Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Preparations (2)
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Knock. Knock.
Oliver rapped on the door.
A moment later, a curt voice came from the other side.
"Come in."
As soon as permission was granted, Oliver opened the door and stepped inside, where he saw Kevin seated in the professor's research office.
He was usually swamped with paperwork or preparing for the next class, but today, it seemed he'd wrapped up earlier than usual and was just sitting there quietly.
'The stack of documents next to him looks all done, but that's surprising.'
Oliver knew Kevin didn't procrastinate on work but also didn't rush through it, so he couldn't help wondering what was up.
"Did you wrap things up properly?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm talking about [Basic Magical Combat]."
"Ah... Yes. I reported as instructed, and it seems to have gone well. No one was particularly disappointed or left wanting."
"Not sure if that's a good thing."
Oliver had to agree.
No reaction meant they didn't care whether he was there or not... No, it meant they had no enthusiasm or attachment to the class itself.
It wasn't great. It might have been better if they'd at least gotten angry.
"Did you use your teaching method on Felix?"
"Yes, I just helped him a little."
"What do you mean by 'a little'?"
"Well... I just pointed out where he was getting stuck, as always. With a bit more practice, he should be able to handle the sequential mana flow you described without issue."
Sequential mana flow.
It wasn't an officially registered training method of the Magic Tower, but a kind of mana exercise Kevin had developed himself.
By circulating mana in a fixed pattern and speed, it emphasized agility and flexibility over stable mana operation or maximization.
Built on this foundation, it enabled quick spellcasting and flexible changes, maximizing efficiency in magical combat. It seemed simple, but the difficulty was high—even Oliver and the other students training under him couldn't execute it perfectly yet.
"I'm curious about that. I'll have to check it out later."
"You'll check it personally?"
"For now, I'll ask whoever's covering for you. I'm busy too."
"Mm... Professor, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me who'll be coming as my substitute?"
"Does it matter?"
Kevin interlaced his fingers and leaned forward.
It looked casual, like he was just relaxing, but it carried considerable pressure.
Not that Oliver felt it.
"Yes."
"If it matters that much, you shouldn't have taken leave like this."
"I'm sorry about that."
Oliver apologized. He didn't say more. There were circumstances, but in the end, it was just an excuse.
He'd simply found the mission and its rewards more appealing than Magic Tower duties or promises to students.
No matter what Kevin said, Oliver had no defense.
"I do like that you're not making excuses, though... Is it that urgent? This personal matter of yours?"
"Ah... It's not certain, but it does seem quite likely."
"Can you tell me specifically what it is?"
"Well... No."
"I could find out if I wanted to."
This wasn't bravado—it was true. Randa's sunlight and shadows were divided, but the line wasn't sharp. If a Magic Tower professor wanted to know, they could uncover what a back-alley fixer was up to.
But Oliver shook his head.
"I'm sorry. It doesn't feel right coming from me."
As a fixer, he was thinking of the bare minimum rules he had to follow. Kevin might find out anyway, but not from his own mouth.
"Well, can't be helped then... We'll talk about that later. Focus on the matter at hand for now."
Kevin finished speaking and pulled a sheet from the stack of papers beside him, holding it out.
It was a professor's personal staff leave request form, already signed by Kevin in the professor's section.
Oliver stepped forward with thanks and reached for the form on the desk.
"It's impressive that personal leave pays 80 percent of salary."
"People complain about life in the Tower but don't leave because of perks like that."
Oliver nodded in agreement. Life here was tough, but compared to Randa with no safety net, it was far more livable.
'The scale is huge—the money flowing in and out, the authority.'
Even as just staff, Oliver could indirectly sense the Tower's vast scale and financial flow.
Then a sudden question arose.
Merlin seemed to hold a very high position in the Tower, so why had he gone somewhere himself?
He could just send someone else.
Merlin had even said he had plenty of people for that.
Maybe something big or important enough that even Merlin had to handle it personally.
It didn't concern him directly, but Oliver was curious.
"Professor, I heard the elder left for somewhere today. If it's not rude, could you tell me where?"
"You think he'd report his every move to me?"
Kevin shot back with incredulity.
Having heard the question, Oliver reflexively pictured Merlin's usual demeanor.
"Mm... No."
"Right answer."
With that, Oliver rewrote the leave form.
He signed [Xenon Bright] in the signature section, wrote [Personal Circumstances] for the reason.
Finally, the duration. Not knowing when it'd end, he left the end date blank.
Technically not allowed, but possible with professor approval.
"Alright, I'll submit this."
Kevin said after checking the form. His eyes scanned it sharply.
"Thank you for the consideration. I'll head out first then."
Kevin nodded, and Oliver bowed before leaving.
As he gripped the doorknob, Kevin suddenly spoke.
"A pure mana school mage I know will cover for you."
"......Pardon?"
"The substitute I mentioned. A combat mage with solid skills. So don't worry and go."
Kevin spoke with subtle but unmistakable kindness and consideration.
Oliver bowed again.
"Thank you again for the consideration. I'll return as soon as possible."
Oliver had officially requested leave from the Magic Tower, securing some free time.
