Chapter 318
Chapter 318
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 318
Chapter Title: Academy Invitation (3)
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"What the fu-!"
Edis rushed toward Oliver, who was pleading for help.
And then, for a full ten minutes, he unleashed a torrent of curses at Oliver. Without even pausing to breathe.
The astonishing part was that, despite the nonstop barrage, his profanity maintained perfect rhythm and cadence, drawing from a vast and varied arsenal to avoid repetition.
As if cursing were his native tongue.
Oliver listened silently for the first minute, but soon found himself paying close attention.
He doubted he could ever pull off something like that himself.
Truly, everyone had their own remarkable talents.
"Hah... You get all sparkly-eyed even when some lunatic's cursing out your parents?"
Edis stared at Oliver in disbelief, his face flushed red like a ripe tomato from the nonstop tirade.
"As you know, I'm an orphan."
Oliver replied calmly, without any malice or ulterior motive.
Edis knew that already, but hearing it laid out like this made a sliver of long-forgotten conscience prick at him.
Oliver picked up on that emotion.
"Oh, I mean I'm fine... And the orphanage director always said orphans like me must have come from deadbeat scum and obvious whores. So, Sir Edis, you weren't really cursing anyone specific. No need to worry about it."
Edis felt an even stickier unease at those ear-splitting words.
He felt wronged.
He was the one suddenly dragged out here and hit with this dogshit request—why did he feel like the criminal?
"...? Sir Edis? Really, no need to wor—"
"—Shut up. Please."
Edis finally raised a hand to silence Oliver's mouth, then filled a glass to the brim from the bottle on the table and downed it in one go.
Oliver watched quietly before asking cautiously.
"...Did I make some mistake?"
"Who knows? Maybe your very existence is the mistake."
"Ah, I heard that one from the orphanage director too. Orphans like us are proof our parents were stupi—"
"—You little shit!"
Edis exploded in anger again. But despite the outward fury, his inner unease only thickened.
Oliver decided to shut his mouth for now.
He wasn't sure why, but every time he spoke, things seemed to get worse.
Edis, too, had burned through his stamina with these short bursts of rage.
Even though his health had improved thanks to the blood elixir from Oliver.
Gulp, gulp.
Edis kept downing drinks, trying to wash away the foul mood.
Oliver watched silently, analyzing where he might have gone wrong.
Maybe jumping straight to the point when they first met had been the mistake.
Negotiation books emphasized starting with humorous banter to ease into a natural atmosphere.
'Receiving funding really isn't easy... How do the professors handle this?'
Oliver gained a fresh appreciation for the challenges of Mage Tower business.
A moment later, Edis spoke up.
"This is so damn unfair. I can't even remember the last time I felt this wronged."
"...What's unfair?"
"I get yanked out of a nice rest, fed some bullshit that has nothing to do with me, then hit with the rudeness of asking for money on top of that—and now I feel like I messed up? Oh, and I got insulted as a fat pervert too."
Ah, Oliver realized where he'd slipped up.
"My professor said that about you."
"You don't think so?"
"I... like you, Sir Edis."
Edis, apparently too drained for anger, downed another shot of the harsh liquor.
"Should I shut up again?"
Edis nodded.
He emptied several more bottles right there in his seat, then called over the Angel's House staff to bring more—the strongest stuff. When the waiter arrived with a tray full, Edis popped the cap off a bottle and shoved it at Oliver.
"Drink."
"Pardon?"
"Bottom line, you need my money, right?"
"Yes. Doing it out of pocket would be troublesome in various ways."
"Then drink. If you want someone else's money, you gotta stroke their ego."
Oliver nodded in immediate agreement and reached for the bottle to pour into a glass.
Edis stopped him.
"No sharing sips from a glass. Down the whole bottle in one go."
"Is there a reason?"
"Because the guy footing the bill wants it."
A perfectly reasonable excuse. Oliver chugged the entire bottle of strong liquor as instructed.
Edis opened the next one and handed it over; Oliver downed that too.
When about half the brought bottles were empty, Edis finally spoke.
"Goddamn... This booze hits like a truck!"
"Does it?"
It did. He'd meant to get Oliver drunk, but the guy showed no signs of tipsiness.
Edis had seen every kind of person in Randa, but he was dead certain no one was more mind-bogglingly infuriating than the one in front of him.
What the hell was this guy's deal...? Edis asked, a mix of doubt and exasperation in his voice.
"Haaa... Why the hell did you tell me you're undercover at the Mage Tower?"
"Well... I need help, but I don't know the wealthy crowd well? Plus, you know my real name, so it seemed best to be upfront and ask directly?"
It was true.
When he'd saved Jane and met Edis, they'd played a truth game, and Oliver had revealed his real name was Oliver.
It sounded plausible at first glance, but it was anything but.
Ollver's undercover work at the Mage Tower was serious business—prime leverage material.
Of course, Oliver had Edis by the throat with the blood elixir too, but Edis knew the guy wasn't the type to use it.
Beyond personality or character flaws.
So the more they talked, the more confused—and terrified—Edis became.
"...You could've asked for money some other way. Like suddenly needing more materials or whatever?"
"That'd require lying, which I didn't want to do."
"......"
"Also, procedurally, I wanted official support from you, Sir Edis. So being fully honest felt like the polite way."
Edis was beyond anger now. He'd raged too much and just felt tired.
"...Fine, whatever. I can't say no anyway."
"Thank you... But why can't you say no?"
"Because you're the only one who can make the elixir keeping me alive... How dare I refuse?"
"Ah... No need to worry. That's separate from this. Even if you refuse, I'd keep supplying the elixir."
Edis steepled his fingers and leaned on the table.
He was dying to crack open this black mage's skull and peek inside.
