CH 294

Click.

Paul Carver, a member of the city’s Ministry of Internal Affairs Department, manipulated the socket and projected a screen into the thin air.

The screen displayed the names of each bank and storage company neatly listed in the boxes, and next to each box were the numbers of the secret vaults and the precise amount of the ABC funds that were stored in each one.

Despite being a solver who made a living through violence, Shamus managed his money quite vigorously.

‘Even though I summarized it simply, the screen is quite complex… Fortunately, the only people here are those who can easily understand all this at a glance, so I don’t have to bother explaining.’

Carver thought, looking at the seventeen men seated before him.

They were all middle-aged or elderly men, dressed in a variety of outfits, from casual to as meticulously dressed as nobility.

They were all city council members of Landa.

Despite the differences in their outfits, they all exuded the same ominous aura of having survived the political arena.

It was only natural for them to have this aura, having survived in a city based on survival of the fittest as politicians.

“As you can see, most of the losses from the ABC incident were kept in Landa’s banks and storage companies. At first glance, it may seem like a foolish choice, but it was quite a clever one. There’s no place like Landa to store such a large amount of black money. Thanks to this, we’re easily recovering the losses.”

“……”

Even as Carver elaborated with some extra details, the council members listened calmly, without any impatience, unbecoming of their old age.

This was even after the status of Landa as a free city was nearly threatened.

“Based on our current calculations, it is estimated that most of the ABC incident losses can be recovered, except for 1 to 2 billion.”

“Why can’t 1 to 2 billion be recovered?”

A muscular middle-aged man wearing just a shirt and jacket asked. His attire was befitting of a council member representing a worker’s district.

“It was used for Shamus’s escape and bribes. However, it is not considered a major problem. While 1 to 2 billion is a large amount of money, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to 3 trillion. It’s actually considered a profit that we were able to resolve this enormous incident in just a few days. A very large profit.”

Carver confidently claimed.

Indeed, resolving this large-scale financial fraud in just a few days was nearly miraculous.

When the fact was announced, the city’s common people, who seemed ready to riot out of their loss, sent their praises towards the Landa city that had solved this problem, shedding tears as if nothing had happened.

“Not only has the city regained its stability, but the support for the council members has also increased. Furthermore, we were able to prove the ability of Landa City both domestically and abroad, and also demonstrated the value and necessity of the Security Bureau, which had been restrained by the Parliament. Although there was some disturbance like hardening ground after the rain, this crisis, in retrospect, demonstrated the value of Landa. More importantly…”

Carver paused briefly for effective communication, then opened his mouth again.

“…The biggest gain from this incident could be this.”

Carver manipulated the socket to switch to the next screen.

On it were names of various countries like Gallos, central continent small nations, southern coastal city-states, etc., along with the organizational charts of Enjoyment Druids suspected to have operated there.

“Who are they…?”

“Green-haired, facial tattoos. Druids of the Enjoyment. They committed similar financial frauds overseas like Shamus, and although not perfect, we found out their general organization, their fraud methods, and the flow of their funds. And this information is something that the countries scammed by the Druids need.”

The council members showed a hint of interest and urged him to continue with their silence.

“We expect to establish independent diplomatic relations with the relevant countries through this data.”

“Independent diplomatic relations?”

“I just expressed it arbitrarily. Although Landa is a free city without diplomatic rights, can’t we interact with other countries for the public purpose of preventing crime and recovering crime-related funds? Of course, it depends on the council members’ will.”

As expected of council members who understand when given a hint, they all showed a thin smile.

They resembled snakes that had found their prey.

“Hmm… Excuse me. I have a question unrelated to the current discussion.”

A council member, impeccably dressed in a frock coat, raised his hand and spoke. The elderly man sported a white mustache, his face adorned with deep wrinkles, but his eyes shone with intelligence.

“Please, go ahead.”

“I’ve heard… that the resolution of this unprecedented fraud was thanks to a single individual. Is this true?”

Carver admired the councilor. Although he had planned to bring it up, the councilor beat him to the punch. The old men, who typically spent their time seated in chairs, had news networks rivaling those of the Brokers’ guild or sisterhood.

“Yes, that is correct.”

Carver manipulated the socket to display Dave Wright, a Solver from District T, on the screen. His face and a brief description of him was written there.

“To solve this mission, many organizations, including the Security Bureau, Crime Firm, Sisterhood, Pinkman, and more, cooperated. Over a thousand people were mobilized, but the most impactful contribution was from this Solver.”

“Skip the trivial details like being a warlock, debut period, and go straight to the core.”

With the silent agreement of other council members, Carver immediately switched the screen. The next screen showed a video. It was footage of Dave’s exploits against Shamus.

Dave had shattered half of the forest’s defense, which blocked thousands of troops with black lightning. He broke through the defensive line with powerful zombie hordes, suppressed countless druids, and even won a one-on-one match against Shamus.