But as the name implied, it wasn't time for leisure.
It was just prep time before the mission.
First, he stopped by the Black Market to pick up the ordered firearms and other items, then returned home to tweak the golem doll.
Tailored to counter the traits of Seamus's underlings that Forrest had identified.
Oliver thought his skills had improved, but that didn't mean he'd let his guard down.
Especially after experiencing a druid's rare power firsthand.
'Powerful physique, mysterious strength unlike magic, immense life force.'
Each was daunting on its own, but in numbers, the danger was incalculable. Especially on these streets where even top skill couldn't save you from a single slip-up—preparation was essential.
After simple modifications, Oliver ran some experiments and training with the golem doll and Child.
He'd been too busy to practice lately, so this was perfect timing.
'This might actually work better than expected.'
Oliver thought after the test run. It could catch the enemy off guard.
Of course, he didn't just focus on combat prep.
He also read the book Merlin had given him: [World Tree Evolution Theory].
Handed over as if Merlin had anticipated it, the book was intriguingly relevant—and as expected, full of fascinating content.
Coincidence or Merlin's innate genius? It covered what Oliver had wondered about: the World Tree's future-predicting ability from accumulated data, and intriguing hypotheses on the tree itself.
'The more you use the World Tree, the more data builds up, eventually birthing an artificial spirit and will... Amazing and intriguing. I'd love to research just this if I had the time.'
Oliver mused while reading Merlin's gift.
Despite its age, the content was radical, captivating, and plausible enough to make skipping breakfast feel like a bargain.
But he couldn't neglect work. He handled other must-dos and preparations.
For instance, he passed First's all-day batch of blood elixirs to Edith ahead of time and visited Forrest to hear his additional findings.
You couldn't rely solely on client info.
Busy without a moment to sit, but not exhausting or difficult.
'But this is tough.'
Oliver thought, staring at the five letters.
Letters from the kids he'd helped in Martel's secret lab, including Rosburn.
Still sealed. Oliver felt the urge to tear them open and read.
The temptation was strong—his fingers inched toward the envelopes.
Slither. Slither. Slither. Tap.
His fingertips, snake-like, touched the letters.
He could rip them open right then, but Oliver pulled his hand back.
To an onlooker, it'd look ridiculous—fussing over mere letters—but he couldn't help it.
Because of what Merlin had said when delivering them.
'Why didn't he want me reading them right away?'
Recalling Merlin's expression as he puzzled over it.
When Merlin handed over the letters from Rosburn's group, Oliver had tried to open one immediately, but Merlin stopped him.
'Don't open them yet. I didn't bring them for you to read right away.'
Oliver hadn't understood. Why hand them over just to say not to read? When he pressed, Merlin explained.
'I want to read them too. The kids begged me cutely to deliver them, but I want to be first... So wait until I get back.'
It made no sense.
Letters for him, but Merlin wanted to read first?
Oliver argued again, but couldn't have a proper talk.
Merlin just claimed it as payment for his courier trouble.
'And I couldn't refuse.'
Oliver thought, eyeing the letters.
The kids only had the leisure to write because of Merlin.
'He got them out of Martel safely and even found them a place...'
Merlin's demand seemed unreasonable, but not entirely.
Without him, no letters at all—or he could've withheld them.
Yet Merlin played postman out of respect for the kids and Oliver.
For now, Oliver was content just to have them.
'But why do I want to read these so badly?'
He questioned the unfamiliar feeling.
Maybe because of Merlin's words...
Merlin had once said Rosburn and the others would struggle adapting to the elemental school branch.
Modified by life school's secret experiments to handle mana, but twice as slow as normal kids.
'...But now they're adapting well. Like a miracle.'
Oliver recalled Merlin's words.
His thick mana veil hid truth from lies, but instinct told Oliver it was real.
Merlin wouldn't joke like that.
Incredible.
All the kids, including Rosburn.
After such trauma and in a strange place, not only adapting but writing letters too. Truly impressive.
Rosburn had kept his promise.
'Definitely... We'll meet again. I'll come see you when I'm not embarrassed to.'
Rosburn's forgotten shout echoed in his ears.
He'd tried not to care after parting, leaving it to them...
But now, with the letters, memories flooded back vividly, like yesterday.
A strange feeling... Like meeting Kant again.
"Yeah, hold back. Hold it in."
After agonizing, Oliver gathered the letters and tucked them back into his pocket.
He had to keep his promise to Merlin, after all.
He'd agreed to hold them in exchange for having them.
'Besides, he said I could read if I really couldn't wait.'
An odd condition, but Merlin set it, and Oliver accepted—questioning himself multiple times a day.
Could he hold out? Or not?
'Still manageable... If it was truly unbearable, it wouldn't torment me like this.'
Oliver realized anew how weak he was to curiosity.
Pain, cold, hunger—he could endure. But not knowing? Torture.
If unknowable, he'd give up. But this was right there.
"If only I had something else to focus on..."
Oliver thought, and his wish granted. Ding. Ding. Ding. His communicator buzzed in his pocket just then.
Paul Carver's, via Forrest. The rectangular screen displayed a specific address.
Oliver moved out immediately.