Genius Warlock

Chapter 221

Shortly after settling into his seat opposite Shamus, two hearty T-bone steaks were presented on plates. One was meticulously seared to perfection, reserved for Oliver, while the other was intended for Shamus.

"Is the steak to your liking?"

Oliver slowly swallowed the T-bone steak he had put in his mouth and replied.

"...Yes, it's delicious."

"I'm glad. This is the signature dish of this restaurant. It's so delicious that I'm eating my twentieth plate."

Shamus pointed to the stack of plates piled up like a tower beside him. Then, he chewed the T-bone steak down to the bone.

Crunch, crunch.

His jaw strength seemed extraordinary, as the hard bone crumbled like candy.

"Do druids usually have a good appetite?"

"Usually? We train both our minds and bodies to the extreme, so we need a lot of nutrients. And most of us grew up hungry when we were young, so we have some limits when it comes to eating."

"You grew up hungry?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Most druids are children who are sold because of poverty. The training is tough, and you have to sever ties with the outer world, so who would want to do it?"

"It's my first time hearing this."

"You have a lot to learn."

Shamus ended the conversation like that, but it seemed like he had something to say. It was as if he was prompting a question... And Oliver willingly obliged.

"Is that the case for you as well, Mr. Shamus?"

"Me? Of course, I don't even remember my parent's faces, but I do remember clearly that I was sold."

Shamus tapped his temple with his characteristic exaggerated attitude. Along with that, he observed Oliver's complexion.

"Well... I can't blame my parents. Greenland, despite its name, is barren and poor, so it's common for parents to offer their children to druids. Thanks to that, I became rich, so I have no resentment."

"So, do all the children who are sold become druids?"

"Well... let me ask you a question instead. Does everyone who trains become a warlock?"

"Um... no."

"Exactly. Becoming a druid is difficult. Only a talented few can become one. Sometimes, not even one person becomes a druid in a year."

"I see..."

"You don't know anything about druids. It's not strange, but it is odd. As a Solver, you should have met one at least once. There are many like me these days."

"I met one person. But the timing wasn't right, so I couldn't ask."

"Oh, really? That's too bad. If they were in Landa, there's a chance they may have been part of the Enjoyment group. Do you happen to know their name?"

"Scott."

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with that name. Do you happen to know what he is up to these days? I've always been curious about other druids and would love the chance to meet one someday."

"He's dead."

"Oh, really...? Who killed him? Someone who can kill a druid must be quite capable."

"It was me."

"......."

"To explain, it's complicated, but we had a disagreement while working together... Is it offensive to you?"

"Offensive? Not at all. The weak deserve to die. Isn't it worse for someone to jump into this line of work without that determination?"

Shamus responded with a lie. He hid his emotions with a magic item, but Oliver could still see it.

"Thank you for understanding. Anyway, may I ask about the business proposal?"

"Huh? Already? I've heard you enjoy the pleasure of conversation, but are you trying to move on to the boring topic of work already? Or am I not charming enough?"

Shamus showed a blatant sign of disappointment.

To be fair, Oliver relished engaging in conversations with others. He enjoyed the experience of discovering new information, reconciling divergent perspectives, and exchanging viewpoints with others through discourse.

However, Shamus proved to be an atypical conversational partner. Although he appeared to engage in dialogue with Oliver, the reality was quite the opposite. Shamus employed a mix of deceitful half-truths and insincere fabrications to assess Oliver's character, without genuinely participating in the exchange.

This is precisely why Oliver desired to cut to the chase and get to the heart of the matter. In doing so, he hoped to establish a more genuine and sincere dialogue.

"I apologize. I'm just curious about what kind of business proposal you'd have with me... I don't know anything about business."

"Oh, Great spirits... You have talent, but you don't realize it at all. Could there be a sadder case? You're already doing it, aren't you?"

"Pardon?"Findd new stories at novelhall.com

"The warlock training business."

"Warlock training...? Oh, are you talking about the Fighter Crew?"

"Yes, I saw your fight yesterday. It was quite impressive, sincerely. Just to let you know, I'm not the type of person who talks nonsense about such things."

It was sincere.

"Thank you for the compliment. But how did you see it? There were no... Ah, you must have seen it through the World Tree."

Oliver recalled the conversation he had with Gordon in the past.

Gordon had said that Shamus could handle elemental magic, nature empathy, shape-shifting, and can even use the World Tree.

"Wow...! You're smart when it comes to unexpected and naive topics. You guessed it right away. Impressive."

"I heard you were dealing with the World Tree last time. Thank you for the compliment."

"It's not a compliment. I'm just stating the facts. Ordinary people don't even know what the World Tree is, and there are hardly any Solvers who really know about it. Only those who can think independently know about the World Tree."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. Only those who know how to think can understand the power of the World Tree... I'm curious, how did you find out about the World Tree? Do warlocks teach about the World Tree these days?"

"By chance, I happened to read about it in a book."

"In a book? By chance?"

"Yes, I bought a few books at a used bookstore."

"That's really interesting. A book about the World Tree in a used bookstore... And I'm sure you're not lying, so let's just move on."

