Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Scouting (1)
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"Looks like we're safe now that we've made it this far."
A high-grade disciple spoke up.
He had been a high-grade disciple since Joseph's time, so in sudden situations like this, he showed a more seasoned demeanor than the others.
For instance, right now.
"This place... is the secret safe house?"
"Yes, Master... Joseph prepared it. We'll be safe here."
Oliver looked around.
This building in the middle of a normal residential area seemed decent enough, as if it received regular maintenance.
"The Master prepared it in case of unexpected raids or Holy Knights. No one knows about it except us."
Oliver nodded and said he understood, then asked Marie and Peter if everyone had followed them.
Marie answered.
"One, two, three... Yes! Everyone's here."
"Everyone on this side made it too."
After hearing reports from Marie and Peter, he assigned rooms, told them to unpack, and rest.
Honestly, this was his first emergency like this, so he had no idea what to do.
All he could do was pack as quickly as possible per the pharmacist's instructions and prepare according to the high-grade disciple's advice.
What the hell was a firefly anyway?
"It's a Holy Knight."
"Pardon?"
"Holy Knight. Knights of the God from the Pater Church."
Oliver tilted his head.
Pater Church, God... He'd heard of them.
The supervisors sometimes mentioned it when looking at kids like Oliver, saying they weren't blessed by God and would go to hell.
He knew it was urgent, but curiosity still stirred in him.
"What's the Pater Church? What's a Holy Knight? And what's God? Specifically?"
Embarrassment bloomed on the high-grade disciple's face, like facing a child asking what the sun or water is.
"Uh... well... you see..."
He clearly didn't know how to explain it properly either.
Realizing this, Oliver said it was fine and ordered them to rest.
"Master?"
As the high-grade disciple left and Oliver thought about resting too, Marie approached quietly.
"Yes? Marie. What is it?"
"Is this okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"We fled in such a hurry on the pharmacist's word that we couldn't grab much money or books, right?"
That was true. The moment the note [Firefly is here. Everyone evacuate now] arrived, Oliver had ordered them to pack minimally and flee.
He didn't know the details, but he trusted the pharmacist wouldn't send it lightly, so he relied on judgment and instinct.
The first thing he grabbed was the emotions. Thanks to that, he hadn't secured the recent earnings or books properly.
Well, he'd read most of the books, and the money he had was enough for him, but apparently not for Marie.
"If we leave it like this, we'll lose the money and books for sure. What if we go back now and grab them...? The workshop's destroyed too, so we'll struggle for a while..."
Oliver shook his head at Marie's suggestion.
"Hmm... no. Money's important, but we've only got one life, right?"
"I-I'll go get them."
Oliver tilted his head.
"You, Marie? Why bother?"
"...I want to help you, Master."
"Pardon?"
"I want to help you, Master. If we leave it like this, the losses will be huge. Rebuilding the workshop will cost a lot. It'll hinder your plans, won't it?"
"...?"
Oliver stared at Marie, unable to comprehend her words.
Plans? What plans?
Oliver recalled what he'd been doing.
After killing Joseph, he somehow ended up temporarily taking the master's position, reading books, making Filterettes, and teaching black magic.
Things went smoothly thanks to luck.
Oliver had just been doing his work to read books. There were no grand plans or ambitions in it.
He didn't know what Marie was thinking, but he realized there was a significant gap between her thoughts and his.
Probably related to the obsessive worship radiating from her now?
"Hmm... it's fine."
"B-But."
"Really, it's okay. We'll manage somehow. More importantly, could you check the secret passages with someone else? For emergencies."
At Oliver's words, Marie bowed her head deeply.
"A-Alright."
"Yes, thank you."
After Marie left, Oliver thought alone. Honestly, she wasn't wrong.
He had enough money by his standards, but even he knew it was a small amount overall.
Losing the books hurt too. He'd read most, but that didn't make it okay for them to vanish.
Books were eternal knowledge, weren't they?
