187. Introduction (2)
“Or should I say it’s been a while?”
Warmage Kevin Dunbar looked at Oliver and said at once.
A moment like a fleeting moment.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Numerous thoughts ran through Oliver’s mind.‘What do we do? Should I lie that I don’t know? Am I good at lying? Rather, was this the disciple Merlin was talking about? what? Accident? Or was it planned from the beginning?’
With such an artificial coincidence, Oliver had no idea what to do.
But in the meantime, time kept passing, and the time to answer came.
If I didn’t answer this any further, it was nothing compared to admitting it.
“I think it is correct to say that it has been a long time. Kevin.”
After much deliberation, Oliver chose to answer honestly.
One of Kevin’s eyebrows rose.
His emotions such as surprise, admiration, faint satisfaction, and novelty also shone a little. At least it didn’t seem unpleasant.
Oliver opened his mouth carefully.
“If it’s okay with you, can I ask you a question?”
“what?”
“How did you recognize me right away? I was wearing a leather mask back then.”
He was still wearing a leather mask, but he didn’t say it.
Kevin answered.
“I have good observation skills. Remember the mood, behavior, mannerisms, and tone of voice. More than anything······.”
“····More than anything?”
“Because that wand is so conspicuous.”
Oliver looked at the quarterstaff standing next to him. Without realizing it, I was like, ‘Ah…’ A sound came out.
“Knife and gun are the basics, and there are not many people who carry only a staff on the floor, where they do golem prosthetics, mechanical equipment, and even body remodeling. Naturally, it becomes easier to guess who it is.”
I had nothing to say. I’m sure it would stand out more in the back alley of Landa.
Then, suddenly, I wondered if Oliver was involved in Wallace’s escape.
Kevin replied that he had noticed this.
“don’t worry. I’m the only one who saw you Because I didn’t talk.”
“thank you····. But, can I do that?”
“It wasn’t because I liked it.”
“Magicians, at least mainstream wizards who are formally affiliated with the Order, must do compulsory service in the Kingdom Army. Some people think it’s an opportunity, but some just don’t like it. This guy is like that.”
Merlin put a hand on Kevin’s shoulder and explained.
Kevin looked at Merlin’s hand on his shoulder and said at once.
“Master… Could you please put your hands away?”
“Oh, excuse me.”
Oliver quickly moved his eyes to see Merlin and Kevin.
Judging from the information Oliver had obtained so far, it seemed that he was far from the usual priestly relationship.
Last time, a branch official couldn’t even make eye contact with Merlin and just shook his head, but this man named Kevin was quite stiff even when he called Merlin his master.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Not only that, he had quite a bit of anger and resentment towards Merlin.‘Of course, not all are like that…’
Maybe Kevin is stronger than Merlin? I thought about it, but in less than a second, I denied it.
Kevin was obviously strong, but he didn’t dare compare to Merlin.
Oliver, who had fought both of them, could be certain of that.
Is there something you don’t know?
“Even so, let’s say thank you to Kevin. Thanks to you, a smooth military career has been stained.”
Merlin said this time, putting a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.
Oliver did not refuse.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your duty. You stole Wallace, one of the commanders of the Kell Free Independence Army.”
“·················ogue.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t know it on purpose. However, I have a lot of information and I have a brain, so I naturally infer it. This friend…”
Merlin put a hand on Kevin’s shoulder and lowered it awkwardly.
“I heard about this friend. you remembered don’t worry. I have no intention of arguing. Not yet.”
“thank you.”
“Thanks to this friend. As I said before, there was a stain on my white career. Thanks to that, all my plans to return to the majestic tower in a splendid way were shattered. Exactly, because of you.”
Merlin pointed at Oliver exaggeratedly with both hands.
Oliver acknowledged this and bowed his head politely to Kevin. What is the reason for not bowing down?
As Merlin said, he had already looked after Oliver.
In fact, it was proof that nothing had happened so far, and above all, I was able to learn many things thanks to fighting him.
The reason I was grateful was overflowing with that much.
