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Flap. Flap. Flap.
A gnome with fairy wings, straight from a fairy tale, with a wand in hand, flew forward.
The gnome was significantly old, and corpulent. But amusingly, his flight was as delicate as that of a butterfly.
“Here it is…”
The gnome pointed to a door.
An old, massive castle door, faded by time, yet it bore the touch of a craftsman.
“Ay, bloody amazing, mate! Why couldn’t I find a bloody massive castle like this for a whole week?”
This was less of an actual question and more of an exclamation.
Merlin knew some of the reasons why he couldn’t find the castle.
Merlin was a being who inherited the research and knowledge of the previous Archivers.
“It’s because this is the princess’s forest. If she wants, she can find a small needle in an instant, and if she doesn’t want, even a large castle like this can never be found,” the gnome explained in his own way. It’s not that there was nothing to argue about, but Merlin refrained, for the sake of the host’s courtesy.
He was here to ask questions, not for an academic debate.
Creak–
As Merlin stepped forward, the hefty castle door opened on its own.
The inside of the castle was just as peculiar.
When the castle door opened, one would normally expect a lobby. But inexplicably, a bedroom was revealed.
A bedroom with nothing but a very large bed.
“You’re here…”
A girl’s voice could be heard from the bed covered by curtains.
It was a young voice, probably in her mid to late teens.
Merlin walked slowly, step by step, into the bedroom.
Creak–
The castle door closed.
“Did ya know I was gonna come?”
“Yes… I saw it in my dream.”
“Blimey, mate! Why didn’t ya give me a buzz earlier then?”
“I’m sorry. I was sleepy.”
With a fitting response to the Princess of the Sleeping Forest, the curtains surrounding the bed softly parted.
Along with it, a girl revealed herself.
A girl with fair skin and rich honey-colored hair. She was vibrant like a freshly budded fruit, and beautiful.
Looking only at her appearance, it was hard to believe that she was a formidable warlock.
‘…And, she doesn’t look like someone who’s lived for hundreds of years.’
“Do you… seem to be thinking something rude?”
The princess said, as if seeing through Merlin’s thoughts.
Merlin acknowledged her statement.
“I didn’t have such cheeky thoughts, mate. I was just bloody amazed at how ya’ve managed to stay youthful for so long.”
“Do you envy this blessing?”
“Do ya reckon it’s a blessing?”
“Hmm… No. I think it’s a curse.”
“I reckon the same. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse… it’s a bloody fine line, ya know? When me feet are killing me, I wish I was younger, but overall, I’d rather decline.”
The princess chuckled with the distinctive laugh of a young girl. It was attractive as any young girl’s laugh, yet there was a faint sadness.
“Ah… indeed, the Archiver. You are wise. It is only when humans age and die that they become beautiful and valuable.”
“It’s not like I specifically wanted wisdom.”
“But you chose that wisdom and is bearing its weight… I truly respect you. Despite knowing everything, you can’t do anything, and yet, you haven’t gone mad and accepted it… It’s hard for me to imagine.”
At the princess’s words, Merlin walked towards her and stood in front of her.
There was a strange tension, but neither of them felt any hostility towards each other.
“Ya got it wrong, Princess.”
“Have I?”
“Aye, the Archiver doesn’t know everythin’. They just know a bit more than others. And while they might be powerless, they ain’t completely useless. They can still put up a fight. That’s why I’m here.”
The corners of the princess’s mouth softly rose.
“I apologize. I was just speaking out of turn from just waking up… But in exchange, I will answer your questions. What would you like to ask?”
The princess granted him a question. Merlin could feel his old heart pounding.
“… Has the end begun?”
“I wonder? Shouldn’t you be the one who knows best?”
Merlin laughed loudly. There was no clearer answer than this.
“[At the moment a massive hole forms at the end of the world, the clock starts ticking]… I never bloody dreamt I’d be the first button of the prophecy.”
“I never dreamed that I would live for hundreds of years either. That’s why life is both painful and enjoyable.”
At the princess’s words that didn’t match her appearance, Merlin smirked.
But, at the same time, his inside wasn’t smiling at all.
It was inevitable. Among humans facing the inevitable end, how many could actually smile?
Especially when that end was caused by none other than humans themselves.
Moreover, the Archivers had foreseen this day hundreds of years ago.
‘And yet, I couldn’t do a bloody thing.’
“Don’t blame yourself, Archiver. From the beginning, it was a problem that even the previous Archivers couldn’t solve.”
“Thanks for the comfort, Princess… So, according to the prophecy, have the prince of Hell and the son of an angel come down to Earth?”
“I wonder? As you know, I can’t directly answer… However, I can assert one thing. If the prince of Hell exists, the son of an angel also exists, and if the son of an angel exists, the prince of Hell also exists. They are inseparable, like two sides of a coin.”
