Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Introduction (2)
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"Or maybe it's been a while?"
Army mage Kevin Dunba said abruptly as he looked at Oliver.
In that fleeting instant...
A torrent of thoughts raced through Oliver's mind.
'What do I do? Should I lie and say I don't know him? Am I even good at lying? More importantly, is this the disciple Master Merlin mentioned? What's going on? A coincidence? Or was it planned from the start?'
The coincidence felt too contrived, leaving Oliver at a loss for how to respond.
But time marched on relentlessly, and the moment to reply had arrived.
Any longer without an answer, and it'd be as good as admitting it.
"I think 'it's been a while' is right, Sir Kevin."
After wrestling with it, Oliver opted for honesty.
Kevin's eyebrow arched upward.
Surprise, admiration, faint satisfaction, curiosity—various emotions flickered subtly across his face. At the very least, he didn't seem displeased.
Oliver ventured cautiously.
"If it's all right with you, may I ask a question?"
"What?"
"How did you recognize me at a glance? I was wearing a leather mask back then."
He was still wearing one now, but no need to point that out.
Kevin replied.
"I've got a sharp eye for observation. I remember auras, mannerisms, habits, speech patterns. But more than anything..."
"...More than anything?"
"That staff of yours stands out too much."
Oliver glanced at the quarterstaff propped beside him. An involuntary "Ah..." escaped his lips.
"In a world where blades and guns are the norm—golem prosthetics, mechanical gear, body mods everywhere—a guy lugging around just a staff? Not common. Makes it easy to narrow down who it might be."
Oliver had no comeback for that. In Randa's back alleys, yeah, it probably stuck out more.
Then a sudden worry hit him: Hadn't Kevin noticed Oliver's involvement in Willeth's escape?
As if reading his mind, Kevin spoke up.
"Don't worry. You're the only one who saw me. And I haven't told a soul."
"Thank you... But is that okay for you?"
"Wasn't doing it out of the goodness of my heart."
"Mages—mainstream ones formally affiliated with a school—have mandatory service in the kingdom's forces. Some see it as an opportunity, others just hate it. This guy's the latter."
Merlin explained, placing a hand on Kevin's shoulder.
Kevin glanced at the hand on his shoulder and said bluntly.
"Master... could you remove your hand?"
"Ah, my apologies."
Oliver's eyes darted between Merlin and Kevin.
From what he'd gathered so far, their master-disciple bond seemed anything but ordinary.
The branch member last time could barely meet Merlin's gaze, just nodding meekly. Yet this Kevin called him "Master" with a stiff, rigid attitude.
Not to mention the undercurrent of considerable resentment and anger directed at Merlin.
'Not entirely, of course...'
Could Kevin be stronger than Merlin? The thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it in under a second.
Kevin was strong, no doubt—but nowhere near Merlin's league.
Oliver could vouch for that; he'd fought them both.
Was there some unknown factor at play?
"Even so, thank Kevin properly. Thanks to you, a smooth military career got a nasty stain."
Merlin said, now resting a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
Oliver didn't shrug it off.
"What do you mean?"
"Your mission. Helping Willeth—the commander from the Kel Liberation Army—slip away."
"......"
"Don't get the wrong idea. Wasn't snooping on purpose. I've just got access to a ton of info, and a brain that connects the dots naturally. This guy..."
Merlin reached for Kevin's shoulder again but awkwardly pulled back.
"...told me about it. Made me think of you. Don't worry—no snitching. Not yet, anyway."
"Thank you."
"Save the thanks for him. Spot on his pristine record, all because of you. Ruined his grand plan for a flashy return to the Magic Tower."
Merlin dramatically pointed both hands at Oliver.
Oliver acknowledged it with a deep, respectful bow to Kevin. Why wouldn't he?
As Merlin said, Kevin had already let it slide.
The fact that nothing had happened so far was proof enough. And fighting him had taught Oliver plenty besides.
Reasons to be grateful overflowed.
"I sincerely appreciate it, and I'm sorry for the trouble."
Kevin shook his head.
"Wasn't for your sake, so skip the thanks. More importantly, do you even know what 'sincere' means?"
"Pardon?"
Oliver blinked dumbly at the cryptic question.
What is sincerity, anyway...? It suddenly piqued his curiosity.
"Enough chit-chat. Let's get to business before this old man's knees start aching."
Merlin patted Oliver's shoulder, then gestured at the air just above Kevin's.
"Dave. Allow me a formal introduction: Your temporary senior brother, and the taxi that'll take you to the Magic Tower—Kevin. ...Kevin. The baggage you have to haul. No refusing."
A title that hinted at whatever explanations they'd traded.
Oliver didn't mind. Getting to the Magic Tower was a huge favor, and he knew full well what a risk his very existence posed.
One thing Oliver pressed on.
"Elder... was this your plan from the start? Running into Senior Brother while working, then meeting again here?"
"Foolish talk. Pure coincidence. A bit of a harsh one, sure."
Merlin's emotions were shrouded in mana, unreadable. Oliver had no choice but to take his word.
"...Senior Brother?"
"Don't call me senior brother. Call me Professor. That's what I am."
"Ah, Professor... Are you sure it's okay to take me? A black mage into the Magic Tower?"
"Doesn't matter. The place is crawling with folks who already call my being a Magic Tower professor blasphemy... One more like you won't make a difference."
A venomous edge crept into Kevin's emotions. Complex, long-fermented feelings. But separately, he didn't seem entirely unwilling to bring Oliver along.
"Ah... Thank you."