The fight scenes were fragmented, but what had already been shown was sufficient. Even the council members, who had seen all sorts of things in this city, were impressed.

Especially the final scene, it excited even the old men with their numb senses, like boys. Dave created a tree giant by stealing Druid’s power and mixing it with an unknown black magic, thereby suppressing an even more advanced Shamus. It was a shocking scene in many ways.

Particularly for council members who were aware of Shamus’s abilities.

Once the video ended, one council member grumbled with a furrowed brow.

“Was black magic originally capable of stealing the power of nature?”

“No, such a case has never happened before… At best, only mana is stolen, but the power of nature… As far as I know, there has been no such case yet.”

“Then, how exactly…?”

“Who knows? Anyway, he’s really strong. Isn’t his level equivalent to the head of a magic school, a Grand Master?”

“No matter what, that’s not true. A Grand Master…?”

“Anyway, the characteristic itself is interesting. Power of nature… The emergence of a new Rare case? It seems like he mixed mana with emotions to create black lightning. The wizards must be drooling.”

“Leave such academic issues to the wizards, and let’s focus on our work… Carver.”

“Yes, councilor.”

“As far as I know, he didn’t just lead the battle to victory, he also acquired information on the World Tree, is that also true?”

“Yes, it is. Dave is not only a warlock but also a Net Navigator. He helped us cross-check the information inside the World Tree.”

“That’s impressive.”

The old councilor simply stated his feelings. Carver agreed wholeheartedly.

Having combat abilities superior to most organizations was impressive enough, but if he could also handle the World Tree, Dave’s abilities could be said to be at least several times greater than the sum of those.

“That’s an impressively large power for a single individual to have.”

One councilor commented with a hint of wariness. Several others agreed. Understandably so, as the World Tree was an unknown technology that not even the city could yet handle.

And a warlock with that kind of power could also control the World Tree?

The scale of that influence was incalculable.

At that point, Carver interjected.

“However, the fact that Landa has grown so much is also because it has embraced such individuals.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Carver.

“Landa… grew because of that?”

“Yes, councilor. That’s correct… Landa was once a land abandoned due to a great catastrophe. Yet, people who risked the danger gathered, purified the land, and transformed it into one of the greatest cities in the world in a short time. The source of that power came from embracing, not avoiding, risks. To continue enjoying freedom and prosperity, this city should continue to embrace, not reject.”

At the sincere words of the young city official, some council members chuckled.

“That’s a naive statement that doesn’t suit Landa.”

“And it’s not a wrong statement either.”

With the young official’s bold retort, everyone burst into laughter.

They weren’t angry. It was a sign of respect in their own way.

“That’s correct, it’s not wrong. However, depending on the environment, we need to adapt. It’s a problem to continue the past’s risky ways now that we’ve made considerable progress. Especially in this case… Dave, the Solver, is a warlock, isn’t he? There’s hardly any known information.”

“Yes, that’s correct. I tried to find out on my own, but apart from the fact that he debuted as a warlock Solver about three years ago, I hardly found anything. Even the identity he currently has is fake, and the fact that he’s a Net Navigator was revealed during the mission. But we do know his reliability.”

“Reliability?”

“Yes, it’s an odd word to apply to a warlock, but if we discard our prejudice and only see him as a Solver, he’s a very reliable person.”

The council members fell silent.

“He has never once failed the tasks assigned to him so far, and rather has produced results beyond what he was paid for. Most importantly, he had the opportunity to embezzle 3 trillion, but he didn’t touch it at all. I question whether there would be another Solver in Landa capable of doing this.”

“So, what’s the main point? Are you suggesting to scout him to the Security Bureau?”

“No, not that. We suggested that in the past, but were rejected. He has a nature that dislikes affiliating with anywhere. Instead, I think we should bring him in as an unofficial ally of the city.”

An unofficial ally of the city.

The Magic Tower, Crime Firm, Sisterhood, Brokers’ Union, etc. It meant a kind of mutual inviolability and cooperation for the peace and balance of Landa’s power.

It was never an official relationship, but they did quite a lot of transactions under the surface.

“Is that possible? It’s doubtful whether he will actually accept, and even if it’s unofficial, it’s somewhat off for the city to form a relationship with a warlock. We might become a punching bag for all sorts of people.”

That was true. From a social standpoint, warlocks were the weak.

They were political punching bags to which blame was shifted whenever any incident occurred.

No matter how exceptional Dave was or how high his credit was, he couldn’t escape this rule, and as a result, the city had no choice but to hesitate to get close to him.

They could be branded as demon worshippers at any moment.

Carver agreed with this point.

“Yes, I think the same. Even as pragmatic and realistic as Landa is, it’s somewhat off to form such a relationship with a warlock… but I think it might be possible if it’s a deviation by a single official.”

Several council members furrowed their brows.

