Genius Warlock

Recovering the secret ledger stolen by the thieves.

Recapturing the harbor from a gang.

Eliminating a non-affiliated gang that occupied an area in District O.

Chasing after escaped prisoners.

Destroy the magic wine factory in Landa's outskirts.

And there were various other tasks…

For the past few days, Oliver had received many jobs from Crime Firm, mercenaries, and entrepreneurs and had handled quite a lot of work.

Money was not a problem, as he still had plenty of it. He had done all this work to gain some free time.

It was because if he did a lot of work at once, he could take a break in the name of rest.

Of course, it wasn't forced. It was just Oliver's own courtesy to Forrest, who was considerate of him.

Coco, Arthur, and Al said that it was easy for brokers to get between customers and solvers to work only when solvers cooperated in this way.

In fact, Forrest seemed to understand Oliver's attitude, so when Oliver said he would take a few days off, he readily nodded without asking why.

“Since you worked like this, there won't be anyone complaining if you take a break for a while. The timing is not bad either… It's good, take a good rest.”

During this break, Oliver temporarily moved to Merlin's mansion to receive lessons.

The class wasn't anything special. It was called self-directed learning, where Oliver read the textbooks provided by Merlin and only asked questions about concepts he didn't grasp.

This method proved to be more effective for those with a desire to learn and the ability to read.

After finishing the book, Oliver would lecture the material back to Merlin to evaluate his understanding.

While some might view this educational method as outdated and burdensome, Oliver was quite content.

He enjoyed reading the books and comprehending their contents, as well as asking and answering questions to confirm his understanding.

Sharing knowledge with others was also fulfilling, but the best part was the autonomy it offered to the student.

As a result, Oliver was able to study in his private library in the mansion whenever he had free time, just as he was doing now.

"Hmm… History is interesting too." muttered Oliver as he read a history book about the Magic Tower.

The Magic Tower was steeped in mystique and boasted a prestigious reputation in the history of Landa.

As a result, there wasn't a lot of information available in the book, but it still provided more knowledge than Oliver had gained through casual conversations.

One fascinating piece of information he discovered was that the Magic Tower originated from a single branch of multiple magic schools.

“Are you trying to learn about Magic Tower before entering it?” asked Merlin, who came from behind, while looking at the contents of the book.

Oliver didn't feel his presence coming. It seemed that he had strengthened his mana and hid his emotions even more thoroughly.

Occasionally, Oliver could faintly read his emotions, but as soon as he noticed it, he immediately prepared for it.

Feeling a little disappointed, Oliver calmly replied without revealing anything.

“Um… You are here?”

"Yawn, ya reaction's a bit of a snooze fest, eh?"

"Um, I'm sorry. Shall we start again?"

"What's the point of startin' again, eh? More than that, is that book a bit of a ripper?"

Oliver looked at the book he was reading and replied. "Yes, it's kind of fun. I learned something I didn't know.”

"Like the roots of the magic tower, aye?" asked Merlin, looking at the same page of the book that Oliver had been studying.

Oliver spoke candidly, admitting, "Yes, I was under the impression that the Magic Tower served as the headquarters for all magic schools."

This statement would typically earn ridicule from mainstream wizards, but surprisingly, many ordinary people held the same misconception.

This misinterpretation was a result of information gaps and the insular nature of the magic society.

Merlin, aware of this, responded kindly by explaining, "It's a bit tricky to wrap your head around. Even though the Magic Tower is only a branch, it's the biggest and most well-off in terms of size and resources, mate."

"How did this happen?" Oliver asked.

"Actually, it's natural," Merlin replied. "Landa's been deeply connected with wizards since its creation, so there's almost no bloody restrictions on wizards when compared to other places."

Oliver nodded, understanding that Landa's birth was inseparable from the wizards who had used their power to cope with the great disaster.

"It's a fair dinkum city with no bloody restrictions and no checks. I reckon ya must be curious enough, mate. That's why not only this country but also schools based overseas have set up branches here. The purpose is to outsource research that they're a bit hesitant to do themselves."

Merlin drew a picture on the desk with magic as he spoke.

"Isn't the desk getting dirty?" Oliver asked seeing the picture

I know what I'm bloody doing, mate. I bought it with me own cash." Merlin replied

"Ah..…."

A small circle and an arrow were drawn on the table.

"Of course, starting with Landa branch was the bloody right move. They were just subcontractors for their home institutions' research, and if they didn't like it, they could pull out any time. But, with almost no rules and regulations, the speed and results of research steadily improved, and more and more research was carried out. This naturally led to an increase in autonomy and financial support."

The arrows increased, and the circle grew larger.

"Eventually, they started to do their own thing based on their autonomy, including collabs for tech development and production partnerships commissioned by companies. The money started flowing in, and the scale grew once again."

The circle grew even larger.

"As a result, the importance of each school's Landa branch kept increasing over time and eventually became a place for schools to compete by proxy. But, at this point, another variable came into play, mate."

"What is it?"

"The bloody mages who worked at the Landa branch started to identify more with Landa rather than their school headquarters,"

“……”

"Judging by the look on ya face, I reckon ya don't get it," Merlin said. "Wizards usually identify with the school they belong to. The school is crucial for becoming a mainstream wizarding society."

"Ah, but the Landa branch became independent on its own."

"That's it, mate. The schools realized this too, but it was too late. By the time they noticed, the scale of Magic Tower's branch had become as big as the school's headquarters."

Flip.

Merlin turned to the next page.

"The Landa branches of each school made a secret pact. They decided to merge with each other, saying ‘Why fight among ourselves when there's plenty of food to go around?' It may seem like they're stepping on each other's toes, but in reality, there's enough research and resources for everyone. They resolved any issues through conversation, which led to the formation of the current Landa Magic Tower."

