121. Knuckle Jaw (1)
“Did you really extract magic power during a fight?”
sudden question. It didn’t seem like I was just asking.
“Yes that’s right.”
“after·····.”
After hearing the answer, Forrest took a deep breath and washed his face. It illuminates the feelings of concern.
“I’ve heard of it before, but it’s still surprising…. You must be a rare case. May I ask why you didn’t tell me?”
“Because I didn’t even know I was a rare case. What specifically is a rarer case? Is it a word for a warlock who draws magic?”
“Well, that’s what it is. Other than that, it’s a generic term for those with traits worth studying.”
“Research?”
“okay····. It doesn’t fit the situation, but let me give you a quiz. Who do you think would have called it a rare case?”
At that question, Oliver remembered Edith’s words. People with no imagination are dying first.
“Well·····. Are you a wizard?”
“That’s right. Magical warlocks, magic hypertrophy, magic agnosia, mutants with special abilities, or highly intelligent ogres, winged pigs, etc. are all rare and worth researching, called rare cases. Some of them have been researched to some extent, but your case is also included in that.”
Oliver was interested.
“Are there any other warlocks who can draw magic?”
“It’s small, but it’s there. Why are you disappointed that you have friends like you?”
“no? I’m rather happy. Maybe I can learn something from them.”
I don’t know anyone, maybe I’ll meet him, I wonder if he’ll teach me, but Oliver said he was already going to learn.
He was as bright as a child.
Forrest smiled bitterly as if he had no idea what to say.
“Ah, that’s why Edith-sama warned you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Because he told me to be careful because I could be in danger. Lonely wolves tend to be targets… Does that mean beware of wizards?”
“Perhaps it will. For wizards, knowledge is power. For research, he will do anything, regardless of his conscience.”
It didn’t sound wrong.
There was a terrible laboratory underground in the tainted area.
Recently, puppets have been using it, but the original owner is definitely a wizard.
There was even talk of trading and researching with demons.
Puppet’s words were all, but somehow it didn’t seem like a lie.
Then, suddenly, I had a question.
What is the difference between a wizard and a warlock?
magic and black magic. The mechanism of study is the same, and the behavior is not much different.
As Oliver was lost in thought, Forrest spoke up.
“But you don’t have to worry too much.”
“Yes?”
“Wizard. No need to worry too much… They’re just outgoings from time to time, but they’re not fools either. I’m not going to kidnap you.”
Oliver reassured that Forrest had misunderstood something.
Oliver listened quietly for a moment.
“This city is balanced by the cooperation and checks of various powers. I’m not proud of it, but our Brokers Guild also plays a small part in that. Even though you’re not an official member, you’re doing business with me, and recently your name has been announced. Even a wizard wouldn’t be able to kidnap you.”
“That’s nice.”
“But aside from that, you have to be careful too.”
“When you tell me to be careful, what do you mean specifically?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t give mages a fuss. If you give the cause over there first, even the broker’s association will have a hard time helping you. You can watch the situation and sneak out.”
Aha. Even if it was a broker’s union, it seemed burdensome to deal with the wizards.
After all, the status of a wizard in this city was different.
“All right. We will be careful.”
“Thank you for understanding. Peace in this city is maintained like a nine-year-old’s fight for pride, and it’s always breathtaking. So, you have to save yourself because you never know when, where, or what will happen.”
Forrest said sincerely.
If it was Oliver who came here for the first time, he probably wouldn’t have understood what I was talking about, but now he seemed to know a little bit.
This huge city was childish, and there were little things.
In particular, I could feel that in Edith Gunn.
It was fun.
How can the peace of this huge city where so many buildings, cars, and people gather in such a feeling is maintained.
I can’t explain it, but it was fun anyway.
Oliver got up from his seat, taking the bearer bankbook, business card, and book he had received as compensation.
“If it’s okay, can I just get up and take a look?”
“Of course, I have nothing more to say. I’ll see if there’s anything good in the meantime. By any chance, is there a job you want, or any kind of remuneration?”
It’s the work you want or the payoff…
“It’s hard to answer right now.”
“It seemed so. Then, I’ll just pick the job. If anything happens in the middle, please contact me and tell me. I’ll make it as close as possible.”
“thank you.”
Oliver bowed politely and walked out of the office.
***
About thirty minutes after Oliver leaves Forrest’s office.
Al, an employee, knocked on the office door.
smart-
“come in.”
When permission was granted, Al gently opened the door and entered.
I closed the door and looked at Forrest, where he was wrestling with a bunch of paperwork.
All of them were requests, and 30% of those documents were direct requests from Dave.
“···president.”
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
“Looks like the lamb ran out and will have to order again.”
“Yeah, I’ll order it. I always order from there. The lamb tastes great.”
“Yes, I will. And what about the check? I think we need to respond slowly.”
After hearing the question, Forrest stopped what he was doing and washed his face again.
The check was given to me by a Mattel lab official who came to me two days ago.
Although he was a long distance away, he would come over and have a light meal, then handed the check to Forrest.
He said he gave it because the food tasted good, but Forrest knew that this was a blatant lie. Of course, you know that too.
This floor talked with eyes.
The check was a kind of greeting.