“So, I reckon I can’t ask where the son of the angel and the prince of Hell are, then.”
“Yes, but I can tell you that you, the Archiver, have met the son of the angel, and you have also met the prince of Hell.”
Upon hearing the answer, various people flashed through Merlin’s mind, but only two remained.
One was certain, but the other was somewhat ambiguous.
He also felt special, but compared to the former, it felt lacking. Like a candle and the sun.
“… I’ve got one more question. Is the end really in the hands of humans?”
“Why are you asking what you already know?”
“I’m askin’ if I could stop the end by takin’ matters into me own hands, Princess.”
Merlin asked with an indifferent voice.
Even though he knew it wasn’t a problem that could be solved like this, the foolish human emotion left in Merlin’s heart suggested this could be another way… He felt truly foolish.
“That could be one way.”
An unexpected answer came from the princess’s mouth.
“Really?”
“Yes, I don’t know the correct answer, so I can only answer like this. People misunderstand, but being a prophet doesn’t mean I know everything. In fact, I’m the one who knows the least. I’m just a being who speaks as my dreams show me. However…”
The princess paused for a moment, then opened her mouth again.
“… Whatever you, the Archiver, do is just one process toward the prophecy. Everything from talking to that person, recommending books to that person, advising that person, helping that person and recruiting as a disciple, to giving that person letters to cope with a possible crisis… You will reap what you sow.”
“Hahahahaha!!!”
Merlin burst into loud laughter. Even at the abstract word ‘that person’, he could imagine who it was.
It seemed truly detestable. It’s a word to the great one above the sky. What does he want to do, play dolls?
“Sorry to bother ya… Have ya seen me new disciple, nah, me temporary disciple in ya dream?”
“Yes.”
“Can ya give me an answer if I ask ’bout that child?”
“No, I don’t have the authority to answer about him… But there’s one thing I can answer.”
“What is it?”
“You were very right to have given him the letters in advance, out of concern. It was a very good choice.”
The princess sincerely smiled.
“Thank you for coming.”
At a table in the corner of the first floor of the Forrest Restaurant.
Oliver greeted Albert who was sitting across from him.
He was a wizard from the Moirai faction, who was assigned the same ABC mission.
“Actually, I’m the one who should thank you for meeting with me. This is Dave’s trading partner’s place, isn’t it?”
Albert asked, looking around.
“Yes.”
“I have always wanted to visit this place, and now I am here.”
Oliver asked sincerely, “Did word spread to the Tower that the fish dishes here are delicious?”
“Uh… That’s not what I meant, but I’ll try it. I like fish too.”
“That’s fortunate. It’s pretty delicious.”
Oliver answered and ordered two fish dishes. The waiter nodded with a friendly smile and stepped back.
“Do you usually stay in this restaurant?”
“No, I usually don’t stay here. I have things to do. However, I’ve had some spare time lately so I read books or newspapers here.”
“Hmm… Do you like books?”
“If I can learn something interesting.”
“So is this why you asked for this?”
Albert held out a bag of documents.
It looked heavy at a glance, and when opened, it contained a pile of documents.
“This is the success fee requested by Arthur of the Security Agency.”
The successful fee that Albert spoke of was none other than the internal information secured from McClusky Security Company’s world tree.
Oliver was the one who protected Albert alone, helped him hack the World Tree, and asked Arthur to share all this information with him as a success fee.
Arthur had said he would try, and had asked Albert for help through Carver.
The reason was because of the contract between the Moirai faction and the city official, Carver.
The information about the mission was shared, but the information about the World Tree was held by the Moirai faction.
In other words, the right to that information was with the Moirai faction, not the city officials.
It might not be strange in any way.
The reason the Moirai faction participated in this mission was that they were coveting the World Tree technology of the Druids.
But then, a warlock asks for sharing? It wouldn’t have been strange if they refused. They certainly would have, but Albert brought it himself.
“Of course, it’s not all the information. There’s no core information related to the Druid’s World Tree. I tried to persuade them, but they didn’t listen at the top. Please understand.”
Albert spoke sincerely, even though Oliver did not ask, and voluntarily explained the situation honestly.
He knew that it would be more effective to persuade with the truth than to make a clumsy lie after seeing Oliver’s skills and attitude.
And that calculation was exactly correct.
“I understand. Thank you for sharing as much as you did.”
Seeing that his persuasion worked easily, Albert loosened up a bit.
As his attitude relaxed, curiosity arose. It was a curiosity that was both personal and official.
“But may I ask why you requested data on the World Tree? No offense to Solvers, but they’re known to prefer money… Perhaps, are you interested in the World Tree?”
“Yes, it’s a fascinating entity, so I was curious.”
“Well, considering that Dave is rare- ah, my apologies. Considering that Dave can use mana, it wouldn’t be strange for him to take interest in the World Tree. How much do you know about the World Tree?”
