280. Sleeping Forest (1)
The battle at McCluskey Security Company ended in a boring way.
There were at least five druids near the forest, but they didn’t do that well.
However, it was somewhat unreasonable to criticize them.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
No matter how strong the opponent, depending on the situation, he could die like a mongrel.For example, Connor, who was outside the building, had to deal with seven security agents by himself.
The four druids inside the building had to deal with the warlock in an enclosed space full of corpses.
It was the worst condition to deal with a warlock whose special skill was the manipulation series.
Well, Oliver wasn’t a warlock, who was a special skill in the manipulation series, but…
In any case, the attack on McCluskey’s security company ended without any major problems, although there were some unexpected surprises.
“Maybe that’s why, after work, I feel bored.”
Oliver said at the Forest Restaurant.
Oliver was sitting at a table covered with a white tablecloth, opposite Forrest.
“is it?”
“Yes.”
He put down the newspaper Oliver was reading and looked at Forrest.
Forrest was also reading the newspaper, but there were also several newspapers piled up on the table.
“I think this is a bit of a fuss.”
Forrest placed the newspaper article he was reading on the table.
On that page, [Great Crime Connection! The security bureau reveals!!]
Another newspaper on the table also had the article on its front page.
“It is not easy to fill the front page with one story in Landa. We need to attract a common interest regardless of status.”
“Is the end of the crime worthy of that much attention?”
Oliver asked.
I didn’t mean to undermine Landa, but in this developed, wealthy city there were as many criminal gangs as cockroaches.
There are so many that most citizens think that coexistence is enough.
So getting rid of criminal gangs wasn’t a big deal in Landa. After all, the vacancy will be filled by other organizations.
“Well, that’s not wrong. It’s no big deal to get rid of a criminal gang. However, at this scale, it can be a topic of discussion. Above all else, the most important thing here is that the security bureau did it.”
Forrest pointed to a photo of Arthur in the newspaper.
He was interviewed by reporters in front of the messed up McCluskey security company, and his intellectual appearance was highlighted with a distinctive strong impression.
“It looks like the picture was taken, but I don’t quite understand it. Why is it important that the Sheriff did it?”
“Well······. Well, you can do it. It’s a bit vague to explain. It’s kind of a self-esteem issue.”
“Are you proud?”
“Yeah, pride of being a Landa man. Everyone who lives in this city takes pride in that. He belongs to the kingdom, but he’s not, he’s a special person… Toilet cleaners and factory owners will think the same.”
“Well······. understand.”
“So the Landa people want to have something special that is different from the Kingdom people. For example, an organization between the army and the police that was created to deal with superhumans.”
“Is that the Sheriff?”
“Yeah, if there is an organization that doesn’t exist in the kingdom and protects this city, it makes me happy for some reason. It’s not rational, but it’s not incomprehensible either.”
Oliver pondered and nodded slowly.
I couldn’t empathize, but I could understand roughly what it was.
“So many newspapers put the article on the front page. It sells well.”
“Yes, that’s right……. But, that’s not what I mean when I say bored. Why didn’t ABC or Mr. Sheamus not be covered in the article?”
As Oliver said, each newspaper covered the McCluskey security company and the criminal company they actually ran, but didn’t write a single line about the actual owner, Sheamus.
Even Cassandra, a newspaper hostile to Sheamus.
That is, Arthur… No, it was said that Carver didn’t announce it.
“I have never heard of that, so I don’t know. But, I can only guess.”
“A guess?”
“Yes, it’s an old man’s opinion, would you like to hear it?”
“of course. If it’s okay with you, please.”
At Oliver’s polite request, Forrest smiled slightly, drank coffee and opened his mouth.
“Perhaps it’s because it’s useless to take it out now.”
“It’s no use…?”
“Yeah, it has very little to do with Sheamus, except for McCluskey Security.”
“However-“
“I know what to say. Everyone’s borrowing money from Seamus and trying to tell them that they’ve got an investment, right?”
Oliver nodded.
A leaf loan lent money to an undercover company to help them start a business, and ABC made a huge investment in them, allowing the business to grow.
Both have benefited greatly from this process. There seemed to be enough relationship in Oliver’s eyes.
“That’s true, but it shouldn’t be. If you lend money, the people you invest in are criminals, and you tie up creditors and investors, half of the city’s people will have to go to jail… They are actually people who will go to jail.”
“ah······.”
“Of course, if you dig a little more, you may find evidence, but that doesn’t make sense in this situation. Everyone is crazy about Sheamus.”
Forrest opened one of the newspapers on the table and showed him an article.
It was an article about ABC that returned high returns to investors without any deviation.
The photos included in the article showed city workers laughing out loud.
“In this situation, what do you think if the investigation proceeds to Sheamus?”
“Well······. Will people hate it?”
Oliver used his imagination to the fullest. Forrest was delighted.
“Yeah, right. People will bubble in their mouths at what they do to an angel who brings them money. They say that making money hurts so much. Then, the civil servants and city councilors who receive money from Sheamus will use it to obstruct the investigation. In other words, it’s a useless weapon now. Until things are more ripe.”
“You are saving it for later.”
“Yes. Once we’ve disrupted one of our main sources of income, we’ll have to wait and see, until we show weakness.”
Oliver thought of Sheamus.
I don’t know him very well, but personally, I don’t think he’s going to show his weaknesses easily.
His actions were light and noisy, but looking at his emotional state and results, he was quite profound.
One example was using Oliver at an investment party to get everyone’s attention.
When I told this fact, Forrest did not deny it either.
