Chapter 280
Chapter 280
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: Sleeping Forest (1)
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The battle at the McCluskey Security Company ended on a disappointingly dull note.
There had been as many as five druids in the vicinity of the forest, but they hadn't been able to make much of a showing.
Still, it would be a bit unfair to blame them for it.
No matter how strong someone was, they could still die like a mere extra depending on the opponent and the circumstances.
For instance, Connor—who had been outside the building—had to face seven security bureau agents on his own.
And the four druids inside the building had been stuck dealing with a black mage in a sealed space littered with corpses.
It was the absolute worst conditions for facing a manipulation-specialized black mage.
Well, Oliver wasn't a manipulation specialist anyway...
In any case, the raid on the McCluskey Security Company had wrapped up without any major issues, even with the unexpected developments.
"Somehow, it still feels anticlimactic even after everything's done."
Oliver remarked at the Forest Restaurant.
Oliver was seated at a table covered with a pristine white tablecloth, with Forest sitting directly across from him.
"Does it?"
"Yes."
Oliver set down the newspaper he had been reading and looked at Forest.
Forest was reading a paper as well, and several more newspapers were stacked on the table.
"This seems plenty splashy to me."
Forest placed the article from his newspaper on the table.
The page featured the headline [Massive Crime Network Exposed! Security Bureau Strikes!!] in enormous letters.
The other papers on the table had the story on their front pages too.
"Filling the front page of a Randa paper with just one story isn't easy. You've got to hook people across all social classes."
"Is busting a crime ring really that big of a deal?"
Oliver asked.
He wasn't trying to downplay Randa, but this advanced, prosperous city was crawling with crime organizations like cockroaches.
So many, in fact, that most citizens figured coexistence was the way to go.
As such, taking down a crime group wasn't considered all that impressive in Randa. Some other outfit would just fill the vacuum anyway.
"Not wrong. Smashing a crime ring isn't huge news. But this scale makes for good copy. And the key point here is that it was the Security Bureau that did it."
Forest tapped the photo of Arthur in the paper.
He was giving an interview to reporters in front of the wrecked McCluskey Security Company, his signature tough-guy impression blended with an air of sharp intellect.
"The photo turned out well, but I still don't get it. Why does it matter that the Security Bureau was involved?"
"Hmm... Yeah, that tracks for you. It's tricky to explain. It's a matter of pride."
"Pride?"
"Exactly. Pride as a Randa native. Everyone living in this city has it. They belong to the kingdom... but not really. They're special. The bathroom janitor thinks the same as the factory owner."
"...I see."
"So Randa folks crave something that sets them apart from kingdom types. Like an organization created to handle superhumans, slotted between the army and regular police."
"The Security Bureau?"
"Yep. The idea that there's this kingdom-exclusive group protecting the city? Makes 'em happy. Not rational, but not incomprehensible."
Oliver pondered it for a moment before slowly nodding.
He couldn't quite relate, but he got the gist.
"That's why every paper's splashing it on the front page. It sells."
"Right... But that's not what I meant by anticlimactic. Why aren't ABC or Mr. Seamus in any of the stories?"
As Oliver pointed out, every paper had delved deep into the McCluskey Security Company and the crime outfits they effectively ran. But not a single line about the real boss, Seamus.
Not even in Cassandra, which was openly hostile to Seamus.
In other words, Arthur... no, Carver hadn't made it public.
"No word on that from my end either, so I wouldn't know. But I can hazard a guess."
"A guess?"
"Yeah. Old man's personal take—want to hear it?"
"Of course. I'd appreciate it if you're willing."
Forest gave a faint smile at Oliver's polite request, took a sip of his coffee, and spoke.
"Probably because it'd be pointless to bring it up now."
"Pointless...?"
"Yep. Outside of the McCluskey outfit, there's hardly anything tying back to Seamus."
"But—"
"—I know what you're gonna say. That everyone borrowed money from him and got investments, right?"
Oliver nodded.
Leaf Loan had lent cash to shell companies to get startups off the ground, and ABC had poured in massive investments to fuel their growth.
Both had profited handsomely in the process. To Oliver, it looked like plenty of connection.
"Fair point, but that won't fly. Label every lender and investor a criminal, and half this city's behind bars... which they probably deserve."
"Ah..."
"Sure, dig deeper and you might find evidence. But right now? Useless. Everyone's fawning over Seamus."
Forest flipped open one of the papers on the table and showed Oliver an article.
It was about ABC, touting how they'd returned sky-high yields to investors without a single miss.
The included photo showed city workers beaming ear to ear.
"What do you think happens if they push the probe to Seamus now?"
"...People would hate it?"
Oliver stretched his imagination as far as it would go. Forest looked pleased.
"Exactly. They'd foam at the mouth over folks messing with the angel delivering them cash. 'Does it hurt you that much that we're making money?' Then the bureaucrats and councilors on Seamus's payroll would stonewall the investigation. Point is, it's a useless weapon right now. Not until things ripen a bit more."
"...He's holding it back for later."
"Smart play. We've already collapsed one of his main revenue streams, so now we watch until he shows a weakness."
Oliver pictured Seamus.
He didn't know the man well, but personally, he didn't strike Oliver as the type to bare his throat easily.
His actions seemed flighty and flashy, but his emotional control and results suggested considerable depth.
Like at the investment party, where he'd used Oliver to steal everyone's attention.
Forrest didn't deny it when Oliver mentioned this.