Kevin ignored the gratitude and turned to Merlin.
His attitude toward his master remained oddly prickly.
"I'll take him, but I need a cover identity for the paperwork. Can't bring in someone without ID."
"I'll handle that."
"I have an ID."
"Not that fixer ID. A clean one."
Kevin cut in sharply.
True, using his fixer credentials at the Magic Tower was a disaster waiting to happen. Oliver shut his mouth.
"...And we need to decide what role he'll fill."
"Can't he just be a gofer?"
"That works for you, Master, but not for me. Too many people at the Tower who hate my guts."
"Fair point. Place full of racists, eugenics nuts, mage supremacists."
"Exactly. Me bringing in some random nobody? Eyes everywhere, suspicious as hell. I don't hire personal staff normally, no lobbyists buzzing around me either. They'll wonder where he popped from."
"Hmm... Even if I hand him off, need a plausible reason. Yeah, 'gofer' feels off."
Oliver quietly raised his hand.
"Sorry, but... mind filling me in? What's this about?"
"Ah... Nothing much. Figuring out what excuse to use for hiring you as staff. Other professors have lobbyists, so they tote around aides with no real skills, no questions asked. But Kevin... doesn't."
A spark of irritation and anger flared in Kevin's mind.
He got it, but it still pissed him off.
"...So, basically, I need some specific skill beyond odd jobs?"
"That'd be ideal. No lobbyists means he'd have to hire you himself—and he's never done that. Some long-lost outsider suddenly doing things out of character? Sparks curiosity."
Long-lost outsider... The words carried a bite.
Merlin and Kevin's weird dynamic. Kevin's odd feelings toward the Magic Tower. Complicated history there.
Oliver wanted to ask, but it felt too risky.
For now, focus on the situation at hand.
"What if... being able to read code language counts as a skill?"
"Code language? What's that supposed to mean?"
Kevin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. In contrast, Merlin clapped as recollection dawned.
"Right... You were studying code language, weren't you? Can't access the World Tree otherwise, so folks don't bother much. Few in the Tower can even handle it. Perfect excuse to bring you."
Merlin muttered, pleased at how smoothly things were falling into place.
"I think I gave you a book last time. How far'd you get? Code Language Basics: Level 2 (Part 1)?"
Oliver shook his head.
"Ah... Well, it's tough..."
"No, not that—I mean, I finished Code Language Advanced Studies (Parts 1 & 2). All the books you gave me, Elder. And I think I understood them."
"...For real?"
Merlin's reaction dripped skepticism. Oliver pressed on.
"Yes. You said anyone could finish them with a little time, right? I took that to heart and studied whenever I had a moment."
"That was a lie. Just clearing out unsold stock."
"Pardon??"
There was a minor hiccup when Oliver realized he'd been scammed, but they glossed over it. Oliver took a code language test prepared by Merlin and Kevin.
While they graded it, he stepped out.
"Impressive. This level's good enough to jump straight into the Moirai School."
"Care to show me?"
Kevin asked in his usual clipped tone.
Merlin handed over the test sheet, and he read it silently.
"...Self-taught?"
"Far as I know. Could be lying, but somehow I doubt it."
Kevin nodded toward the door Oliver had exited through.
That eerie black mage didn't strike him as the dishonest type.
The way he'd admitted it outright when prodded was proof enough.
"Even so, it doesn't add up. Code language isn't something you just self-study."
Kevin wasn't nitpicking; it was plain fact.
The books covered it all in theory, but code language's vicious complexity was another beast.
A universal translator for all tongues, its rules for characters, syntax, even word interpretation shifted with every expansion in vocabulary or sentence length. Each new tier rivaled learning a whole new language.
As if the World Tree itself resented human intrusion.
"I agree. That's why formal training's required to master it. Yet here's someone who self-taught it. That's just a hair shy of perfection, isn't it?"
Merlin pointed at the test sheet in Kevin's hand.
Kevin double-checked it.
No errors, even on the deliberate traps. ...
"Who the hell is this guy?"
"That's why I'm handing him to you—to find out."
"Pardon?"
Kevin blinked like an idiot at the unexpected reply.
His master, Merlin, was the current keeper of the Archive—passed down only to the greatest of mages.
Heir to countless archmages' knowledge, experience, research, spells.
For him to sidestep with an "I don't know"... Was it another lame joke? But Merlin's demeanor was dead serious.
"Originally planned one-on-one lessons, but changed my mind. Stare too long into the abyss, and it stares back. Better observe as a third party."
"Not following."
"You might not get it fully, but you grasp enough, right? Your personality accepted this gig—that's proof."
"Just following orders, Master. Refuse, and you'd bar me from the Tower."
"Heh... What power do I have?"
"Plenty. You unified independent schools—Mjölnir, Agni, Gaia—into the Elemental School. Retired on paper, but still Grand Master in truth. Sorry, but that's not humility; it's arrogance and deception."
Merlin's smug expression twitched at Kevin's barbed words.
Like a thorn pricking his finger.
"Ouch, that stings."
Kevin looked ready to say more but deliberately shifted gears.
"...Won't lie and say I'm not intrigued. He's no ordinary talent. So tell me: What exactly do you want me watching for?"
Serious question, deserving a straight answer. But Merlin just shook his head.
"...Honestly, no clue."
"Pardon?"
"Even I—the Archive—can't pin it down. No idea what he is. Correction: I have a hunch, but it's unbelievable... That's why I'm checking."
Merlin answered, recalling the inexplicable feeling Dave had once evoked.
"That unknowable something of his."