/
Oliver, who was in the deep darkness, opened his eyes carefully.
He felt dizzy and refreshed as if he had slept for a long time. And his whole body was pleasantly warm.
‘Where am I…’
Oliver raised his arm and looked at his body.
He was lying in a large bathtub with a naked body without a single dress on.
The color of the water was strange.
Judging from the flow of mana, it seemed to be a mixture of potions.
“Huh?”
Oliver got up and looked around.
It was a place he had never seen before.
It looked more like a laboratory than a bathhouse.
He tried to think about what happened, but unfortunately, he couldn’t remember anything.
He was so tired, and maybe because he slept for a long time, his head was full of noise like a broken communication device.
All he remembered vaguely was talking to someone.
He only remembered sitting on the couch with a table in between in a black space and talking to someone.
‘And I ate warm milk and cookies… Chocolate cookies. What did we talk about?’
At that moment, dizziness occurred and Oliver touched his forehead.
He thought it would be nice if anyone could explain this situation. Then he heard a voice just in time.
“Oh, are you awake?”
When he turned his head, he saw Merlin entering.
He was holding a towel and clothes, and above all, he was quite well dressed.
It was a unique form of clothing mixed with suits and robes, with gold decorations on the sleeves and hem of the clothing.
But it wasn’t awkward. On the contrary, he matched it as if it were his real self.
“…Elder?”
“That’s right. Seeing that you recognize me, I don’t think there’s a big problem with your head. Do you remember anything?”
Oliver stood there and groped his memory.
Fortunately, when he saw Merlin, the pieces of memory that were scattered seemed to be gradually aligned.
“……I fought with Elder. You told me you want to check my worth.”
“It would have been nice if you started with [I helped you] first. I feel like a bad person just by hearing that story… Well, I’m a bad guy after all.”
Merlin laughed jokingly and said again.
“Do you remember anything else?”
“I fought with Elder. And I was beaten unilaterally.”
“…Hmm, yes. Continue…”
“Then I smoked a Pilgaret….. I don’t remember anything after that. I think I surrendered because I was tired, right?”
“…yes, but you’ve satisfied me enough, so don’t worry. If I were disappointed in the first place, I would have left you on the ice and come alone. How is your body?”
Oliver looked at himself. The fatigue washed away, and the wounds from the battle healed.
Though the scars from the days of orphanage and mine remained faint.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief. Still, soak yourself a little more, don’t show off the thing that’s dangling between your legs.”
Oliver looked between his legs and asked.
“Is it a thing to show off?”
“That’s not the point. The solution you are taking bath in costs hundreds of millions to make once, so soak in a little more. It’ll be a waste.”
As soon as he heard that, Oliver soaked himself in the bathtub up to his neck.
“Hundreds of millions?”
“Yes, I used the finest potions and herbs. Thanks to this, it is effective for years of fatigue, minor skin diseases, skin whitening, improving wrinkles, removing age spots, back pain, arthritis, and constipation. It’s expensive, but the effect is real.”
Oliver believed the word.
In fact, Oliver’s physical condition was at its best.
“Thank you.”
“Well, don’t be too grateful. I’m not just doing it for you.”
“Do I have to pay?”
Merlin grinned at the words as if it was really funny.
“It doesn’t look like it, but you seem very afraid of money?”
“Yes, hundreds of millions, I’ll have to work for at least a few months.”
“Hmm. . . Don’t worry about money. I have enough money. Instead, I want to be rewarded with something else.”
“Something else?”
“For now, why don’t you rest? Let’s talk later. It’s not urgent.”
Oliver nodded.
Merlin said, leaving the clothes and towels he had brought on the table.
“Soak yourself for another hour or two, and change into this dress. Your original clothes became a mop so I threw them away.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Then, take a rest. I’ll go out.”
“Excuse me, Elder.”
Oliver called Merlin who was leaving.
“What is it?”
“Can you feel touch and taste in a dream?”
“Dream? Not as far as I know. Did you have any dream like that?”
“Um… No.”
As Merlin said, Oliver soaked in the bathtub for another two hours and came out.
He was in the hot bathtub for a long time, so his head was spinning, but soon returned to normal.
As Merlin said, it was expensive, but the effect seemed certain.