“Thank you very much and sorry for the inconvenience.”
Kevin shook his head.
“It’s not for you, so leave your thanks. Most of all, do you know what it means to be sincere?”
“Yes?”
Oliver asked the unknown question stupidly.
I don’t know what the truth is… But, I suddenly became curious. What is sincerity?
“Come on, let’s talk about boring stories when this old man isn’t around, and let’s start with work. My knee is starting to hurt.”
Merlin patted Oliver on the shoulder, patting the air just above Kevin’s shoulder, said.
“Dave. not officially introduced. Kevin Sr., a temporary executioner and a taxi that will take you to the tower. Kevin. A bunch of luggage you have to carry. irresistible.”
A title that lets you know how you explained to each other.
But Oliver didn’t really care. Just being able to go to the tower was a huge help, and at the same time, he was aware of how dangerous his very existence was.
Oliver pointed out one thing.
“Did you have a plan from the beginning? You and I meet at work, and then we meet again here?”
“Sounds stupid. It’s a coincidence. It’s a bit of a bad coincidence, though.”
He was surrounded by his emotions with magical powers, so he couldn’t read Merlin’s heart. I had no choice but to believe.
“…here, the death penalty?”
“Don’t call me the death penalty, call me Professor. I am a professor.”
“Ah, Professor… Are you really okay with taking me? You’re taking the warlock to the tower.”
“I do not care. After all, the fact that I am Professor Matap is a place full of yangbans who call it blasphemy… Taking one of you only adds one more problem.”
There was a strange poison in Kevin’s emotions. A rather complex, long-aged emotion. But apart from that, it didn’t seem like he was forcing Oliver to go too far.
“Aha·····. thank you.”
Kevin turned to Merlin, ignoring Oliver’s greeting.
He still had a strange attitude towards his master.
“I’ll take what you take, but you’ll need a camouflage ID to get the paperwork done. I can’t take a guy who doesn’t have an ID.”
“That’s what I prepare.”
“I have ID.”
“Not an ID that acts as a solver, but a clean ID.”
Kevin just cut it off.
It was certainly dangerous to use the ID card used at the time of the solver together in the tower. Oliver shut his mouth.
“.
“Can’t we just take him to the janitor?”
“It doesn’t matter to you, Master, but I can’t. Because there are people who hate me in the tower.”
“Well, it’s infested with racists, eugenics maniacs, and sorcerer supremacists.”
“So, if I take it with me for no particular reason, there will be a lot of suspicious eyes. I don’t usually hire individual employees, and I don’t have people lobbying for me, so you’re probably wondering where the hell it came from.”
“Hmmm…. Even if I hand it over, there must be a plausible reason. Seriously, it’s a bit dubious to just call him a handyman.”
Oliver quietly raised his hand.
“Excuse me, can I ask what you are talking about?”
“ah····. It’s no big deal. We’re taking you as an employee, and we’re talking about why you’re taking him. The other professors have a lot of lobbying people, so it’s okay to take staff with no special skills, but Kevin… no it’s not.”
A little bit of irritation and anger broke out in Kevin’s mind.
I understand, but I still feel angry.
“…that means I have to have specific specialties other than chores?”
“That’s good. If there is no one to lobby, Kevin has to hire him to take him with him, but as I said before, this friend has never been like that. When an uninvited guest who appears after a long time appears doing something he hadn’t done before, it will attract curiosity.”
It’s an uninvited guest… It was like a horse with bones.
Merlin and Kevin’s bizarre relationship. Kevin’s strange feelings toward Mato. There seemed to be several circumstances.
I wanted to ask, but it didn’t seem like something I could ask hastily.
For now, Oliver decided to focus on the situation.
“Isn’t being able to read code words to be a specialty?”
“What do you mean, codeword?”
Kevin narrows his eyes as if suspiciously and asks. In contrast to Kevin, Merlin clapped as if he remembered.
“right····. By the way, did you study your code language? If you can’t access the world tree, you won’t learn well. There are very few people who can speak code words even within the mato. I can take you here.”