"Just gotta ask, out of pure curiosity. What if I said no? That's your only bargaining chip. Or did you bring some new leverage to convince me?"
"I thought about it, but came up empty. Figured a polite request might work."
"If you were weaker than me, I'd have smashed you with this bottle. Until you dropped... What then?"
"Then I'd ask Miss Jane—"
"—You fucker!"
Edis unleashed another ten-minute machine-gun barrage of curses.
Oliver had mentioned he and Jane were friends, making it a perfectly reasonable ask, but it only earned ten more minutes of profanity and forced drinks.
No real progress—just a growing pile of empty bottles. But separately, Oliver was feeling considerable interest right now.
He'd glimpsed Edis's genuine concern for Jane, if only for a moment.
Thanks to Edis exhausting his emotional control early on.
So, funding aside, Oliver was reasonably satisfied with the situation.
He finally understood the scripture: helping others brings help to yourself.
"Hah... You and Jane are friends?"
"Yes. Remember the investment party where we met last time?"
"How could I forget?"
"We agreed to be friends there. She accepted more readily than I expected, so I was happy."
"Happy?"
"Yes. I never had friends before."
"Looking at you, I get why."
"Ah... Did you have many friends, Sir Edis?"
Oliver asked abruptly—not from deep thought, but reflex.
But contrary to expectations, Edis flinched. Like he'd unintentionally hit a sore spot.
Catching that, Oliver wisely shut up and observed Edis downing his drink.
Hoping he'd speak first.
Luckily, things went his way this time.
"Asking you in return. Do I strike you as someone who's had friends?"
"Hm... Hard to say? You're kind enough in your way, and great with words, so maybe?"
"For real?"
"Yes. Totally serious."
Edis glared at Oliver with a speculator's piercing eyes, judging truth from lie.
"Unbelievable... Amazing!! To genuinely think that."
"...? Is it weird?"
"Obviously. Who'd think a cranky old fatass with a girl's name has tons of friends? Normal people don't."
"Hm... But aren't you rich?"
"True. I've got money to rot. But I wasn't always."
Right. Edis was the self-made icon. Meaning he'd been poor before.
"Ask again. Think a broke, cranky fatso had friends? ...No, scratch that. Drop the cranky part. I used to be nice once."
Edis was a bit drunk, but his words rang true.
He'd been kind in his youth—at least by his own account.
Oliver's interest piqued.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Naive times. Believed in Santa, that God watches over us, that being good brings blessings someday, and you could take pride in it. Fucking naive."
Edis meant it, and it didn't sound bad.
Taking pride in living kindly—it was beautiful.
"Not anymore?"
"Hell no. Sitting here with booze, drugs, women. Even a black mage."
"Ah..."
"The bitch I'm with now? Bought her with money. Forced the first night too. Wouldn't obey, so I slapped her, whipped her back raw with a leather belt. Until she licked my ass and swore she loved me. Don't feel bad about it. Paid for her fair and square—mine to do with as I please, right?"
Edis's tone shifted from declarative to seeking agreement.
He was drunk not just on liquor, but on memories and emotions.
Like a dam built over decades had finally burst.
Oliver's curiosity stirred.
"Why give up that pride? Living kindly. It's impressive."
"...Kuhuhu! For real? Best joke of the year! A fixer who lives off human flesh and blood, a black mage using people as ingredients, saying that shit?"
"That's why it feels even more impressive."
"...I've got no conscience, but neither do you."
"Really?"
"In my eyes. Evil without malice?"
Edis said that, then downed more booze. His emotional control was shot.
"It was Jane's damn mother."
"Pardon?"
"Reason I live like this. Jane's bitch of a mom."
"Why?"
"Betrayed me for a richer guy. Said she was sick of me. Know what she said before leaving?"
"No idea?"
"My 'kindness' wasn't kindness—it was packaging to hide incompetence. Right to my face."
"...So you started the investment business?"
"Obviously. Got curious if my goodness was real or just a cover for being useless... Too curious. Took backroom cash from a rival, sabotaged their factory for a big payout. Used that to jump into speculation. Turns out, I'm a natural."
"Must've been thrilled."
"Thrilled? Proved my goodness was real, not packaging. And I learned a big lesson."
"What?"
"People only respect you if you hurt them."
Edis shone with conviction beyond mere sincerity.
"...Wanna say something?"
"No. I don't think I have the right to opine on that."
"...Anyway, once I had enough cash, I ate the strawberry on that saved cake."
"Jane's mother?"
"Yeah. Smashed her house. Flooded money to cut their income, ruined the breadwinner with gambling, booze, women. Decent guy at first, but I turned him into a wreck. Castrated him into a dog who can't even bark while I fuck his wife in their bed."
"......"
"Perfect revenge. That's when Jane was born."
Edis chuckled breathlessly, radiating joy.
It was bizarre. He was clearly happy, yet beneath lurked sorrow and bitterness.
"And that's the answer to the question you've been dying to ask all this time."
"Question?"
"How I feel about Jane... She's proof of my goodness, revenge, victory. That's why I look after her a bit. Fun just watching."
Edis spoke like it was gospel truth, but Oliver read the buried emotions.
Regret, guilt, bitterness, longing, apology—all suppressed.
But Oliver didn't voice it. His curiosity was sated enough.
Unexpected harvest from a funding trip.
"This is bad. I just revealed my ace. Fuck! ...Blame the booze."
"I'm just grateful. Cleared up my questions. Regardless, I'll keep the elixir coming—no worries. With emotions and memories spilled, Edis just shook an empty bottle indifferently.
"Thanks a bunch. You're consistently insane. Don't know how to handle your gratitude."
"Then, for this Mage Tower—"
"—You goddamn bastard."