Oliver wiped himself with a towel, changed his clothes, and went outside.
The outside was so wide that he did not know where to go, but fortunately, the wooden doll golem guarding the door bent down as if it would guide him.
“Um, please.”
The wooden doll golem raised its head in surprise and soon began to nod and walk, and Oliver followed it.
The wooden doll golem, which had been walking in the long hallway for a while, stopped in front of an antique door. Then it bowed slightly and gestured as if to go in.
Oliver opened the door as he was told.
When he opened the door and went inside, he saw a huge library with numerous books all over the wall.
Oliver looked around in admiration.
Looking at it, there were various types of books, not just different fields, but even different languages.
“Amazing, right?”
Merlin, who was organizing books on one side, said. He had changed into a comfortable outfit unlike before.
“Yes… I’ve never seen so many books in my life. Is that why people in the lab called you Archiver?”
Merlin said, organizing the book.
“Similar but a little different.”
“I see. Can I help you organize the books if you don’t mind?”
“As expected, you are polite for a young man these days. These days, youngsters just watch and do nothing… Then can you help me?”
Merlin lifted a pile of books by magic and handed them to Oliver.
“Put it in section E. According to the number in the book.”
“Yes.”
Oliver replied and went to the place Merlin said and began to insert the book.
He unconsciously looked at the title written in the book.
“….Correlation between the social institutions, economy, and the poor?”
“Do you find it strange, mate? Are you wondering why there is such a book in a wizard’s study?”
Merlin in the distance asked.
“No. I was just wondering what the book was about.”
“As said in the title. It’s a book that deals with the relationship between social institutions, the economy, and the poor. It’s a special medicine for the treatment of insomnia.”
Oliver nodded his head and inserted the book.
He saw the next book.
“The necessity and justification of colonization?”
“It’s too like the name suggests, a book that explains why colonies should be built and why they’re legitimate. Writers these days tend to give titles a little insincerely… Do you happen to know what a colony is, mate?”
Oliver nodded. He learned from the newspaper and Jane.
“Yes.”
“Well, explain it.”
Merlin asked while organizing the books.
“Um… Isn’t it a foreign country or land ruled by the British Empire?”
“Hmm, it’s not accurate, but it’s pretty much it…. Do you know how colonies are formed?”
Oliver answered, recalling what Jane had said.
“With advanced culture and sincere diplomacy?”
“Hahahahahahahahahaha.. Well, that’s not wrong either. It is true that it is through advanced culture.”
With those words, Merlin mimicked shooting a gun with his hand.
It seemed far from Jane’s peaceful transfer of sovereignty.
“What about sincere diplomacy?”
“It is to appease internal dissatisfied forces or protect the rights and interests of existing vested interests. Governance requires a degree of spontaneity and is good for the few in the colony. Clever, isn’t it?”
“…what about the rest?”
“They will be squeezed like grapes until the last drop of juice gets sucked.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s why they conquered it.”
Oliver thought for a while and asked a question.
“….then the thing about building trust and faith by implementing beneficial policies to protect the sovereignty, is that also a lie?”
“It’s not a lie. For example, in a country called Endia, there is a barbaric system in which people are punished by flogging if they fail to pay taxes, but we have improved it and banned it.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“Instead we just take away all their lands.”
“…Is it good?”
“I don’t know that. Most of the people who were deprived of their land starve to death or wander to other places, so I couldn’t ask.”
“Did you see it yourself?”
“Yes. When I was a War Wizard. Thanks to that, I was able to see and learn a lot.”
“Um… I envy you.”
Oliver said without realizing it.
“You can see and learn a lot of things….. I’ve known this only a little while ago, and I’ve learned that there are many things that I don’t know.”
“You’ve learned a lot. There is no greater learning than realizing one’s own stupidity… In that sense, I have a suggestion.”
“Suggestion?”
“Yes. Do you want to learn magic from me?”
“……?”
Oliver frowned and remained silent. There was an awkward silence in the study.
“I’m sorry, but can you answer me? It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Um… I’m sorry. I just thought I heard it wrong. Will you teach me magic?”
“Yes, is it that strange?”
“To be honest, it is. As far as I know, they don’t teach magic except for wizards who belong to the Magic Tower.”