“Do you mean to say, you’ll take responsibility?”

“If it’s for the benefit and development of a great city, absolutely.”

As he had been doing, Carver spoke sincerely, and even the elderly council members realized that this was not mere bluffing but sincerity.

A council member in a frock coat stroked his mustache and spoke.

“Hmm… That’s not going to work. A relationship with an exceptional warlock appearing in the video and a mere internal affairs official… Isn’t that lacking in persuasiveness? People have to be convinced if the ranks match. For example, a Minister of Internal Affairs.”

At that moment, Carver and the council members exchanged glances, and countless conversations passed through a single look.

“Aren’t you upset?”

At a table in the Forrest Restaurant, Jane, sitting across from Oliver, started a conversation.

Oliver slightly put down the newspaper he was reading and made eye contact with her.

“What are you talking about?”

Jane put her hand lightly on the newspaper Oliver was reading, slowly moved it down, and pointed out one article.

The article stated that the Security Bureau had recovered the money that Shamus had embezzled, and the photo below showed city workers who were happy to find the money.

“They omitted Dave’s contribution and reported it as if the Security Bureau solved it all by themselves, didn’t they? The people don’t know who the real hero of the city is.”

Oliver briefly looked at the article and opened his mouth.

“The Security Bureau is the one ultimately responsible, so I think there’s no problem… Also, I’m not a hero, but a Solver.”

“Hmm… It’s not wrong, but isn’t it a bit strange? Someone else stole your credit.”

“The city hired me, so I think there’s no problem.”

“Ha…”

Jane sighed while looking at Oliver, emanating a familiarity that she hadn’t quite gotten used to.

Despite his tremendous abilities, he hardly uses them. He probably will never understand it in his lifetime.

“By the way, Miss, may I ask why you came?”

“Oh my, isn’t it rude to say that when a lady comes to visit?”

“Ah, I apologize. It seems like you have something to say.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. I came to thank you on behalf of the Sisterhood.”

“To me?”

“Yes, we heard about your actions through Pinkman. If it weren’t for you, we would have lost Shamus completely.”

“That’s not true. Others played a crucial role as well.”

“Really? How so?”

“While I was away, they surrounded the forest to prevent Shamus from escaping. If it weren’t for them, I would have lost him.”

“Let’s move on… Anyway, thank you for your help. Thanks to you, we overcame the worst-case scenario that the Sisterhood was worried about, and I was able to establish my position within the Sisterhood.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, due to many members following Shamus over me and Miranda, I somehow ended up getting promoted. I played a role in resolving this incident and… Thanks to this, I ended up taking on a big role in an unusually short period.”

“Oh… Congratulations. However, that’s not because of my help, but your luck and abilities. There’s no need to thank me.”

Jane just smiled at Oliver’s words.

“Could we have dinner together when you have time?”

“Dinner?”

“Yes… Miranda would like to meet you formally,”

“Me? Why?”

“It’s nothing strange. The city’s rich want to be close to people with powerful forces. Also, she has been interested in your reputation. With your recent distinctive activities, it’s natural for her to want to meet you.”

“Um… Could I think about it for a while?”

A Solver contemplating meeting with the city’s rich. It was quite a rare case, but Jane wasn’t surprised and  just nodded.

If she was surprised by these things, it would have been impossible to converse with Oliver.

Above all, Oliver was now in that position. He was capable of having an equal conversation with the city’s capitalists with his own power alone…

Jane thought that she should work hard too and got up from her seat.

“Then, I’ll tell Miranda that you’re considering it… I want to talk more, but I have some business to take care of, is it okay if I leave?”

Oliver nodded his head.

“Yes, of course… But what business do you have?”

“This and that. Now that there’s a vacancy above, I have to deal with other investors. Also, the Sisterhood needs to be reorganized… The organization got a bit torn apart because of Shamus.”

“Ah… What happened to those who followed Mr. Shamus?”

“Um… Could I tell you after it’s confirmed?”

After it’s confirmed? It was a somewhat incomprehensible phrase, but Oliver nodded for now.

“Thank you. I’ll definitely tell you. Let’s have dinner together then.”

“With Ms. Miranda?”

“No, just you and me… between friends.”

“Ah, yes. That’s a good idea.”

Upon Oliver’s nod, Jane showed a bittersweet and pleased expression.

Jane left with a smile, and Oliver saw her off from his seat, then started reading the newspaper again.

The newspaper highlighted the actions of the Security Bureau and emphasized the need for the Security Bureau, along with articles emphasizing the city’s outstanding capabilities.

Squeak… thud.

When he was almost done reading the newspaper, he heard someone sit down across from him.

“…Does Mr. Forrest also has something to say?”

Forrest nodded his head. He looked serious and showed traces of considerable contemplation.

He opened his mouth.

“Have you thought about taking a break from your work as a Solver for a while?”