They’re going to kidnap Dave, and they ask you to close your eyes.
At the same time, it was a warning not to do anything.
An arrogant act of believing in their own power.
Forrest had to answer this.
In fact, no matter how you respond, you won’t be able to easily change their behavior, but at least they could influence their next response.
Forrest pulled out a check that was piled up like a bomb in the drawer.
The check was marked with Mattel’s M’s sign, along with an amount of only 300 million.
Forrest wrote a letter of polite refusal, as if determined, and put it in the stationery along with a check.
“Pick this up at the post office. Express delivery.”
Al politely received the envelope, but asked anxiously.
“Are you okay?”
Al’s question seemed cowardly at first glance, but it was actually common sense.
Checks from Mattel are greetings and notifications.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Never, I didn’t ask Forrest’s permission.It was natural. They were a powerful group that even in this city knew.
It was supported by a large amount of capital and the School of Life, and was exerting influence in various fields with numerous patents.
They were obsessed with sorcerer supremacy and eugenics, but it was really dangerous to refuse their proposals, which had powerful powers.
In some cases, you may have to float on this floor, or you may lose your life…
There is nothing more foolish in this city than to oppose the strong.
However, nevertheless, Forrest stuck with his first choice.
That way they’ll be a little more careful.
If I postponed my answer because I was afraid, I couldn’t ask anyone for help at that time. Silence is the same as consent.
So I had to respond right now.
“If the store goes bankrupt, don’t worry. At the very least, I will pay for my severance pay and find a job.”
“I didn’t mean to ask like that. president.”
Forrest saw the egg. Red-skinned eggs.
“Of course, you know…. Would you mind coming to the post office?”
“Yes.”
Al replied politely, bowing his head.
In the office where the egg was released and I was left alone again.
Forrest cleared his messy outfit and organized his thoughts.
To be honest, I didn’t have to worry too much.
The competition among wizards was fierce both internally and externally, so it would not have been easy for even a life school to act recklessly.
In addition, Dave is a solver who is rapidly making his name known. I couldn’t openly kidnap him because he had so many eyes to see.
If it had been a nameless solver, the Brokers’ Guild would have pretended not to have seen it, but the Brokers’ Guild would not have been able to stand still if such a catastrophic situation occurred, as the name was known in all areas beyond the T area.
If something like that happened, it wouldn’t make much sense to face it, and furthermore, it could lose credibility and the business itself could collapse.
But to believe that alone, this city was dangerous. not only the negative, but also the positive.
So Forrest looked at the request documents.
Among them, I had to connect Dave with a powerful customer by selecting the best possible quest.
The network that has been forged like that will become a shield that protects Dave and himself.
Recently, thanks to that friend, his status in the brokerage association has risen beyond simple income, so it was a natural act.
“Yeah, it’s not normal. By no means, I’m not paying Kent a debt.”
***
“What the fuck are you doing?”
A corner of the black market that Edith told me.
Oliver happened to be surrounded by people doing business here.
They were drug dealers, and when Oliver asked a few questions about the gift, they glared fiercely over whether he was completely displeased.
Asking where you got the gift would offend people so much.
“Why aren’t you answering me? Why did I ask where you bought the gift? Come on, you won’t answer. Fuck you.”
The man skinny like a skeleton asked again.
He also seemed to be a black magician.
The giants who appeared to be his staff suddenly grabbed an iron pipe and glared at Oliver. If you drive, you will be able to wield it.
Oliver tried to solve the problem with a polite conversation, fearing that Edith, who introduced him to him, would be harmed if he caused a commotion.
“Did I offend you?”
“discomfort? one. I will turn hey where are you from 루디 그 개새끼가 보낸 거 맞지?”
“Who is Rudy? I’m sorry anyway. I was just asking because there was something I wanted to check.”
“Wow·····. What do you want to check?”
“It’s hard to say because it’s a personal matter.”
“Aha····. Well then, I’ll give you the thoughts I want to say. Guys?”
With those words, the giants put their arms under Oliver’s armpits and grabbed them. He even tried to steal the quarter staff.
“Excuse me too-”
– Whoops.
Oliver gripped the quarter staff tightly.
The seemingly strong-looking employee pulled a few times to snatch him away, but the quarterstaff didn’t think about getting out of Oliver’s hand.
The employee looked at Oliver in an angry voice and said in a low voice.
“Aren’t you going to let this go?”
“···sorry. Because it was a gift.”
At that moment, a strange tension began to creep in.
Oliver spoke politely again.
“Once again, I apologize. If you can’t tell me about the gift, I’ll just leave it as it is. And I will not interfere with your business again. I’m really sorry.”
The man who looked like a skeleton took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and spit it out.
“you·····. I can’t just let it go.”
The man with him was about to do something.
“Oh, that’s right.”
A voice suddenly interrupted. At the same time, it sounded familiar.
When I turned my head, I could see Knuckle Joe there, dressed in a suit and with messy bob hair.
said Oliver, looking at Joe.
“Ah, hello. article. long time no see.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while…”
The skeleton-looking man also asked if he knew Joe.
“what? Do you know each other?”
“okay. That’s why I say it, you better let go of that hand.”