“That I agree with. Probably, Sheamus will not easily expose his weaknesses. debauchery, splendor, roar… He makes an impression unrelated to wisdom, but it’s the results that matter, not the looks. No matter what he was, he was a successful businessman from a problem solver. You won’t show your weakness easily… But on the other hand, he is also not going to be the way he thinks.”
“Yes?”
“Sheamus is a special person, but at Landa, everyone is special. Landa is not a trivial city that one man can wield from start to finish.”
Forrest spoke confidently, and Oliver pondered it with a strange sensation.
In Landa, everyone is special. I don’t know why, but it sounded nice.
“It’s a good phrase.”
“Is everyone special in Randa?”
“Yes.”
“Once upon a time, it was an advertisement that was pushed by Landa. To secure cheap labor.”
“Five······. I will look forward to seeing advertisements in the future.”
“The conclusion is a bit strange, but if only you are satisfied… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to worry. An elite from the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to take over, and the rest of Landa continues to keep an eye on ABC and Sheamus. I don’t know if there’s really a problem. Unless that’s the case, one chance will come. City officials, especially those belonging to the Ministry of Home Affairs, are great in a different way than the superhumans on the streets.”
“You know.”
“If you stay on this floor for a long time, even if you don’t like it, you will know……. Well, I worked with them when I was younger.”
“Is it possible to work with Cant-sama?”
Forrest flinched at the question that came in unexpectedly.
Although there were times of embarrassment, he recovered easily with his unique sensible attitude and experience, but this time it was not so easy.
“Uh-huh… I thought you were waiting for an answer?”
“Oh, sorry if I offended you. Without realizing it, I asked reflexively.”
“It’s not unpleasant, but I was a little surprised when I suddenly asked the question……. Maybe, what’s going on? It’s strange to reveal your views on a mission.”
It was correct. Forrest immediately noticed the subtle change in Oliver.
The reason why Oliver was currently on a mission and asked the long-awaited question was because of the five letters he had in his arms.
When I was on a mission, I naturally focused on it and could forget about it for a while, but when I was on standby like now, it was not possible and it was a little painful.
In order to forget the agony, Oliver tried to forget this curiosity for a moment by giving an opinion about a mission he hadn’t normally done or asking other questions.
However, it is impossible to talk about this fact. Oliver was moderately shichimi.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Noticing something, Forrest pondered it, drank coffee and opened his mouth.“Well······. Maybe it’s time to talk slowly. About me and cant.”
“Oh, are you serious?”
“You reacted too quickly for an apology.”
“Ah, sorry. I’m glad.”
“It’s true that you are happy with that. I’ll tell you when this mission is over.”
“Is the mission over?”
“Isn’t that the order? Are you on a mission? Above all else, I need time to organize my thoughts. Is there any problem?”
“Well······. No, none.”
Oliver shook his head. To be honest, I wanted to hear it right away, but Forrest’s words made sense.
“You don’t think it’s okay?”
Forrest pierces Oliver’s heart. Oliver touched the letter in his arms and said no.
Because I was able to calm my curiosity about the letter with another curiosity for a while.
I had doubts with him. What the hell is Merlin doing?
‘You have to come early so that I can read this letter…’
***
“I don’t know why the hell I’m doing this here.”
Merlin, carrying a thick coat and a heavy backpack, stretched out his hand and lamented.
Contrary to his sloppy tone, in Merlin’s hand, a powerful magic that most wizards could not accumulate over their lifetime was gathered.
Magical power turned into intense blue lightning according to his skill and will, then spread out into five branches and gathered again as a single point to strike the huge skeleton giant about 5 meters in front of him.
aah
As soon as five slender lightning bolts hit their target, they set off a powerful spark, which shattered not only the Skeleton Giant, but also the surrounding trees.
“It’s amazing to see this.”
Merlin murmured as he watched the shattered skeleton giant melt like butter and seep into the ground, and trees shattered by shockwaves returned to their original state with smoke.
This Sleeping Forest was truly a strange place.
“The position itself is not fixed in the first place and constantly changing is a deviation from the norm… What do you guys think?”
swish ━ tak!
Merlin asked a question as he grabbed the arrow that was flying towards him with magic power.
When he looked in the direction the crude arrow was flying, he saw a dwarf with a large nose, a cone hat and a jacket with button eyes.
A dreamlike appearance with no sense of reality. It was even a little cute.
But, don’t be fooled by that look.
Like the Skeleton Giant that Merlin defeated before, it was just a creature made with black magic.
Kreacher felt an unusual atmosphere, so he went to a nearby stump.
Surprisingly, the stump had a door, and Kreacher used his small size to get into the stump.
Trying to run away from Merlin.
Merlin reached for the stump.
[Ground Eruption]
Together with the brigade, it swayed deep into the ground beneath the stump, and a large amount of soil spurted upward like a volcano.
There were many dwarf creatures in the soil.
[compression]
Merlin grabbed the soil, tree roots, rocks, stones, and creatures that were floating in the air with magical powers and clasped them tightly.
Creatures compressed into a single point became a single piece of meat under the pressure of magical power.
“There is no end to this.”
Merlin said, looking at the restored floor and all the creatures that were approaching, filling the dense forest.
It’s only because it’s so difficult to ask a question…
In the end, Merlin was a little bit more polite and decided to take the easier route.
He is an old man, so wouldn’t it be okay to break some manners?
Merlin gathered magic in his hand and summoned a book from the air.
Merlin tore the book up and flew it straight into the sky.
To burn this sleeping forest all at once.
“Will it still come back?”
Just as she was about to activate the magic, the presence of the creature in the forest disappeared, and an old woman with fairy-like wings appeared on her back.
“…the princess has risen.”