"Did each school accept this?" Oliver asked.

"The situation had already changed, and even if the schools established their own educational institutions, they couldn't oppose Magic Tower and eventually gave it the nod. Currently, most schools have their own educational institutions based in their own countries, but their Landa branches remain the biggest research centers."

Oliver read the page Merlin had opened, and although it wasn't as direct as Merlin's words, it still hinted at the information.

After a moment of silence, Oliver spoke his thoughts.

“…It's interesting.”

“History is fun. It's more interesting than any story… chockers with chance and drama. Nothing's missing, mate.”

Merlin's words had a weight to them, and just as Oliver was about to ask, Merlin interrupted.

"Answer me this, are ya trying to study about the Magic Tower before ya go in?"

Merlin asked the same question again, to which Oliver shook his head.

“It’s similar but different.”

“Interesting. In what way's it different?”

Oliver gestured to the stack of books beside him, which included history books about Magic Tower and its schools, as well as a book titled ‘The History of Religion and Faith’.

“I was trying to find out about this.”

He pulled out a handwritten magic research journal, which was more like the diary of the lightning wizard and contained personal information.

“Where did you get this?” asked Merlin.

“I found it during a job.”

“A job as a Solver?”

“Yes,” confirmed Oliver.

Merlin nodded, as if he understood the situation.

Oliver couldn't tell what he was thinking because of the magic wall that was covering his emotions, but he didn't seem to have any special feelings.

“… A young bloke who was eliminated from the Magic tower competition.”

Oliver nodded, recalling that the magic research journal he found belonged to Audrey, a former student of the School of Pure Magic who owned a magic wine factory in the Prohibited Zone and was competing with Murphy.

At the beginning of the journal, Audrey described his research and training in great detail. However, in the middle of the journal, he abruptly shifted to writing about his personal life. It was not a pleasant story.

“It's a usual story, mate. When a child shows magical talent by chance, they are adopted by a wizarding family, but if their talent is found to be limited, they are often expelled,” Merlin explained.

“Is that a common case?”Oliver asked to confirm.

It seemed like there were more cases like that than he thought from what he saw in the journal.

"I can't say they aren't." Merlin replied

“Um… So, are there a lot of secret deals happening behind the scenes at the Magic Tower? I was actually looking for a book about the Magic Tower to find out more about it,” Oliver inquired.

Audrey's diary held within its pages a story of fear and desperation.

Despite his outward attempts to remain composed, his handwriting betrayed his true emotions.

Audrey was afraid, afraid of the limitation of his magical talents and the resulting suspension of support from his family for tuition and living expenses.

But instead of succumbing to despair, Audrey made plans and looked for ways to secure his own future.

Within the diary, Audrey spoke of the ‘backdoor dealings' that ran rampant throughout the Magic Tower and said that he would carve out his own destiny there.

He said that a wizard from the Magic Tower would be needed anywhere.

In fact, as he had good skills, he made contact with a student who was related to that side and learned about the physiology of that place.

As Oliver read on, he discovered that the backdoor dealings were more numerous and sinister than he had imagined.

There were those who sold unused experimental tools, failed low-quality scrolls, and crude potions made by students, as well as those who received tasks that required magic and used it for their own gain. And then there were the "whisperers," who passed on information about the Magic Tower and the movement of its items.

But the most disturbing revelation came from the existence of a ‘black market,' where even professors systematically sold illegal potions, scrolls, medicines, and magic liquor.

According to the contents of Audery's journal, the scale was beyond imagination, to the point of being responsible for one of the pillars of Landa's underground economy.

That was why Audrey stole the recipe for magic wine and built a magic wine factory as soon as he left the Magic Tower.

The backdoor dealings had participants from all walks of life, from students trying to make a living to prestigious families seeking thrills, and even teaching assistants and professors.

Merlin read the part that Oliver had read, but there was no trace of doubt in his tone, as if he already knew.

Seeing this, Oliver asked, "You're not surprised."

"What's the big surprise? Everything in the world has an expiration date."

“Expiration date?”

"Means everything in the world is bound to get twisted and corrupted."

Saying that, Merlin raised his hand, imbuing it with mana before pouring it into the journal.

Shrrrk. Shrrrk.

The sound of machinery emanated from the book as hidden magic responded and levitated from its pages.

Whoosh!

Swiftly, Merlin snatched the magic information, grasping it as if it were a tangible object.

“What is that?” Oliver inquired, curious about the contents of the magic information.

"He's used a security spell to keep the important info hush-hush with mana. He's been real cautious, so it won't be a cinch to catch him." Merlin replied, impressed by the measures the journal's owner had taken.

"Can I ask what the contents were?"

Merlin's answer was firm. "Nah, ya can't. Think of it as a price tag. I taught ya 'bout this kinda security magic, yeah?"

Oliver was taken aback by the unexpected response, but he had nothing else to say. As Merlin had said, he had been unaware of such security measures until now. With a nod of agreement, he accepted the fact that some knowledge came at a price.

“You are right.”

"Ya got a good attitude for owning up to it. I'll chuck ya a bonus."

"A reward?"

"Yes, I'll introduce ya to the bloke who'll take ya to the Magic Tower and yer temp Senior. Get in, mate."

With that, the door opened and a man entered.

Somehow Oliver didn't notice his presence. But when he saw the man's face, it didn't matter anymore.

“Nice to meet you.” A wizard with black hair and red skin, Kevin Dunbara, said. “Or should I say it’s been a while?”

(To be Continued)

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