a notebook from within his coat. In this notebook, he had meticulously recorded the names of those who had lied or concealed their true feelings.

Just as Oliver was about to disclose the names documented in his notebook, he suddenly detected a familiar emotion. He swiftly turned his head to one side.

Amidst the background chatter in the restaurant, the soft jingling of a bell echoed as the door swung open, allowing two men and a woman to enter.

As if by some twist of fate, both of these individuals were known to him.

“Mr. Murphy? Miss Jane?”

“…Dave?”

“Ah, indeed, it is you two. How do you do?”

Oliver greeted Murphy Kimbell, renowned as the Liquor King of Landa, and Jane, who had achieved recognition as a successful female investor. They appeared genuinely surprised to encounter him in Galos.

Their astonishment was palpable, indicating that they had not anticipated seeing Oliver in this city.

“What are you… What brings you here?”

“I have some business here. What brings you to Galos, Mr. Murphy?”

“I’m here on a business visit.”

“Ah, I see… And Miss Jane, what about- Ah, was it Galos where you said you were going for a bit when we met at the hotel last time?”

Oliver recollected his chance meeting with Jane at the hotel. She had mentioned that she would be temporarily departing from Landa for business.

“Yes… It’s nice to see you in Galos, unexpected as it is.”

“I’m also glad. It’s quite surprising.”

“I’m surprised as well… Can you introduce your new companion?”

With a smile and an emotion akin to the one she had displayed when meeting Marie, Jane asked Oliver if he could introduce his new companion.