“That’s not wrong. Knowledge is precious. You can’t teach a dog or a cow. So I don’t mean to teach you for free either.”
“Then…”
“Please allow me to conduct a simple experiment on you.”
“Experiment?”
“Yes, I don’t mean to cut your stomach like a frog. I’m just going to do a few tests. Maybe.”
“What test is it?”
“I can’t answer that far. Answer whether you will or not.”
At Merlin’s words, Oliver pondered for a long time and asked a question.
“So you’re going to be my teacher in exchange for doing an experiment on me?”
“Teacher… Well, it’s sort of like that. If I teach you magic, I’ll be like a teacher.”
“I’m sorry, but I refuse.”
Merlin’s eyes widened. As if he didn’t expect this answer.
“Did you refuse just now?”
“Yes.”
Merlin responded with curiosity rather than anger.
It was somewhat difficult to guess because he couldn’t see the emotions because of the wall of magic, but he seemed to be curious.
“Oh, that’s amazing. May I ask why? I don’t think you’ll just refuse a chance to learn because of your personality. Is it uncomfortable to be the subject of the experiment?”
“No, that’s not it. On the contrary, I would be grateful if I could learn magic just by doing that.”
“Then what’s the reason? It may sound like an old man’s pride, but there are quite a few who seek my teachings. It’s up to you to refuse, but I want you to tell me why.”
“………can I be honest with you?”
“Of course, mate. I’d rather feel bad if you weren’t honest.”
“Then I’ll be honest with you. If I were to become the Elder’s student, I would have to follow the orders of the Elder, and I don’t like it.”
“You don’t like to listen to orders?”
“No. However, there may be something that I don’t want to do among those orders. Then I won’t follow, and that will be like breaking the promise with Elder. I refused because I thought it would be better not to make such a situation at all.”
Upon hearing Oliver’s answer, Merlin looked surprised as if he had seen an idiot, and suddenly began to laugh in a very funny way
After laughing for a while, Merlin opened his mouth.
“Oh… I’m sorry. I’ve never seen anyone who rejects a chance for a reason like that in my life. To be honest, it’s silly.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, why don’t we do this?”
“What?”
“If I have to ask you to do something, I’ll just recommend it, it won’t be orders….. Then you don’t have to obey unconditionally. What do you think?”
“I like it, but… Is it okay for Elder?”
“I’m also interested in experimenting you. I already have a lot of guys to ask for chores. Let’s make a student-teacher relationship by setting the rules. Then I’ll help you with your problem.”
“Problem?”
“Rosbane and the other children. Although you saved the children from the abyss, that doesn’t mean their life will get better.”
At that moment Oliver was slightly shocked.
That was true. The children were said to be out of danger, but it wasn’t the end. The children needed a place to stay.
Merlin asked just in case.
“Are you going to feed them all, by any chance?”
“No.”
“Huh! How could you answer so quickly….. Maybe that’s a good thing. Even so, it would be a bit daunting to drive the children out into the streets, right? So, I’ll take care of them for you. To be exact, I leave them in an institution with my connections.”
“Is the institution related to wizards?”
“That’s right. It must be terrible to leave children who have been mistreated by wizards to another wizard, but what options do we have? The reality is that if you don’t have Strength, you have very few options. Is there a problem?”
Oliver thought for a moment and shook his head.
This was the best he could do. Those children would soon become independent even if they went to the orphanage, and there was no other place to trust. For a moment Kent came to mind, but it seemed a bit inappropriate.
“… I’ll gratefully accept your suggestion.”
“We finally reached an agreement. I’ll speak comfortably from now on. First, let’s draw up a contract.”
“A contract? Do wizards also write contracts?”
“No, but in the case of you and me, wouldn’t it be better to do it because we presented conditions to each other? As words have no form, they change over time. A contract is essential to make sure.”
“Um, I see….. Then, can I add one more? There’s one more thing I want to learn from you.”
“Oh, you’re so brazen. What is it?”
“Can you teach me about the world, too? A wider world than I’ve ever learned.”
Merlin put on a strange look. He couldn’t differentiate well, but he seemed to be dissatisfied.
“… I will take back my offer if you want to include that condition.”
“…why?”
“Look around for yourself. It’s the best way to know the world. The world that you learn from someone’s mouth is not the real world. It’s a fabricated world.”