"Agreed. Seamus won't slip up easily. Dissolute, flashy, loud... he projects zero wisdom, but results are what count. He's an extraordinary figure who went from fixer to successful businessman. He won't expose himself lightly... But flip side: things won't go entirely his way either."
"Pardon?"
"Seamus is special, sure. But in Randa, everyone's special. This isn't some podunk town where one guy calls all the shots from start to finish."
Forest spoke with confidence, and Oliver mulled it over, struck by a strange sensation.
Everyone's special in Randa... He couldn't pinpoint why, but it felt like a fine turn of phrase.
"Nice line."
"'Everyone's special in Randa'?"
"Yes."
"It was an ad slogan Randa pushed back in the day. To snag cheap labor."
"Oh... Guess I need to pay more attention to ads from now on."
"Conclusion's a bit off, but if you're satisfied... Anyway, point is, no need to get antsy. An Interior Ministry elite's on the case full throttle, and plenty of other Randa players are keeping eyes on ABC and Seamus. Unless there's zero issue—which there isn't—an opportunity's bound to come. City officials, especially Interior ones, are impressive in ways street superhumans aren't."
"You know your stuff."
"Stick around this scene long enough, you pick it up whether you like it or not... Plus, I worked with them back in my younger days."
"With Kant, by any chance?"
Forest flinched at the sudden jab.
He occasionally got caught off guard, but usually recovered with his trademark unflappability and experience. This time, though, he struggled.
"Sigh... Thought you'd let me off the hook for an answer?"
"Sorry if that upset you. It just slipped out reflexively."
"Not upset, just startled by the out-of-nowhere question... Something up? Personal takes during a mission are out of character for you."
Nailed it. Forest had zeroed in on Oliver's subtle shift.
The reason Oliver was airing personal views on the mission and asking questions he'd been holding back was none other than the five letters tucked in his pocket.
They'd faded from mind amid the mission focus, but downtime like now made them impossible to ignore, turning mildly torturous.
To distract himself, Oliver had pried into mission opinions he normally wouldn't and tossed out unrelated questions to bury the curiosity, if only briefly.
But he couldn't exactly say that. Oliver played it cool.
"It's nothing."
Sensing something was amiss, Forest thought it over, sipped his coffee, and spoke.
"Hmm... Maybe it's about time I spilled. About me and Kant."
"Really?"
"That's a mighty quick reaction for someone who just apologized."
"Sorry. I'm just excited."
"Getting thrilled over that... Anyway, I'll tell you after this mission wraps."
"After the mission?"
"That's the natural order, no? We're in the thick of it. Plus, I need time to sort my thoughts. Any issue?"
"...No, none."
Oliver shook his head with effort. He wanted to hear it now, sure, but Forest had a point.
"You sure you're okay with that?"
Forest saw right through him. Oliver fiddled with the letters in his pocket and insisted he was fine.
At least it'd briefly swapped one curiosity for another.
And sparked a new doubt. Just where the hell was Merlin, and what was he up to?
'Hurry up and get here so I can read these letters...'
***
"I have no idea why I'm stuck doing this crap."
Merlin stretched out his hand with a groan, heavy coat and backpack weighing him down.
Unlike his drawling complaint, an immense well of mana gathered in his hand—more than most mages could accumulate in a lifetime.
The mana shifted according to his formula and will into searing blue lightning that lanced out in five prongs before converging on the massive 5-meter skull giant before him.
CRRRRACKKKKBOOOOM!!!
The five thin lightning bolts sparked violently on impact, and the resulting shockwave didn't just pulverize the skull giant—it splintered nearby trees to splinters.
"Never gets old, huh."
Merlin muttered as the shattered skull giant melted like butter into the earth, and the shockwave-blasted trees reformed amid wisps of smoke, good as new.
This Sleeping Forest was one bizarre place.
"The location shifting constantly is weird enough on its own... What do you lot think?"
Whish—thunk!
Merlin snagged an incoming arrow with mana and posed his question.
Glancing toward the crude arrow's origin revealed a gnome: button eyes, enormous nose, cone hat, and nothing but a vest.
A dreamy, utterly unrealistic silhouette. Almost cute, even.
But he couldn't let the looks fool him.
Just like the skull giant he'd dropped earlier, this was nothing but a black magic creature.
Sensing something ominous, the creature scurried to a nearby stump.
Incredibly, it had a door. The creature slipped its tiny frame inside.
Fleeing from Merlin.
Merlin extended a hand toward the stump.
The earth deep beneath the stump churned violently at his incantation, erupting upward in a volcanic geyser of soil.
Buried in that soil were countless gnome creatures.
Merlin seized the airborne dirt, tree roots, rocks, stones, and creatures with mana, then clenched his fist.
Compressed to a single point, the creatures squished into one bloody lump under the mana pressure.
"This never ends."
Merlin eyed the restored ground and the horde of assorted creatures swarming from the dense woods.
How am I supposed to get answers like this...
In the end, Merlin decided to bend etiquette a smidge and take the easier route.
Hey, he was an old-timer—what harm in a little leeway?
Merlin gathered mana in his hand and summoned a book from thin air.
He tore out its pages and flung them skyward.
To incinerate the entire Sleeping Forest at once.
"Wonder if it'll just revert..."
Just as he was about to unleash the spell, the creatures' presences winked out, and an old woman with fairy-like wings on her back appeared.
"...The princess has awakened."