136. Value (1)
The purple magic gathered in the air gathered together to create a tremendous amount of energy.
And when that energy reached its peak, the purple magic unfolded in the form of a ring, forming a portal connected to other spaces.
“Follow me.”
Merlin, the owner of the used bookstore, walked in first.
The children, including Rothburn, were frightened by the unbelievable sight in front of them, but when Oliver nodded silently that it was okay, they quickly gathered up the courage and went in one by one.
Oliver waited until the children were all in.
Standing in front of Mattel Lab officials.
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
“I am the last. Teacher.”
As an awkward silence descended, Rothburn entered one last time.
Oliver nodded and turned to follow him.
That was then.
A voice was heard from behind.
It was a white-skinned, blonde-haired man named Carl.
“you·····. I will never forget it.”
Oliver stopped, turned and looked at him without a word.
Colin, a boy who unintentionally confessed with him, came to mind.
“········.”
Oliver turned back and looked at him and bowed politely, very politely.
“I will not forget either.”
***
After greeting, Oliver entered the purple magic portal.
When I went inside, a strong, cold wind blew my hair and my hair was fluttering.
It wasn’t enough for a person to fly away, but it was hard enough to open his eyes properly.
“I think it’s a little late. Did you have any conversation with Mattel?”
Oliver turned his head in the direction of the sound.
Merlin was standing there. With a huge mansion behind his back.
“.
“Greetings?”
“That’s right. You have to be polite.”
“her····! I don’t think it’s wrong. come in It is very cold outside.”
Oliver nodded and walked towards Merlin.
Still, he unconsciously tried to understand his surroundings.
The air was not the pleasant air characteristic of Landa, but clear and refreshing air, and the surrounding scenery was also something that was not seen in Landa.
I could see the snow enough to submerge my feet, the expansive horizon, and a huge mountain with white snow in the middle.
Even Oliver was standing on the top of a mountain.
“This is not Landa.”
“exactly. Landa is not.”
Merlin answered, opening the door manually.
Oliver bowed once in gratitude for the consideration and went inside.
Upon entering, I saw Rothburn and other children brought from the lab, clinging to each other, trying to figure out what to do.
I was frightened by the very unfamiliar situation and environment.
Well, Oliver didn’t know what was going on, so it was a natural reaction.
An old man from a bookstore breaks in to help, opens a portal, and guides you to the mansion on the top of the mountain.
Merlin, whether he knew what Oliver and the children were inside, came in with a leisurely closing the door and clapped his hands twice.
pair- pair-
A man came out of the mansion to that sound.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
No, more precisely, a wooden doll in the form of a human.The wooden doll, dressed in a butler’s suit, gently approached her with magical powers all over her body, bowed her back in an upright posture and greeted her without a word.
When the children saw the wooden doll, they were startled and flocked to Oliver.
Looking at those children, Merlin said.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s just a golem.”
“A golem?”
“Don’t you know? A doll that moves with magic. If it’s okay with you, I’ll allow those kids to watch over them and wash them. If possible, I think it would be better to wear clothes as well.”
Oliver looked at the half-naked children and nodded.
Oliver told Rothburn and others like him that it was safe, and then asked if he could accompany the wooden doll.
The children looked frightened, but when they saw Oliver, they gathered courage and nodded their heads.
“yes. Teacher.”
Rothburn answered as the representative and followed the wooden doll with the other children.
Merlin, who was watching the scene, said when he and Oliver were left alone.
“It’s amazing. I don’t seem like the type that kids will follow, but everyone seems to follow me.”
Oliver didn’t respond, turned to Merlin, and was silent for a moment.
There were many things I wanted to ask. How the heck did you come to Mattel’s secret lab, why you helped, where you were, and what you really were.
However, after swallowing all the questions, Oliver bowed and greeted with sincerity.
“Thank you for your help. old man.”
Merlin looked at him silently and said.
“her····. This is also surprising. I thought you’d ask a question first.”
“I have a lot of questions I want to ask, but first of all, I want to say hello. Thank you so much for your help.”
The old man fixed his posture.
The stooped posture I saw in the bookstore was straightened as if wearing braces, and it seemed that I was 1.5 times taller.
“…that’s something I should be thankful for. It’s not uncommon for me to help someone. Just in case you think my help will be insignificant.”
It was sincere. Oliver replied yes.
The old man seemed to have as many things to say as Oliver did, but he looked inside the mansion and said, “Let’s get the urgent things done first.”