It was blasphemous.
Still, Oliver decided not to care.
The firefly—whatever a Holy Knight was, from people's words, the pharmacist's note, and Joseph's records, it seemed like black magicians' natural predator, completely incompatible.
Oliver planned to just wait like he was dead until the predator left.
...But on the other hand, he was curious. What kind of being made it a black magician's nemesis?
Who knows? It might give a clue about that beautiful light he'd seen.
Then, two conflicting urges clashed inside Oliver.
One was the survival instinct to play dead to stay alive.
The other was curiosity demanding to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.
Both heavily influenced him.
As the impulses collided, a quiet war raged in his mind—then someone approached.
"Master...?"
"...What is it?"
His mind in turmoil, Oliver responded slower than usual.
Mistaking it for irritation, the disciple who spoke grew more frightened.
"S-Sorry. But I had to tell you."
"No, go ahead. What is it?"
"...The master of the Dominic Family, Dominic, is here."
It sounded absurd, but it was true.
Dominic, master of the Dominic Family—one of Wineham's pillars alongside Joseph and Anthony—was in the basement of Joseph's safe house.
He had come with only four disciples and was facing off against Marie and the others.
From the mood and emotions, it didn't seem like they were about to fight.
Indeed, when Oliver went down, he was greeted warmly.
"Hey, you're still alive. Good."
"Yes, hello."
Oliver spoke as if meeting a neighbor.
Marie and the others, who had been tense, quickly relaxed at his appearance, and Oliver gestured for them to stand down.
"Seems like you have something to say... right?"
"Yeah, good guess."
"One question first?"
"Huh?"
"How did you find this place?"
Dominic looked incredulous at Oliver's question.
"That's what you're curious about in this situation?"
"Hmm... yes."
"...Sigh, fine. It's not a big secret. Safe houses usually have basements or tunnels for escape. Sometimes they connect. We just tracked the sewers and tunnels backward."
"Ah, I see. Black magic?"
"...Yeah. 'Sensitive Nose.' Our specialty, disease-type black magic. Sharply enhances smell. Lets you track human scent even in stinking sewers."
Oliver filed that info away.
He'd slacked on black magic research lately due to other interests, but he couldn't deny it was fascinating.
"Impressive."
Dominic scowled at Oliver's genuine admiration, his already rough face growing rougher, though he didn't explode like before.
Instead, his emotions twisted more slyly and secretly.
"Can I get to my point now?"
"Ah! Of course. Go ahead."
Dominic eyed Oliver briefly before speaking.
"Not sure if you know, but Anthony's done for."
"Anthony of the Anthony Family?"
"Yeah, who else in this mess? The Holy Knights or whatever went straight there. Couldn't escape in time. Heard it from his fleeing disciples, so it's certain."
"Hmm... I see."
Oliver reacted without much feeling.
Irritated, Dominic's emotions flashed with anger.
"Acting like it's someone else's problem! We're next after Anthony."
"If we hide well, isn't it fine?"
"No. Those Holy Knights are persistent. Makes sense, they're God's hunting dogs."
"Ah, I see... Do you know anything about Holy Knights?"
"What?"
"Could you tell me what you know? I barely know anything."
Bang—!
Dominic glared veins bulging and punched the wall.
His strength cracked it slightly, shaking the building and dusting the ceiling.
"You kidding me?"
"Ah... sorry. Just really curious."
Dominic scowled harder, glaring.
"..."
"..."
After a brief silence, Dominic spoke again.
"Anyway, those Holy Knights are tenacious. They won't leave easily after getting Anthony. No telling when this shit ends."
"Then?"
"We strike first."
"But the pharmacist said he'd handle it, so hide—"
"—We his minions?! Without us, that old man's not even called a pharmacist."
Half right, half wrong.
The pharmacist profited big from black magicians, but they also got easy supplies, cash conversion, and cleanup.
Not worth arguing, so Oliver pretended not to hear.
"So... you plan to fight?"