Merlin murmured, as if satisfied with how things worked out better than expected.
“I think I gave you a book last time, how far did you read it? Did you read up to ＜Code Word Basic Learning Step 2 (Upper)＞?”
Oliver shook his head.
“ah·····. Well, it’s a little difficult-“
“-No, that’s not what it means, I’ve read all of ＜Deep learning code words (top) (bottom)＞. All the books the old man gave me last time. And I think I understand everything.”
“·····really?”
Merlin’s reaction seems to be unbelievable. Oliver spoke again.
“Yeah, you said you could read it all in a little bit of time, didn’t you? I believed in those words and read them in my spare time.”
“Is that a lie? To deal with malicious inventory that doesn’t sell.”
“Yes??”
***
There was a bit of a whirlwind that Oliver had been scammed, but somehow got over it and Oliver took the codeword test.
With a test written by Merlin and Kevin, Oliver went out for a while to score.
“It’s amazing. This is enough to enter the Moirai School and work.”
“Can you show me?”
‘ asked Kevin Dunbar with his characteristic stern attitude.
Merlin handed him the test paper and he read it silently.
“…is this self-taught?”
“At least as far as I know. He may be lying, but somehow I don’t think so.”
Kevin nodded, looking at the door Oliver had left.
That bizarre-looking warlock didn’t seem likely to lie so easily.
If the evidence is what you immediately admitted as soon as you think about it, it’s proof.
“Even so, I don’t understand. Just because a code word can be self-study doesn’t mean it can be self-study.”
Kevin’s words weren’t harsh, they were the truth.
Although the book contains everything, it was difficult to follow the viciousness of the code word.
A code word that can interpret all languages as one increases the level of difficulty similar to learning a new language each time the number of words increases or the length of the sentence changes, and the rules and arrangement of letters, even the interpretation of words, change each time the level increases. boasted
As if the world tree does not want people to approach it.
“I also agree with you. So, you need professional training to be able to speak code words. But now, there are people who have learned code words by self-study. Isn’t that just below perfect?”
Merlin pointing to the test paper with Kevin.
Kevin checked the test paper again.
Looking back, there was nothing wrong with it. There is also the problem of a trap that was deliberately made to be wrong…
“What is that guy?”
“I’m leaving it up to you to figure it out.”
“Yes?”
Kevin asked an unexpected question like a fool.
His mentor, Merlin, is the current owner of the archive that only the best wizards can inherit.
He was the one who inherited the knowledge, experience, research, and magic of many archmage.
Instead of answering that, he says he doesn’t know… I thought it was another silly pun, but Merlin’s attitude was quite serious.
“At first I tried to teach one-on-one, but I changed my mind. If you look into the abyss for a long time, you will be eroded. So I decided to go out and observe as a third party.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
“I don’t know if you understand it well, but to some extent, don’t you? The fact that you accepted this offer in the first place is proof of your personality.”
“I just followed the Master’s orders. If you refuse, you may be blocked from entering my tower.”
“hahaha····. What a young friend said. What power do I have?”
“What power do you have? Aren’t you the one who unifies the originally independent schools such as Mjölnir, Agni, and Gaia into one and established the Elemental School, and even though ostensibly retired, he is effectively reigning as a Grand Master? I am sorry, but what you are doing now is not humility, it is arrogance and deception.”
Merlin’s expression frowned slightly at Kevin’s thorny remark.
It’s like having a thorn in your finger.
“My bones hurt.”
Kevin seemed to want to say more, but intentionally changed the direction of the story.
“Of course, I will not lie that I am not interested. Because I wasn’t usually good at it. So please tell me. Specifically, for what reason do you want to keep it nearby and observe?”
Kevin’s serious question. The atmosphere should have given him an answer, but Merlin shook his head.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Yes?”
“Even I, who is an archive, said I didn’t know. I have no idea what it really is. no, don’t fix it The feeling is coming, but I can’t believe it… So I’m going to take a look.”
Merlin answered, recalling the feelings he had from Dave in the past.
“Something I don’t know.”