“First of all, why don’t we have a meal with the younger ones and then talk to them after sleeping?”
Oliver nodded.
“Yes.”
The old man summoned more wooden doll-golems to prepare food.
As I looked, it seemed that there were no people in this mansion at all.
After all, the only thing I could see through the big window was the clear sky, snow, and rocky mountains, so it would have been strange to have someone working here.
After a while, I smelled delicious food.
It smelled just as good as the one at Forest Restaurant.
As the children relaxed, they ate at the table under Merlin’s supervision, perhaps feeling hungry.
Everyone was hungry, so they ate in a hurry.
“You too, sit down and eat. They are pretty good at food.”
Merlin took a seat just to the right of the top table and suggested.
Oliver, as he suggested, took a seat to the left of the table opposite.
“Did the golem cook it?”
“exactly. I don’t know how to cook.”
Before answering, the wooden doll-golem poured wine into Merlin and Oliver’s glasses.
It poured cleanly without spilling a single drop. like a skilled employee.
Oliver saw the appearance and recognized that it was a golem with a high level of technology, contrary to its appearance.
I didn’t know anything about golems, and this was the first time I’d seen a golem properly, but when I saw the flow of magic power flowing through the body and the sophisticated movements, I could intuit that it was not a normal skill.
The skill of the person who made it was amazing. Maybe that’s what I’ve been studying all my life.
After a while, the children finished their meal with satisfaction and happiness.
After gaining safety and appeasing their hunger, the children began to doze off one by one as if the fatigue of the past had gathered all at once.
Merlin, as if expected, commanded the wooden doll-golem with his finger to take the children to the bedroom.
Wooden dolls-golems that gently embrace children.
As Oliver stared at those golems, Merlin said.
“Don’t worry, everyone will sleep safely. young friend.”
“I know. I just looked at the wooden doll-golem because it seemed very well made.”
“her····! Again, I think I crossed my legs in embarrassment. But don’t be too careless. Don’t you think I might harm you?”
“I don’t think you will.”
“Do you have any evidence? Oh, you’re a great warlock, can you discern my feelings?”
Oliver shook his head.
Merlin’s emotions were not visible at this time. Merlin’s emotions could not be read, as if blocked by a very large, thick, opaque glass.
“Invisible.”
“I hope it’s happy. ‘Cause I don’t like anyone looking inside me. Do you still have any reason to believe?”
“It’s just a feeling. At least I don’t think the old man is going to harm the kids.”
At that moment, Merlin’s feelings faded.
“…thank you for that. Old men are supposed to please their children. How about the taste of wine? It’s been a long time since I’ve been a guest, so I got something pretty valuable.”
Oliver looked at the wine in response to the sudden question.
“It tastes good.”
“It tastes good…. Do you know anything about wine?”
“No, I just know it’s good wine.”
“I feel good. This wine is made in the Ball region of Gallos. A people who has nothing to offer but engineering and wine.”
Where have you heard of Gallos?
“Are you a foreigner?”
Merlin laughed at that. It seemed really funny.
“…just like the first time I saw you, you’re a funny friend.”
Oliver remembered the first time he met Merlin.
What did you do for fun?
“Did you?”
“exactly. Thanks to you, I have had a good time lately.”
“I have received a lot of help and pleasure. Because he recommended a good book.”
“To say that studying is fun, I want my children to learn a little bit too.”
“Are you a teacher?”
“teacher? Well, it’s not entirely wrong. I have a disciple, so I am also a teacher… Are you so tired?”
Oliver was startled and straightened up.
I tried to hide it because I thought it would be rude to show a tired tea.
Merlin waved his hand as if it was okay.
“Oh, don’t be surprised. you didn’t tea As I said before, wrinkles and eyes increase with age. It is not difficult to recognize a tired person.”
“sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I, too, should be treated like the owner of the house so that I can take a break and take a break, but I don’t want to.”
“······??”
“Young friend. you owe me Do you know?”
“Yes····.”
“Not everyone responds like that. However, I don’t really know how much help I received or how hard I worked. Well, of course it is, but Humans are like that by nature.”
Oliver was silent as he had nothing to say. Because I didn’t know how much effort Merlin actually helped.
After thinking for a while, he opened his mouth.
“Then, can you tell me?”
“You want me to tell you?”
“yes. old man. I certainly don’t know the details of how hard the old man worked. I don’t know anything about it. So can you tell me? Can I properly thank you?”