"Yeah! Why fear those bastards?!"
"But they're the worst matchup for black magicians..."
"Together we can win. Anthony's disciples came to me, so our forces are intact. With your Oliver Family too... What?"
Dominic asked, seeing Oliver calmly raise his hand.
Oliver answered steadily.
"Ah, a couple things. First, our group is Joseph's Family, not Oliver Family."
"...What?"
"Didn't change the name. The Master founded it, and I'm just temporary."
"What the fu—"
"Second, I have no intention of fighting."
"What the—!"
"No need to fight such a dangerous foe, right?"
"Deaf?! I said they'll hunt us down!"
"Then run again. No need for the risk—"
"—Coward!"
Dominic spat in Oliver's face.
Oliver didn't flinch, just wiped it off.
"Well... if that's cowardice, then I am. No reason to get involved anyway."
Dominic shifted stance, ready to lunge.
"So what? We fight and bleed while you watch the fun and eat cake?"
"No, not that, but we'd be grateful... Maybe repay differently—"
"—You bastard, I'll kill you...!"
Dominic lunged but halted. Shadow tentacles gripped his ankle.
"Ah... sorry for not knowing, but do you intend to fight me now?"
Oliver showed open palms politely, calming.
His demeanor was courteous, but the shadow tentacle on Dominic's ankle was unyieldingly tough, like ancient wood.
Disciples mirrored their masters, tensing for combat.
Oliver pleaded again.
"Can't you understand?"
"...We're leaving. All of us."
"Pardon?"
"All leaving! Gotta fight Holy Knights soon. No time for cowards."
His family reluctantly stood down; Joseph's did too.
Oliver released the shadow tentacle.
"...Once Holy Knights are done, you're next. Looking forward to it."
"Thank you for understanding. I'll repay you another way."
Dominic glared disgustedly, then left via the secret passage.
The visit ended; basement disciples panted in relief.
"G-Good thing. Thought something'd happen."
"Yeah..."
"Glad no trouble."
"Prepare to move again."
A quiet voice cut in. Oliver's.
"Pardon?"
"Bad feeling. Staying here's dangerous. Pack up and prepare to flee."
"..."
No one spoke. They just stared blankly. Marie snapped first.
"What are you doing?! Master's ordering a move! Get going!"
They finally stirred.
Peter approached.
"Where to...?"
"Dunno? Other safe houses?"
The high-grade disciple nodded.
"Yes, two or three more. Not as maintained, and farther."
"Good. Take everyone there."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I have somewhere else."
"Where?"
Marie interjected, eyes wide.
"Following Dominic Family."
"Pardon?"
"They'll fight Holy Knights. Wanna see what they're like."
Marie looked baffled. But to Oliver, it was brilliant.
Sneakily observe Holy Knights fighting Dominic Family.
Minimize risk, satisfy curiosity—perfect compromise.
But Marie didn't see it that way.
"B-But too dangerous."
"It's fine. Confident I can hide. You all evacuate safely."
Marie's emotions churned wildly: confusion, fear, worry—negative as a combatant facing death. Why?
"I'll just grab a few vials. You take the rest. Where are the vials..."
-Grab.
Something clutched his clothes. Marie.
"Ma... rie?"
"Then we'll follow too. At least me. Alone's too dangerous."
Oliver looked at her hand on his clothes.
Surprisingly, her emotions shone brighter than ever, transferring to him via her fingertips.
Intriguing reaction.
He didn't know why, but he'd investigate if time allowed.
But now, more pressing matters.
"It's fine, Marie."
"B-But..."
"Alone's easier. Need to hurry and stay stealthy."
She released her hand.
"...S-So, we're a hindrance?"
Her emotions muddied like sludge, more negative than before.
Shock, disappointment, despair, fear, self-loathing.
A sticky, rootless emotion surged.
Oliver met her eyes.
"Well... yeah... Everyone, evacuate carefully."
With that, Oliver left.