Oliver fell into thought for a moment, then spoke only of the basic information.
He wanted to talk about everything he knew, and to have an unrestricted conversation with Albert about the subject, but he refrained because there was a hidden meaning in Albert’s emotions.
Nonetheless, Albert seemed surprised.
“Ho… You know quite a lot about the World Tree. It’s not something easily known.”
“I got a book and read it.”
“Oh, from the black market and grey market?”
In fact, it was from Merlin’s secondhand bookstore, but Oliver didn’t bother to correct him.
“True, nowadays, you can find good books there too… If it’s okay with you, would you like me to tell you a bit about the World Tree before our food arrives?”
A mix of altruistic emotion and personal favor shone through.
As soon as Oliver nodded, Albert began to explain various information about the World Tree, building upon the information Oliver had mentioned like stacking blocks.
Most of it was information he already knew, but Albert’s explanation was quite excellent.
He explained very well even the somewhat ambiguous concepts and currently debated hypotheses.
Shortly after, the fish dishes came and it was time to return to small talk.
“I listened well to your story. It was easy to understand.”
“I explained simply, but understanding it is the listener’s ability. You are more impressive than I thought.”
At his sincere praise, Oliver expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you for your words. You are kind.”
Seeing Oliver’s demeanor, Albert, who had been mulling over something, seemed to make up his mind and took out a business card from his pocket.
“What is this?”
“You said I was kind earlier, didn’t you?”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
“It might sound cheeky, but in Landa, nothing is free. Even a favor. Actually, our Moirai faction wants to maintain a good relationship with Dave in the future.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Dave. You might not know this, but Landa is a battlefield of enormous power struggles. From the street vendors to the city council. Everywhere, they tear each other apart for power. The Magic Tower is no different.”
“I’ve heard something similar.”
“Our Moirai faction is known as a strong emerging faction in the Magic Tower, along with the Life school faction and the Spatial school faction. It’s not incorrect, but there are some differences in reality.”
“Could you give me an example?”
“We could mention Powerful force. Simple and childish, but it’s the most certain form of power.”
“Ah……”
Oliver made a sound. But he wasn’t sure if it was strange or not.
As mentioned before, the Moirai faction was a faction that valued information over power.
It was natural for them to lack power compared to other factions.
“You could say it was reckless to participate in this mission, but there were some reasons for it.”
“Wasn’t it because of the druid’s World Tree technology?”
“That’s the biggest part, but it’s also to build friendly forces in the city. This ABC may seem like just a company, but on a larger scale, it could restructure the power dynamics in Landa City. Do you understand?”
Oliver nodded. He had heard about this from Forrest.
Currently, a part of the Landa City Council was divided into those who took money from Shamus and those who didn’t, creating competition.
It wasn’t clear if this was anticipated from the start, but depending on how the ABC mission ends, the fates of some city council members and city officials could be reversed.
“If Carver successfully completes the task, we, the Moirai faction, may be able to establish a good relationship with the council members who supported him.”
“Um… I understand. So, it’s about gaining an advantage in the Mage Tower competition through the city council. But I’m not sure how it relates to me. I’m just a warlock.”
“It seems you’ve misunderstood. Our Moirai faction accesses vast amounts of information through the World Tree. That is, we’re more open-minded than other factions… We don’t ignore a skilled person like Dave just because you’re a warlock.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it. We know there are warlocks who are as good as wizards. Dave is one of them. We want to build good relationships with such individuals.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Even though we’re all wizards, other factions tend to see us as a sub-organization.”
Oliver was convinced. Having worked in the Mage Tower, he had noticed this attitude.
“Of course, we’re not asking you to do anything right away. We’re just making an early introduction. If you maintain a good relationship with us, we’ll make sure to reciprocate.”
“Um… Can you also teach me about the World Tree?”
“The knowledge is complex, but I’ll try to persuade the top.”
“I see. Okay, then. I’ll let Mr. Forrest know.”
“That’s satisfactory for us.”
“But this is a conversation for when things work out.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said this is a conversation for after things work out… Quite some time has passed since we raided McClusky Security Company, and there’s been no noteworthy news, has there?”
That was true. McClusky Security Company and the paper companies they were handling had all been shut down by the city police, and even though time had passed, ABC was still going strong.
They always paid the investment profits on time, and thanks to that, the funds invested in ABC continued to grow, surpassing 2 trillion.
“You don’t need to worry too much.”
“Don’t need to worry?”
“Yes, you might see an interesting article soon.”
Albert said with a peculiar expression. Judging by his emotional state, it didn’t seem like an empty comment.
And indeed, a few days later, the Cassandra newspaper published an article on the front page.
The headline read:
[Anonymous tip-off. Investment company ABC. Having secret meetings with the greatest con artist!!!]