"Ha... So it's not that desperate for you?"

"No, it is desperate... It's just that there are so many other interesting things in the world, and I want to take my time to explore them all."

Shamus seemed to have made up his mind and shrugged.

"Alright...? Then there's nothing I can do. I can't force you any further. I've finished my business here, so you can leave if you want."

At Shamus's words, Oliver stood up from his seat. As he was leaving, he looked at one side of the restaurant.

"I enjoyed the meal. Thank you, Mr. Shamus, for inviting me."

"I should be the one thanking you for coming. Although we didn't agree on everything, I hope we can get along in the future. I would also appreciate your help with my work later."

"Then, please contact Mr. Forrest."

"Forrest? Ah... Hey, as a gesture of friendliness, would you like some advice?"

"Advice?"

"Yes, don't trust brokers too much. Even if they say they're friends or partners and share profits, they're the kind of people who stab you in the back. Especially, that Forrest guy."

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

Following the departure of the warlock Dave, only Shamus remained on the second floor of the restaurant, Cornucopia. Or, more accurately, it appeared that Shamus was the sole individual still present.

"Boss, are you okay?"

Something stirred in one corner of the restaurant, and a person appeared.

He was a druid who had been hiding his body with a camouflage spell, and he was one of Shamus's subordinates.

Chomp, chomp!

Shamus answered while chewing on his T-bone steak.

He naturally had a good appetite, but when he was annoyed or deep in thought, he would eat even more than usual.

"To be honest, it's not very good... I don't remember the last time I was this irritated."

Shamus spoke with a chuckle, but his subordinate discerned the underlying anger in his tone. Though Shamus maintained a carefree demeanor and often laughed, in reality, it was akin to a predator crouching low before the hunt. It was this very approach that had propelled him to his current position of power.

"Should I go after him and take him down now?"

The subordinate asked Shamus. In fact, many of Shamus's subordinates were stationed in the restaurant in case they needed to take action.

They were all well-known figures in Landa who had succumbed to Shamus's wealth or power.

"... No, it's fine. He's not an easy target."

"Not easy?"

"Yeah. That cute boy, he knew you were there. His eyes stopped for a moment."

"Really? My camouflage spell was perfect. Also, I was wearing a magic item that hides my emotions."

"But he noticed. I don't know what kind of trick he used. Of course, I could catch him if I tried, but I can't interfere so blatantly while he was carrying out a Crime Firm mission. That's not very mannerly, is it?"

Shamus said half-jokingly, but in fact, it was a conclusion derived from combining numerous possibilities.

His relationship with the Crime Firm had gone beyond being just simple and had subtly reached a point of mutual restraint, but he couldn't interfere just yet.

He still needed the influence of the Crime Firm.

At least until Enjoyment could take root in England.

"Rather, how did it go? With the fighter crew on the first floor?"

"We tried to pick a fight as you instructed, but there was no significant reaction."

"Really?"

"Yes, I thought those low-lives from the back alley would easily fall for the provocation. But they just quietly ate their meals and left. Their discipline is quite good."

"Ha... Fuck. I really hate it."

Shamus spoke with a rare level of sincerity, the most he had displayed among the words he spoke today.

Upon first encountering Dave, Shamus had initially regarded him as just another obscure figure amidst the many potential contenders vying for power in Landa. However, it quickly became apparent that Dave's capabilities extended far beyond that.

His skills were far more multifaceted and intricate than Shamus had anticipated. Not only had he single-handedly brokered negotiations with the Crime Firm, but he had also transformed a ragtag group of low-life street thugs into a formidable fighting crew and maintained strict discipline among them.

Achieving such feats required more than sheer strength or skill. It demanded a certain degree of leadership prowess.

"Boss, aren't you taking this too seriously? Dave didn't gain anything from this incident."

"That's what worries me."

"Excuse me?"

"The fighter crew, the Crime Firm. The guy who reconciled the two organizations and built a relationship didn't gain anything. It doesn't make sense, does it? He could have gotten quite a bit just by mentioning it."

"So...?"

"It's one of two things. Either he's a really smart guy pulling some scheme behind the scenes, or he's a truly selfless fool... I'd prefer the former."

"Not a fool?"

"Yeah, a smart guy can be predicted because he has an ulterior motive. But a fool can't be predicted. Because he has no goal. It's chaos."

The subordinate pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"Um... That's too difficult for a rookie like me to understand. Either way, shouldn't we take him down as soon as possible? If a force that is well-trained is under the Crime Firm's control, it'll be hard to manipulate them later."

Shamus didn't deny it.

He was the one who had enjoyed the most significant benefit from exploiting the seemingly efficient but in reality vulnerable organizational structure of the Crime Firm.

"Oh, we can't let that happen. We just can't. There's still so much to gain... Can we still use the channel we secured last time?"

"Do you mean the one in District Y?"

"Yes, contact the Anti-Development Committee through them."

"What should I tell them?"

"Ask them how they could just let go of the warlock who made a mess in District Y. If you give them some money, they'll probably react right away."

(To be Continued)

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