The old man’s eyes widened slightly. Then burst out laughing.
“… kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk” oh·····. It’s the second time in my life that I hear such a sensible answer. All right, I’ll tell you.”
Oliver nodded.
“I will be tormented by this person for a while thanks to your help. I barely found rest after retirement, but that peace was broken. thanks to you There is nothing more painful than losing the rest of the last years.”
It wasn’t a story I could relate to, but Oliver nodded.
“And I have to go see my friend and say sorry.”
“Are you the Grand Master of the Life School?”
Oliver asked, recalling Merlin’s conversation with Carl.
“exactly. Although the screws were a little loose, the head of a school… I have to go and say hello. It’s quite annoying and annoying, but thanks to you, I did this again.”
“okay.”
“Besides that, you have also committed a crime.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“exactly. Didn’t you pay off my credit and start the riot? And if I die, what will my trauma pay? It was very irresponsible. You know how embarrassing it is.”
Merlin waved his fingers like a grandfather scolding a child.
It wasn’t something the old man who built a mansion on top of a sparsely populated stone mountain would say, but Oliver didn’t mind it and apologized again sincerely.
Whatever it was, Oliver was right that he didn’t pay the debt and forgot.
“sorry. Seriously.”
“It is a very serious sin to steal money. It’s stealing the reward of my fair labor… However, if you ask for forgiveness, I will forgive you in particular. Please pay back 4 million Randa.”
“…wasn’t it 3.9 million?”
“It’s not common sense that I went to pick it up, so it’s not common sense that shipping costs are added. Don’t upset me.”
“ah····. All right.”
“ha·····. Just give me Randa 3.9 million. Instead, you owe me again. Don’t look at me with those eyes. This is the adult world. In any case, in this way, I have suffered a lot for you.”
“Yes, old man.”
“So, I want to be rewarded. If you thank me, of course I can repay you, right?”
Oliver nodded and said.
“Give me a little time and I’ll try to raise as much money as possible.”
“What do you see me as? Do you look like a moneyworm trying to extort money from young people?”
“Well·····. no.”
“The answer came a little late… Anyway, I don’t really want money. Even though he is not the richest man in the world, it is true that he has enough money that one person cannot afford.”
Oliver was convinced. This mansion and golem were proof of that.
“Then how can I repay you?”
“Well·····. First, give me the most precious thing you have as a sign of your surname.”
Oliver frowned at the sudden suggestion.
“Originally, when you get older, you tend to use it like a child. Give me the most precious thing you have. Of course, if you don’t like it. There is no compulsion.”
At Merlin’s vague words, Oliver pondered for a moment, then offered the quarterstaff.
“For now, this is the most precious thing.”
“Does it look like an old, dirty wand?”
“Yes, but my friend gave it to me. You are my first friend.”
“Somehow, I thought the old-fashioned things were very valuable.”
“But it seems a bit difficult to give.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, no. It’s just that I got it as a gift, but I don’t think it’s completely mine. Even if I hand it over to the elderly, I think I will have to ask the owner for permission first. So, I want to ask if there is something else that can be substituted.”
“Well·····. To be honest, I don’t really like it, but first, let’s talk about it.”
Oliver gathered the quarterstaff and took the test tube out of his bosom.
There was a small amount of emotion inside the test tube. It was Oliver’s feelings.
“that·····?”
“It’s my feelings.”
“… yours?”
“Yes.”
Oliver held out the test tube, and Merlin accepted.
He said, looking at his emotions with interest.
“Emotions are important to a warlock, but I wonder if it can be a substitute for the most precious thing?”
“It’s important to me. It’s my first time.”
“first?”
“Yeah, that’s the first time I’ve pulled my feelings out without inhaling a pilgaret. Originally, I was going to study it, but I will give it to the elderly in return.”
Merlin looked at Oliver and said.
“Okay. I guess that’s why I’m suddenly greedy. I beg you not to deceive an innocent old man.”
“Yes.”
Merlin said, putting the test tube in his arms.
“Then, I want to be rewarded for something else. The more you work, the more you have to receive. Would you like to talk later? You look tired.”
“Honestly, I want to take a little break.”
“I’m happy. Then I can’t do that anymore. Human nature comes out when we are tired.”
“ah·····. Then there’s nothing you can do. What can I do?”
“Let’s hang out with me.”
“····Yes?”
As soon as he asked, Merlin grabbed Oliver by the shoulder. And then teleported to somewhere.